Floral

I have always found that my work reflects my life, and evolves as I change locations. When I lived in Florida my work was very bright and cheery. It was fun to make and fun to use. At the very beginnings of my pottery career in Southern Illinois it was very earthy, yet delicate. And now, in bitterly cold and gray, rainy and snowy New York State (not city) my work has taken on a black undertone. When I lived in Florida my favorite color was pink, pink, pink. When I lived in Southern Illinois my favorite color was green. In New York my favorite is gray, it comes in so many lovely shades. And adding a black undercoat to my work gives it dimension. I love the effect it has taken. But this is quite a shock to my pink, pink past.

The black started innocently, I needed a gift for a friend that wasn't so bubble gum colored. The results were interesting, but I wasn't sold quite yet. And then, close to a year later I was pregnant and needing to steer clear of anything not commercially mixed and stamped non-toxic. And I had been doing some drawing. I came across an interesting technique using wax resist to inlay underglaze on bone dry clay. I will give the details of this process later, but it led to drawing on pottery which led to more drawing. What I want to mention here is that I have been doing some drawing lately that will translate well with this process.

Here are some of the floral drawings I have done since Silas was born. And then I think I'll wrap up this post before Mr. Snuggly wakes up....I tried to finish this yesterday to no avail.

So this is a start, although a little lacking in concept. I am hoping to push this imagery further, into something more complex. I always appreciate feedback!

xoxo

Finally!

That's really the best title I can come up with. My blog is always on the back of my mind, but things get away from me. I have been super busy working full time, getting ready for the holiday season, and you know being pregnant! This season I will be doing two holiday craft events, one is November 6th in Rochester, NY. MayDay Undergound! It looks like it should be a really fun event, and my mom will be there helping us out. Also depending on when baby decides to come out, I may be joining some other local artists here in Cortland for an evening of shopping, wine, and appetizers at Hairy Tony's. This was a great event last year, so I am hoping that little baby stays in until at least his due date. The event is December 8th, and I'll try to post more details later. Here are some shots of what I've been up to lately. I'm trying out a more graphic look and would love some feedback! Thanks! xoxo




As always all of these treasures can be found on my online store......and these new works will slowly replace any sale items, so get the sale items while you still can!

Brownie Sundaes

I made these sundae cups over a year ago. They have been featured on blogs, in treasuries on etsy, and I have gotten a lot of feedback from them. I also marked them down to a ridiculously low price as I often do when items have been sitting in my shop for a while. I just don't like keeping old inventory around as my work is constantly evolving. But, still no one snatched them up. So last night when it was time for dessert, (this happens every night now that I am pregnant) I decided why not just keep this set for us? I rarely keep things I make, but I like having a sundae set. They looked great and worked great with brownies and ice cream. I do have plans for more ice cream bowls, but I think they will be more bowl-like so they are more versatile to a potential buyer. Later I'm making frozen greek yogurt to go in them with local blueberries mmmmm......

The Little Things

Today I was having the worst day! None of my clothes were fitting, I was trying to make appointments and meeting dead ends, my camera battery died just when I got the settings right, and I ended up going out wearing five shades of gray. (I'm not sure why, but all the warm clothes I seem to find are black or gray) But then, the little things started happening. I made a sale on etsy, I found a seashell in my seaweed salad, got a note from a gallery, and found the most beautiful piece of fresh fish on sale at the market. My boyfriend came home with a lovely shelf he made for my cup collection. Instant turn around. Now dinner is on the stove, my camera is set to go when the light is better in the morning, and I have a package to ship. And two show applications to go out, including these little teapots.

I'm Shooting Slides in My Pajamas

Well, not right now, but I have been all week. I just wanted to take a minute and post that I LOVE digital photography. Gone are the days of spending all your money on film to find out that your pictures suck. Gone is the wait. You don't even have to take a straight shot, picasa will help you do that. And copies of slides, what? You can copy a digital image at home for free. You're applying for a show that requires slides? iprintfromhome will help you with that, in lightning speed. Here is an image of my home-made slide shooting kit.

