Clay Times Magazine Volume 24 • Issue 104

CERAMIC

ART

TRENDS,

TOOLS,

AND

Frank Fisher’s Glaze Patterns 10 Studio Tips to Help Keep You Healthy 2018 State of Clay A Pottery Tour of Japan Pete Pinnell’s Frit Discoveries & Glaze Formulas After the Storm: Repairing WeatherDamaged Equipment Screenprinting on Clay with Susan Feagin

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A wide variety of decorative patterns achieved on cone 6 oxidation-fired and raku-fired works by Frank Fisher.

Part two of his series on glaze transfer techniques begins on page 29.

contents

features

Cover photo: Bottle by Frank James Fisher. Rakufired stoneware, 6¼" x 4¼". For more, turn to page 29.

Cover inset photo: Handbuilt form by Bill Griffith, who will be honored at the 2018 Annual NCECA Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Further details appear on page 9.

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Clay

SPRING / SUMMER 2018 Volume 24, No. 104

24

24 A Cultural Tour of Pottery Through Japan This educational journey across Japan is carefully crafted to highlight unique ceramic culture and tradition, while also including popular tourist hot spots to keep everyone happy!

29 Glazing Off the Grid: Part Two In this second installment of his series on textured glazing techniques, Frank Fisher offers illustrated steps for glaze transfer using different types of stencils.

Master Koga demonstrates his skills for visiting potters in Takeo, Japan.

12

exhibit 12 State of Clay Exhibition 2018 This biennial celebration of claywork by artists from across the state of Massachusetts reveals high levels of creativity and technique.

Ridges by Sonia Simoun, featured in “State of Clay” May 5-June 3.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

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5

contents

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Clay

One, Two, Three by Caitlin Marsh — among the many works featured in the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society’s 10th biennial State of Clay exhibition. See story on pages 12-15.

Spring / Summer 2018 • Volume 24 Issue 104

departments 7 EDITOR’S DESK Good news ... (weather permitting)!

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

37 GREAT GLAZES An awesome, metallic cone 6 temmoku glaze

38 THE GALLERY Fellow CT readers share images of their clayworks Susan Feagin’s screens for printing on clay — learn how to make them on pages 21-23.

44 THE SLURRY BUCKET Studio-tested tips & techniques

45 POTTERY CLASSES

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Where you can learn claywork in your own community

6

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

50 ADVERTISER INDEX Ad support helps make CT possible ... please let our advertisers know you found them in Clay Times!

columns 16 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Intro. to Frit Part 2: New Glaze Formulas”

by Pete Pinnell

21 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Screenprinting on Clay with Susan Feagin” Pt. 2 interview by Lana Wilson

27 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Safe 3D Printers for Use with Clay” by Monona Rossol

33 KILNS & FIRING “Repairing Storm-Damaged Equipment” by Marc Ward

35 BOOKS & VIDEOS Swan Song DVD review by Steve Branfman

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

by Vince Pitelka

47 AROUND THE FIREBOX “10 Studio Tips to Help Keep You Healthy”

by Kelly Savino

Now, back to the subject of the weather: As I write this update, there are blizzards happening up north, and floods in the midwest. Weatherrelated disasters are apparently becoming the norm rather than the exception, so the topic of Marc Ward’s column in this issue — “Repairing StormDamaged Equipment” — is very appropriate.

A few other noteworthy mentions for this issue: Kelly Savino’s column, which offers “10 Studio Tips to Keep You Healthy;” and Monona Rossol’s advice on the safety of 3D printers when used with clay.

— Polly Beach, Editor

Trim Pan and Replacement Splash Pan

Editor & Publisher: Polly Beach Customer Service: Nanette Greene 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

Order from

www.splashpanpottery.com

Contributing Writers: Susan Feagin • Frank James Fisher Sheri Leigh O’Connor ✦ Printed on 100% FSC-certified and 75% post-consumer recycled paper ✦ Published by: CLAY TIMES, LLC P.O. Box 17139 • Amelia Island, FL 32035

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.

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Copyright ©2018 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 ■ SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Also highlighted in this issue: Pete Pinnell’s very extensive research on frits, published with a variety of frit-containing glaze formulas. Pete invites us to experiment with these glazes and share the results online.

Please visit claytimes.com/frits to view Pete’s informative data on the characteristics of North American frits, and join the conversation.[

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So I am pleased to say that Clay Times has once again recovered from the wrath of Mother Earth, and our publishing hiatus is over [hopefully this streak of weather havoc is over, too!]

We very much appreciate the patience of our many subscribers who have been anxiously awaiting delivery of this 104th issue.

Clay

TIMES

There may still be a question in the minds of many regarding the reality of climate change ... but after back-to-back hurricanes for two fall seasons in a row down here in Florida, I’m a firm believer!

CERAMIC ART TRENDS, TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

Spouting Off I Editor’s Desk

We’re Back!

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018 CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

SYD CARPENTER ROBERTO LUGO SANA MUSASAMA REGINALD POINTER JANATHEL SHAW

88

JESSE ALBRECHT CRISTA AMES NATALIA ARBELAEZ SHARIF BEY JILL BIRSCHBACH DAVID BOGUS ABIGALE BRADING ANGELIQUE BRICKNER NORA BRODNICKI JIM BUDDE BRYAN & BRAD CAVINESS SEAN CLUTE TARA DALY MATTHEW DERCOLE YEWEN DONG ELHAN ERGIN RICHARD FREIWALD DENNIS GERWIN RONNIE GOULD JOCELYN HOWARD HSIN-YI HUANG STACEY JOHNSON MARSHA KARAGHEUSIAN AHRONG KIM ROB KOLHOUSE BETHANY KRULL PATRICIA MALONEY KELLY & KYLE PHELPS KRISTINE POOLE LYDIA THOMPSON Left: Montage of Abigale Brading, Bryan & Brad Caviness, Ronnie Gould, Dennis Gerwin, Marsha Karagheusian, Kristine Poole, and Lydia Thompson

CURATED BY WINNIE OWENS-HART PRODUCED BY NCECA Contemporary Craft Pittsburgh, PA

VISUAL VOICES: TRUTH NARRATIVES MARCH 14–AUGUST 18, 2018 Reception: 6 PM–9 PM Thursday, March 15

Hot Stuff I Calendar

SPRING / SUMMER 2018

What’s Hot • ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries Clay World News ‰ Baltimore Cla yworks has Re-opened its Door s — Following publication of our most recent issue of Clay Times, Baltimore Clayworks approved an agreement to re-open its doors. An all-new Board and leadership is now installed; volunteers worked to reopen the facilities and welcome everyone back; students and teachers are back in classes; and complete programs have resumed operation.

Such great news for the art world and the greater Baltimore community — Congratulations! To learn more, visit baltimoreclayworks.org

Conferences ‰ The 52nd Annual Conference of the National Council on Educa tion f or the Cer amic Arts takes place March 14-17 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“CrossCurrents: Clay and Culture,” this year’s conference theme, was adopted to reflect Pittsburgh as a city of rivers, bridges, complex immigrant history, gritty perseverance, and reinvention.

‰ The 13th Annual Fir ed Works Regional Cer amics Exhibition and Sale takes place April 13-22 in the Central City Park Round Building of Macon, GA. The

event will feature more than 6,000 pieces of pottery by 65 ceramic artists from Georgia and the Southeast. Fired Works began as a local pottery show and has grown to become the largest exhibit of functional and sculptural pottery in Georgia. Visit www.firedworksmacon.com for complete details. ‰ The 30th Annual California Conference for the Advancement f or Ceramic Art (CC ACA) takes place April 27-29 in Davis, California. The event will feature demonstrations, lectures, and more than 40 major shows of sculptural ceramic work including the annual 30 Ceramic Sculptors show and the California Clay Competition. This year’s featured artists include En Iwamura, Shenny Cruces, Gerit Grimm, Kevin Snipes, Michelle Gregor, and Mark Burns. For complete details of continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

The Steel City will be a place in which clay people can gather to share knowledge, celebrate, and critique each other’s work in arts, culture, teaching, and learning. Programming will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Concurrent clay exhibitions, a resource hall of commercial vendors and educational institutions, plus expert discussions and demonstrations by accomplished clay artists highlight the agenda for this annual gathering of energized clay people. For complete details and registration information, visit https:// nceca.net/2018-pittsburgh-pennsylvania/

Bill Griffith, who now serves as the Outreach and Partnership Liaison for Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, will receive the 2018 NCECA Outstanding Achievement Award on Friday, March 16 for his many years of service at Arrowmont and his overall influence on the field of ceramic art. Way to go, Bill!

9

Hot Stuff I News & Events

What’s Hot (continued from p. 9)

May 5 - June 3

the event, sponsored by the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, log onto https://natsoulas. com/ccaca-2018.

contemporary sculptural, & utilitarian ceramics

by Massachusetts clay artists Lexington Arts 130 Waltham St. Lexington MA 781-862-9696

the

Angelica Marion/Hazy Dawn Basket

& Crafts Society

State of Clay

www.stateofclay.com

‰ Hollins University’s Annual Women Working with Clay Symposium will take place June 11-14, 2018, in Hollins, Virginia.

