Long Distance Potting: Keeping your work safe for the long haul

One of the major challenges of living overseas is keeping a gallery presence in my home country. It is important that my time spent outside of the US doesn't represent an extended gap in my show record. I do exhibit in China but in a less formal retail shop setting. Gallery shows are common here but the ceramics community as a whole is much less organized, or well publicized. To keep momentum I have continued to exhibit in the U.S. with three main galleries and a few invitational shows a year. Getting pots to a destination in an efficient low-cost manner has become as important as making the pots themselves. I have discovered four options for shipping from China to the US.

-Premium shipping by air- The most reliable way to ship pots is DHL or Fed Ex. They are shipped by air and arrive within a week. The downside is the expense. One relatively light 18 x18 in box that would cost around $30 to ship in the US costs around $800 to ship from China. From a business standpoint this is insane because it drives the cost of the pots up to an unmanageable level. (If there are 10 pots in the box then each pot costs $80 to ship. Add that to the cost of production and the price of each pot can easily triple.) I have unfortunately had to use this method when I didn't plan enough lead time to ship with the other methods.

-Small quantity standard shipping by boat- China's postal service is much cheaper than DHL but considerably slower. China Post goes by land and sea which can take up to two months to arrive. This extra two months is hard to calculate into an already busy studio schedule. In addition there are no guarantees it will arrive safely, or even make it out of China. Chinese customs officials are rumored to cherry pick anything that peaks their interest as it enters or exits the country. There are size restrictions but in comparison the same 18 x 18 box would cost between $80-$120. 

Another factor is that counter agents have to visually inspect every piece that you ship. This means you have to pack it in the post office. Picture this... You've worked for months on a few signature pieces for that top notch  gallery. You cart them to the post office with your bubble wrap in hand so that you can show them to the counter lady. After you receive the OK you squeeze into the corner of the office while you pack your work with ten interested Chinese watching what your are doing. China's crowd mentality easily picks up on anything out of the ordinary. I am grateful that my coworkers have allowed me to avoid this scene by handling the shipping for our gallery.

-Large quantity standard shipping by boat-  This method seems to be the best option for shipping large amounts of work. For this method pots are packed in a crate that is then loaded onto a pallet. Shipping agents match your pallet to other companies unfilled containers. These larger containers are loaded onto massive ships that sail to major international seaports. Once in country the crate is taken out of the larger container and shipped by truck to your final destination. The crate arrives in four to six weeks. The cost is between $100-$200 per sq. meter depending on the destination country. It is best to work with a shipping agents for this method. They know the best ways to navigate the highly complicated customs procedures. The downfall of this is that you must fully declare the goods for tax purposes. Where as you can ship untaxed "gifts" by DHL you are shipping "goods" by crate. All tax laws apply which can significantly increase the overall cost of the shipment. 

-Shipping by checked airline baggage- The final method is to pack pots in airline luggage. Naturally this is only an option if you are traveling to the same destination as your pots. In my travels this spring I took pots to New Zealand and the U.S. in my bags. I was grateful and surprised that all but one pot arrived safely. (The one that did break was my fault. A lid broke the gallery of a teapot when I didn't put enough bubble wrap between them.) There are very few additional costs to the price of the ticket unless you go over weight or over size. Each airline posts their requirements online. It is worth breaking out the home scale to make sure you avoid these expense overage fees.

Innovation in hard shell luggage has increased the safety and reliability of checking fragile items in airline luggage. I have two bags that are of a similar composition to the one pictured below. One is a Samsonite and the other a much cheaper Diplomat. After a few trips with both I think the Samsonite is worth the money. (Click here for Samsonite's site) If you frequently travel with pots the investment will pay for itself. 

The key to the pots survival is strategic placement and packaging. I line the inside of the suitcase with four layers of bubble wrap. Each pot is wrapped in two or three layers of bubble wrap. I know when to stop adding bubble wrap when I can push on all sides and not feel the edge of the pot. Larger pots are laid in the case in an alternating criss cross pattern. Smaller pots are shoved into the gaps. Rolled up clothes can be wedged into any remain space. For the best packing the case should be full and zipped shut under compression. The danger of breaking pots is usually from internal shifting not external trauma. There are a few pictures below of a load I brought back to the U.S. on my last trip. I brought around twenty bowls, teapots, and cups. 

In the last year I have shipped DHL and packed pots in luggage. I have a few shows this fall that I will try China Post and possibly ship a crate with a large amount of work. Ill post more feedback on these methods when I have more first hand experience.

