{
"articles" : [{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/your-nerikomi-teacher-is-doing-an-alberta-field-trip",
"handle" : "articles\/your-nerikomi-teacher-is-doing-an-alberta-field-trip",
"published_at" : "2025-05-27",
"title" : "field trip!! your nerikomi teacher is going to Alberta!",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/champi.snails.juin2024-180_24a5d6f4-0868-417b-8e6b-de4cff701d17_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "field trip!! your nerikomi teacher is going to Alberta!"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "\nHiya! i\u0026#39;m so excited that i\u0026#39;ll be travelling next july to meet you and share my love for colored clay my handbuilding skills with delicate nerikomi and all the joy and potentiel of this magical pottery technique, the nerikomi! And it\u0026#39;s going to be my first time ever in Alberta too! I hope to see you there! ⤵\n\nBeaumont, july 1-3 : registration in progress!\nHaven Pottery Studio, Beaumont, AB, 325$ GST included. register before june 15: email organizer Michael Pon at pmikepon@gmail.com\n\nJuly 7 to july 13 ***full\n\n \n\n \nxxx Marina\n"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/thank-you-times-10k-1",
"handle" : "articles\/thank-you-times-10k-1",
"published_at" : "2025-04-28",
"title" : "Thank you times 10k!",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/appreciated_2_9ad90c46-4716-4a5b-9e85-36957acb6d9c_1024x.png",
"alt": "Thank you times 10k!"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "First of all hello! welcome if you\u0026#39;re just arriving, and great pleasure to find you still here, OG fan since the 2017 and 2018 Puces Pop... or from my collection launch at Les Faiseurs in 2019 . I consider this my turning point, with this collection that has become signature, with the dreamy nerikomi peachy landscapes. That\u0026#39;s when I really started to believe I could make a viable career out of it. Those years changed my life completely... When I made my first Puces Pop in december 2017, I was on welfare because I could no longer do my previous job due to very intense physical pain caused by a rare congenital disease: villonodular synovitis. Basically, it\u0026#39;s a chemical imbalance in the lubricant of a joint; in my case, it\u0026#39;s in my left ankle. It produces tumors, osteophyfitis, and destroys the cartilage. At that point I was waiting to receive surgery, which I had a few months later at the end of winter 2018... It took almost a full year of rehabilitation to be able to walk more than 10 minutes without crutches.\nWith the chronic pain I was in at that time, I didn\u0026#39;t believe in my ability to create an economically viable ceramic business... and then I couldn\u0026#39;t go back to my old job (in a hotel kitchen). It was a very difficult time psychologically, doctors didn\u0026#39;t even beleive that i would eventually walk normally again... But I had a lot of encouragement from people close to me... my family, Arnaud, my friend Véro... I had a social safety net that gave me the courage to take the plunge. I went looking for a studio and found a shared spot in the \u0026#39;\u0026#39;Chat des Artistes\u0026#39;\u0026#39;, a building just a few steps from where I was living at the time, so it felt safe to me close from home when I had spikes of pain. \nIn 2019, I was a beneficiary of the Soutient au Travail Autonome program, which offered a grant and training for 1 year, and allowed me to develop my techniques and artistic language without worrying about sales... It saddens me that this program no longer exists, I don\u0026#39;t know if I could have made it this far without it. That\u0026#39;s when I launched the collection that introduced me to a wider public at Les Faiseurs, a great café\/pottery school in Montreal\u0026#39;s Villeray district, with whom I still collaborate today! and Cybèle B.P. and I created the Roche Papier craft show concept, that was reconduct by Atelier Retailles 2 years later. \nIn 2020 I was a finalist for the Prix Jean-Cartier with this piece, and began developing slip decorating with the pastry bag.\n2021 was a year of great upheaval! I had to find a new studio because I couldn\u0026#39;t stay where I was, but I got SO lucky: a space became available after only 2-3 months of searching, in the same building! So I only had to move my stuff a floor up! and then I created a playground studio designed from A to Z for the specific needs of my practice with colored clays and teaching, with the precious help of my uncle Olivier for building. By the way, thanks to all those who took part in the studio fundraising campaign! and of course to my colleagues who donated products to help me build amazing gift baskets for the campaign!\n1 year later my home building was on sale by the owners and I had to move. I found my current apartment in the fall of 2022... All these upheavals transformed my life for the better, but it was so much work, so much mental and physical effort and so many insecurities, that when everything was settled and balance returned, my system kind of shutted down... I\u0026#39;ve had more or less a year in the slow lane, looking back I can say that I burned out. I feel like I\u0026#39;m back on track but I don\u0026#39;t know if could ever work at the same pace as theses early career building years. \nIn 2022 I began collaborations with Etty from YYY ceramics and in 2023 I was a guest artist at the New Clay Conference in Ottawa. *And I burned out*. In 2024 I did my first creative residency in the U.S. at Watershed and received my first grant from the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec.\nIn 2025 I\u0026#39;ll be doing my first teaching contracts outside Quebec; next July: in Edmonton, Calgary and at the Medalta Center in Medicine Hat! It\u0026#39;s amazing how far I\u0026#39;ve come from where I am today, and how far away my life seemed 6 years ago when I first set out to make ceramics my full-time career! \nI\u0026#39;d like to thank all of you who have believed in me and appreciated my art. I\u0026#39;ve had a lot of help on many levels to get here; from the ceramics community and makers community at large, from institutions, friends, family, and of course all of you who have been following my journey, whether for years or just a few days! My greatest wealth in life is us! Thank you 10 000 times!!! "
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/infos-for-diy-kits-and-classes",
"handle" : "articles\/infos-for-diy-kits-and-classes",
"published_at" : "2021-02-20",
"title" : "Infos for DIY kits and classes",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/kits-4-5-6-07_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "Infos for DIY kits and classes"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : " \nHello!\n*This is a very short and sweet blog post that is pretty much the e-mail I send to people who purchase kits, so you can have access to the infos If you can\u0026#39;t find the e-mail. \nHere is a little user guide for the clay: https:\/\/docdro.id\/g0Esl1E and I invite you to visit the blog section of my site to go further! There is also the Facebook group \u0026quot;Color in clay\u0026quot; that I strongly recommend for all levels of experience: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/286531511532039 .\nIf you registered to a class, I have a facebook group for my students where I share important impormation relative to my teachings, so I you are a student and did\u0026#39;nt receive the invite please write to me so we can fix that! \nI am eager to see what you create with coloured clay, please show me! \nMuch love and Happy Creation! \nMarina"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/feliz-2021",
"handle" : "articles\/feliz-2021",
"published_at" : "2021-01-01",
"title" : "Feliz 2021!",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/quinceanera-serie-1-075-boite-geante-waves-805_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "Feliz 2021!"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "Happy New Year cutie pie! It was well needed to let off some steam about 2020 in the past couple of days but I\u0026#39;m very grateful for the year I\u0026#39;ve had in spite of everything. 2020 has been the year of friendship for me. I don\u0026#39;t know if it\u0026#39;s because of forced isolation, probably in part, but as much as we saw less of each other and feasted less, we talked more and listened more. ‘’Together apart’’, at least that\u0026#39;s what I felt. Like everyone else, I\u0026#39;ve had several disappointments in 2020, but I\u0026#39;m turning the page. My highlights of this past year have been the new friendships made threw my art, on social media, dm friends that have become real life friends. Also grateful for the older friendships that have been very present this year and the beautiful community of artist and makers from whom I received a lot of help and moral support. I realize that my art has the power to create bonds and I feel a deep sense of mission accomplished. I feel well aligned with my \u0026quot;something bigger\u0026quot;, a reference to a podcast that helped me so much to get through the years, very grateful for that also: ‘’the Feminist Survival Project 2020’’ by twins Emily and Amelia Nagoski. (available on every podcast plateform, I could’nt recommend enough) I was also lucky enough to see the sublime Yseult perform at the end of February just before the start of the measures, a magical moment that I cherish the memories. I lacked for nothing, I ate my fill, I didn\u0026#39;t suffer from racism, I had a good dose of oxytocin every day with my big curly poof ball... I am very grateful for the luck I have despite the difficulties and the sores. My wishes for all of us in the coming year is to take care of each other. Self care is has been, going on vacation in the south, taking baths and lighting candles is not much help in the long run if we feel empty and alone. (I think). What really helps well being is to be part of a community, to feel supported, accompanied. I have had this mindset for a little while and I wish for even stronger bonds for us all in 2021. And also be nice to your inner child, dream, be playful, cultivate inspiration EVERYDAY, love to you all! xx Marina\n"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/how-to-choose-your-favorite-mug",