Directed by ceramic artist Donna Polseno, this symposium explores the connections of the long history of women as vessel makers, artists, and artisans in cultures worldwide. Featured events are demos on figurative sculpture and wheel-thrown pottery making, handbuilding, and altering thrown pots, plus various decorating, glazing, and finishing techniques. Presenters will include Sunshine Cobb, Rebecca Hutchinson, Eva Kwong, and Deborah Schwartzkopf. Keynote Speaker will be Winnie Owens-Hart. For complete details, visit https://www.hollins.edu/ academics/workshops-online-writing-courses/ women-working-with-clay-symposium/ ‰ The CLAY Festival 2018 will take place July 16-21 in Silver City, New Mexico. Clay artist Julia Galloway will serve as this year’s featured potter and juror for the festival’s annual clay art exhibition, “Only A Vessel.” Additional events include the CLAYfest Market; tours along the Southwest New Mexico Clay Arts Trail, and various scheduled activities. To learn more about this celebration or inquire about selling your work at the Market, log onto www.CLAYfestival.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Calls for Entries

10

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The Size-adjustable Circular Ruler for Measuring or Marking Circles & Arcs SAVE 20% with coupon code: CLAY

‰ Art Works Gallery of Cedar City, Utah is accepting whimsical (or not) functional and recreational ceramics entries through May 5 for its exhibition, “Counter Culture,” to be on display during the entire month of August, 2018. Unique and production pieces will be considered. To enter, please submit images, descriptions, retail prices, and artist statement. Artists will be notified of acceptance

by May 19; artwork will need to be received

by June 30. To learn more, visit www.artworks cedarcity.com

‰ Clay Clay Arts Arts Vegas Vegas is is accepting accepting entries entries through through ‰ May 25 of functional and sculptural tableMay 25 of functional and sculptural tableware made by adult U.S. and Canadian clay ware made by adult U.S. and Canadian clay artists for Serve It Up 2018, to take place July artists for Serve It Up 2018, to take place July 5-Sept. 1 1 at at the the Victor Victor F. F. Keen Keen Gallery Gallery in in Las Las 5-Sept.

Vegas, Nevada.

Amedeo Salamoni will serve as Vegas, Nevada. Amedeo Salamoni will serve as juror for this year’s exhibition.

For complete juror for this year’s exhibition. For complete details call call 702.375.4147, 702.375.4147, or or download download the the details prospectus via via the the link link at at http://clayartsvegas.big http://clayartsvegas.big prospectus cartel.com/product/serve-it-up-2017 cartel.com/product/serve-it-up-2017

Hot Hot Stuff StuffIINews News&&Events Events

‰ The The Workhouse Workhouse Arts Arts Center Center is is acceptaccept‰ ing ceramic ceramic entries entries from from U.S. U.S. and and Canadian Canadian ing residents through May 16 for its Workhouse residents through May 16 for its Workhouse Clay International International 2018.

2017. The The exhibition, exhibition, to to be be Clay juried by Eva Kwong, will take place Aug. juried by Eva Kwong, will take place Aug. 11 through through Oct. Oct. 14 14 in in Lorton, Lorton, Virginia.

Virginia. For For a a 11 prospectus and further details, log onto www. prospectus and further details, log onto www. workhouseceramics.org or or call call 703.584.2982.

703.584.2982. workhouseceramics.org

‰ Entries Entries for for the the 26th 26th Strictly Strictly Functional Functional ‰ Pottery National, National, to to take take place place Sept.

Sept. 21-Oct. 21-Oct. Pottery 27, are now being accepted through June 1 (or (or 27, are now being accepted through June 1 with late fee from June 2-10).

All works must be with late fee from June 2-10). All works must be functional and made by U.S. artists.

The juror functional and made by U.S. artists. The juror for this this year’s year’s show show is is Ben Ben Carter, Carter, who who will will also also for be holding a $75 workshop on Sat. Sept.

22 at be holding a $75 workshop on Sat. Sept. 22 at Kevin Lehman’s Pottery.

For complete details, Kevin Lehman’s Pottery. For complete details, log onto onto www.strictlyfunctionalpottery.net. www.strictlyfunctionalpottery.net. log ‰ The The KC KC Clay Clay Guild Guild Teabowl Teabowl National National 2018 2018 is is ‰ accepting entries through June 8 for its annual accepting entries through June 8 for its annual exhibition of of functional functional and and non-functional non-functional exhibition teabowls. Each Each artist artist may may submit submit up up to to three three teabowls. entries (one image for each entry) for a $30 fee. entries (one image for each entry) for a $30 fee.

Pieces must be 90% clay, less than 7" x 7" x 7", Pieces must be 90% clay, less than 7" x 7" x 7", and be priced at no more than $250.

For proand be priced at no more than $250. For prospectus, log log onto onto https://kcclayguild.wildapricot. https://kcclayguild.wildapricot. spectus, org/Teabowl-National.

E-mail any any questions questions to to org/Teabowl-National. E-mail Susan Speck: Gallery@kcclayguild.org Susan Speck: Gallery@kcclayguild.org

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

CLAYTIMES CLAYTIMES SPRING/ SUMMER / SUMMER2018 2018 ·COM ·COMnnSPRING

‰ The The Wayne Wayne Art Art Center Center of of Wayne, Wayne, PennsylPennsyl‰ vania is accepting entries through Sept.

14 for for vania is accepting entries through Sept. 14 Craft Forms 2018, to take place Dec. 7, 2018Craft Forms 2018, to take place Dec. 7, 2018Jan. 26, 26, 2019.

2019. For For details details and and entry entry form, form, log log Jan. onto http://www.craftforms.org/call-for-entries/ http://www.craftforms.org/call-for-entries/ or or call call onto [ 610.688.3553.

610.688.3553. [

11 11

Putting the Pieces Back Together by Joanna Mark.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Hazy Dawn Basket by Angelica Marion.

12 And His Triple Jaws Forgot to Bark by Tim Mitchell.

Trojan Horse by Jeanne Garrison.

Art by Emily Lober

10th BIENNIAL STATE OF CLAY at LEXINGTON ARTS & CRAFTS SOCIETY he biennial “State of Clay” is a juried show produced by the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society, showcasing original and innovative ceramic work. Current and former residents of Massachusetts are eligible to apply.

The show aims to broaden public awareness of contemporary ceramic art and to provide a venue

for Massachusetts clay artists. The pieces juried into the show reveal a wide array of ceramics, highlighting a variety of building styles, firing techniques, and clay types. Featured artists are educators, studio potters, established professionals, and emerging artists who have found clay to continued on page 15

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

T

13

Above: Closed Oval Saggar-fired Vessel by Iris Minc.

At left: Precipice by Andrea Olmstead.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Below: Set of Cups by Erik Wilson.

14

State of Clay (continued from p. 13 )

be a malleable medium that has inspired them to seek the best of themselves in their presentations.

The show, which takes place May 5-June 3 this year, is hosted by the Ceramic Guild of the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society in Lexington, MA. Emily Zilber, current curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, juried the show. She will select awards in person and speak at the Artists’ Reception on May 6.

In her Juror’s Statement, Zilber elaborated on her choices. She sought pieces that displayed “creative composition and design alongside, and in dialog with, a skilled and self-assured approach” to construction. Zilber sought a quality in each piece that draws the viewer in, begging for “additional time and consideration.”

Above: King & Queen by Arthur Halvorsen.

Below: Iron Tea 1.6 by Delanie Wise.

The 2018 State of Clay is a reflection of her vision. It is a compelling display, showcasing the current state of clay artistry in the state of Massachusetts. [

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

15

Part Two of a Series

An Introduction To Frit: The Glazes “Over the last couple of years, I’ve been experimenting with a variety of frits, and have come up with a number of very promising new glaze recipes (some of which are included in this article). At this point these glazes are just being used as is (without colorants), because I haven’t yet done the full testing to develop the color range. I think all of these are particularly promising for color development, and I hope that readers will experiment with them, then share their results.”

T

BY PETE PINNELL

here is a relatively small number of frits that are in common use by potters in North America.

If you compare the chemical analyses of these frits, you might be surprised to find that virtually all contain the same elements: the fluxes are sodium and calcium oxide, and most also contain alumina, boron, and silica. Because these frits have such similar chemistry, glazes that are made with them tend to look alike.

That’s not surprising: if you always cooked with the same five foods, your meals would all tend to taste the same. The same reality applies to glazes. In particular, it’s significant that most of the frits we use are formulated with the same two fluxes: sodium and calcium. A few common frits also contain some potassium, but that difference is so small, it is visually indistinguishable. By contrast, potters mixing glazes from raw materials commonly use (up to) eight different fluxes.

We use these different fluxes because it lets us achieve a wider range of colors and textures than if we limited ourselves to just two. Given this fact, it’s not unusual that a lot of potters would tell you that they don’t like fritted glazes, or even think of these glazes as boring.

In this column, I’m going to reference three frits that you’ve probably never heard of: Fusion frits F69, F38, and F435. I’m introducing you to these frits because they have a different chemical composition than the frits most of us are accustomed to using.

F69 is a magnesium-boron frit that also contains alumina and silica. It has a very low thermal expansion, so it’s useful for formulating glazes that resist crazing. Fusion F38 is a balanced frit that contains strontium, along with sodium,

Frit F69 melts at a conveniently low temperature (about 1900°F), so it is handy as an anti-craze ingredient at all temperatures, from earthenware to porcelain. It works best in a glossy glaze, because boron (a significant part of F69’s formula) tends to inhibit the growth of microcrystals that create matte surfaces. In other words, if you add too much boron (usually in the form of frit) to a glaze, it can prevent the glaze from developing a matte surface. Too much boron, and your “matte” glaze can become a glossy glaze.

How much frit can you add to a glaze? I’ve used as little as 5% in high-fire glazes, and as much as 25% in low-fire glazes. You can also try substituting this frit for some (or all) of a different, higher expansion frit.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been experimenting with a variety of frits, and have come up with a number of very promising new glaze recipes (some of which are included in this article). At this point these glazes are just being used as is (without colorants), because I haven’t yet done the full testing to develop the color range.

