Clay Times Magazine Volume 23 • Issue 103

ceramic

art

trends,

tools,

and

7/21/17, 10(03 P+

Handmade Brushes with Glenn Grishkoff

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TIMES

Clay

techniques DP248993.jpg 2,899×3,870 pixels

Volume 23 • No. 103 Summer / Fall 2017 http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/eg/original/DP248993.jpg

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Glaze Transfer Techniques Using Textured Materials Pete Pinnell’s Introduction to Frit Building Your Own Recycled Raku Kiln The Pottery Tradition of Lesvos Island, Greece

An Interview with Penland Clay Coordinator Susan Feagin PLUS: Free Glaze Formulas on the Web • Inside the new Jim & Nan McKinnell Book

$8.95 U.S. / $10.95 CAN

The End of an Era: Five Generations of U.S. Potters

Why 2 women in remote Montana have fired only Paragon kilns since 1972 Pioneer Pottery near Roscoe, Montana is so isolated that bears come right up to the studio and smudge the windowpanes with nose prints.

The sound of the East Rosebud River flowing past the red two-story building breaks the silence.

Janet Hero Dodge and Julie Dickinson began Pioneer Pottery in 1972. They converted a horse stable built in 1910 into their busy pottery studio.

Janet and Julie planned to fire with propane; in the meantime, they bought a Paragon square K-6H electric kiln. But they were so satisfied with the Paragon that they never converted to propane firing. Over the years they just bought more Paragons and have been firing them ever since.

“The glazes I developed for the electric firings had the softness and subtlety I had hoped for with propane,” said Janet Hero Dodge. “So I never quite got around to building that gas kiln.

“In 1978 we added a Paragon K-6HS square kiln so we could glaze fire back to back when necessary. This allowed us to move pots steadily through the firing cycle and fill special orders quickly. In 1980 we added a square Paragon K-6A to our kiln collection. All the kilns are still functional.”

Janet and Julie fire their glazes to a flattened cone 9. At this temperature, their matte glazes soften and absorb iron from the clay. “Some of the glazes are quite bright for electric firing,” said Janet. “We’ve been real happy with our Paragons.

They’ve held up well and produced good results.”

Have they been reliable? “Quite.”

“You can’t deny that gas firing is exciting,” said Janet. “But as a production potter who also does my own specialty pieces, I need the reliability of electric, which is more reliable than gas because you have fewer variables. And I like the fast turnover I can have with the electric kilns. If I get a special order that I have to get out fast, I don’t have to wait to fill up a big gas kiln.

Julie Dickinson and Janet Hero Dodge. Pioneer Pottery has been firing Paragon kilns since the studio opened in 1972.

We offer a wide selection of top and front loading kilns. Call 800-876-4328 or visit www.paragonweb.com for a free catalog and the name of the Paragon dealer near you.

The Paragon Dragon front-loading kiln is becoming a favorite with Potters. It is easy to load, heavily insulated, and designed for cone 10. The switch box is hinged at the bottom.

“I use a copper barium glaze,” Janet said, “and part of the reason I started doing that is I had less control over it. So I get some of that same ‘I wonder what I’m going to get when I open it’ feeling.”

The Paragon kilns of today are built with the same dependability as the kilns Janet and Julie are using. Since their Paragon kilns have worked faithfully for so many decades, imagine what your next Paragon will do for you.

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Pictured at top: Foam fruit wrap used for shipping produce is just one of several materials used for the glaze transfer decoration process featured on pages 29-32.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

Pictured above, center: Detail of bottle at left, decorated with use of the foam fruit wrap pictured at top.

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Pictured at left: Bottle by Frank James Fisher, author of glaze transfer article. 7¼" tall x 3¼" diameter.

Raku-fired stoneware, 2016.

Pictured at right, opposite page: Pitcher by Lesvos potter Electra Valasi (l) and a view of Mytilene Harbor in Lesvos, Greece. For more, see p. 24.

features ➤ 12 The Art of Handmade Brushes

Cover inset photo: Molded fritware body with a fritted glaze, colored with copper. Circa 1961–1878 B.C., Egypt. 8" x 3" x 4½". Photo used by permission of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Michael Dunne Photo

contents

Cover photo: Rabbit Brush Bouquet made by Glenn Grishkoff during a 2005 artist residency at the LH Project, Joseph, OR. Wheel-thrown and coil-built porcelain, raku-fired to cone 06. The horse [mane] hair brush handles contain coarse garnet dust, creating a flowing, spotted comet effect in the glaze. Photo by Mark Lamoreaux.

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TIMES

Clay

Summer / Fall 2017 Volume 23, No. 103

Glenn Grishkoff shares his expertise in making handmade brushes that are not only extremely functional for use in pottery decoration, but are also works of art themselves. Learn his techniques for making brushes time-tested by the likes of Paul Soldner, Peter Voulkos, and even — yes, it’s true — a live elephant! ➤ 24 The Potters of Lesvos, Greece Poised to interview potters native to the home of her ancestors, Elaine Fuller is pleasantly surprised to discover the rich pottery-making history there. ➤ 29 Glazing Off the Grid: Part One In the first of a three-part series on textured glazing techniques, Frank Fisher offers illustrated steps for glaze transfer using various types of packing material.

24 exhibit ➤

12 2016 UNF A

12 Above photo: Glenn Grishkoff demonstrates the use of a brush he made with soft, handbundled horse mane combined with a raku-fired Grishkoff hand-grip handle. The weighted handle assists in the active, consistent pressure needed for dynamic marks. The fine horsehair is very absorbent, allowing for a continuous release of large amounts of liquid when in use.

Turn to page 12 for full story.

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contents

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Clay

Rectangular Tray by Loren Maron, decorated with MKM Stamps (for more on stamps, see p. 42.)

Summer / Fall 2017 • Volume 23 Issue 103

departments 7 EDITOR’S DESK Baltimore Clayworks closes its doors; New doors open for PTSD victims

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

37 GREAT GLAZES Formulas you can find for free on the Web

38 THE GALLERY Fellow CT readers share images of their clayworks

44 THE SLURRY BUCKET Studio-tested tips & techniques

45 POTTERY CLASSES

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

Where you can learn claywork in your own community

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49 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for and by clay artists

50 ADVERTISER INDEX Welcome to new CT tool advertisers Koala, Xiem, and Diamondcore — please let them know you found them in Clay Times!

Square Tray by Susan Feagin. Lana’s interview with Susan begins on p. 21.

columns 18 AS FAR AS I KNOW “An Introduction to Frit” Part 1 by Pete Pinnell

21 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Interview with Susan Feagin of Penland School”

by Lana Wilson

27 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Thousands of Years of Health Advice”

by Monona Rossol

33 KILNS & FIRING “Building A Recycled Raku Kiln” by Marc Ward

35 BOOKS & VIDEOS “The Clay Connection: Jim and Nan McKinnell” review by Steve Branfman

40 TOOL TIMES “More Great Finds on New Clay Tools”

by Vince Pitelka

47 AROUND THE FIREBOX “Five Generations and the End of an Era”

by David Hendley

“... The loss of the sale of our buildings created a complex and delicate situation.

Toward the end of last week, the board was told that the “Community Campaign’s” accrued funds came with a variety of restrictions in order to be disbursed. While the administration of that group worked hard to release some of that now, and potentially more later, it was not enough, nor in enough time ... Without it, and with many creditors, now being insolvent, we are facing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week. “ ... We understand the impact this will have on the larger arts community,” Holt continued. “It is exceedingly painful to those that Clayworks has served. We are all grief-stricken with the result.” [ — P.B.

Army Vet Praises Clay for PTSD Therapy

Clay Editor & Publisher: Polly Beach Customer Service: Nanette Greene Advertising Director: Morgan Britt 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 Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers:

Frank Fisher • Elaine Fuller • Glenn Grishkoff

Editor’s foreword: A 43-year-old British veteran recently e-mailed me the following account of his battles, and subsequent triumphs over, PTSD. Published below is his excerpted story, to help spread the word to others who battle PTSD and/ or other mental disorders: Perhaps a pottery class could be helpful therapy?

my anxiety — all [of which are] food for helping with the symptoms of PTSD.

✦ Printed on 100% FSC-certified and 75% post-consumer recycled paper ✦

“I can’t thank Combat Stress enough,” Craig continued. “I recommend that if you are struggling with any mental health issue, please seek help. It’s changed my life for the better.”

Published by: CLAY TIMES, LLC P.O. Box 17139 • Amelia Island, FL 32035

Craig Mealing (pictured in both images at bottom right) joined the British Army when he was 16 years old. Serving for 23 years, he completed tours of Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In November, 2015, Craig was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by Combat Stress, the U.K.’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health.

Craig now lives in Essex, United Kingdom.

His Website at www.potteryptsd.co.uk features a detailed account of his story, as well as helpful links to U.K. resources for PTSD and mental illness victims and their families. [

Prior to this diagnosis, Craig had turned to alcohol and found home life difficult. He struggled with socializing, being hyper-vigilant in crowded places, and suffered night terrors as well as depression.

“For me, working with clay and ceramics is the ideal distraction to keeping me off the drink. I find it relaxing, and it helps reduce

Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529 Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published quarterly, four issues per year. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be paid in US$). Digital subscriptions are just $20 worldwide. To subscribe, call tollfree 1.800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com.

Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Website for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines.

POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 17139, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035.

“Pottery has changed my life so much,” says Craig, a PTSD survivor. “Can’t beat throwing a pot!”

Copyright ©2017 Clay Times, LLC. 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.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

“I came to Combat Stress for a twoweek residential course in April, 2016, and that was when I first tried working with clay as part of my occupational therapy. One of the therapy technicians helped me get started, and that was it — I was hooked!” Craig said.

®

Over recent years, however, the organization had been experiencing financial difficulties, amassing roughly $1 million in debt. According to Holt, the Board had been optimistic about recovery following intensive fund-raising efforts, provided that Clayworks could sell its real estate holdings and relocate to a more affordable facility.

Although a buyer for the Clayworks properties had been found, Holt stated, public opposition to relocation in any neighborhood other than Mount Washington had delayed

the sale to the point where the potential buyer lost interest in the property.

TIMES

On July 17, Baltimore Clayworks Board President Kathy Holt informed patrons and supporters of the organization’s immediate shutdown. Clayworks, located in the Mount Washington region of Baltimore, Maryland, had served the metro area community for 37 years with clay-related classes, residencies, gallery exhibitions, and special events.

ceramic art trends, tools & techniques

Spouting Off I Editor’s Desk

Baltimore Clayworks Sadly Closes its Doors

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What’s Hot • ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries

Hot Stuff I Calendar

Summer / Fall 2017

Upcoming Festivals & Conferences ‰ The Northern Clay Center of Minneapolis, MN will present its 19th Annual American Pottery Festival from Sept. 8-10, 2017. This annual fund-raising event will feature guest artists from across the country, who will offer “a sneak peek inside their wheelhouses, as well as crowd-worthy lectures and panel discussions, rousing gallery chats, slam-dunk demonstrations, and outstanding ceramic wares. NCC promises another round of rewarding interactions with some of your favorite clay makers, as well as some legends in the making.” The weekend will be filled with opportunities to engage directly with artists during image presentations, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and casual gallery chats. For complete details on the event, visit https://www.northernclaycenter.org/apf

‰ Registration is now open for the 12th Biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference, to take place Oct.

5-8 (Columbus Day Weekend) at the Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center in Front Royal, VA. Ceramic artists of all skill levels will benefit from this four-day conference, to feature demonstrations by nationallyknown clay artists James Watkins, Adrian Arleo, and Martha Grover. On Saturday and Sunday, these potters will present their unique techniques for constructing, decorating, glazing, and firing their work. On Friday, multiple regional ceramists will lead a variety of exciting hands-on and demonstration workshops. There are also great opportunities to socialize, make new acquaintances, and renew past friendships.

Participants absorb new ideas and inspiration from this stimulating learning experience. To find out more about the conference, log onto http://www.theclayconnection.org/conference-2017/ continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

‰ Join fellow potters Sept. 23 & 24 in Stanardsville, VA, for the Virginia Clay Festival, a celebration of clay with artists selling their work and demonstrating their craft. This is a gathering of Virginia potters, sculptors, and jewelers selling their latest work — all in clay! The event takes place 10am to 5pm each day and will feature pottery demonstrations throughout the day; an area for kids to play with clay; Raku firing demonstration, and old-time and traditional Irish music. To learn more, visit www.virginiaclayfestival.com

Interior look at In Tandem Gallery, which opened its doors in Bakersville, North Carolina, in 2016. Upcoming exhibitions include monthly shows featuring work by Noel Bailey (August), Ron Meyers (September), and Raine Middleton (October). To learn more, visit www.intandemgallery.com

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

THE BEST IN CONTEMPOR ARY AMERICAN FUNC TIONAL CER AMICS

SEPTEMBER 16 – OCTOBER 21, 2017

LINDA SIKORA 25TH JUROR

RECEPTION: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Honolulu, HI

2017 SFPN EXHIBIT CALL FOR ARTISTS

Mark your calendar today!

