Clay Times Magazine Volume 14 • Issue 79

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ceramic

art

trends,

tools,

and

Volume 14 • Number 6 November/December 2008

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CELEBRATE

the Object: Utilitarian Clay V Featured Project: Highlighting Small Handles Why Glazes Work ( ... or Don’t!) An In-depth Look at Profile Ribs Lead Frits: Are They Safe?

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TIMES

Clay

November/December 2008 Volume 14, Number 6

Splash Cups and Carrier by Utilitarian Clay V presenter Kari Radasch. 4" x 14". Glazed terra cotta, coil-built, slipcast.

features 32 Utilitarian Clay V: Could it be the Last? Potential sale of the property leased by the Arrowmont School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee was a hot topic at this year’s clay symposium.

38 A Vineyard Kiln Building Project Construction of a new “Manabigama” kiln at the La Paz estate in Upperville, Virginia utilizes a practical new concept in wood firing.

41 New Tabletop Wheel Offers Convenience and Portability for less than $400 The “Aspire” wheel by Shimpo resolves issues of price, storage, and mobility without jeopardizing quality.

44 An Interview with Phil Rogers Joe Campbell discovers how people, influence, environment, design, patrons, and legacy have affected this British potter’s career in claywork.

Above: Phil Rogers leads a workshop at Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, NJ (see p. 44). At left: A group of wood-firing students build an energy-efficient "Manabigama" kiln. Story begins on page 38.

on exhibit 18 Invited Artists Exhibition View a sampling of invited artists’ works hand-picked by presenters of this year’s “Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object” symposium. 5

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November/December 2008 • Volume 14, Number 6

departments

Lorna Meaden demonstrates her wheel-throwing techniques at the Utilitarian Clay V symposium.

columns 21 AS FAR AS I KNOW

9 YOUR WORDS

“Why Glazes Work ... or Don’t” by Pete Pinnell

Readers offer their feedback & opinions

25 BENEATH THE SURFACE

13 WHAT’S HOT Clay world news, events, and calls for entries Bede Clark

“Hayne Bayless: Successful Non-conformist” by Lana Wilson

23 GREAT GLAZES A sampling of some favorite Raku formulas

28 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “Details, Details: Highlighting Small Handles” by Bill van Gilder

50 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers

49 KILNS & FIRING “Gas Safety Legislation Doesn’t Always Apply” by Marc Ward

58 SLURRY BUCKET TIPS Save time and trouble with these studio-tested tips and techniques.

59 POTTERY CLASSES

53 TOOL TIMES Andy Shaw

Where you can learn claywork in the U.S. & abroad

55 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Lead Frits: Are They Safe?” by Monona Rossol

63 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists

62 BOOKS & VIDEOS “Two Timeless Classics” reviews by Steve Branfman

65 AROUND THE FIREBOX

On the cover: Platter by Daphne Hatcher (part of Three Portals triptych). 4" x 19"; handbuilt cone 12 stoneware. Inset photo: Jar by Ayumie Horie. Photos by Tim Barnwell.

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“An In-depth Look at Profile Ribs” by Vince Pitelka

“Fingerprints That Never Disappear” by David Hendley Pictured at left: Works by some of the presenters at Arrowmont’s recent “Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object” symposium. See story, p. 33. Victoria Christen

“The tabletop design of the Aspire is great for my budget, for my small studio and for my aspiring artists!� Danielle McDaniel~The Clay Lady

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It all starts with clay

Brian Giffin back to the beginnings Jalisco, Mexico 2008

Photo by Fernando Emiliano

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Editor & Art Director: Polly Beach claytimes@gmail.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell ctcirculation@gmail.com Advertising Manager: Janie Herdman claytimesads@gmail.com Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene clayaccounts@gmail.com 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 Contributing Writers: Joe Campbell Missy Cochrane

