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VanTiki Mugs: ShelfTiki #1l! 12/5 |
greentikipat
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 08, 2006
Posts: 324
From: st. pete fl
|  Posted: 2008-05-07 11:01 am Permalink
awesome stuff, henrik! sorry it's been a while, but i've been dealing with virus problems, and have been without computer offand on for some time; but i'm ready for those tiles, and need a total(including s/h),so shoot me an email, and i'll get with you! can't wait!! -pat
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 901
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-05-07 12:14 pm Permalink
Aloha Folks!
Time for an update - first off, mahalo for the comments! I'll do my best here to reply:
TikiShark - Yowza! Thank you so much! It means a lot coming from you - I check your thread like 10 times a day for updates! You must bring your amazing mug designs into the 3D realm!
BGreen - Mahalo! Yep, I fire at cone 5-6. I occasionally fire cone 10 when I join up with the Hawaii Potter's Guild. Cone 10 gave me some neat results - but it is hard to get bright color at those temperatures. Also, it really shortens the lifespan of an electric kiln (I use electric not gas in my studio)
Kahu - I am a fan of the bat as well. He is drying nicely (knockonwoodfingerscrossed)
Matt - Evil Dead! Too funny. Love the film, and when I was in LA I worked for the shop that did all the deadites for Evil Dead 3 (before I got there). Had a bunch slowly rotting away on the walls watching us while we worked.
Mr. Gambino - ohboyohboyohboy Sam-freaking-Gambino likes my mug!  Mahalo!
Frostiki - Thank you! Yeah, they have been getting rather intricate. Ms. VanTiki always comes home, looks at the new mug and rolls her eyes. I say, "what?" and she replies, "geez - how much bigger can they get?"
Flat Black - Stoked you like the Monkey Mug - it is one of my all-time favorites!
GreenTikiPat - Thanks for posting. Your tiles are in a holding pattern in the studio - and I'll take them in for a landing (by dipping them in glaze) this weekend.
Okay! So, I have a bunch of sketches that I am dying to turn into clay and have set aside the entire weekend for sculpting. Can't wait! Expect a lot of photos Monday! In the meantime, Fired up a bunch of spooky skull tiles last night (along with some test chips) and finally got around to getting some glaze on the tentacles. Proceeded to run out of the glaze and will have to finish them up tonight after hitting the clay store this afternoon. A post of the first coat: the orange underbelly -
Thanks again for all the comments and encouragement - it really fuels the artistic fire! (wow - sorry if that is corny!)
Henrik "VanTiki"
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Babalu
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2498
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2008-05-07 2:12 pm Permalink
Very Sweet Henrik!! I know they are mugs, but it would be cool to see a mega bunch of these hanging down from a ceiling somewhere
What are you using the WD-40 and the torch for??
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ganthis
Member
Joined: Mar 22, 2008
Posts: 10
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-05-09 11:17 am Permalink
Totally wicked mug. When I look at them I get chills because they look so real, and yet I cant stop staring at them. Cant wait to see how they come out with the final colors. Keep up the good work!
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Flat Black
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 14, 2008
Posts: 116
From: Chicagoland
| Posted: 2008-05-09 1:09 pm Permalink
They look great already!
Something about the color combination already looks good.. like a creamsicle.
The tentacles are so awesome.
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 901
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-05-15 12:12 pm Permalink
Mmmmmmmm... Tentacle creamsicle...... <drools>
Mahalo everyone! Babalu - The torch is for firming up clay while I am working on it. I usually use it to harden the porcelain bits-and-pieces before pressing them into the mugs or to firm up a structural piece. The WD-40 is the release agent for my brass clay stamp - helps to keep the clay from sticking.
Was up late last night sculpting 2 small-ish "hollow log" mugs. Will post shots of them later today after I finish them. Kiln has been going non-stop. I bisque fired the Monkey God and VamPire Bat mugs (opening the kiln shortly - if they have cracked I will die a little bit inside!), glaze fired a slew of tiles (cone 6) and will fire the tentacles and a few more tiles today (cone 5) followed by a final low fire gold-glaze experiment. Whew! We've been having a hard time sleeping because the studio is right next to the bedroom, and the kiln is so HOT.
Henrik "VanTiki"
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tikiracer
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 09, 2005
Posts: 462
From: UK
| Posted: 2008-05-15 12:16 pm Permalink
Can't wait to see the tenticle mugs, they look amazing.
Thanks for posting all the photos.
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 901
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-05-15 3:03 pm Permalink
Aloha Folks!