Online applications must be submitted by JUNE 1, 2017 or by midnight June 10 with a late fee.

For more information 2017 from SFPNprior application: For more information and toand viewtheimages shows, visit:

www.strictlyfunctionalpottery.net Exhibit is held at Kevin Lehman’s Pottery at 560 S. Prince Street in downtown Lancaster, PA 717.509.7547

© 2017 Strictly Functional Pottery National. All rights reserved.

LINDA SIKORA, 2017 SFPN JUROR

Like us on Facebook Fans of SFPN

Amaco, Bluebird, Brent, Debcor Dolan, Duncan, Giffin, Kemper L & L, Mason, Mayco, Mudtools Northstar, Olympic, Pacifica Peter Pugger, Royal, Sapir Shimpo, Skutt, Soldner Spectrum, Speedball Thomas Stuart, Xiem

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

‰ Mark your calendar now for the 13th Annual WNC Pottery Festival, to take place in the Dillsboro, North Carolina moun-

tains on Nov. 4, 2017, 10am-4pm. This juried event features a popular “clay olympics” along with works by more than 40 master potters who will be demonstrating a wide variety of pot-making techniques.

For complete information, e-mail: wnc potteryfest@gmail.com or visit the Website at http://www.wncpotteryfestival.com/

2016 BEST OF SHOW Daven Hee

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What’s Hot (continued from p. 9)

MINNEAPOLIS • DENVER continentalclay.com 800.432.2529

‰ CrossCurrents: Clay and Culture, the 52nd Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), takes place March 14-17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The conference theme was selected to reflect Pittsburgh as a city of rivers, bridges, complex immigrant history, gritty perseverance, and reinvention. The Steel City will be a place where clay people can gather to share knowledge, celebrate and critique our work in arts, culture, teaching and learning. Watch the Website at www.nceca.net for details on conference registration as they become available.

Calls for Entry ‰ The Wayne Art Center is accepting entries through Sept. 15 for Craft Forms 2017, its 23rd annual international exhibition, to take place Dec. 8, 2017-Jan. 27, 2018.

Nora Atkinson, the Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, will serve as juror. For full entry details, visit http:// www.craftforms.org/call-for-entries/ ‰ The Clay Art Center of Port Chester, New York is accepting entries through Sept. 22 for its 2018 National Juried Exhibition, Me, Myself, and I. This exhibition will feature vessel-based work in clay that explores issues of identity: concepts related to self, experiences, and the triumphs and challenges faced in daily living or one’s place in society. The show will be juried

by Kathy King, whose own work reflects the core theme of the show. For complete

Hot Stuff I News & Events

details, visit https://www.clayartcenter.org/ call-for-entry/

Exhibitions ‰ The Workhouse Clay International 2017, an exhibition juried by Chris Gustin, will take place Aug. 12-Oct. 8 in Lorton, Virginia.

Complete details about the show may be found online at www.workhouseceramics.org. ‰ The Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Montana will be featuring its Juried National IV exhibition from Sept.

1–22. Find out all about the show online at http://www.redlodgeclaycenter.com/ exhibition/juried-national-4/ ‰ The 25th annual Strictly Functional Pottery National exhibition takes place Sept. 16-Oct. 21 at Kevin Lehman’s Pottery in Lancaster, PA. This year’s show, juried by Linda Sikora, features a wide variety of utilitarian works by U.S. artists. For full details, visit www.strictly functionalpottery.net. ‰ 20x20 Invitational Clay Exhibit and Sale — Twenty artists from South Carolina and North Carolina will be coming to Clemson for the annual 20x20 Invitational Clay Show and Sale on Saturday, October 22.

Each year The Arts Center of Clemson invites 20 artists from NC and SC to bring 20 pieces, totalling 400 pieces of work, to show and sell. Friday, October 21 is a ticketed event including food, drink, music, and the first choice of a piece from your favorite potter. For complete details, visit explorearts.org [

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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 submission link at www. claytimes.com/contribute.html to fill out an online entry form.

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Making Your Mark:

The Art of Handmade Brushes

By Glenn Grishkoff

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Michael Dunne Photo

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

Below: An assortment of Grishkoff brushes made from moose mane, deer tail, ermine tail, and ringtail cat hair. The handles are made from black and golden bamboo. The coarse hairs allow for a stiff spring resulting in very diverse thick and thin brush marks.

Michael Dunne Photo

The fine tip of this brush is made with ermine hair, similar to sable hair, allowing for very detailed lines that only a handmade brush can make. This particular tanned brush was made with a black bamboo-root handle.

Paul Soldner, the father of American Raku and a celebrated ceramist, was a mentor. Paul was known for the clay tools he created, and he encouraged me to experiment with the tool as art and to realize that there is always another way to solve a problem, experiencing life as a gradual school of life-long learning. During my MFA at The Claremont Graduate University I ventured into countless forms of sculpture and installation art, playing with scale and function. In 1992, shortly after I graduated with my MFA, I had a residency in Tokoname, Japan. In 1994 I had an invited guest residency at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park that included my work with master ceramists, calligraphers, and brush makers.

These experiences were formative and along with my travels continued to develop my passion for brush making & mark making over time. In 2000 I was very honored to present a workshop alongside Peter Voulkos at the Florida Keys Community College. During the workshop, Peter, who understood the uniqueness of my brushes, asked me to make him a moose and rooster feather brush. In trade for the brushes, Peter painted three large sumi ink paintings.

This experience changed my life, encouraging me to dig deeper into my own creative growth as a brush maker and mark maker.

I spent time in South Africa where my brother lived, and I taught in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest for a number of years. In these places there is closeness to animals and nature. I began continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

Michael Dunne PhotoS

Moose mane fan brush with golden bamboo rope handle, constructed using the natural alignment of stiff & coarse hair attached to tanned hide. Sumi ink Enso painting by Grishkoff symbolizes the cycle of life, air, and water.

I

’m a California-based artist with extensive travel to Japan, Thailand, and South Africa.

My time spent creating my brushes and ceramics in these countries was life changing. My Russian father was raised in China, and some of my earliest memories are of watching him write in script. The respect and use of natural materials and the role of the natural world in the Asian aesthetic are strong influences. My work celebrates the Wabi Sabi beauty in the imperfect — and I spent time in Japan with master ceramists and calligraphers. In Thailand, I worked with elephants that used my brushes to paint. Aspects of ceremony and taking joy in the present moment are what stay with me from these travels.

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Noboru Matsumoto Photo

deposited on the shoreline after a strong rain. By placing the bamboo in my hand I custom-fit it to the curves and notches, creating a handle with a sensitive grip & extension. Thrift store and garage sale items and gifted materials somehow find their way into the making of the various series of brushes I work on over time.

As a passionate brush maker, I become the pearl within an oyster shell, savoring the most amazing materials & life experiences gathered over a 20-year span.

Grishkoff Brushes

(continued from previous page)

to hunt for handle materials, collecting things like bamboo or gnarled branches and hairs from taxidermy pelts to create a library of materials in my studio. The history and feeling of the materials is important.

I bridge the gap between the brush as a work of art and as a functional tool. By combining both worlds, I maintain a sense of risk and wonderment of what is next. The exploration of pushing what a brush can become and how it can transform feeds me as an artist.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

The Magical Mark of A Handmade Brush

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The handmade brush offers an alternative to the store-bought brush, creating contrasting thick and thin lines with strength and immediacy. The brushes I create have a density and coarseness with razor sharp tips that give the mark I create monumentality and a life

of its own. The brush becomes an extension of not only the hand, but the entire body. Making your own handmade brush from start to finish, using materials from nature, is magically primal and offers a connection to those of our ancestors who crafted everything by hand, with quality and conviction.

The hairs I use for creating my own brushes come from a variety of places such as fly-fishing supply stores, taxidermy shops, and hunters who skin & tan their own hides. Tail and other hairs from the deer family, such as buck tail, elk, and moose hide, have a stiff spring and are long enough to create a functional brush. Most of the hairs are indented deep into the ferrule to form a stiff base for control and absorption of liquid.

I enjoy the hunt for handle material, often searching the local California beaches for bamboo and driftwood that have been

Teaching and Inspiring Students to Create Since 1992, I have conducted hundreds of brush-making workshops to inspire students to connect with a handmade tool of their own making, and to use this tool to enrich the images and surfaces they paint. I’m very generous with materials, and find the best supplies I can at any given time. A student once asked me, “Why do you give out your sources for materials? Aren’t you afraid somebody is going to steal your idea?” I responded by saying that I’m interpreting the brush and don’t own it, as it has been around for centuries. I plant the seed to inspire students to push the limits of what a handmade brush can become. It is my responsibility as an excellent teacher to prepare my students for their future — not my past.

Step-by-step photos and instructions to make your own brushes follow on pages 16-17.

GLENN GRISHKOFF Photo

Opposite page: An elephant paints with a Grishkoff elk hair brush at the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center in Northern Thailand, in conjunction with a Spring 2008 artist residency at Chiang Dao. I mixed the water-base paint with my cross-bar-handle brush, then watched the gentle giant make his mark.

At right: Paul Soldner in Aspen, CO, 2004, using a Grishkoff brush to paint red iron oxide marks on his ceramic work. Paul often combined his fingerprints with diverse line work using handmade brushes.

Below: Peter Voulkos sumi ink paints with a Grishkoff moose hair and rooster hackle brush at the International Mud-Pie Ceramic Workshop, Key West, FL, 2000. It was an honor presenting alongside Peter and watching his passionate and intuitive movements with my brushes in a manner not unlike his work with clay. This experience has greatly influenced my passion as a brush maker and painter ever since.

(more on next page) Jay Gogen Photo

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

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Grishkoff Brushes

(continued from previous pages)

T

he photos on the opposite page illustrate the construction of a brush made with deertail hair, from start to finish. During the past several years, I have developed a simple method of building brushes by working with the natural alignment of the hairs attached to tanned skin. This process keeps the hairs from falling out over time and works with the natural flow of the hair. Two pieces of tanned hair & skin can be joined together to form a thick, bulky brush with a fine point; or a single piece of hair & skin can be used to create a smaller, narrow brush tip. The hairs need to be long & stiff, allowing deep insertion into the ferrule.

The fit should be tight at the base for ideal absorption and line control.

Step-by-step Brushmaking Process 1. Start with a de-boned, tanned deer tail. (Note: tail at left of image 1 is the front; image 1 right shows cut pieces, viewed from the back.) Turn the tail over, skin side up. Cut it into several straight cross-sections from top to bottom, taking care to cut only the skin (half-way deep) and not the hair, so the skin tears evenly. The resulting sections can be used to make multiple brush tips. Use a fine-tooth comb to brush loose hairs.

2. For a thicker, doubled-up brush, cut the left and right side sections that are straight. Each singular section can be used for a smaller scale brush tip, and the middle section can be used for a fan brush (as depicted at bottom center of image 2).

Grishkoff uses a Japanese inspired hake-style broom corn bundled brush combined with layers of deertail hair. This textural fan brush creates an active three-dimensional sumi ink stroke. Dense deer hair on both sides of the brush tip acts as an inkwell to provide continuous, non-stop flow of ink.

3 & 4. Secure the two single aligned skin sections skin to skin, using a waxed thread & slip knot, to form a compacted point.

Be sure to wrap the knot in the center of the two pieces of skin, securing it tight and flat, allowing for an exact fit into the brush ferrule. (If you place the hair sides together, they will flair outward in different directions and will not form a point.)

7 & 8. Make sure the end of the brush tip fits firmly before gluing. Twist the hairs at the base. For leverage, move the hair up and down, allowing the epoxy to evenly fill the interior of the ferrule. Be patient, as you will gradually feel a tighter tug as this step is repeated. I allow the epoxy to cure for several hours.

Finally, store your brushes upright and out of the heat. Use gentle shampoo and hair conditioner to help old brushes spring back to life, as pigments and oxides extract a lot of moisture from hairs. That’s it — you are now ready to make unique, oneof-a-kind marks with your own personal brushes! [

Ink Well made of high-fire clay centered using elbow; brush has deertail hair brush tip on handle fired to cone 10. Both works feature shino base glaze with underglaze pigmented marks made by using the 16th-Century Japanese-inspired Hikidashi firing process: They were removed from the kiln and reduced at cone 8 with tightly-packed sawdust, producing carbon-trap effects.