It's been tweaked a little since I took that shot, I put a board under the light box to make it wider, and lowered the backdrop. It's also now permanently up in my office, so all I need to do is bring home my work, plop it on the back drop. My camera is conveniently located next to the computer, I can upload immediately. All while drinking coffee in my pajamas. I used to hate shooting slides! I would of course always do it at the end of the day when I was too tired to take a good shot, spend all my money on it, and not get really great results. When I got my new camera, I started to love shooting slides. I also really like immediacy in my work, so now that I have a permanent slide set up, the instant results keep me really interested and engaged. Here are the things that make my slide set up work: a flo-tone I used to have a large one that got wrinkled when I moved and I ended up ordering a smaller one that is more manageable and appropriate for my work. I can't afford really nice light boxes right now, so I started making them out of white foam. When I started making shinier work I needed more lights, and Vaughn figured out how to rig this one to light from both sides. I just use books or boxes to make it higher. I think I might add a third light because I am getting a little shadow and glare. I also use tungsten bulbs and set the camera on tungsten. This makes things very hot and it is necessary to turn off the lights frequently and let them cool off. Be very careful with this! Seriously!!!! That's all, just a short note on a modern convenience I love.

When Life Hands You Lemons...

You can make the most delicious risotto.


For the past few weeks I have blatantly ignored my once per week goal of posting. What have I been doing? Living. As an artist I usually get a feeling of anxiety when I feel like I'm not working enough. Balancing a part time job and studio work can be stressful, and often times simple joys in life get pushed to the side. Since moving to New York I have been able to add to my studio time a lot, and I have felt calmer as a result. So last weekend I trekked to Ancram, New York in the Hudson Valley and met up with some friends and headed over to Ayumi Horie's studio sale. Ayumi is a kind of a household name amongst contemporary potters, so it's really exciting for me to be able to make my second visit to her studio. This year her sale featured another potter and a furniture maker as well as her own work. I was so overwhelmed to see so much work in person! Usually I look at things I like online or in books, but here were hundreds of pots to choose from. After some cider and treats and much back and forth I left with a great plate, and an ice cream bowl. I spent the rest of the weekend at a harvest party, picking apples, playing with five year olds, and enjoying great food and wine. It was the perfect weekend for driving through central New York. Fall is my favorite season, and I didn't realize how much I missed it over the past four years. When I got back I made a gluten free apple crisp with my apples.

I like all the steps involved in cooking, peeling the apples and the way the different shades of the peels look so beautiful together. Chopping, mixing, the smell from the oven. Oh, and the eating. Yes, the eating. And the way the ice cream melts into the crisp.

So, the theme of the past few weeks for me, has been enjoying fall and the simple things around me. My days at the co-op go fast and I relish the time I can spend on my work. But, I also have to remind myself to relish the time I can spend doing simple things at home. With the cool weather, risotto had been on my mind. When I spied some meyer lemons in the produce department, I knew that this would be perfect for the dish. Risotto is a slightly longer process than most dishes, and requires care and patience. But it is worth every minute. As I prepped my kitchen before friends came over I was struck by a parallel feeling I get when making work. The thing about risotto is that it needs constant attention. So I had to get all my ingredients within reaching distance. The other two requirements are a glass of wine, and a back up person in case your arms get tired. I began stirring the rice and adding the ingredients. Anxiety set in. What if it doesn't turn out? The guests will be here in 30 minutes. Similarly, what if the kiln I am firing right now shuts off early or over fires? Ok, if the risotto is gross I have some pasta I can boil really quick and toss the ingredients in, Vaughn can't eat pasta, but he doesn't have to eat does he? I keep stirring the rice, is this how it looked last time? Should I be doing this in a cast iron skillet?

This must be life imitating art at it's best. Because I'm also thinking, did I put the glaze too thick? Was I rushing? Do I use too much of that new celadon glaze? Do I have other pieces I can apply for shows with? And then, the rice starts gently puffing up and getting creamy from the starches, and I know instantly that it will be good. I sip my wine, and get back-up help with stirring. The remaining ingredients are added right before the guests arrive. I sprinkle the top with meyer lemon zest and relax. Once I get out of my pajamas I'll open the lid of the kiln. I can only hope the kiln is as good as the risotto was.

Clay Tests

I've been diving into my clay tests head first. Let's start with the line-up, above from gray to white we have, Sheffield Pottery's #92700 Porcelain Clay, Sheffield Pottery's #108300 Elaine's Crystal Cone 6 (I think we all know which Elaine they mean), Standard's #365 English Porcelain Cone 6, Miller's #15 Porcelain, and Laguna's Frost Porcelain.

