Rubbing Alcohol Technique: Create a Fun, Abstract Ceramic Piece in Just a Few Easy Steps

So you feel like painting pottery, but you’re just not feeling very creative. Sometimes, all that’s needed to spark your creativity is to simply start. Here’s a fun, easy technique that uses rubbing alcohol and a few of your favorite colors to create an abstract piece you can be proud of. And who knows – it may be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing.

Step 1: Apply 3 coats of your base color, letting each coat dry before applying the next.

Step 2: Mix the second color with water to a thin wash consistency and then apply one coat to your piece.

Step 3: Immediately add drops of rubbing alcohol using a small brush or eyedropper.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 – 4 with as many colors as you like.

Step 5: Let dry, cover with clear glaze, stilt and fire.

 Once you have applied all your colors and rubbing alcohol, you can leave as is or, if the creative juices have begun to flow, you can use a detail brush to add additional strokes for some extra flair. As with any paint your own pottery project, the possibilities are endless!

Until next time…    Peace, Love, and Pottery

Connecting the Generations: The Importance of Intergenerational Activities

Intergenerational activities can be a great way to build friendships and community by bringing together people of different ages and backgrounds to explore and work toward a common goal.  New relationships are formed and a new found respect emerges. Some intergenerational activities include youth teaching older adults how to use the computer and Internet, adults mentoring elementary school students, and seniors and children performing together in a community theatre production.

I recently had the opportunity to work on an intergenerational project with a group of seniors at an assisted living center we visit regularly.  To coincide with their “Baseball” theme, residents painted plates to look like baseballs. It was great fun helping with the painting and listening to the light-hearted banter between the participants. Everyone had a wonderful time and lots of great art was created.

Once the plates were painted, they were taken back to the VanGo Studio to be glazed and fired and then delivered back to the residents a few days later. The next part of the project involved students from a nearby middle school – students and senior residents competed in a friendly game of indoor baseball complete with personalized baseball caps and uniforms. Then, using a no-bake ceramic pen, each of the kiddos signed the baseball plates to commemorate the fun event and time spent together. The seniors were the lucky recipients of the plates, displaying them proudly in their rooms.

Being a part of this project was such a great experience for me. Not only was it a fun, creative way to bring different generations together, it made me realize the importance of doing so.

Until next time…    Peace, Love, and Pottery

The Great Outdoors: Tips for Planning Your Outdoor Party

Photo: AZ.gov

Winter in the Desert What do you do when your winter days are sunny and 70°? Plan an outdoor party, of course! Whether it’s a birthday party, a family reunion, a scouting event, or just a group of friends getting together, there’s nothing like spending time with friends and family in the great outdoors.

Location, location, location Now that you’ve decided to have an outdoor party, where should you have it? Backyard parties are lots of fun, economical, and very convenient. Parks are another great option, with lots of room for games and running around. Phoenix, AZ has lots of excellent parks, many with reservable ramadas. For large, corporate events, check out The Farm at South Mountain with its “dazzling 12 acre property that features multiple spaces to accommodate any group or any type of occasion.” Community centers and apartment club houses are also great options; many of which offer access to indoor and outdoor common areas.

Weather I may be biased, but I think Phoenix and surrounding areas have the best winter weather in the nation. Hands down. But for those questionable winter days, it’s best to check the weather forecast and have a backup plan. You may want to bring along an awning or tent or choose a location with easy access to an indoor area.

Food There are lots of great options when choosing food for your party. You may want to keep it simple and bring take-out items such as pizza or chicken. Barbecue is another great option as most any park has grills and barbecue food items are extensive enough to satisfy most anyone, even vegetarians. Finger foods and little sandwiches are great for younger guests and easy to clean up. Potlucks are a great way to have a variety of food with everyone pitching in to bring their favorite dish while minimizing the work for the party host. For parties with a theme, guests can bring a theme-based item. And for dessert, cupcakes are an easy, convenient alternative to cake.

Entertainment Outdoor parties are great for games that involve lots of running around and teamwork. Volleyball and kickball are fun activities for any age and easy enough to coordinate. For a creative activity, pottery painting is a great way to go and your friends at VanGo Pottery™ would love to help you plan your party! Other ideas include carnival games (don’t forget the prizes!), scavenger hunts, water balloon toss, and all the old favorites such as relay races, touch football, and tag.

Whatever your reason for having a party, remember, it’s all about spending time with friends and making memories. Whether you have a huge family reunion or a small gathering with friends, be sure to keep the planning, preparation, and price within your comfort zone. That way, you can be sure to enjoy the party as much as your guests.

