Wheel thrown ceramic pottery & sterling by firenfluxhandmade

2 artists who share an aesthetic and think it's more fun to work together to create great useable works of art.

We have known each other for almost 10 years now and have worked together at our "real" jobs for that time. We quickly discovered that we both loved to create one of a kind usable art and started to learn from each other. Dana has been teaching Emily to throw pottery on the potters wheel and she has been teaching Dana about all the beautiful stones she uses in her jewelry. About 3 years ago we thought we could do some crossover work together. Dana started making ceramic beads and pendants to use in Emily's jewelry and she started adding embellishments to Dana's pots. It wasn't long after that we decided to set up shop. Our name comes from our shared use of fire to create our work and the double meaning of flux as change and also as a tool in creating Emily's jewelry.

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Pottery making 101:

We start with premixed clay and portion it into the weight's we will use to make our pieces. Before we can start to work with it, it must be conditioned (wedged) to remove any air bubbles from the clay. Then it's formed into bowls, bottles, mugs, jars and more using Dana's potters wheel. After the finished forms are partially dry (leather hard) the fun part begins. Handles and spouts and thrown or hand-built and added, designs are sketched onto the surface and carved using loop tools, colored slips are painted on and then carved through. After the pieces are completely dry, they are fired to a temperature of about 1700 degrees Fahrenheit in Dana's electric kiln. But wait, there's more! Now we can put the finishing touches and color on each piece and ensure it's safe for food and the microwave and sturdy for everyday use. It's time to glaze. In our shop, we use a combination of commercially purchased already mixed glazes and glazes we have mixed ourselves from raw ingredients (think making a cake from scratch without the box but a lot less tasty). Because our work is highly detailed, we can not simply dip the pieces in a bucket of glaze and call it done. Each color is painted on by hand with multiple coats to ensure it's thick enough to produce the color we want. Once this is done, the pieces take one last ride in the kiln this time to a temperature of about 2200 degrees Fahrenheit which takes about 24 hours from start to when it's cool enough to open up the kiln and take out the finished pieces.

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Jewelry Making 101:

Emily's jewelry is made using a variety of different processes and techniques depending on the piece. They all start with a beautiful semi-precious stone that she has purchased from the huge gem and mineral show which stops in Tucson twice a year. After selecting the stones she wants to use, she lays out her design and decides what method to use to create the finished piece. Some pieces are strung on one wire and finished with a handmade or commercially purchased clasp which Emily attaches herself. Some stones she wire wraps individually and attaches together forming a chain. Some pieces contain components which we have cast out of sterling silver. These pieces generally take the most work. We start with actual leaves or a block of wax. If it's a real leaf we want to cast, we have to thicken it up a bit in order for it to come out in silver. In order to achieve this, the back is painted with wax in multiple coats. Some of the pieces were carved out of a block of wax or created with a hot glue gun. Then, we attach wax sprues to each piece and create a mold using a plaster like casting medium. Lastly the wax or organic material is burned out in a kiln leaving the hollow impression of the item in the mold. The metal is heated until molten and injected into the mold. Since we do not have the facilities to cast pieces in our homes, these items were made at the Tucson Parks and Rec facilities where we took a class to learn to make items in this way. We do everything ourselves other than pouring the metal into the mold. Once the pieces come out of the mold, the sprues are cut off with a jewelers saw or a Dremel tool then filed and polished. Any stones that have to be set in place is also done by hand.

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We put a lot of work into all of our items with our own 4 hands to ensure they are very well made. All of our items can outlast all of us and be passed down from generation to generation. We hope reading about our process helps to shed some light on what goes into your finished product. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for reading!

firenfluxhandmade

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Can you change the length of the necklace I buy?

I see something you sold previously that is not for sale currently. Can you remake another one?