Hot Catz

Hot Catz

   The Hot Catz are a group of cat characters that were first developed about 6 years ago. 

   The Hot Catz theme was further developed as I began depicting them on cups and bowl in various scenarios.  Hot Catz in space, Hot Catz Interview, Hot Catz in Hatz, Hot Catz on Film, were a few of many ideas I developed for them.  I also made relief block prints, some comic strips, and many drawings for this theme.  

   Previous to the Hot Catz explosion, I had made a few cat figurines that I mostly sold in Occidental Park during 1st Thursday Art Walks, or at Pike Place Market.   This year I decided to re-explore cats through pinching and by using and altering extruded forms.  This lead to the creation of new bodies of work.

cat pendants before application of over glazes

Extruded cat

I made a series of cat pendants as a line of jewelry (left), Raku-fire extruded cats(above left), electric fired black cats, and a series of high fire multi colored extruded cats (right)

Raku-fired Hot Catz

The Raku firing process is full of excitement and pleasantly surprising results.  I fire these at the Kirkland Art Center in their clamshell Raku kiln to about 1900 degrees F.

Most of the extruded cats will be high-fired.  They become waterproof and non-porous at those temperatures.  Three new high-fired cats are depicted in the photo directly below. There will be brown, black, white, gray, spotted, yellow, and tan Catz.

 These cat pendants are also fired high (cone 10) They are pinched from white stoneware.  They are glazed with opaque glazes, with stains used for attributes and a gold over glaze on the eyes.  These cat pendants can be found at Fancy in Seattle.

 I made a series of extruded cats using a black clay body called Midnight Black.  It fires pretty dark at about cone 4.  I glazed them in a clear gloss and accented their eyes with underglazes.

Hippocatz

The Hippocats are an extension of the Hot Catz.  The cats and the hippo live symbiotically.

Hot Catz Olympics

And of course I had to make some more Hot Catz dishware.  This is a series of cups.

Hot Catz on Mars

Hot Catz cup collection

Hot Cats cups in profile

The original Hot Cat... a drawing of my cat Lil'

Owlware

                                Owlware

  In addition to making sculptures I enjoy making pots on a wheel.  Lately I have made a series of cups, bowls, and vases with owls depicted on them in underglaze.  The pots are made from clay bodies that fire at cone 6 and cone 10.   At Alki Beach where I teach classes, we use clay and glazes that fire at cone 6, because we only have an electric kiln.  I make pots from a porcelain body called ckk6, another yellow stoneware called Vashon White, a Vashon Brown, and a Kalama Red.  Some are also hybrids from various bodies mixed together.   At Kirkland Arts Center we use cone 10 bodies.  These are generally more hard, and have more color due to reduction firing and heavy iron in the clay.  We use Laguna B Mix as a white stoneware.  In some ways it takes on a porcelain consistency.  I also occasionally throw Columbia White, Dakota Red,  and Rod's Bod--  a gritty iron heavy clay.

Cone 6 porcelain teacup

cone 6 porcelain, bronze glaze, underglazes, clear gloss glaze

Cone 10 stoneware, Bryan's Matte white glaze with black stain on eyes and talons

              
Some owl ware is carved.  I like to add texture and carving is a way to add detail. I carve the pieces when they are leather -hard.  I like to use repetition to create pattern. Numbers play a role.  Sometimes I like to count as I carve, other times I'll look for mathematical meaning within the work, as crazy as it sounds.

Owl Vase 6" tall x 6 1/4" diameter

Coffee Cups

Porcelain with black glaze, under glazes, and a clear gloss glaze

Earthenware extruded owl with majolica glaze and stains

coil built owls L to R:  eartheware with majolica and stains,   earthenware with clear gloss glaze,  Mid-range stoneware with various glazes

Owl Jar Coil Built with glazes and stains

This owl's head fits well as a lid to the jar.

Stoneware Owl Vases
7" tall X 6-8" Dia.

8 1/2" tall x 6 " dia

more coffee cups

textured brown cups

Brown Owl Vases

Pinch pot owls with stain and underglaze applications