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Readers’ Letters Helpful How-to’s I am writing ... to complement you on your truly inspirational magazine. As one of the instructors at the Fort Collins Pottery Studio, I must tell you how often we refer to Clay Times for lesson ideas and to solve the “how can I do this” questions. Many of our students have done pieces with the “church key” texture (it continues to be very popular) [see “The Church Key Potter,” Jan./Feb. ’08 Clay Times], and now several of us are throwing porcelain bowls with plans to carve and pierce. Jennifer McCurdy’s pieces are wonderful! [See “Defying Gravity,” July/Aug. ’08 Clay Times.] The fun never ends! We keep the latest issues out for students to read, and of course, save all back issues for reference. You provide a great resource! Thank you for a useful publication ... and thank you for your time. Sincerely, with clay under my nails, Heather Bartmann, via e-mail

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 $30 in the U.S.; $36 in Canada; $55 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). 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 © 2008 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.

Tile 6 Clay? In your Sept./Oct. 2008 issue there was a recipe for a transparent blue glaze (via Barbara Tipton) that calls for Tile 6 clay. We can’t seem to find any information on this ingredient and are eager to try this recipe. Is this known by another name, or can you tell us where to purchase this clay? Joanne Eschmann, via e-mail

Tile 6 Reply Dear Joanne, The Tile #6 Clay is a lightweight, very fine, lowiron kaolin. It’s used in industry on a large scale for dry-pressed tile manufacturing; hence, its name. Locally, we get it from Clayworks Supplies in Baltimore, MD, (www.clayworkssupplies.com). It’s used in glazes and slips when a low-iron clay is required. Most ceramic materials suppliers also carry this product, more commonly known as “Tile #6 Kaolin.”

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

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

Spouting Off I Your Words

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

Polly Beach, Editor [

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THOMAS STUART WHEELS ARE KNOWN AS THE TOUGHEST, BEST-PERFORMING WHEELS ANYWHERE. COMBINE THIS WITH SKUTT’S COMMITMENT TO SERVICE AND QUALITY, AND YOU HAVE A UNIFIED BRAND TO COUNT ON FROM THROWING TO FIRING. SKUTT POTTERS WHEELS, THOMAS STUART SIGNATURE SERIES.

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The power of your wheel is measured in torque. Our wheels use large continuous-duty motors that provide up to twice the torque of brands with the same horsepower rating. The higher the torque, the more clay you can throw. Most people wouldn’t think of throwing 400 pounds of clay, but may choose a higher-torque motor for maximum durability.

When Thomas Stuart designed their line of potter’s wheels they looked at every aspect of the wheel in terms of function and durability. Coming from a background of studio pottery, they had a great understanding of the stress and abuse these wheels can be subjected to under real world situations.

1000 Wheel Torque Test* (Ibs inch) Potter’s 800 600 400 200 0 p p p hp hp /4 hp /2 hp 1h dC /3 h /2 h /2 rt 1 ran tua uart 1 uart 1 and A d A 1 d A 1 d B 1 B S n s St St Br Bran Bran ma Bra as as m Tho hom o Th T *Tested by three independent motor specialists (not all competitor's wheels were available at the time of the test). References: Leeson Electric Motor Co. & Baldor Electric Motor Co.

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THE BODY The body of each wheel is constructed of solid cast aluminum. With no welds to crack, it stays as structurally sound as the day you bought it. The heavy castaluminum construction gives the wheel a sense of stability that you will find with no other wheel. THE SPLASH PAN Some models feature built-in splash pans, cast right into the body so there are no welds or leaks. Other models have removable one-piece splash pans, with no tabs to break and no seams to leak. These are thickly formed to hold up to dropping and other general abuse they may have to endure. THE DRIVE BELT Thomas Stuart wheels are driven by a six-groove heavy-duty belt. The more grooves, the less slippage. The less slippage, the less wear on the belt. While some may call it overkill, we don’t think so. 5-YEAR WARRANTY If anything happens to your potter’s wheel in the first five years of operation, Skutt will pay for the parts and labor to fix it. We have two full-time technicians and the best network of knowledgeable distributors in the industry available to help you with any questions you may have.

