Disqus - Latest Comments for alexandersolla

Re: What Day is it Anyway?

alexandersolla — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:08:13 -0000

Would you mind explaining how you're able to go from recording on your itouch to blogger? What's the workflow look like?

Re: Reactions

alexandersolla — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:25:09 -0000

One of the things I learned from John Neely is that handles and lips need the same radius if they are going to look like they are from the same family. The handles on this jug looked more like taking Angelina Jolie's lips and putting them on your neighbor. Just out of proportion not due to size really, but due to the radius of the thickness of the clay. Just my two cents worth.

Re: Spy View

alexandersolla — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:12:20 -0000

Careful there Michael, I lost a good Mag-lite to doing just this! Thought 600 was plenty cool for shining a light around, taking pics. Next thing I know, the rubber housing around the focusing beam had melted and I had a very heavy tube holding batteries instead of a flashlight. (My prof was not happy... we had taken his flashlight from his desk.... oops)

Looking forward to seeing all the pots from this firing! You've had some awesome decorating ideas flowing through your latest pots. Very inspiring!

Re: My $10 Idea

alexandersolla — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:41:44 -0000

Here's the funny part for us.... most of the time we sieve straight into our 30 gal buckets, but sometimes after months of use, there's detritus in the glaze we need to sieve out... so we sieve into a large basin, much like you're using. The dilemma is that our talisman sieve doesn't span the mouth without falling in... so if we use your packing tape idea to narrow the mouth, this will work PERFECTLY!!! Thank you for a new idea for our studio Michael. Very cool. This old dog loves new tricks!

Now, for a name:
How about the Optimum Single Strap Retaining/Restraing/Retraining Applicator?

Sounds like it should come with a free set of ginsu knives...and cost just $9.95

Re: What's Wrong With This Picture?

alexandersolla — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:01:59 -0000

Michael, I have to learn this trick! How do you throw handles?

Re: Finds

alexandersolla — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:45:34 -0000

Those are some sweet mugs Michael. Love Linda's use of color and line. It's really interesting living near Alfred and seeing how her students' work is saturated with her design sense. It's definitely infusing this area with a new level of sophistication and a different direction for decorating pots.

Re: The Store

alexandersolla — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:52:07 -0000

I hope you see a ton of people out your way in this gorgeous weather. We're hoping to see the trickle of folks start wandering out this way this weekend too! Time to spruce up and make this place shine.

Re: http://michaelklinepottery.blogspot.com/2009/04/pots-to-put-dirt-in.html

alexandersolla — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:33:17 -0000

I LOVE these. I still need to get my planters for this year made. I threw a couple back in March and haven't made more since. GOT to get to it this week! Thanks for the inspiration.

Re: http://michaelklinepottery.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-like-black-and-white.html

alexandersolla — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:16:23 -0000

That's what bumping up contrast and brightness does in camera. It takes each dot and decides whether or not to make it brighter or darker. That's the only choice. If you can find a bit of clear red plastic film, like what they sometimes wrap valentines day flowers and gifts in... try putting that in front of your lens while you shoot B&W. Gives a "red" filter which makes skin tones awesome. Blemishes disappear. On pots it makes glare fade a bit, grain is lessened, groggy clay looks cleaner, etc.

Or you could do all of this in Photoshop.

Good luck.

Re: http://michaelklinepottery.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-like-black-and-white.html

alexandersolla — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:20:41 -0000

Hey there Michael-
If you're shooting this B&W digitally, check your settings on your camera and see if you can swap over to a red filter. Should help this image have more POP! If you are shooting color digitally, and then converting in PShop, then you need my fun Nik Silver FX tutorial... that I still havent written.

Either way, the pots are awesome!

Re: Ramping Up: An Feat of Epic Proportion (or stubbornness)

alexandersolla — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:43:12 -0000

Levers, wheels, pulleys and ramps. That's all you need dude. No strength. My daughter and I frequently move really REALLY big stupid things, like downed trees, hundreds of pounds.... all with nothing more than pry bars, tamping bars, 2x4s, some sort of fulcrum and then pvc or wooden rollers. She calls it working Egyptian. I just think about saving my back! Now if only there was a simple solution to moving all of our clay from the truck to the shelves!!! That would be a feat.

Re: Coffee Break vol. 18

alexandersolla — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:59:49 -0000

That is one seriously sweet teabowl. Gotta make the coffee taste better!

Now I want one.

Re: More Layoffs Announced

alexandersolla — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:55:15 -0000

Back in December I added an aquarium water heater to my throwing/washing bucket. 100 watts. No big deal right. Well, I am so used to thinking in terms of how much it costs to power my meager fluorescent lights... I didnt take into account the fact that this heater is ON all the time, even when I go in for the night. Otherwise the water is like ice for hours. For sure, it's worth it... but you do have to remember, it isnt free till the wind turbine is paid off or the solar panels are sending juice back to the "Man".

