Clay Times Magazine Volume 17 • Issue 92 by claytimes

CERAMIC

ART

TRENDS,

TOOLS,

AND

TIMES

Clay

TECHNIQUES

Volume 17 • Issue 92 PRE-HOLIDAY 2011

John Fulwood: The Many Benefits of Single Firing Your Work A ‘Baker’s Muffin Pan’ Pre-holiday Project Studio Poster Insert 19th Strictly Functional Pottery National Career Reflections of Angelique Tassistro Glaze Mixing Made Easy

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Random Acts of Public Art

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contents

TIMES

Clay

AUTUMN 2011 Volume 17 • Issue 92

Gravy Boat by Martha Grover. From this year’s “Strictly Functional Pottery National” show. See poster and p. 18.

Cover photo: Two-quart Pitcher by John Fulwood. 10" tall. St. John’s Black glaze poured inside; Aerni Ash glaze sprayed outside; St. John’s Black glaze sprayed on top. Single-fired to cone 10 in reduction. Story begins on p. 14. Cover inset photo: Lidded Jar by Markus Urbanik, another 2011 Strictly Functional Pottery National juried artist. Watch for our favorite SFPN images to appear in CT's new 2012 Potter’s Calendar (a great holiday gift!), available soon from the CT online store at www.claytimes. com/store.html

features 14 John Fulwood’s Single-fired Pots After his regular bisque-then-glaze routine became monotonous, this New Jersey potter encountered a renewed sense of excitement with sprayed, layered glazes and the oncefiring process. Cut Bowl by John Fulwood. 8" diameter. Thrown and altered, with multiple sprayed glazes: SH Strontium Crystal Magic, Spotted Black, 2D Blue, and Hanna’s Fake Ash. Glaze recipes appear on page 47.

exhibits 18 Strictly Functional Pottery National It’s always a treat to view the incredible artistic talent visible in the works of the nation’s favorite exhibition devoted to utilitarian claywork. Bonus: Look for the SFPN removable studio poster inserted into this print issue of CT!

31 New Learning of Old Techniques A group of students take part in an archaeological study of pots made by the ancestral Pueblo people of northwestern New Mexico; then they learn about its purpose and formation to create their own similar works using the same ancient techniques.

41 Glaze Mixing Made Easy Stuck with another glaze recipe in the wrong format? Don’t sweat it — there’s now a tricky little answer for making your conversion totally painless. 5

contents

TIMES

Clay AUTUMN 2011 • Volume 17 • Issue 92

departments 9 EDITOR’S DESK Thinking Globally, Acting Locally ...

11 WHAT’S HOT Clay world news, events, and calls for entries

34 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers

Above: A new glaze calculation chart makes glaze mixing a breeze. For details, turn to page 41. Top right: Neil Patterson’s random act of public art inspires others to share. See story on page 49.

44 SLURRY BUCKET Studio-tested tips to save you time and money

45 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in your community

columns 21 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Preparing for the Art Faculty Interview” by Pete Pinnell

38 TOOL TIMES “Clever Clay Tools from Across the U.S.” by Vince Pitelka

47 GREAT GLAZES Cover artist John Fulwood shares recipes for singlefiring to cone 10

48 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists

50 ADVERTISER INDEX A quick reference to find your favorite ceramics suppliers in this issue (be sure to tell them you found them in Clay Times!) 6

25 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Career Reflections of Angelique Tassistro” interview by Lana Wilson

27 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “A Muffin Pan Project” by Bill van Gilder

37 BOOKS & VIDEOS Delores Porras: Artista Artesana review by Steve Branfman

40 KILNS & FIRING “Should You Switch to Natural Gas?” by Marc Ward

43 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Glaze in Your Cosmetics?” by Monona Rossol

49 AROUND THE FIREBOX “Random Acts of Public Art” by Kelly Savino

The

Orcas Island Pottery has operated, sustainably, in the woods since 1945. Facing the Canadian Coastal Range and the Salish Sea, artistic inspiration is close at hand. Levi Vincent and Ryan Lawless work summers here as production throwers, living a potters dream. Levi has been using the Giffin Grip for many years, Ryan just got started. ^ 0#5.,#'-5 &&5) 55\ '5)(5 #.65 ( 5 5$/-.5 # 5.)5.,35#.85 51 -5-)& 8_5575 3 (5 1& --

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^ 5/- 5 &&5-),.-5) 5.))&-5#(5." 5-./ #)855Äť#-5.))&5 &&)1-5 55' 5.)5 )5'35$) 5'), 5 Ĺ&#x192; # (.&365-)51"35().5/- 5#.>_ 55 0#5 #( (.5755Biochemistry major, Western Washington University

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readers Share I Glaze Recipes

Great Glazes Practice: Pinch Pot

To make a basic pinch pot, take a lump of clay about the size of a lemon. It should fit comfortably in your hand. Keep a damp sponge nearby to wet

your hands. • Press one thumb into

Q Vocabulary

pinching A hand-buildin technique of squeezing g clay, usually between the fingers and thumb.

Digital Connectio

Using the computer and a variety of programs, have students create their own PowerPoint presentation. Assign each student a different form, such as a pitcher, goblet, teacup, or vase. Instruct them to include variations of the different parts of the form. Have them include a montage of the form as it has appeared in different cultures and time periods, including the present. Suggest that they consider contemporar y and historical functions of the form as well as the manipulation of it into nonfunctional sculpture.

Fig. 3–2. Thee pinch me Fig. 3–2. Th pinch method thod offers the a offers the artist rtist many many options options for creatin for creating g organic s organic shapes. hapes. Student

work, Kayli Robison, Acorn and Leaf Leaf, 2009. Terra sigillata, cone 05, newspaper post-fire smoke.

Pinching

Fig. 3–3. What theme structure and decorat does this cup express

ion balance the desig ? Describe how Student work, n. Jennifer Reusch, Renzi Frenzi, 2009. cone 04 glazes. Hand-carved, slab-built,

Using the pinch Note It Making method, you hand-buil a pinch pot is forms by squeezing d not just a beginner’s method. clay between thumb Some of the world’s and fingers. Making most beautiful a pinch pot may pottery has been simple, but it seem created by pinching. The is an art to hollow key to success out from a single lies in controlling the piece of clay. Japanese a pot turning rhythm ceramic forms while keeping the amount are ideal examples of pressure even of this art, in which the each pinch. for form is perfected ing to an acknowle accord accorddged sense of beauty. For example, each part of a tea bowl— its contours, rim, base, the feel and bal ance in the hand—am balplifies its exquisite dignity. (For more about Japanese bowls, see page tea 59.) To make a pinch pot, squeeze the between the thumb clay and fingers of hand while your one other hand holds and turns the clay. Thin and increase the height of a pot by repeating this rhythmic action. The product usually has a natural or organic quality marked by variation Fig. 3–4. How many s balance and shape. s in pinched and joined toections do you think w The ere the textural repetition walls can feature ture? At what point i gether to form this sc ulps of finger marks ist add texture and o n the process did the a part of the design, as ther decorative elem rthave a surface Student work, ents? Alyssa textured by some other white earthenware, Rodriguez, Tetonka, 2009. method such Cone 05 pinched, with as paddling, or be scraped glaze and underglaze. smooth with a metal rib.

the middle of lump. The clay the at the bottom will be the base of your pot, which should be roughly as thick as the walls. For this exercise, try to make the walls and the base about ¼" (.6 cm) thick. As you develop your tactile sense, you will be able to tell if the clay is too thick or too thin.

• Each succeeding row slightly overlap

of pinches should

s Aesthetics

row below. • Press your thumbtheand

Invite students to study the two cups in Fig. 3–5. Ask them to point out the characteristics of a pinch pot. What similarities exist between the sake cup and the teacup? Lead students in analyzing the intimate relationship between the pinched form and the action of fingers forming the clay. Describe such actions as opening, spreading, ribbing, and stroking. How does tactile quality enhance the the visual effect?

pinching fingers onto the dampene d sponge when you feel the clay drying out. Smooth over any cracks with your As the walls become moistened fingers. thinner, the clay can become too flexible and lose its shape. If that happens, let the clay dry a bit before you finish the pot. Set the pot on the table upside down for a few minutes to let it firm up, or set the pot upright inside something (a jar, a paper tube, mug, or a frozen juice container) to help support the walls.

Press clay with one thumb.

l Art History

Smooth cracks with moistened fingers.

• With your thumb inside

at the center of the base, begin pinching the clay gently between the thumb and fingers of hand while you one support it and slowly turn it with the other hand.

Sake is a Japanese wine made from rice. There are two types of cups for sake drinking. The ochoko is the smaller cup, which broadens at the neck. The larger cup, guinomi, sometimes has a fluted edge. The narrow-neck flask used for heating and serving sake is called a tokkuri.

Pinch while turning.

The earTh’s BesT Clays

• Use a gentle, even pressure

for each pinch to maintain an even thickness the walls. in

Julia Galloway’s Water Blue Base • Make a complete rotation of finger pinches.

• After you’ve gone around

for each row

once, move your pinching thumb and fingers up a bit and start a new rotation.

Move up, pinch, and turn.

Chapter 3

Fig. 3–5. Pinching tec many expressive opti hniques offer the arti st finger marks or be scrons. Surfaces may sho w be asymmetrical or ba aped smooth. Shapes can these pinched cups we lanced. How do you th ink

re finished? Japanese, Sake cup and raku teacup. 2" (5 cm) and 2½" (6.3 cm) diameter.Glazed ceramic, Private collection.

Hand-Built Forms

Cone 04-6 Oxidation

this is a glossy transparent base that is brushable and watercolor-like. (Pete Pinnell says this glaze is not food safe because it crazes too much and thus is not good in a dishwasher or microwave.)

Hand-build, throw, decorate, fire all the background you need is here! By emphasizing technique and creativity, Experience Clay focuses on the importance discipline and self expression. gerstleyofborate 6% Highlights include: a wide range of techniques, step-by-step ePK 7 instruction, careerFrit profi3110 les, fine art examples, and77 more.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Canna

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828.252.6033 727-553-9344 www.highwaterclays.com

t’s exciting to see how far-reaching Clay Times has become. It has been roughly two years since our online digital edition has been accessible for free viewing worldwide. With the recent addition of page translation options, tens of thousands of readers now view each issue from places as far away as China, Poland, India, and Morocco. Being able to share helpful and inspirational clay information and images with ceramic enthusiasts across the planet is more rewarding than I ever could have imagined! Meanwhile, now that my youngest of four children is in 7th grade and I have a bit more time on my hands, I’ve become more active in my local clay community. A few weeks ago, I found myself participating in an Empty Bowls project with five other local potters at my daughter’s middle school. We were asked to demonstrate wheelthrowing to each art class throughout the school day. What fun it was to see the eyes of so many students light up as they watched and asked questions. Many had never seen a pot being made, and were very eager to try.

“Where can I get one of those [wheels]?” one student asked. Well, if you live where he and I live, you must drive for more than an hour to find a potter’s wheel or kiln for sale in a retail shop. It has been quite an inconvenience over the years. Even worse has been the prospect of paying freight on moist clay — in some cases, the cost of shipping exceeds the cost of the clay itself! This is all about to change. For quite some time now, I’ve had my eye on a vacant commercial building within walking distance of my house, for potential expansion of the business. As we go to press with this issue, I’m [cross your fingers] about to sign a lease and begin remodeling to turn the building into a local potter’s & artist’s equipment and supply store. We also plan to use a large part of the space for a gallery to showcase and sell clayworks made by many of the nation’s most talented clay artists. Taking this next leap of faith is both exciting and daunting (after all, everybody keeps telling me “retail is dead”) ... but I can’t help but think that a potter’s supply & gallery in an area loaded with potters and lacking local supplies can only be a good thing.

Better yet, we’re going to include an operational studio where folks can “try before you buy” and where we’ll be testing glaze/clay body combinations to share with readers of CT. The building also happens to be located across from the local post office, allowing us a great opportunity to expand mail-order sales of our back issues, books, potter’s T-shirts, videos, posters, calendars, artist brushes, and more. So be sure to spread the word to your potter friends west of DC in the Northern Virginia area, and log onto www. claytimes.com/store.html to see store updates and new product offerings for the holidays.

Spouting Off I Editor’s Desk

Thinking Globally • Acting Locally

One more great new development: we’re now offering “Club Mud™” memberships to encourage folks to renew for 2 years and save 5% on all Clay Times purchases (including our potter’s cruises)! The membership comes with CT’s Great Glazes books and a Club Mud T-shirt, too — again, see details online at www.claytimes.com/store.html We are presently considering distributorships for clay equipment and supplies, as well as claywork for the gallery. Please e-mail inquiries to me at: claytimes@gmail.com — Polly Beach, Editor

The 19th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition Call For Entries available at www.samfa.org • Cash Prizes • Illustrated catalog

Sponsored by San Angelo Museum Endowment for Ceramic Events Darlene and John Williams Trinity Ceramic Supply Inc.

April 20 - June 24, 2012 Jurors: G ar t h C l ar k an d Mar k D el Ve c chi o S anta Fe, Ne w Mexi c o Inv ite d Ar t ists: Ky l e an d Kel l y Phelps D ay ton, Ohi o

One Love Street, San Angelo, Texas 76903 ph: 325.653.3333 fx: 325.658.6800 email: museum@samfa.org www.samfa.org 18th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition 2010

photo courtesy of Jim Bean

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

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Clay magazine

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Editorial & Advertising: Polly Beach claytimes@gmail.com

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James C. Watkins, www.eiteljorg. org, is a ceramic artist teaching Architectural Ceramics and Architecture Drawing in the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University.

CERAMIC ART TRENDS, TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

TIMES

“CLAY / WHEEL: ALTERNATIVE FIRING TECHNIQUES” with JAMES C. WATKINS

Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene clayaccounts@gmail.com Proofreader: Jon Singer Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers: John Fulwood • Christeena Gallahue Vicky Ramakka ✦ Printed on 100% FSC-certified and 75% post-consumer recycled paper ✦ Published by: CLAY TIMES INC. Post Office Box 365 Waterford, Virginia 20197-0365 800-356-2529 • FAX 540-338-3229

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CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

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Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529 Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published quarterly, four issues per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Waterford, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). To subscribe, call toll-free 1-800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com. Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Web site for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines. POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Copyright © 2011 Clay Times, Inc. All rights reserved. The material contained herein is derived from various sources and does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All technical material is offered as general information only and should not be acted upon without expert supervision. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Course and Workshop Offerings Visit www.hood.edu/ceramics for full schedule.

