Clay Times Magazine Volume 15 • Issue 84

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SEASONAL SPECIAL: Holiday Shopper’s Guide ‘Handbuilt’ Conference Raises Funds for CERF Making an Oval Tray • ‘30 x 5’ Exhibition at AKAR Gallery Striking New Variations of Cone 6 Water Blue Glaze 30 Rules You Need to Know for Pottery Studio Safety BISON TOOLS: Really Sharp, in More Ways Than One ...

15 •84 Issue 84 VolumeVolume 15 • Issue November/December 2009 2009 November/December

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TIMES

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November/December 2009 Volume 15 • Issue 84

On the cover: Salt and Pepper with Brick by Liz Zlot Summerfield.

2 3/4" x 2¼" x 3" (shakers); 7½" x 3¼" x 13/4" (brick). Handbuilt earthenware with terra sigillata, underglaze, and glaze, fired to cone 4.

features 23 Seasonal Special: Holiday Shopper’s Guide Looking for gifts for that special potter you know (or perhaps for your own holiday ‘wish list’)? Find what you need in a snap with the listings on page 23! Better yet, to access our online guide with direct links for instant holiday shopping, visit the Clay Times Website at www.claytimes.com.

30 Fire and Friendship Twice each year, San Juan College instructors, students, and professional potters gather to carry out the ancient tradition of wood firing, using an anagama kiln located on the Colorado and New Mexico border. The experience is a highlight for the advanced students, akin to a rite of passage from classroom to the thriving area clay community ...

34 ‘Handbuilt’ Conference

exhibition 14 ‘30 x 5’ Holiday Invitational at AKAR Gallery

Above: Faceted Bottle by Trent Burkett.

Left: Altered Teapot by Peter Karner. Both works, along with that on this issue’s cover, were featured in the ‘30 x 5’ Holiday Invitational Exhibition at AKAR Gallery in Iowa City, Iowa this season. For more images and details, turn to page 14.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

During the first conference dedicated specifically to handbuilding, 125 participants gathered in Philadelphia to raise more than $4,000 to benefit the Craft Emergency Relief Fund.

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contents

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TIMES

Clay

November/December 2009 Volume 15 • Issue 84

Pictured below: Plate Series by Claudia Reese. Turn to the second part of Lana Wilson’s interview with Reese on page 25 to discover the step-by-step process she uses for making her plates in quanitity, as uniformly as possible.

departments 9 YOUR WORDS Readers share their comments & opinions

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

22 GREAT GLAZES Cone 6 Shino and Dry Cream Yellow (Cone 8 Reduction)

42 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers

50 SLURRY BUCKET Tips for a new worktable & transporting greenware

53 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in your community

56 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists

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

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columns 19 AS FAR AS I KNOW “New Variations of Cone 6 Water Blue”

by Pete Pinnell

45 BOOKS & VIDEOS “Mastering Raku” review by Polly Beach

47 TOOL TIMES 25 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Claudia Reese, Part 2”

by Lana Wilson

27 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “Throwing an Oval Tray”

by Bill van Gilder

“Phil Poburka and Bison Tools”

by Vince Pitelka

51 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “30 Rules for Pottery Safety”

by Monona Rossol

57 AROUND THE FIREBOX 41 KILNS & FIRING “Candling: Can You Give It Up?”

by Marc Ward

“The Crazy Catenary Arch”

by Kelly Savino

Editorial & Advertising: Polly Beach claytimes@gmail.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell ctcirculation@gmail.com Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene clayaccounts@gmail.com

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The following letter was recently submitted to CT columnist Pete Pinnell: Thank you so much for your very well-written article on tomato red glazes in issue 83 of Clay Times [Sept./Oct. ’09]. I read your article and was inspired to mix up a test batch of tomato red glaze. I tried the TR6 recipe and fired it with the following glaze firing schedule: Ramp 1: Ramp 2: Ramp 3: Ramp 4:

400º F per hour to 2000º F, no hold 250º F per hour to 2200º F, no hold 150º F per hour to 1900º F, no hold 50º F per hour to 1600º F, 3-hour hold

Proofreader: Jon Singer Office Assistant: Ingrid Phillips Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface

M.F.A. in Ceramic Arts The M.F.A. and Graduate Certificate in Ceramic Arts provide students with skills and knowledge from which to build a strong aesthetic direction.

Priscilla Mouritzen Sten Lykke Madsen Denmark Clay: Imagery and Emotion March 19-21

Spouting Off I Your Words

Reader Remarks

ceramic art trends, t oo l s & t e c h n i q u e s

Catherine White Plates and Platters: Feb 13-14 Aesthetics Seminar: Feb 27-May 9 Joyce Michaud Electric Kilns: Jan. 9-10 Masters Throwing: Jan. 14-17 Eastern and Western Techniques in Trimming: Jan. 23-24 Pam Theis Clay and Glaze Chemistry Theory and Practice: Jan. 30-May 1 Visit Hood’s Web site for more information.

Hood College Graduate School Art Department (301) 696-3456 n Fax (301) 696-3531 www.hood.edu/ceramics Hood College subscribes to a policy of equal educational and employment opportunities.

Contributing Writers: Marta Matray Gloviczki Pamela Palmer Sandi Pierantozzi Vicky Ramakka Published by: CLAY TIMES INC. 15481 Second St. • PO Box 365 Waterford, Virginia 20197-0365 540.882.3576 • FAX 540.882.4196 Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529 Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published bimonthly, six issues per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Waterford, VA, and at additional mailing offices.

Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). To subscribe, call toll-free 1-800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com.

POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Copyright © 2009 Clay Times, Inc. All rights reserved. The material contained herein is derived from various sources and does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All technical material is offered as general information only and should not be acted upon without expert supervision. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Peter Olszak, via e-mail

Clay Times asked: What’s the most rewarding aspect of working with clay?

• The meditative quality of wheel throwing. I have made a practice of quelling my anger by sitting down at the wheel and throwing.

Casey McInnis, Fort Worth, TX • The versatility of clay. I love working on the wheel and then altering pieces to see how far I can go with it. You can create textures, keep it very smooth, have it structured, or very loose. And then after bisque firing, you’ve got a clean canvas to begin all over again with all the things I just mentioned.

Pam Huckins, Lincoln, NE [

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

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

As you can see by the photo (above), it fired to a very nice tomato red with very nice iron crystal growth. I have attempted tomato red glazes before and have not achieved such successful results. Thank you again for your article, and I’ll look forward to future columns from you in Clay Times.

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

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

Bacia Edelman 1925-2009

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

‰ Bacia Stepner Edelman, an extraordinary potter-sculptor, mother, grandmother, and loyal supporter of Clay Times since its inception, died on Sept. 19 at the Hospice Care facility in Madison, Wisconsin. She was 84.

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Bacia’s greatest joy was her claywork, lovingly displayed by Russell Fouts on the Web at http://users. skynet.be/russel.fouts/bacia.htm.

Bacia frequently “played with clay” before she was in kindergarten, encouraged by her aunt Sybil Righter, who worked at the Paul Revere pottery in Boston. On Saturday nights all the single female employees (the Saturday Evening Girls) were invited to bring along their nieces and nephews. Bacia, the youngest attendee, fell in love with pottery, a passion that stayed with her until her very last days, when her dear friend Andree Valley helped her finish her final piece, a collaborative work by them both.

During her childhood, Bacia took art classes at the Boston Museum. She later studied on scholarship with Josef Albers at Black Mountain College in Asheville, North Carolina in the summer of 1946. She completed her B.F.A. at Rhode Island School of Design in 1947, attained her M.F.A. at New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University in 1950, and studied in Vienna, Austria at the Akademie Fur Angewandte Kunst.

Bacia attended and taught countless workshops and classes throughout the years, the highlight of which was the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) annual conference.

Bacia’s art is world-renowned, perhaps most notably her stunning teapots and signature lichen glaze.

Her work has appeared in countless juried and invitational exhibitions, and is in permanent collections in the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Everson Museum, Northern Arizona Art Museum, Charles A. Wustum Museum, and numerous corporate and private collections. In the final month of her life, Bacia was notified that one of her pieces was selected for the permanent collection of the Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina—Black Mountain College —bringing her career full circle.

Bacia’s work was featured in numerous publications including Clay Times, 500 Teapots; 500 Bowls; Ceramics Monthly; and Ceramics, Art, and Perception. One of the very first subscribers to Clay Times when it debuted as a monthly newsletter in 1995, Bacia entered and won the publication’s photo contest that same year with an image of one of her works.

Conferences ‰ GCKW will host the Gulf Coast Clay Conference Feb. 11-13, 2010, featuring John Britt and Bill Clover, with demonstrations by Steve Dark, Jason Stokes, Patrick Bodine, and Anne Haley Webb. The main event will be held at Pensacola Junior College, Pensacola, Florida; the Saturday festival will be at the GCKW Site in Navarre, for the opening of the 32-foot anagama kiln. For complete details, visit the Website at www.gulfcoastkilnwalk.org, call 850.939.7972, or email zehrs@bellsouth.net. ‰ Paperclay Today takes place Jan. 31Feb. 4, 2010, and will feature paperclay workshops, student and artist paperclay exhibits, and an on-site studio/lab. Instuctors: Rosette Gault and Graham Hay. Contact: Linda Saville at 949.499.7446; e-mail linda@ lagunabeachceramics.com; or visit www.lagunabeachceramics.com. ‰ “NCECA 2010: Independence,” the 44th Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) takes place Mar. 31-Apr. 3, 2010, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event will include informative lectures and demonstrations by leading clay artists, as well as a trade show where attendees can view and purchase the industry’s latest goods and services for potters. Area schools, universities, museums, galleries, and non-profit and alternative spaces will host exhibitions of clay objects and tableware, sculpture, and more.

For complete details, log onto www. nceca net.

Hot Stuff I News & Events

Calls for Entries ‰ Entries open to tiles 15 × 15 x 5 cm are being accepted through Nov. 30 for the Fourth International Ceramic Tile Triennial, to take place April 15–June 15, 2010 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. For details, call the Igneri Foundation at 809.531.0164; visit www.elit-tile.net; or e-mail thimop@elit-tile.net. ‰ Entries are being accepted through Dec. 1 for Tell-Tale Tiles & Fractured Fantasies, to explore contemporary tile making and ceramic mosaic as a story-telling medium. Co-presented by Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) and the Tile Heritage Foundation, the exhibition will be held Mar. 19Apr. 19, 2010 in conjunction with NCECA in Philadelphia. $3,000 in prizes will be awarded. Details and entry information: http:// www.tileheritage.org or http:// www.juriedartservices.com. ‰ Entries of small teapots are being accepted through Dec. 11 for Small Fish, Large Pot IV: 4th International Small Teapot Show and Competition, to take place Feb. 11–Mar. 11, 2010 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA. For details, call 949.582.4401, visit http://gallery.saddleback.edu, or e-mail thuntley@saddleback.edu.

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‰ U.S. clay artists may submit entries through Jan. 18, 2010 for The Third Biennial Contemporary Clay: 2010.

The exhibition will take place May 14-June 26, 2010 at the Art Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. Entry fee: 1/$15, 2/$25, 3/$30. For a prospectus, call Camille Silverman at 970-2437337 ext. 6; visit www.gjartcenter.org; e-mail csilverman@gjartcenter.org, or send SASE to The Art Center, 1803 North 7th, Grand Junction, CO. For juror insights, google “Pete Pinnell: Thoughts on Cups.”

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

‰ Applications are now being accepted through Jan. 25, 2010 for the 19th Annual All Clay Festival, a two-day outdoor event in Cambridge, Wisconsin. Juried from three slides or digital entries. Jury fee $25; booth fee $250. Log onto www.cambridgepotteryfestival.org for more information.

artist Mari Page Nov. 14-Dec. 12 at 1770 Village Pl. #36, Balboa Park, San Diego, California.

‰ The Kansas City Clay Guild is accepting entries postmarked

by April 10, 2010, for its Tea Bowl National, to take place May 10-July 9, 2010. Juror: Pete Pinnell. Entry fee: $30 for three works. $1000 will be awarded in prizes. Contact: Susan Speck, 5932 Nall Ave., Mission, KS 66202 or e-mail president@ kcclayguild.org. For more information, visit: www.kcclayguild.org.

California. Following a ten-year nationwide museum tour, this exhibition represents one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Picasso ceramics to be offered by a private gallery. The collection spans over 20 years of ceramic works, from Picasso’s first platters in 1947 to his last engraved plaques in 1969.

Ceramics Exhibitions ‰ Clayfolk celebrates its 34th Annual Pottery Show and Sale at the Medford Armory in Southern Oregon November 20-22. Work by more than 60 artists includes dinnerware, jewelry, tiles, fountains, sculptures, and more; pottery-making demonstrations by Clayfolk artists. 1701 South Pacific Hwy., Medford, Oregon (right off of I-5.)

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

‰ New Work by Harrison McIntosh takes place through Nov. 28 at the American Museum of Ceramic Art,. 340 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, California.

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‰ The 35th Annual Pottery Show & Sale Dec. 4-6 showcases contemporary pottery from 27 nationally known potters and features more than 2,000 unique and handmade pieces for sale. The Art School at Old Church, 561 Piermont Rd., Demarest, New Jersey. ‰ The San Diego Sculptors’ Guild presents the work of featured clay

‰ Picasso Ceramics (1947-1969), to offer more than 50 rare ceramic works available to collectors for the first time, takes place through Dec. 12 at the Andrew Weiss Gallery, 179 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills

‰ Plinth Gallery Artists 2009, to feature works by Peter Saenger, Amanda Jaffe, Suzanne Kane, Dan Anderson, Conner Burns, Russel Wrankle, and Kevin Snipes, takes place Dec. 4-28 at Plinth Gallery, 3520 Brighton Blvd., Denver, Colorado. ‰ Frogs, Friends & Fireplaces ...

Through the Seasons with Earthsongs Studio takes place Nov. 16Dec. 29 at The Donald B. Palmer Museum, 66 Mountain Ave., Springfield, New Jersey. A handson workshop for children and adults is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2 pm. ‰ Porcelain Umbrella Wall Installation, featuring works by Ann Mortimer, takes place through Dec. 31 at the Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Canada. ‰ Inspiration and Ingenuity: American Stoneware takes place through Dec. 31 at Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, 325 W. Francis St., Williamsburg, Virginia. ‰ Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia takes place through Jan.

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‰ Out of the Fire: Clay & Glass from ACGA takes place through Jan. 2, 2010 at the Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Ave., San Rafael, California. ‰ The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories is on exhibit through Jan. 3, 2010 at the Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St., Brockton, Massachusetts. ‰ Gifts from the Earth takes place Nov. 30, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010 at Scope Gallery, The Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria, Virginia. ‰ The Renwick Craft Invitational 2009 takes place through Jan. 3, 2010 at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Pennsylvania Ave. at 17th St., NW, Washington, DC. ‰ Masters of Mid-Century California Modernism, including ceramic works by Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman, is on exhibit through Jan. 10, 2010 at the Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, San Diego, California. ‰ Bigger, Better, More: The Art of Viola Frey takes place through Jan. 10, 2010 at the Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Canada.