I think all of these are particularly promising for color development, and I hope that readers will experiment with them, then share their results.

If you are going to fire in oxidation, then I recommend that you use EPK (Edgar Plastic Kaolin).

EPK works well in glazes: it resists settling in the bucket, applies easily, and provides good surface strength (so glazed work can be handled). However, it contains a trace of titanium dioxide that can

For this reason, I recommend the use of Grolleg China Clay in reduction glazes that are transparent or celadon colored. Transparent reduction glazes mixed with Grolleg tend to have a fresher, bluewhite tone that looks brighter and cleaner. In all honesty, Grolleg doesn’t work as well as a glaze ingredient. While it does keep glazes from settling out, the dry surface can be chalky and more fragile than with EPK. Still, I’m willing to put up with the more fragile surface in order to get the better color.

Generally speaking, the higher the clay content (within reason), the better the glaze will apply.

However, when the clay content gets too high, the glaze can have a tendency to crawl, especially where it gathers in a thick layer, such as at handle connections and in inside corners. For that reason, I substitute calcined (fired) clay in place of raw (plastic) clay when the percentage of clay (in the glaze) exceeds 15%. To calcine clay, turn a kiln shelf over so the clean side faces up, put a pile on it, and fire it to cone 020. Calcined clay no longer has any plasticity, so it doesn’t take up as much water as raw clay, but it still provides the same chemical content for the melted glaze.

So, just to be clear: if a reduction glaze recipe calls for 22% clay, I would use 15% Grolleg and 7% calcined Grolleg. If an oxidation recipe calls for 22% clay, I’d use 15% EPK, and 7% calcined EPK.

Glaze Notes (formulas appear on p. 18-19) Pete’s Blue Gloss Celadon

Cone 6-10 • oxidation or reduction In reduction, this glaze yields a light celadon blue color, a high-gloss surface, and is very crazeresistant. Unlike most celadon glazes, there is no addition of iron in the recipe. That’s because the wollastonite contains a small amount of iron — enough to give the glaze a cool tint in reduction, or a warm tint in oxidation.

Pete’s Blue Satin Celadon

Cone 6-10 • oxidation or reduction This glaze has essentially the same chemistry as the blue gloss celadon, but with a lower silica content. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

All of the following recipes call for “clay”, which is not surprising, since virtually all glaze recipes include a clay of some sort to ensure the glaze suspends well in water and doesn’t quickly settle out. The type of clay used in the recipe depends on how you intend to fire the glaze. Since these recipes all work in either reduction or oxidation, and from Cone 6 to Cone 10, it’s important that your batch have the right clay for your purpose.

discolor reduction glazes, giving them a more pronounced gray-green color.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

calcium, alumina, boron, silica, and zirconia. It helps create flawless, high-gloss glazes at all temperatures. Fusion F435 is high in sodium, but has no boron (which is unusual for a frit). F435 can be useful when trying to get more sodium into a glaze without either a lot of alumina or boron. 1

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Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Intro to Frit: Part 2

continued from previous page

Pete’s Blue Gloss Celadon Spodumene 0 Fusion F 69 11.5 Fusion F 38 0 Fusion F 435 0 34.5 Minspar 200 Talc 0 Wollastonite 23 Whiting 0 Clay* 17 Silica 14 TOTALS 100 Pete’s Blue Satin Celadon Spodumene 0 13.5 Fusion F 69 0 Fusion F 38 Fusion F 435 0 Minspar 200 40 Talc 0 Wollastonite 26.5 Whiting 0 Clay* 20 Silica 0 TOTALS 100 Pete’s Moving Clear LE-1 Spodumene 9 Fusion F 69 16 0 Fusion F 38 Fusion F 435 6 Minspar 200 0 Talc 4 Wollastonite 26 Whiting 0 Clay* 20 Silica 19 TOTALS 100

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Pete’s Moving Clear LE-2

18

Spodumene 8 Fusion F 69 15 Fusion F 38 0 6 Fusion F 435 Minspar 200 0 5 Talc Wollastonite 0 Whiting 19 Clay* 20 Silica 27 TOTALS 100

This means that the chemical proportions of the glaze are right for developing a matte surface. However, the boron in the frit can tend to impede that matting. As a result, this glaze can certainly develop a beautiful satin matte surface, but it takes more time than a similar glaze that doesn’t contain boron. For that reason, it helps to fire it down (in an electric kiln) or cool it slowly (damper closed) in a gas kiln.

For me, the exciting thing about this glaze is that it’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a matte transparent, and one that’s pretty craze resistant. The other thing this frit does is give the glaze a broad firing range: it’s completely mature at cone 6 and doesn’t run (unless it’s applied VERY thickly) at cone 10. I haven’t done extensive cooling tests, but it does work to program the kiln to cool for an hour from 2200° down to 1900° F. I’ll be interested to hear from people who spend more time with this glaze.

Pete’s Moving Clear LE (low expansion), versions 1 and 2 Cone 6-10 • oxidation or reduction A couple of years ago I formulated a glaze that smears cobalt lines, causing them to develop a blue shadow. The smearing is particularly nice over black underglaze lines, which tend to stay black, but with a beautiful blue haze below the line. That original glaze works well, but because it has lower levels of alumina and silica, it can craze on some porcelain bodies. It can also run if the application is too heavy. These new versions have a slightly higher melted

viscosity (so they don’t tend to run as much) and are also more craze-resistant. Both still cause a nice smear on the underglaze, but without being quite so touchy about running off the foot. Both are mature from cone 6 to 10, and in either oxidation or reduction. The difference between these two is color.

Version 1 uses wollastonite, which contains a trace of iron, so reduction glazes that contain it will tend to be greener and oxidation glazes more cream colored. Version 2 is chemically almost identical, but uses whiting and additional silica instead of wollastonite. It has less color than version 1, but can also contain more microscopic bubbles, which come from the carbon dioxide in the whiting.

The difference is minute and only visible on white porcelain, but the difference might be significant to some artists.

Pete’s SrO Clear Cone 6-10 • oxidation or reduction Glossy glaze recipes are a dime a dozen, but this is one of the nicest ones I’ve seen.

It’s extremely clear and has an absolutely flawless surface when it’s applied over a clean clay body (like porcelain). Again, because of the frit, this glaze has a wide range, and works well from cone 6 to 10. It also has good color response, and looks good over the range of underglaze colors.

Notes on the Frit Chart To my knowledge, none of the major frit companies currently publish their formulas, except (in the case of Ferro) for some of their oldest formulations.

Here are a few that information:

notes

on

• I’ve gathered the frits into groups, based on composition.

Some of these frits are fairly balanced and could be placed in more than one category.

You should feel free to alter your copy to fit your needs.

• Some older, published sources are in conflict with one another, probably because the formulas have seen minor adjustment over time. I’ve tried to select the one that seems most accurate (based on performance) or from the most authoritative source.

• The analysis of each frit is given in percentage by weight, rather than unity formula. To my knowledge, all of the common glaze formulation programs can convert percentage to unity.

• I am not providing any composition for the lead frits. I’ve

• Many of these frits are no longer being produced. The goal of this chart is to provide you with the information you’ll need to find a reasonable substitute for frits that are called for in old recipes.

If you have information that you don’t see here, please feel free to send it to me and I’ll add it to the list. Over time, I hope we can put together a more complete list that all of us can work from.

Websites: Frit manufacturers don’t provide a lot of information on their websites.

That’s probably not surprising, since they don’t consider these materials to be consumer products.

Still, it’s always interesting to see those things that are published.

Ferro Frits http://www.ferro.com/Our+Products/ default.htm

Pete’s SrO Clear Spodumene 0 Fusion F 69 0 Fusion F 38 20 Fusion F 435 0 Minspar 200 20 Talc 0 Wollastonite 17 Whiting 0 Clay* 22 Silica 21 TOTALS 100

Pemco Frits https://www.princecorp.com/pe/# Fusion Frits http://www.fusionceramics.com/ Footnotes: 1 As it happens, chemically identical frits are sometimes produced by more than one manufacturer, so you can buy a product that has the same (or essentially the same) formula from more than one place. Think of it as being like Coke vs Pepsi.

A frit very similar to F 69 is available from Ferro, and is called Ferro 3249. Pemco P-930 can be substituted for Fusion F 38, and Ferro FB 2802 is a substitute for Fusion F 435. [ 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.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

• There is a large group of frits at the bottom that have unknown composition. If you have information on any of these, please let me know and I’ll add it to the Clay Times sheet.

[Editor’s note: The extremely detailed spreadsheet Pete has compiled on North American Frit Composition consists of 21 data columns relative to 216 listings of different frits ... otherwise we would have printed the spreadsheet with this article!]

listed those so that you’ll know which frits contain lead and which do not. Many manufacturers tell you that in the title. For instance, any Ferro frit with a number higher than 3300 is a lead frit, Pemco lead frits have a Pb number and Fusion lead frits have an Fl (Fusion Lead) prefix. Do not use lead frits, even if you are tempted by a particular color or surface.

Lead mining and manufacturing has had a devastating effect on the environment, leadcontaining products are sometimes manufactured in unsafe, substandard facilities and it’s almost impossible for a potter to guarantee that a leadcontaining glaze is safe. With all the non-lead frits available today, there is no reason to use one with lead. Just don’t.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

For this article I’ve gathered all the frit composition data into one large spreadsheet that Clay Times is making available on its Website at claytimes.com/frits. I encourage you to download the spreadsheet, correct any errors, and add any information that I don’t have.