Brad Birkhimer Intensive Wheel ∙ Jan. 3-18 Phil Berneburg Electric Kiln ∙ Jan. 7-8 Clay & Glaze Chemistry, Theory & Practice Feb. 4 - May 5 Joyce Michaud Masters’ Throwing ∙ Jan. 12-15 Photographing Ceramics ∙ Feb. 18-19 Plates & Platters ∙ March 3-4 Kristin Muller Eastern & Western Techniques in Trimming Jan. 21-22 Ann Hobart Ceramic Decoration ∙ Jan. 26 - May 10 Catherine White Seminar to Define Personal Aesthetic Direction Feb.11-12, March 10-11, May 12-13 Hood College Graduate School Art Department (301) 696-3456 ∙ Fax (301) 696-3531 www.hood.edu/ceramics Hood College subscribes to a policy of equal educational and employment opportunities.

• ceramic art world news • events • • calls for entries •

Conferences

Calls for Entries

‰ The Gulf Coast Clay Conference takes place Feb. 1-3, 2012, at Pensacola State College in Pensacola, Florida; and on Feb. 4, 2012 at the Kiln Walk Society site in Navarre, FL. Clay Times “Teaching Techniques” columnist Bill van Gilder will serve as this year’s guest speaker and demonstrating artist. The event will also include a mug exchange, bowls donation, raffle, silent auction, and the Woodstoke Pottery and Kiln Festival on Feb. 4. For details, log onto http://gulfcoast kilnwalk.org/2012_GC_ClayConf.htm

‰ The 18 Hands Gallery in Houston, Texas is accepting entries of functional and sculptural teapots through Dec. 1 for its 5th International Texas Teapot Tournament, to take place Jan. 13-31, 2012. For complete details call 713.869.3099, e-mail info@18handsgallery.com, or log onto www.18handsgallery.com.

‰ Entries are being accepted through Dec. 4 for Flat Rate: The 4th Annual Community College Exhibition, to take place at Sierra Nevada College Gallery in Incline Village, Nevada. Works by full-time community college students are eligible. The show concept is rooted in the flat rate size limitations of the U.S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes—“If it fits in the box, it ships anywhere in the U.S.” The goals of the exhibition are to showcase upand-coming artists of all mediums while exploring the constraint of a physical size category on art works. Students are encouraged to be cre-

‰ Entries are being accepted through Dec. 9 for the 4th Biennial Concordia Continental Ceramics Competition, to take place Jan. 26-Feb. 24, 2012 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Original works made during the past three years by artists age 18 & up from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean are eligible. For details, call 612.978.0069, e-mail markofields@msn.com, or log onto www.csp.edu/art ‰ Entries are being accepted through Dec. 10 for Clay³ 2012, a regional juried ceramics exhibition to take place Mar. 2-Apr. 1, 2012 at ClaySpace in Warrenville, Illinois. Clay³ is open to all artists working in IL, MN, WI, OH, MI, KT, TN, AK, IA, and MO, and is open to functional and sculptural ceramic art that fits within one cubic foot. Entry fee: $30 for up to 3 digital entries. Juror: Steven Hill. Awards: $575, $250, $100, $75. For more information, e-mail: info @clayspace.net, call 630.393.2529, or visit www.clayspace.net. To apply online, go to: https://www. callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info. php?ID=755 [ ‰ The Studio 550 Art Center is accepting entries through Dec. 15 for “Made for Each Other,” a show of continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

‰ Mark your calendar now for NCECA 2012, the 46th Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, to take place March 28-31, 2012 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington. Many renowned guest speakers and ceramic artists including Christa Assad, Walter Keeler, Tip Toland, and Jason Walker will be demonstrating their techniques at the show. Check out http://www. nceca.net/static/conference_presenters .php for additional speakers and demonstrators as they are confirmed. Discount NCECA accommodations are available at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel; book your room early, as hotel space fills up fast! Details on accommodations appear online at: http://www.nceca. net/static/conference_accommo dations.php

‰ Entries are being accepted through Dec. 1 for Ink & Clay 38, Kellogg Gallery’s annual juried competition of ceramic ware, clay sculpture, prints, and drawings. $5000 in cash awards. Open to residents of: AK, AZ,CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, ND, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD,TX, UT, WA, and WY. Clay Juror: Carol Sauvion, director of Freehand Gallery and producer of Craft In America television series. For prospectus, visit www. csupomona.edu/~kellogg_gallery

ative with what and how their work will fit into the boxes. For full details and access to the online entry form, visit http://www.sierranevada.edu/ index.php?id=1599

Hot Stuff I News & Events

(

What’s Hot

Hot Stuff I News & Events

functional vessels in pairs & sets to take place Feb. 4-29 in Manchester, NH. To download the prospectus, visit this link: www.550arts.com/madefor eachother.pdf ‰ The Lexington Arts and Crafts Society is accepting entries from current and former Massachusetts clay artists through January 6 for its 7th biennial “State of Clay” exhibition, to take place April 22-May

20, 2012. For complete details and to download the show prospectus and application, visit http://www. stateofclay.com

tus and application, visit http:// www.washburn.edu/main/mulvane /exhibitions/exhibitions-folder/ crafts_national_2011.html

‰ The Mulvane Art Museum of Topeka, Kansas is accepting entries through Jan. 6 from U.S. citizens ages 18 & up for its Crafts National Exhibition, to take place May 5-Aug. 19, 2012. For complete details and to download the show prospec-

‰ Juror Nick Joerling will be reviewing entries from U.S. artists through January 7 for “DelecTABLE: The Fine Art of Dining,” an exhibit of functional ceramics to take place April 6-27, 2012 at the Art Students League of Denver, CO. $30 entry fee. To apply, visit: www.CallforEntry.org

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CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

The Sentry Xpress digital controller includes Cone-Fire and 8-segment Ramp-Hold modes. Experiment endImagine the excitement of discov- lessly with digital accuracy. ering that a muddy-brown iron glaze Visit our website for more details at a fast cool becomes rich, red-brown on these exciting Paragon test kilns at a slow cool. In a digital test kiln, and for a list of authorized resellers. you can control the heating and cooling rates to match that of a larger kiln.

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‰ The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, LA, is accepting slide and digital submissions through Jan. 12 for its 25th Annual International Exhibition on Animals in Art, to take place March 24-April 29, 2012. The exhibition is open to all artists 18 years or older. All media are welcome; the work must be original. A $1,000 Best of Show award will be given and one entry will be chosen to appear on the cover of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. For complete details on the show, visit http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu or email artshow@vetmed.lsu.edu ‰ Submissions of functional and sculptural claywork by artists from the U.S., Canada, and South America are being accepted through January 18 for the 4th Biennial Contemporary Clay Juried Exhibition. The event is slated for May 18 through June 23, 2012 at the Western Colorado Center for the Arts in Grand Junction. For further details, call 970.243.7337 ext. 6, e-mail: csilverman@gjartcenter. org, or visit www.gjartcenter.org ‰ The Studio 550 Art Center is accepting entries postmarked by Jan. 25 for Espresso Art, a show of espresso cups of all styles and shapes that are made primarily out of clay. Functional, whimsical, stylized, representational, built in a set, or sculpted cups are all eligible, but they must serve their function and be able to hold at least 1 fluid ounce.

‰ Entries by ceramic artists are being accepted through Jan. 31, 2012 for the 21st Annual Cambridge Pottery Festival and U.S. Pottery Games (CPF) to be held June 9-10, 2012 at Lake Ripley Park in Cambridge, Wisconsin. The two-day, all-clay festival celebrates the fine art of handmade pottery and features wares by 40 professional potters from 10 states. For full details, call 608.438.1772; e-mail frogpond@bminet.com; or visit www.cambridgepotteryfestival.org ‰ The annual All-Arizona Clay Juried Exhibition is accepting entries through January 31, 2012 of works made during the past year by clay artists 18 years or older who reside in the state of Arizona. The show will be held from Mar. 29-Apr. 25, 2012 at the Shemer Art Center in Phoenix. Monetary awards will be given. To download the prospectus, log onto: shemerartcenterand museum.org ‰ Entries of functional and sculptural claywork made by artists from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico may be postmarked by Feb. 1 for the 19th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition. The event will take place April 20–June 24, 2012 at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in San Angelo, Texas. For details, call 325.653.3333; e-mail collections@samfa.org; or log onto www.samfa.org/ncc.htm

‰ Digital entries of ceramic drinking vessels of all sorts may be submitted through Feb. 15, 2012 for “Coffee, Tea, or ?” to take place Mar. 10-Apr. 11, 2012 at the Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery in Oak Park, IL. For prospectus, log onto http:// www.terraincognitostudios.com/call forentry.html

‰ Entries are being accepted through May 1, 2012 for Kentucky Bourbon: By the Bottle, By the Ounce, a national exhibition of bourbon bottles and shot glasses to take place Nov. 2, 2012-Jan. 5, 2013. Digital submissions will be juried by Matt Long. Visit www.louisvilleclay.org for more information and an entry form. [

To list your events, clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, or ceramic news items in Clay Times®, please e-mail complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, or click the events link at www.claytimes.com to fill out an online submission form.

Hot Stuff I News & Events

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‰ Digital entries of ceramic teapots up to 16 oz. (440 ml) in capacity are being accepted through Feb. 4 by the American Museum of Ceramic Art for its Big Fish, Small Pot V: Fifth International Small Teapot Show and Competition, to take place April 14– June 30, 2012 in Pomona, California. To find out more, e-mail thuntley@ saddleback.edu or visit www.bigfish smallpot.com

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began single firing in 1996 and have never since questioned my decision or the beauty of the results. For years, I had created what had become popular-but-predictable pieces with bisque firing. Frankly, I became bored — I needed a new challenge. The finished pots did not excite me anymore, and there was no longer that anticipation or “wow” when the kiln was unloaded.

The catalyst for the change to single firing was a week-long workshop offered by Steven Hill at Penland School of Crafts. The first thing this workshop taught me was to remain involved with the ceramics community and never let myself become absorbed in only one way of doing things. Ultimately, the primary influence in making the adjustment to a new technique was that single firing offered

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One-quart Teapot. 7" tall. Sprayed glazes: Hanna’s Fake Ash over SH Strontium Crystal Magic.

Pitcher. 12" tall. Sprayed glazes: Plum Red over Rosier’s White.

Wave Platter. 20" diameter. Thrown and altered with applied slip and multiple sprayed glazes: SH Strontium Crystal Magic, Spotted Black, 2D Blue, and Hanna’s Fake Ash.

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Spiral Mug.10 oz. St. John’s Black glaze poured inside; Aerni Ash sprayed outside with St. John’s Black sprayed on top.

be spectacular, and the glaze that accumulates in the spray booth can make a very nice scrap glaze. Before I spray glazes, I pour glaze into the inside of vessel forms. Then I spray the Single firing also presented me outside. Bowls and platters with new problems to solve, but are sprayed inside and out. as I became more comfortable After the pots are sprayed, with the process, I began they must be handled to leave the old glazes and carefully while cleaning decorating techniques behind the glaze from the bottom. and push my work forward. I Care must be taken to avoid have found over the years that leaving fingerprints on the I really do need some problems glazed surface. If the surface to solve to keep me excited of the pot becomes wet about my pots. An added bonus when you are spraying, you to adjusting to this change is will not leave fingerprints that, in these days of searching when you touch it. If you for green products and green spray a light dusting of glaze processes, single firing is also a to enhance or highlight great way to reduce the carbon an area of the pot, you will footprint of my studio. There is leave fingerprints if you nothing like a little uncertainty touch those areas — so you to get your creative juices must find a way to handle flowing and to initiate the move the pot without touching toward responsible production those dusted surfaces. I and consumption! rest bowls upside down One of the first and most on my forearm, and I hold John Fulwood abandoned bisque firing since taking a Penland important things to learn about vessel forms with my fingers workshop with Steven Hill in 1996, and hasn’t looked back. single firing is how to handle inside the pot when I am greenware in and out of the glaze cleaning the bottoms. bucket (one bump on the bucket, and your pot is cracked). I begin by applying the moisture from the glaze will meet The kiln is loaded the same way one hot wax to the bottom of the pot to in the middle of the wall, and you will would load bisque-fired pots. The only resist the glaze. Wiping the glaze off see a bubble form on the surface of the difference in firing is that I candle the raw clay can remove even the clay you pot. (You may actually hear a pop before kiln [fire at a very low temperature] want to keep, so using some type of wax you see the bubble.) Sometimes you for six to eight hours to remove any resist is important. I melt new candle can squeeze the bubble to flatten it, but moisture left in the pots. After that, the wax in an electric skillet set at 250º F. you will probably end up with a crack firing can proceed just like any other I recommend putting a little candle after the pot has been fired. It is best to glaze firing. dye in the wax; it will be easier to see glaze the inside and wait a few minutes on the pot. before glazing the outside. Avoiding thin Just like any other technique in pottery spots and compressing the wall of the making, single firing is a process I glaze the inside of the pot first and pot as you throw will reduce the risk that teaches both through mistakes allow about 15 minutes for it to dry of delamination. made as well as through successes before dipping the outside. I have read and discoveries. Don’t become When I began single firing, I glazed by articles by other potters that say you discouraged by a few failures. If you dipping and pouring, and I used oxides should glaze the inside and outside at invest the time in this new practice, for one-glaze brush decoration. Today I the same time or as close together as I am certain that you will develop a still dip and pour some glazes, but most possible — but my belief is that glazing more relaxed flow to your work, and of my glazing is done in a spray booth. the inside and outside at the same time a renewed enthusiasm for creating Spraying glazes allows me to apply layers can cause delamination of the wall of even your most routine forms. [ of glaze and to highlight certain areas the pot. When you apply glaze to the of the pot. Spraying also reduces the surface of greenware, the moisture risk of wall delamination. The downside For information about workshops causes the clay to expand. When both or John’s pottery school, go to www. of spraying glazes is that it requires a sides of the pot are glazed at the same compressor and spray guns, and it wastes kissimmeeriverpottery.com or contact John time, those surfaces expand away a lot of glaze. That said, the results can directly at riverpots@earthlink.net from each other. If the wall is too thin, me a chance to experiment with new glazes and forms, as well as continue to use my favored glazes and decorating techniques.

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Strictly Functional Pottery National 19th Annual Exhibition Guest Juror: Mary Barringer

his yearly exhibition never ceases to amaze with the many forms, styles, varieties, and functions in which utilitarian ceramic art is manifested through the hands of our talented clay community. The quality of works selected by 2011 juror Mary Barringer for exhibition in this year’s show were so impressive, Clay Times has chosen to include them in this print issue’s attached studio poster insert. But since we couldn’t fit them all into this issue, we’ve chosen to publish a special new 2012 Clay Times Wall Calendar — featuring important 2012 planned events for the clay community — plus eye candy from this year’s SFPN show. This great holiday gift offers a practical and inspirational addition to ceramic art studios everywhere! Order yours online at www.claytimes.com/store.html [

View this year’s exhibition and previous shows online at: www.strictlyfunctionalpottery.net

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Tall Box by Sarah Chenoweth Davis. 8" x 5" x 4". Porcelain fired to cone 10.

