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This Ball Won't Bounce!

1/25/2015

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Walla...the completed clay ball!
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Yesterday, all day Saturday I was in my "happy place" working on my faces piece, bringing it as far as I could to a near finished condition. Then, I began my next piece of the stack, the "eyes" piece. 

The first fun thing to do is to make the ball. That's what we will talk about today, making a clay ball. I did this very early in my career and did write blogs about the problems I encountered. So I have learned. Here is my new simple way to make a clay ball. 

1. Go to the discount store and buy a cheep ball of the size you wish to make. 
2. Then we have to make a stand. Balls will never stand still for you long enough to get it covered with clay! Get a jug a bit smaller than the ball so that over half of the ball is showing. Then cut off the bottom at the right height. You will place the ball onto this jug stand while working with it, covering it with clay. Again, make sure that over half of the ball is above the edge of the jug. You want to cover only half of the ball with clay. 
3. Make a line to mark halfway point of the ball, all around the circumference. Some balls have a visible joint at the halfway point so keep that in mind when buying a ball. 
4. Place the ball in the jug bottom so that the half line is visible all around. Now cover it with saran wrap. Then tape the wrap to the jug bottom so the ball is now taped down under the wrap to the jug bottom. This will stabilize everything and you can work comfortably without the saran wrap or the ball moving around on you.  
5. Make a large slab of clay, place over the ball. Cut a slit into the clay, push clay down over ball and allow clay to overlap, cut down overlap through both layers and remove pieces, close the pie shape removed with slip, continue this process all around till all the clay is against the ball. Fill in with pieces of clay to cover ball to the halfway line. Then cut access clay off at the half line so you will have covered half the ball with clay. (See below left.) 
6. Smooth out all the cut joints on the outside of the ball with a rib finishing with a sponge.
7. Cut or remove the tape from the bottom jug stand and lift the ball out, fill the jug stand with a plastic garbage bag to cover the edges, turn ball and clay over with clay down and place on garbage bag in jug, lift ball out. (See bottom right.) The garbage bag is so that the edges of the jug will not cut into the fresh wet clay too much. Now take your time to remove the saran wrap and close the seams of the joints in the clay on the inside of the ball. Level off the edge of the ball all around so it will connect evenly with the next half you will now make to place on top of this half. 

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Before you remove the clay from the jug stand, use a rib and sponge to smooth out all the joints you cut and made to make the clay fit the ball. (See # 6. above) 
8. When ready, carefully lift this first half of the clay ball on a table, open side down. (See below) 
9. Now repeat the process creating the second half of the clay ball.

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Here are the two halves, almost ready to be joined as you see below.
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10. When the two halves are ready with edges smoothed out, scoure them and cover with slurry. Then, place one on top of the other as you see here. 
11. Add slurry as needed and smooth out the joint with a rib and finally finish the surface of whole ball rubbing it with a damp sponge. 

That's it, done. You have a clay ball. 

One thing to remember, don't uses "sharp" knives to cut the clay or you might end up puncturing the ball beneath. When you hear the air sizzle out, you know you've got to go out and invest in another ball. Could use styraphome balls, but they are soooo expensive. Much cheaper using a ball and a dull knife.
"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces 
is likely the one who dropped it."  - Lou Holtz

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Working Against Gravity

1/18/2015

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Possibly you don't want to see this raw type of studio work that's often necessary in the creative process. It's not very sexy or romantic that's for sure! If you are feeling a little uncomfortable about this scene, avert your eyes and scroll down quickly.  

Now, If you are still looking at this mess, let me explain. It's all about working against gravity! The photo above is the very top of the rectangle with a new slab of leather hard clay just placed on the top. The clamps and strips of wood are holding the sides straight, so it won't sag anywhere. You can see the supports on the sides flaring up and outward towards this top slab. Right now the edges of these supports are covered with wet paper toweling so they will stay damp as the new side panels will be attached to them, connecting to the top panel. Here in the picture to the left you see the photo repeated but with a new side panel attached on the right side. I've placed a brace against it to hold it in place against the braces beneath so it will attach itself as it dries. As you can see, it's quite a procedure working against gravity getting the side panels to attach themselves correctly and solidly to the edge of the top slab and the braces beneath. 