19

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Susan Feagin INTERVIEW BY LANA WILSON

In Part 2 of this series, Susan Feagin details her process for screenprinting onto clay STEP ONE: I prepare some underglaze “ink” for printing. I have to let the underglaze dry out some because commercial underglaze right out of the jar is too runny to use in screen printing. I pour a pint of underglaze onto a pane of window glass and leave it out in my studio for a few days. The edges of the underglaze puddle start to dry out. With a plastic putty knife, I can scoop up the underglaze and stir it around. Then I leave the underglaze puddle out on the window glass pane for another day to dry some more. When the underglaze puddle is gloopy like sour cream when I flip it around with the putty knife on the glass pane, I add a teaspoon of an “extender” to help smooth the one pint of underglaze out and get it to the right consistency to screen. You can use wallpaper paste from the hardware store or I use Speedball transparent base. Don’t use too much extender, as it can clog the silk screen. You can buy extender at the art supply store or online. I mix a teaspoon of the transparent base in with the plastic putty knife, not unlike printmakers do when they are mixing ink on a glass or marble slab. I know my underglaze An image of what the transparencies and photocopies look like. “ink” is ready to use when dollops it off a plastic spoon like pudding. I store my underglaze “ink” in one of those Ziploc screw top plastic storage jars.

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Screenprinting with Penland Clay Coordinator

Next I buy some EZScreens ® from www.ezscreenprint. com. I pick the mini-stencils from their standard stencil options, although plenty of other sizes are also available.

Here is the exposure “kit” just before exposing it to the sun.

I want my image to be simple black-and-white.

Think of a basic line drawing or handwriting.

Most photographs aren’t suitable for this process because they have shades of gray. (Find more suggestions at https://ezscreenprint.com/pages/ diy-silk-screen-printing-quality-artworktransparency) continued on next page

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STEP TWO: Prepare your artwork.

21

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Screenprinting with Susan Feagin

continued from previous page

Exposing the transparency and EZScreen to the sun.

What the EZScreen looks like right after it's been in the direct sun for about one minute.

Next, you need to make a transparency of your artwork. I buy multi-use transparencies (for use with photocopiers, laser printers, or ink jet printers) at the office supply store.

reduce the scale, enhance the contrast, crop, magic erase, magic lasso, or magic whatever looks good to you! Your end result needs to be black-and-white with crisp lines and again, not so much detail. Place your transparency in the paper feed tray of your printer and press “print.” Just make sure you have the right kind of transparency for your kind of printer.

There’s more help here: https://ezscreenprint.com/ pages/diy-screen-printing-the-transparency.

You can draw directly on the transparency with a fine-tip permanent marker if you wish. I’m old school, so I like to make transparencies on a photocopier. In my college graphic art class, we weren’t allowed to use a photocopier, so we had to hand-draw stuff over and over. Let me tell you, the photocopier is a dream come true. This works for images that are simple, with not a lot of detail, like clip art — or, conveniently — handwriting or typewriter text.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

You’ll need transparencies that are suitable for use in a photocopier. First, copy your art or your drawing to make your first copy. This will be your black-andwhite “original.” Then copy your “original” and use the darker/lighter option to try make it as dark as you can and not lose the quality of your image.

22

Your lines should be crisp and dark. You can adjust the scale of your image or text with the enlarge/ reduce option. When you get what you want, make one last copy to make another “original.” Then, place your clear acetate transparency in the paper feed tray of the machine. Put your “original” on the glass, and photocopy your image onto your transparency.

You’re good to go.

If you enjoy using a computer, you can make transparencies on your laser or ink jet printer. Scan your art into your graphics software of choice — Photoshop ®, Illustrator ®, or whatever. Enlarge or

STEP THREE: Prepare your exposure “unit.”

EZScreenprint.com has lots of exposure kits to pick from, or you can make your own.

For DIY folks, take control and make your own.

All you need is your transparency; your EZScreen; a piece of black foam core and a piece of Plexiglas that are both the same size but larger than your transparency and EZScreen; 6 to 9 binder clips; and another piece of black foam core or just regular cardboard. (For example, if you’re using the 8½" x 11" screens, you’ll want your Plexiglas and your black foam core to be say 11" x 14.") You’ll also need full sun outside. Partly sunny won’t do it.

STEP FOUR: Expose yourself!

In a dark room, open your envelope of EZScreens and pull one out. Immediately close the envelope so as not to expose the others. Carefully peel off the plastic protective backing from your screen.

Place your screen on top of your transparency/ artwork with the shiny side down and touching your transparency.

Here is the EZScreen soaking in clean tap water.

A helpful thing to know: you don’t want your image to go all the way to edge of your screen. It’s better if there’s an inch or so all around your image to give you plenty of room to screen the ink. This will become apparent when you go to print.

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Sandwich the transparency and the screen between the Plexiglas and the foam core in this order: black foam core on the bottom, screen shiny side up and the transparency next, lastly the Plexiglas on top of everything. Clip the Plexiglas and the foam core together with the binder clips all along the sides so they are firmly together. Make sure the clips aren’t accidentally covering your transparency or screen.

Cover the whole “unit” with another piece of black foam core or cardboard. Don’t clip this last piece of foam core or cardboard down as it is simply protection from the light until you get outside. Your exposure “unit” is ready to go.

Run outside into the full sun with exuberance. Remove the covering over your “unit” and place it in direct sunlight. You want to see your transparency on top of your EZScreen, fully exposed to the light. Leave it for about a minute. After the minute is up, cover your “unit” again with the cardboard or foam core. Run back inside.

STEP FIVE: Rinse your screen.

Undo your “unit” and slide your EZScreen out. You might already see a ghost image on your screen.

A soft brush is used to remove emulsion after the screen has been soaking for 15 minutes.

Now slide your screen into a shallow basin filled with tap water. Let it soak for about 15 minutes. You’ll start to see your image appear. After 15 minutes, gently lift the screen up with your fingers and carefully clean the it with a soft brush to help remove any loose emulsion.

When you see that your image is all there, gently rinse your screen under the tap or with your kitchen sink sprayer.

STEP SIX: Dry your screen.

STEP SEVEN: Print your screen!

Once your screen is totally dry, use some blue painter’s tape to make a “frame” around the edges of your screen.

This makes it a little easier to handle.

Next column: All the details of printing with your screen. [

Completed screens baking in the sun.

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

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Place your screen with the emulsion (shiny) side up outside in the sun again. Or, if you’re making a lot of screens, clip them each to a clothesline out in the sun.

Let them dry outside at least another 15 to 30 minutes.

23

A Cultural Tour of Pottery Through Japan “I’ve never taken anyone to Japan who didn’t absolutely love it!”

— SHERI LEIGH O’CONNOR

S

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Volanic ash-glazed pot by Unzen potter Hami Ishii

ierra Nevada College is a small, private liberal arts college, located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. It is very surprisingly worldly, offering numerous travel courses abroad including “Ceramics, Sushi, and Sightseeing in Japan!”

This trip is open to any adult, and people have traveled with SNC from across the U.S. to go on this unique visit to parts of Japan that aren’t readily accessible to foreigners, as well as popular spots like Kyoto.

Each year’s itinerary varies, but is hosted, in part, by Ken Takenaga in Japan, who arranges very interesting visits to local potters and art facilities on the island of Kyushu in southwest Japan. We visit Master Koga in Takeo, who fires a large noborigama and conducts short pottery workshops with our group; as well as Master Ogata, who teaches an awesome indigo dyeing class.

Above: Tour participants at Kinparo Ryokan in Yatsushiro.

Opposite page: Hashizaki Schingo at the Heike-so Ryokan, Gokanosho.

24

continued on page 26

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

25

A Pottery Tour of Japan continued from page 24

Arita, a porcelain destination town, has the beautiful Kyushu Ceramics museum. In the Shimabara area, there’s a female potter, Hami Ishii, who shows us her amazing metallic, local volcanic glaze (pictured on page 24).

In Yatsushiro city, we visit a 14th-generation Kodayaki potter, and we experience a Japanese tea ceremony while dressed in kimonos (page 24). The part of the trip that people often say they enjoy most is the visit to the remote village of Gokanosho, in the mountains, where the last of the Heike samurai clan hid centuries ago. There we experience incredible meals, make pieces out of freshly cut bamboo, and learn Shodo calligraphy.

The trip wraps up with a visit to Kyoto and side trips to Shigaraki, where we visit the Ceramic Culture park, local potters, and the gorgeous temples in Nara. In Kyoto, we visit the Raku museum, ceramic artists, and iconic sites.

Master Agano, 14th Generation Koda-yakipotter, potter,Yatsushiro Yatsushiro Kodayaki

Japan is an incredible experience. There is so much to see, do, and eat! The people are so incredibly hospitable and kind — they make you feel like royalty! [

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Breakfast at the Heike-so Ryokan, Gokanosho

26

Author Sheri Leigh O’Connor loves taking people to Japan, and to date, she’s been there 10 times, and can’t wait for the next trip.

She is the chair of the Fine Arts department at SNC Tahoe, where she also teaches ceramics and directs the Summer Visiting Artist Workshop program.

Kiyoko Koyama, potter in Shigaraki

For more information about SNC’s Japan trips, please visit: www.sierranevada.edu/japan

BY MONONA ROSSOL

W

hile 3D printers look like such innocent fun, there are hazards you need to consider before you purchase one. I’ve been collecting studies and articles about these hazards and I’m concerned about the increasing use of these printers in schools, studios, and homes.

One of the best summaries of the data was from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Health and Safety Report, Volume 14, Issue 8. Their article, “Safety in 3D: Desktop 3D Printer Safety” reviewed a number of studies from around the world showing that ultrafine particles (UFPs) are emitted from the hot extruded plastics in amounts that are alarming.

These particles are invisible, so people do not understand that they are being exposed to them.