Anyone else have international shipping experience? I would love to know the top secret method for teleporting work directly to gallery shelves.

In the Studio: Jars and Tumblers

Finished this jar and tumblers last week. I've started a new round of large jars and mugs. Working on large and small things simultaneously is great for drying time. I'm off to the studio on a blue sky Sunday. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

For the Flowers- Schaller Gallery- Carpenter, Pavelka, Baker, myself and many more.

For the Flowers has just gone online at the Schaller Gallery. It will be online from May 23rd - June 19th. There are some great pots in the show. I particularly liked the variety of shapes that people sent. Kyle and Will's pots are fresh takes on the oval and triangle. I tend to stick to square/circle/oval so Will's pot got me thinking about triangles. Kyle's deco is a well fired flashing slip topped with masterful brushwork. Kristen's vase is a unique but simple idea. Elevating a basic form with a thrown stand is a nice way to get a visually heavy form up in the air. I like that she left so much Terra Cotta showing. Check out these artists by clicking on their names.

Will Baker
Kyle Carpenter
Kristen Pavelka

I sent six bud vases that have heavy slip trailed linear patterns on the surface. I decided to keep the decoration minimal to let the flowers pop. From a color standpoint I like the blue one the best. Which one do you guys like? Click here to check them out.

Pot of the Day V.4- Mina'i ware eight-lobed bowl Iran 13th cent

Mina'i Ware Bowl, Iran, late 12th-early 13th century. Stonepaste body painted underglaze and over glaze with enamel 

"This eight-lobed bowl harmoniously combines, figural, abstract, and calligraphic designs and is typical of some of the finest medieval Persian ceramics. The bowl is decorated with enamel paint, and a princely figure on a large and powerful elephant dominates the center. A band of kufic inscription offering blessings and good wishes surrounds him. The exterior inscription celebrates the qualities of a certain Abu Nasr Kirmanshah, the patron of this finely decorated bowl."

I spotted this Mina'i ware bowl during a trip to the Smithsonian's Freer Sackler Gallery in 2006. It is part of their permanent Arts of the Islamic World collection. I've been making lobbed bowls for years but I have yet to reach this level of 2d/3d harmony. The contracting point of each lobe is the springboard for the triangular structural decoration. It frames the figures that surround the rim. This triangle also leads down to a circular border that frames a central figure riding an elephant. The design scheme is complicated but orderly. It is a great lesson in dividing space on a bowl form.

One aspect of these pots that is missed in books is the relationship between interior and exterior.  The density of the interior is balanced by the sparse decoration of the exterior. This one has a kufic inscription circling the bowls rim. Kufic script is one of the successful historic examples of incorporating text into pots. The script is so gestural that it often reads as a visual rhythm. Mark Shapiro is referencing the same ideas with his script based marks.

The Pot of the Day series features art that I encounter on my visits to museums. This pot is from the Smithsonian's Freer Sackler gallery, which offers multiple collections including Arts of the Islamic World. For the museum website please click here.

Mass production... is practical Pt. 2: The Mason Jar, Apple Butter & Moonshine.

Another of my favorite mass produced service containers is the Mason jar. Chronologically this was the predecessor to tin cans but it has remained on the market as an easy container for home canning. The technology is relatively simple. (Click here for a little history.) A metal band screws tight around the threads of a glass jar holding down a lid edged with sealing compound. The three parts are interchangeable, which is practical for any multi-use container. The real key to this system is the sealing compound. If canned properly the lid is sealed under pressure making the shelf life of the food much longer.

Achieving air tight seals with ceramics can be tricky. A ceramic version of this could avoid the screw top lid opting for the clamp lid. This cylindrical metal attachment applies pressure on a removable "O" ring. It can be raised and lowered increasing, or decreasing, the pressure on the seal. This type of clamp is best for an airtight system that needs to be accessed over and over again. On a small scale this is perfect for dried fruits, cereals, or other semi-perishable foods. I seem to remember Lorna Meaden makes jars with this type of sealing device. I couldn't come up with an image so if anyone has one please send it to me. The sealing clamp looks like this one below.

One of my first experiences with canning was making apple butter. When Virginia's apple crop was harvested in the fall a group of my father's friends would gather to make this southern delicacy. The process started on a Friday night when the group would peel and cut bushels of apples. Saturday morning started early when a small fire was built. (Is this starting to sound familiar? The process of wood firing ceramics and apple butter making are really similar.) When the coals burned down the apples went into a huge brass cauldron held aloft on a metal frame. As the apples simmered the kids would take turns walking around the cauldron stirring the mixture with a specially designed stir stick. (It looked a little bit like this guy). If you stopped stirring it would stick to the bottom and be ruined.