"handle" : "articles\/how-to-choose-your-favorite-mug",
"published_at" : "2020-05-20",
"title" : "How to choose your favorite mug",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/tmp-blog_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "How to choose your favorite mug"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "Some tips, tricks, and my collection of cups and goblets.\nJonathan, a subscriber asked me to talk about how to apprehend ceramic, beyond appearances, and thus who choose your favorite piece when you visit a crafts market for example. I rather agree with Marie Kondo, who prescribes putting the joy factor as the first criterion to determine if objects deserve a place in our homes. I also believe that surrounding yourself with objects that brings joy helps you feel good at home. Well chosen objects that share our living spaces can help us to feel grounded, they inspire, comfort, and stimulate. What brings joy in an objet will be different for everyone; for a person it could be the design, for another it historical background, and for another it efficiency in fulfilling their functions perfectly. For a collector, rarity and singularity could be a main criterion too. For me, it\u0026#39;s a bit of all that, but it\u0026#39;s mostly emotion.\nDoes the object seduce me, touch my soul and stimulate my mind ... When I hold the object, do I feel something that prevents me from backing away empty-handed? I can’t always afford the items that touch me like that but if I didn’t buy it at the time it’ll run into my head afterwards. It is difficult to describe the emotions that an object provides ... It can be triggered by the effect of surprise: a materiality, a technique that I have never seen before ... It can be a sensory experience: the tactility, the comfort of handling, complex colors and textures ... Sometimes it is also the perfect balance between form and function that can make me choose a very classic or rustic mugs when I have a tendency towards all that is eccentric most of the time. Sometimes it is the artistic approach and the artist\u0026#39;s statements through their craft, does the object intellectually ignite me, does its presence in my daily life awaken my mind, makes me think…\nTo answer Jonathan\u0026#39;s question, what pushes me to buy a specific object more than an other one is a bit all that I mentioned previously, but there is always the question of money to take into account also. I can\u0026#39;t afford all the things that perfectly match my (somewhat chaotic) selection system. On the other hand, even if I have a rather limited financial latitude, it is rarely the price that will influence my choice. I believe that we are conditioned to find things expensive or not expensive according to the average price in the same category: $ 60 may sound expensive for a mug when you can get some at 4 for 30$ in big box stores, but it\u0026#39;s not that expensive for a restaurant outing. Maybe the mug can bring me more joy in the long run than going out to a restaurant. When I face an object that seems expensive to me, I always ask myself the question if would I be ready to spend the same amount for something mundane like a trip to the restaurant or the cinema? So I try to ignore my perceptions of what is expensive or not and I ask myself if this object really bring me something deep or is it superfluous? If it does (and if I can afford it that day of course), I’ll take it.\n\nwhere can you find your next favorite cup?\nin person:\n\n\nLes Faiseurs is a great café \/ pottery school in Little Italy in Montreal that presents 3 different ceramic artists each season in its small gallery space. In the current context of the Covid-19, the café offers its products for take-out only and they have made more room to present ceramics in the unused sitting space. We can now discover a little more than fifteen different artists including myself but also Goye, Dompierre, Cybèle B.P., Nadi, Notakara, Camille Zurini, Pas Mon Style and many others. I highly recommend because it is one of the only places in Montreal where it is possible to have a tactile experience of the pieces since all non essential stores are closed to the public.\n\n\nOtherwise, favor maker markets when possible! Ceramicists will be able to explain their work, and a better knowledge of the object will make you appreciate it even more. The small neighborhood markets are a great opportunity to discover beginner makers because the registration fees are generally more accessible, and otherwise 1001 pots and bigger annual craft shows are events where several professional ceramists participate every year. If you wish to have a complete set of dishes by a particular ceramicist, you can visit the show every year and after a few times you will have your complete set without having to break the piggy bank by buying everything at once.\n\n\nonline:\nIn today\u0026#39;s sanitary crisis, this is probably the best way to buy ceramic in my opinion\n\n\nOnline shops: There are several platforms to discover an array of artisans gathered under the same roof such as Signé Local, Chic et Basta, Fabrique 1840, Signé des Métiers d’arts and so on. The advantage of these platforms is that they sometimes have favorable shippings costs and that everything is gathered in the same place. You can buy a pepper grinder from a wood craftman and your ceramic cup in one transaction. However, these services have a high cost for artisans and I would recommend buying to them directly when possible.\n\n\nArtists websites: Buying directly from artists\u0026#39; websites is the best thing you can do if you want to support their practice since it is where our fees are the lowest. However, if you don\u0026#39;t know the artist, how will you find them? Several possibilities: on Instagram pay attention to the recommendations of your friends and follow certain hashtags such as #faitici #madeincanada #achatlocal #montrealmaker and so on. If you already follow a maker you like, take a look at the hashtags they use and follow them, there is a good chance that other craftsmen are using them as well and you will make great discoveries. You can also see who they follow, There are good chances that you will like some of the stuff that your favorite artists like.\n\n\nOtherwise, there are Facebook groups centered around local buying where you can ask member for recommandation for specific products. I am on a couple but they are french speaking so I don’t have any to recommend to you but they exist for sure in english too, just make a quick search. :)\n\n\nEtsy is also an option to consider; you can discover makers by typing keywords in the search bar but I find it rather difficult to go around when you are not sure what you are looking for since there are so many choices and that it goes in all directions… This is not where I would start personally.\n\n\n \n\ncups and goblets that i use the most often in my collection:\n\nChawan Mie Ceramics.\n\n\nThe word Chawan means \u0026quot;tea bowl\u0026quot; in Japanese and kurinuki means a technique of hand building where the piece is carved from a solid block of clay. This cup is the last acquisition in my collection, it is the one I tend to grab most often these days! I am not a big tea consumer so I use it for my daily coffee. It is the perfect size for the coffee I make every day with my little espresso machine (1 double + 1 single, it\u0026#39;s a kind of allonge but instead of adding hot water I make a second espresso without changing the beans.) The photo shows the level of coffee in the bowl: it would be difficult to make more perfect than that! I love everything about this goblet; its capacity, grip, the tactile qualities of the glazes (the white has a satin finish, neither shiny nor mat, almost waxed, and the frothy glaze has a texture similar to pieces of dried coral picked up on a beach, or volcanic rock) I also love its weight, a little heavier than the other pieces in my collection which I find comforting, grounding.\n\nGobelet Léa et Nicolas\n\n\nhave had this cup for 1 year, I bought it at 1001 pots during the summer of 2019. In this particular piece, the formal preciseness is fascinating. The lines, the angles, the perfectly smooth surface ... The technical aspects are impressive to me. And in contrast to the rigid qualities of the exterior, the interior is painted in a creamy white slip and we perceive the spontaneous and intuitive brushstrokes of the artist, who reminds us that despite the technical perfection at the level of industrial design productions, it\u0026#39;s still a handmade piece. I love the red \u0026quot;terracotta\u0026quot; color of this Canadian sandstone which goes perfectly with the bright green of the matcha lattes that I make myself on occasion. This is my designated cup for this particular purpose.\n\nTasse Vanessa Villarreal\n\n\nThis magical mug with painted reliefs of hands and butterflies was my favorite for a little while. Unfortunately it broke (the side you don\u0026#39;t see hehe). Since then I replaced it but I keep it all the same and I will put a little succulent plant in it soon. I like the second one I got just as much but because of it is a larger mug, it’s slightly less practical for me, so it is used less often. I use bigger mugs when I make herbal teas and broths which I consume more occasionally compared to my daily coffees. If you are in the very early stages of building your collection of mugs or you are more of the minimalist type, I would advise you to pay attention to the size: Think about what you consume most often and which format is best for your beverage of choice. I also wanted to raise the attention to the fact that ceramic breaks and it\u0026#39;s normal. Ceramics has a reputation for being eternal, but accidents quickly happens and sometimes for fear of breaking your most loved cup, some will take them out only for special occasions ... I say NO to this habit! The value of our objets is the experience that we make of them. The objects as such are replaceable, If you don’t enjoy your purchases often, it is a waste of money in my opinion. So please don\u0026#39;t let your favorite mug sleep in the back of a cupboard and use it!