Condiment Service by Jake Johnson. 5" x 12" x 4". Stoneware fired to cone 10 in reduction. Clay Times® Purchase Award winner.

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Deco Covered Jar by Cheryl A. Hoagland. 6" x 6" x 6". Soda-glazed stoneware.

Gestural Handbuilt Cups by Clay Leonard. 4" x 4" x 5". Porcelain; cone 6 oxidation.

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BY PETE PINNELL

Part Two of a Series

n the first part of this column, I discussed applying for a college teaching job, and a few things you might keep in mind when doing so. In this column, I’ll go into the interview process and point out some of the potential pitfalls. If you are lucky enough to make the list of semi-finalists, the next step is that you’ll get an interview with the search committee. Traditionally, these preliminary interviews took place at the College Art Association (CAA) Conference, but many schools are moving away from this practice. In an era of tight budgets, schools often lack the funding to send all those committee members to a conference for several days. Besides that, many of us feel uncomfortable forcing an outof-work artist to make a large financial outlay based on a onein-ten chance of getting a job. This year we did our preliminary interviews via Skype — at least that way we could see the candidate and they could see us. It’s a practice that many other schools have adopted that will probably become even more prevalent in the future. No, it’s not the same as getting to meet you in person, but it’s a whole lot cheaper for all concerned. Based on about 18 Skype interviews over three days, I can provide several recommendations.

You want that person to critique every aspect of your performance. You want him or her interrupting you with orders to “quit scratching

• You don’t need to assemble some big stage set behind you, but it never hurts to remove clutter and distractions. One of our candidates had a beautiful painting behind him, and another was speaking from a pleasant room with a collection of pots on the shelf behind her. In both cases, the background had the effect of making the candidate seem more mature and “together.” • Use a wired internet connection rather than Wi-Fi. We noted a lot more “freezing” and lost connections with Wi-Fi than when the computers were hard-wired. Take your time as you answer the questions.

your head,” “don’t roll your eyes back and look at the ceiling,” and “quit saying um.” Practice a lot — practice really does make perfect, or at least a lot better. If nothing else, practice will get you comfortable with the technology, so you can concentrate on your answers. Think about what the camera on your computer will see. This includes both you and the room behind you. Here are a few things we noted:

• Don’t hold a laptop on your lap — we’ll be looking up your nose, which is not the most flattering angle for most people. Instead, orient your camera so it is looking at you from eye level. • Don’t sit too close to the computer — the camera can tend to slightly distort your face like a fisheye lens. You don’t want us mentally reminiscing about carnival mirrors while you talk. Instead, sit back a few feet. This also has the benefit of making it appear as if you were

Ask for clarification if you don’t understand what the committee is asking. Remember, we are required to treat every candidate the same, which means that we’ll be reading the same list of questions to each person we interview. Having done so, we can then respond freely to whatever clarifications you might need to better understand what we’re asking. It’s ok to ask for more information if you don’t understand the question. Besides, having even a brief back-and-forth can break the ice and make it easier to compose your answer. The purpose of the questions is to learn more about what you know, how you would teach, continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Practice talking over the computer with your most patient (but critical) friend.

looking at our eyes (the camera) rather than the computer screen.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Interviewing for an Art Faculty Position

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Interviewing for an Art Faculty Job (from p. 21) and what other capabilities you would bring have difficulty sleeping the night before, to the job. One of our questions was “If you but you still need to be alert. Struggling to could design a program from scratch, what stay awake during the meeting with your would you include in an ideal BFA degree in potential future Dean is not a good way to ceramics?” The point here wasn’t just to hear a impress him. list of skills you’d include, but to find out why you feel these things are important. The best • Don’t buddy up to the students, even if they candidates were able to place their answers are closer to your age than the faculty members into a larger context, and describe how basic on the committee. Graduate students today can skills (like coil-building or wheel throwing) be any age, which means that some candidates are important to the for faculty positions philosophical intent be the same age “Do your homework. Find a may of their program. The as, or even younger copy of the bulletin online and than, the graduate same is true when you are asked about learn about the school’s degree students they could your own work: the end up teaching. As programs before you go.” question is intended such, it is important to let you tell us that the candidate about your approach to making art, but is project a sense of authority without also intended to provide us some insight into seeming distant or self-absorbed. It’s a your knowledge of contemporary art and how subtle but important distinction, and finding your work fits into it. Basically, every question that bit of distance can be tricky for young you’ll be asked has at least a two-fold basis: it candidates. You don’t want to remind the will ask you for basic information, and it will search committee members that you have provide you with an opportunity to place that more in common with the students than information into its broader context. with us.

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At the end of the process, we brought three candidates to campus for daylong visits, a practice that is fairly common. Candidates who have made it to the final three are often finalists at other schools, so the intent of this portion of a search is get to know the candidate better, as well as to sell our position to the candidate. We were lucky to find some excellent finalists this year, but here a list of things I’ve noted with these and other searches over the years. • Don’t chew gum, even if that is a good way to reduce stress. As one of my students commented, “It had the immediate effect of lowering his IQ ten points.”

• Have a very picky friend work with you on your public lecture. Most of us fall back on nervous habits to fill dead space during a talk (I know that I do). We say “um” and “you know”, or we insert unnecessary modifiers in our sentences (“then I sorta glazed these with a kinda black glaze”). Did you “sorta” glaze it, or did you glaze it? Was the glaze black, or was it “kinda” black? A few of these sprinkled through a presentation aren’t a problem, but when they appear in every sentence it can get become distracting to the audience. I’ve had students who were counting (“she said ‘kinda’ 51 times!”), which means they were distracted from really hearing about and appreciating your work.

• Try to get a good night’s sleep before your day on campus. Yes, I know that it’s a really nerve-racking experience and you will

• Avoid using a rising inflection when making statements. This is the habit of ending a statement with a rising tone, as if the speaker

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

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• Do your homework — find a copy of the bulletin online and learn about the school’s degree programs before you go. Remember that the committee members are trying to envision you as a colleague, and that might be easier for them if you’re already speaking with the knowledge and authority of one. • Learn about the artwork of the people on the committee. You don’t want to make a snide comment about artists who work with grids, only to find out later that one of the committee members has spent a career working with

Simple

grids. It might not lose you the job, but it certainly won’t help you. • On the matter of snide comments — don’t make any. Try to be positive (but honest), and leave all complaints, putdowns, and negative comments for another day and another place. Every job involves struggles and frustrations, and part of collegiality is the ability to joke (or commiserate) about these things with one’s coworkers. On the other hand, no one wants to work with a habitual complainer, so on your interview day, put on your most positive face. • Avoid any reference to politics, religion, or abortion. Unless you’re applying for a job that involves teaching one of these subjects, there is almost no way that you can talk about any of these topics that won’t offend someone. If your artwork deals with sensitive subjects and you’re made it this far in the process, it means that the members of the committee respect your artwork, but it doesn’t mean that they necessarily agree with you. Make sure you discuss these topics in a way that makes it clear that you can amiably (and respectfully) work with those you disagree with.

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Many of my recommendation may sound overly picky, but it’s the little things that separate the finalist from the also-rans. Remember, a tenure-track position can attract a hundred or more applicants, so everyone in the top ten has an enviable exhibition record, strong teaching credentials, and a promising future. By the time the search is whittled down to the top three, you can also add the ability to speak well and express complex ideas extemporaneously. The faculty members on the committee are thinking about what it would be like to work with you, day in and day out, for years. They’re looking for evidence that you’ll be energetic, friendly, and knowledgeable; that you’ll show initiative; and that you’ll be respectful and approachable with students. Think about the qualities you’d like to see in your closest colleagues, and then you’ll know how to present yourself.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

were asking a question rather than making a statement. This is a common habit, but one that can make the speaker sound indecisive and unsure. “I was born in Ohio? And I was always interested in Art? I originally went to school in painting?” You can see how this would be distracting. This habit will only be eliminated with lots of practice — you’ll need to have that tenacious friend interrupt your talk every time that occurs and asks you to repeat the sentence as a statement. Interestingly, while this trait is most common among young people, it was other young people (students) who found the habit most irritating and distracting.

Finally, don’t sell yourself short. You’re probably much better than you think. At times it may seem like impossible odds, but someone always gets the job. [ Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. You can reach him at ppinnell1@unl.edu or through his Facebook page at www.facebook.com.

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Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Career Reflections: Angelique Tassistro BY LANA WILSON

Does it sound surprising to unevenly “wash” colored slips off pieces before glazing them? Angelique Tassistro of Fly Coop Studios in Asheville, North Carolina, made this sort of mistake and has capitalized on it. This is the first of two columns on Tassistro, focusing on the development of her ceramic art career. The second column will explain details of her creative techniques.

Wilson: Did you draw and do art from an early age? Were your parents into art or did they encourage your interest?

Bowl by Angelique Tassistro employs the use of washed and layered slips.

and everything I could get my hands on at Louisiana State University. My teachers were Mikey Walsh & Bobby Silverman. I appreciate the freedom and the support of that learning process. I’m sure it has a large part to do with how I work now.

My mom is a painter, and I think she makes amazing work. My parents encouraged all of us — my two sisters, my brother, and me — to follow our dreams.

Tassistro: Probably fear. I had a ton of student loans and two art degrees and all I could think was grad school “seemed so scary.” After school, I waited tables for three years in Atlanta, and made no art. I grew more and more unhappy. My boss at the time (Mike Anderson, owner of Portofino in Atlanta, Georgia) suggested I start making art again. I remember the conversation well; I countered with, “But I don’t have access to

Wilson: Is there anything about your educational background that stands out? Tassistro: I remember being allowed and even encouraged to experiment with anything

Wilson: Why did you decide not to go to grad school?

a kiln or a wheel.” His response was, “Find it.” I signed up for a throwing class at Chastain Arts Center in Atlanta, and was hooked. For years I beat myself up for not going to grad school. As I look back, I realize if I had gone directly out of undergrad I would be making completely different work today. In undergrad I made very conceptual work: all sculptural, mixed media pieces with found objects covered in slip, plaster, and wax. I would have never dreamed I would be into functional work. Now the connection between food and people draws me to functional pottery. Our society moves so fast and pushes so hard — eating on the go and alone — that we forget to savor every moment. I don’t believe in saving the good dishes for holidays.

Wilson: Tell us how you developed your ceramic career and the selling part of it. Tassistro: Some of the most traumatizing memories in my career have to do with art and craft festivals. For years, I worked in my basement and traveled around doing festival after festival. I think they can be a little addictive — all it takes is one good festival, and you can convince yourself to do just one more; but the thing is, they are so unpredictable. Festivals can be good and with balance, can really help support a studio potter’s business ... but they are just not for me. I tense up just thinking about them. I stopped doing festivals over five years ago, and moved out of my home studio. Instead, I rented a studio with retail space in The River Arts

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Tassistro: I didn’t do art at an early age; I didn’t make art until I was 23, after completing five years of undergrad [studies]. After my first year of studio classes, I changed my major and stayed in school for an additional three or four years. Twelve years, ago I graduated with two Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees: one in ceramics, and a second in photography.

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

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Angelique Tassistro (continued from previous page) District (a community of artists in Asheville, North Carolina, who have turned old warehouses into thriving, working artist studios). I have regular studio hours and am open to the public. Instead of packing up bins of heavy pottery and going to the people, I rent a more expensive studio and let the people come to me. I sell at least 70% — maybe more — of my work out of my studio. This is the best option for me; I feel lucky to have found a system that works. Wilson: About how many hours do you work each week? Tassistro: On average I work 45-48 hours a week, but this is new for me; I used to work a lot more! A friend put it into perspective for me after months, maybe years, of pushing 65-70 hour workweeks. Over lunch, I was defending myself about working so much. I insisted that I was only working crazy hours to get ready for a show. She hysterically laughed at me, to my face, then kindly said, “Who are you kidding? You will always have another show!” I realized she was right; if I wasn’t careful, I would look up and have done nothing other than my work. It’s hard for me to leave the studio, but I’m getting better at it. I leave my computer at the studio most nights so I won’t be tempted to work from home; this concept of not working so much is a work in progress. I live about five miles from my studio. The River Arts District (where my studio is) has two annual studio sales a year, the second weekends in both June and November. I work in a unique studio called Constance Williams Gallery. We have five ceramic artists upstairs, and downstairs is gallery space and an encaustic painting studio. The gallery, open seven days a week, also has events at least once a month. Even when

I’m not part of the monthly event, my work is still on display. Wilson: Do you do any commission work? Tassistro: Yes, about 30% of my work is commissioned. Wilson: How do you know what you’ve made is good? What makes for a failed piece or second? Tassistro: If it makes me smile, then I think it’s good. If I feel disappointed, then it failed. Sounds lame, but it’s the only way I can think of to explain my evaluation system. Wilson: How do you use the Internet to support your work? Tassistro: I look at images a lot on the Internet. I also have a Website, and use Facebook and a blog for social marketing tools. Wilson: Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? Tassistro: I think I’ve gotten better, but can still be a bit of a perfectionist. I can be very critical of my work and find flaws that others don’t see. Wilson: If you did other work for a living, what might it be? Tassistro: I’m actually really good at business. I’ve done public relations and marketing on the side for different businesses. I’m naturally pretty organized (not over the top — more like an organized chaos). Wilson: If you could do one thing much better, what might that be? Tassistro: Top three: singing, documenting my work, and making handles. [ Check out www.flycoopstudios.com Lana Wilson is happy to respond to your

e-mails. You may reach her at: lana@ lanawilson.com. To view her new work and workshop schedule, visit her new Web page at: www. lanawilson.com.

Making a Ceramic Baker’s Muffin Pan

TEXT & PHOTOS BY BILL VAN GILDER

ways; sift, screen, mix, or blend. We then form something with the mix, sometimes kneading it first. Next, we might glaze or decorate it, then finally bake or fire it. One we will eat; the other we’ll eat from. Food and clay are like brothers and sisters: each emerges from similar making methods, but manifests with very different end results.”