Within ten hours the mixture went from solid chunks, to applesauce, to a thick paste. We would say a little prayer blessing the days work and throw in the nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and all spice. At this point the canning tables where set up. After years of doing this the group had an assembly line process down. The canning jars where clean and the lids were boiled. One person filled the jar, one whiped the lid, one put the lid on, and one put the sealed jar in the box. We had two teams that worked each side of the table. The canning took a few hours but the shared labor produced multiple cases of apple butter for each family. We ate apple butter all year long from one communal days worth of work. My fathers basement was filled with older years prized jars. We treated them like fine wine labeling them with their year. If you came to our house you might be offered biscuits with butter and a fine 1988 vintage. (Click here for a much easier crock pot apple butter recipe.)

Another Virginia tradition that utilizes the mason jar is moonshine. This can take the form of corn liquor, aka White Lightning, or fruit liquor which uses soaked fruit to mask the impurities in the ethanol from the still. As a side note E85 Ethanol, an alternative to petroleum is fundamentally the same as moonshine. This isn't the only car/moonshine connection. NASCAR, America's largest sport, evolved from whiskey runners souping up their cars to out run tax agents. ( Click here for more info.)

Franklin County, which is close to my home town, is the self described "Moonshine Capital of the World." This dates back to the late 1920's when prohibition was in full swing. A recently read an article that stated "Between 1930 and 1935 local still operators and their business partners sold a volume of whiskey that would have generated $5,500,000 in excise taxes at the old 1920 tax rate." (Click here for more info.) This is no small sum. Roughly converted to 2010 dollars this is around $69,000,000. The ironic thing about Virginia's illegal liquor business is that it was equally matched by its religious fervor. Drinking, dancing, and cussing were first cousins to communion, praying, and singing hymns. As the old saying goes their is a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

I can tell Virginia stories for hours but I'll save them for later posts. Next post in this series will be on the virtues of the plastic milk jug. I am a big fan of those squishy hollow handles. Have a good weekend and happy potting.

Shaping space: Fence Jars & Edging Lawns

Much of my work life was spent outdoors tending lawns and gardens. One of my daily jobs was to keep the edging of the lawn clean. Weed eaters, clippers, and shearers were my tools. I was shaping space on an acre by acre scale. This system of organization infiltrated my sense of design. Setting up symmetrical borders filled with asymmetrical designs is a gardening scheme that I replicate on my pots.

The clean look and smell of freshly trimmed grass is hard to beat. There is something very satisfying about having a lawn trimmed within its borders. With nature this is a temporary state. When flowers pop through their boarders they show that having control over nature is fleeting. I like the small pink bloom that pushes through this fence in the image below. This last batch of jars is all about nature pushing through borders. These are about a foot tall with slip trailed fence patterns and drawings.

I'm not sure of the duration but there are larger cycles of ideas that run through my work. Its been about four years since I last made jars.  I seem to work on an idea for a year or two before I let it rest for awhile. I'm ready to pull jars out for a new round of innovation.

The Red Rambler makes the top 5 of 50 Cool Ceramics Blogs.....whooppeee!

The website Guide to Art Schools picked Tales of a Red Clay Rambler as one of the top five ceramic related blogs. I am excited and grateful for the honor. I was surprised to see that their favorite post was one that I wrote about Terra Sig.  Glad to know the technical posts don't fall on deaf ears. For the whole list of the top 50 click here. 

There were a few mysterious absences from the top 50. Makes me realize I should make a list of blogs that I read regularly. A quick top three... Michael Kline's Sawdust and Dirt, Carter Gillies Pottery Blog, and Joy Tanner's Pottery Blog. I definitely have to do a top 20 because it took ten minutes to figure out the top 3. 

50 Cool Ceramics Blogs

Ever since our days in preschool, making the most interesting shapes with that ever-malleable Play-Do, we have all nursed an inner passion for the dishware and artwork that pottery and ceramics generate. Some of us even go on to make fabulous and vivid careers creating beautiful pieces out of terra cotta, porcelain, or any other well-suited material. What about for those of us who'd preserve to observe the beauty, and not so much delve into it?

Thankfully, we here have compiled this listing of the Internet's best blogs on the art of ceramics. Click around, and shape your favorites. 

