KenSwinson.com

Author: Ken

  • Mini Kiln Opening 14 January 2023

    • handmade stoneware plate in an oval shape decorated with 3 horses, a house and barn in the background
    • handmade stoneware cup with goats in weeds surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with surface design of yellow cats sewing a quilt
    • handmade stoneware cup with bears holding dove, heart and coffee cup
    • handmade stoneware cup with cats playing guitar, bass and fiddle
    • handmade stoneware cup with sheep and goat surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with yellow cat and bird surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with cow surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup decorated with a house, dog cat and fish surface design

    photos from todays’s kiln firing. swipe or use the arrows to see them all!

  • Trimming Cups – Adding Handles 9 January 2023

    i trimmed cups LIVE on the ‘other’ site. I like trimming because it’s when a cup takes its shape, here’s a sped up version for anyone interested 

    after trimming-handles are added to the cups
    white slip is painted over each cup, now they are ready to decorate!

  • Friday Night Throwing pots

    First time I’ve been in on the wheel for 2023. (yes, this is my idea of a wild and fun friday night)

    I’ve been working removing pots from the wheel with my hands-instead of using bats. Still smooshing some of them, but getting better!

    Will trim and add handles tomorrow. Hope you all have a great weekend!

  • screen print clay transfer fail

    photo of a screen print studio

    The new year isn’t starting out the way I had hoped.

    ceramic screen print underglaze transfers

    Spent the day making screen print underglaze transfers based on two of my block prints, only for them to be a disappointment. Oh well, will try again another time.

    screen print transfer on an unfired stoneware mug

    Hope your year is going better than mine!

    UPDATE:

    Sorry for being a crybaby earlier when my project did not work on the first try. In my experience, neither pottery OR printmaking work perfectly on the first try. Not sure why I thought combining the two would be easy.

    After a little more practice, The transfers are a little bit better. Will make more pots and try again later. Thanks again everyone for the encouragement!

  • My plans for New Year’s Eve

    MY PLANS FOR NEW YEAR’s EVE

    Thank you everyone for the invites to your NYE parties, unfortunately, I’ve already made plans. I’m so excited about this NYE, i made a colored pencil drawing in anticipation of all the festivity to come! lol! Happy New Years everyone!

    I’m still learning colored pencil, and experimented by making some wild (to me) color choices. I did not think it was going to work, but I stuck to it, and it all came together. I did not expect this, but I’m learning A LOT about color while learning to use pencils. I could see this changing the way I paint.

  • last kiln firing of 2022

    I had a very small kiln firing to wrap up 2022.

    2022 was a great year for pottery. I learned a lot and made a lot of pots. To end the year, I had a very small kiln firing. Here are the results!

    • sheep dog photographer cup
    • sewing bear cup
    • old washington cup
    • fox pitcher
    • sheep dog pitcher
    • us 62 cup

    click arrows or swipe to see all the photos

  • River Scene Colored Pencil Drawing

    I’m going to do some travel next year and need an easy to carry, no mess art supply to bring with me. Colored pencils are my choice, so I’m trying to get familiar with them.

    I drew this cool colored river scene to get some practice.

    Have a great day!

  • Cardinal Colored Pencil Drawing

    Here in kentucky, we are celebrating our first day above freezing since the sub zero winter blast!

    Also, I am learning to use colored pencil. After a couple of fails, I was FINALLY able to get the drawing to look the way I wanted it to look! not sure why that had to be so hard?

    Hope you all have a great day!

  • 2022 – a year of pottery

    oh my gosh! WE MADE A LOT OF POTTERY THIS YEAR!

    I think a few got away without getting their picture taken, but here’s most of 2022 squeezed into less than 2 minutes.

    Thank you ALL for your support and friendship +making them a part of your home. Especially *you*know*who*you*are -who is responsible more than anyone for this wonderful journey into ceramics.

    Watching the year flash by, it was interesting to see the quick flash of time, that was summer at Arrowmont–and then the following months — to see the evolution of a new clay, and new surface design.

    Thanks always for making this possible! Yes, the artist is part of the creation of ART–but ART also needs patrons–i believe these pots are OUR team effort!! Thank you all so much!

    Looking forward to a wonderful new year!!! Happy New year to you all!!

  • Lulubelle colored pencil drawing

    for the first time in a WHILE i found some time to continue learning to draw with colored pencils. I picked an unconventional color palette, but it worked out…Lulubelle LOVES her portrait!

    Faber Castell Polychromos