\n\nGobelet Cybèle B.P.\n\n\nDid you know that I met Cybèle at ceramic school? I was in the cohort just after hers (including Marie-Ève Dompierre and Nadine Desmarais, and Isabelle Simard that you may know as well were also part of it) This cup is the oldest in my collection, Cybèle made it during the time she was still in school. Her production has changed a lot since then, but we still recognize the playfulness of the patterns and the organic texture with the fingerprints. It must have been 4-5 years that I have it and it is still in the fews pieces that I use the most often on a daily basis! The format is perfect for my daily coffee, and I love it’s tactile qualities. The small waves in the surface make it very comfortable to hold in the hand and keep it at comfortable temperature even when the beverages are super hot, the texture has an insulating effect. Besides that it perfectly meets my needs in it’s functionality, I find it so cute with confetti and small dots, and it makes me think of a little magic animal.\n\nChawan Isabelle Huot\n\n\n\nThis cup made by Isabelle Huot is very special because the surface colors are 100% created by the hazard of fire. YES YES! it\u0026#39;s crazy, I know. Apart from the glaze splatter that you see in a satin creamy color glaze, the shades of pink, yellow, and darker dots appear on the surface of the bare ceramic surface (porcelain in this particular one) by the effects of flames touching the piece in the wood firing (we called that flashing) and the small dots come from particles of molten matter suspended in the air of the kiln which falls on the piece. I find this effects of chemistry ratter magical ! I love everything about this cup: the surface is the \u0026quot;star of the show\u0026quot; but I also like its shape, it’s capacity, it’s weight, and the very pleasant hold thanks to the foot that raises the piece so you can grip by the bottom.\n\nGobelet Ashley Bevington\n\n\nI’ve been a really big fan of Ashley’s work for a really long time. Because of the exchange rate and the higher delivery costs to import, I rarely buy pottery from the United States but I faltered for this double face poodle cup (it has a happy side and a sad side) With the delivery and the exchange rate it came to about $100 but I have no regrets! I love this cup with love and he reminds me of my dog Morille, a black-blue curly princess. If you are considering adopting a poodle, I guarantee it will change you forever. You will start to find all the poodle things adorable and if you have collector tendencies like me you’ll want hem all. Before having my dog I found extravagant poople cuts very silly and stupid and now I think it’s really cute and when I cross an other poodle on the street I look back and awe , much like the owners of westfalias! (lol but it’s true). In short, this purchase was a splurge, but it gives me joy if not euphoria, and that is priceless.\n\nGobelet Nadi artiste céramiste\n\nThis red sandstone goblet has a magnificent glaze that recalls the foam of the waves on the sand and is applied in a way to create the silhouette of mountains. I do not know if you knew the attachment that I personally have with mountain landscapes, but if not now you do! (and you may also recognize them in my pieces.) Mountains calms me, they inspires me, and gives me a feeling of anchoring. And when the sea and the mountains meet, what could be more beautiful honestly? I can get lost in the landscape on the surface of this cup and transport myself in my travel memories... The generous roundness of the perfectly polished bottom marries the palm of the hand in a very comforting sensory experience. Nadine Desmarais is an excellent thrower and her pieces are very thin and delicate, which means that this is not my goblet of choice for everyday my coffee because it do not isolate the heat of the liquid very well, but it is perfect for delicate green and white teas that are brewed at low temperatures.\n\nTasse Simard Céramique\n\n\nI am very very fond of Isabelle\u0026#39;s work and I have several pieces in my collection. I tend to take this one less often than the other because my daily coffee comes to the edge of the rim and risks overflowing but I find it magnificent and I have one similar to this one (available on her shop) but lilac colored that I use for herbal teas. Isabelle\u0026#39;s pieces are recognizable at first glance by their spontaneous, intuitive and colorful decors, composed of brush strokes, pencil lines and spatters. Her compositions of free hand geometric shapes recall the abstract drawings of children… I love the uninhibited and free qualities of the gesture, her drawings have a \u0026quot;feel good\u0026quot; quality that makes me cheerful. The textures of the clay pinched with the fingertips and the textile imprints give a very interesting tactile experience, a quality that I particularly appreciate as you know by now. I particularly like that Isabelle\u0026#39;s cups are decorated on all surfaces too. Each sip of coffee reveals some of the patterns inside the piece. \n\nSo there you go, I hope I was able to give you some tips that will serve you and that it makes you want to start or to continue to build your own collection of ceramics. If you made fun discoveries recently, tell me! I would like to know, it may give me ideas for my own collection! And share the love of ceramic around you when you have the opportunity! The pleasure that comes from the ritual of making coffee every day in a cup that you love is happiness that I wish everyone! You deserve it!\nMarina xx"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/coronavirus-update",
"handle" : "articles\/coronavirus-update",
"published_at" : "2020-03-15",
"title" : "Coronavirus Update",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/lloma.SS2007_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "Coronavirus Update"
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"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "\nLittle jewelry dishes with Marmod8 earrings. \n\nAs with most of you, the coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on my life and my business. The One of a Kind Toronto event which was scheduled for the end of the month has been canceled \/ postponed, this event was expected to generate about the quarter of my income for the whole year. For the moment, my workshops are not canceled because it’s under 10 people gatherings, but measures of social distancing can strengthen quickly, so everything is uncertain. I will continue my online activities, and as it was already planned before all these disruptions, I will replenish my online store in early April. I have several pieces already ready and others require a final firing for the gold luster. The nature of my technique means that each piece is unique, so taking the photos for each will take forever… I plan to get started next week. If you too have huge amount of photos to take, I think of Dustin, Ciara, Larissa etc ... do you have any tips for going faster and be efficient? 😨Also, I usually offer the free pickup option for people in my area, but to encourage you to follow the recommendations of social distancing, I will offer free delivery for all the time it’s necessary.\nThis crisis puts small businesses, the self-employed, artists and freelancers in an extremely precarious position. Usually, I do my sales about 3\/4 in person and 1\/4 online, so this is quite a readjustment for me. Our contracts are canceled, contacts with our customers are restricted, and most of us do not have a parachute. Here in Quebec, there is no employment insurance for the self-employed, and I imagine that it is like that in several other places as well. We are going to need your support to get through this crisis. I am not the type to usually solicit spending, but if you are in a favorable situation in this crisis, with a pay insurance for work leave, help small businesses by buying online in the coming weeks and months. If you are also in a precarious situation, you can help by sharing our contents in your networks. In times like these, online visibility is the key to reach the lost clientele from fairs and events. All gestures count. Like and above all Comment on our posts to help us please the algorithm and be more broadly visible. If you like our photos, share them in your stories so your contacts can discover our work. If you bought a piece, show it to your community by doing an unboxing in your stories, and leave a positive review on our online stores and Facebook pages. These are all gestures that can really help us alleviate the marketting efforts that we have to deploy to compensate for our cancellations of events and contracts. For my part, I\u0026#39;m going to work hard to make you beautiful photos of my creations, continue my blog contents, and create to have beautiful things to show you when we are on the other side of the crisis.\nI hope that despite all the impacts on our daily lives, that you will be able to find good in all of this… I wish you to rest deeply or to undertake personal projects that you have been dragging for lack of time for months and years… Also that you are going to take the time to cook good homey comfort food… let\u0026#39;s leave aside the prepared stuff while we have time! Enjoy the small pleasures of everyday life like drinking your coffee in your favorite cup, * wink wink, play board games, do housework, (yes yes, it is proven that housework can be a very effective way to relieve stress .), and I, with that, I am going to go start seedlings for my little backyard. 🌱🍅🥒😋.\nAh, and I can never say it enough, if it is not already done, Subscribe to my newsletter to have priority access to my next drops and to get the launch promo code! Check your spam too, sometimes you have to approve the sender to receive them in the main mailbox. You can subscribe right here at the bottom of this post. 👇🏼❤️\nxx\nMarina\nP.S. Don\u0026#39;t panic, but be drastic. Wash your hands, and keep your distances. We will get through this! Kisses, in emojis only. 😚"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/journal-spring-2020",