‰ New and Novel 2009: Recent Gifts to RAM’s Collection is on exhibit through Jan. 17, 2010 at Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St., Racine, Wisconsin. ‰ Bright Abyss, featuring works by Robert Sperry, takes place through

‰ Forty-Five: New Work by Terri Kern takes place Nov. 27-Mar. 7, 2010 at Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Ave N., Canton, Ohio. ‰ Tangible History: Stoneware from the Holcombe Family Collection, will be on display through June 30, 2011 at the South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC. This exhibit features some of the best pieces of South Carolina stoneware, most of which have never been on public display before, from the extensive collection of the Holcombe family of Clinton, SC. It includes some classic pieces by Dave (a wellknown slave potter), plus examples from Thomas Owenby and other important 19th-Century potters. Also on view are pieces from the State Museum collection and a potter’s wheel that contemporary potters will use to demonstrate their craft on selected weekends. [

To list your clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, and ceramic news items in Clay Times, please e-mail the complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, with “What’s Hot” in the subject line, or visit www.clay times.com and click on the “What’s Hot” link to fill out an online submission form.

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‰ Collection Focus, featuring works by Michael Lucero, takes place through Jan. 17, 2010 at the Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St., Racine, Wisconsin.

Jan. 31, 2010 at Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, Washington.

4:27 PM

Hot Stuff I News & Events

1, 2010 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 1050 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC.

9/24/09

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CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

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Untitled vase by Brenda Lichman. 8" x 8" x 11". Cone 10 flashing slip, soda-fired.

‘30 x 5’ Holiday Show at AKAR Gallery “We are looking for new talent all the time via magazines, show invitations, show cards, and studio open houses.” — Sanjay Jani, Gallery Owner

A Hair’s Breadth teabowl by Lauren Gallaspy. 5½" x 5" x 3¼". Cone 6 porcelain with underglaze.

AKAR, a downtown Iowa City, Iowa art and design gallery with a national reputation for

its ceramics shows, is presenting 30 “brand new” artists for their annual holiday invitational, to take place Nov. 13-Dec. 4. None of the artists, who give the show its name by sending five works apiece, have been specially featured before in the gallery, although many have been around clay and pottery for years.

“We are looking for new talent all the time via magazines, show invitations, show cards, and studio open houses,” said Sanjay Jani, who owns and runs AKAR with his wife, Jigna. “The

best thing that has happened to us is that our reputation has grown over the years, and artists have learned our passions and interests.”

The couple’s passions and interests cover a lot of territory. A love for ceramic work from potters near and far began a tradition of monthly shows in 1999. AKAR continues to order select international design products into its downtown gallery from around the world.

The Janis also recently renovated a building in a new location in Iowa City to house their

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

A

wall-mounted porcelain face, a tumbler with an owl wearing an etched crown, a tiny vase featuring a nude female figure with long, tangled tresses of hair, and a totem-like candlestick holder in the shape of a ceramic goat—the most diverse show of pottery forms that AKAR Gallery exhibits each year is even more varied and interesting for the 2009 holiday season.

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‘Each quarter for more than two years, Mark Knott has e-mailed AKAR with pictures of his recent work. An invitation to the holiday show has now rewarded his consistency.’

residential architecture and design firm. Pottery shows in the past have focused on forms and shapes influenced by buildings and construction.

“I find that we are always bias for forms exploring the vessel,” Sanjay said. “A successful pot unites form, function, mass, space, decoration, firing, and craftsmanship as a singular experience.”

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

The 30 x 5 Holiday Invitational first appeared in December 2003, with the simple concept of providing variety in form (including some sculptural works), function, and price to buyers during the gift season. The show has remained true to that spirit since, with an increasing focus on newer artists. According to Sanjay and Jigna, the format allows the gallery “to experiment, creating an opportunity to touch and feel new work in person.” A successful showing at 30 x 5 or AKAR’s 200-person March invitational of only Yunomi tea bowls can earn a larger spot in a monthly show—an opportunity to connect with

16 16

potters and collectors who monitor the gallery’s Website, akardesign.com.

Mark Knott, one of 2009’s 30 x 5 artists, is a potter from Suwanee, Georgia who left the ceramics world for a period of time to work in mixed media. Later he returned to studio work to focus on evolving his artistic style and personal growth.

Each quarter for more than two years, he has e-mailed AKAR with pictures of his recent work. An invitation to the holiday show has now rewarded his consistency. Though his work is in several galleries throughout the country, this is an important showcase.

“AKAR sets the standard for how people view work online,” Knott said. “They get such a quality group of artists each year, for someone in my stage to to be included in a show like this is a huge honor.” [

Untitled mask by Greg Jahn & Nancy Halter.

7½" x 7" x 4¼". Handbuilt white stoneware with underglaze and glazes, fired to cone 10 in reduction.

Bowl by Barry Rhodes. 7½" x 7" x 4¼".

Cone 6 oxidation with underglaze pencils, engobes, glaze, sgraffito.

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23 raku– 7 Cu. ft., Cone 10 Raku, bisque or glaze in Olympic raku gas kilns. The unique firing chamber keeps temperature hot inside the kiln even when opened. Sizes range from 18” to 28” wide to accommodate small to large pieces. Propane or natural gas.

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Olympic commercial electric and gas kilns are heavily insulated (6” of insulation and air space) for energy efficiency and built to last with heavy angle iron frames, stainless steel skins. The electric kilns have options for electronic controller, 480 volts, 3-phase, and 3-zone control. Olympic DownDrafts are designed to fire on propane or natural gas. Stainless steel or galvanized vent hoods can be added as an option in addition to pyrometer and blower burners. Olympic commercial electric kilns range in sizes from 5.5-53 cubic feet and the gas kilns range from 9-40 (useable space) cubic feet.

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Some Surprising Variations of “Water Blue” Formula

by PETE PINNELL

A A

B B

Chrome Oxide 2%

C C

Red Iron Oxide 8%

D D

Copper Carbonate 6%

E E

Cobalt Carbonate 1%

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

A New (Old) Cone 6 Glaze

Manganese Dioxide 6%

These fired tiles are about 1¼" wide, so the size of each glaze surface pictured measures about 1¼" wide by 2½" high. Each tile was extruded with a die that leaves a fine, vertical texture so that we can see how opaque the glaze is, or how much it breaks or pools.

O

glaze. There are many different versions of this glaze floating around, but all use essentially the same ingredients: a highsodium frit (Ferro 3110), some Gerstley borate, a little kaolin and some silica (a.k.a. flint or quartz) along with a little copper to give it the blue/green hue.

The recipe was for a glaze that many of us know as “Water Blue” (or sometimes “Egyptian Blue”), a highly alkaline low-fire

The reason I was surprised by the recipe is that this glaze is generally known as a cone 06 glaze—not cone 6—and

Here’s the version that Josh used:

Josh’s Water Blue Variation Gerstley Borate 6.0% EPK 7.0 Frit 3110 77.0 Silica 10.0 TOTAL 100.0% add Bentonite

3.0%

overfiring a glaze by twelve cones will usually produce some pretty disastrous results. In this case, the results were far from disastrous, and the running that did occur was both controllable and attractive. Most of the time the glaze gathered into a soft roll at the bottom edge, rather than running off the tile.

What about the flaws? After all, highly alkaline glazes like this are rather soft and would most likely leach their coloring oxides into the food or drink.

The crazing would tend to leak and stain, and the glaze could sometimes run off the foot of a pot and ruin an expensive kiln shelf. Well, picky, picky, picky.

How many of you are perfect, eh? Actually, I’m kidding—these are issues that we need to deal with if we want to use a glaze like this.

The first question I always get with a glaze like this is, “How do I fix it?” Well, this glaze is so alkaline that we’d have to

make substantial changes to domesticate it. After all those changes, it wouldn’t look at all the same. In fact, it would look fairly ordinary, like the colored glazes you see on ceramic lamps in a department store—the kind where you say “Oh, it’s blue,” as opposed to “OH! It’s BLUE!” This glaze is of the “OH!” variety, not the “oh” variety, and I think it’s best to keep it that way.

So, if we can’t change the glaze, then the obvious answer is to carefully choose the objects we use it on. To put this into perspective, think about how we treat our most functional pots. We stack them haphazardly in cabinets, grab them unceremoniously, pour boiling liquids into them, toss them in the microwave, throw them into hot ovens, pile them on the counter, leave coffee in them, let food dry on them, and then subject them to repeated trips through a dishwasher.

This glaze would NOT stand up to that kind of treatment.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

ne of the best things about teaching is that I’m constantly learning new things from my students.

In this case, my student Josh Shomate decided to do some color variations on different cone 6 oxidation recipes that he found on the Web. He chose three different recipes and then mixed 26 tests of each, with a variety of oxides (and combinations) for each base. Josh did a great job of choosing bases to test: each of the three glazes had a distinctly different chemistry, so the colors and surfaces were quite varied as well. One of the bases produced a bright, shiny, deeply pooled glaze with a beautiful set of color variations. The glaze was also heavily crazed and it did run (though not a ridiculous amount). I asked for the recipe and was quite surprised when I saw it.

19

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

New Glaze Variations (from page 19)

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The obvious answer is to use it only on sculpture, and that is why this kind of glaze is often referred to as a “sculpture glaze.”

However, I strongly disagree with those who say that this kind of glaze should never be put on pots. Despite its flaws, it’s still much more durable than wood, paint, or varnish, for instance. Yet, I tend to think of my dining room chairs as functional, despite the obvious fragility of wood and varnish. My secret is that I never put my chairs in the dishwasher, and by following this one simple rule I’ve found that I can make them last a long time. I also can’t remember the last time I put a vase in the dishwasher, by the way, and why would I want to anyway? So, the answer is to use this glaze on the right kinds of pots, and to think carefully about how (and where) I place the glaze on those pots.

As I mentioned above, a vase would offer an ideal place for this glaze: the crazed surface wouldn’t cause any problems on the outside of a vase, and since a vase practically demands a broader, tip-proof foot, it also offers a perfect form for a glaze that might sometimes move a bit. The inside of the vase (which is less visible) could ideally be glazed with something practical, durable, and leak-proof, so we wouldn’t ruin any antique tabletops (there’s that “wood issue” again).

What else? I could see this glaze on the outside of a ewer or teapot, since these objects tend to be more formal and are less apt to find their way into a dishwasher.

As an artist, you should certainly know that you can communicate with your customers (the future owners of your pots) in a more sophisticated ways than to write “Don’t place this in the dishwasher” on the bottom. For instance, don’t use this glaze on a comfortable, informal teapot that seems to say “use everyday,” and reserve it for the outside of a more formal teapot that says “I’m the good one—keep me for company and holidays.” Size, shape, detailing, and price can all play a part in communicating these things, along with the practical reality that some shapes simply don’t fit into a dishwasher (my chairs, for instance).

The key is to be thoughtful, and for heaven’s sake don’t ever use this glaze on the inside of a cup, bowl or plate, even if you intend it for decorative use only.

Potters should always assume that if an object can be used for food, it will be.

G G

Light Rutile* 8%

Chrome Oxide Light Rutile

H H

2% 8%

Iron Oxide Light Rutile

I I

8% 8%

JJ

Copper Carbonate 6% Manganese Dioxide Light Rutile 8% Light Rutile

6% 8%

* Light rutile was used for the tests. Dark rutile or titanium dioxide would probably also work, though these would yield slightly different colors.

K

Chrome Oxide

Copper Carbonate

L

2% 6%

M

Red Iron Oxide 8% Manganese Dioxide 6%

The tiles pictured in this column were fired using a cycle similar to the one that I used for the tomato red glazes featured in the previous CT issue. It uses four ramps:

Copper Oxide Cobalt Carbonate

N

6% 1%

Even if you fire with a kiln controller, always place some cones into every firing.

This base glaze is mature at cone 06, which means it has the advantage of a very wide firing range. On the other hand,

Ramp 1 — 250° F per hour to 2000° F.

No hold.

Ramp 2 — 100° F per hour to 2170° F (cone 6 on my kiln; feel free to adjust this temperature to match your pyrometer).

No hold.

Ramps down:

Red Iron Oxide 8% Copper Carbonate 6%

it also has the disadvantage: because this glaze melts so early in the firing, it will tend to trap gasses that are ejected (late in the firing) by some clay bodies. In the few tests we’ve done, the glaze looks terrific on porcelain, but dreadful on stoneware, blistering badly.

As with any new glaze, please don’t apply it to a full kiln-load of pots before you have thoroughly tested it through several firings.

There are so many variables in ceramics, there is no way to guarantee results. Also, if you decide to change your firing cycle to bring out the best in a particular glaze, you should first test the effects of this cycle on your other glazes.

If you do try this glaze, please let me know what you discover. And finally, thanks to Josh for his glaze explorations and his willingness to share. [ Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. You can reach him at ppinnell1@unl.edu or through his Facebook page at www.facebook.com.

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Ramp 3 — 150°F per hour to 1900° F.

No hold.

Ramp 4 — 50°F per hour to 1650º F.

Hold for one hour. Switch off.

The glazes that contain rutile (an impure form of titanium dioxide) formed beautiful crystals (evidently from the slow cooling and long soak), and the ones with copper (especially “I” and “O”) have a slight oilslick iridescence that’s quite pretty. In Josh’s original tests, one of the glazes (“K”, the one colored with Chrome Oxide and Copper Carbonate) developed a beautiful Aventurine texture (a shimmery quality with tiny crystals), while my test tile didn’t do that. The only difference appears to be that I soaked my tiles at 1700º F, while Josh soaked his at 1650º F. A second firing

by Josh with a 1650º F soak also produced more crystallizing, so I’m inclined to say this temperature would be best. We plan to do more testing and I’ll publish anything interesting that we find in a future issue.

Ramps up:

O

Copper Oxide 6% Manganese Dioxide 6%

These will tell you what temperature the kiln actually reached, rather than what the computer predicted.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

F F

21

Readers Share I Glaze Recipes

Great Glazes courtesy Bill van Gilder

Cone 6 Shino Cone 6 Oxidation Alberta Slip Clay 56.0% Gerstley Borate 18.7 Soda Feldspar (NC-4) 9.4 Silica (325 mesh) 678-336-7090 9.4 Lithium Carbonate 6.5

TOTAL 100.0% add Zircopax and Tin Oxide

9.4% 4.7%

‘Dry CY’ (Cream Yellow) Cone 8-10 Reduction

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Potash Feldspar (Custer) Kaolin (EPK) Whiting

22

20.0 % 40.0 40.0 100.0%

A very dry, cream-to-yellow glaze. Great for handbuilt and textured surfaces. Best when sprayed unevenly—thick to thin. Good base recipe for adding coloring oxides or stains.

Best when used over iron-bearing clays.

Each formula is provided in percentage (by weight).

