Molds & Cleaning

This weekend went by pretty fast with family activities and a textbook I'm trying to read for class. I got into the studio for just about two hours total. I did some cleaning, made a plaster mold (that still has to dry before I try it out) and used all the molds I made earlier for almost the first time.

my new box with molds (and other stuff)

The biggest achievement, I suppose, was vacuuming the studio, but that never looks very exciting. I also used some boxes from my mother-in-law to set up a little raised station for the molds I plan to be using in the near future. Getting that counter space cleared off took some doing, too.

The slip mold that failed (it was the slip's fault)

I had mixed up my casting slip pretty well a couple weeks ago, but it had already settled pretty badly. I tried casting with it but mostly made a mess. I probably need to find a funnel and a better way to get the slip remixed; the thick stuff on the bottom of the jar is too deep for my immersion blender.

press mold before smoothing seam

The press molds worked fine. I need to make a little more slip to go with this type of clay, but that shouldn't take long after I let some of the clay dry.

press mold during the smoothing process

A week or two ago I had fired a load of my bulbs and the kids' bells. They're waiting for spring break to be glazed and refired. I'm hoping to get a few done before my installation goes up in South Lake Union on March 26 and 27.

box of bulbs waiting for glaze