Fig. 1

D Necessary Supplies • (8) 10-oz. pieces of throwing clay [to make the cups] • (1) 4-lb. piece of clay [slab] • (1) 1-lb. piece of clay [trimming pad] • (1) 6-oz. piece of clay [for attachments] • water and a small sponge • a ruler • an undercut rib tool • a cut-off wire • a trimming tool • a piece of canvas • (2) small ware boards • a rolling pin and 2 sticks • a fettling knife • a short, ½"-diameter dowel

• • • • •

8-oz. piece of clay [support for pointer] a pointed chop stick a texture tool an edge-rounding tool round cookie cutters

The Project Making a muffin pan involves a bit of repetition throwing, and some handbuilding and assembly … nothing too challenging, but the end result is seldom seen and always gets a ‘That’s so cool!’ reaction. That reaction makes the project not only useful but very marketable, if that’s where your interest lies. Your students can partner up for the making of their pans with one doing the throwing while the other prepares the hand-built parts. Our claywork is often a solo event, so creating partnerships to get things done gets everyone involved, no matter what their skill level. With your class, clay, tools, and a small erasable board at your wheel, share these two thoughts with your class: “There are lots of similarities between making pots by hand and baking food. Both start with a recipe of some sort, which tells us what materials we’ll be using. We weigh or measure the materials, then combine them in similar

Then talk about the techniques of making multiples of similar pots; “Once you’ve established in ‘your mind’s eye what you’re going to throw, use the first pot to establish the details: the height and width, both top and bottom; the shape of the rim; and the pot’s overall form. So, make your first pot and use your ruler and other tools to establish its size and shape.” It typically takes making a couple of cups before the proportions and measurements are completely sorted out and a rhythm of making is established. Here’s a tip that I think I’ve talked about in a previous CT column; “To make pots that look alike — and that’s the goal when making your muffin cups — start by using the same quality and weights of clay. Then use the same tools, in the same order, with the same hand motions. Note that if you vary one or more of these from pot to pot the end results will also vary.” At this point, pull up your small erasable board and diagram the project (Fig. 2). It’s important that students follow the measurements that you draw and describe. Why? Because a muffin recipe is measurement-specific, and we want to create cups that are sized to hold a complete recipe mixture: not too big and not too small. Students will need to refer to your board drawings to get the needed sizes as they move through the project.

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Optional:

o you like to bake? Or do you have students who like to bake? If that’s the case, here’s a simple and very use-specific project to share with your class: making a baker’s muffin pan (Fig. 1).

In Form I Teaching Techniques

Pre-holiday Kitchen Project

In Form I Teaching Techniques

Throwing the Cups When you eventually get to the assembly part of your pan, you’ll be using the six most similar cups you’ve thrown. As mentioned, the first two cups you make are trials; so making eight cups, one after the other, is the wheel-project goal.

Fig. 6

Fig. 2 Fig. 7

Fig. 3 Fig. 8

Fig. 4

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Fig. 9

There are two details to keep in mind as you throw your eight cups: the interior walls of each cup will need to be as smooth as possible — the fewer fingertip ridges on the wall, the better. Also, the wall of each cup will need to flare outward slightly from floor to rim, with no overhanging edge at the inside rim. This allows you to remove your baked muffins easily. After you’ve thrown your first or second cup and established the details and sizes, set up a simple gauge, or ‘pointer,’ on your wheel. A pointer is used in place of a ruler, saving a lot of time when measuring your wet pots [see commercial Fulwood Measure tool ad on page 7]. To make your own temporary pointer, press a 6-oz. ball of soft clay to your wheel tray edge at the 12 o’clock position. Then, press the end of a chopstick or a similar long, thin stick into the clay with the point of the stick positioned very closely to the rim of the cup. Throw the rest of your cups and size them identically by stretching each cup rim to the pointer tip (Fig. 3). Be aware that if you bump or move the pointer tip at any time, it will need to be repositioned to maintain your desired measurements. As a finishing step on each of your eight cups, use your rib tool to remove the wet throwing slip from the outside wall. The resulting tacky wall surface will allow you, using dry hands, to pick up each cup near its base and move it from the wheelhead to a ware board (Fig. 4). To complete your project demo within one class period, force-dry your eight bowls to a soft leather-hard state in the sunlight or with a blow-dryer, if possible. While that’s taking place, move everyone to a worktable and demo ‘Handbuilding: Part 1.’

Making the Slab Following the diagrammed details on your erasable board, roll out a 3/8" thick, rectangular-shaped slab using your

Fig. 5 Fig. 10

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

two sticks and a rolling pin. Create your 14" x 11" slab on a small piece of canvas placed over a ware board. For a bit of visual interest, you can texture your slab by pressing a sheet of embossed wallpaper across its surface (Fig. 5). After decorating, you’ll then have to flip your slab over and onto another canvas-coated ware board. Why? Because during the next step, your muffin cups are going to be attached to the undecorated side of your slab. (If you’re not decorating your slab, this additional flip-step isn’t necessary.) It’s a building process, and decorating your slab is just one of the many options you have when making your pan. Set your slab aside and move your demo back to the wheel and your eight leather-hard cups.

of each cup at the points diagrammed as small circles in your drawings. Place one small ball of clay at each point, and use your short piece of wooden dowel to press each ball tightly to both the slab and the cup wall (Fig. 8).

Trimming, Assembly, and Finishing Before you attach your cups to the slab, the base of each cup will need to be trimmed, or lightly ‘skimmed’ round and smooth. Using your 1-lb. piece of clay, throw a ½" thick trimming pad on your wheelhead and use your rib tool to flatten and skim it dry. Attach each of your leather-hard muffin cups to the pad, then trim and smooth each foot edge, one after the other (Fig. 6). Next, take your cups and your bowl of water back to your work table for ‘Handbuilding: Part 2.’

With your cup rims now in place and marginally attached to the slab, use the last piece of clay listed in the supplies list on p. 27 to make 18 small balls, each about ½" in diameter. Use a small, wet sponge to dampen the slab and the lower wall area

Next, use a small cookie cutter or your fettling knife to punch or cut a small hole through the slab at the center of each cup (as in Fig. 9). This releases the trapped air caught between the cups and the slab, and makes the next step a bit easier. Now use a large cookie cutter or a fettling knife and, as carefully and cleanly as possible, cut away all the slab clay that covers each cup opening (Fig. 9). Trim all the way to the inside rim of each cup without cut-

As with every project you demo in class, there are usually lots of creative options. Part of my personal clay philosophy is, “There’s no right or wrong way to make pots — there are only different ways.” Sharing this outlook with my students has certainly opened doors and pushed the envelope of creativity, overall. Some options to share with your class when making muffin pans? I can think of lots of them, like: making a circular, thrown slab instead of using one that has been rolled out and squared ... or leave a random, loose edge on your rolledout slab to give it a more ‘clay-like’ look ... or add handles to your pan ... or make muffin pans with only two or four cups ... or, keeping the recipe amount in mind, reduce the thrown size of each cup, and make a cupcake-like pan with eight cups in the layout. As I said — lots of ideas. “So, decide what size and style of muffin pan you’re going to make, follow the needed measurements drawn on the board, prep your clay, and let’s go to work!” [ Bill van Gilder has been a full-time potter since the 1960s and teaches pottery-making workshops. He may be reached by e-mail at vangilderpottery@earthlink. net. His potters’ tool line, van Gilder Tools, is available via the online store at www.vangilderpottery.com.

JUMBO PUMPKIN MUFFINS WITH CINNAMON/NUTMEG TOPPING courtesy Buddha’s Baker of Frederick, MD — www.buddhasbaker.com 2½ C all purpose flour ½ C sugar • ½ tsp salt ½ C packed brown sugar 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda

2 extra-large eggs 1 C canned pumpkin (not pie mix!) ½ C buttermilk ¼ C canola oil 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Topping: 2 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven 375° F. Grease wells and top of jumbo muffin pan with butter or non-stick spray. (Don’t forget to do the top of the pan.) In a large bowl, combine the first 7 [dry] ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the next 5 [wet] ingredients. Gently mix wet ingredients into dry mix, just until blended — don’t overmix! Fill muffin wells 3/4 full. Sprinkle each with topping. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from pan. Let cool on rack. Makes 6.

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Again, following the diagrammed measurements on your board, pick up one cup at a time, dip its rim into water, and position it onto your slab, firmly pressing each cup rim tightly to the slab (Fig 7). “Now we’ve got to create a really secure cup-to-slab attachment. This is actually an easy step — just work slowly and neatly.”

Before you flip your pan over to finish the top side — which is the next step — note the diagrammed measurements again, and cut away the excess clay from the outer edge of the slab to define the outside dimensions of your pan (as in Fig. 8). Place another ware board over and on top of the bottoms of your cups; then carefully flip your pan over and upright, keeping the whole thing securely sandwiched between the top and bottom ware boards. Then remove the top ware board and the canvas.

The last few steps: Use an edge-rounding tool and your small sponge to round and smooth the four outside edges of the slab (Fig. 11). You may want to score a shallow line near the rim of the slab as a decorating element (Fig. 12), or use your small wooden dowel to create a series of small indented notches completely around the slab edge. Finally, flip your pan back over and allow it to dry upside down.

In Form I Teaching Techniques

ting into the rims. Work slowly here — repairs take a lot more time! Then, use your small, damp sponge to smooth the slab edges where they meet the inside rims (Fig. 10).

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New Learning of Old Techniques BY VICKY RAMAKKA

“Y

ou’re going to get your hands dirty today,” Linda Wheelbarger cautioned her class. This hardly seemed necessary after a month digging in the dirt for bits of ceramics, stone tools, and other clues to past inhabitants. Yet today’s class would be a change of pace for participants in the San Juan College Archaeology Field School. They would have hands-on practice in replicating types of clay vessels found during their excavation. Each summer, this field school involves participants from all over the U.S. in a six-week archaeology dig. They continue a multi-year excavation of an ancestral Pueblo community of farmers that lived along the banks of the San Juan River in northwest New Mexico between 800 and 1300 A.D. The site is on the 12,000-acre B-Square Ranch, owned by Tommy Bolack, who shares his enthusiasm for archaeology with the students. While emphasis is on learning excavation techniques, instructor Linda Wheelbarger also has students engage in practices that early inhabitants used to survive in a southwestern desert climate.

Archaeologists have found evidence in of ceramics, defined as objects intentionally made and fired, dating back to 200-300 A.D. Vessels made by the early basketmaker people were simple, formed using a pinch pot method, and were not tempered, slipped, or painted. Techniques advanced through time, and the basketmaker ommunity began making utilitarian items around 500 A.D. By 1200 A.D., the ancestral Pueblo people had learned how to temper clay, add slip for finer finish, paint exquisitely fine designs, and control the firing process. Today’s Southwestern museums display many examples of this 1,000-year-old pottery. Several have digitized their collections, giving potters worldwide virtual access to these original specimens. Early potters mimicked already familiar utensils — especially those fashioned from native gourds. Bottle-shaped gourds with tops removed were used as containers; cut lengthwise, they served as water dippers. Round gourds with only the stem area removed were used as seed containers. To prepare for their first project, a seed pot, Wheelbarger passed out one-half pound of clay to each student, and demonstrated wedging and kneading. A dozen students slamming clay got the group warmed up for the next step. Wheelbarger demonstrated the pinch pot method to shape two hemispherical halves. She was soon ready to place the halves together, first scoring the edges, then smoothing and shaping for a complete seal. Circulating among the students, she offered advice and encouragement. “The aim is to have a circular pot when both pieces are joined. Optimum thickness is ¼". If it gets too thin, start over.

Museum exhibit illustrates how a dipper (at right, decorated with turkey tracks) mimics a native gourd.

Pot shards found at field school’s excavation site.

Bee Plant boiled to a thick syrup is painted with a stiff yucca leaf brush to replicate designs found on ancient pottery.

Don’t add more water unless you really need to. If you’re not using part of your clay, keep it covered. After the halves are joined, you can make the pot nice and round by rolling it on the table.” Meanwhile, Wheelbarger explained the functionality of the seed pot shape. The small opening at the top kept moisture and rodents out. It also helped curb spillage and controlled dispensing of precious seeds. For these future archaeologists, making a

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Pottery vessels were extremely important to these early residents, not only for survival but also for trade and ceremonial purposes. Participants in the field school practice ancient methods of producing clay vessels by pit firing just like residents of the Four Corners area did a thousand years ago. Gathering materials, shaping clay, painting, and firing; this is how pottery was made long ago, and it remains the process today. Replicating materials, patterns, and methods, these students’ creations resemble the beautiful pottery recovered from ruins dating back to the ancestral Pueblo people.

First Shapes

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seed pot is almost a rite of passage in understanding how early people survived in the Southwest. The ancients probably used pieces of gourds or sharpened bones to cut the hole in the top, but Wheelbarger uses a kitchen paring knife. With limited time in the semester, Wheelbarger takes some shortcuts

from following every step of traditional methods. She uses the same clay as the art department uses, and potters’ scrapers and tools. However, she shows students how to use smooth stones and seashells for burnishing, has them gather a pick-up load of firewood around the B-Square ranch where they are excavating, and pit fires the class pieces.

Clockwise, from top left: Niles Hensler, from Aztec, New Mexico, and Abby Dockter, Farmington, New Mexico, put their excavation skills to work digging the fire pit; edges of seed pot halves are scored to promote adhesion; Jennifer Evans, from Springfield, Missouri, joins seed pot halves and smoothes the seam; smooth stones, small gourds, and seashells used for burnishing clay at ‘leather-hard’ stage; student work reflects designs used by ancestral Pueblo potters.

She relies on methods described in the book, Messages from the High Desert, by Clint Swink. This excellent reference has detailed directions for traditional methods, starting with digging and preparing clay through to final firing. The book has hundreds of photographs taken at museums that show the range of shapes and designs produced by potters many hundreds of years ago.

Bee Plant and Yucca The students were free to choose the design of their second piece. Carefully cradling each vessel in two hands, Wheelbarger held up examples of authentic pieces excavated from the B-Square Ranch. After inspecting these and referring to photographs in the Messages from the High Desert book, students began shaping dippers, figurines, bowls and cups, the latter two using the coil method, which Wheelbarger also demonstrated. As students complete shaping pieces and placing them on a table at the back of the classroom, Wheelbarger continues explaining the process. “In a couple days [much sooner in very dry regions], check your pots. When they are ‘leather-hard,’ use a rounded stone to burnish them for a nice finish. The secret to burnishing is to do it at the right amount of dryness.”