Users also are being told by 3D printer manufacturers that using “natural” plastics or polymers derived from substances such as corn are “safe.” According to the report:

These particles are also so small that they will remain in the air for quite a while — up to 100 minutes after printing was over, in one instance. And all types of plastic filaments used in the printers emit varying amounts of these particles, as well as some gases and vapors of concern.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in an article in the NIOSH Research Rounds monthly bulletin, Volume 1, Number 12 (June 2016) outlined five specific steps to reduce emissions from 3D printing: 1) Always use the manufacturer’s supplied controls (full enclosure can be more effective at controlling emissions than a cover).

2) Use the printer in a wellventilated place, and directly ventilate the printer.

3) Maintain a distance from the printer to minimize breathing

in emitted particles, and choose a low-emitting printer and filament when possible. Avoid staying in the same room with a printer for long periods of time.

4) Turn off the printer if the printer nozzle jams, and allow it to ventilate before removing the cover.

5) Use engineering measures first, such as manufacturersupplied equipment and proper ventilation, then use materials with lower emissions. Finally, wear protective equipment such as respirators if necessary.

In other words, if you are planning to get one of the common plastic extruding 3D printers, you should buy one that has a plastic enclosure that you can modify by making a port in it and connecting it to a flexible duct and a small centrifugal fan that exhausts to the outside. This system is similar to the typical underthe-kiln ventilation system for electric kilns, but without a bypass box.

3D PRINTERS FOR CERAMICS No ventilation is needed if you are using a printer that creates no emissions. If hot extruded plastics are replaced by roomtemperature extruded wet clay, there are no emissions. This is a project you might want to consider adding to your studio. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

• The emissions also varied by the material used. Filaments made from natural materials like corn emitted smaller particles than plastic filaments and calculations showed that the risk of particles lodging in the lungs was three times higher for the small particles made from natural substances compared with the larger plastic particles.

• Exposure to small particles has important health implications.

UFPs can penetrate the lungs and lead to inflammation, headaches, and negative cardiovascular effects. Inhaled UFPs are deposited throughout the respiratory tract and may pass through different protective barriers into the bloodstream, harming other organ systems.

Studio I Health & Safety

Thinking About Getting A 3D Printer for Clay?

27

Studio I Health & Safety

Choosing a 3D Printer for Clay (continued from previous page) While I am clearly no 3D expert (and am only able to operate my computer and iPhone with fear and trembling), I am trained to know when a process is safe and when it is not. So I looked at promotional material and videos of two good clayextruding systems: • The Clay Extruder Kit 2.0 for the WASP 3D printer • The 3D PotterBot You might take a look at these two. There are others that are on the market, and some of these also are safe models for your studio.

CHOOSING SAFE SYSTEMS It’s simple to choose a safe system. All the systems that only extrude clay mixed with water don’t need ventilation or precautions any different from those you would use in your own studio to clean up an area where you wedge or handbuild with premixed clay.

Watch out for 3D systems that involve dry clay powder. These are not safe and put you at the same risk you would have in the studio with any clay mixing process that has you brushing off or cleaning up silica-containing powdered clay. In fact, one of these powder methods I saw

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Come see live demonstrations at NCECA

by Alison Wheeler and Michael Mastroberti

28

Make Trimming Fun.

during my research for this article was a British powdered clay printing system. They clearly were aware of the silica issue because the operator transferred the powderencrusted clay model into a typical enclosed chemistry glove box for brushing off the powder to avoid exposure.

But if you are extruding wet clay into various forms, enjoy!

There is nothing to worry about except the same clean-up issues that you would have with any other forming method.

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

Achieving Patterned Glaze Effects, Part Two

Simple Glaze Transfer Techniques With the Use of Stencils

BY FRANK JAMES FISHER

I

n this second part of my series, the stencil method of glazing decorative patterns is described.

Stenciling has long been used by ceramic artists, but not typically from found objects.

Searching for potential stencils during everyday life has extended my creative process beyond the studio walls.

continued on next page

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Raku-fired stoneware bottle by the author, decorated with the use of bumper pad stencils (pictured at top right). Bumper pads are used as a cushion on the back of picture frames. Full sheets can be purchased with each pad attached to a carrier sheet (purchased from Aftosa). Remove and discard the pads. The carrier sheet can be used as a flexible stencil.

There is ingenuity, inventiveness, experimentation, and resourcefulness in testing each possible object and its resulting pattern — all of which maintains an active atmosphere of creativity in the glazing process. There may be a lot of trial and error, but adding new stencil patterns to your glazing methods provides more opportunities and greater flexibility in your glazing process.

29

Glaze Stenciling (continued from previous page)

1

2

Non-slip shelf liner is used as a stencil

Glaze color is applied to dry rubberized surface with foam roller

Glazed liner is wrapped around bottle to transfer glaze to pot

Holding the cloth in place, different colored glazes are applied

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

3

30

G

laze stenciling begins with the pressing of a thin, flexible object against the ceramic surface, and then applying glaze around and through the object’s openings to produce glazed and unglazed patterns.

4

The stencil approach is exactly as simple as it sounds!

Besides having holes or gaps in the surface, a stencil should be thin.

The exciting part is finding unusual items to employ as stencils. Anything that bends and displays a pattern

of openings has potential.

The thinner the material, the crisper its pattern will be defined.

If the depth is too great, the physical contact between the glaze applicator and the surface is restricted. Thick, flexible materials like a

An additional splatter pattern is created using a toothbrush dipped in glaze. This is done by dragging the thumb through the bristles to flick small glaze droplets onto the bisque surface.

Bottle detail following firing

with a sponge pounce or small foam roller. There is no need for adhesives to secure the stencil — just steady pressure.

My preferred method is to physically press the object/ stencil against the ceramic surface and apply glaze

Small foam pounces can be purchased at craft stores. I like to keep a dozen or so in different diameters so I can

move quickly from color to color when decorating. I can maintain the momentum of my creative energy, as well as keep the stencil firmly locked into place if I’m not washing out pounces after every color change. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

kitchen sink drain mat will work, but the pattern will not be well-defined unless an airbrush is used to spray the glaze.

31

Glaze Stenciling (continued from previous page) Wet the pounce with water and wring it out before glazing. This will help it absorb the glaze evenly, and makes clean-up much easier.

After mixing the glaze, dip the pounce against the glaze so only the flat surface of the sponge is coated with glaze. Test the saturation of the glaze on a scrap of paper to be sure you have the right amount.

Mentally divide the pot’s surface into manageable sections. Pounce the glaze onto the stencil pattern, then carefully lift and reposition the stencil onto the adjoining undecorated area.

Woven nylon scrub cloth, used as a stencil on pot below

Linking two patterned edges together requires a little finesse. Often if a gap is left between the two merging edges, the gap can be blended by individually stenciling elements to bridge the design. Overlapping a design in a different glaze color can create a multi-layered pattern of colors.

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

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Frank James Fisher is an American ceramic artist living and working in Milford, Mich. Fisher’s art is recognized for its strong graphic design aesthetic and unique approach to the ceramic medium. Fisher is an author and exhibiting artist, and teaches workshops revealing his methods and philosophy on art.

32

At left: Raku-fired stoneware bottle by the author. 6" tall x 3½" wide.

I

’m writing this on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Tennessee. Light breeze, and not a cloud in the sky, but as native Floridians, my wife and I can’t help but worry about our family and friends in the Sunshine State. Hurricane Irma has just crossed over the Keys and is headed toward landfall in Southwest Florida. There is a high probability of storm surge and flooding in many areas of Florida. There is also a chance of flooding in many areas of the South. The chance also exists that there will be some kilns inundated with floodwaters. If one of those gas-fired kilns is yours, what should you do?

If you weren’t at your kiln location during the flooding event, you’re most likely going to see some sort of high-water line that will let you know the depth of the water around the kiln. If the water was just rising and not moving, the foundation of the kiln may be fine. A good eyeballing and a level will let you know if things are still level.

will put more stress on a damaged structure.

should be considered a loss, and be replaced.

The water rose enough to submerge your burner system.

Now what? Venturi and pipe burners are going to be pretty immune from damage. A patina of rust may appear over the whole burner, but a wire brush or a trip to someone who can do some sandblasting will get them looking newer. A little bit of rust is not going to hurt the performance of these types of burners. If they were already heavily rusted and they were submerged in seawater … well, it could be time for new burners.

There is another electrically operated valve that may be part of your system that you may not consider as an electrical component.

Manual valves that have been submerged should be fine as long as they were in the closed position when flooding happened. This should be true for gas piping as well. As long as things haven’t been moved or torqued by moving water, the integrity of the pipe should be fine. It held pressurized gas in, it can hold water out. If you see bends in the pipe or smell gas, perform a bubble test with soapy water and a paintbrush to locate any leaks.

The electrical components of your system will not benefit from its time below water.

Electric solenoids, blowers, blower speed controls, or anything that receives voltage

Baso or thermocouple-driven safety valves are electric valves.

They are just not hooked up to the electric grid. They run on the millivolt charge produced by heating a thermocouple and producing a flow of electrons (current). A bit of rain that seeps down around the button on a safety valve can ruin it. Complete submersion underwater will certainly do it in. Plan on replacing all safety valves.

Thermocouples are sealed units and can survive a dunking, but you should always have some spares around, as they are considered consumable items.

The refractory components of your kiln can usually deal with getting wet or becoming submerged … unless, of course, you have ceramic fiber as a part of your kiln. If your kiln took on rising water and your ceramic fiber is still in place and mechanically sound, your fiber should be fine… it’s just waterlogged and needs extensive drying. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Foundation movement or distortion may mean taking the kiln down, rebuilding the foundation, and starting over.