Top Five

1. Slipcast: Slipcast, one of the most respected and informative ceramics blogs around, does not carry a slipshod attitude when it comes to excellent posts on pottery. New York-based Matthew Katz helms the site, which focuses on providing quirky insights into the ceramics art form, as well as appreciated human interest narratives involving pottery. It also provides a hefty, if infrequently updated, blog roll of other worthwhile ceramics sites.
   • Why We Love It: A great blog to get your ceramics toes wet, Matt's site on what makes pottery worthwhile will make you into a fan.
   • Favorite Post: Reading Tea Stains
2. Josie Goes to Pot: Have you ever wished you could find a bit more insight on the workaday life of a ceramics expert artisan, or any artist for that matter? Avail yourself of Josie's wittily named pottery blog. Though it's clear that Josie needs to make a living and encourages visitors to her blog to check out what new artwork is on sale, there's never any pressure made to confirm your adoration of Josie with a purchase. Overall, it's a great portrait of the potter as an artist with feeling.
   • Why We Love It: This is a great ceramics artist blog that lets you into the real side of living with a passion for pottery.
   • Favorite Post: It's Beginning
3. Support Your Local Potter: One could potentially think of Texas as too arid to support authentic artistry. Don't let blogger Brandon Philips get word of your suspicions on the state; he's mined Lonestar country for true ceramics fertility. His blog chronicles his real, gritty, and often glorious experiences as a man of the ceramics craft. He does not refrain from sharing honest and heartfelt anecdotes about the trials and tribulations of a not-always-lucrative career in the art form.
   • Why We Love It: A stellar and straightforward blog that makes it clear that the rough blows of everyday life can result in great work.
   • Favorite Post: Invincible
4. Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Blogger Ben Carter has composed one of the most comprehensive and well-realized blog sites around on the life and lessons that blossom from a commitment to ceramics. Ben has traveled as far as Shanghai to promote and perfect his knowledge of the craft, and such hard-won savvy permeates all of the posts on offer here. Readers will learn a ton here.
   • Why We Love It: An excellent blog that proves how a dedication to real art can result in beautiful pottery.
   • Favorite Post: Perfect Terra Sig
5. A Plate A Day: Remember when Mom asked you to clear your plate after every meal? Should she have visited this site, she would have also demanded that you consecrate a shrine to your favorite eating ware. This blog impassions its visitors to drool over the absolute best in that ceramic specialty, plates -- being careful not to salivate on the artwork. Every day brings in a new, beautiful selection. The writers are also polite enough to link readers to shops and sites where the plates can be purchased and loved more.
   • Why We Love It: A great blog for someone well versed in pottery and wanting to focus on plates, or anyone who loves delectable dishware.
   • Favorite Post: #574

Back to Top

Source: http://www.guidetoartschools.com/library/best-ceramics-blogs#ixzz1M7EYHreq

Honeysuckle plates traveling down the deco train.

Finally finished decorating a batch of plates that was buried in plastic. I started them back in late April. These shots are of a honeysuckle set that is based on an octagonal quilt pattern. Imagine the negative space of the table being the solid border around the quilt square. I like the idea that they are symmetrical when they are on the table before the meal. As the person fills their plate the deco and food change into an asymmetrical layout. 

I got to see a great patch of honeysuckle at St. Pete Clay when I was there for NCECA. I caught them right at sunset. They were one of the big highlights of the trip.

Happy Mothers Day Potter-style

A big thank you to all the potter mothers out there. They are a rare breed and should be thanked profusely on Mothers day. These bud vase photos are the digital version of the flowers that I hope you get from your children today. 

My mom has been my staunch supporter on this ceramic path. She has never told me not to be a potter. Her unwaivering support encouraged me to take the leap of faith that I was choosing the right profession. I want to specifically thank her for the following :

- Letting me build a studio in our basement.

- Washing the clay out of all the towels in our house.

- Rewiring the electricity for a kiln.

- Ignoring the clay footprints that I tracked on the carpets.

- Encouraging me when I got all those grad school rejection letters.

- Listening to me when I got accepted into my first big shows and got published for the first time.

- Hosting home sales and getting her friends to come buy pots.

- Looking excited when I told her I wanted to move across the country for my next residency.

- Continuing to look excited a few years later when I told her that I wanted to move across the world for my next ceramic adventure.

The list could go on and on. If your a potter call your mother and give her a big thank you for all the extra things she did to make your pottery life easier. 

Happy Mothers Day!

Pot of the Day V.3- Yuezhou Ewer- Five Dynasties 907-960 AD

I had to slip this ewer in between posts about mass produced plastics. The spout has the same high angle as last post's vinegar jar but they put a concave bend half way up. The handle has a similar bend towards the neck. It seems like the neck has its own gravity sucking the parts closer to itself creating tension in the form. This inward tension complements the fullness of the round bottom.