Results vary with clay bodies and firing conditions; always test first to be sure you’re happy with the results. To mix a glaze batch to store in a 5-gallon bucket, multiply each percentage ingredient by 50 grams (for a half-bucket with room for dipping) or 100 grams (for a very full bucket). It is the responsibility of the user to have glazes tested for stability. [

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SchoolArts magazine inspires…

Community

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How will SchoolArts inspire you?

A collaborative mural inspired Eleanor Roosevelt.

Created by third grade students. Article in the October 2007 issue, Magnificent Clay Murals.

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3:51:54 PM

by LANA Wilson

There are two ways to read this second part of the two columns on Claudia Reese’s work: You could pay attention to every step and try it; or you might get the idea, get inspired, and make up your own version. Her demonstration inspired me to do new work. I fire to a different cone level, use my own colored slips and slightly different processes, with some of my own ideas thrown in. Reese got me started. Isn’t that how our field works?

Lana Wilson: Let’s go through two of your numerous decorating processes. The first technique is called Mosaic.

Claudia Reese: First I use my hydraulic press, called a Kula press, and make my small slabs for the plates and open bowls. I use the press because it makes the work so strong.

My hydraulic press uses 60,000 pounds of pressure; it is my 30-ton press. Thus the pieces are incredibly dense and unusually strong for earthenware. You can, of course, just roll the clay out. I roll out slabs for the larger pressmolded and wheel-thrown pieces. I use an Armadillo Clay called Longhorn White, a hightalc body.

In the first image pictured here, I painted black slip all over the slab, let it dry, then used a big Japanese or Chinese brush to paint terracotta in irregular circles (see Fig. 1). Since drying time is necessary between all the steps on this pattern (and most of the other patterns), we always do at least four at a time of each style and work on other pieces while the colored slip dries.

Wilson: This next step surprised me! You sponge beige slip over the whole plate, but let some of the underpainting of black and beige show through. (See Fig. 2.)

Reese: Yes—and if you look at the image closely, you can see how it is purposely applied unevenly to give visual texture.

Wilson: This next step looks fun.

Reese: Yep. On top of the black and with the stencil blocking areas out, we start painting with a brush in each hand, swishing with both

➋

brushes. We use six colored slips for all this painting. In Fig. 4 you can see how it turns out when we take off the stencil: little squares with a variety of colors show up, because everything that is not a multi-colored square was masked off by the stencil. The masked areas received no color from any of our two-fisted painting with the six colors of slip.

In Fig. 5, you can see how we form the plate by draping it into the mold. This plate is on the female mold that has the foot in it. The male mold will press down and form the top of the plate. The molds are made of Ceramical®, a Gypsum product of very strong plaster. In Fig. 6 on page 26, you can see the plate after the male mold has been pressed down to form the top of the plate. The finished, fired plate is shown in Fig. 7.

Wilson: You have made all the molds yourself.

It is so technically complicated—so tell us the highlights instead of all 25 steps.

Reese: In the mid ’80s, I was throwing all the plates. Leon Kula talked to me in Baltimore and said throwing them was too slow, and I should switch to molds. I wasn’t convinced. He told me to send a soft, unfired decorated slab to him in Florida. He made a mold and then using the decorated slabs I had sent him, made the plates and sent me back perfect plates. I was convinced. He made a hydraulic press for me and came out to my studio. He stayed four days and we made eight molds. I saw that making a mold in a die ring for a hydraulic press is complicated.

Each mold has about 25 steps and has two parts: a female and a male part. You start with a metal die ring in two parts. Several steps later you have the cotton ducting in place and you continue until you reach the step where you have to keep track of the rise of the temperature in the plaster. When it rises 23 degrees, you turn on and proceed to raise the air pressure in the mold.

➌

➍

➎

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

Next, we put the plastic stencil on top of the beige and roll it down to attach it. Then we paint black on top of the stencil (see Fig. 3). We have to wait a long time to get it to dry to a ‘tacky’ state instead of ‘shiny,’ which is still too wet for the next application of colored slip.

➊

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Claudia Reese

PART TWO

25

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Claudia Reese, part 2 (from page 25)

➏

➐

➑

When you have finished making the mold, there is a big advantage. You can reuse the mold over and over the same day, because it releases right away. Its cotton batting and the capillary action of the air compressor makes this possible. You can simply clean any bits of color left and then use the mold again immediately. In 1987, this mold making equipment, including 5-hp air compressor, cost $13,000.

you wouldn’t quite expect. It took a bit of experimenting to figure out my colors. I first did it by sight. If it looked intense enough in the blender, I’d make a test tile of it and fire it to see the color. But with repeated batches, I wanted some consistency, so I came up with some very simple recipes. To one gallon of slip, I add the following Mason® stains in the dry powdered form for my colors that I fire to cone 04:

Wilson: So, for heavy production work when you were selling in 200 galleries, this was an ideal system. What is the first step in making the pattern Ragged Stripe (Terra)? (See Reese’s Website at www.cera-mix.com for many more patterns.)

Color

One gallon of slip plus:

Black: Blue:

Yellow:

Olive: Lavender:

1 cup of Black 6600 ¼ cup Mazerine Blue 6300 and 1/3 cup Medium Blue 6313 ¾ cup Praseodymium Yellow 6433 and ¼ cup Titanium Yellow 6485 ¾ cup Ivy Green 6223 1¼ cup Lavender 6319

Terracotta:

Take terra cotta with no sand or grog, add water, and soak overnight; then mix to make the terracotta-colored slip.

Reese: In Fig. 7 at the top of the image, you can see the lower part of two plates that have black slip covering the round slab. The next step, not shown, is to paint terracotta to cover the whole black plate. The plate, with the two layers of slip is then combed over with a tile setting comb that has squares cut into it. The bottom left of Fig. 7 shows the plate after the comb has been used on it. The next step is to put the plate on the hydraulic press, and the press flattens out the slab so the bas-relief from the serrated edge becomes smooth and is more functional for a plate. The finished plate appears in Fig. 8.

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Wilson: For your stencils, you use a somewhat thick plastic that looks very durable. What is the plastic and how did you cut it?

26

Reese: A bit of trial and error led me to try Lexan, .010 thickness (10 mil). It can be cut with an X-Acto® knife or with a hot point stencil cutter that I get from P.J. Tetreault’s Stencils (pjstencil.com). I lay the stencil down and paint in the negative areas, just like you would use any stencil. I make lots of stencils for overpainting pattern on pattern. The stencils were paper at first, but they were only good for one use, so that is why I settled on the Lexan plastic.

Wilson: It looks as if you mix up a gallon of colored slip at a time. What is your formula for those slip colors?

Reese: I mix water with bone-dry scraps of the same white clay body I use to make my work. After the clay has soaked in the water overnight, I mix it well to a cream consistency.

I add Mason stains to water in a blender, then add it to the plain, creamy slip. I often mix together blues and greens; I do get colors

Wilson: Why did you choose low-fire cone 04 as opposed to cone 6 or 10?

Reese: I chose low-fire for the color possibilities and electric firing for dependability. Colors at cone 04 seem softer even if they are saturated hues.

Wilson: How do you glaze the back?

Reese: I glaze the backs of all the dinnerware and platters with a black glaze that I mix by blending 1 cup of powdered Mason 6600 into 1 gallon clear commercial glaze. It is opaque, semi-gloss.

Wilson: What is your glaze formula?

Reese: You are going to laugh at me. I did use Duncan Diamond Clear. But now it is no longer available. I’m waiting to see what the replacement will be and at the same time experimenting with all kinds of clears, both prepared commercial and non-commercial recipes. If anyone has a perfect 04 clear glaze, I would love to know about it. [ See Claudia Reese’s Website at www.cera-mix. com. E-mail her from her Website if you have a perfect cone 04 clear.

To view Lana Wilson's her new work and workshop schedule, visit her Web page at: www.lanawilson. com.

In Form I Teaching Techniques

Stretching Your Skills

Throwing an Oval Tray TEXT & PHOTOS

by BILL van GILDER

Necessary Supplies Fig. 1 • (1) 4- or 5-lb. piece of throwing clay • (1) 12" bat • (1) 2' x 3' ware board • water and a small sponge • a straight-edged rib tool • an undercut tool • a cut-off wire

appealing work that tends to be easy on the eyes. To a potter such as myself, initially attracted to clay because of the immediacy of making an object and the soft nature of the material, this style of pot has a lot of personal appeal.

So, while emphasizing this soft quality of clay—a quality that will carry through to the finished piece—show your students this stretched-out tray project (Fig. 1). It’s a project that’s thrown on the wheel, then thrown again, shaped, and completed in about 15 minutes. No trimming is necessary, although adding handles is a creative option.

Along the way, students will gain one more making skill: ‘throwing out’ a slab.

That’s always a good thing, as well as a great project for beginning throwers. They can complete this largescale project during one class period if they know the centering basics.

The First ‘Throw’ Set up your wheel with the hand tools and clay listed in the ‘Necessary Supplies’ list at the beginning of this column. Gather your class and, although you’ll be using a 4-lb. or 5-lb. piece of clay for your demo, recommend to students

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

• a fettling knife

I

’m wondering if you’ve noticed the same thing I have: In the current world of wheel-thrown, American clay, there’s a distinctive ‘lean’ toward using the soft, plastic nature of clay as a major design element in much of the finished work being made. See the previous Clay Times cover photo: a beautifully proportioned and ‘softly’ thrown bowl

by John K. Oles. Or note the current work of Tara Wilson, Tom Coleman, Blair Meerfeld, or Josh DeWeese.

Their mantra could easily be, “Let the clay … be clay.”

The soft, pliable nature of the material is obvious in their finished work—

27

In Form I Teaching Techniques CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

28

Fig. 2

Fig. 5

Fig. 8

Fig. 3

Fig. 6

Fig. 9

Fig. 4

Fig. 7

Fig. 10

that they first practice with a smaller, 2-lb. or 3-lb. ball of clay. Once they’ve mastered the stretching or ‘throwing out’ part of the project, they can increase the clay amount as their confidence grows.

Using your straight-edged rib, flatten and smooth the top surface of the disk (Fig. 2).

Now, using the corner of either your rib tool or an old credit card, start at the very center of your disk and press the tool into the surface of the clay. With the wheel moving slowly, draw the tool slowly out to the edge of the form, leaving behind a 1/8" deep, grooved swirl (Fig. 3). Next, use your undercut tool to trim the outer wall at the edge of your disk into a tapered, beveled shape (Fig. 4).

Using the tip of your undercut tool, create a grooved line into and completely around the outer wall of the form (Fig. 5). With the wheel still moving slowly and your small sponge now in hand, lightly soften and smooth the swirled groove and the indented wall line. Wire-cut your disk from the bat, and get ready to ‘throw’ it again.

The Second ‘Throw’

Attach a bat to the wheelhead, and center your clay. Slowly press the clay downward, widening it until it’s a solid disk, 1" thick.

The thickness of your disk will need to be as uniform as possible, and that’s important.

A disk that has a variable thickness in cross-section will split and tear during the following stretching step. Also, as you add more clay to the project and increase the diameter of your disks, the thicker you’ll need to make them. The thickness of a disk made with 2 or 3 lbs. of clay will need to be at least ½".

Now comes the ‘plastic’ part of the project.

You’ll need a 2' x 3' dry, clean surface to accomplish this step. You can use the studio floor, but I recommend a piece of flat, smooth plywood. If you do use the studio floor as a work surface, you’ll eventually have to move your tray to a large ware board, so you might as well have a board ready and waiting for this ‘throwing’ step. Here’s a tip: place the board on the floor, which will put your body in a position above the board as you ‘throw’ and stretch your disk. Having your body positioned over the board will give you a lot more control over the process.

Pick up your disk from its bat with your right hand by positioning four fingers below the

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Fig. 11 disk and your thumb on top. Keep them all as close to the edge of the disk as possible (Fig. 6). Now, bending at the waist, fling the disk along the ware board in a leftto-right direction (Fig. 7). During the toss, the hanging edge of the disk—the edge opposite your fingertips—should hit the board before you completely drop the rest of the disk. Pick it up again, but use your left hand this time. Your fingers will now be at the other side of the disk, opposite the first ‘grab’ position (Fig. 8). Fling it downward and along the board again; this time, from a right-to-left direction.

Repeat the ‘throw’ in pairs—left-to-right, right-to-left—a couple more times. Each toss elongates and thins the disk, and knowing when to stop ‘throwing’ is part of the learning curve.

Shaping the Tray When you’ve decided that your disk is stretched and thin enough, move on to the last two steps: finishing the ends of your tray and shaping the rim.

The two obvious dents at each end of the tray—the ones created by your thumbs when you picked up the disk to toss it—can be somewhat distracting and don’t really fit into the overall design of the tray. My solution is to remove them.

Using your fettling knife, cut the two dented pieces from each end of the tray. Make the

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cuts in a wedge-shaped pattern and discard them (Fig. 9). Use your small sponge to lightly dampen one of the wedge-cut edges at each end of the tray, and put your sponge aside. Now use the fingertips of both hands to lift and pinch the two cut edges tightly together at each end of your tray (Fig. 10).

You can curl the pinched ends inward (Fig. 11) or you can attach some looped handles as a finishing step. Again, this is an ideal time to share your thoughts about design with your class.

Lastly, change the profile and shape of the rim. This step will add more of that visual ‘plastic’ quality to your tray that I discussed earlier. Slide a single, wet fingertip under and then around the edge of the form, stopping the ‘slide’ occasionally to press the rim inward (Fig. 12). The scalloped rim you’ve just created is only one solution for reshaping the rim. I can think of several others. What are your thoughts on the subject?

“When your tray reaches the leather-hard stage, you’ll want to lightly sponge the rim, removing any unwanted fingertip dents, bumps, or sharp edges. To keep your tray flat and level, allow it to dry completely on its ware board.

“Start with a 2- or 3-lb. weight of clay for your first tray. Master the ‘tossing’ technique and then try it again using a 4- or 5-lb. weight. ‘Throwing twice’ is a cool way to make pots, and it’s a great skill to have.

Let’s go to work!” [ Bill van Gilder has been a full-time potter since the 1960s and teaches pottery-making workshops. He may be reached by e-mail at vangilderpottery@earthlink.net. His potters’ tool line, van Gilder Tools, is available via the Clay Times online store at www. claytimes.com, or by calling toll-free 1.800.

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You may come up with another idea for hiding the thumb marks and, as you think about it and make decisions, talk it over with your class. You might pose the question, “Now, what do I do with these unwanted thumb marks? And, why am I choosing to get rid of them?” Sharing your creative thought process can help them understand how that process works.

Fig. 12

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29

Fire &

Friendship

BY VIC K Y RAMA K K A

Y

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

ou have to be serious about your art to engage in wood firing. I learned this recently, attending an anagama kiln wood firing. A dozen dedicated potters fired more than 400 pottery pieces for three days, using six cords of wood—and that was just one part of the process.