In construction terms, I've just placed a sheet of drywall, the top up against the ceiling, braced there against the studs with a brace, which will hold it there in place while I calmly screw the drywall screws into the studs. 

It has become clear to me that I must do things differently in the future. I will have to work out a way to building the next rectangles in two parts. One being the top half upside down and separately, the bottom half, normally from the bottom up. That way the two end slabs will be straight and level. I build up the bottom part to about three quarters of the way up and top part one quarter of the way, Then when quite dry, lift the top half up, turn it over and place it onto the three quarters high bottom piece. Then I won't need to work against gravity like I did with this one. It would make things much easier and I'd say also a lot quicker.

Thanks again for letting me process and work things out here. Writing this down often helps make things a lot clearer. It's also kind of embarrassing because when a solution comes, it all seems so obvious and simple. Like why did I not think of that before? Thanks for your patience. 

Now I've got to get this one done and begin this adventure of building the next one.

"We can lick gravity, 
but sometimes the paperwork 
is overwhelming."
Werner von Braun
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"Facing" the Issues!

1/2/2015

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This is the first upright sheet
having been attached 
to the central frame structure.
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Talking about "facing issues" I have a number of them. Quite layered actually I think. One is the issue of time, which is always an issue it seems, so nothing new there. My business get's in the way of my art all the time! This December it's been worse than ever. But I'm working on that as one must to keep funds coming in so I can do my art!. Also, that was last year. This is a new year and with my resolution regarding this it will be different! Ha ha!

There is also the issue of resistance. I've been working on the two warriors, and I have found that I've lost my interest in that project. I was interested in the project during the idea stage...but when I got into the making of it...it just stalled. Maybe it was all the interruptions...not the right subject for this time it seems.  


Then there is the Christmas and New Years social life...well, what do you konw, one of our family couples just walked into the house...time for lunch together. That is awesome...no question about that. A life reality that must be part of life's plan...family is priority! 

OK, I'm back, they are gone, off doing errands in the city. Where was I? Oh yes, issues I'm facing. 

So let's get to the first piece of "faces" I'm making, lots of new issues there! To the right you see an image of the rectangle I'm talking about. So I realized even before I began that the clay slabs of the 4 sides of faces you see would probably not be strong enough to withstand it's own weight much less the weight of two other rectangles above, that would be stacked on top of it. Also, since I wanted to have a light inside the piece I would need something to hang those lights inside the box of faces. 

I needed a strong frame structure inside that would do several things. Give strength to the whole, plus be something through which I could string lights from the box below to the one above it. It would also have to hold up the sheets of faces on each of the 4 sides, plus be removed from the frame so lights could be placed behind these outer sheets. Make sense? Good. These pictures will help explain what I mean.

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On the left you see I've placed the frame post standing in the center of the 14 x 14 inch base. Inside the post at the base is a hole cut through this bottom sheet for light cords. This center post is 23 inches high, the height that the rectangle will be. Also you can see circles that I cut at the top of the sides to extend lights down behind the outer sheets of faces. 

In the right photo you see I've placed 3 sheets half way or more up 3 sides of the rectangle. I placed clay spacers between the post and the sheets you see so lights can be lowered down behind each sheet to glow through the cuts and eyes of the faces etc. 

I especially love the subtlety of the faces, and with the light coming from inside, I imagine it will enhance the mystery...I hope! 

So now I have another issue. How do I finish the top, keep it level and so on as I connect the four sides to the top panel? 

Facing new issues never stops, dose it? 
"Rise to the challenge of bringing your dreams to life! 
Do not be discouraged by resistance, be nourished by it. 
Success is the experience of rising to 
the level of your true greatness." 
Dr. Steve Maraboli
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    Cliff's Creations...

    Hi, my name is Cliff, welcome to my website where I share my life as an art teacher, ceramic artist, photographer, father, businessman, leader and disciple. Basically I'm just trying to keep up with an exciting creative life. Thank you for coming along for the ride. You know, that your reading my blogs will make me a better artist so thank you in advance.
    Later, Cliff

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