Most students stuck with traditional methods and used pigment made from Bee Plant and ‘brushes’ made from the spear-like leaves of the yucca plant. (Using a crock-pot to boil an arm load of Bee Plant for 10 hours until it transformed into a quarter cup of thick, sticky syrup was

Blessing and Firing The summer semester culminates with opening the firing pit. Twenty-four hours earlier found the class preparing the pit on one of the hottest days of the year, with temperatures in the high 90s. Drawing on experience from previous firings and occasionally consulting the Swink book, Wheelbarger talked the students through the process of making the preliminary bed of coals, loading the pieces, and then doing the secondary firing. Wheelbarger clustered pieces to be fired and took measurements for the size of the pit. She determined a pit 1 by 1 meter and about half as deep would be needed. Having worked all summer on an archaeological excavation, the students were handy with tools and quickly had a hole roughed out to their instructor’s specifications. They lined the sides of the pit using 1"-thick firing tiles, then placed small juniper sticks on the bottom and covered these with larger branches. They placed pieces to be fired near the edge of the pit, along with more tiles that would make up the floor in the next stage. Warming these during the preliminary fire helps prevent cracking when they are placed in the pit later. When lit, the fire burned vigorously for 15 minutes and after about an hour, was reduced to the desired layer of coals about 3"-4" deep. Wheelbarger donned asbestos welder’s gloves and doused herself with water to ready the pit for the secondary firing stage. She made a floor over the sizzling coals with the warmed tiles. By then, students could approach the pit to help arrange the pieces, even though they had to shield their faces from the heat of the hot coals. Bowls were placed over gaps in the tiles, mugs with handles pointed toward the center of the fire. Next, students placed pieces of metal over the pottery, in preparation for adding

more firewood for the secondary firing. Wheelbarger explained that archaeologists know from excavations that the early potters used slabs of sandstone to line their firing pits and broken pottery pieces as a covering. But Wheelbarger declared, “It seems terrible to place ancient shards over the pieces, so I use metal instead.” For the secondary firing stage, students laid large branches across the top of the pit, then slightly smaller branches at right angles to those, and crisscrossed succeeding layers with gradually smaller sticks. Wheelbarger supervised this step carefully, insisting that the wood be laid properly to leave air spaces to generate a very hot, neutral fire. She explained, “Our goal here is a neutral fire. If there is too much oxygen, the clay will come out red; if it becomes a reducing fire, without enough oxygen, you get black, smudgy pots.” The knee-high pile of firewood was topped off with a piece of juniper bark to serve as tinder for lighting the fire. Just before lighting the secondary fire, Wheelbarger called upon a Navajo student, Ezra Pelt, to say a blessing. Pelt gave thanks to the earth for furnishing the clay. The few moments of reflection brought thoughts of connection to the past and admiration for the work of ancient potters. After the secondary fire burned at maximum heat for nearly an hour, students gently shoveled sand over the pit, ensured there were no escaped burning embers, and left it to cool overnight. Even though they were facing a final exam that afternoon, the students arrived early to class, eager to open the pit and see how their pieces fared. It didn’t take long to remove the cover of sand, but locating the pottery pieces in the still-warm coals took some effort. Most students were pleased with the looks of their new — old pottery. Even a bowl that ended up in two pieces, it was decided, looked a lot like the many partially-broken, cracked, and restored ancient bowls displayed on museum shelves. After back-filling the pit, the students carried away tangible reminders of their summer archaeology field experience. [

Author Vicky Ramakka may be reached via E-mail at: vickyr@gobrainstorm.net. Supplementary images and information for this article may be found online at: http://www.claytimes.com/bonus_content.html

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The last step prior to firing is painting. Archaeologists have yet to unravel all the secrets of the ancients, in that the makeup of some paints is still unknown. However, it is known that both organic and mineral components were used. Outcrops of manganese and hematite in the region were probably the source of the rich black designs on pieces with remarkably fine lines. The tall, purple-flowered Bee Plant is generally used today for organic based paint and may well have been the component used by the ancients. Pots with some or all surfaces with the typical deep red made by some villages were probably slipped with a clay containing iron, producing objects classified as polychrome — having two or more colors.

somewhat of a variance from age-old practice.) If the students hadn’t already come to the conclusion that the ancients were admirable craftsmen and artists, they were convinced by the time they attempted to apply even the simplest designs found on early pottery. Perhaps they could take heart from Clint Swink’s research. “In selecting the pieces for study, I have sampled a true cross section of Anasazi pottery, showing even the ‘worst’ pieces I could find. Then, even as now, all levels of ability went into making this pottery…”

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Tibetan Tapestry. 4" x 5¼" x 5¼". Wheel-thrown cone 6 porcelain. Diann Adams, 6582 Glenbrook Ave., N.W., Massillon, OH 44646. E-mail: diann51@sssnet.com Website: www.earthtoartceramics.etsy.com

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Rabbit. Approx. 36" tall. Wheel-thrown and assembled stoneware parts. Vincent Sansone, 518 MacArthur Drive, Orlando, FL 32839. E-mail: vincesansone@cfl.rr.com; Website: www.sansoneart.com.

Rattle. 15" x 9" x 7". Stoneware with underglazes, fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln. Wooden handle finished with oil-based stains. Lyndsey Fryman, 2697 North Middletown Rd., Paris, KY 40361. E-mail: lyndsey.fryman@gmail.com; Website: http://lyndseyfryman.webs.com/

Rattus de Cheroot. 14" x 12" x 12". Rat, book, pen, and cigars made with cone 6 B-mix clay, Amaco Velvet underglazes, and clear satin glaze. Found box of wood. Cindy Lou Farley, 613 Oconee Forest Rd., Stephens, GA. E-mail: cindyloufarley@gmail.com

Submit images of your claywork to The Gallery! Send your high-quality color print, slide, or 1050-x-1500-pixel (minimum) digital image to: The Gallery, Clay Times, P.O. Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, Website and/or e-mail address, type of clay, glaze, firing method, and dimensions of the work. (Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for photo/slide return.)

Interrupted. 19" x 28" x 17". Terra cotta fired to cones 04 and 06, epoxy resin, seeds, acrylic. Jonathon McMillan, 302 South Harden St., Columbia, SC 29205. E-mail: jonmcmillan@hotmail.com; Website: www.jonmcmillan.com

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Woodfired Platter by Aaron Anslow.

China Redux. 20" x 17" x 8". Handbuilt, wood-fired stoneware. Phyllis Savage, 93 Mill Plain Rd., Danbury, CT 06810. E-mail: phyllis@savagestudio.com Website: www.savagestudio.com

Untitled. Glazed stoneware, nichrome wire, found objects. Peter Lenzo, c/o Southern Pottery Workcenter and Gallery, 3105 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29205. E-mail: southernpottery@bellsouth.net

Wood-fired Platter. 3" x 13½" x 13½". Decorated with flashing slip; fired upside down on sea shells for 40 hours to cone 12. Aaron Anslow, 440 Peace Point Rd., Bethany, WV 26032. E-mail: allwalksofclay@yahoo.com

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The Teapot from Biltmore. 12" W x 8½" H x 7" D. Wheel-thrown and handbuilt stoneware with manganese and kaki glazes, fired to cone 10 in reduction. Sandblasted elements. Lou Pierozzi, 2561 Hamilton Dr., Des Plaines, Illinois 60016. E-mail: lpierozz@oakton.edu. Website: www.loupierozzi.com

CLAYTIMESÂ·COM n AUTUMN 2011

REVIEW BY STEVEN BRANFMAN

Mexico. Michael Peed, potter and teacher, began filming her in 1998 and brings us a sensitive and engaging portrait of Dolores. Peed offers a descriptive narration that is consistent without emotion, running continuously throughout the film. At first I was a bit taken aback by the lack of emotion in his tone, but it quickly became clear that this was intentional, appropriate, and effective. When Peed is speaking, there are Spanish subtitles; when Dolores speaks, her words are subtitled in English. The camera work is simple, clear, detailed, and leaves nothing to the imagination.

Most of the time, the content and quality are mediocre. The work is often very amateurish. But every so often there is a quality and style to a film that is captivating, personal, and realistic. Dolores Porra: Artista Artesana De Barro, Santa Maria Atzompa is one of these films.

Back in the studio, the film centers on Dolores’ remarkable working style, in which she forms massive vessels using traditional coil building techniques handed down from generation to generation. We see her in her studio, preparing her clay and forming her pots. As she works, Peed’s narrative fills in the details of her working methods and process. Dolores has a connection to the clay that can only be described as magical. There is a fluidity in her pounding, stretching, and building with minimal tools that is fascinating to observe.

Dolores Porras was a potter of Zapotec descent living and working in the Atzompa Pueblo located in Oaxaca,

Peed isn’t interested in keeping us captive in the studio, so we are periodically taken back into the streets

Dolores Porras: Artista Artesana De Barro, Santa Maria Atzompa Michael Peed 31 minutes • DVD • $30

ith affordable video cameras readily available and editing capabilities built into most computers, it seems like everyone has become a filmmaker! The last few years have seen a proliferation of homemade video covering forming methods, firing, glazing, you name it. So when a new film comes along and I have the opportunity to view it, I do so hoping for the best, but without great expectations.

The final segment of the film is Dolores talking about her ancestors and pottery origins, family, beliefs, and superstitions. Sitting with her like this is a fitting end to the film. Dolores passed away in November, 2010. Dolores Porras: Artista Artesana De Barro, Santa Maria Atzompa offers much for the viewer to take in. It is about a remarkable potter and her art for sure, but the true beauty of the film lies in the honesty of the surroundings, the environment in which she and her family live, and the film maker’s cinéma vérité of the style — all of which contribute to a sensitive, respectful, endearing, and everlasting portrait of an artist whom I wish I’d had the opportunity to meet. Michael, you should be proud of what you’ve done. [

Steven Branfman is a an accomplished potter and teacher of pottery and ceramics at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts, and proprietor of The Potters Shop and School. He may be reached by telephone at 781.449.7687 or via e-mail at: sbranfpots@aol.com

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The film opens with a bumpy drive through the paved streets, with the viewer looking through a cracked windshield, and a walking approach on the dirt road into the pueblo and workshop of Dolores Porras. From the first moment, we are attracted by her gentle smile and soft-spokenness. After a brief greeting, Peed takes us back to the streets of Oaxaca for a brief-yetinformative introduction to the history, geography, colors, sounds, and textures of the region.

among the villagers and the vibrant colors of the market and musical voices of the people. Once back in the studio, Dolores and her daughter Leti continue to work on their vessels, demonstrating their intricate sculptural appliqué and showing the colorful-yet-subtle glazed surfaces for which their work is so well known. Her large, top-loading, traditional Oaxacan-style wood kiln is shown and Peed describes the loading and firing process. His descriptions are detailed and somewhat technical, yet basic enough for non-potters to understand and learn from.

Resources I Books & Videos Hot Stuff I Events

Delores Porras: Artista Artesana

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Shop Talk I Tool Times

Tools Across the U.S.A. A cross-country teaching journey offers insight to clever tools for different applications

very summer from late May until late August I am on the road west of the 100th meridian, teaching workshops, visiting friends and family, exploring, camping, hiking, and generally having a great time at all of those activities. I love my teaching job at Tennessee Tech University’s Appalachian Center for Craft, and a good part of the reason I remain happily focused on my responsibilities through the academic year is the variety offered by my travels west in the summer.

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Variety of experience is a crucially important human need. As much as I enjoy teaching semester-long classes in the academic setting, there is something particularly exciting about hitting a new town, a new workshop venue, meeting a new bunch of people, and facilitating a fun and intensive five-day learning experience. This past summer was a little unique in that the five workshops I taught out West were all on different subjects within studio clay. That means a lot more work for me, but also greater variety of experience. The following is a rambling discourse on tools and tool usage relating to those workshops.

In Nevada City, California I taught a new workshop entitled “Designing Ceramic Surface.” I was especially interested in the variety of brushes brought by participants. I was surprised that some people showed up with ordinary paint brushes from the hardware store, as most of these simply do not have the reservoir capacity required for ceramic media. Think of clay, where the particle size determines the number of water

layers and thus the water content of the clay and the resulting drying shrinkage. Brushes are similar. If you have thick, coarse bristles, as is the case with most hardware-store brushes, there are fewer bristles that have poor flexibility, and the result is few liquid layers and minimal reservoir capacity. Proper brushes for slips, patinas, and glazes feature very fine bristles that provide far more liquid layers between bristles and thus far greater reservoir capacity. That said, textural markmaking is also an issue, and any brush that gives you the results you want is of course appropriate.

Useful Brushes The most useful brushes for laying on slip, patina, or glaze are the “hake” brushes available in widths from ¾” to 6”. You can see examples of the three primary types at www.baileypottery.com. Click on “Pottery Tools,” and click on “Brushes - Oriental.” Note the “Student Hake Brush with Long Wooden Handle”, the “Economy Hake Brush with Metal Ferrule”, and the “Chinese Multi-Stem Hake Brushes”. Of the three, the first two are my favorites, and I’d have to say that I like the economy hake brush the best. I included all three types in an assortment I brought to the workshop, and it was clear that the multi-stem hake brushes have so much reservoir capacity that they are primarily good for flooding surfaces with media, while the slightly-shorter bristles on the other two types still hold plenty of media but give far greater control.

BY VINCE PITELKA

Sgraffito Tools In the past, I have always done sgraffito at the very-hard-leather-hard stage with a dull ball-point pen, or with a Bison solidtip tungsten carbide sgraffito tool. This works great when the clay is stiff enough that the released particles fall free. However, I like to teach the wax-sgraffito technique, where wax resist is applied over slip, a sgraffito design is executed, and a contrasting slip or underglaze is inlaid into the cut lines and the excess sponged away. For this purpose it is necessary to cut away some clay and slip, and the most popular tools for this purpose during the workshop were the very finely-pointed band-loop (ribbon) trimming or carving tools. Depending on your preferences, such tools are available from Bison Studios, Dolan, or Kemper. Go to http://bisonstudios.com and look at the “miniature” and “carving” categories. For this application, select the loops with the most sharply-curved ends. Similarly, at www.baileypottery.com, look at the Dolan C-096-725, or C-096-730. Also, at www. chineseclayart.com, the CR 09 “Mini Ribbon Tool” set includes a small triangular loop that works well for carved sgraffito. Finally, the Kemper “wire stylus” is available from many suppliers and features a very fine, hard, V-shaped cutting wire.

The Right Rib for the Job In a number of workshops this summer I taught small and large-scale coilconstruction, and among the most important items on the list of required

To maximize wall strength in coil construction, you must thoroughly blend the coils together inside and outside with an absolutely rigid rib in order to ensure that the applied force penetrates the walls and joins the coils internally. A rib with even the slightest flexibility will just cosmetically conceal the joints without blending the coils deep within the walls. Metal ribs have sharp edges that scrape too much clay from the surface. The best ribs for this application are wood, and I especially like the wood ribs made by MKM Pottery Tools. They are available from many clay suppliers, but to see the best ones for this application, go to www.mkmpotterytools.com and look at the W2a, W3b, W5, and W7a ribs. Note that they are rounded on all sides, with a variety of curves. Corners are no advantage in this application, and a considerable disadvantage when smearing coils inside the form. The Kemper RB4 and RB6 wood ribs are also good for this application.