"handle" : "articles\/journal-spring-2020",
"published_at" : "2020-03-08",
"title" : "Journal: Spring 2020",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/lloma.SS2047_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "Journal: Spring 2020"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "\n\n\nI’ve been hiding in my studio making non-stop since january, and I thought it would be a good time to give you a little update since the first quarter of 2020 is coming to an end. The year started at 100 miles an hour directly after the holidays with the preparation for the One of a Kind show, which will take place at the end of March 2020 in Toronto. It will be my first large-scale sale event, it makes me a little dizzy I admit. Despite the luck I have of being supported by the SODEC to participate, the investments in time and cost remain enormous for me, which means that I cannot provide for other events or my online store simultaneously. One of my goals for 2020 is to prioritize my online presence, because this is the most direct way to have a close relationship with you. So the first thing I want to do when I get back from Toronto is to reactivate my online shop. I don\u0026#39;t have a fixed date yet, but for sure next April there will be a \u0026quot;drop\u0026quot; on my online store with new pieces from the spring collection. The shop will only be open for a few days because I will already have to start making my inventory for 1001 pots next July very quickly. My partner was invited to a family wedding in France next June, and I’ll go with him. We leave from mid-May to mid-June, so I will have one less month to make pieces for 1001 pots. I have had very little chance of having vacation since I started working freelance, and it was quite complicated to negociate my projects with a whole month away, but in this business, if you don\u0026#39;t force yourself to plan for personnal and family time, there will never be a good timing.\nI would like to warn you that my prices will increase considerably in 2020 because I am in deficit when I make sales with third parties. In 2019 I was fortunate to have financial support for starting a business, so although my sales income is not enough to make a living from my job, I had no financial worries. In 2020, I have to stand on my own two feet so I have no choice but to make changes to make my production viable. To give you an example, storefront stores or online stores will keep between 40% and 50% of sales revenue, and shows can keep between 20% and 35%, plus all of what you have to invest to attend (booth cost, transportation, packagings, etc, etc). Some events don’t take a cut on the sales, but usually those are a lot more expensive to attend. Intermediaries such as conventions, local markets and shops are essential to get known more widely, but if I want to live (and not only survive) from my work one day, it is through direct sales via my website or in person at my studio that I will get there. Would you be interested in knowing how this business works? I don\u0026#39;t have a lot of experience but I think it could be very interesting for many of you! With the popularity the docu-series by Shane Dawson and Jeffrey Star on the creation of a makeup palette, I feel that transparency in business is in full trend. I really want to open my books to my audience, I think it could be interesting for other ceramicists, artists, makers, and also consumers, hoping not to make ennemies of some industry players while doing that. Despite the increase of my prices, to thank you for following me and supporting my work, I always offer a promo when I launch a new series via my newsletter, (you can sign-up below) and I occasionally make sales of pieces with slight defects and end of line on my stories on Instagram. So if you stay on the lookout, there will always be opportunities to get a piece at lower prices.\nAs for Nerikomi workshops, my session just ended at Les Faiseurs last week, and when I return from Toronto in april, I will start with a new group at L’aluminé Studio. Also, at the end of July I will give an intensive workshop at the Rosynski arts center for 5 consecutive days. Registrations are not yet open for Rosynski, I will put all the info in the Workshops section as soon as I have them. Also, would you be interested in an introductory workshop shorten to only one day? Sarah and I (the founder at Les Faiseurs) are evaluating the feasibility and looking for a date that could work in our busy schedules. I will not be able to show as many things in a single day of course but it will be more affordable and a smaller commitment of time! It could be nice, right? Also tell me in the comments if you are interested that I dissect the ceramic market in Quebec! (Disclaimer: Of course, this analysis will be subjective and non-exhaustive, with my only 3 years of experience, I am not a reference on this subject, only my small experience.)\nThank you!\nMarina xx\n\n"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/more-is-more-artists-of-colored-clay",
"handle" : "articles\/more-is-more-artists-of-colored-clay",
"published_at" : "2020-02-23",
"title" : "More is more - Artists of colored clay",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/quinceanera-serie-1-075-boite-geante-waves-801_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "More is more - Artists of colored clay"
},
"excerpt" : "more textures, more colors, more patterns: more is in fact, more.",
"content" : "\n\n\nmore textures, more colors, more patterns: more is, in fact, more. if you know me a little you will know that i am generally more attracted to the most exuberant, the most expressive ceramics. the productions that i present to you today could be described as too loud by some, but for me they arouse a strong feeling of joy.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nceramicism\n \nCeramicism is the ceramic work of the artist Dustin Barzell, based in Brooklyn, NY. He uses cane techniques in different ways, in tile construction like the images 1 to 3, and with slabs on forms like the image 4. Notice how the crack is assumed and becomes part of the final composition. Nerikomi is a very favorable technique for creating cracks because there is tension between all the assembled parts, and colored clay is necessarily more fragile than natural clay, adding pigments lessen plasticity. By using a protective layer (the white in the interior of the pieces) it ensures that the vessels are waterproof and functional despite the cracks. His construction technique makes me think of the extraordinary work (but in a style that could not be farther than his) of Sarah Scampton. Cracks are an aspect that all nerikomi ceramists must learn to deal with. I, for example, choose to hide them, (I might write an article on that) but I love that Dustin on the contrary managed to find how to exploit them to his advantage, and make it an integral part of the decor.\nThe color palette of Dustin is ultra contrasted, with neon tones, zebra and leopard patterns and extravagant aesthetic, which reminds me of that of TY plush toys, and the superb men\u0026#39;s collection of Marni FW19. I would really like to have one of his pieces in my collection ...\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImages empruntées sur la page Instagram de l’artiste, Tous droits réservés Ceramicism. Images borrowed from artist’s instagram, Copyrights Ceramicism.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nruby pilven\n \n \nRuby Pilven is a ceramic artist from Ballarat, Australia, who mainly makes functional ceramic objects using the technique I call myself \u0026quot;collage\u0026quot; where a large neutral clay slab is used as the base for applying several layers of colored clay pieces to create the pattern. Ruby works a bit like screen printing; each color is applied after the other to build the image by layering many strata of colored clay. It’s the same technique that I also use in my work. If we broke a piece in half, we could see in the walls the different colors that are embedded in the base clay. The advantage of this technique compared to the cane technique like in my previous post, Living Legends edition , is that the unaltered clay at the heart of the piece protects in a way from separations and cracks between colors to go all the way. (But it can happen anyway) If you choose to explore this technique, you can still have patterns on both sides by flipping the slab to work the other side, but Ruby chooses to use only enamels for its interiors.\nRuby Pilven\u0026#39;s compositions are a bit like tapestries or textiles, she also describes her aesthetic as “Neo-Chintz”, the Chintz being textiles with floral and colorful patterns originating in India. There was a trend in pottery in the mid-century that lasted until the 90’s that was inspired by it, which is called Chintzware, you have surely already seen it ... Now you can name it! Do you see the affiliation? I love the fun and spontaneous aspect of Ruby\u0026#39;s work, her pieces are cheerful, bursting, energetic!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImages empruntées de la page instagram de l’artiste, Tous droits réservés Ruby Pilven. Images are borrowed from artist’s Instagram, Copyrights Ruby Pilven.