I'm happy to present the Hollow Log Brothers - Witch Doctors in Ordinary to the Chief of VanTiki Island. How can a roughly hewn pair of logs be witch doctors, you ask? Well, the Chief had a regular run-of-the-mill W.D. for some time, but grew tired of constantly hearing, "Your Greatness, perhaps you've had enough roast pig for one night" or, "You know, O Mighty One, that your liver will have its revenge one day." One day the Chief had his W.D. marooned on nearby Skull Rock, and set about crafting these vessels out of some nearby hollow logs. "You see," said the Chief, "These Witch Doctors are even better than my last one. They never say a word, but when I am feeling nervous before a great battle they can fill me with liquid courage - and they are a lot of fun at parties."
These roughly-carved Medicine Men dispense their magic elixirs though their uppermost branch. If you look closely in the photos you can see that I made it hollow - think of it as a natural wooden straw!
Here are the photos of the finished sculpts - they will be relaxing on the drying rack for a few weeks:
    
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teaKEY
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 09, 2004
Posts: 3663
From: The thumb !
| Posted: 2008-05-15 6:03 pm Permalink
I like how you did the teeth on these guys. Set in like that.
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 901
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-05-15 6:41 pm Permalink
Mahalo teakey. Yep - wanted to give them an under-bite and a bit of depth with the teeth, so I made some "gums" - stuck in the teeth, and then built the face planes over that with slabs. Looked terrible at first (with just the gums) and they almost ended up in the Trash Can Of Failure.
OK - yet another update (you can tell it is a studio week for me!). Just laded up the kiln for a cone 5 glaze firing.
First floor: Tiles.
The two in the center will (fingers crossed) be gloss black - they will be pained with gold after firing and jump right back into the kiln for a nice gloss gold finish (if all goes well - which is rather rare around here). You can also see a few of my clay tiki-coins (discussed on my tile thread).
Second Floor: Creature From The Depths
Oh man. Got a bad feeling about these guys. I am really worried about the glaze on the inside - it may drip. I HATE GLAZING! Whew. Ok. Had to vent. They'll make a nice conversation piece if the interior glaze fails and you can't drink out of them.
Babalu - a HUGE thanks for the grog/sand hint. Worked like a charm on the Mug of the Monkey God and the Mug of the Vampire Bat. Speaking of which, here is a scale photo of the bisqued pieces:
Yessir - quite hefty!
Mahalo for peeking!
Henrik "will chew off all his fingernails this afternoon while the kiln is going" VanTiki
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Babalu
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2498
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2008-05-15 10:06 pm Permalink
WOW! That full kiln sure is a pretty sight! I love seeing these action shots...
You sir are one prolific individual...There is just nothing better than the feel of a hand made mug is there. It's also very cool to see that you are hanging out with folks at your local potters guild over there too. I really should be doing the same here in San Diego.
It's so much fun when your in a room full of people who are of the same ilk. When I was living in Denver several years ago I use to get the opportunity (a few times a year) to be part of the firing off of John Balisteri's Anagama. Talk about fun!...there just nothing finer than staying up all night stoking an Anagama with wood. If you ever get the chance...man, you have to be a part of a big wood firing like this. Check out John's Site... http://johnbalistreriartist.com/ cruise through the early years area to see his Anagama. This dude has really gone places since the last time I was over at his house...The guy is getting as big as Peter Volkus was these days.
I see after doing a quick online search that there is an Anagama in Hawaii owned by an artist named Clayton Amemiya http://www.dahawaiistore.com/tsuhaanagama.html ...I don't know much about this guy but he sure looks like he's been around. You should give him a call and see if you can be part of one of his wood firings sometime...tell him you'll just cut wood, or whatever he wants you to do just to be able come over to watch and learn. It's one of those things as a ceramicist you just have to experience. Glaze from ash is a beautiful thing
And hey, thank you for the WD-40 tip...I'll have to try this. I've always used veggie oil or Pam spray, but I can see where WD-40 could work too...sure.
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VanTiki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 25, 2005
Posts: 901
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-05-17 7:56 pm Permalink
MR. BALI HAI - PLEASE REMAIN CALM - AVOID SUDDEN MOVEMENTS - THEY CAN SENSE YOUR FEAR
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GO TIKI
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Feb 21, 2004
Posts: 603
From: SURF CITY HUNTINGTON BEACH
| Posted: 2008-05-17 8:10 pm Permalink
Awesome Work! Allways! Mahalo! Gogo
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Babalu
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2498
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2008-05-17 9:50 pm Permalink
YAY!
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teaKEY
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 09, 2004
Posts: 3663
From: The thumb !
| Posted: 2008-05-17 10:25 pm Permalink
Crazy Colors 
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