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REMOVABLE OR BUILT-IN SPLASH PANS The type of pan you choose is a personal choice and is determined by how you plan to use the wheel. Many people like the convenience of the one-piece removable splash pan, others prefer fewer parts to keep track of. The removable pan is different than others on the market due to its one-piece, heavy-duty construction.

REMOVABLE WHEEL HEAD Allows full access to the splash pan for easy cleanup on both built-in and removable style models. This unique design allows for the use of a one-piece splash pan which has a number of benefits:

£ Six individual adjustments to accommodate various users £ Tuned for a sensitive feel – no surges or jerky starts £ Top of the line electronics – no skimping here

LEG EXTENSIONS The popular adjustable leg extensions easily convert any of our wheels into a stand up wheel by utilizing our unique cast-aluminum clamp that attaches to the 2q pipe leg. These legs make the wheel infinitely adjustable to a maximum 30q in height.

£ Carry to the sink with no leaks £ No tabs to break £ Sturdy one piece construction will handle the weight of lots of trimmings REVERSIBLE SWITCH Not everyone is right-handed, so our wheels include a reversing switch for changing wheel head direction (not included on the Prodigy).

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ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries Conferences ‰ A limited number of cabins on board Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom of the Seas” vessel are still available for the second annual Cruisin’ for Clay Potters Conference in the Caribbean, to take place Jan. 11-18, 2009. Sign up now to beat next year’s mid-winter blues with an incredible week of fun in the sun and clay presentations by Tom & Elaine Coleman, Susan Filley, Bill van Gilder, and Xavier Gonzalez on board Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom of the Seas” cruise ship. Destinations include San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands ports of St. Thomas and St. Maarten, with Miami, FL port of departure. For full details and registration materials, log onto www.claytimes.com/cruise.html, or contact Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197; 800.356.2529; claytimes@gmail.com. ‰ Form and Function: 2009 North Carolina Potters Conference takes place Mar. 13-15, 2009 in Asheboro, North Carolina. Guest presenters including Alleghany Meadows, Mark Pharis, and Phil Rogers will offer panel discussions and lectures. To request full details, contact the Randolph Arts Guild, Moring Arts Center, 123 Sunset Ave., PO Box 1033, Asheboro, NC 27204-1033; tel. 336.629.0399; e-mail arts@ asheboro.com; Web site: www.randolpharts guild.com.

‰ Ceramic Interface: From Dawn to Digital is the theme of the 43rd Annual NCECA Conference, to take place April 8–11, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. Complete conference details and registration information may be found online at www.nceca.net. For additional questions,

Wheel-thrown bowl by Phil Rogers, one of the guest presenters at the 2009 North Carolina Potters Conference in Asheboro, to take place March 13-15, 2009. For more on Rogers, turn to p. 44.

contact NCECA, 77 Erie Village Sq., Ste. 280, Erie, Colorado 80516; e-mail: office@nceca. net; tel. 866.266.2322. ‰ The 20th Annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (also known as CCACA) takes place throughout the city of Davis, California, May 1-3, 2009. Bill Abright, Clayton Bailey, Jack Earl, Sylvia Hyman, Louis Marak, Kevin Nierman, Richard Notkin, and Judith Schwartz will offer lectures and demonstrations, while numerous student exhibitions will take place simultaneously. For complete details and registration information, contact Nancy Resler at John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St., Davis, CA 95616; tel. 530.756.3938; e-mail: art@ natsoulas.com; Web site: www.natsoulas.com.

Calls for Entries ‰ The 75th Crocker-Kingsley: California’s Biennial is requesting digital entries from California residents through Nov. 15 for its exhibition, to take place Jan. 10–Feb. 6, 2009.