My love affair with porcelain began when I was in a college with a grayish slop called SIUC domestic porcelain, the summer I graduated my professor gave me a bucket of well aged grolleg porcelain. After one firing the gorgeous color of the clay body had me hooked. When I moved to Atlantic Beach, Florida for a residency at Atlantic Pottery Supply I didn't anticipate that I would start purchasing my clay. I think it only took one bag of well aged porcelain to convince me that I did not need to mix my own clay. This is the first time that I have tried several clays with similar ingredients side by side, however, and I am a little shocked at how different they can be. Working for a clay supplier can evoke all kinds of conversations about clay, which is essentially mud. These conversations drove me nuts, to me clay is clay. And porcelain is of course, porcelain. WRONG! I can't believe how different these clay bodies are. To begin my testing I am making a large bowl, a cup with a handle, a pot with a lid, and some test tiles with each body. I was having a some trouble with large bowls lately which prompted me to start testing all this clay I had sitting around. The large bowls went pretty much as expected the Frost, which is a beautiful white color and turns to glue when you wedge it, flopped over and the grayer clays had a nice plasticity. I have always been pretty puritan about my porcelain and have never wanted to use these darker bodies, but now I am thinking if they fire white and crack less why not?

After I let the bowls dry a little I did some decorating and moved on to the new forms. In between this time I read some great reviews of Miller's #16 which is the dirtier cousin of the #15 I am testing. I have personally never heard of Miller before, but they apparently started somewhere in New York and their clay is now mixed by Laguna in Ohio. So far I am liking the #15, but the handle will be the true test. I am curious to try the #16 now, as it seems well revered. I am also really curious about Laguna's Frost, after drying the clay out a little I threw a decent bowl with it today, so we'll see where that goes. Standard's #365 has been a vast disappointment. I had really wanted to switch to one of their clay bodies, but this clay is mixed too stiff for me and it's gray and blah so far. I am impressed with both of the clays by Sheffield and they might be the underdog of this group, but the Elaine's has already cracked where I cut the foot and that just won't do. The real test of course will be the firing, and I hope to do some of that this weekend. PS I just put a deposit on a used Skutt 1227 in great condition!!! Too excited about this. And finally some mugs in the studio. Bigger than usual.

Interim!

Hey there...I've been plugging away in the studio. But here are some highlights:
Customized vases for my cousin Brigit's wedding, I didn't know I could do lettering so easily. Meaning I didn't know how well it would show up under my glazes, and my stellar cursive techniques. Although I have to admit, that I am nothing compared to my sister Caitlyn's calligraphy! This girl is seriously gifted.

If you or someone you know has an event you would like to customize with handmade pottery, contact me for more details at: tracy@tracymcevilly.com

As for the rest of my studio, I'm still working on inventory and I have been checking out what is available to local potters. I basically stumbled up Clayscapes Pottery in Syracuse, New York. The owner Don is really friendly and helpful, and they have clays by Standard as well as Miller. I am really excited to try out the samples I got last time I was there. On a trip to see some family in Hudson we also went to Massachusets to check out Sheffield Pottery. At Sheffield they mix their own clay and I'm also excited about these samples. So basically I should really be working in my studio right now, instead of sitting at this computer....For the past four years I have been a die-hard fan of Highwater Clay's Helios Porcelain but I know that shipping it in isn't practical, so when I run out of what I brought I will be switching to something available locally. I will post some tests when I make them. I have really been settling into life and getting a new routine. I'm excited about the work I've made, and want to make, but I'm also really happy with where I'm at and with what I have in my life.
I've also been making pancakes:

This recipe comes from potter and foodie, Stepehn Grimmer and it was basically as delicious as it looks. A perfect Sunday morning with pottery made by friends!

The Walk to the Studio

If you've been reading then you might have picked up on the fact that I recently moved to a new studio I am VERY excited about. Here is the moment you've been waiting for, some pictures! One of the things I love about my new studio is the short walk from my apartment to the studio. Here are some shots along the way:

Right now the queen anne's lace is everywhere. I remember it growing along the railroad tracks by our house as a kid, and now it grows near the tracks on the way to my studio. I had kind of forgotten as I don't think it grows much in Florida. After I cross the railroad tracks, I reach the Cortland Corset Company, affectionally referred to as the Corset Factory.

