Author | Lightnews

Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · 1d

Wednesday we did a raku firing at Good Dirt, Athens, GA. #ceramics #raku

Bud vase with iridescent raku finish (Rick's turquoise outside, white crackle inside)

Several raku-glazed pieces. White crackle vases and skull. Vase with red terra sigillata outside and Rick's turquoise inside. Black markings applied with horse hair and snake skin.

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · 19d

Slightly conical flagon; a successful deviation from my more customary tulip-shaped mugs. Very happy with this one.

(other features: bands of texture added with a serrated rib; Isla's Blue Bomb glaze + brighter blue accents from Burke's Celadon)

Blue mug with texture bands, oblique view

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Aug 31

Workin' Bowl Blues #ceramics

Interior aspects of two blue bowls in a dish-drying rack; Ingredient/snack bowl (clear over Isla's blue bomb) and cereal/soup bowl (Licorice black over Isla's)

Exterior aspects of two blue bowls in a dish-drying rack

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Aug 14

bisque on glazed shelf / baby pic

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Aug 13

Stay gold, pony boy!
#ceramics #jar #amaco_PC-2

Iron oxide-stained ceramic skull jar with gold crown, outside view

Iron oxide-stained ceramic skull jar with gold-glazed interior

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Aug 4

Family-provided underglaze designs: sibling sunflower; a copy of niece's beach drawing

mug with sunflower design and spearmint green glazed inside

mug back: frowning storm clouds, raindrops, and churning sea

mug front: sun, smiling clouds, and row of waves

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Jul 12

This mug drinks well; its outer glaze (floating blue) ran amok but narrowly avoided sticking to the shelf.
#ceramics

Left side view of a handmade turquoise mug of coffee

Right side view of handmade turquoise mug

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Jun 30

green bowl
#ceramics

bottom view of pentagonally altered bowl

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Jun 27

Fab collab action shots of BHware (fader affordance gimmick mugz)!

Patch cable and mug still life; arranged by Jason NeSmith

Photo by Brinda Cockburn: pair of BH audio mugs (2024 prototype and its "perfect" reiteration), pictured with her yellow teapot).

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Jun 26

After glaze firing, the black over blue is what I'd call serviceable, or more charitably, "subtle" decoration. The quest for Periwinkle Pizzazz continues. 😀

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Jun 20

Grazie! After a meticulous process, the finished piece is ready... to be crushed into drainage rock! 😆

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Jun 19

I broke the best bowl I ever made while washing dishes, but it's no problem. These will be blue with accents after they're fired.

side view of a glazed bisque bowl before glaze firing (isla's blue with licorice black accents)

top view of a glazed bisque bowl before glaze firing (isla's blue with licorice black accents)

top view of a glazed bisque bowl before glaze firing (isla's blue with warm jade green accents)

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · May 18

Chickadee mug QA approved. (comfortable lip and handle; hint of attitude)
#ceramics #chickadee

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · May 16

Dusted off my figure drawing yesterday evening at Georgia Museum of Art.

This weekend you can catch the closing days of the exhibit, "Beyond the Medici: The Haukohl Family Collection" #drawing #GMOA

Graphite drawing of seated figure holding a lyre, in a cross-legged with laurels around his neck

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · May 13

Bric-à-brac #ceramics in the yard — taking a break from post-storm oak limb removal & arbor repair. 😘

hanging clay ornament, in the shape of human phalanges

finger bone ornament oriented in hand to demonstrate scale, which is about 120% of an actual middle finger.

toric closed form with base, top view; yet-to-be-hung hanging plant pot, bottom view of drainage holes

hanging plant pot and toric vase, side / oblique view

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Apr 2

Vintage cartoons (2016-2018)

#drawing #cartoon

Small rotund man's arm gestures and necktie spell "SAD"

"Old Beefs": a wheelchair-enabled steak with senile dentition represents longstanding, stubbornly held grievance

Blackbeard, with a gracious plenty of pistols, demonstrates an occupational hazard: gravity

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Apr 2

Polite spider requests the pleasure of insect company on this tulip at seven thirty p.m.

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Mar 26

Customer coffee action shot
+ mug baby pictures.
All grown up, they're now city slickers in Decatur, Georgia.

#ceramics

A pair of mugs and a coffee maker
📸: Eric Shoemaker

Greenware mug with underglaze textural sketch

Stealth blue on black cup-pour glaze on mug before firing

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Mar 21

1. Camellia mug; sold to an art director/visual designer
2. Current "thunderdome" champion (most usable yet, per my own relentless QA testing)

#ceramics

Mug decorated with a hand-painted slip and underglaze camellia blossom

Oblique front/side view of turquoise mug

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Mar 21

Thank you for playing Athens, GA, @anoushkashankar.bsky.social
Delightful performance!

interior shot of Hodgson Concert Hall, UGA

Photo of Anoushka Shankar printed in an event booklet

pencil sketch of Anouska, band, and cast shadows (drawing in the dark)

Anoushka performing (drawing in the dark)

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Mar 16

Pear soap opera s1e5:
Season finale!
💛💚
Marion takes a bath before his blind date with Crispin at the amusement park.
#pear #ceramics

Pear sculpture toweling off with a dish rag by the kitchen sink

Two anthropomorphic ceramic pear sculptures living their best life

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Mar 13

Pear soap opera s1e4!!!
As Crispin crazes on the sideboard, Marion continues to collect dust... high on a shelf in the kitchen. Stay tuned for the season finale!

Episode 4 is sponsored by daffodil mug (yellow and white slip, orange underglaze, spearmint and clear glaze).

#pear #ceramics

Smiling porcelain pear sculpture flanked by stoneware lidded jars

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Mar 7

Pear soap opera s1e3:
Crispin emerges from the glaze kiln.

Per his nascent volunteer writing staff:
• "At the moment Crispin is single - and he is a philosopher/poet."
• The O.G. pear (introduced in e1) is named Marion.
#ceramics #pear

Ceramic sculpture of a glossy yellow-green pear with a smiling face

Glazed pear sculpture on a shelf among a clutter of drying greenware and art supplies

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Mar 3

Pear soap opera s1e2
• The pear has a name: "Crispin"! (thanks Brinda)
• Crispin is bisque fired and now awaits glaze firing
• bonus non sequitur daffodil

porcelain sculpture of a pear with a smiling face and yellow slip finish, bisque fired

Pear sculpture coated with Burke's celadon, on a shelf among other pottery to be glaze fired

pale yellow daffodil with a saturated yellow center, backlit by the sun

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Ben Hesse @bhesse.bsky.social · Feb 21

Pear soap opera s1e1: Companionship Imminent

#ceramics #pear

Collection of objects: Mais Luoco cup, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom metal lunchbox, glazed ceramic pear (1991), Mathew Munier mug (2024)

Standard mug with Highwater P10 handle (🤷‍♀️) and pear closed form

Porcelain pear decorated with yellow and brown slip

Mug with slip flower and pear with sculpted face

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