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Twice each year, San Juan College instructors, students, and professional potters gather to carry out the ancient tradition of wood firing, using an anagama kiln located on the Colorado and New Mexico border. The experience is a highlight for the advanced students, akin to a rite of passage from classroom to the thriving clay community in our area.

The four-phase process—preparation, loading, firing, and evaluation—requires

technical skill, careful organization, and hard work. Anagama aficionados cite the appeal of being outdoors, feeling the fire, and knowing that this process results in surface effects that cannot be produced by any other method. They always, always talk about the strength of the community—the comradeship that emerges—as solid and long-lasting as the newly-fired pottery.

This 20' anagama kiln, built and owned by former pottery instructor Trevor Dunn, reflects a design perfected in the Orient many centuries ago. Shaped roughly like a tunnel, a chimney at the back draws heat and ash over, through, and around pieces stacked in the middle section. The kiln has three fireboxes: the main one at front, and two side stoke holes, in order to sustain

temperature high enough to chemically transform mineral content of the ash into a one-of-a-kind glaze.

Preparation The process begins months ahead of firing.

Potters ready dozens of pieces, applying an inside liner glaze on bisque ware to assure stability during the wood firing. Participants also prepare six cords of dry wood—equal to about 16 large logs, sawing and chopping it into manageable wedges.

Cole Taylor, San Juan College pottery instructor, is leader for this firing. He ensures round-the-clock coverage by one to two participants on each six-hour shift, starting at 6 a.m., noon, 6 p.m., and

Opposite page: (L) The cones begin to drop as the temperature inside the kiln gets closer to maturity; Cindy McDowell evaluates the surface effects of a fired mug.

CLAYTIMES¡COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Clockwise from top left: Cole Taylor considers effects of the projected flame path as he strategically loads bisqued pots into the kiln; Adam Field chops and splits wood necessary to fuel the kiln; flashing on a fired pot; wads keep the pot bottoms from sticking to the kiln shelf during firing.

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Fire & Friendship (continued from previous page) midnight. His focused, steady manner ensures the process runs smoothly.

Loading On the designated day as participants settle in for long hours, crockpots, coffee pots, and snacks appear on nearby tables. Potters set bisque ware of varying shapes and sizes and clay types in view for the loading process. Everyone gets busy attaching wadding on the base of items.

“There are strategies to loading,” explains Taylor as he crouches inside the kiln, carefully placing pieces into strategic locations. “You need to consider the path the flame will take.” He thinks of it as creating an obstacle course, such that the fire, traveling from front to back, circles each piece and deposits the ash that determines the final color. For several hours, Taylor calls out for this teapot, or that vase or cup, filling in each tier. It’s an arduous process, with the aim of positioning each item to catch that snowfall of ash and creating the flash that transforms it from dull clay to an exquisite, one-of-a-kind work of art.

Firing

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

The suspense begins when a small pile of tinder is lit, coaxing the fire to life. The front of the anagama is sealed with bricks, except for an opening just large enough to feed wood into the fire box. Slowly and steadily, the fire is built up, warming the pots and increasing temperature in the kiln. Potters adjust dampers to guide the fire through the kiln and out the chimney.

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Thirty hours later, the temperature in the kiln’s center reaches only 1200° F —just half-way to the desired 2350° F needed for ash glaze. Flames dancing part-way up the chimney demand more fuel every few minutes. Every hour on the hour, the potter in charge of the shift opens a spy hole and takes a reading from the pyrometric cone pack positioned inside the peep holes during the loading phase.

During long hours of fire tending, the lines between instructor and student

blur. This is when the clay community bonds, for camaraderie and conversation about all things clay-related. John Bradford, owner of Bradford Pottery Gallery near Taos, enjoys every part of the process. “It’s all about community,” he says. “You meet neat people and get to be outdoors in a beautiful part of the world.” The conversation ranges from pricing one’s work, to comparing glazes, to sources for materials.

Vigilance and persistence prevail. At last the point arrives when the hourly temperature reading shows cone 12 down. In the final hours of firing, three people continuously stoke the front and side ports to maintain a constant temperature of 2350º F throughout the kiln. After this final exertion, it’s time to walk away for at least a week, while the kiln cools, the ash settles, and clay dug from the earth awaits its entrance into sunlight to reflect its distinctive glaze.

Evaluation

Prior to loading of the anagama, bisqued ware is wadded and sorted by size and shape on pallets.

The unloading phase is the reverse of the loading process. The fire box is cleared; objects that went in last are handed out first. “It’s like Christmas,” says Cynthia McDowell, as she clears ash to expose her transformed piece.

Hundreds of glazed pieces testify to the success of this firing.

“There are always some casualties,” Taylor counsels, gathering students to discuss results. Since there are so few firings per year, analysis of results is key to successful future firings. Taylor advises potters to “write thoughts down immediately after a firing.” How did different clays react? Should they be placed closer or farther from the fire next time? Did the liner glaze enhance the ash-created glaze? What needs to be adjusted for the next firing?

It’s no wonder wood-fired pottery is known for its distinctiveness. Each piece contains not only the spirit of the potter, but also the powerful spirit of the community that brought it to fruition. [ Firing participants evaluate results of fired works.

Why Take on the Work of Wood Firing?

Steve Biernacki: “A true potter can always pick out a wood-fired piece; it has a dynamic to the glaze that only comes from movement of the fire itself. It’s certainly not about the money. It’s about carrying on the culture of hard work, the ethics of craftsmanship, and forging the union of potters for a common cause.”

Diane Luck stokes the kiln during her firing shift.

Cynthia McDowell: “It brings us together in every sense. We develop lifelong friendships through hard work like gathering, chain sawing, and chopping wood. We teach each other by holding, studying, and loading each others’ work. While firing the kiln, we talk and question the process and crack jokes. Later, at the unloading, we try to understand what has happened inside the wood kiln, and how that has affected our pieces … We can’t do it alone, and everybody benefits.

“Wood firing helps improve skills because much of ceramics is based on passing knowledge to others. I have gained so much by spending time among the wood firing crew watching, talking, and getting my hands dirty. This is the only way to learn … I value my wood firing relationships because I know each person involved can teach me something, now or down the road.”

McDowell’s Website earthfired.com.

is

www.

Zia Sun Symbol: A Suitable Metaphor

The Zia symbol’s lines represent the four directions of the compass, the four seasons of the year, and the four seasons of life. The number four parallels the Zia belief that individuals should develop a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of others.

The Zia symbol makes a good metaphor for an anagama wood firing. There are four phases: preparation, loading, firing, and evaluation. It requires hard work, creative focus, ideals of craftsmanship, and contribution to the whole.

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Well-known Four Corners potter, Steve Biernacki, adds the Zia Sun Symbol (pictured directly above) to many of his creations. New Mexico’s flag carries this symbol. The circle with rays pointing in the four directions is an ancient symbol originated by Native Americans of the Zia Tribe, who continue to honor the sun symbol in ceremonies and on art objects.

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Several fresh works made during conference demos are displayed for attendees to examine in detail.

Han dbui l t Who needs a wheel when you’ve got these great techniques?

“Handbuilt,”

the first conference dedicated to the handbuilding of pots, was held

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

September 17-19, 2009, at the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.

Organized and presented by Sandi Pierantozzi, the event served as a fund-raiser for the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). It turned out to be a huge success with 125 registrants raising $4,000 for CERF.

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Demonstrating artists included Hayne Bayless, Lisa Naples, Holly Walker, and Sandi Pierantozzi. William Daley served as Special Guest Speaker. Dr. J. Scott Wilson, a chiropractor from Philadelphia, presented a talk on body mechanics and proper movement.

Through demonstrations and slide shows, the presentations were both informative and inspirational.

Hayne Bayless showed his technique of printing patterns on slabs of clay using Tyvek® (a house wrap insulation used in construction). Working with

stoneware clay, he also explained and demonstrated the use of his small and large extruders, using selfmade dies to create various shapes of extruded forms.

Bayless demonstrated a hinged-lid teapot, a square slab dish, and vase forms made from large, square extrusions.The audience was intrigued by his use of the many special tools he has made in order to create his unique work.

Lisa Naples delighted attendees with her stories of growing up in a large Italian family, and how that experience informed and inspired the work she made early in her career. Working with red earthenware clay and using slabs made with a French rolling pin, Naples demonstrated how she makes teapots and vase forms by darting, impressing, and incising images on the clay. She then pushes out the clay from the inside to give volume to those images. She also shared her methods for creating slab spouts and handles, as well as her decorating technique for dry-brushing various colored slips onto the surface of her leatherhard forms.

Lisa Naples smooths the seams of an assembled earthenware form.

Hayne Bayless reveals the decorative pattern he has created by printing onto the clay.

Above: Sandi Pierantozzi explains how she uses templates for sectioning and darting her slabs before assembling.

Left: Holly Walker discusses her techniques for making slab-built dishes.

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Handbuilt (from previous page)

Left to right: “Handbuilt” demonstrating artists Hayne Bayless, Lisa Naples, Sandi Pierantozzi, and Holly Walker.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

A variety of finished works for display and sale by presenter Lisa Naples.

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Holly Walker gave a very inspirational demonstration as she coiled and pinched her red earthenware into pots with substance, or as she called it, “gusto.” She showed how to make a large, oval bowl with cutout handles; a long, oval serving dish; and a large jar with a stepped lid, offering two methods of making flanges for jars.

Walker’s own way of working is quiet and contemplative, but her demonstration was filled with rich sources of inspiration about how to approach the beginning of a pot, how to be ‘in the moment’ while working, and the importance of showing the ‘evidence’ of the hand in the final form. Her presentation gave the audience much food for thought.

Sandi Pierantozzi began her high-spirited presentation by demonstrating how to create circular templates and how to use them in conjunction with rectangular templates to create “building blocks” for developing forms from slabs of clay. She showed how a large cone form can be made into a pitcher or turned upside down and darted to become a vase or other forms, along with various ways of making cups and bowls. In her “Parts & Darts” demonstration, Pierantozzi showed the many different forms that can be achieved by darting and stacking main parts and alternate parts as they are looked at from every possible point of view. Both Pierantozzi and Naples talked of transitioning their work and discussed the challenges and new possibilities these transitions have presented with regard to the growth of their work.

William Daley’s slide presentation was humorous and full of insight. Along with his role as one of the nation’s most respected ceramic artists, Daley is a natural teacher and has the rare gift of being able to speak

to any audience by drawing them into his interior/exterior world.

This idea is evident in his largescale vessels, in which the viewer sees the inside and outside of each piece at the same time. His enthusiasm and wisdom about his life and work is infectious, and he delivers his words with humor and an intense knowledge of architecture, ceramics, and historical references. In addition to showing what has influenced his work, he offered an entire presentation on the technical aspects of building various pieces from start to finish.

Much discussion by all of the presenters focused on being open to new ideas and keeping your work alive through exploration and experimentation.

In addition to enjoying the demonstrations and lectures, participants had the opportunity to buy tools, books, and other products from various vendors during the conference.Participating exhibitors included The Ceramic Shop, Clay Times, Del Val Pottery Supply, Mecca Pottery Tools, Lyn Wood/Pottery Texture Queen, and Ying Zhou/Handmade Brushes.

One hundred twenty-five registrants were informed, entertained, and inspired during three days worth of handbuilding demos and lectures, featuring close-up projection of techniques onto a large video screen.

Bowl. 10" diameter. Red slip trailing and blue glass runs; wood-fired.

A wide variety of handbuilt works made with several different techniques was on view throughout the conference at The Handbuilt National Show, which featured pieces by 18 nationally known handbuilders (see separate story in Sept./Oct. 2009 Clay Times).

Conference attendees shop for tools, brushes, and various supplies in the exhibitors’ room.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

Special touches—such as flowers in handmade ceramic vases on each lunch table—were arranged by many volunteers who provided assistance and support during the event. In particular, Janice Strawder, director of the ceramics department at Wayne Art Center, helped make sure everything ran smoothly. Organizer Sandi Pierantozzi extends her heartfelt thanks to every participant who believed in this event and helped to make it a reality. [

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Holton-Arms School: Enjoying the Process of Art An Interview with Nandini Giridharadas • by Pamela Palmer

Box forms by Sarah Baranes, class of 2010

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

J

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ust walking into the warm and inviting art studios of Holton-Arms School, a private, all-girls school for grades 3-12 in Bethesda, MD outside of Washington, DC, hearkens one back in time to college days of still life and figure drawing, and the pungent smells of pastels and oil paints. In fact, the Holton-Arms art department, part of their extensive fine arts program, feels much more like a college art studio than high school. It graces a two-level complex of studios including a darkroom and two kiln rooms.The ceramics classroom overlooks the drawing and painting studio below, complete with winding metal staircase. Nandini Giridharadas, the Chair of the Art Department and the ceramics instructor for advanced students in grades 10-12, has been teaching at Holton for eight years. Following are excerpts from her recent tour and interview with freelance writer Pamela Palmer: Pamela Palmer: How do you introduce new students to working with clay? What are some of the best “first” projects?

Nandini Giridharadas: We used to start our beginner students with pinch pots, then progress to a slab construction project. But this year we switched that order. We found that a structured project such as a slab-built vase, using a demo for each step, is better to start with than a more undefined one like pinch pots. At the start of a new project, we have the students explore creative ideas through our studio library of books.

We always have students sketch their plan first to see their own idea in 2-dimension.

All my teaching in the classroom is very individualized. I work with each student oneon-one, pushing her creative thinking, and encouraging her to problem solve.

PP: What is the most difficult technique for students to acquire?

NG: Most students find coiling the most challenging. It takes some practice to develop an instinct to know when to paddle and shape the vessel; when to push out and stretch the clay wall, and when to leave the vessel to set

a little because it is too flimsy to work with.

Working with clay is a process that takes time and a lot of patience.

PP: What firing techniques do your students learn? Any alternative techniques?

NG: We use an oxidation electric kiln for firing earthenware and stoneware, and a gas reduction kiln for firing porcelain. A high point in the curriculum for our students is our trash can/pit firing in the school courtyard.

We apply a terra sigillata slip as glaze on the dry vessel. The vessel is then burnished with a soft cloth until it develops a shine. It is then bisqued and smoked using newspaper as combustible material in the trash can. It is very exciting for the students to watch the smoke patterns develop on their vessels.

PP: What is the primary goal of the Holton-Arms Art Department for its ceramics students?

NG: We have a couple: finding your voice through clay and developing the confidence

Project: Box Forms At Holton Arms, project parameters are clear and simple—but without too much direction—to allow for the greatest selfexpression and exploration in creativity.

• Experimenting with design • Learning composition • Exploring personal expression • Expanding possibilities

by Carmen Ferraro, class of 2010 to take risks. Through our curriculum, we also want our students to learn about concepts such as composition, color, and form, and how the marriage of these takes place in clay. We work toward teaching our students to make aesthetic decisions and judgments.

Most importantly, through the projects we assign, we encourage our students to think conceptually and to translate those abstract ideas into a concrete form. Lastly, we seek to teach the students to enjoy the “process” and not focus entirely on the end product.