To learn more about Glenn Grishkoff, his work, his brushes, and upcoming workshops, visit his Websites at these links: www.glenngrishkoff.com and www.grishkoffbrushes.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

5 & 6. In these examples, I’m using a cut section of copper tubing as a ferrule, compacting the hairs tight into a salt-fired ceramic handle. Various sizes of copper, brass tubing, or bamboo can be use in this step. I use a product called “PC7 putty epoxy” to adhere hairs and handle sections. Using equal parts of hardener and resin, mix this slow-setting epoxy until it appears even gray in tone. Place a generous amount of epoxy into the ferrule, making sure no epoxy gets into the upper part of the hair, as it is extremely difficult to clean. Uncured (or improperly mixed) epoxy is very toxic — so be sure to wear latex or nitrile gloves when you are using it.

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Part One of a Series

An Introduction

To Frit

by PETE PINNELL

A

frit is a manufactured material that is made by combining various ingredients (in the form of oxides) with silica and melting that mixture into a glass. The molten glass is then poured into water to quench it, which fractures it into coarse granules. These granules can then be ground to the appropriate particle size, depending on the end use. Frits are used in almost all manufactured glass or glass coatings including ordinary glassware, glassy coatings (like the enamel on your bath tub), abrasives, dental porcelain, and even the high-tech glass used for computer screens or other optics.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origin of the word "frit" dates from 1662 and is "a calcinated mixture of sand and fluxes ready to be melted in a crucible to make glass". We now use the word frit to describe the powdered product of that melting, and not the mixture before it’s melted.

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Manufacturing a frit is an expensive process, but there are a number of good reasons for doing so. Combining an oxide with silica can make it safer, it can make it more stable, and it can make it possible to achieve surfaces and colors that would not be possible with raw materials alone.

The composition and performance of a frit are also much more consistent, which is something industry always wants.

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Molded and carved fritware body with a fritted glaze colored with copper. Circa 945–664 B.C., Egypt. 5¾" (14½ cm) high.

Used by permission of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

While most of us think of frit as a modern, hightech ingredient (and the frits we use in the ceramic art world really are modern and high tech), frit itself has been in use for thousands of years.

According to Pliny the Elder (the Roman historian), glass was first discovered in about 3500 BC by the Phoenicians. Legend has it that sailors camping on a beach used some chunks of natron rock

(which they were carrying on their ship) to prop up cooking vessels, and the heat of the fire caused the natron (a naturally occurring blend of sodium salts) to react with the silica sand to produce glass. This idea isn’t far-fetched, as natron was widely used in the ancient Middle East and would certainly have been carried on trading ships. It was reportedly used as a tooth cleanser, as a soap (when combined with oil), as a preservative for meat and fish, as a tanning agent for leather, as an antiseptic for wounds, and as bleach for cotton cloth. It was even used to desiccate and preserve mummies.

The word natron was derived from the Egyptian word ntr (it came from the valley Wadi El Natrun).

That word was imported into the various Semitic languages, which then became the Greek nitron, and the Latin natrium. It’s from this last that we get Na as the chemical symbol for sodium. Just by the way, natron appears twice in the Old Testament: once in Proverbs 25:20 which mentions pouring vinegar on it to create an eruption (remember doing that to make a volcano in grade school?) and in Jeremiah 2:22, which mentions using it for washing.

Glass makers in Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia found that if they added lime (a calcium compound) to the soda-silica glass, it became much more durable and practical. This combination — soda, lime, and silica — remains the basic recipe for most common glass that is made today. To this mixture the ancient Egyptians added copper, which produced a beautiful, transparent turquoise color.

material that could be fired like clay. Now referred to as Egyptian Faience, the material was made from calcined, ground quartz rock (which is a bright white color), a clear glass frit (to fuse the mixture in the firing) and an organic material (a plant gum) to help it stick together. The objects were coated with a glaze made from the turquoise frit and fired to earthenware temperatures. Some very well known examples are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, including a small statue of a hippo from about 1900 BC (pictured at top of this issue’s cover and popularly known as “William”) that is used as a symbol for the Met, and a beautiful faience chalice from circa 945–664 B.C. It should be noted that neither the glaze nor the body would be possible without the use of frit.

A version of this frit was also used as a pigment around the Mediterranean. Now called Egyptian Blue, it was the first synthetic pigment. The Romans called it caeruleum, which is the basis for the English word cerulean. This blue frit pigment was used as early as 2900 BC in Egypt, when it appeared on a tomb painting at Saqqara. In the Mediterranean it is first seen in the Thera frescoes on Minoa, which dates from before 1650 BC. There is evidence that the Egyptians also produced a green version of this pigment by varying the composition of the frit.

What all of this demonstrates is that fritting was well known from ancient times and that people understood how to manipulate this technology to achieve a wide range of results. And, like a lot of technology from that time, its use was widely distributed across the Middle East.

Beginning around the 9th Century AD, potters in Iraq began using a white clay body that is now referred to as fritware. The body was made of ground quartz (for whiteness and translucency), frit (to fuse the mixture) and enough of a sticky white clay to make the material formable. This invention allowed potters in the Middle East to produce a white body in response to the porcelain that was beginning to be imported from China.

Middle Eastern potters didn’t have kilns that could reach porcelain temperatures, so this fritware body provided a bright, white background for glazes that was achievable at earthenware temperatures.

In order to take advantage of the beauty of this glaze, the Egyptians developed a moldable white

This technology spread throughout the Middle East, and particularly into Iran. In the 13th Century continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

To begin with, this glass was mostly used to make small beads and other decorative objects. However, they soon found that the glass could be ground to a powder and used as a glaze on small, carved steatite beads, seals, and amulets. Steatite is the mineral form of talc. It’s white and can be easily carved, so it provided an ideal white background for the turquoise glaze. Note that the glaze wasn’t used on clay pottery, because those earthenware pots were a red-orange color and the color of the glaze wouldn’t show on that surface. As an aside, I find it interesting that the carved talc that the Egyptians used is a distant mirror to today’s white earthenware bodies, which are still primarily talc.

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Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Introduction to Frit

(continued from previous page)

the town of Kashan became an important center for the production of tiles and pottery.

In 1301, a tile maker named Abu'l-Qasim wrote a description ¯ ¯ of the process, which describes a body with a recipe of 10 parts quartz, 1 part frit, and 1 part clay.

Pictured below: Fritware body with a white, fritware slip, underglaze painting colored with copper (green), cobalt (blue) and Armenian bole (red). 16th century, Iznik Turkey. 2¼ in. (5.7 cm) high by 12 3/8 in. (31.4 cm) in diameter.

Used by permission of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

DP269018.jpg 3,091×3,884 pixels

In the 15th century this technology spread to Turkey where its production became a major industry in the cities of Iznik and Kütahya. With the support of Süleyman the Magnificent (who reigned from 1520–66), these heavily decorated fritware tiles were used on major buildings throughout the Ottoman Empire. The white body, cobalt blue underglaze and bright, glassy clear glaze provided work that was every bit as beautiful as the porcelain being imported from Jingdezhen in China.

!/21/1!, 10(06 P+

each frit, they would test it with hydrochloric acid that was diluted to mimic the strength of stomach acids. They reasoned that if a frit didn’t leach into this acid, then it would be safer in the workplace.

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http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/is/original/DP269018.jpg

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In 1898, the British home office appointed two scientists to investigate the high incidence of lead poisoning in the ceramics industry in Britain.

Professor T.E. Thorpe, a chemist, and Dr. Thomas Oliver, an MD, worked together and published their first report in 1899. They recommended a number of seemingly common-sense practices (good hygiene, the use of protective clothing, and decreasing dust in the workplace), but their more groundbreaking work was with the development of lead frits.

In 1886, Dr. Hermann Seger, a German scientist, had published a system for analyzing glazes on a molecular basis. Using Seger’s methods, the team experimented with fritting lead with varying amounts of silica to lower solubility. After producing

impact on the ceramics industry and lead poisoning was greatly reduced during the 20th Century as a result.

Lead was first combined with silica on a 1:1 basis to produce lead monosilicate (a mixture with the ratio of one molecule of lead for each molecule of silica).

This decreased the solubility, but still left it too high. They then doubled the silica to produce lead bisilicate (two molecules of silica for each molecule of lead). Surprisingly, this actually reduced solubility about 300 times, from 3.38% solubility with the monosilicate to .01% solubility with the bisilicate.

Further testing showed that the addition of a small percentage of alumina lowered the solubility even further, as did the addition of calcium oxide.

These discoveries had a major

Page 1 of 1

Today, there is a tendency among some potters to avoid the use of frit. For some people it’s because a frit doesn’t seem “natural” in the way that red clay or wood ash does. For others, it’s that frit is an unknown, almost mysterious powder. To some degree, I believe this is the fault of the frit industry, which insists on not publishing the chemical formulas for their products.

This is done, they say, to prevent their competitors from copying their products. In my opinion this is very shortsighted: their competitors can easily do a chemical analysis, and copying is already commonplace. By not publishing their formulas, they leave their customers in the dark. Potters would be far more apt to use frits — and to use a wider variety of frits — if the formulas for these frits were widely published.

In the next Clay Times, I’ll provide some glaze recipes that take advantage of the wide array of frits available to potters today. I’ll also provide you with a handy chart of frit formulations and substitutions, so you can begin to use frit in a more mindful way. Just as it was in ancient times, the use of frit can still allow us to achieve colors and surfaces that are otherwise impossible. [ Peter Pinnell is Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. E-mail him at ppinnell1@unl.edu or contact him via his Facebook page at www.facebook.com.

Susan Feagin

by LANA WILSON

For more than 10 years, Susan Feagin has served as clay coordinator at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC. She has her own strong ceramic practice besides her complicated full-time job at Penland ... and she is a delight!

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

An Interview with Penland Clay Coordinator

Susan Feagin makes her current collage series of cups (above) from various scraps and pieces of clay.

Lana: When did you get interested in clay?

Lana: Did you grow up with an awareness of art, going to museums, or doing art?

continued on next page

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Susan: I got interested in clay when I was a college student at UNC Greensboro. I was an art major and a clay sculpture class was a requirement to graduate.

I took the class — it was a figurative sculpture class — and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. So I took a handbuilding class which led to a wheel-throwing class, and that was that. I believe that I was attracted to the physicality of the material and that I really liked making objects with my hands.

Susan: I was lucky in that, yes, I did grow up with some awareness of “art” out there in the world. My great aunt, Sue Rice, was an art teacher in Norfolk, Virginia. Each Christmas she sent me art supplies and these great books on how to draw horses and dogs.

(I was way into animals when I was a kid!) My mom had some portfolio-style coffee table books about the famous French impressionists, and I was allowed to look at them when I was a kid. I grew up in Los Angeles, so my school went on many field trips to museums.

We went to the Norton Simon Museum and the Los Angeles County Art Museum and, my favorite, the La Brea Tar Pits (which isn’t an art museum, but still very cool). Anyway, that interest always remained with me. I decided in high school that I wanted to

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Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Susan Feagin interview

(continued from previous page)

risks in one’s work. So, in graduate school at University of Florida, I decided that I wanted to leave making different work than when I arrived. I struggled to make Lana: Are there any other artists in your family? Do my little pots more interesting, but to no avail, and your siblings understand what you do? was really trying hard to come up with some original ideas about my Susan: My great work.

This aunt was a very current collage “Failure is my favorite topic! That’s because creative person claywork came I learn more from failure than anything.” and taught adult out of all of — Susan Feagin art classes at that. Since I was the Norfolk City surrounded by Parks and Recreation Department for many years. She lots of scraps and pieces, why not make something did everything from ceramics to painting, and made from those? all kinds of neat stuff like copper enameled jewelry, macramé stuff, and handmade clothes. I always Lana: How long did it take you to find your voice? thought that was so cool that she could make stuff like that, which she didn’t buy in a store. I would say that Susan: Well, it took a while, I guess, perhaps four or my family members are all creative people in their own five years ... until I decided that I was interested in way. I have an older brother, Richard, and he is very putting imagery on clay. I guess that didn’t happen supportive of my pottery habit. He doesn’t know a thing until I had been making pottery for a few years. As my about the ceramic process, but he does know that people work is continuously changing, I think that I’m still buy pottery. finding my voice. study art to become a designer and maybe work in publishing.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

Lana: Did you come to this style of work early or did you have to go through various “periods” in your work to come to your present work?

