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VanTiki Mugs: Tiki Oasis 2013 - TIKI JUGS |
hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
|  Posted: 2008-02-19 7:17 pm Permalink
Inspiring work as always!  Love the ideas you com up with
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www.kustomkultureaustralia.com
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Flat Black
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 14, 2008
Posts: 116
From: Chicagoland
| Posted: 2008-02-20 08:24 am Permalink
I don't think you spend too much time on your back stories, I think that is what really makes your mugs. Your imagination is key to your style.
I'm anxiously awaiting your next update.
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 928
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-02-26 11:26 am Permalink
Aloha!
I just pulled some glaze test chips out of the kiln this morning and wanted to share the results with everyone to get your (highly valued) opinions. THe B-3 brown is DARK! Wow! The black wash I did is almost invisible! Here we go-
here they are in full sun and shade:
And here are some close ups:
The colors are:
1 - Avacado Green wash
2 - Emeraude light coat
3 - Moss highlights
4 - Black wash (cant even see it!)
5 - grey wash
What do you all think? I'm digging all of them except #5. OK - gotta get to the day job!
Mahalo-
Henrik
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yumyumkid
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Oct 05, 2004
Posts: 93
From: Northern FL
| Posted: 2008-02-26 11:32 pm Permalink
I like the 4 & 5. How about a test tile of the gray wash first and then a the black over the top? 1 & 3 are also cool. Are these for the Idol Hands?
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hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
| Posted: 2008-02-27 02:03 am Permalink
1 is awesome, cool mossy look.
2 looks too glossy for stone, not a natural kinda color effect.
3 looks okay, but I think the moss look on 1 is more natural looking though
4 agreed - not enough black wash. I would like to see it with more black wash effect
5 is okay, looks like grouting between stone bricks.
# 1 is my fave by far.
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Flat Black
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 14, 2008
Posts: 116
From: Chicagoland
| Posted: 2008-02-27 07:07 am Permalink
If these are for the hands, I would stay away from the #2 because in the pictures it just looks too glossy. That seems like a good finish for something that was supposed to look more "new", or maybe something underwater themed.
I think #1 is the best, has a very natural aged look to it.
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Meheadhunter
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Sep 27, 2007
Posts: 355
From: Wichita KS,
| Posted: 2008-02-27 10:04 am Permalink
I like #3....It has an aged look with sort of a mossy looking growth on it...and I like the darker undercuts on it as well!!!
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 928
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-03-07 5:10 pm Permalink
Okay folks, before we get to the goods I wanna get this right out in the open: This mug/pitcher has a crack. Yep. Took it out of the kiln this morning, and thought all looked good until I saw a glimmer of light showing thru the bottom. Sigh. Does the mug hold fluid? No. Does the mug hold straws, chopsticks, candles, and other non-liquid goodies? Heck yeah! OK. Got that out of the way. On to the photos!
I reaaaaally like this one (crack and all)! Put a lot of time into the glaze and it really paid off. Will kick off the auction tomorrow (I'll post in the marketplace thread when the auction is up).
Thanks for looking!
Henrik
PS - I've changed my assembly techniques with the hopes of avoiding future cracking - stronger seams and a lot of clay compression before drying it out. We'll see if it helps - unfortunately I didn't do the new moves to the Cannibal #2 mug - hope it makes it.
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[ This Message was edited by: VanTiki 2008-03-07 17:12 ]
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Bgreen
Member
Joined: Dec 02, 2007
Posts: 3 | Posted: 2008-03-08 08:48 am Permalink
Looks sweet! That glaze is very nice!
Keep up the amazing work! Everyone I show your work to
in the ceramics class I'm taking is floored!
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Atomicchick
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 08, 2003
Posts: 578
From: Southern California
| Posted: 2008-03-08 09:20 am Permalink
Wow, that is incredible! My favorite by a mile!
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Tiki Shark Art
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Aug 31, 2006
Posts: 2821
From: The volcanic Big Island of Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-03-08 8:21 pm Permalink
OHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSH!
The is soooooooooooooo bitchin!
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Meheadhunter
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Sep 27, 2007
Posts: 355
From: Wichita KS,
| Posted: 2008-03-08 11:06 pm Permalink
That turned out great...Love the glaze choice!!!
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Paipo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 22, 2006
Posts: 1886
From: Aotearoa / NZ
| Posted: 2008-03-09 12:04 am Permalink
I didn't vote, but I'm glad to see you went with the one I liked the most too. The extra funky dank interior really sets it off.
It's a real shame you've had a few mishaps with these pieces, but such is the nature of pushing the boundaries creatively. Let's hope you iron out the cracks and have an unbroken run of watertight (rumtight?) vessels from now on!
In other news, I was watching "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" yesterday, and got this strange feeling of deja vu:
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TravelingJones
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Mar 11, 2006
Posts: 870
From: Eastern Shores of Western Civilization
| Posted: 2008-03-09 12:40 pm Permalink
 Dang krackerz always spoiling da best wun'z +Best in Show! =Nice Finish!!
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Viva Kate!
...five-star hotels don't have tiki bars?
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 928
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-03-20 2:55 pm Permalink
Aloha folks -
Sorry for the long silence! Time for a VanTiki studio update.
First off, a big mahalo for the happy vibes about Cannibal Idol #1. It is on its way to its new home in the UK!
Bgreen - Ceramics class?! Oh no! Now I feel pressure knowing that clay pros are checking out my stuff! 
Atomicchick, Tiki Shark, and MeHeadHunter - thank you! you guys are the best!
Paipo - Whoa! I LOVE that movie (as you may have guessed) - I've always loved the way they did they eyes on that cave entrance. I just may have to do a tribute mug now! As for the cracking - well, I've been working on it (see rest of post)
Jonesy - I ran your post through my Traveling Jones Translatograph 2000 and it assures me that you gave me a compliment. Mahalo!
OK - now for the update!
Been pulling out my few remaining hairs over this cracking issue. So frustrating! Turns out I've been suffering from a mixture of 3 things - switching to a clay body with a lower sand/grog content (more prone to cracking), "flashback" - a heat transfer conundrum that occurs when a cooling mug is sitting on a hot kiln shelf, and (most significant) big heavy mugs that can't shrink while drying due to the pressure on their bases. I'll be drying my mugs on their sides from now on, and all firing will be done with some fancy-pants porcelain stilts to provide uniform heating/cooling. The uncertainty factor that is ever present in ceramics is torture!
Unfortunately, these changes came too late for my last batch of mugs - and the cracking curse has struck again. Idol's Hand #1 cracked, and I think I may just keep it. Here it is in all its TRON/Mayan splendor:
Some good studio news is I am now using my AMAZING new clay signature stamp machined out of solid brass by claystamps.com - this is about 1000% better than using a rubber sig stamp:
Opened the kiln this morning to check out how the glaze fire went for Cannibal Idol #2, Idol's Hand #2, and Skull Rock Point. Looks like the cannibal cracked - but the glaze seems to have filled the crack and it may be watertight! Once the mug cools some more I'll give it the hydro test. Skull Rock and the Hand look crack free - but I got some foaming in the interior glaze! Argh! F ef Effity F! So, I've got them cooking once again to try and float out the glaze bubbles. Fingers crossed (and fingernails all chewed away). Here is a peek at the cooling Cannibal:
More photos tomorrow!
Mahalo for peeking,
Henrik "VanTiki"
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