PP: What is your favorite glazing technique as an artist/teacher and why?

NG: I like using terra sigillata and love the organic aesthetic that is possible through smoke firing.

PP: How has teaching ceramics to young people influenced your own art?

NG: My students constantly challenge my thinking. I am always surrounded by a diversity of ideas and creative styles, which allows me to grow as an artist and educator.

Process 1) Design a box or set of smaller boxes to be handbuilt of stoneware clay.

2) Select slip and glaze colors you like, and test them on sample tiles.

3) Decorate the surface of your box with your final colors, keeping in mind various possibilities: pattern, texture, scenery, relief work, and carving through slip.

Classroom Idea: Before this project, each Holton Arms ceramics student created one or two stoneware slip colors. Once tested, the color was available for the rest of the class to use. The recipe for their new slip was added to the studio recipe book.

For the box project, students had a wealth of colorful slip choices to utilize.

PP: How does your ethnic background influence your own philosophy of art?

PP: What artist or style has most influenced your own art and teaching?

NG: I am personally most drawn to the Japanese aesthetic—its simplicity and the concept of “less is more.” A few years ago, I had the pleasure of receiving a grant from Holton to visit Japan, where I was able to meet and visit several artist studios and museums. I also love the traditional vessel forms that are a part of many cultures, such as North and South American, African, Oriental, and Indian.

PP: How can we as (potters/teachers/ parents) communicate a love for ceramics to young people?

NG: By using ceramics in our daily lives and by displaying them in our homes. It shows young people that we place a high value on handmade objects. At Holton-Arms, we take our annual art show very seriously and convert our studio spaces into gallery-like settings to display student work. Parents reinforce this commitment by coming to the art shows and talking to the student artists. Visiting museums will give young artists ideas to inspire their own art. The ceramics students take a field trip each year to the Smithsonian Craft Show. I have them explore the entire craft show and we discuss what displays we each liked, and why.

We almost always return having learned about a new clay or technique. It shows the students our commitment to growing the program in terms of knowledge as well as possibilities.

PP: What is the most important concept that you want your students to experience through ceramics?

by Julia Graham, class of 2009

NG: I want our students to discover the joy of working with clay as a medium—taking a soft piece of clay, and molding and shaping it into a compelling form. I would like them to experience and enjoy the process and respect clay as a medium. They should have an open mind, and be receptive to changing direction during the process, if needed. All of art is a process; we need patience to be able to enjoy the journey. [

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

NG: Growing up in India, I was surrounded by a rich culture of art in everyday life. Most states in India have their own traditional silk and cotton fabrics—woven, painted, and block printed; their individual style of jewelry design; carpets; different schools of painting; stone and wood carvings; and clay vessels that are a part of daily life. Through urban mobility we are exposed to all the different forms of art available across India, and over time it becomes a part of one’s realm.

by M. Meherlqbal, class of 2009

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

Shop Talk I Firing

Candling: Can You Give It Up? BY marc ward

Y

esterday, I was talking with a customer on the phone. He was about the same age as me and was a grizzled veteran in the craft wars.

We spent some time swapping war stories about the craft show/gallery battlefield. I pictured him lugging his stuff in big chests, trying to maneuver with his peg leg and eye-patch all the while—oh, wait—that’s a pirate I was thinking of.

Anyway, we spent some time talking about making pots and firing kilns.

During our rambling conversation, he said something about firing the kiln a bit faster. He was tired of spending so many late nights tending a kiln and being away from his family. Now, I keep notes on my customers in the computer. I type little observations into their file while they’re on the couch— sorry, while they’re on the phone. This helps me troubleshoot things later. One of the notes in this file pertained to his unwillingness to turn the burners up.

He kept thinking that he shouldn’t let them go at full blast. So, I know he’s a bit reluctant to do anything radical (though I’m sure his parents thought becoming a potter was pretty radical). The subject of overnight candling comes up, and that’s when I sorta freak him out.

It’s become dogma. Now, if you’re doing once-fired ware that’s thick, candling overnight is probably a good thing.

But, if you’re like my customer, who is putting glazed bisque ware of fairly uniform thickness into his kiln, then you are wasting time, sleep, and money by candling overnight. Let’s take a look at some facts.

Candling means far different things to any number of people. Our old potter friend started the kiln the night before and got up at 6:30 a.m. to find the kiln at 200° F. He then proceeded to slowly turn the kiln up, and finished firing at 10:30 p.m. Spending 12 hours going from 6070° F to 200° F is just so much wheel spinning! Then there are folks that start the kiln the night before, and come in at 8:00 a.m. to find the kiln at 1300° F. But, both of these wildly different things are called candling.

I call the first a dogmatic waste of gas, and the second I call a poor burner or gas supply choice. In the second case, you’re not candling, you’ve just started the firing the night before, most likely because you can’t fire in a reasonable amount of time. For the latter group, you have to do what you have to do. If starting the firing the night before is the only way to get to temperature, so be it. For those that get up in the morning to find the kiln at only a couple hundred degrees, stop it! You’re wasting gas and time.

Let’s look at this from a different perspective. Potters make raku pots out of stoneware clay. It may have some extra grog or kyanite in it, but it’s still stoneware clay. They then bisque this clay, glaze it, and fire it from room temperature to 1850° F in 20-30 minutes. The very same potter may take stoneware clay, bisque-fire it, then glaze it and put it in a stoneware kiln and spend 18 hours (overnight candle and next day turn-up) going from room temperature to 1850° F. What’s that about? It’s about habit, and not questioning authority.

If you decide to speed things up, your pots are going to be fine. However, what might not be fine is that cone pack you just made. It is best to make cone packs ahead of time, then put them on top of an electric kiln during a bisque firing or thoroughly dry them out some other way. The time and gas you save by not candling can be quickly offset by an exploding cone pack in a glaze load.

Now, if you like the ritual of the overnight candle—the dark, cool night and the soft hiss of burners, sitting quiet with your pots and your thoughts—then go for it. Just don’t delude yourself into thinking the pots really need this. It just might be you with the need. [ Marc Ward is owner and operator of Ward Burner Systems, PO Box 1086, Dandridge, Tennessee 37725. He invites you to sign up for his free newsletter, and can be reached by phone at 865.397.2914 or through the online catalog and Web site at the following address: www. wardburner.com.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

This is something I’ve written about before and something I feel pretty passionate about. I ask him why he’s candling overnight, and he gives me the ’ole song and dance about glazes and the need to not shock the body and blah, blah, blah. That’s when I ask him if he really knows why he candles overnight. He pauses ... and that’s when I pounce. (OK, I really don’t pounce—at

my age, pouncing would probably tear ligaments!) I just rudely interject with, “You candle because you were taught to candle?”

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Readers Share I Art Works

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

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TOM STOCK PHOTO

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Chinook. 14" x 9". Handbuilt stoneware smoke-fired to 900˚ F with plants, manure, cotton, salt, and oxides. Natalie PrévostMero and Kyle Ledermann, 13 Riverside Dr. W., Elmira, Ontario, Canada N3B 1R2. E-mail: barefootpotter@hotmail.com.

Website: www.thebarefootpotter.ca.

A Pony Tale. 19½" x 7" x 9". Stoneware fired to cone 6 with “Naked Fauxku” technique, then cone 019 luster glazes. Amber Aguirre, 77-361 Ainanani St., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. E-mail: ambersart@gmail.com. Website: www.amberaguirre.net.

Sweetness, Beauty, Intoxication, Control. 15" x 7½" x 7½".

Wheel-thrown porcelain, carved, polished, and unglazed; fired to cone 6 in oxidation. JoAnn F. Axford, 43 Fields End Drive, Glenmont, NY 12077. E-mail: jfaxford@nycap.rr.com.

Website: http://joannaxfordpottery.blogspot.com.

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Upright Legs. 37" x 6" x 27". Press-molded stoneware with glazes and airbrushed underglazes.

Mari Ogihara, Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY 10573. Website: www.mariogihara.com.

Untitled. 16" x 9". Raku-fired stoneware with stained glass fused into glaze. Scott Stockdale, PO Box 2345, Manteo, NC 27954. E-mail: blueskyartstudio@ymail.com.

Website: www.theblueskyartstudio.com.

CLAYTIMES¡COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Toy Tube #2. 17.5" x 8" x 7". Earthenware with commercial glazes, fired to cone 06 and sandblasted. Bretton Kern, 222 Pinnacle Heights Dr., Morgantown, WV 26505.

E-mail: bkern@mix.wvu.edu.

43

Adding colorants to a base glaze can be an interesting exercise in glaze chemistry.

This gives you countless possibilities with a single base glaze.

Trinity’s Base Glazes are available in Semi Matte or Transparent Gloss and fire to a cone 6. They come packaged dry in a plastic bucket for easy mixing.

1 gallon $18.75 2 gallon $33.75 5 gallon $80.00 A great way to get started mixing colored glazes is with a Glaze Sampler for $25.00. Trinity’s Glaze Sampler contains a ¼# each of both powdered and granular Ilmenite, Rutile, GS-521 Pink, 41720 Yellow, 41715 Turquoise and Manganese Dioxide.

Trinity’s Stain Sampler is also available for $32.00. Each sampler contains a ¼# of each of the following ceramic stains: Dark Blue, Bright Yellow, Pink, Red Brown, Coral,Light Blue, Black, and Chrome Green.

Call us or email for a color brochure about Trinity’s Cone 6 Glazes.

Trinity Ceramic Supply, Inc.

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

9016 Diplomacy Row Dallas, TX 75247 214 631-0540 www.trinityceramic.com

44

GREAT NEW PRODUCTS for the Holidays— including more books & tools and expanded back issue collections on CD—now at CT’s online store!

www.claytimes.com

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation. Publication Title: Clay Times. Publication number 1087-7614. Filing Date: 10-1-2009. Published bimonthly. Annual subscription price: $33.

Office of publication: 15481 Second St., PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Publisher: Clay Times Inc., PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197. Editor: Polly Beach, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197. Managing Editor: None. Owner: Clay Times Inc., PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197. Stockholders owning 1% of more of total amount of stock: Polly Beach, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent of more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None. Extent and nature of circulation based on preceding 12 months: a) Total number of copies: 16,280. b) Paid/requested circulation: (1) Outside county mail subscriptions: 10,285. (2) In-county subscriptions: 78. (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other non-USPS paid distribution: 4,247. (4) Other classes mailed through USPS: 618. c) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 15,228. d) Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary, and other free): (1) Outside county: 399. (2) In-county: 5. (3) Other classes mailed through USPS: 76. (4) Free distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means): 56. e) Total free distribution: 536. f) Total distribution: 15,764 g) copies not distributed: 516. h) Total: 16,280. i) Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 96.8%.

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Polly Beach, President, Clay Times Inc.

An In-Depth Look at Raku from Firing to Finishing review by POLLY BEACH

Mastering Raku by Steven Branfman Lark Books • Hardcover • $29.95 (order online at www.claytimes.com)

To sum it up: Instant gratification.

F

or so many potters—including me— who have been drawn to raku firing for its immediacy and the instant reward we receive as soon as the fast firing process is complete, Steven Branfman’s new book on mastering the process offers the same immediate satisfaction.

Just thumbing through the 175 full-color pages of this beautiful hardcover, it is obvious to me that Branfman has once again done a fine job of writing, organizing, and documenting the raku process. From the making of the ware and formulation of glazes to building raku kilns and the process of firing and post-fire reduction, this book simply provides everything you need to know about all aspects of this enticing and exciting firing technique.

teacher and practitioner, there is helpful information on everything from the most basic techniques and procedures to more challenging forms and processes.

firing and enhancing and altering surfaces to waterproofing and protecting surfaces and mending broken ware, are the focus of Chapter Ten.

The book is organized into eleven main chapters that begin with the history and aesthetics of the raku firing technique, providing helpful answers to frequentlyasked questions. Health and safety considerations, addressing such topics as kiln placement and use and protective wear, are aptly placed at the beginning of the text as well. Following are sections on clays, glazes, and slips for raku, complete with descriptions of processes for formulation and application.

With the high quality of instruction and illustrative photos offered throughout Chapters 1-10, it won’t be long before you’re ready for the final chapter: “Teaching Raku.” This thoughtful topic is discussed to offer insight into the process of teaching raku in schools, and giving workshops and demonstrations, as well as leading group firings.

Chapter Five: “Kilns” offers the do-ityourselfer some very valuable information on kiln designs, combustion, gas-fired vs. wood-fired vs. coal-fired kilns, and weighing out the decision whether to buy or build one’s own raku kiln. If you choose to build your own, Chapter Six covers the full process, complete with accessories, repairs, and creative problem-solving.

“My fascination with raku hasn’t let up since that day,” he writes, and continues to describe the entire history and process of raku, as well as his goals in writing this second book on the subject, in detail. For the beginner who has never raku-fired before, as well as the experienced raku

If you’re ready to experiment with “Related Techniques for Raku,” Chapter Nine offers a discussion of processes including slip resist/naked raku, horsehair raku, pit firing, sawdust/smoke firing, and saggar firing. Beyond that, considerations for finishing the ware, from cleaning it after

What next? Of course there’s a conclusion to help inspire you to action, followed by an even more inspiring collection of photographs depicting fine works by raku artists worldwide in the “Gallery” section.

But perhaps the ultimate gold mine is to be uncovered in the Appendices, which include a wide variety of specific recipes for beautiful raku glazes, slips, terra sigillata, copper matte, fuming, and halo recipes ... and even a recipe for kiln wash!

Could we ask for more? Perhaps the author himself, leading a raku firing workshop.

Contact him via the information below if you’re interested. Regardless, you’re bound to experience lots of fun and success using the great tips and techniques Mastering Raku has to offer. [

Book author Steven Branfman is a an accomplished potter and teacher of pottery and ceramics at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts. He is also regular book review columnist for Clay Times, and proprietor of The Potters Shop and School. He may be reached by phone at 781.449.7687 or via e-mail at sbranfpots@aol.com.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009 CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Mastering Raku opens with an introduction in which Branfman reflects upon his first experience with the raku process as a grad student at Rhode Island School of Design.

Perhaps the most important aspect of raku—the firing process itself—is thoroughly discussed in Chapters Seven and Eight. Topics range from safety and the firing cycle to ware removal and postfiring reduction, with further detail on successive firings, firing variations, and post-firing variations.

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Mastering Raku

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Shop Talk I Tool Times

Bison Studios: Phil Poburka and Bison Tools

by VINCE PITELKA

I

recently interviewed Phil Poburka, maker of the remarkable Bison tungsten-carbide trimming and carving tools for clay. Phil’s objective since childhood was to have a “workshop” where he might pursue various skilled trades, but it was a meandering path that got him there.

