In my small ceramics studio, I use a variety of homemade bisque molds to make some of my ceramic forms. Bisque (also referred to as biscuit) molds are clay forms I fire to about 1915 degrees, or cone 04. I wrote about how I use the bisque molds here. In this post, I'll explain how … Continue reading making bisque molds – 5.19.2022
As a ceramic handbuilder, it's nice to have molds on hand. I can use a mold to make several matching pieces, or to quickly create a form to build off of. Molds are typically made from plaster, but I don't want plaster in my home studio because 1) it takes more equipment that I don't … Continue reading using bisque molds 4.7.2022
I'm starting to make my own ceramic glazes, now that I have my own kiln. And I needed space to store the glaze containers in my small home studio, located in what once was a kitchen on the 2nd floor of my home. I decided to renovate these old kitchen cupboards to be a glaze … Continue reading studio renovation 11.18.2021
This year, I discontinued my membership to the local community ceramics studio and ordered my very own kiln! I bought an L&L e23-M3. It's got 5.5 cubic feet of space, almost 2 feet across, and a little less than 2 feet high on the inside. Not huge, but not teeny. I didn't want a kiln … Continue reading my own kiln! 9.23.2021
I'll be participating once again in the Marquette-Atwood Art Walk this year. It's Sunday, May 2nd, from 11am-5pm on the near-east side of Madison, Wisconsin. My address is 2802 Center Avenue, and I'll be selling my ceramics out of my garage, on the Miller Avenue side of the house. Visit the Art Walk website to … Continue reading neighborhood art walk 4.22.2021
One of my favorite songs is Kate Bush's 50 Words for Snow - basically a list in song. And posted on my wall I have a list, cut out from a newspaper long ago, of 100 words for precipitation. I like lists. Perhaps I learned list love (or list lust) from my mom, Eleanor, who … Continue reading word orbs 12.3.2020
My youngest child Berit requested that I make a head planter for her birthday this year. Here's the planter when it's still at raw clay stage - before any firing has occurred. Here are a few shots after firing. She's glazed with white shino.White shino allows for some of the brown clay to show through … Continue reading head planter 10.15.2020
In mid March of this year, I began my self retreat at home in hopes of avoiding the Corona virus. I haven't worked much at the community clay studio where I typically used to spend 2 or 3 afternoons each week. Midwest Clay Project (MCP) closed altogether for awhile, and now it's reopened with social … Continue reading home ceramics studio 7.2.2020
Rachel Imsland, Artist 