Planning a Baby Shower: Skip the Games

Baby showers are a great way to honor and support Moms-to-be. But planning a shower can become overwhelming—deciding on location, theme, food, party favors, and games—turning an otherwise happy occasion into a daunting task. Before you know it, you are wishing you had never volunteered to host the shower.

A successful baby shower comes down to thoughtful planning and organization. You want the party to be fun and memorable and part of this involves coming up with fun baby shower games. But let’s face it, sometimes the usual shower games are not so fun and often are the dreaded part of the festivities.

Why not skip the games and do something fun and functional for the mom-to-be: pottery painting. Pottery painting is a lot of fun and a great way to bond with friends and family. And with the help of the staff at VanGo Pottery, your baby shower can be a memorable occasion that guests will be talking about for a long time.

You and your guests can paint a variety of items using colors and themes chosen by the mom to be. And with the guest of honor’s help, each piece will be a gift she and baby can use and treasure for years to come.

For the nursery, guests can paint items such as picture frames, light switch covers, tissue box covers, trinket boxes, piggy banks, and decorative tiles and plaques. For the kitchen, guests can paint matching plates, cups, and bowls as well as serving dishes and trays. Or how about a special tea set for mom to drink her favorite tea during those rare quiet times after baby is born. The possibilities are endless!

Here’s how it works: Contact VanGo Pottery (http://www.VanGoPottery.com) to discuss ideas and themes. The guest of honor can select pieces and colors ahead of time. We will come to your location and provide pottery, paints, brushes, and design tools. We will stay for up to 2 hours, providing assistance as needed and clean-up afterward. We then take the painted pieces back to our studio where we glaze and fire them, making them shiny, food-safe, and ready for delivery in about a week.

So put away the diaper pins and tape measure and call VanGo Pottery: 602.468.3136. Pottery painting is a great alternative to the usual party games and much more fun than guessing mommy’s tummy size. Less embarrassing, too.

Photos courtesy of http://www.ilovetocreate.com/.

Happy Accidents: Making Art from Mistakes

I am in the process of bringing in a new line of glaze and have been testing new colors to see if they are compatible with my current colors. During a recent round of testing, I decided to paint a salsa bowl, as one can never have too many salsa bowls. My salsa bowl was actually a drip tray from a flower pot set that was rescued from my “discard” box, because it had a small chip in it. Nothing that a few coats of paint wouldn’t cover.

After painting the salsa bowl with the new colors, I decided it needed a little more pizzazz, but I was pressed for time. What could I do quickly that would look good? A stamp would be perfect! After some consideration, I chose one of my cute frog stamps, even though it was not a particularly good stamp to use with glaze. I sponged a bit of Java Bean (yes, it looks as yummy as it sounds) on the stamp and stamped away. One-two-three- lift! Ugh! It looked nothing like a frog. It was basically a brown blob.

Now what? I couldn’t leave the sorry looking blob frog at the bottom of my salsa bowl. So I decided to have some fun and get creative. I grabbed the sponge, dipped it back into the Java Bean and sponged over what was left of the frog. Then I created a flower outline using the Sgraffito technique; a technique in which layers of color are applied to the bisque (pottery) then lightly scraped away to create an outline. In this case, I lightly scraped some of the brown to reveal the blue underneath. For the finishing touch, I added some splashes of Sour Apple.

The results? The colors are very happily cohabitating with each other and I love my new piece! Time for some chips and salsa…

Happy New Year from VanGo Pottery!

Hello, friends and Happy New Year! We hope you’re as excited as we are to see what the New Year brings. As of this writing, we are happily awaiting the arrival of some new and exciting bisque pieces. Check out our Facebook page for more information on our newest arrivals: https://www.facebook.com/VanGoPottery

Back by popular demand, we will be offering clay handbuilding classes in the spring. These are 2-part classes in which students of all skill levels create a clay masterpiece during the first class and then paint the fired masterpiece during the next class. Classes are very laid back and lots of fun. We will have a schedule in place within the next few weeks; you can call the studio at 602.468.3136 or “like” our Facebook page to stay on top of the latest happenings.

As always, when you paint your own pottery with VanGo Pottery™ you never pay a studio fee. You pay only for the pottery you choose. All of the following is included in the price of your pottery:

• Pottery (bisque)
• Use of our paints and brushes
• Use of our design tools
• Staff assistance for up to 2 hours
• Cleanup
• Glazing and firing
• Delivery of finished pieces to the party host

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy New Year! Hope to see you soon.

Peace, Love, and Pottery.

VanGo Pottery™ Solves the Birthday Party Dilemma!