“To me, it’s the minimum that makes something worth doing.” — Phil Poburka

Ever since childhood Phil has loved old books, and assembled a good library of them by the time he was a teenager. Forty years ago he was living in the San Francisco Bay area, working as an antiquarian book cataloger for research libraries and private collections. A move to the coastal town of Montara meant finding employment, and subsequent work as a house painter, roofer, and carpenter defined his direction as a discerning craftsman. In May, 1978, he visited a friend in Las Vegas, Nevada, which at the time seemed to him a mellow, quiet, easygoing town. He made the move, and went to work for a local contractor building custom homes. In that job he was able to employ most of his talents, doing everything from framing and plumbing to finish carpentry and installing doors and windows. “That was kind of a nice gig, because most of the time I was the only person working, and got things done and everybody was happy,” he said. That’s a good summation of a healthy work ethic.

Phil has always had a natural ability to understand how mechanical things work; to envision a blueprint of their workings in his mind. It’s a specialized variation on what we call a spatial thinker—someone who can easily envision the way things interact in real time and space. His logical mind and intuitive understanding of materials and mechanisms made him a quick study, easily able to adapt to new challenges and skills.

Standard Series "A" Loop Tool

Phil acknowledges that daily rituals of handling and using fine tools are crucial to sustain longterm satisfaction and productivity for studio artisans. To quote his current Website, “I have developed these tools for those potters who wish to trim with greater intention, delicacy, comfort and ease ... and for trimming to be enjoyable, welcome and satisfying in the larger sequences and rituals of making pots.”

Also in 1986, a cousin in Michigan sent Phil a copy of the Bernard Leach classic, A Potter’s Book, and he was hooked. He signed up for a “pottery 101” night class at the local college, and as his skills developed, he found himself determining overall shape by the inside profile of the vessel—which initially meant considerable trimming on the outside. With his busy schedule, Phil often trimmed things on the dry side, and found that commercially-made tools dulled quickly, sometimes in a single evening.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

Phil grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas, the son of a Master Sergeant in the 14th Air Force. His father graduated from the Pratt and Whitney School and worked with the air-worthiness of warplanes, but never encouraged his son’s natural inclinations toward machinery. In a clear memory from the age of three, Phil recalls a steam traction engine along a road in Texas, and his parents’ unwillingness to stop and let him watch the beast lumbering down the road. When neighbors along the block came out to admire a new 1957 Buick sedan, Phil was unmoved: “It rang like a lead bell.” On the other hand, a rusty 1924 Hudson roadster in a service station parking lot, dragged out of a barn and covered with straw and chicken poop, set his heart beating: “I was totally thrilled and wanted to look at it and look underneath it.”

In early 1986, Phil started Bison Studios, a woodworking shop specializing in repair and restoration of antique furniture and machinery. He loved the feel of fine tools in his hand, and showed a natural preference for older tools and machines—those made with a loving sense of design, craftsmanship, and utility. With his ability to visualize mechanical problems and solutions, he began to design and make many of his own tools.

47

Shop Talk I Tool Times

Bison Studios (continued from previous page) Through his woodworking experience Phil was familiar with the properties of tungsten carbide, one of the hardest materials suitable for making cutting tools. In 1987, he designed and made a few trimming tools with tungsten-carbide cutters, and attracted the attention of his fellow students and the guest potters invited by the instructor.

What started out as “Say, could you make me a few of those?” soon evolved into a significant demand. He created a simple tri-fold brochure, and with each sale he’d hand out a few and say “Pass these on to your friends.”

Phil’s current Website features scans from a print brochure, and his fine hand-drawn images seem to confirm the quality of the product. They remind me of the exquisite engravings found in early machinery catalogs.

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Initially Phil made only the solid tools, but with a knack for anticipating use and need, in 1990 he started experimenting with loop configurations.

There was no precedent for manipulating tungsten carbide in that fashion, and needless to say, the specifics are a trade secret. Suffice it to say that after a month of experiments, while also doing woodworking fulltime, he perfected the loop tools.

48

When I asked Phil about the unusually high standards of design and workmanship in all of his tools, he replied, “To me, it’s the minimum that makes something worth doing.” To me, it’s a logical assumption that all studio artisans would feel that way, but in today’s market for studio crafts, it’s evident that a great many don’t. In Phil’s case, the standards of quality are especially apparent throughout the design, feel, and function of the tools. The working end is well-fashioned and mounted in a machined brass ferrule and a finely-finished, hand-turned

hardwood handle, designed for utility and ergonomics appropriate to the particular tool. If you have favorite handles from the broad range he makes, Phil accepts orders for tools with specific handles. He also accepts orders for custom tools if his experience indicates that the proposal is feasible and practical.

Phil’s Website says “There are no employees, ‘distributors, retailers, or other interlopers to confuse, exploit, goof up, markup, or misstate matters, or to interfere with communications between me and those potters who may use, or wish to use these tools’.” During the pre-industrial era, local artisans maintained a close relationship with their customers. It was to the artisan’s advantage to make the highest quality product with original design features in order to win and retain customers. Feedback was immediate and ongoing, and adaptation of productdesign to need represented a beautiful, close-knit symbiosis that rarely exists in today’s world. Through his conviction to honestly represent these tools with no interference, and now with the help of that most up-to date of technologies—the Internet—Phil has recreated a fluid and responsive maker-user relationship on a national and international scale, remarkably like that which existed on a local scale 200 years ago. The irony is wonderful.

A perusal of Phil’s Website at www.bisonstudios.com immediately reveals a remarkable range of tools, including loop tools in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, plus the original solid tools and a selection of knives and sgraffito tools. Phil admits that the Website is a little out of date, but some of his newer designs can be found on Etsy, a marketing Website for things

Shop Talk I Tool Times

handmade. To see them, go to www.etsy.com and enter “Bison tools” in the search box. I am especially intrigued by the “scoopy tools” and “tiny dogleg tools.” The latter seem the ultimate tool for the discerning porcelain carver. (I wonder if Elaine Coleman has found them.)

The cutting edges on all Bison tools are tungsten carbide, and will perform for years before dulling, depending on the particular conditions of use. You can even trim bonedry, with only a slight decrease in longevity.

The tools should be sent back to Phil for re-sharpening. I asked if he had ever done a study of how many pots can be trimmed before the tool needs re-sharpening. His response was, “It’s tough to do because the particular conditions are so variable. But I did sit down one time and work out that the figure of 17 miles of trimmings was reasonable.” Seventeen miles is one heck of a lot of trimming!

In considering the use of Bison tools, remember that tungsten carbide is brittle. The loop tools are especially fragile, and if dropped on a concrete floor will likely shatter. The material is inflexible, and the blades should not be tweaked in any way or rapped against a bucket to dislodge clay. Bison tools should not be stored rattling around with other tools in a bucket or toolbox. None of this is problematic if one simply accepts the reality of their fragility and adjusts handling and storage habits accordingly.

Recently Phil sent us a box of tools to test at the Appalachian Center for Craft, and my students and I gave them a rigorous workout for several months. Included were three variations of the “A” loop, his most popular tool, combining a sharp corner for leveling and deep cuts, a curved end for inside curves, and a straight edge for flat surfaces. Also included were several other loop tools, a hook tool, and a variety of the solid tools.

Miniature Series Double-Ended Loop Tool

We were impressed with the quality and performance of these tools. They are so sharp that they take a bit of getting used to, but once you learn to gauge the angle of approach and pressure required, they are easy to manage and give far more control of cut than any other trimming tool on the market. Though they might seem pricey in comparison with other trimming tools, their longevity, quality, and design make them a bargain.

When I asked Phil to define his philosophy of customer service, he replied, “It should be fun for both parties, and no bullshit.” That is succinct and accurate. When I asked if he has considered making other specialized potter’s tools, he responded, “Every now and then I think of things that I would love to do or to offer, but I am just booked up, and don’t have elbow room to do anything more than I have.” Maybe he’s just waiting for the right suggestion. You can reach Phil by phone at 702.338.2085 or e-mail pdp1@earthlink.net.

his Website: “The Bison tools come sharp and hold their edge for a long time. Please consider to use them knowingly; with a slow wheel, and when possible let your clay be toward leather-hard. Thus will your work go sure and swift and clean.” [

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

This brief dialogue doesn’t even get into Phil’s commitment to rescuing injured wild birds, nursing them back to health, and releasing them. Phil is many-faceted, and his writing style seems consistent with the quality and nature of his tools and his convictions.

I’ll give him the last word, a quote from

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

As soon as I received the tools, we took a bunch of large poly sponges and cut a deep slot down the center of each one. Before a student checked out a tool to test, I made sure he/she was clear in the understanding that the tool must be stored with the business end poked into the slotted sponge at all times unless actively in use in the hand. We all quickly developed this habit, and had no problems with dropping and breakage. When we sent the tools back to Phil they were all in perfect condition, and I could discern no lessening in sharpness after several months of use.

#46 and #38 Solid Tools

49 Potters4Peace1109.indd 1

11/7/09 11:47 AM

The Slurry Bucket CODY GARCIA

Transporting Greenware I was planning on moving and had a dilemma, since I knew I’d need to transport my greenware with me and the pots can break so easily at this stage. I keep all of my leftover plastic grocery bags from the supermarket. I used the grocery bags to cushion all of the pots. It worked out great—I went all the way across town, and not even one pot broke!

Jennifer Garcia • Philadelphia, PA

Knead a Worktable?

A plaster-filled ‘fire door’ obtained from your local building supply store can serve as a great tabletop surface for kneading or general studio worktable use. Before stretching and stapling canvas over your table work surface, liberally spray the whole tabletop with a spray adhesive.

Then place, smooth, and press the canvas tightly to the sticky surface to keep it from moving, stretching, or creasing during use. [ Share your useful clay tips or techniques with our readers and earn a free T-shirt! Mail your tip with your shirt size to: The Slurry Bucket, c/o Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197.

50

Jan. 4-8

“Hands-On Functional Pots” Sierra Nevada College at Lake Tahoe, NV Contact: (775) 881-7588 www.sierranevada.edu/workshops

Mar. 20-21

‘International Ceramic Seminar’ Gouda, Holland Contact: Ph: (035) 647.9441 Fax: (035) 647. 9444 Email: lucky.lambo@wxs.nl www.sbbgouda.nl

Mar. 31-Apr. 2

‘van Gilder Clay Tools’ Demo NCECA Conference at the Philadelphia Convention Center Contact: (301) 416.2970 Email: vangilderpottery@earthlink.net

Apr. 15-17

‘The Functional Workshop’ at Wayne Center for the Arts, Wooster, Ohio Contact: (330) 264.2787 www.functionalworkshop.com

Apr. 23-24

‘Functional Pots: Tips, Tools & Techniques’ at the Penryn Workshop, Penryn, CA Contact: (916) 663.2815 www.penrynartgallery.com

Aug. 2-6

‘Hands-On: Thrown & Assembled Pottery’ Sierra Nevada College at Lake Tahoe, NV Contact: (775) 881.7588 www.sierranevada.edu/workshops

Ceramics Studios, Guilds, Universities, Colleges: To schedule a van Gilder workshop call 301.416.2970 or e-mail: vangilderpottery@earthlink.net

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Post & Follow in Your Studio or Classroom ...

by MONONA ROSSOL

T

his month, I looked back on the many years of my columns and decided to see if I could summarize the most basic rules of studio safety. They number 30. If you can think of something I missed, please get in touch by e-mail. I could use your help, and I’d be happy to hear from you!

the air. Proper vacuums for clay include those that pick up wet material from the floor and those with high-efficiency (HEPA) filters. Plain wet mopping can be just as effective if done well. Change water frequently and get floors scrupulously clean.

1. Plan studios with clean-up procedures in mind. Floors should be sealed and waterproof.

Use non-slip coatings, flooring, or mats for areas of floor where water is likely to spill. Tables, shelving, and equipment should be made of materials that can be easily sponged clean.

Enough space should be left between tables and equipment to make cleaning easy.

5. To reduce disposal costs, find ways to use glaze scraps and glaze-contaminated floor dusts. Fire them on experimental ware or the insides of closed forms where they can’t be seen. Fired, glazed objects do not have a large enough surface area to leach metals in amounts that are considered hazardous to the environment (however, they may be hazardous to use as foodware). Glazed shards of pottery, for example, are not hazardous waste and can be disposed of in the ordinary trash.

2. Areas of the pottery where glazes are applied, mixed, or stored should be separated from other areas by walls or barriers. Glaze waste from splashes, washing brushes or containers, dust from glaze on surfaces and floors, and other sources will contain metals regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If your pottery is in a school or business, glaze waste from mop water, brush cleaning and similar sources, floors, surfaces, glaze buckets, and the like must be collected and given to a hazardous waste service for proper disposal. If you are a potter working alone, you should consider taking glaze waste to a household hazardous waste program. It is harmful to the environment if glaze waste is thrown in the trash or washed into floor drains or sink drains.

4. Clean floors without creating dust. Do not sweep. Ordinary household, industrial, shop, and water-filled types of vacuums will collect only large-diameter dust particles while releasing the invisible toxic fine dusts back into

7. Do not use lead in any form (raw, frit, commercial glaze, etc.). If lead is used on the job, employers must be prepared to meet complex OSHA Lead Standard regulations in the United States or the OSHA Regulations respecting Lead in Canada. Disposal of leadcontaining materials also must meet EPA toxic waste rules.

8. Keep glaze and clay chemicals in the containers in which they were purchased so all of the OSHA-required information will be with the chemicals (and do not accept chemicals from suppliers who provide them labeled only with the name of the chemical, which does not meet requirements). Place the labeled bags in

stackable plastic containers (e.g., Tupperware®) and store on shelves. Do not pour glaze powders into other containers or into bins. For example, clouds of dust are created when bins are filled; as the level of the chemical in the bin gets lower, dust gets on arms and sleeves when chemicals are scooped out. Good hygiene is impossible to achieve with these bins, and all of the label information would have to be visible on the bin to achieve OSHA compliance.

9. Avoid lifting injuries. Buy glaze chemicals in 25-pound quantities or less. If premixed clay is purchased rather than mixing clay from scratch, only one or two 50-pound bags of clay should last for a very long time. Store heavy materials at heights (on benches or shelves) where lifting can be done without bending the back. When lifting is necessary, it should be done with the legs, keeping the back straight to avoid injury.

10. Practice good hygiene. Wash hands carefully and use a nail brush after glazing. Work on surfaces that are easily cleaned with a damp sponge and wipe up spills immediately. Don’t eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics, or store food in ceramic areas. Eating and recreating must be done in separate rooms maintained in a sanitary condition.

11. Avoid skin problems. Keep broken skin from contact with clay and glazes. Wash hands and apply a good emollient hand cream after work. People with skin problems can wear surgical or plastic gloves while working.

12. Wear protective clothing such as smocks, tightly woven coveralls, and hair coverings..

Avoid flammable synthetic fabrics. Change clothing when leaving the pottery rather than carrying dusts home. Wash clothing frequently and separately from other clothes.

13. Avoid cumulative trauma disorders. Make repetitive and/or forceful movements of the hands and arms in short bursts, and take

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

3. Waste from floors and surfaces that contain only clay can be washed down into floor drains or put out in the regular trash. Clay is not a hazard to the environment and is not regulated by EPA. Clay is only regulated by OSHA when the dust gets into the air and people breathe it.