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Susan: I guess I went through various periods. I’m one of those extreme late bloomer people and there are big gaps in my making. I’ve never worked as a professional potter or as a studio potter, and I’ve always worked a job with pottery making on the side. So it takes longer for me to make big strides. I do value highly the idea of making changes in one’s art, meaning that it’s not important to me to make the same type of work forever. I started out as a wheel-thrower and had access to high-fire reduction, as that’s what we had in college. I was never the best thrower and it took me an exceptionally long time to learn how to center and make a good cylinder, so I felt like I had to work way harder than most people. I took a concentration at Penland in 1996 and discovered that I liked drawing on my pots, something that I hadn’t tried before. I later discovered the mid-range firing world while I was a core student at Penland School in 1998 and 1999, and decided that it was the niche for me.

I liked color and pattern and drawing. I made simple porcelain wheel-thrown pots that had black-andwhite sgraffito decorations on them and were glazed with rich purple and pink glazes. Some pots were also just black-and-white. I feel that it’s okay to take big

Lana: In a kiln load, what percentage of “failures” do you have? How do you handle failures?

Susan: Failure is my favorite topic! That’s because I learn more from failure than anything. Sometimes, colors or glazes do not come out as I expected, or there might be a lot of warping. It looks bad at first, but that’s how I see that I applied the glaze too thin, or that I should make the clay slabs a little thicker next time.

Lana: Do you think you are more interested in form or surface — or equally interested in both?

Susan: Of course I’m more interested in surface, but I do feel that I’m searching for new forms. The forms take a while to figure out for me. Lately, I’ve been making and trying out a lot of bisque molds in hopes of making larger work.

Lana: How do you evaluate your work? What kind of questions do you ask yourself?

Susan: Whenever I see old work — even stuff from last year — I’m just appalled! I think we all have moments like that. I feel that I’m making work, but it’s not necessarily all good work. I ask myself questions like, “Is this handle really necessary for this cup to work?” Or “Are the feet I made on the bottom really effective?”

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Small Plate by Susan Feagin, clay coordinator at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina.

Susan: Ultimately, I need to seek out my own circle of potters and artists [who] I respect to give me useful feedback.

It’s not easy to find honest criticism — so when you find it, it’s a good thing. [

Columnist Lana Wilson has been making pots for more than 40 years and has presented more than 150 clay art workshops worldwide. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Lana now resides in Berkeley, California, and may be reached via e-mail at lana@lanawilson.

She wants readers to be aware that “I make a big effort to answer all e-mails.” Lana’s Website for workshop information and images is www. lanawilson.com

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Lana: What is your attitude toward critiques of your work?

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View of the harbor (left) in village of Molyvos, where the majority of refugees landed in 2015-16; and Skala Eressos (right).

Lesvos, Greece: An Island Rich in the Clay Tradition

BY ELAINE FULLER

F

lashback to September, 2016 — I have returned to my ancestral home in Skala Eressos, Lesvos, Greece to visit pottery studios and interview a few potters there. I wanted to hear first-hand accounts of how recent world events have caused a precipitous drop in tourism, the mainstay of income for many on the island, especially its fine craftsmen.

The red-orange hue of terra cotta surrounds me as I sit on the veranda of my pension in Lesvos. I study the tiled rooftops, the abundant planter pots, and the large amphorae: pots that in ancient times were used to carry oil, olives, wine, and grains across the Aegean and beyond, now filled with flowers. Even the diffuse morning sunlight casts a terra cotta glow on the barren mountains surrounding the village.

Lesvos, after Crete and Rhodes, is the third largest island in Greece, with a population of 86,436. Between 2015 and 2016, the island was inundated with 600,000 refugees, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

They arrived on the northern coast of Lesvos from the coast of Turkey, which at its closest point is just 3.4 miles away. Before the news reports of this mass migration, few Americans would have known about this island: the birthplace of Sappho, lyric poet, 630-570 B.C., and Theophrastus, the father of botany, 371-287 B.C. By virtue of its proximity to other nations, Lesvos has been a place where refugees have fled throughout history. As of the summer of 2016, the citizens who shared their resources with the refugees arriving on rafts from Turkey were already suffering from the economic austerity programs imposed by the European Union. Because of their extraordinary humanitarian response, the people of Lesvos were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Although I appreciated the fine work of the island’s jewelers, woodworkers, and weavers, it was important for me to learn more about the potters, their studio practices, and how the decrease in tourism was affecting their lives.

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There are 35 potters on this island, 15 of whom are professional. Almost all use terra cotta clay. Most potters of the island cover the terra cotta clay in a white slip, and decorate with underglazes in the majolica tradition.

Motifs for brushwork reflect the potter’s response to the local environment: olive branches, fish, birds, flowers, and of course, the sea.

Ram jug by Dimitrios Hatziyannis, a thirdgeneration potter, at Museum Agiassos.

As in ancient times, potters established themselves near either the natural deposits of clay or the sea, to facilitate

shipping of their wares to distant places. Clay is still being mined in the village of St. Stevens on the eastern coast of the island, where Turkey is visible across the sparkling Aegean.

Ephstratos Samaras, a local potter, digs and processes deposits of terra cotta clay. From this clay he makes traditional koumadia — large pitchers that, before refrigeration, would help keep water cool in spite of the burning sun of the island summers.

A village noted for the monastery of the Archangel Michael — as well as for its pottery — is Mandamanos, located on the eastern side of the island. During the 1950s, there were 60 working pottery studios in this village. Now, only nine remain. The potters’ studios and shops line the main road with outdoor displays of the traditional folk pottery of Lesvos.

Mandamanos is home to a ceramics museum, housed in a former olive press, where a pottery exhibition takes place every August.

Agiassos is surrounded by pine and olive trees, and nestled on the slope of Mt Olympos. It is a village where handcrafts abound: weaving, woodworking, and claywork. Fourthgeneration potters of the Kourtsis and Hadyyannis families are still working in this village.

Mytilene is an ancient city founded in the 11th century B.C. It is the largest city and port of the island of Lesvos, and also the administrative capital of the North Aegean Region.

Just under half of the island’s population lives in this busy city.

Skala Eressos is on the southwestern coast of Lesvos. It is a fertile valley surrounded by barren mountains. The European Union awarded this village the Blue Flag Award for its long, sandy beach. The first time I met Thespina Iosifelli, the potter from Skala Eressos, was in 2002 when I returned to the place of my father’s birth.

Discovering that we were distant cousins, I was thrilled to connect with her work at Thallasaki: her family’s waterfront shop. It is filled with jewelry, glass, weaving, wood carving, and pottery from artisans all over Greece and beyond. On my first visit, I was delighted to see that Thespina embellished the handle of a pitcher with a small bird, as I often do.

The author poses alongside a terra cotta planter at the Mandamanos Ceramics Museum.

Hand-built castle by Katerina Ergani.

Thespina’s wheel-throwing skills were perfected 22 years ago at a two-year technical program in Athens. Her forms are sleek, smooth, and finished. After bisque firing the pots — unlike most terra cotta potters — Thespina dips the pieces in a white matte glaze. She then decorates them with oxides, sometimes employing wax resist techniques. Her forms and designs are closer to midcentury modern style than the traditional island decoration.

Thespina has become a friend and fellow potter.

In September, 2016, I visited the beautiful village of Molyvos, where the majority of refugees landed in 2015-2016. A Byzantine/Genoese castle sits atop a hill there, surrounded by traditional stone houses that overlook one of the most scenic working harbors in all of Europe. It is here that I met Electra Valasi, a potter who sells her work from her own shop on a cobbled lane near the beautiful harbor.

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Since 2015, the Archeological Museum has hosted a Ceramics Exhibition, demonstrating the importance of ceramics on the island from prehistoric times to the present. The collections of work by the family potters from Agiassos and the works on display by my interviewees were particularly interesting.

The three places I visited to interview potters were Skala Eressos, the tourist capital of Molyvos, and the capital city of Mytilene.

continued on next page

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Lesvos Pottery

(continued from p. 25)

Electra works with terra cotta clay imported from Spain, and makes her pots both on the wheel and with molds that her father designed. Before bisque firing, Electra coats the terra cotta with white slip, then paints geometric or floral designs with a small brush. Shortly after beginning her clay work with her mentor Fabian Herzog in Molyvos, Electra won a prize at the Annual Exhibition of the Ceramics Museum in the town of Mandamanos. This boost of confidence pushed her toward becoming a working studio potter.

In the city of Mytilene, the market street Ermou is located parallel to the busy harbor. In the old Turkish section here, you will find Ergani Shop and Studio.

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I interviewed three of the five potters who create clayworks for Ergani Studio. I have been charmed by the designs from this studio since 2002, so it was a pleasure to return with more time to learn their production processes.

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Georgia Zachariadis became interested in pottery after taking classes in Bologna, Italy. After that introduction, she continued to study clay via workshops and seminars. Georgia founded Ergani Studio in 1989 after studying with the potter Hadyyannis from Agiassos for eight years. Georgia now has a home studio in Petri, near Molyvos, where she throws, decorates, and fires her pots.

Her husband transports the work to Mytilene city, where her son Anastasi and his wife Katerina Lamprou paint the whimsical designs and run the business side of the shop. A potter in a distant village also throws pots for the studio, and a fifth employee, Lida Xidia, is an artist who helps design and decorate the work.

Anastasi studied economics and taught his subject after serving his mandatory military service. As Georgia’s pottery business began to grow, Anastasi helped his mother in the studio.

Eventually he chose to devote all his time to the pottery to have a more

Fish jug made by Ioannis Hatziyannis, an Agiassos 2nd generation potter. creative career and to be his own boss.

Anastasi’s charming decoration and brushwork features house, boat, and bird motifs.

The makers of Ergani Studios also work with terra cotta clay, which they once imported from Crete but now buy from Italy. All their pieces are dipped in white slip, carved, then bisque fired. Each pot is carefully painted with oxides and pigments mixed with glaze. A clear glaze is applied for the final firing. It is the labor of intensive painting, as well as their whimsical designs, that make Ergani Ceramics so appealing to their customers, the Greek citizens and tourists alike.

Before the refugee crisis, the economy of Greece was already in dire straits.

The European Union and the Greek government imposed a 45% tax rate.

When the migrants arrived, tourists did not come. On Lesvos, where many businesses depend on tourism, this added to the hardships facing the residents of this island.

As is the case for potters around the world, making a living from the craft is difficult. So Ergani Studios has increased production and distribution of their work to mainland Greece and other island galleries. Athens and the more famous islands of Santorini and Mykonos still have high rates of tourism, so it makes sense for Georgia, Anastasis, and Katerina ship wholesale work there.

In Molyvos, Electra manages her finances by working four jobs. She is a potter, a shopkeeper, a singer of traditional Greek music, and a cultivator in her olive groves. Even so, she is concerned she did not save enough to last the winter.

The seaside shop in Skala Eressos opens from May through October, so Thespina balances her studio time by the seasons. Through the summer, she works at the family shop Thallasaki. From October through May, she is busy making pots in her studio located behind the shop.

She no longer sends her work to other galleries.

The uncertainty of the economy is the worry of these fine craftspeople. It is difficult to plan ahead, but the love of clay keeps them working and trying to enjoy something each day.

If you are one who enjoys travel off the beaten path, Lesvos is a perfect place to vacation. Besides the usual Grecian benefits of pleasant climate, delicious food, the crystal sea, and varied terrain, it is the hospitality of the refugee-helping citizens that makes travel here quite special. If you can make the journey, take pride in knowing that your trip will help provide much needed financial and moral support to the fine people of this historic island, rich in craft tradition. [

bY MONONA ROSSOL

H

ow long have people known that a potter’s work is dangerous? I think before the Neolithic period, when pottery was invented, people’s common sense told them that inhaling clay dust and kiln smoke, working with colored oxides and glazes, and hard, long physical labor can be hazardous. We can’t prove this because writing was not invented when pottery was first being practiced. But as soon as it was, we have evidence that they knew.

Advice From Ancient Egypt Buried in the pieced-together hieroglyphic fragments that constitute ancient Egyptian literature, there is a poem in which the potter’s craft is described:

This is from a book called Ancient Egyptian Literature, which was edited and translated by John L. Foster1.

The poem was written by a scribe, a man who made his living taking dictation, keeping lists, and writing letters for people of power. In the poem, he explains to his son, Pepi, why he should stay in school and become a scribe rather than to aspire to any other more hazardous craft.

The stoker has foul fingers and the stink of him smells like the dead, His eyes burn from too much smoke, and he can never ward off sickness.

The awareness that insects can transmit disease is seen in the poem’s section on reed cutters:

The reed cutter goes down into the marshes to gather shafts for arrows.

He has worked his arms to dropping in his labors, bugs and ticks have bitten him to death, Sickness has laid him low – he fares no better than the damned.