Looking for something fun and creative to do at your child’s next birthday party? Then consider having a pottery painting party with VanGo Pottery! We will come to the location of your choice and provide everything you need to entertain your guests with pottery painting fun. And with the nice weather upon us, it’s the perfect time to plan an outdoor party in your backyard or at your favorite park.

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes!

One of our most popular birthday party packages allows you to choose from a huge assortment of boxes. The boxes come in a variety of shapes and are not only fun to paint, but are great for storing your child’s favorite trinkets and knick knacks. The cost is $15 - $20 per box (plus tax) and includes all of the following:

• Choice of box
• Use of our paints, glazes, and design tools
• Staff assistance for up to 2 hours
• Cleanup
• Glazing and firing
• Delivery of your finished pieces

And with no studio fees, moms and dads can help children paint their pieces at no additional charge.

For an additional fee, our staff will help the birthday child and his or her guests decorate a dinner-size birthday plate to commemorate the occasion.

For more information and to book your party, please call 602.468.3136.

Thrift Store Inspiration

Recently, I was with a friend engaging in one of my favorite past times: thrift store shopping. If you’re like me, you don’t need a reason to shop in thrift stores. It’s simply fun to browse through aisle after aisle of knickknacks and whatnots that others no longer want with the goal of finding a hidden treasure at a fraction of the original cost.

During this particular outing, I came across a small ceramic goblet that caught my eye. It quickly went from merely “eye catching” to “must have.” Though the photo in this article doesn’t do it justice (I blame it on poor lighting and a crummy cell phone camera), it does provide a semblance of what my new found treasure looked like.

The goblet was quite small, only a few inches tall by a few inches wide. The colors consisted of varying shades of blues and browns with a whimsical, fish-like object on either side. It was truly a fun little piece that was worthy of shelf space on the curio in my family room.

As I was applauding myself for having found such a cute piece at such a great price—$2 during the half-off sale—my friend pointed out a chip in the goblet’s rim. It wasn’t a huge chip, but the goblet was so small that the chip became significant. Rats! I found myself trying to overlook the defect and thinking of how I could display it so that the chip would not be seen.

Just as I had convinced myself, again, that I should make the purchase, my friend took it from me and politely advised me against it. She told me I could make one myself—a better one! One with no chip. And in true friend fashion, she went on to “remind” me about my artistic abilities and talent. And with that, the decision was made. I am now in the process of making my own cute little goblet (perhaps, a series) and all it took was a little inspiration from a thrift store find and the gentle nudging of a wonderful friend.

VanGo Pottery™ - Taking Environmental Responsibility Seriously

A client recently commented that my paint brushes were very clean. I replied that my staff and I make it a point to keep them clean and that I still have many of the same brushes from when I started the business, five years ago. That got me thinking about how important it has been for me to reuse and recycle as often as I can.

I’ve reused the same red, plastic cups for rinsing brushes for five years. When wrapping and boxing my clients’ pottery, I reuse the packaging from supply shipments I have received. Many of the molds and design tools used in my clay handbuilding classes are throwaway household items and thrift store finds. And because the kiln uses a great deal of electricity, I coordinate my firings to be as energy-efficient as possible. In addition, several vendors have adopted “green” practices as well.

There are lots of little things we, at VanGo Pottery, do on a daily basis to reuse, recycle, and eliminate waste. And we will continue to look for ways to incorporate sustainable practices into our business model. I am proud to be a part of the global movement to make environmentally responsible choices.

Process Art

Lots of great things have been happening at VanGo Pottery™ since my last post. In addition to working with our regular clients, we’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with many new groups, including Girl Scout troupes, church groups, mom’s groups, business groups, and school groups. It’s always great fun watching people come together to make art. It seems that no matter what is going on in the outside world, given the opportunity to create, most people are transformed to a place of calm and ingenuity. Walls come down and barriers are broken.

This month, children in our preschool classes had the opportunity to learn about tile art and mosaics. We studied several tile muralists and then the kiddos got busy creating their own tile masterpieces. They sketched out several designs, developed their own color palettes, and then painted their tiles. Once completed, the tiles were affixed to a beautiful wooden tray, to be used for serving special meals to the special people in their lives.

The tile project, and most all of my projects focus on the process rather than the end product. Because learning styles are as unique as the child (or grown-up), I let the student be my guide. Where more attention is needed, more attention is given and vice-versa. Through trial and error (and a little guidance), the student discovers his or her own process and builds confidence to pursue the next project. How can the end result be anything less than spectacular?!

Until next time, Peace, Love, and Pottery!