8.31.2009

The Coup


I have heard the cries of the People!

The Coup is here!

The Coup is a Mid-Temperature Porcelain, White and Vitrified at Cone 5 and 6. Based on the same great Porcelain for the People formula. Rugged for throwing and building, The best Porcelain out there, now at a lower temperature.

We have a limited number of boxes of The Coup, Mid-Temperature Porcelain. This is a primary batch to determine people's interest in this clay. If people respond to this offer, The Coup will go into production.

If you would like a box for only $28, shipped! Email me, matt [at] matt and daves clays [dot] com. I will send you a link to a Secure Google Checkout transaction.

Contact me now, as they are going fast!

Update: I still have a few boxes left, but I wanted to note that every single one of the people who got to me first were all people who had previously tried Porcelain for the People! That says something, They got a taste of Matt and Dave's and now they want more! What are you waiting for? The Revolution is starting without you!

Gray Water



This Umbrella Stand collects the water that drips post puddle jumping excursion. The water then drains into the lower dish to water the plant.



Via

From Kyouei Design

8.28.2009

This is no Picnic


This Topography porcelain bowl comes to us via Japan. Designed by Kyouei Design, the bowl allows you to contemplate the vista while eating your lunch at your desk.


Via

Kyouei Design

Making Faces


These plates are listed as for children.
I for one am extremely offended by that, I'm as juvenile as any 3 year old! I like playing with my food!


Via
Yes, the are ceramics and not plastic. On a Kids plate! I know, I couldn't believe it either.

8.27.2009

Table Art


Hey All,
Super busy this afternoon, so not much time to put together a proper post. I thought you all would enjoy these Place mats designed by Erwin Bauer for the Mumok Museum of Modern Art in Vienna.


Via

I Scream


The Porcelain Ice Cream Cone by Virgina Sin.

I have to admit that I am a little conflicted on this one. Being around an Art School I am pretty tired of the whole Porcelain, Styrofoam Cup/Paper Plate/ Mass Disposable object. The whole things is just played out.


I rarely out right critique things here, but I will say that the craftsmanship on these is poor. Believe me I have heard every explanation for every style of finish, and this finish does not fit these objects.

That said, I like them.

Low Carb...good one.

Via


Virginia Sin

8.26.2009

Park Life



These porcelain planters by Tristan Zimmermann spin the nature of plants, bonsai and the urban environment. Feature such tableaus as "The Flasher", 'The Amorous Encounter", "The Lost Tourist" and "The Mugger"


Via


From: Charles and Marie

Fan-dango!

Hey Everyone!


It would be great if y'all could mosey on over to Facebook and become a fan of Matt and Dave's Clays.

And don't forget The Twitter.

It's a tad bit nippily in here.

It is 121 days until Christmas folks. It is time to get ready.


You're Welcome.

Via

Product Page

8.25.2009

Broken Record


Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2009 shows the profile of a colossal crock of blue and white porcelain, which stands at 1.36 meters in height, measures 6.8 meters in perimeter, with a caliber of 2 meters and a total weight of over 1,500 kg, in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province. It took local porcelain artisan master Xu Sijin more than a year to finish the facture and a group of painters to accomplish the pattern of the Yangtze River Three Gorges on the profile. This giant jar of black and white porcelain has been applied for requisition of the Guinness World Records. (Xinhua/Shi Weiming)


Four adults stretch out their arms to enfold a colossal crock of blue and white porcelain, which stands at 1.36 meters in height, measures 6.8 meters in perimeter, with a caliber of 2 meters and a weight of over 1,500 kg, in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province


Via: Chinaview

Tea Party


I know that Ceramicists have a special relationship with Tea. So, I couldn't resit posting these teabags. They come via Germany and are part of the Tea party series. There are more than just the RoyalTea Series.

There is DemocraTea


and the StripTea

From: Donkey Products
Via

8.24.2009

What's white and sounds like a bell?


This clock is somewhat ingenious. It is designed for any piece of ceramic, not just the vase featured. On the hour the hammer strikes the ware to announce time. Of course by changing the vase you can get all kinds of different tones.

I know a lot of you clay dingers out there would like the sound of ringing porcelain more then dirty old brass bells.


Designed by Georgios Maridakis
Via:Yanko Design

The Potter

I came across this video first at Ceramika Sylwia Kolasinska and at Jesse Lu's The (mud)bucket blog.




I have some questions. but for now I am just going to assume that apparently the world views ceramicists as friendly, mystical monsters.


I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mrs. Rose and I had a good time, not packing. Friday with our friends the Fecteau-Volk's, and Janna at the Stuben County Fair for a night of Fire and Destruction (Literally how it was advertised). Monster Trucks, Motorcycle Jumping, and men lighting themselves on fire (intentionally and not, don't play with fire kids).


This is a picture of a guy who was being dragged behind an ATV into a pool of burning gasoline. About 1/2 second after this picture, the guy let go too early and ended up on fire. Luckily he was was put out with only burns on his hands, but pretty freaky none the less.

Thanks to Mrs. Fecteau-Volk for the Pictures.

Good times.

8.21.2009

Porcelain for the People


The reviews of Matt and Dave's Clays are coming in again!