Ergonomic injury resulting from repetitive strain is seen in the mason’s work:

The mason cutting with his chisel in all sorts of hard and costly stone – After he finishes two cubic feet of work his arms are dead and he himself is weary.

He sits there until suppertime, knees cramped and with an aching back. continued on next page

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The Potter with his earth and clay – he rises early with the servants; Weeds and swine hinder his efforts until he manages to fire his pots.

His clothing is stiff with slime and his leather apron is in tatters, The air which enters up his nose spews directly from his kiln.

He makes a pestle of his feet to stamp the clay down flat, Hacking up the courtyards of the houses, unwelcome in public places.

The poem shows Pepi’s father knew that breathing the air from the kiln is not a good thing. Some of the other stanzas in the poem that focus on other occupations also indicate an innate understanding of occupational illness. For example, Pepi’s father knows that working around smoke and fire can deplete resistance to disease.

Studio I Health & Safety

Thousands of Years of Health Advice

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Studio I Health & Safety

Thousands of Years of Health & Safety Advice (continued (continued from from previous previous page) page)

And the weaver of mats has a similar problem The mat-maker in his tiny cubicle he is more wretched than a woman; With his knees pressed up against his stomach he can hardly breathe...

These observations can be summarized into advice for us today: 1. Don’t breathe in kiln emissions! Install ventilation or place the kiln outside.

2. Don’t over-tire your muscles or work in uncomfortable or cramped positions.

3. Keep mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects out of the studio and protect yourself when you are outside.

Ramazzini warns about inhalation of mineral dusts by quarry and mine workers. Today we call those diseases silicosis, talcosis, black lung [from coal] and other names that indicate the type of dust that caused them. But Ramazzini makes it

“... shovel, smelt, cast, and refine the material that has been mined.

They are liable to the same diseases, though in less acute form, because they perform their tasks in the open air. However, in the course of time the metallic fumes that they breathe make them short winded, splenetic (depressed), lethargic (tired), and in the end they pass into the class of consumptives (appearing to waste away).”

Clearly, the problems have been known and written about for more than 4,000 years — but every new generation must be told again. [

These workers, Ramazzini says, include “potters.” And, even today, we know of potters and ceramic teachers with silicosis.3 In Ramazzini’s time, lead glazes were also a serious problem.

Pottery makers, he said, are exposed to “roasted or calcined lead for glazing their pots ... their mouths, nostrils, and the whole body take in the lead poison that has been melted and dissolved in water; hence they are soon attacked by grievous maladies.

They become paralytic, splenetic (depressed), lethargic (tired), cachectic (thinned), toothless, and phthisical (wasting).”

FOOTNOTES: 1. John L. Foster, editor and translator.

Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology, University of Texas Press, 2001.

2. Ramazzini, B. De Morbis Artificum Diatriba. (Diseases of Workers).

The Latin text of 1713, revised with translation and notes by Wilmer Cave Wright. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1940. Republished by: New York: The Classics of Medicine Library, Division of Gryphon Editions, Special edition; 1983.)

3. July/August 2005 and November/ December 2005 Clay Times Health and Safety columns on silicosis and other lung diseases.

Monona Rossol is an industrial hygienist/chemist with an M.F.A. in ceramics/glass. E-mail her at: ACTSNYC@cs.com

So, once again, we can boil this advice down to commonsense rules: 1. Don’t inhale minerals from the earth, such as clay, flint [silica], feldspars, and the like.

Use ventilation and good work practices and hygiene to avoid dust exposure.

2. Don’t use lead glazes if at all possible. All other glazes should be used with precautions that keep them out of your lungs.

865.397-2914 info@wardburner.com

SAME MATS - NEW OWNERS!

28

When we fast forward to the 1700s, we are given more sophisticated advice by Bernardo Ramazzini.2 He systematized the existing knowledge of occupational illnesses from other sources and made his own personal contribution to the field by collecting his observations in De Morbis Artificum Diatriba [Diseases of Workers].

Wash up frequently, clean the glaze area scrupulously, and don’t eat or drink in the pottery studio.

.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

Advice from an Italian in 1713

clear that these diseases were in no way limited to miners.

They could be found in all of those who ...

www.wardburner.com

Achieving Patterned Glaze Effects, Part One

Simple Glaze Transfer Techniques Using Textured Materials

BY FRANK FISHER

T

here was a time when glazing truly scared me. From my point of view, glazing was synonymous with ruining a perfectly good pot. Abysmal results awaited every kiln firing. My bisque pots would pile up — stacked, naked, and unglazed — waiting for a glazing intervention.

continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

Raku-fired bottle made by the author, using the material pictured at upper right and techniques featured in this article. 6" tall x 4¼" diameter.

But everything changed when frustration overran caution.

With reckless abandon, I dunked a sheet of bubble wrap into the glaze bucket, drained the excess and wrapped the wet mess around my pot. It was not perfect. Not beautiful, but there was something so far above my usual bucket dipping approach that the weight of fear turned to excitement.

Curiosity has me chasing glaze patterns and enjoying all of it.

29

Different Glazing Methods

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

The three methods I will be featuring in this series on glaze pattern techniques are: glaze transferring, glaze stenciling, and the use of glazing tools. Each of these methods delivers a low-anxiety, stressfree approach to glaze decoration.

Each technique also provides an option beyond traditional glaze dipping, with nearly the same amount of effort and care to achieve success.

30

Glaze patterns created with any of these methods are loose, casual, and energetic. This result offers the exciting, controlled chaos my aesthetic enjoys. These glaze patterns can be applied over any suitable, contrasting base glaze or applied directly to bare bisque. If applied to bare bisque, a thin overcoat can be used for a more subtle design and contrast.

Matte glazes will maintain a tighter pattern than gloss glazes, which tend to shift when fired. Both approaches create beautiful results.

For Western raku firing, the pattern is

sometimes applied to bare bisque to emphasize the contrasting carbonized black surface.

Glaze Transfer: Three step-bystep processes Glaze transfer, the subject of part 1 of this series, involves applying glaze to a patterned object and then pressing the glazed object against the ceramic surface to transfer the glaze. The resulting glaze pattern will mirror the glazed surface high points of the object.

The clarity of the pattern created is controlled by the amount of glaze applied to the object.

A light coating of glaze will produce a sparse pattern; a heavy coating of glaze will produce a clogged pattern.

Finding the right balance takes practice. Depending on the desired aesthetic, a combination of light to heavy glaze application will produce a varied but intriguing design within the pattern.

I use three methods of applying glaze to an object: a sponge roller, full emersion and a brush.

1. Sponge Roller Technique There are several brands of small sponge rollers available at the large craft stores. The rollers are inexpensive – about two dollars each. I keep about a dozen in my glaze kit. When I begin layering glaze patterns with different colors, it is easier to grab a clean extra roller than to keep washing out the same two or three rollers. Begin by dipping the roller right into a bucket of freshly stirred glaze, then give the roller’s sponge a squeeze to ring out the extra glaze. Place the patterned object on newspaper (for easy clean-up) on a table. The patterned object, such as rubber shelf-liner, is given a layer of glaze by rolling across the high points. To transfer the pattern, the ceramic pot can be rolled across the pattern or wrap the object around the pot and carefully peeled back. To repeat the design pattern around the entire pot, reapply glaze and press against the remaining undecorated areas.

Sponge Roller Technique — The photo series below illustrates a step-by-step approach glaze transfer usingaaglaze sponge roller and shipping foam.

Presented here to is the approach used to transfer pattern from an object onto the ceramic surface.

Glaze Patterns | Transfer Method | Quail Egg Shipping Foam

Detailofofthe thepattern pattern Figure 02 –2.Detail

3. Quail shipping foam isFoam available Figure 03 – egg Quail Egg Shipping is through online auctions like available through online auctionseBay. like eBay.

a dampseveral foam roller Figure 044.–Use Applying glazetocolors to apply several glaze colors. damp foam using a foam roller

5. Dab spots of glaze onto theglaze, foam Figure 05small – Using a brush and a red surface, asare with the redonto glazethe shown small spots dabbed foamhere. surface.

6. Wrap around bottle to Figure 06 –glazed Wrap foam glazed foamthe around transfer the glaze ontotothe pot’s surface. bottle to transfer glaze pot’s surface.

7. Peel foam reveal glaze Figure 07 back – Peelthe back thetofoam tothe reveal pattern.

Your pot is now ready to be fired. the glaze pattern

8. A08 raku-fired bottlepattern turns black from Figure – Raku glaze on bottle carbon trapping during firing, as unglazed freshly pulled from raku combustion can. areas reveal the fired color of the clay.

(more techniques appear on next page)

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

1. Raku-fired bottle made the author, Figure 01 – Bottle, 6.25h x 5wbyinches, stone using quail egg shipping foam. ware, raku fired, 2016

31

Glaze Transfer Techniques (continued from previous page)

2. Full Emersion Technique The full emersion option can be used for smaller, flexible items like fruit wrap or burlap or woven doilies.

Begin by washing the object in water, then squeeze out the water. This reduces the amount of glaze absorbed and will make clean-up at the end much easier. To start glazing, dunk the object into the glaze

3. Brush Application

bucket. Wring out and shake the excess glaze back into the bucket. Stretch the glaze soaked object around the pot’s surface. Press firmly to transfer the glaze from the object onto the pot. Carefully peel the item away from the surface. Repeat application to continue decorating the surface.

Press the glazed object against the pot’s surface. The resulting glaze transfer will maintain the pattern’s distinctive edge, but a fluid color range will be seen within the pattern. Repeat application to continue decorating the surface.

Frank James Fisher is an American ceramic artist living and working in Milford, Michigan. Fisher’s art is recognized for its strong graphic design aesthetic and unique approach to the ceramic medium. An author and exhibiting artist, Frank also teaches workshops revealing his methods and philosophy on art. You can contact him through his Website at frankjamesfisher.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

To apply a glaze color to a specific area on the pattern, I use a brush. With a brush you can precisely color the object’s surface with a few dabs of glaze. Multiple glaze colors dabbed on the object will produce a multicolored, unified pattern.

All methods described in this three-part series can be used with low-fire through cone 10 glazes. I’ve had success with all clay bodies and slips, as well as gloss and matte glazes and underglazes. I’m especially fond of the results from western raku firing using cone 06 glazes. [ ���

32

Breathing New Raku Life Into A Dead Electric Kiln

A

s I’m writing this, it’s the time for summer projects.

The phone calls are already starting that concern one of the rites of the season.

As folks get rid of stuff, other folks get stuff. In my business, that means people are getting old dead electric kilns. This is quite simply the time of year when these poor castoffs make their way out of basements and garages into the hands of people who have anxiously been waiting to snatch one of them up to transform into a raku kiln.

Are you one of those folks? Do you know what you’ve signed on for?

First of all, I suggest you gut the wiring and elements. It’s not that this material is in the way or will affect the firing, it’s just that this kiln may find its way into someone else’s life several summers down the road.

Quite a few people call me and say that they have filled in the grooves with castable refractories or kiln patch. To be honest, that seems like a waste of time, to me. If you want to do this for aesthetic reasons, cool … but it won’t really change how the kiln fires in a gas raku firing.

I guess people think the process of filling in the grooves of the brick will make the gases exit smoother and make the kiln “tighter”. To me, this is like saying you aren’t going to hang your arm out of the window of your gigantic SUV because the extra air drag will decrease your gas mileage.

(Hey folks — it’s Raku. This is not a particularly efficient process to begin with.)

It’s time to cut holes. You will need a burner port hole that is an inch wider than the head of your burner.

Next, you are going to keep that burner at least ½" back from the outside of the burner port. Farther away is fine; closer is not.

Now you need to cut a hole in very center of the top of the kiln. It should be at least the same size as the burner port hole, but I would actually make

it a bit larger … like 2" greater than the burner head size (or 1" larger than the burner port).

You can always damper it a little if you want to reduce.

Do you put the burner port hole in the center of the bottom, shooting up; or on the side, at floor level, shooting across?

If you are young and agile, locate your burner port underneath, where it’s harder to reach, for more efficient firing. If, on the other hand, you are like me — a grandfather and overweight — you certainly want the port on the side, where it is easier to reach. Bottom line: Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter where you place the port with raku kilns. Your firing will be blasting away, and the even distribution of heat will take care of itself. I wouldn’t even bother to use a “target brick“ of any kind.

The next issue is shelves. You will need the flame to enter underneath the shelf. Whether your burner fires vertically from the bottom and up, or horizontally across, you will need room beneath the shelf for the gases to expand, and for the flame to find life.

I consider 4½" to be the minimum spacing distance from the burner to the shelf, allowing plenty of open space.

continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

Since you will have been firing the raku kiln with gas, you’ll most likely have been firing in a reduction atmosphere.