Be aware that if a kiln has visible cracks and separations, it will get worse when fired. A foot of linear brick wall expands ¼" at cone 10. This growth and subsequent shrinkage

BY MARC WARD

Shop Talk I Firing

After the Storm Repairing Studio Equipment

33

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After the Storm (continued from previous page)

However, most ceramic fiber, when wet, will become so heavy it simply tears itself apart.

You’ll be able to tell from visual inspection if your fiber is viable.

Brick can absorb lots of water. A hard brick can absorb almost two pounds of water. That’s hard brick!

Soft brick will absorb even more. You’ll need to dry this out before you use the kiln again. A wet kiln will not reach temperature because all the energy you put into the system is used for phase change (changing liquid water into vapor). As long as you are driving off water, you’ll not be able to reach high temperatures in a kiln. Drying out a kiln can take a long time ... a very, very long time if it is saturated.

Multiply 2-4 lbs. of water by the number of bricks. Now, imagine boiling all that water away.

The best thing to do is start with heat lamps and fans to begin the process. At the end, you’ll need to turn the burners on, but don’t over-do it.

The last thing you want is to start turning the water in your bricks into live steam. Small steam explosions within the brick structure can destroy the integrity of the brick. Take this part slow and easy.

Good luck if this misfortune has befallen you. [ 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.

865.397-2914 info@wardburner.com

www.wardburner.com

REVIEW BY STEVEN BRANFMAN

Swan Song by Robin Hopper and Friends, Robin Hopper Swan Song Society, $30.00

O

n April 6 of 2017, Robin Hopper passed away. You don’t know who Robin Hopper is? In a few minutes you will.

To say that Robin Hopper made his mark on the world is an understatement of epic proportions. He was an internationally known potter, teacher, author, garden designer, and arts activist. He taught throughout the world and his ceramic work is in public, corporate, and private collections internationally. He was the first recipient of the Bronfman Award, Canada’s most prestigious annual award in the crafts. He is an honorary member of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA).

Declining health over the last several years of his life never slowed him down. In 2016, Robin was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.

Upon his diagnosis, his thoughts went to others. A final life project began to formulate in his head that would make a difference in the lives of children.

Calling upon his skills as a writer and actor, he decided to produce a video whose proceeds would be used to benefit two special causes: research and treatment into pediatric cancer, and arts programming for school-age youth.

This last project was “Swan Song” — a two-hour video. Appropriately titled, Swan Song celebrates Robin’s life and features his unique ceramic techniques. Also featured are selections of his favorite work, reflections, advice and stories, told only as Robin can.

Swan Song is a compilation of experience, encounters, music, and images from his amazing and vibrant life. It is also a love story — a somewhat unusual love story. It is about passion, intrigue, and obsession. It is a story about a lust for life, a thirst for knowledge, a passion for pots, a continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Robin’s books and videos on ceramics are excellent resources and used as texts in private studios and college campuses around the world. He was the Founding President Emeritus of the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts. Next to ceramics, good living, family, and travel, his other life-long passion was gardening, particularly the research into and love of Oriental gardens. His “Anglojapanadian Garden” at ’Chosin Pottery has been featured in books, several television programs, and many magazines.

In addition to being wellknown and well-loved for sharing his knowledge of ceramics and gardening, Robin was renowned for his storytelling, acting abilities, sense of humor, and his ability to make almost anything a musical instrument. Have you heard him on a teapot?

Resources I Books & Videos

Robin Hopper’s Swan Song

35

Resources I Books & Videos

Robin Hopper’s Swan Song mania for mud and minerals, and a commitment to furthering the development of ceramic communication and education.

SAME MATS - NEW OWNERS!

.com

We believe artists should have access to consistent and affordable clay. www.GreatClay.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

800-258-8796

36

CHARLOTTE NC Setting up a studio?

Your full-service pottery supplier featuring clays by Standard, Highwater and Laguna; kilns, glazes, chemicals and equipment.

School orders welcome!

CAROLINA CLAY CONNECTION

704/376-7221

e-mail: carolinaclay@aol.com www.carolinaclay.com

His life began with a unique childhood in war-torn London during World War II. In addition to the accomplishments listed earlier, Robin’s life included careers as an actor and a travel guide, which involved meeting and working with a number of famous actors and musicians including the Beatles. Robin’s life was shared with two wives (not at the same time), three children, two stepchildren, and a multitude of grandchildren … a life well lived!

Swan Song is guaranteed to keep you laughing, guffawing, and even occasionally tearful for hours after viewing. It is a video that he hoped would be enjoyed by all who have known him, those who will get to know him for the first time, and that will continue to be enjoyed even after, in his words, he has made “an ash of himself!”

“This is my final act in 70 something years as a peripatetic performer.”

(continued from previous page)

Arts Council (British Columbia arts programs for youth). No individual associated with the production of Swan Song will benefit from your purchase.

Still don’t know who Robin Hopper is? Slide Swan Song into your player or computer.

Turn down the lights. Caress a handmade mug of homebrewed coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or wine and let Robin share with you 76 of the most exciting, provocative, productive, exhilarating, rewarding, and tragic, magnificent years a human being could live. If you felt it too presumptuous to call Robin a friend before, let it go.

If you’re meeting Robin for the first time, you’ve made a new friend.

Robin Hopper’s Swan Song is available on DVD and as a Digital Download. To obtain a copy of the DVD in the USA and worldwide, stop by Clay Times booth #501 at NCECA or log onto claytimes.com/store. html; contact The Potters Shop at 781.449.7687, pottersshop@ aol.com, www.thepottersshop. com/swan-song. For Canadian sales, contact Tuckers Pottery Supply: info@tuckerspottery.com or 800-304-6185.

A digital download of the video is available at www. gumroad.com/l/bhQC [

— Robin Hopper

By purchasing Swan Song, you will be supporting the two charities chosen by Robin: the Jimmy Fund of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (pediatric cancer) and the BC

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

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Resources I Great Glazes

Great Glazes

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XXX HPGVOENF DPN SSN NLL XXX DIPTJOQPUUFSZ DB XXX UIFQPUUFSTTIPQ DPN

AVAILABLE AT WWW.CLAYTIMES.COM Metallic Temmoku* cone 6 oxidation *for DECORATIVE use only: do not allow to come into contact with food or drink surfaces!

Lithium Carbonate Nepheline Syenite EPK Bone Ash Red Iron Oxide

9.5 % 55.7 15.8 9.5 9.5

TOTAL

100 %

THERE’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN PRICELESS AND WORTHLESS.

Wet-sieve through a medium screen only once.

*IMPORTANT! Glaze formulas are listed in percentage by weight.

Fired results can vary widely based upon materials source, ďŹ ring conditions, clay body materials, and ďŹ ring schedule. Be certain to test all glazes before using on ďŹ nished works! Also be sure to wear gloves and approved NIOSH resipirator when mixing glazes; dry materials can be toxic when inhaled or touched with bare skin.

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

What would you do if you lost your work, your tools, your images, and a lot more to a flood? Metalsmith Diane Falkenhagen knows what five feet of contaminated saltwater can do to a jewelry studio. CERF+ can help you learn how to protect your career from crossing that fine line.

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Glaze formula and test tile pictured above furnished by Robin Bruck-Tanner of Fernandina Beach, FL.

37

Readers Share I Art Works CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

38

The Gallery

Stoneware plate. 12½" x 13½" x 1". Glazed with Laura’s Turquoise (a rutile glaze); gas-fired to cone 10 in reduction. Jan Schachter, 190 Golden Hills Dr., Portola Valley, CA 94028.

E-mail: jan_schachter@sbcglobal.net; Website: www.janschachter.com

Submit images of your claywork to The Gallery!

Send your high-quality color print, slide, or 1050-x-1500-pixel (minimum) digital image to: The Gallery, Clay Times, P.O. Box 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

Vitality Flock. 52" x 55" x 3". Stoneware fired to cone 6 in oxidation. Janis Wilson Hughes, Alpharetta, GA. E-mail: espottery@hotmail.com; Website: www.evolutionstoneware.com

Dinner Plate. by Jan Schachter.

CLAYTIMES 2018 CLAYTIMES··COM COM nn SPRING SPRING // SUMMER SUMMER 2018

Untitled stoneware bowls by Hope Fregerio, RiverStone Pottery, Lake Wylie, South Carolina.

E-mail: fregerio@hotmail.com; Website: www.riverstonepottery.etsy.com

39

Shop Talk I Tool Times

NCECA Past & Present

More New Tool Finds

BY VINCE PITELKA

MKM Large Hand Roller

Hsin Measuring Set

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

I

40

t’s always a treat seeing the new clay studio tools available each year, and there are some especially interesting ones this time. In my column a year ago I mentioned the fine stainless steel trimming tools and wood bowl ribs from Hsin Tools. Now Hsin-Chuen Lin has come up with a precision measuring set, a contemporary version of the classic Japanese “tombo” traditionally used for checking the height and diameter of a teabowl.

Hsin’s tombo is marked off in millimeters for depth, and the rubber O-rings on the horizontal arm can be set to the desired diameter. We think of the tombo as serving primarily for cups and bowls, but this instrument can be used to check depth and rim diameter of any vessel within the range of its arms. Go to hsinchuen.wixsite.com/mypots/hsintools to see all of the Hsin tools, watch videos of the tools in action, or to access the Etsy shop.

MKM Pottery Tools has further expanded their line of pattern stamps and rollers. New variations are the Large Handrollers and the Twig Rollers. The terminology might be a bit misleading, because I have previously mentioned the “Big Handrollers.”

