THE STUDIO OF NICOLE MERKENS

Here are some examples of how the Olmec influenced my work this past month. These pieces have coated with terra sigillata and then fired to cone 04 and then pit fired. Here is a recipe for Terra Sigillata from Clay Arts Utah:  http://clayarts.websitetoolbox.com/post/easy-terra-sigillata-recipe-1507600  Recipe for Terra Sigillata - 10 lbs. dry powdered ball clay (although you can use any dry clay). - approximately 14 quarts water. Ideally use distilled or filtered water but water out of the tap is fine. - 1/2 oz. soda ash and 1/2 oz. sodium silicate. Both of these ingredients are very inexpensive but you can substitute 1 oz. Calgon. Sodium silicate comes as a liquid but you weigh the liquid the same as you would a powder. Use a 10 gallon bucket for mixing. Dissolve the deflocculants (soda ash and sodium silicate) in one cup on hot water. Once dissolved, mix into 14 quarts water and then mix in the clay. Mix using your hand or some type of mixer. If you h...

Slumping, Humping, and Throwing Plates and Platters this week.  There is nothing like eating off of handmade plates. I have a little collection going and love to serve dinner to my family and friends on all mismatched one of a kind pottery. Below is my attempt at trying to make plates in different ways. These are wreath forms from the dollar store I used the shape to trace the circle then I slumped the clay in the center of the form Platter Humped on a plaster form added foot to platter to elevate it ariel view of platter with skulls added thrown plate on potters wheel thrown plate on potters wheel plates and platters drying fruits of my labor

According to Wikipedia, the definition of a pinch pot is; "A pinch pot is a simple form of hand-made pottery produced from ancient times to the present. The pinching method is a means to create pottery that can be ornamental or functional, and has been widely employed across cultures and times." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinch_pot) Below is an example of a pinch pot I made and then Pit Fired. A fun exercise is to see how think you can get your vessel. When I make small figurative heads- I pinch the form. This is an example of a head pinched

The Adventures of StarSeed and Bunny Girl September 12-October 16, 2015 Saratoga Clay Arts Center 167 Hayes Rd, Schuylerville, NY 12871 (518) 581-2529 I have a show up until October 16th, 2015 at Saratoga Clay Arts Center. It is a show that I did with my mother, Joan Carew. We had a great opening on Saturday September 12th. The gallery is beautiful and the New York Area is charming.  If you are in the Saratoga Springs area this month please stop by to view our adventure.