val on sat 7 oct 06
Well I am very impressed with your pots!!! And you are
a cutie pie...I enjoyed your studio tour...very nice
and yes what a great place with all the windows so you
can keep your eye on the kiddies....liked all your
work...
I am still playing with the clay and manipulating
molds...but I will eventually get there.
Hugs
Val
val@tlaz.com
www.yesterdayschild.ca
val@reelproductions.ca
Business and Tribute Movies
Hi all,
I've been experimenting with african violet pots...
these are two piece, self-watering pots. The outer pot
is glazed and holds the water, while the inner pot
(which holds the plant) is left unglazed to "draw" the
water into itself to water the plant.
Originally I made these completely from low-fired,
white clay, glazed with low-fire (Spectrum low-stone)
glazes. But for some reason I just can't get into
working with the low-fired stuff. So this summer I
experimented with using a Cone 6 clay for the outer
pot, and glazing with my "regular" glazes, and trying
to "coordinate" the inner pot using a low-fired clay
and
glazes. (The glaze for the inner pot is just on the
rim.) The clays had
different shrinkage rates, etc. so I had to play with
the sizes some, try to use a shrink rule, and do a bit
of math (ugh), and experiment with glaze combinations,
but in the end I have some new and different
combinations.
Anyway, I thought I'd post and (with fear and
trembling) request any opinions/suggestions/critiques
you all may have.
They're on my website (along with the older, white,
low-fire versions)...
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com/African%20Violet%20Pot
s.html
Thanks for the input! :-) Rachel in Odenton, MD
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
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Rachel Campbell on sat 7 oct 06
Hi all,
I've been experimenting with african violet pots... these are two piece,
self-watering pots. The outer pot is glazed and holds the water, while the
inner pot (which holds the plant) is left unglazed to "draw" the water into
itself to water the plant.
Originally I made these completely from low-fired, white clay, glazed with
low-fire (Spectrum low-stone) glazes. But for some reason I just can't get
into working with the low-fired stuff. So this summer I experimented with
using a Cone 6 clay for the outer pot, and glazing with my "regular"
glazes, and trying to "coordinate" the inner pot using a low-fired clay and
glazes. (The glaze for the inner pot is just on the rim.) The clays had
different shrinkage rates, etc. so I had to play with the sizes some, try
to use a shrink rule, and do a bit of math (ugh), and experiment with glaze
combinations, but in the end I have some new and different combinations.
Anyway, I thought I'd post and (with fear and trembling) request any
opinions/suggestions/critiques you all may have.
They're on my website (along with the older, white, low-fire versions)...
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com/African%20Violet%20Pots.html
Thanks for the input! :-) Rachel in Odenton, MD
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
Tommy Humphries on sun 8 oct 06
All the violet pots I ever made I put a small hole in the bottom of the
inner pot. Through this hole 1/8 inch or so I threaded some cotton wicking
that fit very tight. The wick brought the water from the outer pot into the
inner pot as needed.
Tommy Humphries
.com.
sacredclay on sun 8 oct 06
I really love the warmth of the glaze Red Gold. The designs are
simply and elegant. I'd love to have the recipe if you have it. The
sgraffito designs are a nice touch. simple and elegant and will not
compete with the floweres of the African Violets.I can't say the
same for the white clay. Like you, I don't connect well with the
lowfire white clay. It just feels cheap to me and it doesn't bring
the piece alive. I'd recommend going with a red earthenware that has
a firing range of ^o4-^6.It might not be porous at all at the higher
end. It's a great concept! With warm regards, Kathryn in NC where
it's a rainy cool day for a change.--- In clayart@yahoogroups.com,
Rachel Campbell wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I've been experimenting with african violet pots... these are two
piece,
> self-watering pots. The outer pot is glazed and holds the water,
while the
> inner pot (which holds the plant) is left unglazed to "draw" the
water into
> itself to water the plant.
>
> Originally I made these completely from low-fired, white clay,
glazed with
> low-fire (Spectrum low-stone) glazes. But for some reason I just
can't get
> into working with the low-fired stuff. So this summer I
experimented with
> using a Cone 6 clay for the outer pot, and glazing with
my "regular"
> glazes, and trying to "coordinate" the inner pot using a low-fired
clay and
> glazes. (The glaze for the inner pot is just on the rim.) The
clays had
> different shrinkage rates, etc. so I had to play with the sizes
some, try
> to use a shrink rule, and do a bit of math (ugh), and experiment
with glaze
> combinations, but in the end I have some new and different
combinations.