6. Obtain Material Safety Data Sheets on all materials used in the studio, such as clays and glazes. In addition, obtain mineral and chemical analyses of clays, glazes, and other minerals from suppliers. Good suppliers will provide this data. Use this ingredient information to avoid materials containing highly toxic ingredients such as lead and asbestos, and treat dusty materials containing over 1% free silica as highly toxic by providing dust control, ventilation, and/or respiratory protection.

Studio I Health & Safety

30 Rules for Pottery Safety

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Studio I Health & Safety

frequent rests. Never work to the point of exhaustion or pain. Change positions frequently.

When wedging, keep the wrist in a neutral or mid-joint position, and use the weight of the body rather than just the muscles of the upper limb. In general, good posture, avoidance of extreme overweight, and exercise to keep muscles strong are all useful in preventing overuse injuries.

14. Avoid dusty processes when possible.

Examine all dust-producing procedures such as mixing clay and glazes, sanding greenware, and reprocessing clay. Identify procedures that can be replaced. For example, greenware can be dressed in the leather-hard state. For another example, buying premixed clay is less costly than mixing clay if the cost of providing proper ventilation and respiratory protection is factored in. One very inexpensive method of reprocessing can be done by soaking completely dried clay (do not break up large pieces, which creates dust) and putting the slurry on plaster bats. Or one can purchase one of the powerful new pug mills that will even reprocess leather-hard clay, and run all daily scraps through the mill every day. Dry clay is only needed for such pug mills if too much water is added. Practice may eliminate the need for adding dry clay almost completely.

CLAYTIMES·COM n NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

15. Install local exhaust systems for processes that create toxic airborne materials such as glaze spraying, mixing powdered chemicals, grindwheel use, waxing pots, and the like. Spray booths are suitable for glaze spraying and many other processes including glaze mixing (if glaze chemicals are purchased in small lots, which can be opened and used in the booth). Some dusty tasks can be done in front of a strong window exhaust fan or outdoors.

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16. All local exhaust systems for toxic materials should be designed (or your plans reviewed) by an industrial ventilation engineer (not a heating and air-conditioning engineer).

There are many engineering flaws and local code requirements that you many not be aware of, and you need professional advice.

17. Use cold wax emulsions when possible. If wax is melted for glaze resist, provide ventilation for the toxic hot-wax emissions.

18. Construct kilns from refractory brick and castables. Avoid asbestos or ceramic fiber insulation. Wall off any existing fiber insulation with brick or metal barriers. Repair or dispose of ceramic fiber insulation with precautions similar to those required for asbestos abatement. Follow all occupational and

environmental regulations when disturbing, repairing, or disposing of asbestos-containing materials or ceramic fiber.

19. Install proper ventilation for each type of kiln. Negative pressure systems are usually best for electric kilns. Ventilation systems for all types of kilns must exhaust to the outside in a location that cannot contaminate someone else’s air or reenter the building through windows, doors, or other openings. In most urban areas, this means stacks from gas kilns must exhaust many feet above the roof- line of the building and be permitted by local environmental authorities.

20. Install two types of kiln shut-off mechanisms for back-up.

21. Install carbon monoxide detectors in the kiln area. Schools and businesses should purchase expensive, continuous-reading monitors and watch for levels in excess of OSHA limits for workers (35 ppm) or in excess of indoor air quality standards (~11 ppm) if children are exposed. Individuals who cannot afford these monitors can buy a household carbon monoxide monitor that has both an alarm and a digital readout in parts per million. Remember: the household models alarm at levels that are too high for your health. They only save your life. So check the level by pressing the button on the detector frequently.

22. Plan fire protection carefully. Locate kilns in areas free of combustible materials and at least three feet away from combustible walls.

Equip electric kilns with two automatic shutoffs in case one fails. Consult fire officials or other experts for advice on proper fire-fighting systems and/or extinguishers. Do not locate water sprinkler heads above kilns or other hot and/or high-voltage equipment. Hold regular evacuation drills. Schools and businesses must hold annual fire and emergency training under the OSHA regulations.

23. Prepare for emergencies. Have a first aid kit handy. Post lists of emergency numbers by each telephone. Post and practice emergency procedures.

24. Use proper personal protective equipment.

Wear infrared-blocking goggles (welding shade #3 or #4) when looking into glowing kilns, asbestos-substitute gloves when handling hot objects, impact goggles when grinding or chipping, and so on.

25. If masks or respirators are used, all the OSHA regulations applying to respirator use should be followed: Users should be medically

certified for respirator use, professionally fittested, and formally trained in their use by a qualified person. Air-purifying respirators are not approved for use against kiln emissions, wax decomposition (acrolein), and many other uses. Ventilation is needed for these procedures.

26. Keep all tools, machinery, and potter’s wheels in good condition. Be especially vigilant about electrical equipment, since water is always present. Place ground fault interrupters on outlets used for potter’s wheels and other electric tools.

27. Use hand grinders, Dremel® tools, flexible shaft grinders, or other hand-held types of tools to remove dripped glaze flaws from pottery. Do not used bench grindwheels. OSHA requires a grindwheel tool rest to be adjusted within 1/8 inch of the wheel, and a breakout plate and guard must be in place. This does not leave enough space for pots to be ground.

All grinding must be done in local exhaust to keep the dust controlled.

28. Always be prepared to provide your doctor with precise information about the chemicals you use and your work practices. Have lung function tests included in your regular physical examinations. Arrange for regular blood lead tests if you use lead-containing frits, glazes, or other materials.

29. Provide customers with food-safe ware either by using glazes that contain no toxic substances (as determined by the MSDSs or analyses of the ingredients you mix) or by engaging in regular laboratory testing programs. Laboratory testing must also be done if you use commercial “food safe” glazes, since they may not be safe if under-fired, over-fired, accidentally contaminated with a dirty brush from another glaze, not mixed thoroughly, and for many other reasons.

30. Keep children out of areas where there are glazes and glaze chemicals, clay dusts, heavy flywheel potter’s wheels, and other equipment or materials that are hazardous.

Children’s classes must be taught in classrooms that are “child-proofed” as well as your own home would be. Even most “non-toxic” glazes are not suitable for children in grades 6 or under. [

Monona Rossol is an industrial hygienist/ chemist with an M.F.A. in ceramics/glass. She may be reached at ACTS, 181 Thompson St., #23, New York, NY 10012-2586; telephone 212.777.0062; e-mail ACTSNYC@cs.com.

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

Classes are listed alphabetically by state

ARIZONA

COLORADO

FLORIDA

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

Art Students League of Denver — 200 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203; 303.778.6990 x100; www.asld.org; membership@asld.org. Full ceramics program with classes for adults and children, taught by nationally-recognized faculty artists including Barry Rose, Gayla Lemke, and Shelley Schreiber. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults, classes for children.

Artistic Services — 6810 Green Swamp Road, Clermont, FL 34714; 321.947.7667; RMrsNice@ yahoo.com; Sammyhorse.com. Relaxed pottery for children and adults on Saturday mornings at our horse farm. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing.

ARKANSAS Flat Rock Clay Supplies — 2002 South School Ave. (Hwy. 71), Fayetteville, AR 72701; 479.521.3181; www.flatrockclay.com; info@flatrock clay. com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, tile, special topic classes and workshops.

CALIFORNIA Echo Ceramics — 8186 Center Street, Suite D, La Mesa, CA 92124; 619.884.4597, www.getcenteredclay. com; ellylou@cox.net. Classes for beginners and intermediates; studio space for rent; fully equipped pottery studio and showroom. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults.

Get Centered Clay Studio — 8186 Center Street, Suite D, La Mesa, CA 91942; 619.667.7077, www.getcenteredclay.com; getcenteredclay@cox.net. Fully equipped clay studio with 24/7 access, classes, supplies, private/semi-private spaces available. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, guest artist workshops, classes for adults.

Meiklem Kiln Works — 46 Lebanon Rd., Bozrah, CT 06334; 860.886.8562; meiklemkilnworks@ yahoo.com; www.meiklemkilnworks.com. Pottery, art, yoga & energy classes, artisan gallery/gift shop, teambuilding workshops, birthdays, and more! Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children.

Milkhouse Pottery — 30 River Road, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754; 860.672.6450; milkpotsfox@juno. com; www.milkhousepottery.net. Small, year-round classes; students aged 9 to adult; experienced teacher; individual attention. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Eastern Market Pottery — 225 7th St. SE, Washington, DC 20003; 202.544.6669; cbrome@ earthlink.net; www.easternmarketpottery.com. Evening classes in wheel-throwing at new studio. Electric and gas firing in new kilns. All skill levels and handbuilders are welcome.

Hinckley Pottery — 1707 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202.745.7055; sweber@ hinckleypottery.com; www.hinckleypottery.com. Day, evening, and weekend classes are offered for all skill levels.

Enrollment is ongoing. Wheel-throwing, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

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

Ocee Community Art Center — 6290 Abbotts Bridge Rd., Building 700, Johns Creek, GA 30097; Tel. 770.623.8448; Fax 770.623.6695; www.johnscreekarts.org; dawnjcac@bellsouth.net. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture, and electric firing; classes and workshops for adults, teens, and children. Gallery space for rent.

MAINE The Red Door Pottery Studio — 44 Government St., Kittery, ME 03904; 207.439.5671; exfpottery@yahoo.com; www.reddoorpottery.com.

Year-round classes, all skill levels, monthly workshops, private lessons, retail gallery, shows. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

MARYLAND Art Space on Main — 138 West Main St., Elkton, MD 21921; 410.620.6020; info@artspaceonmain. com; www.artspaceonmain.com. Classes for beginner to advanced adults and children, wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, workshops, raku, warm/fused glass, 24/7 studio access, studio membership for independent artists, gallery.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge — 4469 Chevy Chase Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011; 818.790.4353; www. cclcf.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, glazing, firing, raku, classes for children and adults.

CONNECTICUT

Resources I Classes

Community Pottery Classes

53

Resources I Classes

Baltimore Clayworks — 5707 Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209; 410.578.1919; www.baltimoreclayworks.org; matt.hyleck@baltimore clayworks.org; workshop contact: forrest.snyder@ baltimoreclayworks.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile, mosaic, decorating, printmaking, slipcasting, wood firing, salt firing.

The Frederick Pottery School, Inc. — 5305 Jefferson Pike, Suite C-2, Frederick, MD 21703; 301.473.8833; www.frederickpotteryschool. com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, wood firing, cone 6 oxidation.

Glen Echo Pottery — Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812; 301.220.5585; www.glenechopottery.com; info@glenechopottery.com.

Year-round pottery school. Day & evening classes.

Generous open studio time for individual exploration.

Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, gas firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children; special raku, soda, and wood firings.

Jayne Shatz Pottery — 452 Laurel Valley Court, Arnold, MD 21012; 410.757.6351; www.jayneshatzpottery.com; jesclay@aol.com; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture, glazing, firing, wall relief and tile, workshops, critiques, marketing strategy, group and private sessions.

The

Fulwood Measure

TM

Renaissance Children’s Arts Center — 12116 Darnestown Rd., Suite L-4; Gaithersburg, MD 20878; 301.987.0377; Fax 301.987.0377; www. rcarts.com; info@rcarts.com. Art classes for all ages.

Drawing, pottery, clay, mixed media & digital arts. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, summer camps & workshops.

Shiloh Pottery, Inc. — 1027 Brodbeck Road, Hampstead, MD 21074; 410.239.8888; www.shilohpottery.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

MASSACHUSETTS

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The perfect tool for same-size production pottery. Unique hinged pointer measures height and diameter of the pot and moves out of the way when not in use. With the Fulwood Measure, you can get it right every time. Handcrafted in beautiful hardwood and made in the USA.

Kissimmee River Pottery

One 8th Street #11 Frenchtown, New Jersey 08825 908.996.3555 riverpots @ earthlink.net www.kissimmeeriverpottery.com

Cynthia Curtis Pottery — 80 Pigeon Hill St., Rockport, MA 1966; 978.546.6186; cynthiacurtispottery@verizon.net; www.cynthiacurtis pottery.com. Year-round classes for all ages and abilities.

Also private lessons, independent study program, retail gallery. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops.

Mudflat Pottery School, Inc. — 149 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145; 617.628.0589; www.mudflat.org; info@mudflat.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, tile.

and handbuilding; electric and gas firing; guest artist workshops; classes for adults and children.

MICHIGAN Ox-Bow — 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck MI 49453; 800.318.3019; ox-bow@saic.edu; www.oxbow.org. Two-week intensives with Tip Toland, Franscesc Burgos, Sarah Lindley for beginning and experienced artists. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, mold making & casting, classes for adults.

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

Natchez Clay — 101 Clifton Ave. (overlooking Mississippi River), Natchez, MS 39120; 601.660.2375; natchezclay@gmail.com; www.natchezclay.com. Ongoing classes; great workshop schedule; great facilities. See our Web site for more info. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults, classes for children. Private and shared studio rental.

MISSOURI The Potter’s Obsession, LLC — 13035-B Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64145; 816.941.2555; pottersobsession.com; obpotter@ kcnet.com. Wheel-throwing; handbuilding; cone 6 electric firing; raku firing; classes for adults.

Red Star Studios — 821 West 17th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106; 816.474.7316; www. redstarstudios.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, workshops, gallery, studio space.

NEW MEXICO Taos Clay — 1208 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM 87529; 575.770.4334; potmaker@gmail.com; www.taosclay.com. Private and community studio & gallery offering classes, workshops, residencies, & studio space. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

NEW YORK Two Rivers Ceramic Studio Co. — 77 Elm St., Amesbury, MA 01913; 978.388.2215; www. tworiversceramics.com; info@tworiversceramics.com. A cooperative studio with programs and classes for both the independent and student ceramic artists. Wheel-throwing

Artworks at West Side YMCA — 5 West 63rd St., New York, NY 10023; 212.875.4129; ymcanyc.org/westside; kmissett@ymcanyc.org. A friendly studio with three clay bodies, great open studio hours, fabulous teachers. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric

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, year-round adult classes, ceramic artist rental shelves, pottery for sale. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, private parties.

Clay Art Center — 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY 10573; 914.937.2047; www.clayartcenter.org; mail@ clayartcenter.org. Clay classes for adults & children and monthly workshops in wheel-throwing, sculpture, & special topics. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, summer camps, studio space, gallery.

The Painted Pot — 339 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231; 718.222.0334; www.paintedpot.com; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture.

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.

Potter’s Wheel — 14011 Falba, Houston, TX 77070; klanier327@sbcglobal.net; www.giftedpotter. com; 281.728.0747. We are a private teaching studio and gift gallery in a busy shopping center. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, paintyour-own pottery.

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

OHIO Yost Pottery Studio — 1643 Massillon Road, Akron, OH 44312; 330.734.0763; www.yostpottery.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, tile, firing.

