Dabbling In Pottery: My Glass Style Morphs Into Clay

I just finished a beginning ceramics class at the local college and I loved it! My mother taught ceramics and pottery at the Region II Community Action Agency when I was around…5? I can remember mom bringing clay home and we’d sit at the table with newspaper spread out and make things. They just never turned out how I pictured them in my mind and I became frustrated quickly. Why weren’t mine looking as good as hers?

So I decided I didn’t like sculpting or clay and stuck with my drawings. Did I mention I was a bit of a temperamental child? But I had fun helping her pour molds down in the basement, the giant rubber bands going around the 2 halves and pouring the slip down into the mold. I think I was most entertained with the potter’s wheel at the Agency, sitting in the seat and kicking the wheel to make the top spin. The one I used at the college seemed very tiny in comparison and they’re electric, no kicking allowed.

The past few years I’ve had this urge to try ceramics again. I seem to be ok at sculpting hot glass so maybe it was time to give clay another try. Our first assignment was to make pinch pot shakers. You take a ball of clay and pinch your thumb down inside and gradually enlarge the shape by pinching. I made tiny little shapes in clay, wrapped them in newspaper and sealed them inside the pinch pots (don’t forget the hole!). After they’re fired in the kiln you end up with tiny pieces of hard clay inside and sprinkles of ash when you first shake it. We had to make 3 things that were related somehow and I chose a totem style setting. I wrote “balance” in kanji on the bottom shaker, then what was supposed to be a clay version of one of my sumo beads, topped by an Asian woman in a kimono. They do fit together when stacked in their little zen garden, just don’t sneeze.

Since this was our first assignment, we didn’t use glazes. I resisted painting these at first, I’ve always thought regular paints on pottery ruined the look. Finally (night before the last day of class) I decoupaged golden tissue paper on the bottom piece and patterned tissue paper on the girl’s kimono, ceramicoat paints on their heads. The heads are shakers too, 4 seperate pieces and they each have a different sound. I made a horizontal hole in the girl’s hair ribbon before it was fired, I’m going to place silver wire hair sticks with flowers and beads hanging from them… I was in a bit of a rush towards the end of class and didn’t have time to add that finishing touch.

Oh and my slab assignment was to make a box with a lid. I made a castle with gargoyles and layered different glazes to create an ancient, weathered look. I cut a window into the side and also into the top lid so I can place a candle inside. I really didn’t want to make non-functional pieces, I don’t want a bunch of clutter in my home. Sound awful? No, I’m not saying art is clutter but when it comes to ceramics or pottery sitting in my place and taking up counter space, they need to have some useful purpose. When the power goes out, I’ll have my little castle casting shadows on the wall, the gargoyles chasing away evil.

I’d like to take another pottery class this coming Spring. I really liked my instructor, Tom McMillen-Oakley. He gave me the idea of using tissue paper instead of paint on my shakers. Very patient man and not once did I hear him yell or throw anything… always good traits in a teacher.

Tracy Jerrell Akhtar blogs from her home studio in Southern Michigan. To see her webpage and more of her creations, click on TracyBeads.

Creating and Marketing Limited Edition Collectible Beads

My background in retail has helped me in the bead business. The idea for marketing special geisha for Christmas came from my experience working years ago in the toy department of a large department store. During my stint in retail I remember stocking Christmas Barbies. Women would come around asking when they would come out or if we had any stashed in the back, hot items because each year was a new holiday design. Something to look forward to, wondering how the next year’s dress would look. One year Barbie wore a deep red velvet dress, another year a glittering poinsettia design.

I thought this would also be a great idea for my little glass geisha dolls. Each one is unique to begin with, no two ever look alike. They all seem to have their own little personalities, some look proud, aloof, sweet, shy, joyful, dignified. But to make a design that will never be repeated is quite a commitment. If you’re going to do this you must keep your promise to your customers.

When I made this year’s geisha based on the the 3 Wise Men I had second thoughts. Would I really be willing to never make another Magi themed Christmas geisha? I decided yes obviously because here they are.
I’m happy with how they turned out, their little guiding Star of Bethlehem (cz) in the front of their kimono. I made six this year, 3 with red and yellow trim and 3 with red and gold. Only 3 are for sale to the public and it’s important your customers know how many were made total for that year.