>
> Anyway, I thought I'd post and (with fear and trembling) request
any
> opinions/suggestions/critiques you all may have.
>
> They're on my website (along with the older, white, low-fire
versions)...
> http://DownToThePottersHouse.com/African%20Violet%20Pots.html
>
> Thanks for the input! :-) Rachel in Odenton, MD
>
> http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
>
>
_____________________________________________________________________
_________
> Send postings to clayart@...
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your
subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@...
>
liz gowen on sun 8 oct 06
Rachel with your pots I think you have a very nice niche item. You have
spent time putting together a nice product. The 2 clay bodies/pots go
together very nicely, design wise, with a great function.
I also like the write up that goes with it. You have taken an idea=20
and run with it. Are you able to make the 2 pots and still keep them =
priced
well for sale to the public as well as worth while for you to make. I
particularly like the first couple. Are the outsides water tight on =
these?
I like you web layout. Simple easy to navigate. Put aside the fear
and trembling, you are on a roll. Nice job.
Liz Gowen Port Penn De.
Subject: African Violet pots...
,Rachel in Odenton, MD
I've been experimenting with african violet pots... these are two piece,
self-watering pots. The outer pot is glazed and holds the water, while =
the
inner pot (which holds the plant) is left unglazed to "draw" the water =
into
itself to water the plant.
They're on my website (along with the older, white, low-fire =
versions)...
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com/African%20Violet%20Pots.html
=20
_________________________________________________________________________=
___
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Elizabeth Priddy on sun 8 oct 06
The pots seem functional and interesting.
Is the height/width ratio necessary due to the nature
of african violets? If not, I think some would look
better with a more vertical aspect. I find your
impressed or carved decoration the most effective.
Even if the internal pot needs to be shallow, the
external pot can take any shape, as it is just a
vessel for the internal pot, right?
So if you give yourself some more verical room, you
get more visual decoration room.
Critically, the glazes lack depth, perhaps some
tweaking would give the glazes more complex texture.
I think that your work is good. A suggestion would be
to show some of the pots with actual african violets
in them, even if you have to use fake ones. It would
help clarify your glaze decisions. I can picture
little purple and green flowers in them, but one or
two examples would work wonders.
I hope this helps in some way. Good work!.
E
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
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Rachel Campbell on tue 10 oct 06
Liz asks:
> Are you able to make the 2 pots and still keep them =
>priced
>well for sale to the public as well as worth while for you to make.
Well, I've only just started trying to market/sell any of my stuff (in self
defense-- before the pots take over and we all have to move out of the
house ;-)... A year or so back I did a high school craft fair that my mom
runs, with the first generation of these pots (which believe me I never
want to see again) and they completely sold out... I figured if those sold
(to me they were awful) then I should work with the idea and try to do
something I actually like. I put the older ones that are on my website in
the spring sale for the Potters Guild of Annapolis, and although I in
general did surprisingly (to me) well, very few of the African Violet pots
sold. After the fact, I realized that at my mom's show I had several with
actual african violets, so people could see the concept, and at the PGA
sale for some reason it didn't occur to me (duh)...
Anyway, at this point I'm pricing them at $25-30 each... Once I have the
sizing down (with the two clays) it's really just two low/wide cylinders,
so I'm hoping that pricing works ok. We'll see how it goes at the fall sale
for the PGA... if they still won't sell with a "demo" of a plant, I'll have
to look at the price, but given that we have some fairly high-end potters
in the group, I don't *think* that's too high. And if they all sell out,
then next time I'll raise my prices, I guess. ;-)
>I
>particularly like the first couple. Are the outsides water tight on =
>these?
The ones that are unglazed with white slip sgraffito on the outside are
actually glazed on the inside (of the outer pot) with a neutral speckled
tan. I've tested them out and they stay water-tight (at least over 48
hours or so, I figured that was long enough).
> I like you web layout. Simple easy to navigate. Put aside the fear
>and trembling, you are on a roll. Nice job.
> Liz Gowen Port Penn De.
Thanks for the kind words! Rachel in Odenton, MD
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
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