Torches for Quick-Drying

One other significant observation gathered from the coil-building workshops has to do with banding wheels. It is important to distinguish between a turntable and a banding wheel. A turntable is any sort of flat platform that rotates with little precision, while a banding wheel must have sealed, smooth-turning precision ball-bearings, and it must feature heavy cast aluminum or cast iron construction. If you are serious about coil construction or any sort of banded decoration, invest in a superior banding wheel by Shimpo, Laguna, or other quality manufacturer. The readily-available and reasonablypriced CSI turntables with non-sealed lazy-susan bearings are okay for budget institutional use or to get by until you can afford a good banding wheel, but in my workshops the participants with CSI wheels or other turntables were envious of those who brought Shimpos or other quality banding wheels. I can promise that once you use a really good banding wheel you will never go back to a cheap one. There is just no comparison at all.

                       

    Pendant by Deb Austin   using MKM stamp ssM-25  

MKM ssM-25

        www.mkmpotterytools.com               Voice: 920-205-2701   E:  mkmTools@sbcglobal.net          

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A stationary bench grinder is a pretty standard tool for any well-equipped workshop, and is very handy in the clay studio for these tasks and others mentioned above. To view various models, go to www.grizzlyindustrial.com and enter “bench grinder” in the search box. For almost all studio and workshop applications, there would be no reason to get a bench grinder that sells for more than about $75. Be sure to select one that allows you to easily remove the wheel from one end and install an abrasive flapwheel. [

Vince Pitelka is professor of clay at Tennessee Technological University’s Appalachian Center for Craft, an active participant on the Clayart Internet discussion group, and author of Clay: A Studio Handbook. Feel free to suggest topics for this column or contact Vince through his Web site at http://iweb.tntech. edu/wpitelka.

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

In most of my workshops we use propane torches for stiffening the clay at various stages of construction, especially in damp weather and when doing large-scale coil construction. We had three days of rain during my workshop at MISSA, and I don’t know what we would have done without the torches. Participants were asked to bring a propane torch, and I recommended the BernzOmatic TS-4000 self-igniting torch with the all-metal body. I have written about this torch before and won’t go into

details, but it is a superior studio torch for many reasons. The students who purchased this torch were uniformly pleased with its performance. You can get it from most hardware stores and home-improvement centers or from amazon.com.

Shop Talk I Tool Times

tools are a serrated metal rib and a small rounded wood rib with no corners. I am very specific about which ribs to bring, and I was a bit dismayed when some participants showed up with other options they assumed would be “good enough.” When you are scoring clay before applying slurry and joining surfaces, the objective is to create shallow, wide, pointed grooves that will disrupt the surface and accept the slurry without trapping any air bubbles. The very best tool for this application is the standard Kemper S10 serrated stainless steel rib. I know of no one who has come up with a better option.

Shop Talk I Firing

Should You Switch to Natural Gas? BY MARC WARD

inter is fast approaching and you stare at that large submarine-shaped object in your yard knowing it wants to be fed. But the food just keeps getting more expensive. Why does your propane tank get empty at the same time as your wallet? Maybe you’re thinking about whether to make the jump to natural gas. No more running low on fuel! No more worrying about cold temperatures causing iffy performance! No more giant bills for a fill-up! You can turn on the gas and out it comes. You’ll get a monthly bill that spreads the pain across 12 predictable monthly installments. In many cases, switching to natural gas from propane can make a lot of sense. But first, you need to compare costs.

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Propane is sold by the gallon. If you’re like most potters, you know exactly how much you’re paying for that gallon. So, how do you compare a gallon of liquid with a gas like natural gas?

You compare BTUs (British Thermal Units). A gallon of propane contains about 92,000 BTUs. A “therm” of natural gas has about 100,000 BTUs. A therm is a hundred cubic feet of gas and is the normal unit natural gas is billed in. Give your local natural gas supplier a call and find out the price of a “therm.” The two units (a gallon and a therm) are pretty close in BTU terms, so you can see if you’re going to save money or not. The prices for the two energy forms vary from place to place, but natural gas is usually cheaper. OK, let’s say you’ve made the call to the natural gas supplier in your area and found out you’re going to save bunches by switching to natural gas. Before you get too excited, you need to be aware of some differences between the two fuels that

could make all your great new fuel savings a momentary mirage! Though these two fuels are very similar in some ways, they are worlds apart in other ways — and those other ways may be a show-stopper! The first difference is pressure. Natural gas for household delivery is 7" water column. That equals ¼ lb. (psi). If you have been running Venturi burners on your kiln at 10 psi, those Venturi burners won’t fire the kiln on natural gas. Your 10 psi of propane offers 4000% more pressure than natural gas. That’s a huge difference. On the other hand, if your propane kiln has been using 11" of propane pressure (a little over 1/3 lb. of pressure, which is standard household propane delivery), you’ll be able to change out orifice size and almost everything is a go. If you have a commercial kiln like a Bailey, Alpine, or Geil, conversion is easy because these varieties are designed for low pressure to begin with. Yet there’s one other consideration that could make this change far more expensive. The piping requirements for the two gases (though propane is sold as a liquid, it is usually delivered to the burners as a gas) are vastly different. Don’t assume that the piping you used for your propane-fired kiln is going to be adequate for your transition to natural gas. A standard setup for propane is to have a first-stage regulator that reduces tank pressure to an intermediate transport pressure of 10 psi. That 10 psi is then piped to the house or kiln and reduced again via a second-stage regulator to 11" water column. So that ½" pipe that goes under your concrete driveway with 10 psi can carry a lot of propane — but it’s not going to carry squat as far as low-pressure natural gas.

That ½" pipe might need to be replaced with a 2" pipe for natural gas. All this stuff is really going to add up when making the switch between the two gases. The bottom line is: natural gas is cheaper to fire with, but it will cost you more up front in piping, and perhaps burners. To be able to make this comparison, you need to know what pressure you’re currently operating on with propane. You also need to know the BTU needs of the kiln. The BTU needs are necessary to know for the piping requirements of natural gas. Do not run pipe to a kiln for natural gas without knowing the BTU usage. This is a mistake I see played out on a regular basis. The length of the pipe run, the number of elbows, and the pipe size all factor into how much gas can be delivered to the kiln. If someone is going to run pipe for you and they haven't asked about the number of BTUs, they don’t know what they are doing and shouldn’t be allowed to run the pipe. I see this far too often in school situations where the administration doesn’t want to pay outside contractors, and assigns maintenance the job. Maintenance doesn’t want to admit they are clueless ... and the fun ensues! Saving money by changing fuels is always worth considering. Just be sure to really look at all the factors before you make the leap. [

Marc Ward is owner and operator of Ward Burner Systems, PO Box 1086, Dandridge, Tennessee 37725. He invites you to sign up for his free newsletter, and can be reached by phone at 865.397.2914 or through the online catalog and Web site at: www. wardburner.com.

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Glaze Mixing Made Easy

Materials (pictured) for Mixing Your Own Glaze 1 GlazeCal slide rule to convert recipe batch size if necessary (order online at www. claytimes.com) 2 A potter’s sieve (a fine-mesh screen) 3 An immersion blender (for test-size batches) OR (for 5-gallon batches) a toilet brush, large wire whisk, or power drill paint mixer attachment (pictured) for blending 4 A scale to weigh the raw ingredients — typically a triple-beam balance (pictured) or digital gram scale 5 Recipe or formula for your desired glaze 6 All of the chemicals or raw materials called for in the glaze recipe 7 A NIOSH-approved respirator (with filtration rated to meet or exceed the MSDS particle size of the raw materials you are using) & protective gloves

Whenever making ceramic glazes and handling raw materials, always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and MSDS guidelines for any chemicals or ingredients used. Many are toxic through inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion — ALWAYS wear gloves and a respirator when handling glaze materials.

lazing your unique pottery pieces should be more involved than just dipping your pot into the glaze bucket at a community or University pottery studio. It should mean more than simply brushing on layers of a commercial glaze that many other potters use. You make pottery because you want something unique — not commercial. So why give up your originality when it comes time to complete your one-of-a-kind piece with glaze? Many beginning potters are not ready to take the step into making their own glazes because they find the math calculations daunting. But thanks to a new product called GlazeCal, introduced to the ceramic art market in June of this year, there is no longer any reason to limit one’s self because of the math involved when converting glaze formulas into batch form. GlazeCal is sort of a slide rule that converts glaze recipe percentages into desired

batch gram weights. With use of this new product, beginning potters need not be intimidated by the complex calculations involved when mixing any size glaze batch, whether it be a small amount for testing or enough to fill a 5-gallon bucket. With the help of GlazeCal, there is no math to remember, no need for computer conversion programs, and your chances of making a costly batch calculation error are greatly reduced. Soon, you’ll be on your way to making unique, wonderful glazes that fit your piece the way you want and need. I, too, have had difficulty and fear with making glazes. I was even banned from undergraduate studies after being told, “The ceramic studio isn’t the place for someone with a heart condition.” It was then that I started my own private continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

8 Two containers, each large enough to hold the batch size of the glaze you’ll be mixing.

BY CHRISTEENA GALLAHUE

Glaze Mixing Made Easy (continued from previous page) For example, say you want to make a glaze batch of 65,000 grams and your recipe calls for 19.4% Custer feldspar. Once you have the batch weight tab set to 65,000, you will see under 19.4% that you need to add 12,610 grams of feldspar to your total glaze bucket. Repeat for each ingredient, but you don’t need to change the batch size again — GlazeCal has already performed all calculations for you!

studio, finding myself limited to the inconvenient and tedious process of brushing on layer after layer of commercial glaze. This wasn’t my style. After all, I was making pottery because I wanted to get away from commercial industry as much as possible, especially when it came to Christmas gifts and the dinnerware in my own kitchen cupboards. I resolved to try batch glazing again, moving on to a new University. There I studied glaze calculations and formulas — and literally found myself testing more than 5,000 glazes! It was also there that the idea of GlazeCal blossomed. GlazeCal is great for beginning artists, but has its advantages for advanced potters as well. GlazeCal reduces the chance of error. Who goes back to make sure they’ve entered the correct number on a standard calculator? Raw materials cost too much to waste. GlazeCal is twice as fast as a standard calculator. Merely slide both calculator boards to the desired batch size, and all your calculations — regardless of number of ingredients in your glaze recipe — are complete at once! Glaze making involves collecting the appropriate equipment and supplies needed, obtaining a glaze recipe, mixing, sieving, and applying glaze to your ware. Following are my suggestions for mixing a glaze from scratch, using GlazeCal. Please always make sure you use the appropriate, manufacturer-recommended, protective equipment for each chemical and/or material you are using. Also be sure to begin with a small batch size to test-fire on your clay body before you commit to mixing an entire bucketful!

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

■ Step One: Gather the materials listed on page 41 before you get started. You can obtain your glaze recipe from various reliable resources [yes, Clay Times “Great Glazes I & II” books in print and PDF format are wonderful places to start]. Also consider friends who have tested their recipes, or trusted Websites. Be sure the glaze recipe you select is formulated for your clay body’s firing temperature.

■ Step Two: Decide on the quantity of glaze you want to make. In the U.S., glazes are typically calculated in grams. Set your GlazeCal sliding calculator to your desired batch size (you’ll find this at the top, middle windows of each GlazeCal board). Make sure you do this for both calculator boards. All of your glaze calculations are now complete! Flip through GlazeCal to find the correct weight of each glaze recipe ingredient, found under its corresponding percentage.

■ Step Three: As you begin mixing, add small increments of water to your dry ingredients, until the mix reaches the consistency of whole milk or cream. Make sure you mix the batch well! It’s typically a good idea to let your glaze sit for about 24 hours to allow all of the dry particles plenty of time to absorb the water.

GlazeCal, a new glaze batch calculation tool, performs recipe conversions in a snap!

For best results, push your glaze mix through a potter’s sieve at least three times with a rubber rib.

Common Conversions* 1 pound = 453.58 grams 2,000 grams = 4.41 pounds 4,500 grams = 9.92 pounds 9,000 grams = 19.84 pounds 1 pound = 16 ounces 1 ounce = 28.35 grams 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces 1 gallon = 16 cups 1 gallon = 4 quarts 1 quart = 2 pints 1 pint = 2 cups Fahrenheit = (Celsius x 1.8) + 32 Celsius = (Fahrenheit - 32) x 0.5555 Fahrenheit = ((Kelvin - 273) x 1.8) + 32 Kelvin = ((Fahrenheit - 32) x 0.5555) + 273 *Conversions listed are approximate.

After the glaze has had a chance to sit, sieve it at least three times to be sure that there are no clumps, and that the glaze is smooth. A glaze sieve is a special fine-mesh screen that sets securely over the top edge of your 5-gallon glaze bucket. To sieve, pour the glaze through the screen and force any remaining materials through the sieve by sliding a straight-edged rubber rib across the screen (process pictured at left). Repeat this procedure twice more. You have now made your first glaze — way to go! ■ Step Four: You are now ready to apply your wonderful new glaze to your ware. You may do this in numerous, unrestricted ways. First be sure to apply wax resist to the bottom so the glaze doesn’t stick your pot to the kiln shelf! Try dipping your pot into the glaze container, or pouring the glaze over your ware. You can also spray or brush your glaze (again, make sure you wear your respirator). You can achieve patterns with stamps, sponges, wax resist, etc. Application possibilities for your new glaze mixture are now practically endless. Hopefully this article will help open new doors, and you will no longer face restrictions in glaze making. Cracking the kiln lid of your first noncommercial-glazed-pot firing will be an exciting experience — one not to be forgotten! Your pieces will be unique and custom to you. You will have extra pride in your work, knowing that your creative possibilities have just multiplied immensely, and that you are no longer limited to using pre-formulated commercial glazes. Congratulations on taking this significant step in your rewarding ceramics venture! [ Author Christeena Gallahue may be reached via email at info@GlazeCal.com. To see her video on use of GlazeCal, visit www.GlazeCal.com. To purchase her glaze batch conversion tool online, visit the store at www.claytimes.com/store.html

BY MONONA ROSSOL

wonder if Clay Times readers are amused, as I am, about all the cosmetic ads regarding “pure minerals” and “mineral-based” make-up. We ceramicists live and work intimately with minerals. Clays are minerals. The mineral talc — the same one used in talcum powder — is used in some glazes and clays. Glaze colorants are minerals containing metals such as titanium (white), manganese (purple to black), cobalt (blue), chromium (green), and iron (ranging from yellow and red to brown and black). These same minerals are used in make-up. They may be of greater purity than those used in ceramics, but they are same minerals nonetheless. So what is new about using minerals in make-up? Nothing! Minerals have always been the basis of skin and body paints.