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nkatie stout\n \nKatie Stout is an artist based in Brooklyn, United States, and describes her work as \u0026quot;naive pop.\u0026quot; Her works are \u0026quot;caricatures\u0026quot; of household objects; lamps and furniture. I present to you today some works in which she used the technique of nerikomi but she also uses a range of techniques including modeling, but she also work with other materials such as textiles, wood and more. I strongly invite you to visit her instagram page, and her website, her corpus is breathtaking! Katie Stout subverts the utilitarian objects of the domestic sphere and creates quirky immersive environments that cause discomfort and reveal the absurdity of ordinary life. Just starting her thirties, her curriculum is already very impressive. Her “Bedroom Curio” exhibition at Design Miami 2015 was photographed by Juergen Teller for Barney\u0026#39;s Rick Owens campaign; she collaborated with Bjarne Melgaard on furniture for his installation at the 2014 Whitney Biennale; she won the first season of the Ellen\u0026#39;s Design Challenge series in 2015; and she was listed in the Forbes \u0026quot;30 Under 30\u0026quot; in 2017. She also collaborated with fashion designer Jeremy Scott for her fall-winter 2018 collection. Her work was also presented in the \u0026quot;Free Museum\u0026quot; exhibition at Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art in 2017 and has artworks in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Wow, such an remarkable journey!\nIts field is so broad that I would not describe her as a nerikomi artist, but I absolutely wanted you to discover her this possible avenue. I always say that nerikomi avenues are infinite, and Katie Stout\u0026#39;s work is proof of that. I am so in love with her work that I’m out of words to express how much. I have selected works that contain nerikomi but go discover the rest of her work, really, I insist.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImages tirées de la page instagram de l’artiste, tous droits réservés Katie Stout. Images borrowed for artist’s instagram, Copyrights Katie Sout.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAnd you, are you more likely to be attracted to minimalist or maximalist aesthetics? Would you say that more is more or that less is more? Despite my love of exaggeration, bright colors, abundance of textures and patterns, if you read my post Less is more you know that I also love sober and measured aesthetics. To me the duality between minimalism and maximalism is obsolete. We can appreciate both. I think what touch me the most is an assumed “rift” or “cleavage” that creates tension in the work, and a surprise me. A deviation of the techniques, unusual color schemes, a flawless finish a little bit coocoo or the freedom of the ways that witness expression of self. Oddly, a subscriber sent me a message last night, the person said that it took them a while to understand my aesthetic because they were rather adept of minimalisme but that they were now I quote, \u0026quot;charmed ”. I have absolutely no goal of pleasing everyone, it\u0026#39;s impossible, but to know that my work opens minds to get out of our natural inclinations, it really touches me. The 3 artists I presented you today did that to me.\n\n"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/my-favorite-tools",
"handle" : "articles\/my-favorite-tools",
"published_at" : "2020-02-16",
"title" : "My favorite tools",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/20201223-2E3A7999_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "My favorite tools"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "\n\n\ntoday i’m telling you about my favorite tools, discovered over time and trial-and-error, that i can’t do without today. i will not talk about all the tools that are common to all ceramic techniques, but those that are particularly useful for nerikomi. if you are unsure of what the basic tools are in a ceramic studio, please check this out first.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmini-extruder\nFor a long time I was doing all my mini coils with only my fingers ... Can I tell you how absurd I find that, now that I have a mini extruder in my toolbox! The little coils are a basic thing you will need to do to make a multitude of patterns, I use them a lot in my collages and also to make canes. There are other types of extruders but I recommend this one in particular because the pusher is screwed and therefore allows to have more power to work slightly harder clays, as well as the sillicone joint which does not leave traces of clay in the tube after emptying. This makes it easy to switch from one color to another without criss-cross contamination.\nMakin’s : Trouve le ici \/ Get it here (image 1)\nImitation moins chère \/ Cheaper dupe (image 2)\nÉVITEZ LE MODÈLE SUR L’IMAGE 3, DO NOT GET A MODEL LIKE THE THIRD IMAGE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ncookie cutters\n \nA variety of cookie cutters will allow you to create a multitude of patterns quickly. The absolute essential would be circles and ovals, because it is almost impossible to do them freehand with a knife. I have all sizes of circle cutters, from half a centimeters to 5 inches, and i use them all. On the other hand, squares, rectangles and diamonds can easily be done with a ruler and a knife (and it generally gives a better result because the cookie cutters have rounded corners.) There are cookie cutters for almost everything you can imagine from animal shapes to flowers, to cars, name it, have fun with it!\nI accidentally bought cookie cutters like on the left image because my old were all rusted and wonky, without realizing that they were 3 times the price than the model on the right image in a professional kitchen supply store. At the time I thought that it was expensive for simple cookie cutters (I had paid around $ 40 unlike the ones I found today on Amazon) And I can tell you that the additional expense was really worth it! The circles like in the image on the right are made of a softer metal which deforms over time and they also rust very quickly. It’d difficult in a ceramics studio to keep your tools dry… Those of the image on the left image have not one small trace of rust for a couple years that I have used them, no deformation, and there is also a couple more sizes than the standard kit . In short, I strongly recommend that you look for this model with the fold in the metal, it\u0026#39;s only a few dollars more (online tho, in a kitchen store you will pay more obviously.)\n \nMini Cercles \/ mini circles\nGrands cercles \/ Big circle\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmini rolling pin\nTo integrate patterns into a clay slab you will need a mini rolling pin. There are all kinds on the market; plastic, glass, rubber, silicone ... and after experimenting with several, I find that the best material is wood. It doesn\u0026#39;t stick much to clay. When it is too dirty it can starts to stick because clay stick to itself, so only sponge between few passes and you’ll be good. If you have experience in handbuilding pottery and are used to using another kind of maybe you’ll find this uneccessary but trust me on that one, colored clay is different, it is more wet and sticky. To be able to joint several pieces of colored clay together without using slip, you have to work with a lot of water. I really like this wood rolling pin on the right image in particular because it has a rounded end that allows you to roll on a slab without making streaks with the blunt edges. I would suggest to avoid models like the image on the middle, because there is only a straight edge.\nCelui-ci \/ This one\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ndough sheeter\nA dough sheeter is very useful for making very thin sheets of clay for cutting shapes free hand into it or with cookie cutters for all kinds of cane pattern techniques. Although very useful to have, you can do the same with a regular rolling pin or a ceramic slab roller machine if you have one.\nAmaco \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nx-acto\nA precise x-acto is also extremely useful, essential even. I do not know of any other tool that will allow you to cut freehand patterns with the same accuracy, and it is also with this tool that I cut the segments in my large slabs to form them on my plaster forms. Replace the blade regularly for better efficiency.\nIci \/ here\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nlaine d’acier fine\nFine steel wool, not the one for washing dishes, will replace sandpaper for dry finishing. To refine details or clean up colored clay surface contamination, steel wool has the advantage of morphing to the shape of the piece for much quicker and easier sanding. grades 1 and 0 are used to refine, grades 00 are used for sanding, and 000 or 0000 are used to remove all traces of sanding for a perfectly smooth and soft finish. You can skip this step and do everything in the bisque stage too. (see paragraph below) Skipping this step will avoid making dust, but bisque clay will obviously be more difficult to correct than raw clay. (steel wool like image on the left, not like image on the right.) You can get them with the link below or in hardware stores.\nJ’utilise principalement les grades 000 à 1. \/ I use mostly grades fromm 000 to 1. \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDiamonds pads for polishing\nWhen working with several clay colors, it is inevitable that they mix on the surface and create a dirty layer. Despite cleaning the surfaces with a sponge or sanding, there will undoubtedly remain dirty traces that you did’nt get, that you will see appearing on bisque wear. These marvelous tools allow you to wet sand bisque pieces with the least effort compared to black sand papers which disintegrate quickly and are, in my opinion, very unpleasant to use. My studio mate Naomi introduced me to them when I moved there a year and a half ago and I was flabbergasted by how much better they work compared with the method that I had been taught. In short, do not waste your time with the black sand papers and go directly to those in diamond or in cerium, you will not regret it. It’s expensive, but they last a lot longer so it’s about the same, but you will definitely save time and energy.\nHis Glasswork\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI hope you were able to learn a thing or two today! When I started to work with colored clay, I did not use any of those despite several years of experience in ceramics. It\u0026#39;s crazy to me when I think about it all the time wasted working with ineffective tools ... If you have a wonderful tool that I should know, let me know in the comments! I\u0026#39;m always looking for things that allow me to be more efficient in my production, because less time on repetitive tasks = more time to create!\nxx \nMarina\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/less-is-more-the-sublime-simplicity-in-the-work-of-4-coloured-clay-artists",