The Corset Factory does manufacture undergarments under the label "Cortland Foundations".

The building also houses graphic design firm Hopko Designs and photographer, Roger Williams and has provided temporary space for sculptor Vaughn Randall an assistant professor at SUNY Cortland and his National Endowment for the Arts project this summer. So the building has already been a really exciting place to be. On a side note in the right hand corner of the shot below is my new car. After several months of being a full time pedestrian, I know have four wheels instead of two. Although I am not sure that these wheels will inspire any blog posts or revelations about function vs. form. Time will tell...

I thought I would miss Singleton's Seafood Shack, but now all I have to do is cross the railroad tracks to get some delicious fried seafood, or fresh seafood to take home. And they have real shrimp! I'm not sure if they supply us with any fuel at the Corset Factory, which is run on biodiesel, but something tells me they have plenty of fryer oil, as that is the only utensil in their kitchen. So up two flights of stairs, through the room of sewing machines, and then the pattern room:

And then I arrive in my studio, when I took these photos they were still in the process of finishing the walls.
So far my studio set up is some carts, a huge table, and my trusty old kick wheel I bought from Keith Renner about six years ago. I intend to put a glazing area in the right hand corner of this photo. Also more shelving will probably be in order.

My main focus right now is building up an inventory of work. I began with a series of dress vases which was really fun, and some larger bowls. I just finished a big quantity of cereal size bowls and big tumblers. I am focusing on making much bigger cups now thanks to a little nudging from Jeff. Next in the plans are more big serving pieces, single serving teapots, mugs, carafes and pitchers, working big, testing new clays, an earthenware project, the possibility of plates, and breathing.

The Process of Good-Bye

Yesterday afternoon I loaded the gas kiln for the last time at Atlantic Pottery. I still have two weeks in North east Florida, but our class session just ended. For the rest of the month I am having a big sale in my online store. I'm struck by how thoughtful I've been lately about moving. The past four years have gone fast, and at times really slow. When I was in China last summer, the process of leaving was lengthy, and I'm feeling the same way as I prepare myself for the next chapter in my life. At least this time I gave myself three weeks to pack and prepare, but I think that sometimes when I'm packing I'm not making much progress, I'm just organizing and purging things from my life that I don't need to be attached to. Papers, clothing, random objects, so many things that I want or need and don't need at all. This is the part of moving I love, compacting my life into boxes and shedding all the dead skin. The personal good-byes are harder. As an adult I've never been afraid of picking up all of my stuff and moving somewhere else, this may have something to do with the fact that I don't really own any furniture, and since college I can't say that any of the places I've lived (mostly cheap apartments) really feel like home. I'm starting to relish things that I do for the last time here, like the kiln loading yesterday. Usually when I load the kiln I've got it down to a science, where some people may spend a day, I take two hours. I knock old glaze off shelves with a chisel, and don't think twice about anything, after all I've done it a hundred times. Yesterday it was hot, hot, hot! The heat index was 105 or something. But I got out the grinder, and really paid attention to the shelves, as I put them in. It didn't take much longer than usual, and I felt better about it when I was done. I have a lot of spare time right now, since I'm really only packing and working part time. But I think I'm learning full-time about the process of good-bye.

Function Follows Form?

The other day I was hanging around the studio, glazing and waiting for the rain to stop. Currently this fabulous beach cruiser is my only mode of transportation. So while I could catch a ride in a car, I really don't want to leave my wheels behind. Finally the rain slowed enough for me to put on my windbreaker and go...my colleague thought I was nuts and it was way to wet to ride a bike. Which brings me to...the form. I bought this bike because it looks so rad. I don't think there was really any other factor that influenced my decision. I learned the value of it's function this year when my car broke for good, the fenders allow me to ride through puddles, and in light rain. Thursday night I enjoyed a lovely twilight bike ride, and arrived home to a rainbow over my house. My bike fabulous for it's look and it's functionality. So, are the things that are most pleasing to the eye also the most functional? For me this usually rings true, like in this style of teapot. The handle is nice to hold, and also allows you to hold the lid down while pouring. And I like the way it looks! This leads me to wonder do we automatically pick functional items based on the way they look, or the way they function, or do we choose them as the form and function go hand in hand?