MKKM Twig Rollers and SMR Stamps The Large Handrollers are 1”-diameter like the Big Handrollers, but almost 8” long. Both have rounded ends so they do not leave a stepped edge in the impressed band of pattern, and thus successive bands can overlap to cover a large area of slab.

The Twig Rollers are 3”-long with straight-cut ends, and thus leave a distinct “edged” band of pattern. Also new are the small “SMR” stamps, approximately one centimeter in diameter with a nicely-sculpted handle. Go to mkmpotterytools.com and click “stamps4clay” and “rollers4clay” to see the extensive variety available.

Mudtools Thumper Chatter Carvers

Mudtools Carving Bow in Action

Mudtools has come up with a very innovate extruder accessory. All extruder dies for hollow tubular shapes must have a bridge structure to support the center portion of the die. Anyone who extrudes hollow shapes knows of the problem encountered when such pieces sometimes crack along the seam where the clay rejoins after passing the bridge, and this is greatly exacerbated if you attempt to alter the shape immediately.

Mudtools has created the “Zipper Bridge Extrusion Dies,” featuring an innovative bridge structure that “re-knits the clay, eliminating seam failure during drying & firing” and “allows for immediate manipulation of your extrusion into other forms.”

The set features Mudtools’ consistent standards of craftsmanship. In looking at the image for the first time, I thought I might be viewing a dramatic abstract sculptural wall-relief. As of right now, these dies are only available for a 4" square extruder barrel. At www.mudtools.com you can explore the broad range of finely-crafted Mudtools studio clay tools and watch video demos.

I am a proponent of paddles in thrown and handbuilt work, and Stanley Hirsch’s Mecca Pottery Tools makes the best assortment of paddles, including flat, patterned, and ropewound. A new variation is the “Whale Fin Paddle,” with a lovely shape that may well fit a need that other paddles do not satisfy. You can continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Mudtools Zipper Bridge Hollow Extrusion Dies

I have previously mentioned the Mudtools “Mudcutter,” and there’s also a smaller version called the “Carving Bow,” equipped with either a straight or wiggle wire. As with the Mudcutter, the Carving Bow is designed for roughing out solid-formed sculpture, cutting facets, trimming the rim of a thrown vessel, and innumerable similar tasks. We normally stretch the cutoff wire between both hands for such tasks, while the Carving Bow frees up one hand. The image shows the bow in action cutting corrugated facets, with the other hand providing support inside the vessel.

Shop Talk I Tool Times

In a recent column, I mentioned Mudtools’ beautifully-made “Petal Knives” with their carbon steel blades designed for carving and trimming.

As a variation on the Petal Knives, Mudtools has come up with the Thumper Chatter Carvers for creating chatter patterns. The image shows several variations, and a chatter-carved bowl in the background.

41

Shop Talk I Tool Times

More Great Tool Finds (continued from previous page) see the Mecca pottery tools at www.meccapottery tools.com.

Several makers have produced ribs intended to create a bead at the foot of a vessel. Xiem’s “Foot Shaper” is different in that it features a knife edge on one end to trim away excess clay from the base of a thrown vessel, and a profile on the other end to form a raised bead from the remaining clay. The same tool can be used to form the rim to match the bead at the base.

Check out the wide variety of Xiem tools at www. xiemtoolsusa.com.

Mecca Whale Fin Paddle

Throughout almost 50 years of serious involvement with clay, I have seen potters seeking better ways to deal with small, fired glaze defects than grinding and finishing the bottoms of wares. In my Railroad Stoneware studio in Blue Lake, California in the late 70s and early 80s, I had an extra pottery wheel built from a three-speed automobile transmission. I mounted a 12" x 3" grinding wheel picked up at a flea market, and it worked great for grinding the bottoms of pots. I also used an abrasive flap wheel mounted on an electric motor arbor for finishing bottoms and smoothing defects, but the flap wheel leaves a slight discoloration and will dull a gloss glaze.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Xiem Fluting Set

42

Xiem Studio Tools has been responsive to the needs of potters in designing clever variations on existing tools and coming up with new designs.

Their Fluting Set includes an ergonomic handle and three interchangeable blades providing variations in cut flutes. Most people envision vertical flutes in a thrown bowl or vase, but this tool can cut random notch patterns, and works well for cutting decorative grooves in slabs.

Now we can get abrasive disks to be glued to a throwing bat that do a far better job of grinding bottoms. Last year I reported on the effective and long-lasting diamond disks made

by DiamondCore Tools. This company makes a variety of useful studio tools, but abrasives is their specialty. They have some new abrasive products including diamond files and flexible diamond sanding strips that work well for grinding, leveling, or sanding small surface defects. I was especially pleased to see their Sgraffito Diamond Stylus, featuring a wooden handle with rubber grip, and tiny diamond burrs on both ends for incising in hard-leatherhard clay. The stylus is available in a variety of tip shapes.

Xiem Foot shaper

DiamondCore Tools Sgraffito Diamond Stylus

DiamondCore Tools Flexible Diamond Sanding Strips, Diamond Files, and Polishing Bullets

Shop Talk I Tool Times

The sharpest tools in ceramics

We’ve all had the experience of removing work from the glaze firing and discovering a small speck of refractory or kiln wash embedded in the glaze. You can leave it as is and call the piece a second, or you can grind the defect and still call it a second. We are familiar with the diamond grinding burrs that work so well for grinding away such defects, and DiamondCore Tools offers a good variety to meet our needs.

But now they have come up with a great way to deal with those small ground spots. The most exciting new offering from DiamondCore Tools is their assortment of Polishing Bullets. Shaped much like a diamond burr to be mounted in a Dremel or a Foredom flexible shaft tool, the Polishing Bullets are composed of hard rubber impregnated with diamond chips, and they come in medium (black), fine (green), and extra-fine (cream) grit. Among the stash of glazed work in my studio, I quickly found a plate with a defect on the bottom and ground it away with a diamond burr. I mounted a medium-grit polishing bullet in my Foredom handpiece, and with very little effort removed most of the grinding texture. I proceeded with the fine and extra-fine bullets, and what was previously an obvious defect is now as smooth and shiny as the glaze around it.

You can see all of the DiamondCore Tool products at http://www.buyciproducts.com/.

Vince Pitelka is professor of clay at Tennessee Technological University’sAppalachian 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/

Experience the DiamondCore difference!

Visit us at NCECA booth #601 @diamondcoretools www.diamondcoretools.com (619) 905-9400

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Please let me know of any other new studio tools that might be covered in my column. If there are any tool-makers out there whom I have neglected, I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached through my website at sites.tntech.edu/wpitelka/.[

What will you create?

43

Resources I The Slurry Bucket

NCECA BOOTH 314

The Slurry Bucket Lip Protection

Recycled Damp Box

No, we’re not talking about lip balm here! This has to do with keeping the lips, or rims, of your pots protected when you cover them with plastic.

Since plastic can sometimes mark up the pristine surface of the smooth lip you took the time to perfect while forming, you’ll want to do this to maintain that effect: Simply cut up some newspaper squares larger than the diameter of your pot’s rim, and place the newspaper on top of the rim prior to covering with plastic. Not only will it protect the rim from unwanted marks, but it will also help prevent warpage during the drying process.

If you’re one of the lucky folks who receive occasional shipments of freshly-caught fish or other perishables packed in dry ice, these often arrive in insulated cardboard boxes or Styrofoam® coolers. Don’t throw these containers away — they serve as great damp boxes for work that needs to dry slowly!

Go With the Flow Getting bored making the same old line of claywork? Consciously open your mind to collecting fresh ideas from everything you see and do! [

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

To view lots more helpful clay studio tips, visit www.claytimes.com often — where a new tip and a different glaze formula appears each time you log in!

44

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, cont.

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; 904.624.5824; 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 ■ SPRING / SUMMER 2018

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

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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, studio spaces and residencies.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

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

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@workhousearts.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

“I plan to live forever. So far, so good.”

A

s a woman in my 50s, I find I am standing between two generations of makers and creatives. Ahead of me are the veteran potters, retired professors, and famous names whose work has graced many a magazine cover.

They are an invaluable resource, with decades of cautionary tales, skills and tips, and been-theredone-that stories to help me map what’s ahead.

Behind me are the millennials: energetic young artists, ceramics students, successful entrepreneurs, and starving artists alike; they remind me that anything is possible. Like many of us at that age, though, they often think they are bulletproof and invincible, and will be young, strong, and healthy forever.

We’ve seen the listings before: “For sale: kilns, slab roller, extruder, wheel, glazes, clay and chemicals.” Often they are followed by an explanation, too often involving health issues, back injuries, lung problems, or doctor’s recommendations. In media groups,

Meanwhile, my own body reminds me that changes are coming. In my 40s, the professor who was teaching me to build a catenary arch kiln gave me a candid look as she handed me a heavy shelf to install at an awkward angle — and asked, “Are you sure this is what you want to be doing at this age?” I am solidly built, the ancestor of German stonecutters and Irish potato-diggers, and my cocky answer was “Of course.” At this stage, though, I would add a qualifying phrase: “for now.”

Here’s what I tell my young potter friends: Protect your lungs, your eyes, your joints. The heroes of my pottery upbringing were some big names — often male — who dismissed health concerns with a swagger and declared “I’m not dead yet, and I’ve been doing it this way for years.” But I have been in the game long enough to see that some of them paid later for youthful bravado. We find them navigating conferences with oxygen tanks in tow, developing conditions in later years linked to chemical exposures, undergoing surgeries on backs and hands, or — like one irreverent ceramic celebrity — toasting the cancer that ended his life with a cigar in his mouth, a glass of scotch, and a raised middle finger.