This environment forces some flames or very hot gases out through any available opening.

Some of these openings lead back to where the wiring is connected, and to the insulation that surrounds it. As such, the wiring area will now be very degraded, and could cause a dangerous situation if your old raku soldier is called upon one day to perform an electric firing.

Your wiring is now removed and you’re wondering about all those grooves where the elements lived and worked.

BY marc ward

Shop Talk I Firing

A Step-by-step Approach for Kiln Transformation

33

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

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Raku Kiln Transformation (continued from previous page) Don’t make a wall of bricks to support your shelf.

Think more along the lines of using posts to hold up your shelf.

Shelves also are one of the great failure points of this endeavor. This may surprise you, but you shouldn’t use the shelves that came with the electric kiln.

Why? Because electric kiln shelves are sized to allow your fingers to grip the shelf while you set it down into the kiln. Electric kiln shelves are not sized to allow gas flow around them.

These shelves that come with the kiln are too large for a gas firing. Typically, one needs a spacing of at least 2" from the edge of the shelf to the wall of the kiln. A small square shelf or a smaller circular shelf will do the trick.

But we’re not done yet — you’ve got two more concerns facing you.

First, be aware that an electric kiln takes more energy to heat than a fiber drum kiln. You may need to get a larger propane tank or a bigger burner ... or if you fire with natural gas, you could even need to use two burners instead of one.

I’m not a proponent of the old “tank in a bucket of water” trick, what I consider to be the “Western Medicine” approach that essentially treats the symptoms, but not the problem. Get a bigger tank or hook two tanks together.

The final issue to be resolved here is how you will approach this type of kiln to remove your work.

With drum or “top hat” kilns, a good portion of the heat stays in the kiln when you lift or remove it to get your ware. With the electric kiln / top-loading variety, all of the heat stays down inside there with your work. It rises as you are leaning in.

Be careful! You may need more protective clothing than you otherwise would need with a lift-off kind of kiln. Many potters [including the editor] have singed their eyebrows during a raku firing because they weren’t wearing a hat or goggles, so don’t take any chances as you have fun with your recycled electric, new raku kiln. [ Marc Ward is owner/operator of Ward Burner Systems in Dandridge, Tennessee. He may be reached via the online catalog and Website at: www.wardburner.com, where you can also sign up for his free newsletter.

review by STEVEN BRANFMAN

The Clay Connection: Jim and Nan McKinnell by Susan Schoch with research assistance by Carolina Roy. American Museum of Ceramic Art, hardcover, $49.95

W

hen this book arrived on my desk, I was thrilled for two reasons: First; I’ve been a fan of the McKinnells for many years, and I have a few of their pieces in my personal collection.

Second: The American Museum of Ceramic Art [AMOCA] is a leader in the publishing of books on ceramics, and in my opinion, they never, ever disappoint.

There is a lot packed into a total of 174, 8½" x 11" pages. One of the ways this is accomplished is with a type face that is smaller than some might find comfortable. (This minor criticism is meant more to warn you to take out your reading glasses!)

Also missing, and to my dislike, is a summarized chronological timeline for easy reference, and an index. Although there is no shortage of fullcolor photos of pots, people, and places, The Clay Connection is not a picture book destined for your coffee table. It is a book that is meant to be read, taken in, digested, understood, and incorporated into your personal clay lexicon and creative expression. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

Jim and Nan McKinnell were among the first generation of American studio potters who had shared careers spanning more than 50 years.

Interestingly, the title, “The Clay Connection” refers to this collaborative, creative relationship. They share their studio potter historical distinction with the likes of Vivika and Otto Heino, Edwin and Mary Scheier, Arthur Baggs, Charles Harder, Gertrude and Otto Natzler, Glen Luckens, Henry Varum Poor, and others. Their honored place in the history of American ceramics is undeniable; their pots, their teaching, their influence, and their overall impact on the aesthetics and direction of the studio pottery movement is more than significant. In fact, if I thought that you’d simply take my word for it, I’d end this review now and simply say, “get this book and read it.”

The Clay Connection is a handsome and robust volume. It begins with a personal and informative forward by David Armstrong, the Founder and Director of AMOCA, in which he introduces the McKinnells and lays the foundation for the story to come. The author, Susan Schoch, has laid out the McKinnell story in a sensible, chronological format. Thirteen short chapters, which read more like divisions, present significant episodes in their lives. The first two of these tell the story of Nan and Jim’s lives from birth to their meeting in 1946.

Others include: Seattle & Baltimore; Europe; The Bray; Japan, Scotland, Colorado; The Kitchen Studio. The addenda include a comprehensive record of exhibitions, publications, and collections.

Resources I Books & Videos

The Clay Connection: Jim and Nan McKinnell

35

Resources I Books & Videos

New McKinnell Book (continued from previous page) The friendships that the McKinnells shared read like a Who’s Who of international clay: Michael Cardew, Shoji Hamada, Paul Soldner, Daniel Rhodes, Bernard Leach, Val Cushing, David Shaner, and Peter Voulkos, among many others. This speaks to the value and importance that they placed in community, learning, and sharing their knowledge with others.

20 N. Mitchell Ave. • Bakersville, North Carolina 828.688.6428 • www.intandemgallery.com

The amount of research, study, compilation, and organization of information available to the author and her assistant was clearly formidable. The vast content of the book reflects this.

Schoch’s writing style is clean but not sterile, academic but not stiff. Her words read like a story and not like a textbook.

We read about joy, sadness, excitement, disappointment, and accomplishment. We are taken on a creative journey where there were no dead ends, only voyages with diverse destinations and paths that led them to mastering the language of clay.

“The friendships that the McKinnells shared read like a Who’s Who of international clay: Michael Cardew, Shoji Hamada, Paul Soldner...”

Rather than reading my words to describe the McKinnells, here are some from the author:

We believe artists should have access to consistent and affordable clay. www.GreatClay.com 800-258-8796

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

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36

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“Faced with everyday questions of human existence, the McKinnells found their answers in clay; centered it in their lives.

Clay formed an enduring bond and purpose. It was grace, in their studio and in their marriage, that created love, that made room for change. It fueled passion and curiosity, brought fresh energy, many connections, and frequent movement. Their life together was full of new pots and places, and people.”

Tell me that this brief paragraph doesn’t stir your emotions and motivate you to learn more about these two important figures in the history of our craft! Tell me that this description of their inner selves doesn’t inspire you to power your own creative purpose! Tell me that the story of the McKinnells isn’t one that you need to be familiar with!

The Clay Connection: Jim and Nan McKinnell is a book that needs to be in your library, but not as a prized possession, under glass, or out of the reach of curious onlookers. It needs to be out in the open, on the table next to your easy chair or on your night stand. I expressed myself pretty well earlier in this review and maybe now you’ll heed my advice: Get this book and read it! [ Steven Branfman is an accomplished potter, author, and teacher of pottery and ceramics at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts, and proprietor of The Potters Shop and School. You can e-mail him at: sbranfpots@aol.com

I

f you are like most potters, you’ve probably found yourself searching for a particular type of glaze now and then ... or perhaps you’re looking for an exciting new formula, or you’re trying to find a formula that you’ve misplaced. What to do? While you might have considered a certain pay-to-use glaze bank membership service in the past, a super-helpful service that could better suit your needs is available for free.

Log onto Glazy.org to see for yourself what this awesome database has to offer. Available to potters everywhere on a donate-if-you-like basis, this useful opensource Website features more than 5,000 tried-and-true glaze formulas posted and shared by its members.

Launched in 2015, Glazy.org is the brainchild of potter Derek Au, and was begun with seed data provided by Linda Arbuckle, Louis Katz, and John Sankey. It is an ongoing project, constantly growing with additional contributions from its members.

Glazy.org allows you to search for a glaze by characteristics including title, keyword or ID, firing temperature, firing atmosphere, surface, transparency, and color. You can also search by glaze type, which includes categories like clear, white, iron, celadon, tenmoku, hare’s fur, oil spot, copper red, oribe, cobalt blue, and so forth.

Each glaze recipe is provided in percentage by weight, and appears with an image of the fired glaze, a brief description of the glaze, and name of the person who shared the glaze. Even better, the database is not limited to glazes alone, but also features recipes for clay bodies, slips, engobes, overglazes, underglazes, and refractories.

Plus there’s a materials analysis section and glaze calculator, too, for folks who want to modify existing formulas or create their own glazes from scratch. And then there’s the Unity Formula of each glaze, similar glazes, known hazards of glaze materials ... and more! See for yourself at www.glazy.org

— Polly Beach, Editor [

A2V Copper SiC Red furnished to Glazy.org by Clara Giorello Cone 6 oxidation

Silica Frit 3134 Nepheline Syenite EPK Strontium Carbonate Wollastonite Dolomite Total Base:

35.4 % 29.2 20.0 6.6 5.7 2.5 0.6 100 %

add Tin Oxide Bentonite Copper Carbonate Silicon Carbide

2.0 % 2.0 1.5 0.8

Resources I Great Glazes

Great Glazes

Robin Hopperrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrr rrrr rrrr rrrrrrrrrrr clay work classic bookss sss ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss SWAN SONG THERE’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN PRICELESS AND WORTHLESS.

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CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

a lot more to a flood? Metalsmith Diane Falkenhagen knows what five

rrrrr�rrrrr�rr��rrrrrr��rrrrrrrrsrrsrr rrr���sr�ssrrrrrrrrrrrrr��rrrrrr��r rrssrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr�rr�rsssr�rrrrrrr �rrrr�rrrrrrsrrrrrr�rrrrrrrrr��rrrrrrrrr srrrrrr rrrrrrr�r rrrr rrrr �sr �rrrr srrrrrsr��rrrr�rr�rrsrrrrrr�rrrr�s

Artist Diane Falkenhagen’s Texas studio — destroyed by flooding during Hurricane Ike, 2008

37

David Gary Lloyd

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

The Brown Menagerie. Glazed ceramic with aerosol paint. Left figure measures 9½" x 4" x 41/8".

Morel Doucet, 7516 N.E. 1st Ave. Apt. #101, Miami, FL 33138. E-mail: mdoucet@mica.edu; Website: www.moreldoucet.com

38

Starry Night Jar (above left) and Gradient Jar (above right) by Andy Bissonnette.

Each jar is 12" tall, raku-fired with post-firing reduction in wood chips and newspaper.

E-mail: andybissonnette@gmail.com; Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BissonnettePottery/

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 17139, Amelia Island, FL 32035; or e-mail to claytimes@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, Website and/or e-mail address, type of clay and glaze, firing method, and the dimensions of the work. (Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you need photo or slide returned.)

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Delicate Matters with No Speaking (above) and Mono Duality (below).

Ceramic underglaze on earthenware, approximately 10" x 11" x 9ž".

August Oster, Louisa, Virginia. E-mail: Osterhoutben@gmail.com; Website: www.augustoster.com; Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AugustOster

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER SUMMER // FALL Fall 2017 2017

Myriad Spirale. 12" x 6" x 6". Wheel-thrown, hand-carved, and altered raku clay with copper wash; raku-fired to cone 07 with alcohol reduction.

Kelsey Schroeder, 5542 Kirkwood Blvd. SW #9, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. E-mail: kelsey.art@gmail.com

39

Shop Talk I Tool Times

NCECA Past & Present

More Great Clay Tools

by VINCE PITELKA

A

bout 15 years ago, some very resourceful potters and sculptors started marketing their own tool designs. Rick McKinney’s MKM tools and Michael Sherrill’s Mudtools have since become standards in the field. A wealth of innovative and interesting tools have appeared on the market ever since, and this trend just seems to be gaining momentum — which bodes well for the future of studio clay.

I’ve written about the excellent stretched-wire faceting tools from Kentucky Mudworks’ Dirty Girls Tools, but only recently discovered their Sling Shot tool. It features an adjustable stretched cutting wire on the end of the handle for accessing places normal faceting tools just can’t reach. Like the regular Dirty Girls faceting tools, the Sling Shot is available with either straight or wiggle wire, and Link Henderson from Dirty Girls reports that the straight-wire version is ideal for throwers trimming uneven vessel rims on the wheel.

Dirty Girls Slingshot

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

Dirty Girls also now has the Mini Snaggletooth, a smaller version of their popular scoring tool.

You can check out all of the Dirty Girls tools at kentuckymudworks.com.

Pottery Supply House now offers several items of special interest to tile makers. For those producing tile in quantity, their round and square 4" and 6" tile cutters, with plungers for ejecting cut tiles, are beautifully made. For those who need smaller amounts of tiles or cut shapes, PSH carries Frema pattern cutter sets similar to biscuit cutters, available in round, square, and hexagonal shapes.