"handle" : "articles\/less-is-more-the-sublime-simplicity-in-the-work-of-4-coloured-clay-artists",
"published_at" : "2020-02-09",
"title" : "Less is more: The sublime simplicity in the work of 4 coloured clay artists",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/quinceanera-serie-1-075-boite-geante-waves-788_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "Less is more: The sublime simplicity in the work of 4 coloured clay artists"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "\n\n\nThese three artists succeed in creating works in which despite their technical complexity, seem “effortless”. By perfect mastery of their medium, they can keep only the essential. A calm serenity emerges from their pieces which I would describe with words like ethereal, velvety, subtle, with a measured dose of intensity, which acts as punctuation in the reading to create a dynamic, stimulating rhythm. In the case of Ratbag Studios it is the use of acid colors through the earth colors of her laminates, for Thomas Hoadley it is the gold sections which seem to stand out from the form by the extreme contrast with the deep, rich colors of the patterns. And for Flowers in the Vase, it is in the dramatic staging of her works: like in installation or performative art, the environment have a center place in the artwork. Her photos give clues to the creative process to help us complete the reading of the work as in her serie on the sky and that one on the monsoon.\n\n \nratbag studios \nLarissa Warren is a ceramic artist from the Gold Coast region near Brisbane in Australia. She merge molding and hand building to create her very special pieces, recognizable among all. She first makes blocks of nerikomi by laminating several layers of colored clay and other mineral materials, and she cuts slices which she apply inside the mold. To me, her pieces evoke extraterrestrial or underground landscapes, and it is particularly in its materiality that her work seduces me: take a close look at her pieces to appreciate the complexity of the textures and finishes… the perfectly smooth and velvety texture of the porcelain which contrasts with the raw qualities of the sandstone and the metallic perlites which erupt from the surfaces for a remarquable touch experience.\nDid you know that before I started making functional ceramics, my first love was molding? When I see Larissa’s work it really makes me want to do it again! I invite you to follow her on Instagram to admire the range of her work, and in addition you will learn several tips. She shares a lot about her processes, her pedagogue qualities testifies her past as a visual arts teacher. She also wrote this article for Ceramic Arts Network which explains step by step details of her process. (You will see that it has a very different way to color clay than mine!)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOeuvres de Larissa Warren, images tirées du site web de l’artiste, tout droits réservés Ratbag Studios.\nWork from Larissa Warren, images borrowed from her website. Copyrights Ratbag Studios.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nthomas hoadley\nThomas Hoadley lives in Lanesborough, Massachusets. He graduated from Amherst College in 1971 with a BA in studio arts. Thomas is an incredible technician ... joining two sections of nerikomi in this way is extremely difficult, so imagine ten, or more, on each piece ... So many chances to have cracks and breakages. His visual language is made up line work of a thousand ways which creates vibration effects in his pieces. His use of color is also very characteristic; to his very rich palette of marroon reds and blues, he adds black, white and shades of gray as well as gold leaf to create trompe l\u0026#39;oeil depth effects. He also says that he is inspired by textile design and his quilt-like compositions bear witness to this. His work is represented in many museums around the world including the “Museum of Fine Arts”, Boston, Massachusetts, and the “Museum of Modern Ceramic Art”, Tajimi City, Japan. You will not find Thomas Hoadley on social networks but his work has been represented in many ceramic books including this one and that one.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOeuvres de Thomas Hoadley, images tirées du site web de l’artiste, tout droits réservés Thomas Hoadley.\nWork from Thomas Hoadley, images borrowed from her website. Copyrights Thomas Hoadley.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nflowers in the vase\nPapitcha Thanasomboon is a young ceramic artist from Bangkok, Thailand and has been working in ceramics for only a few years. (Just like me, by the way) She was trained at the Faculty of Decorative Arts at Silpakorn University in Bangkok. She keeps the shapes of her pieces very simple to let color and patterns do all the talking. She mainly uses the gradient technique to create her pieces that evoke sunsets, ocean waves and the stratification of rock walls. The pieces presented below are from her “Monsoon Memories” collection, where she explores the special light of the season when the sun sets earlier. Observing sky and light is a big part of her process; she also made a series of 30 bowls for the “Chiang Mai Design Week 2018” which each represented the colors of the sky between mid-October and mid-November. You should see how she photographed her works for this series, spoiler alert: each bowl was on a pedestal mirror that reflected the sky as well as the outside face of the bowl, it was pure beauty.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nWork from Papitcha Thanasomboon , images borrowed from her website. Copyrights Flowers in the Vase.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI hope you have made discoveries and that inspires you! I wish you a sweet and restful Sunday!\nBisous\nKisses\nMarina xx\n\n"
},{
"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/how-to-color-clay",
"handle" : "articles\/how-to-color-clay",
"published_at" : "2020-02-02",
"title" : "How to color clay",
"image": {
"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/quinceanera-serie-1-075-boite-geante-waves-780_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "How to color clay"
},
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "\n\n\ncolor in clay: everything you need to know.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nin this post i give all my tips and tricks so you can start exploring color in clay for yourself! \n\n\nWhere to buy? \n\n\nGood health and safety habits\n\n\nMy essentials \n\n\nHow to make color charts and develop your own palette\n\n\nHow to colo clay \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nwhat are ceramics pigments? \nCeramic pigments are most often called ‘‘stains’’ in the industry. They are recipes formulated commercially by various companies including Mason, the industry leader today. Unlike the oxides which also can color clay, pigments are already fired so they are stable. The color you see in powder form is the color that will be more or less obtained in the end. (sometimes it will be lighter or darker, but there will be no transformation in color when fired. A blue pigment is most likely formulated with cobalt, but contrary to cobalt oxide which is lilac before fire and dark blue when fired, it is already blue when you get it. It is not recommended to play with oxides if you are not an well advised user: they are dangerous and very toxic. (as much in the powder state than when firing; they emane toxic vapors which can cause irreversible neurological damage.) Commercial pigments are produced with minerals (chromium, cobalt, cadmium, etc.) Which are fired and pulverized to powder. So the emanations already occured in a lab where needed protection and filtering equipments are available. Commercial pigments are generally \u0026quot;encapsulated\u0026quot;, the toxic chemical element, cadmium for example, is \u0026quot;coated with a zirconium silicate crystal, which prevents the absorption of cadmium in the organism as well as protects the environment if waste is spilled. To learn more consult this article in depth on the subject.