Cosmetic History

Ancient Egyptians (including Cleopatra) used eye make-up made from black minerals containing lead sulfide and antimony sulfide. This material, called kohl, is still used in the Middle East, India, Pakistan,

Women in the court of Queen Elizabeth I persisted in wearing a make-up made from a mineral called cerussite, a natural white lead carbonate, even though they knew it ruined their skin and made their hair fall out. In the eighteenth century, one well-known actress died from using lead-laden make-up. This same mineral can be used in lead glazes. So marketers emphasizing the mineral content of cosmetics are not telling us anything new.

What is a Mineral? Technically, “mineral” is a general term referring to the non-living constituents of the earth’s crust. These include naturally occurring elements, compounds, and mixtures that have a definite range of chemical composition and properties. Let’s break that down further: “Non-living constituents” means that minerals are inorganic instead of being from plants or animals. That usually means that minerals do not contain hydrocarbons like plants and animals do. But carbon, such as the carbon in calcium carbonate, can be a constituent of a mineral. Even pure carbon can form a mineral (such as the precious “diamond”). An exception to the “non-living” rule is the inclusion of the fossil fuels, such as coal and crude

oil. Traditionally, one group of toxic solvents distilled from petroleum are called “mineral spirits.” Also, note that “mineral oil” is a petroleum-derived hydrocarbon used in cosmetics, or used as a laxative. Sometimes it is hard for us to see that oil and coal are “natural” products from plant and animal matter. But this fact does help us to understand that “natural” does not mean “safe.” Neither are most natural inorganic minerals safe. Minerals like crystalline silica can cause silicosis and cancer when inhaled. Cancer can also be caused by natural minerals containing arsenic, cadmium, chromium (IV), lead, and nickel ... and so on.

Are Natural Minerals Pure? Mother Nature is the primary manufacturer of minerals. The inorganic minerals are created when volcanic lava or the magma from under the earth cool. The rate at which they cool and the pressure they are under during cooling will determine the types of minerals that will crystallize in a given deposit. Once formed, minerals are recreated and altered when water or glaciers erode the mineralcontaining rocks. The resulting fine silt is deposited in lakes and streams and buried deep in the ground, under great pressure. Minerals also are altered and changed from one form to another when they come in contact with underground heat. We do exactly the same thing when we take clay minerals and heat them until they are

transformed into different and harder minerals in our kilns. When Mother Nature makes her minerals, she is not concerned with quality control. She creates them with whatever happens to be present in the earth’s crust or the silt deposit at that geological moment. As a result, a “pure” mineral is almost never found in nature. Most minerals are mixed with other minerals. For example, most sedimentary clays are a mishmash of different clay minerals, silica, and some organic impurities from the lake or stream from which they were deposited. Even single crystals of minerals usually are not pure. For example, it is the impurities that make emeralds green, rubies red, and some diamonds blue. Technically, the terms “natural” and “pure” shouldn’t be used in the same sentence. The purest minerals are synthetically manufactured so that the starting materials and process can be precisely controlled.

Ceramic & Cosmetic Minerals Many of the minerals we use in ceramics are also used in cosmetics. Face powders and make-ups are likely to contain minerals such as talc, kaolin and other clays, chalk, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and mica. These minerals are harmless to the skin or by ingestion. They also do not cause allergies. They are only hazardous if they are inhaled. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Thousands of years ago, Australian Aborigines and Native American people used white clays and black iron ores for body and face paints. The Australian natives also used a black manganese dioxide ore as both body paint and a pigment in their paintings. Some Aborigines developed manganese-Parkinson’s disease from this mineral.

and some parts of Africa, especially on children. In 1996, a U.S. health department study found that use of kohl by immigrant populations caused high blood lead levels in eight children.1

Studio I Health & Safety

Cosmetics or Glaze Minerals?

Studio I Health & Safety

Cosmetics or Glaze Minerals? (cont. from previous page) Potters are aware they should not inhale these dusts. For example, we know that the small amounts of silica in our clays can cause silicosis over time. In a prior Clay Times column (July/August 2005), I wrote about several potters and teachers with silicosis.

ral because they sink into the outer layers of the skin. Tests show these particles do not penetrate deeper where they could enter the blood stream. But these tests were only done on normal skin. I found no data on penetration of damaged or broken skin.

Industrial experience confirms that mineral dusts of talc, kaolin, and mica can damage the respiratory system. In addition, Mother Nature put asbestos in many of her talcs. Today, titanium dioxide is also known to be a lung carcinogen (see Clay Times Summer 2011 issue).

Penetration of the skin is an important issue because research shows that some types of nanoparticles enter the bloodstream through the skin or lungs, and can serve as foci for blood clots. Other nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes are now associated in animal tests with diseases like those cause by asbestos.

Should I Throw Out My Cosmetics?

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

For example, nanoparticles of titanium white, such as those used in most make-ups, are more carcinogenic2 than larger particles. But the tiny particles also are far better at making cosmetics look natu-

Footnotes: 1. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 86, No. 4., April 1996, p. 587-588 2. NIOSH Current Intelligence Bulletin 63, “Occupational Exposure to Titanium Dioxide” Monona Rossol is an industrial hygienist/chemist with an M.F.A. in ceramics/ class. E-mail her at: ACTSNYC@cs.com.

— Mary Ellen Chapman, Cox’s Mills, WV [ [Editor’s note: Of course you can make all of the above pieces out of clay, too, if you have the time and would like to save yourself the cost. Incidentally, two-piece violet pots have long been best sellers in my own line of functional wares.] Submit your clever studio tip to The Slurry Bucket and you could earn a free T-shirt if it’s published! E-mail your tip, photo (if you have one), contact information, and T-shirt size to: claytimes@gmail.com, or send to PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197.

Now forming — in time for the 2011 holidays!

Clay

There is now an additional hazard. Today, many minerals in cosmetics are ground into incredibly small-sized particles called “nanoparticles.” Scientists have found that when solid particles are in the range of 0.1 to 0.001 microns (the size called nanoparticles), they behave very differently from larger particles of the same substance.

Each of us must make up (pun intended) our own minds about this. But at least, clay people know that the “pure mineral” and “mineral based” advertising is hype. The only really “new” thing in cosmetics is the nanoparticle size of some ingredients. Unfortunately in this case, “new and improved” might also be hazardous as well. [

I have discovered that the self-watering violet pot purchased from a local garden shop offers an excellent way to keep my slip soft and moist between uses. The inside pot is unglazed on its lower section and sits in the water held by the larger pot. This moisture is constantly wicked up into the container of slip, helping to keep the slip soft and moist for weeks at a time. I need only occasionally add a little water on the surface of the slip to maintain its desired consistency. I use a small, old-fashioned saucer as a lid and resting place for my slip tools.

TIMES

Since these minerals are only hazardous by inhalation, cosmetics should not be inhaled. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not test or approve of cosmetic ingredients for uses in which they are inhaled. So technically, the new spray and air brush make-ups are not approved by FDA if they are inhaled in the application process.

Very little is known about nanoparticles. The tests presently required for cosmetic ingredients are for immediate (acute) hazards such as skin and eye damage from direct contact. Longterm studies for effects like cancer, birth defects, and organ damage have not been done on the nanoparticle ingredients.

Slurry Bucket Tips

Ceramic Art Collector’s Gallery — and —

Potter’s Studio Equipment & Art Supply Store Conveniently located just outside Leesburg, VA (less than a one-hour drive from Washington, DC; Tysons Corner, VA; Waynesboro, PA; Martinsburg, WV; Frederick & Gaithersburg, MD) Watch www.claytimes.com & www.facebook. com/Clay.Times.Magazine for details!

Check out these listings to find local programs for wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculptural techniques, & more … Classes are listed alphabetically by state

ARIZONA Tucson Clay Co-op — 3326 North Dodge Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85711; 520.792.6263; www. tucsonclayco-op.com; tucsonclaycoop@yahoo.com. Fully equipped studio, studio rental, gallery. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, sculpture, mosaics, classes for adults and children, clay parties, more.

FLORIDA Carla's Clay — 1733 Northgate Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34234; 941.359.2773; www.carlasclay.com; cobrien@ carlasclay.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, gallery, tools, and supplies. Craft Gallery & Dixie Art Loft — 5911 South Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, FL 33405; 561.585.7744; www.thecraftgallery.net; potteryme@ comcast.net. Gallery, studio & kiln rental. Glazes, clay, glass, tools, books, equipment, and art. Classes in glass fusion, enameling, silver clay, wheel-throwing, handbuilding, and architectural sculpture. Workshops by guest artists.

GEORGIA Callanwolde Fine Arts Center — 980 Briarcliff Rd., Atlanta, GA 30306; 404.874.9351; www. callanwolde.org; gdair@callanwolde.org. Callanwolde is located in Mid-town Atlanta, and offers basic through advanced wheel and handbuilding classes, as well as electric, gas, raku, salt, and soda firing.

handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, classes for adults and children, guest artist workshops, monthly clay dates.

MAINE

The Red Door Pottery Studio — 44 Government St., Kittery, ME 03904; 207.439.5671; exfpottery@yahoo.com; www.reddoorpottery.com. Year-round classes, all skill levels, monthly workshops, private lessons, retail gallery, shows. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

Resources I Classes

Community Pottery Classes

for adults and summer clay camps for kids. Also a clay supplier and gallery, featuring the work of ten Mississippi artists.

MISSOURI 323 Clay — 323 West Maple Avenue, Independence, MO 64068; 816.254.7552; http://www.323Clay. com; kimberly@323clay.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults, classes for children.

NEW JERSEY MARYLAND Renaissance Art Center — 12116 Darnestown Rd., Suite L4, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; 866.212.6604; www.rcarts.com; info@rcarts.com. Pottery classes for all ages, teaching wheel throwing, handbuilding, and glazing techniques. Electric firing.

MASSACHUSETTS

LOUISIANA

MISSISSIPPI

Pottery Alley — 205½ W. Vermilion St., Lafayette, LA 70501; 337.267.4453; www.potteryalley. com; info@potteryalley.com. Pottery Alley offers classes, parties, workshops, and open studio in a relaxed, creative atmosphere. All levels welcome! Wheel-throwing,

Bodine Pottery & Art Studio — New location: 432 West Frontage Dr., Wiggins, MS 39577; 601.928.4718; www.bodinepottery.com; hukmut@ bodinepottery.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, kiln building, PMC (precious metal clay), week-long clay camps

NEW YORK Artworks at West Side YMCA — 5 West 63rd St., New York, NY 10023; 212.912.2368; ymcanyc.org/westside; kmissett@ymcanyc.org We are a friendly, supportive studio on Manhattan's Upper West Side offering classes and open studio time in the visual arts. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, stained glass, watercolor, drawing, and beading. Classes for adults and children. Banner Hill School of Fine Arts & Woodworking — 741 Mill St., P.O. Box 607, Windham, NY 12423; 518.929.7821; bannerhillwindham@mac.com; www.bannerhillLLC.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric & raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults & children; intensive 1-day to 2-week courses in ceramics for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill — 10 Meetinghouse Road, Truro, MA 02666, 508.349.7511; www.castlehill.org; info@castlehill.org. Throwing & handbuilding by some of the best potters in the country: Jim Brunelle, Linda Christianson, Kevin Crow, Marty Fielding, Silvie Granateli, Linden Gray, Randy Johnston, Matt Katz, Hannah Niswonger, Mark Shapiro, Gay Smith, Kayla Stein, Guy Wolff, Joe Woodford, Mikhail Zakin – something for everyone.

Laplaca Pottery Works — 1002A Trenton Ave., Point Pleasant, NJ 08742; 732.861.2276; www. laplacapottery.com; greglaplaca@aol.com. Large, modern studio with great lighting and all-new equipment. Wheelthrowing, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

Resources I Classes

NEW YORK (classes, cont.) BrickHouse Ceramic Art Center — 10-34 44th Drive 1st Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101; 718.784.4907; ellen.day@brickhouseny.com; http://www. brickhouseny.com. Spacious, fully-equipped studio, yearround adult classes, ceramic artist rental shelves, pottery for sale.Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, private parties. Clay Art Center — 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY 10573; 914-937-2047; www.clayartcenter.org; mail@ clayartcenter.org; Clay classes for adults & children and monthly workshops in wheel-throwing, sculpture, & special topics. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, summer camps, studio space, gallery. Clayworks on Columbia Inc. — 195 Columbia St., Brooklyn, NY 11231; 917.428.3128; ddmcdermott@rcn.com; www.clayworksoncolumbia.org. A not-for-profit clay studio now in its 16th year. Classes for adults & children in wheel-throwing, handbuilding, and sculpture; featuring electric firing plus rental space and gallery for students and members. The Painted Pot — 339 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231; 718.222.0334; www.paintedpot.com; mail@ paintedpot.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture. Supermud Pottery Studio — 2744 Broadway (between 105th and 106th St.), New York City, NY 10025. Year-round classes for adults and children of all skill levels on the Upper West Side. Call 212.865.9190 or visit us at supermudpotterystudio.com. Wheel-throwing, handbulding, electric firing, wood firing, private lessons, private parties, studio space rental with 7-day access, gallery space. Tribeca Clay Works — Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007; 212.766.1104 ext. 259; www.downtowncommunitycenter. org; susan@downtowncommunitycenter.org. Ceramic/ pottery classes in Tribeca. Fully equipped and spacious studio for all levels. Classes for adults & children in wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, mommy & me classes, parties.

SUNIN Clay Studio — 13473 Wetmore Road, San Antonio, TX 78247; 210.494.9100; suninpottery@ sbcglobal.net; suninclaystudio.net. A full-service working and teaching studio where potters and students express themselves in clay. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

VIRGINIA Art Pottery Studio — 4810 Tabard Pl., Annandale, VA 22003; 703.978.1480; artpottery@earthlink.net; www. potteryart.biz. Year-round classes for all ages and abilities; group and private lessons, with special programs for Girl Scouts, cancer survivors, & others facing life’s challenges. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children, mixed media, sculpture, and specialty workshops. Manassas Clay & Tin Barn Pottery Supply — 9122 Center Street, Manassas, VA 20110; 703.330.1040; www.manassasclay.com; manassasclay@aol.com; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture, glazing, raku. Nan Rothwell Studio Pottery — 221 Pottery Lane, Faber, VA 22938 (near Wintergreen); 434.263.4023; www.nanrothwellpottery.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, glazing, firing for ages 16 & up. Round Hill Arts Center — 35246 Harry Byrd Highway, Round Hill, VA 20142; 540.338.5022; info@ roundhillartscenter.org; www.roundhillartscenter.org; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children, summer camps, also classes for all art mediums. Mention Clay Times for a 10% discount on your first class! Open studios for students. Workhouse Arts Center - Ceramics Program — 9504 Workhouse Way, Bldg. 8, Lorton, VA 22079; (703) 584-2982; www.workhousearts.org or www.workhouseceramicsarts.org; dalemarhanka@ lortonarts.org. A collective and highly dynamic environment with the goal of promoting ceramic art through research, education, and outreach. Resident artist program and classes for adults (ages 16 & up) and children (5-15 years old) in wheel-throwing, handbuilding, ceramic sculpture, tile making, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, visiting artist workshops, corporate retreats, and workshops for Girl /Cub Scout troops.