Volumetric tension is a foundational element in my pots. I like to set up slip trailed pattern that restricts the fuller altered sections with floral decorations. The downward "V" between sections of this pitcher is a good example. It is a visual string pulling in the volume of the form. The bottom of the spout and the inward movement of the handle add to this constriction. By pulling in on the form you make the expanding parts look softer. 

It looks like there is a hint of a lotus petal design drawn on the surface of the ewer. You can see more developed versions of the pattern in bowls, platters, and ceramic pillows. The Five Dynasties period is almost at the high point of the evolution of celedon.  The Shanghai Museum collection has great examples of this evolution from the proto-celedons of the late Han (1st cent.) to the glossy turquoise Longquan celedons of the Song dynasty (13th Cent).

The Pot of the Day series features art that I encounter on my visits to museums. These are from the Shanghai Museum collection, which offers a broad range of Chinese ceramics from 3,000 BC to the late 1800's. For the museum website please click here.

Mass production... is Ok? Pt 1- Screw-able lids

I have been known to pound a table, or two, ranting with near religious fervor about the degradation of craftsmanship due to mass produced plastic goods. I won't totally rehash my thoughts on this but our lives are filled with disposable objects created to be forgotten. They are the background noise that dulls our aesthetic senses.

Every once in a while a form will pop out and make me pay attention to the potential for injection molded plastic. I've had a design crush on this vinegar bottle for the last few months. When I first saw it I giddily unscrewed the caps. One downside to ceramics is that it is very hard to make screw-able parts. Molds can provide the precision needed for the threading but clay is prone to shrinking, cracking, and a generally ornery disposition. The sound of clay sliding against clay can be really unsettling too. This was my first experience with a spout cap. It got me thinking about small cork plugs for oil ewers. I've also seen small metal flaps that slide down over the end of ewers. They are much needed if you live in a dusty environment like Shanghai.(We occasionally get dusty air from Mongolia. Click here for the story.)

The proportions on this pot are awkward but it has the same endearing quality as a teenager in mid growth spurt. The spout angle is too high. This makes it harder to pour but easier to fit into packaging cartons. The consideration for packaging is one aspect of mass production that I never consider in my own work. Imagine if you had to move your mug handle 1 inch higher because it would fit into a promo package better. This must be a challenge for industrial designers. The closest I have come to this mind set has been the decision that I need to make my dinner plates small enough to fit into a standard dishwasher.

Forms like this keep me open minded to the plastics industry. It is a good lesson to keep my eyes open for unexpected inspiration. My next few posts will be on mass produced goods that are interesting to me.

Blue sky clapping music- Architecture in Helsinki, Feist, Jamie Lidell, The Shins, Sly & the Family Stone

Here are a few songs that have made the blue skies seem a little brighter this spring. I go through music cycles that are similar to the transitions of the seasons. All of these 70's influenced songs have clapping, or back beats that make me clap. This time of year is a celebration of the end of grey winter skies, which deserves a round of applause. Click the music player on the right panel to hear these.

Architecture in Helsinki- Do the Whirlwind - 2005 - This Aussie group is a self described "modernist pop band". Sonically reminds me of They Might Be Giants and the Talking Heads. Their new album Moment Bends debuts today in the US. They will be cruising through the US in June on their world tour. Click here to check out their website.

Feist- Inside and Out-2005- A great cover of the Bee Gee's 1979 Love You Inside and Out. Feist's sex appeal makes this version much better. I never could get into men with beards singing like girls. Click here for Feist's website.

Jamie Lidell- Another Day - 2008 - He channels Ray Charles and southern gospel with this tune. This could be the choir at your local tent revival. Click here for Lidell's sketchbook themed website.

The Shins- Australia - 2007- My Taiwanese studio mate sings along to this anytime it comes up on shuffle. A great pop song from Wincing the Night Away. They have been on hiatus since James Mercer teamed up with Danger Mouse to create Broken Bells. The Shins are back at it this summer for the Outside Lands festival in Golden Gate Park. There will be a great line up including Phish, Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, The Decemberists, and many more. Click here for the full Outside Lands schedule.

Sly and the Family Stone- Runnin Away - 1971- Simple lyrics and a catchy horn section make this airy tune a classic sing along. 

"Running away
To get away,
Ha! ha! ha! ha!
You're wearing out your shoes.

Look at you fooling you! "

My mom saw them in the 70's when Sly Stone was so drunk he fell off the stage. A memorable night for the audience but probably a little blurry for Sly. (Click here for his website)