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nwhere to get them? \n\n\n\nSial: Main supplier of the greater Montreal area, they have a good variety of stains but not all colors. You can however ask them to order colors that they do not have with Mason\u0026#39;s reference number. The minimum quantity will be one pound for special orders, otherwise the pigments come in quarter pounds. (113 grams) Shipping fees start at 18$\n\n\nPSH: Alternative supplier to Sial, located in Ontario. Could be interesting if you are not within the delivery scope of Sial. I do not find that their prices are advantageous: $ 16.25 versus $ 14 for the same red pigment # 6021. On the other hand, for another color, the Pink # 6020 is a little cheaper, $ 6.67 versus $ 7.25 at Sial. So check according to the colors you want which is most worth it. Shipping fees start at $ 12.50 for Quebec. \n\n\nUS Pigments: Us Pigments is an American company that has VERY favorable prices and sells only by the pound. Be carefull tho, the prices are displayed in USD so you have to do the maths to know if it is still a good deal. I hesitate to recommend this company despite their very competitive prices because I sometimes had problems with consistency: my tests do not come out the same from one time to another. For example, for a pound of red # 6021 it costs about 38 $CAN with the exchange rate, and at Sial 48 $CAN. So order at your own risk and will will never stress this enough: always re-test your recipes! Note that costumer services is are great even tho the consistency issues and I have received refunds for problematic batches. \n\n\nThe Sounding Stone: Canadian site, a company based in Manitoba which holds a wide variety of products for ceramists including several stains. The prices are not really competitive but it makes it possible to buy certain pigments in quarter pounds which are not available at Sial like the color Mango that I love for example that otherwise it would be necessary to order a whole pound that cost around 70 $.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nhealth and safety precautions:\nAs always in a ceramic studio it is important to have impeccable hygiene to protect yourself from toxic matter; Wearing a mask in the presence of materials in their powder form, an adequate ventilation system when firing and if possible a programmable kiln that allows you to leave the premises during firing is even better. (ceramic materials give off vapors which can cause irreversible neurological damage during firing, and the first bisque firing is where most of the gases are evacuated. We would tend to think that the hotter the more dangerous it is but on the contrary, the first 1000 degrees are the most critical. Unlike dust, the vapors given off by the filn are imperceptible, so it is more difficult to protect yourself.)\nIn terms of skin contact, pigments are (in theory) safe; consult the technical sheets of the companies for the precautions to take for each pigment: The technical sheets generally prescribe wearing a particulate mask but \u0026quot;that the use of glove is not necessary for normal use\u0026quot; To me, “normal use” is very vague, we do not know not what it would be considered excessive use, it is not stated in the safety data sheets. I did researches and I can\u0026#39;t seem to find more information on the subject. Some ceramists work with gloves and others do not, there is no consensus on the subject. \n\n\nPlease consult the SATEFY DATA SHEETS before using stains. \n\n\nBe meticulous and organized when handling the pigments: work them wet as much as possible and otherwise wear a mask. \n\n\nKeep tools and work surfaces clean, wash after all uses. \n\n\nKeep hands clean and skin hydrated, make sure your skin is free of lesions before handling. When in doubt wear gloves. \n\n\nDo not keep your workshop clothes at home and take a shower after a day of workshop. There is dust on your skin and in your hair and you could contaminate your environment. (For my part, I will never go to bed without taking a shower after a day of work, even if I finish at midnight and I am very tired, it is non-negotiable)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmy go tos:\nThere are above 90 shades available from the Mason company in addition to all the other brands., and the colors represented on the sites are often not very representative of the results that can be obtained so it is very difficult to get around. Some pigments do not show up in coloring in body staining and require special glazes to develop the color. (Pay special attention to all the pinks, most won’t show up!) For my part, I have some essentials and each time I buy them I take one or two more new ones to try them out. I\u0026#39;m starting to have a good collection of swatches. To get starting I suggest these; which are my go tos. With this base you can make a range of different shades by mixing them together.\n\n\nBlack: 6600 Best Black\n\n\nBlue: 6388 Mazerine (primary blue)\n\n\nGreens: 6242 Bermuda (light turquoise) ET 6254 Dark Teal Green (dark teal green)\n\n\nViolet: 6304 Violet Chrome Tin (lilac)\n\n\nRed: 6021 Dark Red (primary red)\n\n\nOrange: 6028 Orange (primary orange) (bonus: 6030 Mango is a very beautiful orange-red giving pretty corals in dilution)\n\n\nYellow: 6450 Praseodymium (very bright yellow like CYMK yellow)\n(Optional)\n\n\nGray: 6503 Taupe (mouse gray) (You can avoid buying a gray by diluting the concentration of black.)\n\n\nBrown: 6160 Dark Chocolate (dark brown)\n(There are so many beautiful colors of naturally brown sandstone that you can avoid buying a pigment and use the natural colors of clays like tucker\u0026#39;s Mid red for example.)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nStarting from the top left in a clockwise direction: Praseodymium Yellow, Bermuda, Dark teal Green, Mazerine Blue, Chromium Violet, Black, Dark Red, Mango, Orange \u0026#39;, Pink.\n* A small hole will allow them to be stored as a \u0026quot;necklace\u0026quot;, but when you have many like me it is easier to consult when they are free so I keep them stacked in the order of the chromatic circle.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nhow to make color charts and develop your own palette\nNow that you\u0026#39;ve purchased all of these beautiful colors, it\u0026#39;s time to test them out! You’ll probably want to start creating right away, but it’s very common to have very disapointing and you want to find it out before spending all this time on a complex nerikomi piece. I ALWAYS test the pigments that I buy even if I know them well! Pigments are formulations of metallic materials extracted from nature, and can therefore change depending on the source. Also, mistake is human: the people who send them to you could have misplaced the labeling ... I will never stress this enough: ALWAYS TEST! \nWhen I started I was doing my tests a bit haphazardly but I developed a method that I find very functional so to avoid trial errors I’ll give it to you here step by step: \n(Pssst: other ceramists will have other methods that work for them, mine is not necessarily the best but it works great for my needs)\n\n\nI make a large slab of clay, leave it to firm up until leather hard consistency and cut as many pieces as I have stains to test and a few additional pieces to test blends. (about 5 cm by 5 cm, or slightly larger) \n(wear a mask for steps 2 and 3!)\n\n\n I weigh 50 grams of porcelain slip per color to be tested, reserve in small pots (image # 1) . (I keep more on hand for testing dilutions)\n\n\nWith a lab scale (a kitchen scale will not be precise enough!) I weigh 10 grams of each pigment. I dump them over the 50 grams of slip and I IDENTIFY with a masking tape all the containers. It’s very easy to get lost once they’re mixed. \n\n\nI wet the powder with a sprayer, when you no longer see powdered pigment mixing well with a stiff bristle brush. \n(put all the powders aways in a safe spot to avoid any accident before the nest steps, mask not needed anymore)\n\n\nI sieve the wet mixtures in a test sieve, and pour it back into the identified pots. \n\n\nI engrave the test plates: on the back I write the name of the pigment and in front I divide the surface into 4 equal strips. (I engrave small lines) You can also only engrave numbers to identify and write the complete informations in a notebook for later reference, but I like to write everything, that way I do not need to look for my notebook each time I consult my samples.\n\n\nOne color at a time, I paint the first line of the color chart. (first line will be 20% because there is 10 grams of pigment in 50 grams of slip) \n\n\n I weigh the remaining mixture and I put as much porcelain slip to dilute my concentration in half to 10%, and I paint the second line. \n\n\nI put a spoon of this mixture at 10% aside on a plasterboard to have a swatch of stained porcelain all the way through. (image 3) I continue the dilutions in the same way for the other two lines, 5% and 2.5%. To avoid having large volumes of colored slip at the end, I only take spoons to dilute. (1 spoon at 10% and one spoon pure= 5% mixture)\n\n\nAfter, I put all the leftovers of dilutions together and it makes a slip at 8-10% concentration. I keep it aside to test some blends later. \n\n\nOnce the process is done for all colors, I test blends. For my blends tests as there is often a lot of information to note I do it in my notebook. I only engrave the date and the number of the test. In my notebook I will write for example; Test # 1: 2 spoons of praseo yellow # 6450 at 10% + 1 spoon of rose # 6020 at 10% + 1 spoon of red # 6021 at 10%. In general in my blends I only test one dilution so I paint half of the swatch, and the other half I put as much slip to have the test at approx 5%. \n\n\nLeave to dry and apply a transparent glaze to half of the swatch. (this can be done in a single firing (no bisque) to save time)\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nN.B .:\n\n\n* Dark colors like Mazerine blue, black, dark teal green start at 10% going down because they have a much stronger coloring power than pinks, reds, yellows and purples.\n* Purple is the least powerful color: even at 20% you will have a rather pale lilac. If you want a darker purple it will have to be tested in blends with blue but beware: always a lot more purple than blue because blue is more powerful! If you are looking for a shade of purple try around 10 to 1 and variations around that.