Have you heard?

There will be a great restocking of new items to the shop on March 18th! 

It's been a busy few months in the studio. My goal for this year is to work on specific bodies of work at a time and release new items once they are all completed. The Piggery launch just before Valentines Day was the first time I've done it this way. This allows me to fully focus on one type of work and fully explore an idea, without being distracted (hopefully creating better work!). 

I was out of raw materials for several months with items being backordered by my clay supplier, so that was another factor in limiting my focus. After the piggery was completed, I was still waiting for materials, so I decided to create the latest collection of horses I have ever done at one time. 

All new products will be published right here on the web shop at 12pm Eastern. Email subscribers will be notified when the update is live along with a special discount code for all new items. (You can sign up on the homepage if you're not already on the list!)

So What's New?

Horse Sculptures

I will have a wide array of new horses available, and in a new technique I am calling the 'Hydro Horse'. After waking up from a dream where I envisioned bright & colorful horses, I was searching for a way to bring the vision to life. The method of pour painting came to mind, but I wasn't able to figure out how to achieve a proper look on a three-dimensional object.

I had seen the process of dyeing silk in a marble pattern with a water bath, so I decided to research possible techniques and discovered hydro-dipping. The technique is popular with auto parts, helmets and other metal object to put complex printed designs onto dimensional objects so I decided to try it on the horses. 

Using a water bath & spray paint, I was able to effectively create a technique to have a marble effect on the horse in a variety of bright colors & patterns. I the process was a fun learning experience, but I was happy to get the kiln firing and work on some new traditional raku horses. 

 

I was also able to create several new horses using the horsehair raku or smoke 
fired technique. These pieces used a combination of horse tail hair, chicken feathers and sugar that were burned onto the surface once the horses were heated to roughly 1400°F. The black lines that remain are the carbon imprints from the organic matter. Watch the horsehair raku process & firing. People have often asked for custom made pieces using the hair of a loved horse or pet and now I have a new item available to order! In trying to think of a smaller item that can be carried with you, I have created these new raku heart pendants. Once you place your order, you can send in your hair sample and I will use that to create a keepsake of your loved animal friend. 

Crystalline Update

In this restock, I will also have some crystalline pieces that have not yet been uploaded to the shop. I have also been experimenting with a technique called a 'strike firing' or 'post fire reduction' where the finished crystalline piece is re-fired in a gas kiln and the atmosphere is starved for oxygen causing glazes with copper to turn red, some blues to go purple and titanium glazes to turn gold & purple. There will be a limited run of these new pieces in the update as I continue to experiment with the technique. This image is a sample of a piece before the post firing on the left and after on the right. This is the same exact piece!

Horse Mugs

At the very end of 2020, I created the first golden horse mugs that were gilded with 18k gold luster. The response was positive on the new technique with two batches of mugs selling out. I was hoping to have new mugs live on Thursday, but  they might not be ready until Friday or Saturday. So be sure to check back then to see when the newest golden mugs are available. I will have new designs, bright colors and patterns to brighten up your mornings!