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

TEXAS

Eric Orr Clay — 22 Blackjack Lane, Lewisville,TX 75077; 940.241.1242; ericorrclay.com; ericmuddorr@ yahoo.com. A complete teaching studio for lovers of clay and glass. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, glass fusing and slumping, classes for adults and children. I work with you individually and endeavor to take you where you want to go on your clay/glass journey!

WYOMING Potters Depot LLC — 75 East Benteen St., Buffalo, WY 82834; pottersdepot@msn.com; www.pottersdepot. com. We have a beautiful gallery and offer pottery classes for adults, teens, and kids. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops.[

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT YOUR POTTERY CLASSES! — A full one-year listing of community pottery classes in CT's print & online magazines + Website is available for just $99! For details, visit www.claytimes.com/classes.html

Readers Share I Glaze Recipes

Great Glazes Furnished by John Fulwood (see cover story, p. 14-17). He uses these recipes for single-firing to cone 10 in a reduction atmosphere.

PLUM RED Custer Feldspar Dolomite Zinc Oxide Whiting EPK Silica add Bentonite add Red Iron Oxide

42.2% 4.5 1.0 11.2 13.6 27.5 2.0 11.5

Nice red-brown. Black where thick.

AERNI ASH Wood Ash Whiting Ball Clay Custer Feldspar Silica add Copper Carbonate

50.0% 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 3.0

John Fulwood uses unwashed ash run through an 80-mes screen.

j Get your original Clay Times® potter’s T-shirts! Designs & styles for everyone! Sizes S-XXXL 100% cotton Just $15!

See all designs online:

http://www.claytimes.com/store/tshirts.html

SH BLUE ASH Alberta Slip Clay Ball Clay Whiting add Cobalt Carbonate add Red Iron Oxide

50.00% 18.75 31.25 1.56 1.33

SH SPOTTED BLACK 66.1% 5.1 11.9 17.0 3.0

All glaze recipes above are listed in percentage by weight, and should be tested before regular use. Additional recipes and images of glazes appear online at http://www.claytimes.com/ bonus_content.html [

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

Custer Feldspar Whiting Silica Yellow Iron Oxide add Bentonite

Resources I Classified Marketplace

Classified Marketplace For Rent

Opportunities, cont.

Travel, cont.

• FULLY EQUIPPED SPACE FOR POTTER/ CERAMIST IN ROUND ROCK, TEXAS. Safe location with 24-hour access. All bills included except firings. Gas kiln and two electric. Wheels, slab roller and extruder. Pugmill use available. Free Wi-Fi. Rent: $220/month for 1 year lease. For details, contact Hilaire Ridlon at Circle-in-a-Square Pottery. E-mail: hil@circleinasquare.com; tel. 512.246.3543 or 512.579.8803.

that thrives on accuracy, consistency and speed, you may have just realized your dream job. Wages based on experience. Qualified candidates should e-mail their resume to tom@ shstoneware.com.

www.pottersforpeace.org or peterpfp@ gmail.com

Opportunities • CALL FOR ENTRY — Louisville, KY: “Bluegrass Bourbon, By the Bottle, By the Ounce” a national juried exhibit of bourbon bottles and shot glasses to take place at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft Nov. 2, 2012 to Jan. 5, 2013. Juried from digital images by Matt Long. Entry Deadline: May 1, 2012. Please visit www.louisvilleclay.org for more information and to download form. • Ceramics Instructor Needed. Children's camp in upstate NY seeks skilled individual to run ceramics program. Top salary, room and board provided. 800.786.8373. www. raquettelake.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

• SKILLED POTTERY ARTISTS — If your life's passion is to be a potter and make a great living at it, then it's time to join our Sunset Hill Stoneware Team! Since 1997, Sunset Hill Stoneware (SHS) has combined old world technologies with modern innovations to create functional stoneware for customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to national parks, museums, gift shops and resorts.

In October, we opened the doors to our new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Neenah, WI. We are looking for talented people to join our growing team of stoneware artists. Why join SHS? Very simply, we are a pottery shop like no other. We offer full-time, long-term employment for artists who desire to make a good living at handcrafting production stoneware. SHS potters have access to hightech tools and processes that incorporate proprietary custom-designed pottery wheels in an air-conditioned, climate-controlled environment. In return, we need artists who can throw and build products to specification continually for 8 hours/day. Artists must have 3-5 years of previous throwing experience on a pottery wheel; can be combination of education and experience. If you are a competitive soul

JOIN AMERICANPOTTERS.COM • TODAY! Be a part of a national, searchable database for FREE ... or an “online gallery/ portfolio” to sell your work, without commissions. If you have a Website, join with a “link” page. All information is editable by you, without Web knowledge. Go to the site and click on “FAQ” for more information.

Tools for Potters • GREAT NEW HANDBUILDING TOOL! A set of 24 durable, flexible, laminated templates to create circular & conical forms. Perfect for potters or teachers! Developed over many years by potter & teacher, Sandi Pierantozzi. Start having fun creating new forms with CircleMatic Form Finder! www.CircleMatic.com • GLAZECAL — A conversion chart to calculate glaze recipe percentages into the correct gram weight, based on your batch size. You no longer need a standard calculator when figuring out glaze recipes! No math or computer programs needed. It’s portable, too! Reduces error! Visit www.GlazeCal.com. DEALERS WANTED. • NEW! Joe Campbell’s Artist Brushes — Three kinds of slip brushes made with horse mane hair (medium-coarse, for hakame patterns); Asian goat hair (silky, for smooth strokes); and ringtail cat hair (for decorating). Handles are individually crafted with bamboo seasoned 6-12 months to minimize splitting, then wrapped with decorative Irish linen threads and ready to hang with loops of cow or elk hide. $30 each. View brush images and order online at www.claytimes.com/store.html.

Travel • Visit the potters of Nicaragua with Potters for Peace, Jan. 14 - 28, 2012. $1400 covers all expenses but airfare. Visit a variety of rural Nicaraguan pottery communities working in wood fired, slip decorated earthenware. You will also visit one of our ceramic water filter workshops, volcanoes, lakes, craft markets.

• Ceramic Arts™ Travel and Studio Exchange Network — For all ceramic artists who enjoy traveling & meeting fellow clay folk: Discover the benefits of joining our new network designed to help potters experience clay art and culture around the globe, at downto-earth prices. Pick your own times & dates to trade use of your home/studio with other potters worldwide, or register for a group workshop/tour. For details, e-mail: clayartstravel@ gmail.com. • Vacation in Southwest Florida with a ceramics studio at your doorstep. Twobedroom, one-bathroom villa in Bonita Springs, FL. Rents weekly or monthly. Get warm, relax, and make some awesome art. Studio includes two wheels and a kiln. Details at www.ThisSideRetreat.com.

Videos & Books • PotteryVideos.com — DVDs with Robin Hopper, Gordon Hutchens, and Graham Sheehan. Video workshops for potters at all levels of experience. Choose from 21 titles. E-mail info@potteryvideos.com or call 800.668.8040. • Order Great Glazes I & II for just $15 each at the Clay Times online store at www.claytimes.com. These classic hands-on studio glaze books offer dozens of favorite glaze recipes for all kinds of firing & atmospheres. • 10% OFF EVERYTHING SALE through December 1 at Bill van Gilder’s online store: www.vangilderpottery.com. Great deals on videos, tools, and more! • Order the newly-released second edition of Nothing to Hide (now in paperback) while supplies last! Written by the late Paul Soldner, known as the “Father of American Raku,” Nothing to Hide exposes the reader to both Soldner’s artistic genius and his extraordinary life. Part memoir and part personal philosophy, these insightful, sometimes irreverent exploits recount both important artistic historical events as well as Soldner’s insatiable curiosity and zest for life. Order online for just $12.95 plus shipping at www.claytimes.com/store/ soldner-book.html, or call: 800.356.2529. [

To place your classified ad, call 800.356.2529 or log onto: www.claytimes.com/classifieds.html

“All work and no play makes Jack or Jill a dull potter.”

n The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron offers a challenge to the hesitant creative: “Leap,” she says, “and the net will appear.”

These days, though, it’s hard to feel like anyone is working with a safety net. Being

with autism, Down syndrome, and a variety of cognitive disabilities. The work of these artists can be refreshing and inspiringly random. The work that comes out of the studio reflects the quirky BY KELLY SAVINO

Opinion I Around the Firebox

What’s the Purpose?

for adults with disabilities, these artists are already comfortable with failing at first attempts, and they seem undaunted by the traditional artist’s need to “get it right the first time.” (I guess I’m back to my previous column’s theme, “Dare to Fail”). Many of us who have strength, skill, and confidence in one area hesitate to explore other areas where we feel less confident. The artists at Shared Lives seem to rely more on effort, persistence, and the joy of making, and worry less about falling short — a preoccupation that can keep us from exploring unknown territory.

Shared Lives artists have the advantage of being different. Just by the uniqueness of their perspectives, their artwork has originality, much like what we value as “outsider art.” And because even the basic skills we take for granted can be a struggle

While that’s a practical motivation, especially now, I’d argue that we have to give ourselves permission to forget about income once in a while and recharge our own creative batteries. All work and no play makes Jack or Jill a dull potter. Not

Ceramic ‘snails’ the author has begun to secretly "install" into coat pockets, purses, and other unsuspected destinations for discovery by the general public. “risk-averse” is considered a virtue in the new economy. But in the studio, many ceramic artists say their lack of creative risk-taking keeps them “stuck.” Potters feel they are making and remaking predictable work, while admiring more off-the-wall experiments of other artists. Why is it so hard to be random, flirt with the absurd, make it up as we go? Recently, my perspective has been widened by yet another part-time job, working with the artists of Toledo, Ohio’s “Shared Lives” program. Two studios and a beautiful downtown gallery incorporate the work of two dozen artists from the community of developmentally disabled adults. Individuals with artistic talent are selected from the employees at “Lott Industry,” an organization which puts hands to work shredding documents, doing simple assembly, and otherwise providing an income for adults

CLAYTIMES·COM n AUTUMN 2011

personalities and unique life experiences of the makers. Jeffrey, an artist in his 20s, will work in any medium, but has a passion for Venus Flytrap plants. His large-scale, bright-colored sculptures — complete with teeth, tongues, and tentacles — transform the studio into kind of a sci-fi greenhouse. That theme may be Jeffrey’s own “box,” but he explores possibilities in metal, paintings, sculpture, fiber, collage, glass, clay, and glaze, and has recently branched out to include pitcher plants and other carnivorous botanicals. He works like Dale Chihuly, sketching and planning, directing the hands of assistants to make the parts he assembles.

Even so, it’s likely that clay artists of this decade are as hindered by the realities of making a living as they are by internal dialogues. Sometimes “the box” that confines our imagination is the square walls of a gallery or a street fair booth, or the confines of a shipping box or gift package. If we’re in this for a living, or have to support our clay habit, marketability has a strong hand in guiding our decisions. Who can afford to make work that others don’t want to buy? We resolve to make what’s marketable, uncertain what we’d do with the unpredictable and incongruous results if we let our imaginations roam in the studio. Why spend the time and materials to make something eccentric, “just for fun”? If we have a professional reputation, we also have to consider what odd, experimental work with our name on it might mean to customers who expect our usual line.

Opinion I Around the Firebox

Around the Firebox (continued from previous page) everything you make has to be signed, after all, or sold. Like famous writers who acquire a pen name to write out-of-character books, potters can benefit from working outside the scrutiny of others (whether that scrutiny is real or imagined.) What would you make, if nobody was looking? At a recent workshop featuring Sandi Pierantozzi and Neil Patterson, I was delighted to learn that Neil had made several pieces of work intended for secret midnight “installations,” much in the tradition of “yarn bombing” and other public forms of light-hearted, random, guerrilla art. His lovely, unsigned, thrown-and-altered pieces were “installed,” in the dark of night, in niches in the wall of a public park. In effect, he gave them to the universe, knowing that they would eventually be broken, stolen, or removed — but the act of creating the perfect piece for that perfect spot was an assignment he gave himself, for a reward that had nothing to do with selling. The Toledo Potters Guild was delighted at the workshop, looking at slides of the work he designed for each mini-installation, and several of us expressed a wish to do something similar in our own town.

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I have begun my own random acts of pottery, in a very small way. One evening I sat at the table and rolled skinny little cones of clay on a bit of corrugated wood, wrapped them into spirals like a snail shell, and gave each one a grumpy little face. I made a whole bowl full, and fired them. Now, when I go into a gas station, local business or restaurant that has a “take one” dish for pennies on the counter, I drop a snail in there. I’ve been known to put them into stranger’s pockets on a coat rack, or drop one into an open purse. I get a childish thrill in imagining the raised eyebrow when somebody finds the little thing later and thinks, “what the ... ?” So: here’s an assignment for you, in the long, dark days as autumn turns to winter. Keep your eye out for a spot that needs a pot — or a sculpture — beads, or a tile … something random, temporary, harmless and anonymous. Plan it, make it, and secretly install it. Give it to the world with both hands, and don’t worry where it ends up; it’s the act that matters, not the object. As I tell my art students before they do a field assignment: keep it safe and legal, don’t get hurt, and don’t get arrested!

One of Neil Patterson’s random installations of public art at a Phildelphia park. If you accept the challenge, do take a picture of your commando artwork, and share! Post it at the Clay Times Facebook page at: www. facebook.com/Clay.Times.Magazine [ Kelly Savino teaches college, guild, and community ceramics classes. She may be reached via her Website at: http://www.primalmommy.com/. To learn more about Shared Lives, visit the link at http://shop. lottindustries.com/shared_lives.html

Index to Advertisers Bailey Pottery Equipment.......................24 Banner Hill School of Fine Arts...............30 Bascom Art Center.................................20 BigCeramicStore.com............................46 Carolina Clay Connection.......................22 Castle Hill Truro Art Center.....................22 Clay People.............................................10 Clay Times Products.................. 44, 47, 50 Clayworks Supplies................................10 Continental Clay......................................20 Dolan Tools.............................................10 Euclid’s Elements....................................51 Evenheat Kilns........................................22 Fired-on Images/Heirloom Ceramics.....47 Fulwood Measure.....................................7 Georgies..................................................20 Giffin Tec...................................................7 Graber’s Pottery, Inc.................................7 Great Lakes Clay & Supply Co...............26 Herring Designs......................................22 Highwater Clays........................................8 Hood College..........................................10 Japan Pottery Tools................................46

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