Some Things Never Change

 

Lately when I've been working in the studio I keep seeing shapes and surfaces that I have used before.  And it has struck me that no matter how far I feel I have come or how hard I work I am still constantly coming back to the same shapes and same thoughts about my work.  It makes me wonder if there is some kind of blueprint to my work and when it was developed or how.  

This is my latest cup, which took two tries to throw and some sketching, and is basically a variation of a cup I made for about two years before really concentrating on just throwing a simple shape.  The dots, feel new, and the handle is a new method and form, but it's the same shape.  The line design I used to paint with luster and is now applied with slip, but I didn't notice this until after the fact.  And the foot I think is new, although I know i tried to create cut feet several years ago without success.  I think this kind of phenomenon applies to other aspects of my life, for example the way I dress.  No matter how many new things I acquire I still mix the old with them, and sometimes maybe like the old ones better.  So it seems that in life and in work, I am searching for something better, or newer and coming to rest on the same ideas.  

Identity Crisis

So for months now I have been trying to establish myself as TRACY K MCEVILLY. I thought that it was a better "artist name". Sort of like when in fifth grade I insisted on spelling my name Tracie, because I thought it looked better. This name changing poses a few problems, one most people who know me don't know that my middle initial is K. So if someone wanted to find my work they would probably search "Tracy McEvilly". I hate to publicly admit that I "google" myself, but it's true. And more info comes up under Tracy K McEvilly, than plain old Tracy McEvilly, but Tracy McEvilly is more familiar to most people. Everytime I fill out show submissions, etc. I put in the K, to make myself sound more important. Then a few days ago I received a postcard for Jersey Shore Clay National. There it was plain old Tracy McEvilly. And it didn't bother me in the least. So I am updating myself to plain old Tracy McEvilly. It's who I am.

Fresh Work

It's all flowers and bubble gum colors for spring. When I lined up all my work I wished I had finished it for Easter. I've never been very good at planning for holidays, I'm hoping I'll get better at it as time goes on. So here is the infamous tulip bowl, stage one. Some of the work I made this firing was more about the form, and less about the surface. I tried restraining myself, which of course backfired because I became less interested in the work. I did, however come up with some good basic ideas.

Every firing elicits a different reaction from me. In the past firings I have peeked in the kiln and prepared myself for disaster, only to be pleasantly surprised; fired a kiln load almost completely full of pots for the shard pile; and most recently had every emotion possible about my work until arriving in a satisfied place. My good friend Mandy told me as I was about to fire my first load of glazes I had mixed myself, you won't get the glazes exactly how you want them until about ten years from now. At the time I was a little discouraged, but of course hindsight is 20/20. I know that I probably still won't get the glazes exactly how I went them, but that feeling now relaxes me, and sometimes allows the "happy accidents" I wouldn't otherwise experience.



In my next firing you will see some more of these bubbly gummy colors, and my new forms playing dress-up with different embellishments. As I was loading up the kiln this morning with student work, and I remembered a critique where someone commented on my work, "You're going to hate this, but it's like venus flying trap playing dress-up" Now who could hate that?

Glazing Studio

Last week I switched over to my glazing studio. I am a "process person". To me this means that I like to be making, then glazing, then I decompress, and then I start over. I think that a lot of potters in some kind of cycle. For me sometimes it's hard to take days off because I feel a looming guilt that I should be working, but at the same time I feel that it's important for my mental sanity to do that once in a while. I'm sure that people around me appreciate it too. Since graduating from college and learning to balance teaching, working, and creating I have found that re-arranging and cleaning my studio in between my processes makes my working process more efficient. It helps me set a clear beginning and ending to each phase. Here is a shot of my glazing studio all ready to go.

You might be noticing my fabulous Shimpo banding wheel. Lucky for me my boyfriend knows the value of a good tool. This is an essential in my studio that I use in every part of the process. I also love my stacking porcelain trays I got in China for mixing stains in, but I still use my ice cube tray from the dollar store too! This glazing load is a little small for me, but I'm trying some new things and also testing some new colors.