Michael Bishop will jury the show; entry fee is $40 for three works. To learn more, contact Allison Henley at the Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento, CA 95814; ahenleyreed@cityofsacramento.org; www. crockerartmuseum.org/kingsley. ‰ The Regional Juried Ceramic Competition of Irving, Texas is accepting digital submissions through Nov. 15 for its show, to take place Jan. 20–Mar. 6, 2009. Entry fee is $30; Dick Hay will serve as juror. For information, contact University of Dallas, Art/Ceramics Regional, 1845 E. Northgate Dr., Irving, TX 75062; 972.721.5319, hammett@udallas.edu; www.udallas.edu/art/regional.cfm. ‰ Jurors Ann Christenson and Elisa Nappa are accepting entries through Nov. 18 for Two By Two: Small-Scale Ceramic Sculpture Biennial, to take place Feb. 26–April 2, 2009. Fee: $25 for three entries. For details, contact the Gallery of Art, ART 140, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA 99004-2401; tel. 509.359.7070. e-mail: nhathaway@mail. ewu.edu; Web site: http://ewu.edu/x24865.xml.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

‰ Val Cushing, Piero Fencil, Robin Hopper, Angelica Pozo, and Toni Sikes will lead presentations and panel discussions at the annual Alabama Clay Conference, to take place Mar. 13-15, 2009 in Huntsville, Alabama. For complete details, log onto the Web site at: www.alclayconference.org.

Hot Stuff I News & Events

What’s Hot

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

‰ Juror Patti Warashina is accepting international digital and slide entries through Nov. 26 for the International Cup show to take place Feb. 6–28, 2009. Entry fee is $20 for one entry; $25 for two entries. For additional details, contact The Clay Studio of Missoula, 1106 Hawthorne St., Unit A, Missoula, MT 59802; 406.543.0509; info@theclaystudioofmissoula.org; www.theclay studioofmissoula.org.

‰ Digital and slide submissions of functional and/or sculptural ceramics are being accepted through Dec. 15 for Endangered?, to take place Jan. 14–Feb. 28, 2009. Entry fee is $35 for three entries. For details, contact Gloria Kennedy Gallery, 111 Front St. Gallery 222, Brooklyn, NY 11201; tel. 718.858.5254; e-mail: gloria@gkgart. com; www.gkgart.com/pages/submissions.html. ‰ Digital submissions of ceramic artwork that tells a story or is representational of love are being accepted through Dec. 29 for the Juried Exhibition to take place Feb. 2-March 2, 2009 at the Carbondale Clay Center. Entry fee is $25 for three entries. For complete information, contact the Carbondale Clay Center, 135 Main St., Carbondale, CO 81623; tel. 970.963.2529; e-mail: info@carbondaleclay.org; Web site: www. carbondaleclay.org. CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

‰ Solo, group, and concept-based exhibition proposals for five different exhibition spaces are being accepted in digital and slide form through May 1. Entry fee: $30. Contact Manifest Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@ manifestgallery.org; www.manifestgallery.org.

‰ The State of Clay 6th Biennial Exhibition, to take place Mar. 30–Apr. 25, 2009 in Lexington, Massachusetts, is accepting digital submissions through Dec. 5 at a fee of $30 for three entries. Jim Lawton will jury the show. To learn more, contact Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, 130 Waltham St., Lexington, MA 02421; 781.862.9696; lacs.lexington@verizon.net; www.lexingtonma.org/lacs. ‰ Terra Incognito Studios is accepting digital entries through Dec. 15 for 1+1, to take place March 21–April 23, 2009. Entry fee is $25 for three entries. For details, contact Terra Incognito Studios, 246 Chicago Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302; tel. 708.383.6228; dtoan@ameritech.net; www.terraincognitostudios.com.

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‰ Digital entries of all media are being accepted through April 24 for the 5th Annual Magnitude Seven. Contact Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati OH 45206; info@manifestgallery.org; www.mani festgallery.org.

