Earlier this month, the Ceramics department hosted a bell-carving session for the new workshop. Participants had the opportunity to learn the processes and techniques taught to employees of the department.
[photo: Chihiro Saito & text: Colleen Reckow]
Using simple utility knives with specialized blades, they learned carving strokes and practiced on a small bell. Then, given a larger bell, participants created a final design for themselves.
[photo: Chihiro Saito & text: Colleen Reckow]
Later the bells were fired and assembled and available to take home.
[photo: Chihiro Saito & text: Colleen Reckow]
Posted by sue on February 24, 2010 9:15:24 AM MST
This morning, on an unusual cloudy and cool day, the construction crew continued work on the block wall around the Ceramic studio kiln area. Part of the crew mixed concrete on the slab above the kiln area moved the mix by shute to waiting wheel barrows.
At the top is crew chief Ron Chandler and workshop participant Jonathan Schafer. Mark Moynihan at the shute with the cameraman from a visiting French film team.
[Photo & text: sa]
The crew has nicely stacked another three layers of blocks and workshoppers Toa Rivera and Mark carefully fill the cavities of the blocks with concrete. Tucker Zenski uses a trawel to get rid of excess concrete.
[Photo & text: sa]
Toa Rivera at work. Workshopper TJ Bogan and crew Jeff Buderer finish and detail the surface of the wall.
[Photo & text: sa]
Posted by sue on July 11, 2008 12:59:29 PM MST
Yesterday the Ceramics Apse was adorned by a few fresh faces. A bell-carving workshop, held by Arcosanti Ceramicists Rebecca Manning and Colleen Reckow, brought out seven curious residents - with a waiting list to accommodate more.
[Photo: Sue Anaya & text: Amber Klatt]
Learning a few characters from 'The Soleri Alphabet' and using the three-pronged knife and fettler, the workshop participants tried their hands at carving bells. Anuj Dayal and Jenn Epstein intently carve their clay, while the finished bells await their firing.
[Photo: Sue Anaya & text: Amber Klatt]
Posted by sue on June 4, 2008 10:23:27 AM MST
Revisiting a recent topic, we return to the Ceramics Apse. Finished in 1973, this apse (quarter-of-a-sphere shaped structure) has been home to Arcosanti's ceramic artists ever since.
Due to its passive solar architecture features, this workspace is outdoors. Therefore, the artists can perch across the deck, carving amidst the plaster molds and vats of slip (milkshake-consistency clay water mix) that are their supplies.
[Photo: Sue Anaya & text: Amber Klatt]
Colleen Reckow, Ceramics Artist, is at work carving a silt-cast ceramic bell. Using a three-pronged knife, she makes primary incisions that guide her subsequent cuts.
Arcosanti ceramicists learn what is colloquially referred to as "The Soleri Image Alphabet" to steer their designs. Essentially, this is a series of carving shapes that, over the years, has enabled the varying artists to create a consistent style among the bells.
[Photos: Sue Anaya & text: Amber Klatt]
The time invested in the carving of each bell varies not only by artist but also by size of bell. There are between thirty and forty shapes of ceramic bells, each style forged by Paolo Soleri, hence the Soleri Bell. As Colleen finishes her silt bell carving, she explains that this bell must reach leather-hardness, and then it can be fired in the kiln. And so, our report continues ...
[Photos: Sue Anaya & text: Amber Klatt]
Posted by sue on June 2, 2008 4:33:53 PM MST
More on the ceramic bell casting method at Arcosanti: here, the Silt-Cast bells have been removed from the silt counter, and are drying on the deck of the Ceramics Apse. They must reach a stage of hardness where the artists can handle them without malforming them.
[Photo: Joelle McTigue & text: Amber Klatt]
Here, Ceramics Manager Edward Werman performs Quality Control, ensuring that the bells are uniform in size and thickness.
[Photo: Joelle McTigue & text: Amber Klatt]
Pressing a hole into the top of the bell prepares them to be hung. And then, a light dusting with talc provides a coating for the Silt-Cast bells, acting as a color-contrast to the carving.
Of course, the bells are not complete at this point. As such, we will continue our report on the Silt-Cast process ... in the anticipated past.
[Photo: Joelle McTigue & text: Amber Klatt]
Posted by sue on May 9, 2008 3:49:07 PM MST