PENNSYLVANIA The Clay Studio — 139 North Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; 215.925.3453; www.theclaystudio.org; info@theclaystudio.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture.

TENNESSEE Mud Puddle Pottery and Supply — 538 Highway 70, Pegram, TN 37143 (20 minutes outside Nashville); 615.646.6644; www.mudpuddlepottery.com; mudpuddle@bellsouth. net; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture.

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

WISCONSIN Bethel Horizons - Art Ventures — 312 Wisconsin Ave., Madison, WI 53703; 608.767.8767; www. bethelhorizons-artventures.org; huntk@tds.net. Many levels classes/groups for wheel-throwing, handbuilding, woodfiring, at our state-of-the-art studio in the beautiful hills of SE Wisconsin. Wheel-throwing and handbuilding; electric, gas, raku, and wood firing; guest artist workshops; classes for adults and children, school groups, church groups, and assorted community groups.

WYOMING Potters’ Depot LLC — 75 East Benteen St., Buffalo, WY 82834; 307.684.4555; pottersdepot@msn. com.Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults, teens, and children. Fully equipped pottery studio with gallery and supplies. [

VIRGINIA The Art League School — Located near the Torpedo Factory at 305 Madison Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703.683.5358; www.theartleague.org/school; blairm@theartleague.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, corporate retreats, associates program.

Art Pottery Studio — 4810 Tabard Pl., Annandale, VA 22003; 703.978.1480; artpottery@earthlink.net. Yearround classes for all ages and abilities; group and private lessons, with special programs for Girl Scouts, cancer survivors, & others facing life’s challenges. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children, mixed media, sculpture, and specialty workshops.

A year-round listing of your community pottery class in CT and on our Website is available for just $99 — an EXCELLENT VALUE! To feature your classes, visit our online submission page: www.claytimes.com/classes. html or call 540.882.3576.

“Building Large Coil Forms” with Vince Pitelka

Lorton Arts Foundation-Workhouse April 24-25, 2010 • 9 am-4 pm Arts Center — 9504 Workhouse Way, Bldg. 8, Oak Ridge Art Center, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 865.482.1441 — oakridgeartcenter.org Lorton, VA 22079; (703) 584-2982; www.workhousearts. org or www.lortonarts.org; dalemarhanka@lortonarts.org.

A collective and highly dynamic environment with the goal of promoting ceramic art through research, education, oakridgead1.1109.indd 1 10/7/09 2:23:40 PM and outreach. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, ceramic sculpture, tile, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

SHOWROOM • RETAIL SALES • SERVICE

Ceramic – Pottery – Glass – Studio Equipment Discount Packages – Delivery – Installation – Instruction Mike Swauger • (540) 636-6016 TOLL FREE 1-877-KILNDOC mike@thekilndoctor.com www.thekilndoctor.com 202 East Main Street, Front Royal, VA 22630 Serving VA, WV, MD, DC & DE

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

CHARLOTTE NC

Nan Rothwell Studio Pottery — 221 Pottery Lane, Faber, VA 22938 (near Wintergreen); 434.263.4023; www.nanrothwellpottery.com; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, glazing, firing for ages 16 & up.

Resources I Classes

firing, photo-ceramics, majolica classes, lustre firings, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

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Resources I Classified Marketplace

Classified Marketplace Classes • What could be better than Robin Hopper and Sarasota, Florida in February? Don’t miss Robin Hopper’s two-day workshop Feb. 6 & 7, 2010, at Carla’s Clay, Inc., 1733 Northgate Blvd., Sarasota, FL. Visit www. carlasclay.com for more details, or call 941.359.2773. Early registration now until Jan. 15, 2010 is $225 for the weekend ($235 after Jan. 15.)

For Sale • Selling various Byron Temple wood-fired/ salt-glazed ceramics. Off-white glazed interiors, unglazed warm brown earthen exterior with bands of earthen-tone glazes.

All signed with Temple’s marker, produced between 1962-1989 and safe for the oven and dishwasher. For a description of available pieces and prices, please call 216.291.0646, or e-mail wjmark@earthlink.net.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

• Lots for sale in creative community located in the NC mountains, near Penland School of Crafts. Hundreds of art/ craft studios nearby. Ninety acres includes forest preserve, trails, organic farm site, green building. Studios/galleries welcome.

Lots have electricity, water, fast Internet, from $55,000. High Cove, a community for arts, environment, and lifelong learning: www. highcove.com.

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• 1/3 Ownership in Studio for Arts and Works (SAW), Carbondale, Colorado.

Designed as a collaborative space for creative professionals and professional creatives, SAW consists of artist studios and industrial-style offices. Tenant mix includes potters, painters, a jeweler, and business professionals. The SAW gallery hosts local artists and is an essential stop on Carbondale’s monthly “First Fridays” gallery walk. 30 minutes from iconic Aspen. $110,000. Contact Rick Carlson at 970.946.1755; riccarlson@gmail.com; http://sawcarbondale.wordpress.com/.

• EQUIPMENT FOR SALE — Ratcliffe jolly/ jigger with many additional production parts.

Make ware from small cups to 20” pasta bowls and sinks. Electronics converted to U.S. parts (Grainger). Additional mounted vertical attachment for deep pieces (tumblers, sinks, etc.). Equipment located in Santa Fe, NM. 220V, single phase. $7000 or best offer. E-mail: info@rainbowgate.com.

• USE CLAY IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY. The Art of Clayprinting is a 68 minute stepby-step instructional DVD. Learn how to use colored clay slips applied to a wet slab of stoneware clay to “pull” multiple monoprints.

A non-toxic printmaking process. $43.90 including S/H to Mitch Lyons, PO Box 40, New London, PA 19360. Handbuilding with Mitch Lyons is a 60-minute DVD teaching how to add texture, colored clays, and colored slips to a seamless pot. This DVD will open your eyes to new ways of working with clay. Workshop listings for 2010 may be viewed at: www.mitchlyons.com.

Glaze Software

with a “link” page. All information is editable by you, without Web knowledge. Go to the site and click on “FAQ” for more information.

Services • Having trouble filling orders or preparing inventory? Need a reliable production potter? You’re in luck ... and she delivers, too! The more you have, the more you will sell. Contact Elizabeth by phone at 706.820.4253, or e-mail eppletreepottery@ gmail.com. Log onto EppleTreePottery.com for more details and competitive pricing. The best thing for your business.

Tools for Potters

• GlazeMaster™ glaze calculation software for Macs and Windows.

Download a 60-day free trial. GlazeMaster provides an excellent database for your recipes as well as doing the “heavy lifting” of calculating the unity formula. There are lots of other features as well. Potters tell us it is the easiest-to-use glaze calculation software. For more information, go to http:// www.masteringglazes.com or e-mail john@ frogpondpottery.com.

• Manabigama Wood Firing Kiln Plans — Fires and ‘flashes’ 30 cu. ft. of pots beautifully in 8 hrs. Plans include: Complete materials list, step-by-step kiln building photo disc w/descriptive notes; plus kiln prep, loading and firing, cooling/ unloading details, glaze & slip recipes, more.

Kiln building workshops available at your site.

Contact: John Thies, Bill van Gilder at www. monocacypottery.com or tel. 301.898.3128.

Kiln Repair

Travel

• Kiln Repair. All makes — Washington, DC metro & Northern Virginia. $55/hour (onehour minimum) plus parts. Larry Safford, The Studio Resource: 703.283.7458; larrysafford@comcast.net.

• Mata Ortiz Contact — Week-long workshops for potters in Mata Ortiz. Learn their unique handbuilding, decorating, and firing techniques in the Mata Ortiz potters’ homes. $900 fee includes transportation, food, lodging and all workshop expenses.

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It Could Be A Great ‘Girl Thing’...

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broomsticks through the holes of the cinderblocks and carried them up the steps in pairs.

hen my kids were little, we did a homeschool unit study that involved one warm, fresh egg from the backyard chicken coop.

We boxed bricks in every conceivable container: milk crates, clay boxes, recycle bins, junked dresser drawers. We hauled them to my mom and dad’s cottage in Michigan’s Irish Hills, where they spent the winter under a tarp.

We set it end-up in a baking pan, and then began to stack books on top. We had penciled our guesses about how many books the egg would support before it collapsed, and were remarkably wrong. Phone books, cookbooks, math books and pottery books piled higher and higher, and still the egg held firm.

Of course, it finally succumbed with a satisfying splat, but the integrity of that little eggshell curve had our attention. So we researched the Roman aqueducts, the ancient Mesopotamian Taq-i Kisra, famous cathedrals and the architecture of Gaudi with a whole new appreciation.

Conclusion: a catenary arch is nothing short of magic.

In the years to follow. I would become familiar with that kiln, at an intimate level,

The catenary arch design is so stable, it requires no welded bracing; it can be disassembled, cannibalized, and reassembled as needed.

Every part is “liftable” without a heavily muscled work crew. firing it, praising it, cursing it, and spending long days or nights tending, tweaking, and watching it. The poetic, metaphorical possibilities for it were overwhelming: a box of white fire in the wee hours of morning, it was a crucible transforming the elements, a box of light, a doorway to hell, a living, breathing thing. I went back this summer to help with the new soda kiln, just for sheer love of the form.

I wanted one of my own. It seemed unfair that just when I was learning the sweet spots and challenges of that EMU kiln, I graduated and was done with it. So when my potter friend Nancy Guido gave me the headsup on an ebay listing, I didn’t waste time.

There was a cat kiln for sale in nearby Ann Arbor, Michigan, built for the use of a co-op that had dissolved soon after the kiln was in place. Constructed from a mix of new and used IFB and hard brick, the kiln had never been fired. The minimum bid was $99. The catch: it had to be completely removed in three days, because the owner was moving out of state.

I think mine was the only bid.

I won. I scrambled to borrow a truck from a friend and rent a trailer, and then built a quick kiln form. With the help of my husband and kids and my mom, we made a series of road trips and disassembled the kiln brick by brick. It was at the bottom of a long flight of stairs in a narrow backyard. My kids poked two

Meanwhile, local pottery legend Edith Franklin decided that she no longer needed the burners from her suburban patio catenary (“Around the Firebox,” September/October 2008 Clay Times). She offered to trade them with me for some yard work and minor home repairs by ‘Team Savino.’ (I provide my teens some coveted spending money, and they help repair a birdhouse, haul some bricks, clean out gutters, and organize a garden shed.) The burners are vintage and haven’t been fired since the ’80s, but Brian Nelson, my old sculpture professor from EMU, let me use his sandblaster and equipment to clean them up.

My boys no longer homeschool, but as this recent summer neared an end, they took part in another catenary arch magic trick, even better than the egg experiment. Connor just happened to be learning how to calculate the volume of odd shapes, and we took on “Length x 4/3 Height x ½ Base Width” to plan a kiln of 18 cubic feet.

BTU calculations followed, with advice by phone from CT ‘Kilns & Firing’ columnist Marc Ward.

My kids helped dig the footer and pour the slab for the kiln, in a little clearing overlooking Wolf

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

I thought of that lesson years later when, as an M.F.A. student at Eastern Michigan University, I was part of a group building a catenary arch salt kiln with Diana Pancioli. We spent a weekend at it, taking notes, stacking brick, and cutting keystones.

We designed the door opening to accommodate my fellow grad student, Patrick Green, the large, friendly, bearded man my kids called “Hagrid.” I suggested that we name the finished kiln “Fitzpatrick,” because it did (fit Patrick, that is)!

BY KELLY SAVINO

Opinion I Around the Firebox

The Crazy Catenary Arch:

57

Opinion I Around the Firebox

Catenary Arch (continued from previous page) Lake. We uncovered the boxes of bricks, evicting little brown frogs and discarding Kaowool® mouse nests. We lined up the bricks in dad’s empty wooden trailer, by temperature, condition, and wedge-angle.

Labor Day weekend was my Grandma’s 94th birthday, so family gathered at the cottage.

I found my kiln building project to be a source of interest for older relatives who poured lemonade and pulled up lawn chairs to watch. With the slab poured and floor laid, we hefted the wooden kiln form into place atop four little wedges, in preparation for the magic trick’s big moment.

There was plenty of advice from the peanut gallery. As we stacked experimental rows of brick to follow the curve of the arch form, trying on a straight here, a #2 arch there, somebody would pipe up ... “I don’t like the looks of the one in that fourth row!” and we’d unstack and revise.

In the course of a day we had completed the inner arch, and then the outer, becoming less exacting about the quality of the bricks as we went. A few were mossy, or broken in half: they would do fine for the second

layer. My family was dubious that such a complicated brick structure could stand with no mortar. “You’ll see,” I promised.

When we finally placed the last keystone at the top, the crowd was assembled in anticipation. I gathered the four cords attached to the wooden wedges under the kiln form, and pulled. The wedges slid out, and the form dropped an inch. I tugged the form out of the arch, and there it stood, solid as the St. Louis Arch—almost pure compression, immune to shear forces, a parabola able to expand and contract with firing and cooling.

I will never tire of that moment. I fantasize about packing up my little pop-up camper and touring the country like Johnny Appleseed, spreading the use of the catenary arch. While potters with kilns are like coon hunters with dogs or farmers with tractors, arguing Plott hounds over Blue Ticks or John Deere over Case, Diana once pointed out to me that a catenary is a good “woman’s kiln.”

For women of my generation and those prior, a “woman’s education” often meant no access to shop class, and no experience with welding (not to mention that I have no welding equipment lying around!).

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2009

Index to Advertisers

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I’d like to learn to weld, down the road, but the time and expense added to the kiln building project are something I can’t spare right now. The cat is so stable in itself, it requires no welded bracing; it can be disassembled, cannibalized, and reassembled as needed. Every part is “liftable” without a heavily muscled work crew. Some argue that the arch shape makes it difficult to stack, but with the cobbled odds and ends of kiln shelves I have scrounged, and the odd heights of the work I make, stacking hasn’t been a problem for me.

The truth is, like your own house, your own mate, or your own studio, you soon become familiar with a kiln that is all yours. When you’re firing without a committee or a class, you soon learn strengths and weaknesses, and adapt accordingly by trial and error. I have not yet fired this little cat, but I’m heading North whenever time allows, trenching for the gas line and building the end walls and stack. The lack of mortar makes this less intimidating, as nothing feels like a permanent commitment: it’s a giant Lego block project, and can be remade or moved if necessary.

I sometimes think I will have to live to be 107 to finish all the projects I am starting.

Fortunately, I know plenty of older women who are great role models for lifelong learning and taking on new adventures at every stage of the game. The doors that will open for me once this kiln is up and running are too numerous to count: soda means new clay bodies, new forms, new firing skills, new glaze and slip experiments, and a new temperature range added to my cone 6 oxidation work at home and earthenwarerange work at the college where I teach.

Meanwhile, my zeal for the catenary arch borders on evangelical. I plan to give the phrase “Crazy Cat Lady” a whole new meaning … and then wear the title with pride. [ Kelly Savino can be reached by e-mail at: primalpotter@yahoo.com.

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