So, if you choose to make limited edition collectible beads keep in mind:

1. Keep your word, make sure you’re willing to give up the design and truly never repeat it. Don’t try to sneak a few more in for customers, friends or family that decide they want one too and missed out. I made six 2007 Christmas Geisha this year and that’s all that will ever exist.

2. Be consistent. My 2 favorite holidays have always been Christmas and Halloween so those are the 2 annual limited edition beads I chose to make. I made them for 2006, 2007 and I will make them next year also. Something to look forward to.

3. Be selective. Don’t try to make a “collectible” every week. Limited edition beads should be special. If you’re cranking out “special beads” every time you turn around they won’t be special for long and people will probably start rolling their eyes.

These are my own personal marketing guidelines of course, so do as you wish. I hope sharing this has helped you and inspired you to come up with your own special beads. Don’t limit yourself to holidays either, I think seasonal beads would be great also: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Great opportunity for those of you who do murrini! Imagine a big, beautiful round bead full of falling autumn leaves, flower blossoms or snowflakes, etc. Do what you love.

Tracy Jerrell Akhtar blogs from her home in Southern Michigan. To see her webpage and more of her creations, click on TracyBeads

Sculptural Nun Bead Bust

I have been MIA for a bit, busy making beads while the weather was still decent. The good news is, the vintage Airstream trailer my mother is turning into a small studio has been leveled, has an exhaust box installed and we really just need to figure out how to get fresh air inside without causing the temp to drop too much. That’s the kicker, making sure I have enough fresh air coming in while still keeping the inside heated (and without cutting any holes in the body of the trailer).

Anyway, after trying my hand at larger sculptural work ( Geisha Bust ) I went back for more. I’ve had nuns bouncing around my head for quite some time. Strange? Well I made a bead for a friend of mine about a year ago, a St. Reza bead. I had been telling him about what a great friend he had been to me all these years and called him St. Reza. And the light bulb went off in my head and I had to make a St. Reza bead. Maybe that’s where the nun beads first took root in my subconscious. I may not be Catholic, but I certainly felt relief when I saw a small group of nuns walk by where I was sitting in the Doha airport in Qatar. I was traveling alone and was very stressed and felt very out of place and seeing them gave me a small sense of comfort for some reason.

So back to the nun bead. I don’t usually make dimensional faces on my beads, only 2 other times that I can remember, an old geisha and a kabuki mask. I have so many beads sitting around from since I first began lampwork. I do so much more than just geisha but I haven’t shown the majority because taking photos of beads for my website and eBay sales takes up most of my time. Although I’m not selling the nun, I took the time to photograph her and edit because I believe she’s the first steps towards a new chapter of dimensional faces in my glass career. I’m willing to show my first awkward steps to the world.

Keep in mind, she was made in the bushy flame of a Hot Head torch. This is where having my Lynx torch set up would have came in handy. Her features melted in too much. I was so proud of my attempt, the details of her face with the browbone over her eyes, the nose complete with nostrils, the cheeks and lines running down to show her age.

But that all melted into smooth bumps of glass as I struggled to keep the bead evenly heated while I worked on covering her head with white and black layers of glass…

Maybe I should have entered her into a Halloween contest. Those eyes make her look like a lost soul don’t they? She originally had a small smile on her face but now she looks so forlorn.

So there’s my nun that started out with great facial details, only to be melted away in the bushy flame of my Hot Head.

Tracy Jerrell Akhtar blogs from her home studio in Southern Michigan. To see her webpage and more of her creations, click on TracyBeads

Bead Accidents Can Turn Into Something BIG

A couple months ago I was making a geisha and accidentally wound too much glass on the mandrel for her head. I really hate to waste anything, I even keep my short pieces of glass in a ceramic dish to fuse together later. Cheap? Maybe, but why waste?

I’m sitting there looking at the “oops” on my mandrel wondering what to do. If I tried to make a geisha from it, she’d have to be 3 and 1/2 or 4 inches tall! It was already 10:00 pm and I just didn’t have the energy left to attempt something like that on my HotHead torch, I’d be up past midnight.

So I decided to make a bust. A geisha closeup. I found it’s easier to work large as far as adding details and decoration go. I prefer working small because it’s difficult and challenging, not everyone can do it or wants to. I’m not saying bead artists who work small are better over those who work large just because details are more difficult. Neither type is better over the other, only different.