I'm so excited that people are loving our clays! There is one thing that these clays bring up that I don't talk about much. That is the versatility of Porcelain for the People. The two reviewers here are making two completely different things, Pots and Pins. Completely different from last week and the outstanding review by Kathy King who was carving up a storm with her clay. We have another review coming in that we have gotten advanced word on, that says Porcelain for the People is great for a professional pinch potter!

Up here in Alfred, we call Porcelain for the People, "The Porcelain that works like a Stoneware". We really mean that. We have designed a porcelain that is versatile and robust, not floppy and sloppy. We know that a lot of people are intimidated by porcelain. They are told that is is difficult to work with and only for experts. We say that is absolutely true...for normal porcelain. But not with Porcelain for the People. This is a clay that everyone can love, beginner to professional.

First up we have a short review from Ginny Gromer a jewelry maker out of Northern California.
Her review was short and sweet.


"I recently tried the Matt & Dave's Porcelain for the People --- I'm smitten with it"


You can see more of Ginny's work at her Etsy Shop

Our other review is from Heidi Fahrenbacher at Bella Joy Pottery. She has an extensive review that she posted on her blog. She gave me permission to reprint her review, Enjoy.

_

Today I want to discuss Porcelain for the People by Matt and Dave's Clay. I have been using Standard 130 for about 3 years. It a nice domestic porcelain but there are several problems. One, it is grayer than I would like and two, it always has chunks of stuff in it(anything from metal chunks to unprocessed clay).

I've been toying with the idea of switching to a whiter clay because I've really taken a liking to celedons and they look better on a grolleg body. I was so happy when I found Matt and Dave's Clay on Twitter! I was sold after reading on their website that they are a collaboration of engineers and artists making clay. What a great idea! Matt and Dave's clay is mixed as a slurry and then filter pressed, making the clay more plastic. There is so much detailed scientific information on their website (too much to list here) that after reading it I wanted to get my hands on a sample. I was elated when this arrived in the mail.Look at the difference between the Matt and Dave's Clay on the left and the Standard 130 on the right!The Matt and Dave's Clay is stiffer than the Standard 130. Unlike stoneware, porcelain doesn't have grog in it to give it stability (although some may wedge in molochite) and a slightly stiffer clay helps the form maintain its shapes while throwing. Once I wedged a couple of pounds the clay loosened up and was ready to go.

I have a rule that whatever I'm throwing, no matter the size, should only take 3 pulls. Anymore than that and you are fussing too much with the clay. With Matt and Dave's Clay, it really seemed to take only one pull, two for good measure. Here are the two mugs that I threw in record time!
The handles went on well, with no cracking. Usually before I bisque I wipe down my pots so that the surface is really smooth and ready for glaze application, but with Matt and Dave's Clay there was no need, due to natural smoothness of the clay.

I was really interested in how shinos, copper reds, and celedons would look on the M& D's Clay body.
I think these last two images really attest to the quality of Matt and Dave's Clay and it only shrank about 9%! Have you heard of another grolleg clay to shrink that much? You probably noticed that the handle on the mug on the right is broken. I got a little too aggressive shaking the excess glaze off and broke it. Oops.
_


Thanks Heidi!


Remember everyone. Matt and Dave's Clays keep Slipcast Blog going.
So go out there and get some!

200


Well folks, that is where we are. This is Slipcast's 200th post. Pretty cool.
I have to say that I have a blast doing it. I'm constantly amazed by the participation of the ceramics community. It is a big group out there, and I'm so tickled, that so many people out there are reading. We have more visitors a day, now then I had in the first month of the blog. Literally thousands of you have stopped by and taken part. I can't thank you enough. We have regular visitors from 58 Countries, almost every continent (still no Antarctica!). Canada, Australia, Denmark, England, New Zealand, France, Italy. South Africa, and everyone else, I'm so happy to have you here.

The one thing that bums be out is that I still don't know who a lot of you are. I wish I could get to know some of you better. I do want to give a shout out to some of the dedicated visitors. I don't know who you are, but I know where you are from and I see you hanging around a lot.

State College, PA. Deerfield, IL. Fargo ND. Haifa Israel. Helena MT (Buttery!). Durham, NC. Petaluma, CA (I've seen you hanging around recently). Corning, NY.

I know that there are thousands more of you but those are a few people who I consistently notice for some reason, and say, "Who are you?"

So to everyone, please leave a message, let me (and everyone else) know who you are and that you are out there. The whole reason I started the blog list, was in an attempt to get people to communicate. Just because I know you are out there, does not mean everyone else does.

I was taking with our man Avi the other day and he refereed to Slipcast as a daily magazine. I like that. So feel free to read Slipcast in the bathroom.

Friday Funny


From the Fail Blog.

8.20.2009

Nothing Profound

I'm pretty busy today so I don't have a lot of time to post. So I just wanted to post a few silly things

The Great Wall Garden Fence.



4 Segments per order
Not clay, but cast stone- Close enough for me.
via
Sold by What on Earth

Pizza Pi Plate

Also from What on Earth
via

finally The Tea for Two Set.


Via

Sold by Fredflare