Mississippi Mud Studios

Since my appendectomy almost 6 six weeks ago, I had only been to the studio once to pick up my pieces from the wood fire.  :( I have been working on a piece at home and have plans to enter a few shows this summer. I signed up for the Iowa Clay Conference which is in September. Go here to find out about the conference.  I recently purchased a Canon Rebel SLR camera package, so I thought I should post some pictures I took with it.  Below are pics of Mississippi Mud Studios, the ceramics studio I belong too. I cant wait to finish the piece I am working on and am very nervous, but I will post pictures of that shortly.

Electrostatic Flocking Applicator

Okay so I was on www.craftflocking.com getting ready to order some flock, when this new fancy and affordable Static Stick appeared on their webpage.  only $119.95.  I am very pleased with the results, it takes only a few minutes to get professional surface. You just have to take your time, and be careful where you apply the glue.  If the glue gets on an area where you don't want flocking, you need to wipe it off immediately.  Once the flocking is applied, it is extremely difficult to take off, especially on a wood fired surface because it is so rough (or at least mine are).   What I like about this applicator the most is that you can either use the AC adapter or a 9 volt battery.  The battery part would be excellent for demos, since the cord is only 4 ft long.

here are the specs courtesy of craftflocking.com:

13.5(bat) to 18 Kilavolts electrostatic field.
Self Standing for easy loading.
See through applicator cup.
Copper Charging plate to induce static charge in flock material.
Works with Flocking Fibers as well as model scenic grasses from Notch™ and Woodland Scenics™ materials as well as many more!
Screw on cap.
The static stick can be powered by a 9 volt battery or a wall adapter.
110VAC US Wall power adapter included.
Hi-Power transformer custom manufactured for this product.

The package arrives and Daisy investigates.

Scooter's Static Stick

1lb Green Flocking

Getting Started. 

Unscrew mesh screen and add the flocking

Attached to the yellow wire is a T-pin, you take the t-pin and touch it to the glue on your surface.  Then you hold the Static Stick upside down and push and hold the red button down on the side of the stick.  This negatively charges the flock particles

bought this at hobby lobby,  dries to a clear matte.

Adamah fired mountains, pre flocking

wood fired mountains #2

green flocking applied to 4 sides of 5 in wood fired mountain

green flocking on backside of little mountain

Instructions that came with the Static Stick

 I will post more pictures of the mountains as I work on them.  If you have any questions about the Static Stick leave a comment or shoot me an email.

Hollie

One Year as A Post-Undergrad

It has been almost exactly a year since I graduated from UHA. So far I have moved halfway across the country, moved in with Zach, got a full-time job at a garden center and became a member at Mississippi Mud Studios. I was accepted into a juried show and won an honorable mention, got a cat named Daisy, gone home for a funeral, went to NCECA in Tampa,  had my ruptured appendix removed, and participated in an Adamah firing in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

Zach will be halfway done with Palmer College of Chiropractic in almost a month.  He has four trimesters left, and probably a Study Abroad tucked in there somewhere.  Then to the East Coast!

I am working on finishing the body of work I started in August and applying for a few shows and a residency. An affordable electrostatic flocking applicator just entered the craft flocking market, which would yield professional flocking results.  With an electrostatic applicator, the flock particles would be negatively charged, and attracted to the adhesive, so they would stand on their ends instead of lying flat on their sides, like with the shaker or puff method.  Thank god and I hope this thing works, because the squeeze bottle method makes your hand hurt.

NCECA was a great time, it was refreshing to be back in your own world, when everyday life can suck the fun out of art, or suck the art out of art or the life out of art ya know.   Plus it always rules to see Walter and Diane in the same day.

The woodfire I recently had work is located at:   bethelhorizons.org 

My Studio Space

Shelves and my green wall

Mountains in Progress

Mountains in Progress

Land Sculptures- bisque