Work in progress (mostly skulls)

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Adios Pantalones

Adios Pantalones

Minister of Fire
May 20, 2008
6,569
S.NH- Mass's smoking section
wileyhillmudworks.etsy.com
Well, I have the pics and a little time, so I may as well post them.

A friend who draws comic books recently came out with a book of people he sketched while riding the NYC subway. Later he took a pic of a dude that I decided I needed to re-create his skull (just to make my friend laugh). I almost became an archaeologist, and I have thought about variations within a species- they sometimes give a biased view of species in the fossil record.

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Muscled vases- these will be cool wood-fired

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Size comparison
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Not much response, but a couple of folks asked to see the fired product- here are some bad pics

Mr. Tooffy in porcelain
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The big dino skull actually turned out pretty well for me. It was fired upside down and there's crazy ash buildup in his teeth
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That copper finish is pretty cool.
 
Really cool stuff. I too really dig that brown patina. Do you fire these in your wood stove by any chance? I am very close to having my first stove installed and I'm looking to learn alternative ways to make use of it in addition to heating. My degree (not being used) is in sculpture, so I always seem to be into the act of making stuff. So far, I plan to be using my wood stove for heating, occasional open fire w/ screen, grilling on the top-loader grill, baking inside it over coals. Please, please, please tell me you can fire pottery!
 
Dude- Thanks! Not in the woodstove, I have a big wood fired kiln. It has to get well over 2000F for the ash to start melting like that on the pieces. the kiln gets to about 2370, and takes almost 2 days to fire properly. There are other methods- like smoke firing, etc, that could possibly be done in a woodstove, but it would be bad for your chimney.
 
Thanks for the advice. Do you think there is any sort of firing of any material that could be done in the wood stove? I'm not too familiar yet with actual temps reached in stoves, but I imagine from things I've read about over firing that it should max out at 700º.
 
I have "bisque fired" small pots, stamps that I use, etc. The problem with many pieces in a woodstove is cracking by thermal shock. I can raise the temp of a kiln slowly, but the woodstove will heat quicker almost no matter what you do, and one side of a piece will get hot before the other, causing cracking. Small pieces can be buried in the ash until the stove is hot, then mixed into the coal bed (that's how I do stamps), or maybe a saggar could be built of fire bricks. You won't get these warm colors and effects in a wood stove, but maybe you could get some warm or red earthenware colors from earthenware (it's also often more shock resistant).

For sculpture, you can use heavily sanded or grogged clay- which will help with shock as well.
 
Very impressive work Adios. I love skulls, bones and stuff...I used to be an x-ray tech so go figure...You really a god given talent. Please post more pics of the finished products...What's in the aquarium in the background? It looks like a fish aquarium but can't tell.
 
2 oscars and a green severum in a 72 gal bow front. They're all about 7 yrs old... oscars are good sized. I'm supposed to take some more photos for the online shop soon- will post here as available
 
We had an oscar that lived about 7 years...it was the only fish left in the tank and needless to say it took up much of the tank...when it died my husband buried it and he actually had a tear in his eye.....
 
They are awesome Adios!!!! Wish I had that talent, I dabble in art, was going to become a graphic artist but didnot.....sometimes I wish I did since I do have a creative side.....Keep up the good work,,,and post more pics as they become available
 
A.P. -


Nothin' in your online store?! WTF!

I'd buy that style of steamer on the far right in a heartbeat!

P.M. me before you do your next firing of steamers, I'll p.p. for one.

P/J/
 
Thanks!
I have sent a couple of steamers of to be torture tested by Jags before I release them to the public (liability). If those don't work, I'll experiment with clay recipes until I get a winnah.

A friend just took pics for my online store- as soon as I get them I'll put a few things online.
 
Fantastic stuff! I too love the steamers. Bookmarked
your store and will check back periodically. Thank you
for sharing with us.
 
Thanks A.P.!

Please, keep us (ME ;-0 ) updated!

P.J.



P.S. - The heck w/Jags ;-) ; I'll torture test 'em all you want! From single digest +/- 0 to +50 (so the stove to t-stat said today) to 950+F (good?! ole smoker) to +20F in the matter of a few hours; All within a week! Yeah; shoulder season in the N.E.! Did ya want some Snow->Ice->Rain->Ice->Snow with that?
 
I was thinking the same thing as PJF. I went on your website, facebook, and etsy page, hoping to get an idea of what those steamers run. My favorite is the left one, and was also wondering if you'd take request for approximate color schemes. It would be the perfect match if I could have a steamer the same colors as the vase (I'm sure there's another word for it) on your facebook profile picture with the blue, green, and brown. It would match my natural slate floor for my hearth that I just put in. I'm going to have to buy or make a steamer or two of some type, so it might as well be hand made from an artist here in the US, even better a member of this forum. I was going to PM you, but I figured it's more attention for your work (as deserved) if I put it on here and ask you to PM me. So please do if you want to!
 
I've added stuff to the etsy store, but I won't have steamers until at least the next firing: I need to torture test some of these, and the rest are commissions for a store. Thanks for the kind words!

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AP, I frequent etsy and headed there now, good job!
 
Put me on the list for a steamer. Would also love a skull.
 
Thanks for the update A.P.!
 
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