Dirty Girls Mini-Snaggletooth

Several other PSH items not related to tiles have caught my eye lately. Among them is the six-piece set of small brass pattern cutters with ejector plungers, ideal for making appliques. Another PSH item that has recently caught my interest is a 3"-diameter rolling pin with a 22" barrel. This tool is by far the largest I have found commercially. It is especially appropriate for those who want to make PSH Tile Cutter

40

Shop Talk I Tool Times

PSH Frema Pattern Cutters

Mecca Cherry Ribs

uniform slabs by hand, using wood shims or dowels under the ends of the rolling pin to achieve uniform thickness.

PSH Anvils

Finally, few suppliers provide sturdy wood anvils for the paddle-and-anvil method of shaping/ altering vessels. PSH has nice hardwood anvils equipped with convenient handles. You can find all of these items online at www.psh.ca.

Moving on to Shimpo: widely recognized for pottery wheels, Shimpo has a new, hollow die set to fit the Shimpo caulking-gun-style hand extruder. As shown in the accompanying image (upper left), the set comes with eight dies and the die holder. Shimpo representatives tell me that this set also fits the popular Scott Creek hand extruder.

Shimpo Hollow Dies

I have written about Phil Poburka’s remarkable Bison tungsten-carbide trimming tools. For the first time, Phil now offers a tool where the business end is not made of tungsten carbide. continued on next page

Mecca Rollers

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

In a previous column, I wrote that Stan Hurst at Mecca Pottery Tools makes the best paddles available. He has also expanded his line of stamps and rollers, and his wider handrollers now feature a bonus pattern stamp on each end. He is also producing a line of fine cherry-wood throwing/forming ribs in many sizes and shapes. See Stan’s tools online at meccapotterytools.com.

41

Shop Talk I Tool Times

More Great Tool Finds (continued from previous page)

Bison Needle Tool

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

The needle tool is among the most ubiquitous studio tools. We all use them, whether handbuilding or throwing, and I expect that most of us have the common needle tool from the basic pottery tool kit. In the past, I have mentioned that Xiem Studio Tools makes some especially nice needle tools, but now Bison has one unlike any other I have seen. As is the case with all Bison tools, the standards of craftsmanship are impeccable, with a fine handturned wood handle and brass ferrule. On this tool, the needle is comprised of very thin, springy stainless steel, and I can envision situations in both throwing and handbuilding where it will offer real advantages in creating less drag while cutting through soft clay. You can find all of the Bison tools at bisonstudios.com, plus a link to Phil’s ETSY sales site.

42

MKM Stamps

Rick McKinney at MKM Pottery Tools can always be counted on to expand his extensive selection of finely-made stamps, rollers, throwing tools, ribs, and other pottery tools. His pattern rollers and larger blocky stamps are familiar to most

Shop Talk I Tool Times

of us, but among the new offerings are smaller stamps in a rather mind-boggling range of shapes, sizes, and patterns, as seen in the image and in Loren Maren’s rectangular tray. It’s fun to imagine what MKM will come up with next, and I’m sure they’ll keep surprising us. Go to mkmpotterytools.com and click “stamps4clay” to see the full line.

Ergonomic Design!

Check out our great new line of ULTRA-SHARP Zebra Carving Tools ...

Sgraffito Diamond Stylus Tools

GR Pottery Forms Slump Mold I enjoy making and using rigid foamboard drape molds for slab plates and bowls, but I acknowledge that in any serious studio production, foamboard would not hold up. At NCECA, I came across a booth full of high-quality MDF (medium-density fiberboard) drape molds made by GR Pottery Forms. These molds come in a wide variety of sizes and geometric shapes appropriate for all sorts of bowl and plate forms.

They require no release agent, and should stand up well over time, even with rigorous use.

Clay artists love them!

... PLUS Diamond Sanding Tools, Rotary Tools, Grinding Discs & more!

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. Contact Vince through his Website at https://sites.tntech.edu/wpitelka/

View the full catalog online: www.diamondcoretools.com or call 619.749.5207

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

GR also makes a handy double-pointed tool that cuts an appropriate strip for adding a raised foot to the bottom of plates and bowls. In my opinion, slab-formed bowls and plates without a raised foot are more prone to warpage and seem to be lacking that extra touch. You can see the assortment of GR Pottery Forms drape molds and tools at grpotteryforms.com. [

43

Resources I The Slurry Bucket

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While we encourage sharing of issues every now and then, please know that it’s costly to ® produce Clay Times and we need your financial support!

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017

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44

The Slurry Bucket Helpful Online Resources for Clay Artists In the Great Glazes department of this Summer/Fall 2017 CT issue, we introduce readers to Glazy.org, an excellent online database where you can find glaze recipes, calculate new ones, and more. For details, turn to page 37, then be sure to check out the site online at Glazy.org Here are a couple more very useful online resources for clay artists: Wiki.Glazy.org (a.k.a., the Ceramics Wiki) — a growing encyclopedia of clay knowledge, where you will find: • A detailed listing of Ceramic Materials Substitutions • Firing Schedules for various atmospheres, desired temperatures, crystalline glazes, etc.

• Topics including: Glaze Faults, Glaze Testing, Glaze Application, Glaze Mixing & Preparation, Low-Fire Glazes, Mid-Fire Glazes, High-Fire Glazes, Commercial Glazes, Glaze Books, Glaze Effects, Glaze Calculation • Clay Bodies (Commercial Clay Bodies, Clay Body Faults, Mixing and Reclaiming Clay, Low-, Mid-, and High-Fire Clay and Porcelain Bodies) http://www.claytimes.com/studio-referenceguide.html — Yes, the CT Website has a free reference section where you will find back issue articles on the following topics: Clay Basics, Firing, Forming Techniques, Glazing, Health and Safety, Marketing and Business, and Studio Maintenance — plus links to ceramics suppliers and educational resources.

To view a wide variety of “Slurry Bucket” studio tips, log onto the home page at claytimes.com — where a new tip and new glaze formula appears each time you log in.[

Check out these listings to find local programs for wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculptural techniques, & more …

Classes are listed alphabetically by state

COLORADO

FLORIDA, cont.

MAINE

Spinning Star Studio — 427 East Colorado Ave., Studio 129, Colorado Springs, CO 80903; http:// www.spinningstarstudio.com; jennifer@spinningstarstudio. com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, classes for adults; wheelchair accessible wheel available. Open studio is available as well as electric kiln rental for firing up to cone 6.

Morean Center for Clay — 420 22nd St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712; 727.821.0516; www.MoreanArtsCenter.org; valerie.scott.knaust@ moreanartscenter.org. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children. Children’s summer camps and week-long adult camps.

private lessons, retail gallery, shows. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

GEORGIA

Hinckley Pottery — New Location! 3132 Blues Alley NW, Washington, DC 20012; 202.745.055; www. hinckleypottery.com; info@hinckleypottery.com. Resident and associate work spaces; glaze firing in cone 10 gas kiln.

Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center — 980 Briarcliff Rd., Atlanta, GA 30306; 404.874.9351; www. callanwolde.org; gdair@callanwolde.org. Located in Midtown Atlanta, Callanwolde offers basic and intermediate wheel and handbuilding classes for adults, as well as electric, gas, raku, and soda firing, plus guest artist workshops.

FLORIDA Boca Raton Museum Art School — 801 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33486; 561.392.2503; Fax 561.361.8306; artschool@bocamuseum.org; www.bocamuseum.org/ artschool. We offer handbuilding, wheel-throwing, clay sculpture classes for kids, teens, and adults as well as classes in jewelry, painting, and photography.

Clay Times® Art Center — NEW! 112 S. Third St., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034; 904.624.7426; 800.356.2529; claytimes@gmail.com, www. claytimesartcenter.co. Studio space rental, gallery, lessons, open studio, visiting artist workshops. Glazing, firing, tools, books, equipment, and classes for all ages in wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture, glass art & more. Custom internships for college students. Feel free to ask questions!

Johns Creek Arts Center — 6290 Abbotts Bridge Rd., Building 700, Johns Creek, GA 30097; 770.623.8448; Fax 770.623.6995; jcacinfo@ bellsouth.net; http://www.johnscreekarts.org. Located in Johns Creek, GA, the Johns Creek Art Center provides ceramics instruction for adults and youth with wheelthrowing, handbuilding, summer camps, cone 06-6 electric firing, and guest artist workshops.

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,

MARYLAND The ClayGround Studio & Gallery, LLC — 3715 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21043; 443.812.1158; claygroundonline.com; clayations46@ yahoo.com. Pottery classes for all ages, with wheel throwing, handbuilding, and electric firing. We do birthday parties, scout troops, home school, and corporate teambuilding events.

Renaissance Art Center — 9250 Gaither Rd., Gaithersburg, MD 20877; 301.987.0377; www.rcarts.com; info@rcarts.com. Pottery classes for all ages, teaching wheel throwing, handbuilding, and glazing techniques. Electric firing. Our new studio features 12 wheels and over 2000 s.f. of studio space!

MASSACHUSETTS Purple Sage Pottery — 3 Mechanic St.,Merrimac, MA 01860; 978.346.9978; www.purplesagepottery. com; iris@purplesagepottery.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture; electric, gas reduction, and raku firing; guest artist workshops; classes for adults and children.

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. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

Carla’s Clay Inc. — 1733 Northgate Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34234; 941.359.2773; www.carlasclay. com; cobrien@carlasclay.com. Classes for adults and children in wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric and raku firing. Guest artist workshops; retail supplies and gallery.

The Hudgens Center for the Arts — 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Bldg. 300, Duluth, GA 30097; 770.623.6002; Fax 770.623.3555; info@thehudgens. org; www.thehudgens.org. The Hudgens is located north of Atlanta and offers year-round fine art classes. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, classes for adults and children, open studio for students.

Resources I Classes

Community Pottery Classes

45

Resources I Classes

MISSOURI

NEW YORK, cont.

VIRGINIA

Kansas City Clay Guild — 200 West 74th St., Kansas City, MO 64114; 816.373-1373; www.kcclayguildstudios.org; kcclayguild88@yahoo. com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes and “pottery parties” for adults and children. A fun, family atmosphere for novice through advanced ceramic artists.

The Painted Pot — 339 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231; 718.222.0334; www.paintedpot.com; mail@paintedpot.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture.

Nan Rothwell Pottery — City Clay, 700 Harris St. Suite 104, Charlottesville, VA 22903; www.nanrothwellpottery.com; info@nanrothwellpottery.com.

Wheel-throwing, gas firing, salt glaze firing, guest artist workshops, plus two- and three-day workshops focused on wheel work or decorating and firing functional pottery.

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. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, stained glass, watercolor, drawing, and beading. Classes for adults and children.

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; leigh@ clayartcenter.org. Clay Art Center kindles a passion for the ceramic arts and provides a community for that passion to flourish. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, community arts programming.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

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.

46

The JCC in Manhattan — 334 Amsterdam Ave., 76th St., Brooklyn, NY 10023; 646.505.5715; sorr@jccmanhattan.org; www.jccmanhattan. org/artstudios. The Upper West Side’s community ceramics center with classes for everyone at every level! Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

We also offer classes for children with Special Needs, private lessons, birthday parties, and bench time for registered students.

NORTH CAROLINA Dan Finch Pottery — 5526 Nursery Lane, Bailey, NC 27807-9492; 252.235.4664; http://www.danfinch. com; dan.finch@earthlink.net. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults. Demonstrations and workshops for groups (school, church, civic). Quarterly day and evening classes available in a collaborative and nurturing environment at Finch Farm.

OHIO John Bryan Community Pottery — 100 Dayton St., Yellow Springs, OH 45387; 937.767.9022; www.communitypottery.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children. Four 8-week, sessions beginning in January, April, June and August. Studio and kiln rental.

TEXAS SUNIN Clay Studio — 13473 Wetmore Road, San Antonio, TX 78247; 210.494.9100; suninpottery@ sbcglobal.net; suninclaystudio.com. A teaching and working pottery studio offering classes, equipment, supplies, gallery/ shows and creative encouragement. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, sculpting classes and retail products.

VIRGINIA Mainly Clay — 217 N. Main, Farmville, VA 23901 (beside Green Front Furniture). Pottery wheel and handbuilding classes, open studio, supplies, gifts, and jewelry; 434.315.5715; butlerp@mainlyclay.com; www.mainlyclay.com. Amaco & Standard dealer, Brent wheels, Shimpo slab roller, and Skutt electric kilns. Located in beautifully renovated historic building with upstairs rental space available for events and workshops.

Manassas Clay & Tin Barn Pottery Supply — 9122 Center Street, Manassas, VA 20110; 703.330.1040; www.manassasclay.com; manassasclay@ aol.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, glazing, raku.

