Catherine "Kater" Cheek is a writer and artist.
Catherine Cheek
Author's posts
Aug 03
Optic Mold Paperweight
For the third paperweight, this one, I decided to use the optic mold. This is a star-shaped mold that tapers to a narrow point. I believe it’s made of aluminum. After rolling my first gather of glass in the frit and melting the frit into it, I put the jack glass-side down and push, incising …
Jul 31
Blue and Red Swirl Paperweight
This was my second paperweight I made at the one-day workshop I did in May. My idea was to quickly pull a bird into shape out of the hot glass I’d gathered. This is easier said than done. My bird quickly became a melted taffy impersonation, and it was all I could do to loop …
Jul 27
Hodge-Podge Paperweight
The paperweight class I’d signed up for at the Mesa Art Center, though cancelled three times in a row, went off fine the fourth time I registered for it, and I was able to make three paperweights. We were having trouble with the crucible kiln not clicking shut properly, and the glass got too cool, …
Jul 24
Florentine-Cobalt Porcelain Cup
This was one of the cups I threw with my share of the batch of porcelain that some of our classmates mixed up. I had some of Kurt Weiser’s cobalt underglaze that Bridget Harper (my ceramics teacher and friend) cadged for me. I’ve done underglaze or stain on porcelain many, many times. This is a …
Jul 21
Green Celadon Cup
This was one of a series I made from my share of the batch of porcelain we mixed up. I tend to throw 1/4 of an inch walls on my pottery, and I’ve gotten out of the habit of trimming down to 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch walls, which is really what this porcelain …