Seize the Clay

Totally Kiln it!

She is a Monroe County native, having been born and raised in Ida. She attended Bedford High School, which started her love of pottery--and it as a hobby. "I have no formal training," she told us that night. "I actually went to business school! But it wasn't for me. So now I'm lucky that I have a studio at home and get to work on my art there."

She's also lived in Alicante, Spain, where she fell in love with pottery even more, and Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where she joined a small local pottery studio and taught pottery classes.

She continued on after introducing herself, talking about different types of clay--Earthenware, Stoneware, and Porcelain. She mainly uses Stoneware, and told us that Porcelain is the most "desireable" clay, but also the hardest to work with--and the technique of "wedging," which helps remove air bubbles and moisture, get even consistency, alligns the clay, and trains the memory of the clay so it's easier to work with when it's on the wheel.

Fun fact: people may say that trapped air causes explosions in the kiln. This is not true! It's trapped moisture that causes explosions in the kiln. So you've got to make sure your pieces are completely dry before placing them in to bake. Otherwise

We continued on with the presentation, talking about different glazes and where to get clay (Rachel drives to Ann Arbor to get hers), discussing how there are different methods to apply glaze, including the "Peacock method," which is applying glaze with movement, comes out different each time you do it!

Also, mixing glazes makes a new glaze each time! So, if you're trying to make something with "food safe" glaze--like fruit bowls or coffee mugs--it's best not to mix the glaze, just to make sure that it stays food safe!

She went on to pass out little poker-chip size pieces of pottery to show us how she tests her glazes on different types of clay, to ensure she gets the right one she wants.

Finally, Rachel passed around her works (and this is the part that I got real excited for, because some of these pieces are just gorgeous. I'm currently saving up to purchase one from her--though her pieces range in prices, from $10 up--because I'd love to have a mug I keep at the office to limit the amount of disposable coffee cups I go through). 



The above one is my favorite, because the glaze she used on it makes it look like cast iron! It was so cool, and I definitely add it to my wares if I could!

I also love how she does her signature on the pottery! Just a simple "R" on the bottom of each piece. Simple, sophisticated, and easily identifiable!



This last piece is her current fruit bowl in her home, one she said she'd never part with (and I don't blame her, it's very heavy and very pretty).

Finally, if you'd like to reach out to Rachel to purchase one of her potter items, or possibly contact her for a lesson or two (she did mention, while she's still local, she would love to teach again), feel free to get a hold of her through her facebook page: Pottery By Rachel Doballah or by emailing her at potterybyracheld@gmail.com.

Finally, if you've made it this far, just some housekeeping that took place in January!

I introduced the sign up sheets for the various committees that we have, including:

• Members Only Show
• Set up, bring snacks, give information, etc.

• Monroe County Fair
• We will try to become even more involved in the fair this year, this committee will be tasked with expanding our presence.

• Picnic
• We need people to set up and clean up as well as make sure everything runs smoothly.

• Social Media
• Take pictures at events that we have to post to the social media pages)

• Open Air Market Kids Tent
• This includes planning/shopping/set up of a craft table as well as face painting.

• Open Air Market
• This entails not only setting up for the market it is expanded to include the children’s craft table and face painting that was a great hit at last year’s market.

• Brilliance on a Budget
• We need members to actively recruit people to do these sessions. They are a good way to encourage the public to learn new art skills and promote the MAL.

• Classes
• This is a major part of our funding and recruitment of new members. Committee members will find teachers for new classes. They will also set up and run classes, register, inform, collect fees…etc.

• Show Committee
• Find shows, help set up, tear-down, run, etc. We’re trying to get more shows – both to sell and to show off work.

• Plein Air
• Planning with a focus on location for the convenience of our members. Quality over quantity.

• Field Trips
• Planning trips to places, including car pooling and time spent at places. I.e. Blick’s in Ann Arbor, The Toledo Art Museum, etc.

We also had a few more added to the roster:

• Finding a Home
• Work on getting us a home by talking with the city, etc. Mostly keep on and let people know we want a permanent home.
• Sunshine Committee
• Send get well cards, thinking of you cards, etc. to let people know we’re thinking of them in hard times.
• Grants
• Finding and writing grants for us.

If you’d like to sign up for any of these committees and weren’t at the meeting in January, feel free to email me at mmiartleague1959@gmail.com and let me know which committee you’d like to join! Additionally, if you have any questions about these committees or what they'll do, please feel free to reach out to me. 

Secondly, I introduced two new internships: Social Media Manager and Website Manager. Look for those to appear on the website soon!

And finally, February's meeting will feature no demonstrator; instead, we will be working on bookmarks to hand out at the One Book, One Community event the library is sponsering in March. More on that in an email!

And with that, the blog post is finished! Now excuse me while I tidy up our website and such!

See you soon!

--Sami