But I quickly became the worrier in public studios who scolded potters for sanding greenware and bisque (yes, you can put on a mask, but what about the others at the table?) or whispering cautions in the ears of young pregnant women about heavy metals or spraying lusters.

Behind the scenes, I nagged those who swept up clouds of silica, shook out clay canvases, or blew the dust off their carving and sgraffito. I soon became a pest, got eye-rolls from elders in charge, and retreated to the safety of my own studio.

But in my own classes, I make the rules. I point out that a few weeks of exposure might have no effect on students, but as the teacher who is here year after year, I am at risk if they don’t use safe practices.

For those with pottery students or those with many potters who work in your own space, here are my top ten rules for protecting your most valuable piece of equipment: 1. Posture. If you have ever thrown out your back, you know that it’s not always from lifting something heavy — it’s just as likely when bending in some odd position to pick up a paper clip. Keeping your spine straight means when you sit at the wheel, you think symmetry: if you must throw with one foot on a pedal (I recommend setting a speed and pushing the pedal out of the way) then put a brick or block under the other foot to keep your spine straight. And scoot forward! continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

So I try to be both a student of those ahead of me, and a mentor (sometimes mother) to those following behind. And when I look around at my middle-aged peers, I’m learning a very important lesson: Of all the equipment in your studio, the most important is the artist.

Maintaining that tool in working order can be the key to whether you’ll still be creating in your 90s.

mention of giving up pottery is met with wails of protest: “How can you not be one of us? How can you give up your identity?” Because pottery for many is not just something we do — it’s who we are.

BY KELLY SAVINO

Opinion I Around the Firebox

10 Studio Tips to Help Keep You Healthy

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Opinion I Around the Firebox

10 Studio Tips to Help Keep You Healthy You want your nose right above the pot — your body close enough to brace an elbow inside your hip to center, and use your leverage to the best advantage. Some throw standing, and find that better for their body type. Mastery at the wheel takes many hours. While it may not hurt now, you are likely to pay later.

2. Protect your joints. Wedging feels natural and easy once you get the hang of it, but it is a repetitive motion that can lead to problems.

Make sure your wedging surface is below your center of gravity — at the level of your hanging hands, so that your upper body weight does the hard work. In her 80s, my friend and mentor Edith Franklin would get downs on her knees to wedge on the floor to protect her back when she did demos. She was one of many retired potters who travelled with a card in their wallet for airport security, detailing titanium hips and shoulders, or who was able to point out which wrist, thumb, or elbow surgery left which scar.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2018

If the volume of clay in your studio makes it practical, look for good deals on second-hand pug mills.

Many of us who buy bagged clay — especially groggy stoneware — can cut it into careful blocks and do no wedging at all, except a quick coning on the wheel. Think of your wrist like a car: lower mileage means higher value.

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3. Dust. I am not one of those people prone to running around with my hair on fire screaming “Silica! Silica!” — but some of the farmers I grew up with plowed clay soil on open tractors, and ended up with emphysema. My Irish ancestors who worked in the mines died of black lung. I know that inorganic sediment in

(continued from previous page)

the lungs is not a great long-term plan. I developed asthma later in life, and now shake my head with regret about how little thought I once gave to simply being able to breathe. So: never sweep a studio with a broom! Use a big squeegee.

Clean up while the clay is still wet, using fat sponges and mops.

Wear an apron, and don’t wear it home — soak it in a bucket and wash it once in a while. If you work with glaze materials, ventilate the area and wear a decent mask.

All these things are especially risky if you smoke, since smoking temporarily paralyzes the cilia that filter the air you breathe. Open windows if you can, since fine airborne silica is invisible and stays afloat for hours.

4. Glazes. If you mix glazes, you likely have some idea what is in them and whether they are safe and stable and appropriate for food vessels. If you are dipping your pots into buckets in a community space, find out! Some glazes look spectacular on sculptural work, but should never be inside a functional pot. Yes, you can write “not for food” on a tag, but there are pots in museums that are thousands of years old, so remember your pot will outlive the tag, and you, and the buyer. Sell each piece as if somebody will buy it at a yard sale one day and give their baby orange juice in it every morning. If you buy packaged or bottled glazes, you don’t know what is in them: exercise caution accordingly. “Food safe” means “after being fired to appropriate temperature.” It certainly does NOT mean it’s safe in liquid form, or as fumes that are released from the kiln during a glaze firing.

5. Kiln v ents: Yes, you can often find a bargain on a kiln at an estate sale, when a hobby ceramist

moves to senior housing. And often, those kilns have been fired with mold-poured ceramics at low temperatures, and are still in pretty good shape.

(But always check! New elements can cost more than you paid for the kiln.) Before you set that kiln up in your garage, remember that kilns ALWAYS need venting, and kiln vents run about $350 these days. If you have an empty shed with windows, or a covered porch not attached to your home, you might be tempted to bypass the vent — but remember that fumes even from bisque ware will corrode metals, and that if the former owner fired lead glazes, that lead will still volatize and become fumes when your kiln is at temperature.

Opening a garage door does not keep fumes out of your house, nor does a box fan in a window.

And if you check firing cones without eye protection – remember that cataracts could often have been preventable.

6. Consider others. You may choose to take risks in your workplace, and that’s your call. But if you are using a recipe from 1978 and are not sure about the cobalt leaching from your liner glaze, the results of those risks extend to others.

If you don’t care to turn on noisy ventilation systems when you mix glazes, you are deciding for other potters in the studio. Keep in mind that women of childbearing age carry every egg they will ever have, from birth to motherhood — and what they are exposed to can also affect their unborn children, so our choices also choose for them. Also remember that just because your lungs can recover from a night at the cigar bar, doesn’t mean your fellow potters or family members don’t have different sensitivities. continued on page 50

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 for craft emergencies altogether — like the upcoming 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

Summer Internships • Attention College Students!

Clay Times is now interviewing for Summer 2018 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.

Ceramics, Sushi, and Sightseeing in Japan — October 4-18, 2018. $3,800 fee includes: tuition, rail pass, accommodations, activities, and select meals. $525 deposit due at registration; balance due 8/4/18. For details visit: www. sierranevada.edu/academics/ summer-art-workshops-2/japanoctober/ • 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 display ad details

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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

Pottery Tours in Japan

• 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 3D 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

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10 Studio Tips to Help Keep You Healthy 7. Maintain your body. Many potters recommend yoga as a way to keep joints limber and balance out all the hunching, clenching, and pushing that come with our line of work. Move and stretch, eat well, take breaks, and break up long blocks of repetitive tasks with some activity that uses different muscles — or a long walk or bike ride in the fresh air and sunlight.

Potters and nurses recommend decent shoes like Keens or Merrells for long periods of standing, and one of the best ways to strengthen your spine is a daily walk.

8. Get Assistance. I decided two years ago that unloading the one-ton pallet of 50-lb. clay boxes and stacking them one-by-one in the clay guild basement was likely not worth the toll it took on my back, so I decided to pay some young, muscular college students to do it for me. I have no regrets. I have also learned from my elders to put wheeled dollies under heavy buckets and equipment, to change up the ergonomics of

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chairs and wheels where I spend long hours, and to make more trips carrying less weight. I recommend following an online community of other clay artists where tips and ideas for healthy studio practices are constantly offered.

9. EVOLVE. Sometimes limitations are the best thing that can happen to us, allowing us to find new skills outside our usual pursuits and pushing us out of our comfort zones. We know of a young potter, injured in an accident before her MFA show, who focused on surface design and found her passion. The same can happen as we age. A friend who once made large-scale work and was known for atmospheric firings and sculptural raku, moved to assisted living in her 80s and threw delicate little porcelain pieces on a tabletop wheel. Some long-time studio potters reach a stage in life where they move to another medium completely — print making, fiber arts, jewelry. It is perhaps easier for creatives to see a new situation as

a challenge, and find a way to work with the hand they are dealt, as long as we don’t define ourselves by what we have “always” done.

10. Finally, spread the word. Explain safe practices to the potters around you, even if it means contradicting someone who dismisses it as “hysteria.” Some proclaim, “We’re all going to die anyway” as justification for taking risks — but from where I stand at mid life, I can look to my elders for evidence that “alive” and “dead” are not the only possibilities.

Your choices (along with genetics, of course, and luck) can determine the quality of your life (and work) in later years. We may all require, at some point, the assistance of a walker or cane, surgery to repair a joint, medical assistance to help us with the effects of aging. But whether that happens — or when — can depend on what habits we form in our 20s, or at any point along the journey. [ E-mail Kelly: ksavino@buckeye-express.com

CLAYTIMES·COM ■ SPRING / SUMMER 2018

Index to Advertisers

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Advancer Kiln Shelves ............................. 3 American Ceramic Supply Co. .............. 20 Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts ....... 20 Carolina Clay Connection...................... 36 CERF Studio Protector .......................... 37 Clay Times Products ............................. 34 Continental Clay .................................... 20 Diamondcore Tools................................ 43 Dolan Tools ............................................ 44 Euclid’s Elements .................................. 51 Giffin Tec................................................ 28 GR Pottery Forms.................................. 20 Great Lakes Clay & Supply Co. ............. 36 Hi-roller Vertical Slab System ................ 44 Japan Pottery Tools ............................... 36

Koala Tools ............................................ 10 L & L Kilns ............................................... 2 MKM Pottery Tools .................................. 3 NCECA .................................................... 8 Robin Hopper’s Swan Song Video ........ 37 Silver City Clay Festival ......................... 11 Skutt Kilns ............................................. 52 Slab Mat ................................................ 36 Splashpan Pottery ................................... 7 State of Clay 2018 ................................. 10 Ward Burner Systems ........................... 34 Xiem Tools USA ..................................... 11

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