PFAC — 101 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606; 757.596.8175; mpreble@pfac-va.org; www.pfac-va.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children. PFAC offers the opportunity to explore clay with a variety of techniques and processes.

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; 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.

WISCONSIN Adamah Clay Studios of Bethel Horizons — 4651 County Highway ZZ, Dodgeville, WI 53533; 608.574.8100; e-mail: artventures@bethelhorizons.org; www.bethelhorizons.org. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, wood firing, classes for adults and children. Weekly pottery classes, affordable summer intensive week-long workshops, beautiful views, & university credits.

WYOMING Potters Depot LLC — 75 East Benteen St., Buffalo, WY 82834; pottersdepot@msn.com; www.pottersdepot. com; 307.684.4555. 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. We are located at the foothills of the beautiful Big Horn Mountains and provide a large selection of clay bodies and tools. [

LIST YOUR POTTERY CLASSES IN PRINT AND ONLINE for just $129 per year at: www.claytimes.com/classes.html

BY DAVID HENDLEY & TOMMY HUMPHRIES

Opinion I Around the Firebox

Five Generations and The End of an Era

Four [of five] generations of potters: John L. Stone (1850-1928), John C. Humphries (1894-1944), E.J. Humphries (1919-1999), Tommy Humphries (1962-)

M

arshall Pottery in Marshall, Texas ended its production of stoneware and closed its retail store last fall. Started in 1895, Marshall Pottery was the only old-time Texas pottery to stay in business into the new millennium.

The store was huge, at over 100,000 square feet, attracted thousands of customers a year, and was known by everyone in East Texas.

With that brief history of Marshall Pottery, I’ll turn this column over to my friend Tommy Humphries, to recount his family’s history.

Tommy worked as a potter at Marshall Pottery until its closing, and he can trace his potter-roots back five generations to Elija

Stone (1826-1912), his maternal great-great grandfather. The closing of Marshall Pottery is truly the end of an era for this family. According to Tommy: “Pottery goes back four or five generations, on both my father’s and mother’s sides of the family. My dad often spoke of traveling with his father to potteries in Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. When they got word that a pottery had orders to fill, they would show up, stay for a week or so, and make three or four kiln-loads of pots. Then they’d move along down the road to the next pottery. My grandfather would make the pots, and my dad would make the handles.

Often these pottery enterprises were nothing more than a wheel, a small rock kiln, and a clay pit dug out back.

This continued until the late 1930s, when they moved to Marshall and my grandfather, “Big Daddy”, went to work for Marshall Pottery. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

Like all old-time potteries, Marshall Pottery persevered through plenty of tribulations, struggling to keep the wheels spinning and the kilns burning.

A 1912 fire almost destroyed the business. In the 1920s, newly introduced glass canning jars captured much of the market that stoneware crocks and jars formally supplied. Notably, it was Prohibition in the 1930s, and the resulting demand for stoneware moonshine jugs, that helped boost sales and save the business.

Then, in the 1970s, the studio pottery movement took off, and Marshall Pottery’s crocks and jugs, unchanged in all those years, started looking staid and terribly out-of-date. By this time, the pottery had started producing machine-made terra cotta flower pots, which kept the doors open and the hand-thrown stoneware line in operation.

In the 1990s, the pottery was bought by an Italian company.

They were mainly interested in the terra cotta business, and they are now the largest flower pot manufacturer in the country; but after more than 100 years, the days of hand-thrown Marshall Pottery stoneware are over.

47

Opinion I Around the Firebox

End of an Era

(continued from previous page)

My dad did small jobs around the pottery before joining the army. After his discharge in 1945 he returned to the pottery, working as a mechanic.

He was offered the job of operating one of the first pot machines, and did so for a short time, but had to give it up due to sensitivity to the oil that released the clay from the mold after forming. My mom operated one of these machines, which is how Mom and Dad met. My mom’s dad, “Pop”, had moved to Marshall after working for potteries in the Dallas and Waco areas, notably Love Field Pottery in Dallas. Soon my dad started working as a potter.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017

Through all these years there was never a lack of work for a skilled potter. Even during the Great Depression, potters worked steadily, if not always at one location. It was only in the late ’60s and early ’70s that the potteries in the South began to have troubles. A lot of the problems came from the so called “art potters”. In the 1970s, I remember my dad bringing home a ceramics magazine from work that mentioned Marshall Pottery.

It derisively spoke of the potters at Marshall Pottery as mindlessly throwing the same pots time after time, day after day. This set the old-time potters firmly against the “studio potters”, who obviously didn’t know what they were talking about. Furthermore, in that same magazine, there were photos of the works of Peter Voulkos, confirming to the old-timers that young potters were crazy.

48

Then two men who came to work for the pottery during this period changed my dad’s mind. First was Jim Sanders, who learned his basic skills at Marshall Pottery and then left to start his own studio pottery shop. His work impressed my dad greatly. Second was a young apprentice from Shreveport who

started working under my dad.

Having studied pottery in college, he had some skills, but he was still a “two fingers and a needle” potter, as they called these guys. But David Bradley really took to the production work and was genuinely interested in the techniques. What cemented my dad’s fondness for him was his interest in the history of what he was learning to do.

But, as I held it, I could feel the textures of the clay, could see the interactions of the clay and the stresses it was put under, both in the making, and later in the firing.

The longer I looked at that platter, the more I understood. I have called that moment an epiphany, and such it was. It changed both my understanding of that potter and of pottery in general.

He also introduced my dad, and all the potters at Marshall Pottery, to pottery from outside of the southern U.S. He took us to a showing of Hamada’s work in Shreveport. My dad could appreciate the pots, but could never wrap his mind around what made them so special, or why a little three-inch bowl could be so valuable and revered. David moved on to further his pottery education, and then became a ceramics professor at the University of Arizona. He often returned to Marshall during his off time, and would work in the potteries there.

Now, to me, pottery has become more than just the pot. It is an interaction between hands, clay, environment, and fire. But most of all, it is an interaction between the clay, and the subconscious mind, with the hands as a conduit.

As for me, after high school I started working with my dad and brother at various pottery businesses in Marshall. My dad encouraged me to seek a deeper understanding of my craft, and through communication with other potters, and eventually through the Internet, I found the pottery world to be a wide and diverse place.

Then there was a huge revelation that really changed my view of things. On a trip to Dallas, I ended up at the home of a friend of a friend, where mounted on the wall was a huge platter. It was beat up, twisted and torn, and was instantly recognizable as a Voulkos. Noticing my interest, it was taken down and placed in my hands. At first, the old mindset kicked in and I was amused.

“What a piece of crap”, I thought.

So, with the passing of Marshall Pottery, my long-standing connection with the past has been severed. I’m now in my 50s, and this is scary but exciting at the same time. I have customers and friends who want me to continue making those same pottery forms that have been the tradition for so long.

I don’t know if I really want to. There are so many avenues to go down, such a wide world to explore. When I am able, I want to explore as much of it as I can. One could say that there is no place anymore for the industrial production potter. Perhaps this is so, but the skills I have gained from this environment will allow me to travel whatever road I wish in the world of pottery, with confidence that I can handle whatever I encounter.”

Thanks to Tommy Humphries for sharing the above account of his notable pottery family’s history with Clay Times readers. [

Columnist David Hendley may be reached via e-mail at: david@ farmpots.com

Classes

Opportunities, cont.

Tools for Potters, cont.

• Throw like a pro! Hone your craftsmanship with this proven method. I will teach you in your studio. Your skill will grow substantially.

See reference letters at: Jepsonpottery.com; neverleavetheplayground.com

• Emergency relief and recovery resources for artists affected by recent disasters are available from CERF, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund. Log onto studioprotector.org for details on how to get help from the arts sector, relief providers, and your community. The site, created by artists for artists, also offers strategies for becoming better prepared to deal with or avoid craft emergencies altogether — like the current hurricane season!

Only the highest quality materials are used including exotic woods and Kirinite; each tool is a work of art. Some of our latest tools even glow in the dark! Check us out online at https://www.etsy.com/ shop/SegersPotteryTools

Fall Internships • Attention College Students!

Clay Times is now interviewing for Autumn 2017 internships in graphic design, journalism, marketing, and studio management.

Earn, learn, and get your clay kicks at our beautiful new island art center in Fernandina Beach, FL. For details, e-mail your resume and cover letter to claytimes@gmail. com with “CT Internship” in the subject line.

Opportunities • The Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition is a yearly juried clay competition for Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students in the United States.

Mangum Pottery Estate — 280 Turkey Hollow Lane, Sparta, NC. 66-acre estate includes main residence, 1700s restored log cabin guest house, pond, VIEWS, acclaimed Mangum pottery studio and gallery with all equipment, fixtures, kilns, mailing list. Horse barn with fenced pastures. $960,000. Call Listing Agent, Bennet Phillips, at 617.426.9910.

• Order print and digital back issues & posters, original potter’s t-shirt designs, and more available exclusively from Clay Times! We’ve also got the Great Glazes I & II collection of glaze recipes, Teaching Techniques how-to article PDFs

by Bill van Gilder, and lots more at www.claytimes.com/store.html Tools for Potters • Segers Tools is a family-owned business creating originally designed, handcrafted tools.

Reach tens of thousands of active clay artists with your message in Clay Times!

Classifieds as low as $ 75 Display ads as low as $ 151 YOUR PRINT AD in any issue EARNS YOU a FREE 3-MONTH AD ONLINE!

Order your Clay Times classified at www.claytimes.com/classifieds.html or call 800.356.2529 ext. 1 for display ad details

SUMMER // FALL Fall 2017 2017 CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER

Designed to showcase the best K-12 ceramic work made in the country, the exhibition takes place in a different city each year in conjunction with the annual conference of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). Visit the 21st annual show in Pittsburgh, PA, March 14-17, 2018. For complete details about the show and the entry process, log onto www.k12clay.org

For Sale

• If you ever enjoyed the Spirograph® — that geometric drawing toy that produces mathematical curves technically known as hypotrochoids and epitrochoids — then you will probably enjoy ‘The Steve Tool’, which produces the same in 3-D on clay. The next time you throw a pot, or spin-form extrusions, try this device to add texture to your cylinder before stretching out the shape. If you teach beginners and they just can’t limit the glaze they apply to a pot, hand them a Steve Tool to get the benefit of holding back some of that slobber thru crazy texture. For full details, visit www.graberspottery.com or e-mail steve@graberspottery.com [

Resources I Classified Marketplace

Classified Marketplace

49

Index to Advertisers 3-D Potter............................................... 42

Hood College......................................... 11

Advancer Kiln Shelves.............................. 8

In Tandem Gallery................................... 36

American Ceramic Co.............................. 8 Carolina Clay Connection....................... 36

Japan Pottery Tools................................ 36 Koala Tools............................................. 11

CERF Studio Protector........................... 37

L & L Kilns................................................ 8

Clay Times Products.................. 34, 44, 50 Continental Clay..................................... 10

MKM Pottery Tools................................... 3 Paragon Industries................................... 2

Diamondcore Tools................................. 43

Robin Hopper’s Swan Song Video......... 37

Dolan Tools............................................. 44 Euclid’s Elements................................... 51

Strictly Functional Pottery National........ 10 Skutt Kilns.............................................. 52

Giffin Tec................................................. 44 Great Lakes Clay & Supply Co............... 36 Hi-roller Vertical Slab System................... 3

Slab Mat................................................. 28 Ward Burner Systems............................ 28 Xiem Tools USA...................................... 42

JERRY KING

For details on advertising in Clay Times®, log onto www.claytimes.com/advertise.html or call Morgan Britt, Advertising Director, at 800.356.2529 Ext. 1

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TIP:

bend the

3.

rim inward.

Compres s the rim the inside downwa rd wall.

The foot of a pot can be completed as a final throwing step, of additional or comprised clay elements.

Profiled

roll and

lid best

fits a thin-rim med pot.

When making lidded forms, a series of making a experiment by of differentfew extra lids shapes, with different knobs.

#2 r Lift Step

Scrape

Scrape

and press

it tightly

to

TIMES MAGAZIN E.

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Center and RAMIC attach your the top lid surface OF CE3. into shape. to a clayL IQU ES UR NA pad and trim HN Use dowel to secure TH E JO AN D TEC of thea handle each end 1995” at the top Since DS of a lid. sionals TR EN and Profes Teachers,

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foot Coiled foot

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TIP:

Decide on the type of you're going foot thrown formto trim into your before you begin throwing.

Some planning makes the simple process much easier.

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Hear it from the pros themselves: Why Robin Hopper (above) and Steven Hill (below) each preferred Skutt Wheels for heavy-duty daily use in their own studios ...