I found that when I worked large I ran into other issues. Keeping my bead evenly heated for starters. I was so paranoid about not keeping enough heat built up in my bead. Plus the added weight was noticeable after about 20 minutes. So I played around and came up with a bead that reminded me a bit of ceramic lady head vases.

Here’s my 1st geisha bust:

I added eyebrows also. I think she looks graceful, modest. Unfortunately there’s a tiny black speck on her face up by her eye.

I enjoyed the freedom of making a larger bead and being able to add facial details without holding my breath.

So I made another. Oh I had grand plans for this one! I decided to try feathery eyelashes this time…

DANG. Well that didn’t work out as planned. Looks like Joan Crawford doing mime or Tammy Fa….. ok I won’t go there. Even when I know a bead is hideous, I can’t stop working it. I don’t have a dunk jar for beads, they go into the kiln with the rest… the good, the bad and the ugly.

See? We all have wonky, funky beads happen now and then. But it’s a learning experience. So I tried again this week and came up with this one…

I had fun with her hair! I love that new hairstyle. As I look at these photos, I bet some of you are comparing her with the dime and thinking, “That’s big?” For me it is and this is at least double the size of my usual geisha heads.

See? It’s much bigger compared with this geisha head so it’s large for me. And once I switch over to my dual fuel torch, the Lynx, I’ll be able to work even BIGGER (if I want to).

Tracy Jerrell Akhtar blogs from her home in Southern Michigan. To see her webpage and more of her creations, click on TracyBeads

Half Hollow Beads Transform Into New Designs!

When I say new, I mean new for me. I’ve only been doing lampwork for 2 years and I would never be so egotistical as to lay claim to a NEW bead design, there really is no such thing. It’s a big world out there and think of all the artists who don’t post in our circles, or even post their work online at all. I always try to keep this in my mind when I think I’ve come up with something unique. I just don’t want people to have that impression of me. I really struggle with the dilemma of marketing my work, being excited about something new I’ve created but not coming across as “full of myself”.

Do I worry too much?

But I personally haven’t seen beads like this before so they’re new for me, unique in my own little world and I’m proud of the new direction my work is taking. I love my geisha but even I need a break to experiment or I’ll stagnate, my skills need to be exercised and expanded. There are so many things I still haven’t tried when it comes to lampwork.

So anyway, back to the new-to-me designs. As you may have read (or not) in one of my previous postings on glowing bubbles, I started working on an old design again. My brain tends to run on fast forward when an idea comes, a burst of images spilling through my mind. I feel such a rush of excitement when it happens, one idea building from the one before… boom-boOM-BOOM! And this is what came from one of those moments.

This one collapsed a bit, I must have had a tiny hole somewhere or used too much glass. So on the next ones I tried to squeeze the glass thinner.

Hot Magma bead

The dots were going to be pulled into spikes, but I chickened out, afraid I wouldn’t keep it heated properly and crack the bead.

CZ Kronos Crystal Ball

This was my favorite of the 3. I remember my grandmother had this floral container that looked like a crystal ball. A black plastic base with a hollow glass globe that could be filled with flowers. I loved that thing and used to play with it, pretending to be a fortune teller or witch. That’s what came to mind while I was cleaning these beads so I think that’s going to be their new name, Crystal Ball Beads!

But wait, there’s more.

The drawback to these is that they’re top heavy. I placed the cz one onto a silver chain and it just flopped down. It still looked pretty cool and different, but I would have to place these onto silver headpins and then string onto a necklace to get them to sit properly. Not a big deal, but I had used large mandrels just so they could be slipped onto a chain. So how to fix? I decided to try one “off mandrel” which I rarely do. I worry about the glass rod breaking and to be honest I need a LOT of practice. As you can see from my geisha under glass…it did get a bit wonky. I may have had better results if I had used an extra large rod of glass, this one wanted to flop around as I worked it…

Geisha Under Glass

She looks like she’s peeking out from behind the flowers. I need one of those grabby things, hotfingers I think they’re called. I’m just not comfortable making something like this off mandrel yet. Can’t wait to try boro. See? Lot of things I haven’t tried yet. Hopefully that will change this coming year.

I have a few more ideas bouncing around inside my head, maybe they’ll be the topic of my next post so Stay Tuned!

Tracy Jerrell Akhtar blogs from her home studio in Southern Michigan. To see her webpage and more of her creations, click on TracyBeads.