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ncolor the clay balls and conservation\n Now that you have your tests, you can see at what percentage you like the colors. Is it 5%, 10% or would you like something in between? it\u0026#39;s simple, do it at 7.5%! \n\n\nWeigh and make a pigment slurry:\nI always make my balls at 1 kilo. It\u0026#39;s very easy to calculate and I find it to be the ideal size for storage. So if I want a 10% yellow porcelain ball, I only have to weigh 100 grams of pigment, no need to reach for my calculator. To avoid the dust I weigh in container that have a little water (make sure to do the tare before of course) However, with this method you have to be careful because it will be difficult to remove some if it is wet. You can also avoid weighing the pigments and make a rule of 3 with the weight written on the jar when it’s new. At sial the pots are 113 grams so to have 10% you will need 1130 grams of clay. *Not weighing decreases the handling of the powder and therefore your risk of breathing it. When I do not weigh I put the whole jar directly in a small container of water and I let it absorb slowly.\n\n\nIncorporate the wet pigments in the clay: \nThe ideal consistency is like yogurt, it must be fluid enough not to agglomerate in clumps but thick enough to spread easily. I make rough slabs, I paint them with one coat, I roll, a few kneading strokes, and I repeat until I’m out of pigment slurry. At the end, I knead real good to homogenize. IMPORTANT: Do not try to put everything at the same time or you will have a MESS, the pigment slurry will wont mix with the clay and you will have splashes ... it takes at least 3-4 times or more depending on the quantity.\n\n\nStore and save your colored clays:\nI put the balls in freezer-type ziplock bags (1 kilo fits perfect in the size M). They are robust, washable and reusable versus conventional ones that rip easily. Write on the bag what it contains: the name, the date and a reference number. (For example: 02-02-20, # 1: Praseo Yellow 10%.) Keep the bags in airtight containers.\n\n\nMake test tiles! \nYes Yes boring I know testing again ... it is very easy to have variations or to make a mistake between a mixture in 50 grams versus in 1 kilo ... While making your designs it is important to see exactly what the end results will be. You can simply engrave the numbers you wrote on the ziplock bags (#1) and then when it comes out the kiln you can add informations with a sharpie: 02-02-20, # 1: Praseo Yellow 10%.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nnow you\u0026#39;re ready to create with colored clay!\n Whoa that was a lot! You do not need to learn all of this by heart, you can keep this article bookmarked for future reference... When I started I knew nothing about all of that… I did not attended a colored clay workshop at all neither knew of all the ressources I know today like the facebook group Color In Clay by example. I accumulated all these tips and tricks in 3 years of experimentation so if I can avoid you unnecessary mistakes I’ll have done my job. But I think it is also necessary to allow yourself to instinctively get to know colored clays by feel and trial and error. This is how we learn and develop our own style. I myself borrow techniques here and there but I am far from working in the \u0026quot;rules of the art\u0026quot; of Nerikomi and that is what gives my special touch to my pieces. In future posts I will give tutorials to get special effects like marble and granite effects, gradients, cane patterns and much more. To go faster, you can look at polymer clay tutorials on Youtube: most of the techniques also apply to clay and it is very easy to understand because it is instant unlike clay where you will see the result only after several finishing steps and two firings. I hope you feel more confident to start your own colored clay journey and do not hesitate to leave a comment if I left something in a grey zone. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nxx\nMarina\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"
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"url" : "\/blogs\/articles\/artists-of-coloured-clay-living-legends",
"handle" : "articles\/artists-of-coloured-clay-living-legends",
"published_at" : "2020-01-26",
"title" : "Artists of coloured clay: Living legends",
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"src": "\/\/lloma.ca\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/quinceanera-serie-1-075-boite-geante-waves-802_1024x.jpg",
"alt": "Artists of coloured clay: Living legends"
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"content" : "\n\n\n\nthere are these artists who are paving the way for a whole generation to come and the three that i am presenting to you today have done just that. they are pioneers for the new wave of the art of nerikomi. they revolutionized the field in their own way while being part of a millennial lineage.\n\n \nChris Campbell is known for her floral compositions in soft colors but also works with a wide variety of styles from organic to geometric patterns. She has played a big part in demystifying the work of colored clays with the huge knowledge bank that she offers totally for free on her website, and by leading the Color \/ Color in Clay community on Facebook. She shares all her secrets and I learned a lot from her even if we have a very different style. Once we understand how it works, we can create in our own way. She says it herself: Better to teach someone to fish than to offer them a fish. Well, if you know me you know that I prefer to leave fish in the oceans but you understood the meaning of this expression! By giving away knowledge, we are helping people to reach artistic independence and all the field benefits from that. Eventually students will become the teachers, and you’ll learn from them also. Chris Campbell deeply understands that. She doesn\u0026#39;t know it but she\u0026#39;s like a mentor to me. I aspire to be a resource for artists who would like to explore color in clay. I strongly invite you to visit her website to take full advantage of her tutorials.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChris Campbell, pièces de la collection «Florals» , 2013. Tous droits réservés.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAnother of the \u0026quot;legends\u0026quot; of nerikomi is Dean McRain. You probably already know him and even if you didn\u0026#39;t know his name I bet you have already seen the designs of Light Wave Pottery, his company based on the island of Kauai, in Hawaii. Dean McRain is the king of brightly colored gradients and tropical psychedelic patterns. Dean creates blocks made up of several \u0026quot;canes\u0026quot;. He then cuts slices which are sometimes shaped on plaster forms, and sometimes delicately shaped on the potter\u0026#39;s wheel. His style is unique and recognizable among a million, whether it’s your personal taste or not, I bet that you will be swooning at the complexity and technical mastery in his work. The magazine Art insider produced a video showing him working in his workshop and I strongly invite you to go and watch him work here: a little 3 minutes that will dazzle you I am sure.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImages: dean McRain, tous droit réservés.Dorothy Feibleman est reconnue pour son travail tout en finesse et en translucidité, avec des contrastes de couleurs subtiles et monochromes a passé plusieurs années À Tokoname au Japon pour approfondir sa technique. Elle a développé un manière de travailler avec plusieurs teintes de blancs, certains translucides d’autres non, qui font apparaitre le motif devant une source de lumière, mais elle travaille également la couleur, comme vous pouvez le voir ci-dessous. Je vous invite à écouter son entrevue dans son atelier au Japon ici. Il y a un autre video très intéressant ou elle montre comment utiliser l’extrudeuse pour réaliser différents motifs. Pour le bien de la démonstration elle utilise deux argiles très contrastées pour qu’on puisse bien voir ce qui ce passe, mais en utilisant une argile blanche opaque et une porcelaine translucide, le motif apparaitrait seulement devant une source de lumière comme on peut le voir sur l’image 4 ci-dessous.\n\n\n\n\nDorothy Feibleman is recognized for her work all in finesse and translucency. She makes vessels and dinnerware with intricate patterns of subtle and monochrome color contrasts. She spent several years in Tokoname in Japan to develop her technique. She has developed a way of working with several shades of white, some translucent and others opaque, which make the pattern appear in front of a light source. She also works with color, as you can see below. I invite you to listen to his interview in his workshop in Japan here. There is another very interesting video of her showing how to use the extruder to make different patterns. For the good of the demonstration she uses two very contrasting clays so we can see what is going on, but using an opaque white clay and a translucent porcelain, the pattern would appear only in front of a light source as we can see on image 4 below.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImages par Dorothy Feibleman, tous droits réservés.\n \n\n\n\n\n\nJe vous invite à poursuivre la découverte de ces artistes en visitants leurs sites webs respectifs et en visionnant leurs vidéos. Il y a énormément de connaissances des ces 3 artistes à aller chercher avec une petite recherche sur Google et Youtube. J’ai choisi ces trois artistes pour la catégorie «Les légendes vivantes» mais il y en a bien sur plusieurs autres qui méritent ce titre. Il y aura peut-être une suite à ce billet! J’espère que ça vous inspire! xx -Marina\nI invite you to continue discovering these artists by visiting their respective websites and watching their videos. There is a great deal of knowledge of these 3 artists to go and find with a little search on Google and Youtube. I chose these three artists for the \u0026quot;Living Legends\u0026quot; category, but there are many others that deserve this title also. There may be a sequel of this post! I hope it inspires you! xx -Marina\n\n"
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