Continuing with our report on the Silt-Cast bell technique from Monday, we follow the bells through to their next stage of creation.

Here, you see the bells in an early phase. The moisture content of the air and the amount of sunlight on the day that the bells are poured affects their drying rate. At this particular point, the excess slip has been removed with a ladel and suction device to ensure a uniform thickness around the edges of the bell.

At the next stage, you see that Ceramics Manager Edward Werman carefully plucks the bells from their silt molds and lines them on the front counter. The bells are not completely hardened at this point. Instead, they have dried to the point that the Ceramics artists can handle them without misshaping the bells. On the Ceramics webpage, Edward notes a unique aspect of the Silt-Cast method: "Since the walls are firm but not solid, it is possible to make indentations directly into the silt mold walls which also get filled with slip. These negative impressions translate into positive relief patterns on the surface of the bell when it is removed from the mold. This feature cannot be duplicated with the plaster molds since they are solid structures."

Finally, the Silt-Cast bells are lightly doused with water, to remove the residual silt from their outer edges. Edward points out some more of the variations between Plaster-Cast and Silt-Cast bells: "Another difference concerns the surface of the silt mold which has a rough texture reflecting the characteristic of the sand and this feature is picked up by the surface of the bell. The plaster molds have smooth interior surfaces and its bells also pick up and reflect a smooth surface."

This report continues on 5/9/08.

[front row from left]:
David Tollas – Construction Manager, baby Sasha Tollas, Nadia Begin – Ceramics Staff, Matteo Di Michele – Workshop Coordinator, Italian Project coordinator, Erin Jeffries – Public Relations, and Bernadette O'Neill - Landscaping Crew.

[behind Erin Jeffries and Bernadette, from left]. Tomiaki Tamura - Cosanti Foundation Director, Mary Hoadley - Cosanti Foundation Director and Treasurer, David DeGomez - Maintenance Crew.

[sitting on the steps, from left]:
Mario Andres Botero Giraldo - Planning Intern, Anna Greenberg – volunteer in the Foundry and Bakery, Ron Chandler - Landscaping Coordinator, Colleen Reckow - Ceramics Staff, Starlyn Cag [red sweater, Arcosanti Scholarship], Shara Brown – Construction Volunteer.

[second row from top, from left]:
Gabriel Hendrix - Foundry Crew, Scott Riley - Utilities Manager, in front of Lisa Willott is Melissa Soluskie - Construction Crew and Garden Volunteer, Joelle McTigue – Ceramics Staff and Archives Volunteer, Gregg Elliott – Workshop participant, Yong Su Park – Workshop participant, Antonio De Biase – Workshop participant, Jose Masaoy – Bakery Crew and Garden Volunteer, Daniel Copperman – Workshop participant, Anuj Dayal – Construction Intern, Stefano Galimberti [yellow shirt, Visitor].

[upper row from left]:
Paul Vigne – Purchasing and Recycling, Amber Klatt - Archives, Graphics Volunteer and Tour Guide, Jeffrey Michael Graphics Department, Alfonso Elia – Planning Volunteer, Lisa Willott – outgoing Agriculture Manager, Nelson DeLa Rosa – Construction Crew, Cliff Hersted - Foundry Crew and Tourist Office, Brendan Scott – Construction Crew, Maggie Lamb – new Agriculture Manager, Ivan Planes Llull – Visitor.

[Not in the photo]:
Sue Anaya – Archives, Virginia Bateman – Gallery Crew, Michael Bittman aka Dr. Sparks – Site Electrician, Nick Bortel – Construction Crew, Andy Chao – Foundry Crew, Thomas Crowe – Café Staff, Dean Thomas – Gallery Crew, Cabiria Dourte – Foundry Crew, Linda Fournier – Ceramics Staff and Accounting, Amarillis Fuentes – Café Staff, Shane Hayden – Workshop participant, Will Holman – Construction Crew, Jim Hornberger – Foundry Manager, Melanie Husband – Accounting, Workshop Coordination Staff and Café Staff, Carri Krueger – Guest Services and Café Staff, Peter Lindgren – Café Manager, Rebecca Manning – Cermiacs Staff, Murray Natkie – Bakery Staff, Kelly Pai – Foundry Staff, Katie Schroeder – Garden Crew, Randall Schultz – Maintenance Manager, Paolo Soleri – Chief, Darina Trendafilova – Garden and Archives Volunteer, Errin Turner – Café and Gallery Staff, Ed Werman – Ceramics Manager, Tucker Zenskie – Foundry Staff.
Kids: Tristan Tollas, Zeb, Jasper and Cyrus Hornberger, Charlie Wicker.

This is the last chance to view the 2008 Art Collection of Arcosanti residents and alumni, which is displayed in the Arcosanti cafe until the end of the day tomorrow.
This years collection included a beautiful canoe, handbuilt by alumnus David Hutchins [David also displayed ceramic art pieces].

Artists featured were:
Sue Anaya - beadwork,
Palma Burdick - painting,
Nelson Delarosa - sculpture,
Alfonso Elia - photography,
David De Gomez - photography, graphics, sculpture,
Ania Gorka - sketches,
Cliff Hersted - sculpture, graphics,
Will Holman - furniture,
Amber Klatt - sketches,
[photo] Cliff Hersted sculptures and photographs of local petroglyphs.

also:
Maggie Lamb - sketches, collage,
Peter Lindgren - sketches,
Jeolle McTeague - photography, graphics,
Larry Meagher - ceramics, painting,
Jeffrey Michael - painting,
Adam Nordfors - painting,
Katie Schroeder - jewelry, collage,
Melissa Soluski - glass work,
Erin Turner - quilting.
[photo] David De Gomez photography.