There are also some new forms in this batch for me which I am excited to see. I decided to leave my tulip bowls simple and glaze them in a similar fashion...for now. I also made a new vase form that I took a little further in the decorating process which has led me to a new conclusion and direction. This "new" direction is really a continuation of my work. If you know me you might know that I love dressing up, or you might only see me in dusty clothes at Atlantic Pottery Supply
I restrained myself in decorating my bowls, which led me to feel a little detached from them. So, I am going to be working an a series of "dressed up" forms, inspired by tulips and lotuses, then embellished with sprigs, slip trailing, stamping and maybe some sgraffito. If I can't wear a dress to work everyday at least my pots can! Of course once I got through my technical difficulties and finished this post....my kiln is downfiring right now, and I'll soon have some results. Check back for more.

Still in Progress

Ok Chickens, it's been a busy week. First I decided to roll with the tulip bowls and am now obsessed with tulips. Similar to my recent strawberry craze, and maybe just as short-lived. Here although are some gorgeous gerber daisies from the Fresh Market, where they must just be selling fake flowers disquised as real flowers because these are still kicking after over a week. I am hoping to have a pottery sale sometime soon with friends, or perhaps just sell some f-in pottery. I went to the library and paid my fines. $14! That is pretty shameful, and instead of getting books I had already paid fines on in the past I checked out two books about the arts and crafts movements, and one specifically about William Morris. This proved to be a good choice. First I discovered jewelry that looks likes it would translate beautifully to the silhouette of a pot.

Then last night I sketched some notes on this funny paper a friend gave me as I had left my sketchbook at the studio. Lately I have been watching tv and sketching, strange? Maybe. I used to listen to npr, but hbo just has so much to offer. I am thinking about trying some sgraffito, carving through colored slip, sometime soon, and I think this is a good start.

Works in Progress

Today I continued a series that I have decided to call my tulip series. My boyfriend was sweet enough to buy me some beautiful tulips a few weeks ago, that I then did a water color photo of just before they wilted and fell apart. I love tulips because they remind me of when I was a kid and my mom would cut them for us to take to our teachers. I remember being young and going to school when school was still fun! She would always wrap the stems in a wet paper towel and then foil. After a few years it became seriously uncool to give teachers presents or even like them, but I remember when it was still ok, too. Here I have a new shape I am exploring, the sundae cup. You can view the first ones I made on my etsy page. I have made the new bowl lower and wider, and the stem taller. I am trying to avoid them looking like a goblet. For some reason I hate clay goblets. They make me cringe, something about a goblet just requires it to be made out of glass. For me. I don't care if people use my sundae cups as goblets. That is up to the user. I am also working on a different shape of bowl. It is made with slightly less clay then the one I have been making for the past year, and designed for a single serving. I made the bowl cup in slightly, and then cut the edge, in a lotus style, kind of like something I saw in China this summer. It really does look like a flower. I am covering it up in plastic for the evening, amd trying to decide if I stop myself, and excercise some "economy of design", or indulge myself and end up making something that might appeal to a smaller audience. It is really a question that is coming up for me now that I have more work available online. Who is my audience? Tulip lovers?

Welcome to my Studio...

For the past four years I have been living and working in northeast Florida at Atlantic Pottery Supply. I think the best way to introduce myself starts in my studio. First, my apron collection, I always pick out an apron when I arrive at my studio, and I usually match it to my clothing....ridiculous, I know, but part of my process. To the left are some of the more delicate and less wearable type. Above are the functional ones, highlights include the rooster with the rhinestone eye, and I saw the apple apron worn by one of the crazy head wives on "Big Love". That pretty much made my weekend! Said apron was also given to me by a student which ups it's special factor. Sometimes I am jealous of my friends who get to dress up to go to work, and I am always dirty, I remedy this with a fabulous collection of aprons, go ahead be jealous!

Besides looking fabulous or fabulouso as my former boss used to say, I do actually make things in the studio. Most of my forms start on this kickwheel that I purchased from a friend while I was still in school. I think I paid about $120 dollars for it, on a whim, I had never even tried a kickwheel. This was worth every penny and more! I've had it for 6 years now. I am considering getting an electric wheel for bigger pieces, and the occasional terra cotta series, this one is impossible to clean, and will always be a porcelain wheel. I like using a kickwheel, because it's much quieter. Somewhere along the line I developed a ridiculous aversion to annoying noises, we all have our quirks I suppose....