Congrats on getting so far in your new studio so FAST! Very cool.

Re: More Layoffs Announced

alexandersolla — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:01:00 -0000

Too bad this wont help your shareholder's profits!

When we hooked up Nat Gas to the studio this fall, I figured we would save a ton of $$ over propane. And we are. But it still costs money. I forgot. We got the bill for 3 months worth yesterday. Ouch.

Time to make the studio a little colder for a while.

Re: Late Lunch

alexandersolla — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:05:45 -0000

Getting power turned on out in our studio was the biggest deal in the world. Without it we had no kiln, no wheels....well, nothing really. Heat was the next big one for us. You rock with your cute little stove!

Now I need to re-do some of our shelving. I have seen on some potter's blogs some better ideas for shelving. Time to make it happen before we TOTALLY run out of space to put pots!

Nice mugs.

Re: Overdue

alexandersolla — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:12:20 -0000

I am sure to some, this would seem a draconian move, but in our studio, we have started requiring all of our galleries to keep a credit card on file with us. We dont ship ANYTHING until we have a check or credit card receipt in hand. Net-30 works if folks stick to it. But as artists we seldom impose any sort of penalty for late payment. How would it be enforced? But, with a card on file, you just run the card. If the card isnt valid, for whatever reason, the boxes get unpacked and go right back onto your shelves.

I hate that we've had to resort to dealing with non-payment this way. It is exactly the opposite of how I deal with my local clientele. Folks who stop into our gallery are allowed to take what they need, bring me a check the next day, whatever. Sometimes I send them home with a pot that they arent sure about in terms of color, size, the usual. They either bring it back the next day, or we get a call, saying a check is on the way.

I just wish galleries remembered we aren't makers of widgets in some far off land. We are real people and without OUR support, they will wither away.

(damn, didnt mean to add to your rant.)

Re: Coffee Break With Turner

alexandersolla — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:13:38 -0000

Funny story about snowblowing: we have a pretty nice gravel driveway. A neighbor thought he would help us out by blowing the heavy snow out of our driveway about eight years ago. Left our siding with what looked like bullet holes in it. Took me about 2 days to figure out what had chewed up the siding!

Now if you've got a nice plow with a 4x4 attached, maybe we can work a trade.

Re: Coffee Break With Turner

alexandersolla — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:10:00 -0000

Now I see... this mug is one of them new dys-funtional mugs. Only works on one platform. Probably has to have a special license too, right?

Have fun at the Roan mtg. We're off to shovel snow from the driveway. Ice and snow.

Re: Coffee Break With Turner

alexandersolla — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:50:53 -0000

Howdja keep the coffee in there at that angle? Must be something special about a Turner mug that holds coffee at a horizontal.

Re: Studio Sale Report

alexandersolla — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:27:40 -0000

The sheetrock dust in the air in the photography is cracking me up. Four years ago our pics looked just like this. Lots of what looked like snow in my holiday pics. Took about two weeks for all that ultra-fine dust to settle. Apparently joint compound dust is HUGE compared to clay dust. Makes you wonder how much of that stuff we're all dealing with! Sorry to hear your holiday sales weren't as numerous as expect. Here's hoping 2009 brings some positive changes!

Re: Last Post of November

alexandersolla — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:31:54 -0000

Hey there Mike-
Having done much the same work for our studio, gallery, kiln room etc... all I can say is that when you're done, it's DEFINITELY worthwhile. I look forward to the day when we can cut the studio room off and rebuild it from the ground up! But the economy will have to do a complete 180 flip for that to happen! cheers and best wishes for good holiday sales.

Re: Picture of a Pitcher

alexandersolla — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:21:40 -0000

Getting to make pots again after an sort of powertool run-in is a DAMNED fine reason to put 2006 on everything!

Besides... it looks very cool.

Re: Obamaware on Ebay

alexandersolla — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:58:58 -0000

I think that this Obama-ware idea may be the coolest thing I have seen in Clay in a while. Just a great idea all 'round! I love the collaborative/collective idea. Support for Obama might be a given in the clay world, but seeing everyone come out of the woodwork to chime in and throw their backs into this project... is AWESOME!

Re:

alexandersolla — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:03:19 -0000

We've been toying with adding dry mixed glaze to our wax resist and layering some of our other glazes over.
Mixed results so far. Certainly nothing noteworthy. Your decoration is definitely striking though!
I love the photo that Tom Mills shot. You're lucky to have a skilled photog in your neck of the woods.

Re:

alexandersolla — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:13:57 -0000

When you're decorating like this, is the black "stain" mixed with wax? How are you doing this? I love the resist quality it has through the glaze/slip later on. Very cool videos!