‰ The Craft Alliance of St. Louis, Missouri is calling for solo and collaborative installation artist proposals through Dec. 31. For complete details, contact the exhibitions coordinator at the Craft Alliance, 6640 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130; 314.725.1177 ext. 323; exhibitions@craft alliance.org; www.craftalliance.org. ‰ Digital or slide images of cups, mugs, goblets, tea bowls, tea cups, and tumblers may be submitted through Jan. 5 for the Starbrick Clay

Ron Meyers decorates a covered jar before a group of attendees at this year’s “Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object” symposium at Arrowmont School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. To see more event images, log onto www.claytimes.com. National Cup Show to take place Feb. 27–April 19, 2009. Entry fee: $20 for three entries; $30 for five entries. Contact Starbrick Clay Fine Art Ceramic Gallery, 21 W. Columbus St., Nelsonville, OH 45764; 740.753.1011; starbrick@ gmail.com; www.starbrick.com. ‰ Digital entries of all media are being accepted through Jan. 30 for Mythography: An Exploration of Narrative, to take place at Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@manifestgallery. org; www.manifestgallery.org. ‰ Solo, Two-Person, or Group Exhibition Proposals are being accepted in digital and slide form through Feb. 1, at no charge. Contact Pittsburg State University, 1701 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762; 620.235.4303; sbowman@pittstate. edu; www.pittstate.edu/art/exopp.html. ‰ Digital submissions are being accepted through Feb. 6 for the 20th Annual Teapot Show, to take place April 5–May 18, 2009. Entry fee is $25 for two entries. Contact Joan Houlehen, A. Houberbocken, Inc., PO Box 196, Cudahy, WI 53110; jhoulehengraphics@yahoo.com. ‰ Digital submissions are being accepted from undergraduate students through March 13 for the 5th Annual Rites of Passage. For details, contact Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@manifestgallery.org; www.manifestgallery.org.

‰ Entries of all media are being accepted through May 31 for Small Art Objects 2009, to take place in Vallauris, France in July. Contact A.I.R Vallauris Place Lisnard, 1 Boulevard des Deux Vallons 06220,Vallauris, France; tel. +33(0) 493.646.550; contact@air-vallauris.com; www. air-vallauris.org. ‰ Current or recent M.F.A./M.A. students may submit digital entries through June 5 for the 3rd Annual Master Pieces. Contact Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@manifestgallery.org; www.manifestgallery.org.

Ceramics Exhibitions ‰ The Artful Tabletop continues through Nov. 16 at Lyndhurst Mansion, 635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, New York. ‰ Points of Entry is on view through Nov. 21 at Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE., Grand Rapids, Michigan. ‰ Clay³ is on view through Nov. 21 at ClaySpace Ceramic Arts Studio, 28 W. 210 Warrenville Rd., Warrenville, Illinois. ‰ Terra Forma: Perspectives in Clay takes place through Nov. 22 at Westchester Community College, Fine Arts Gallery, 75 Grasslands Rd., Valhalla, New York. ‰ Asheville in Atlanta ’08, featuring works by Kyle Carpenter, Penelope Clark, Jon Keenan, and Ken Sedberry, is on view through Nov. 22 at MudFire Gallery, 175 Laredo Dr., Decatur, Georgia. ‰ Soda National IV is on view through Nov. 28 at The Clay Studio of Missoula, 1106 Hawthorne Unit A, Missoula, Montana.

Hot Stuff I News & Events

‰ Owen/Owens: A Family History in Clay is on view through Nov. 29 at the North Carolina Pottery Center, 250 E. Ave., Seagrove, North Carolina. ‰ Michel Louis Viala, Scattered Galaxy is on view through Nov. 29 at Lasdon Park and Arboretum, Westchester County Parks, Rte. 100, Somers, New York. ‰ Susan Halls: Birds and Beasts is on view through Nov. 29 at Muscoot Farm and Main House Gallery, Westchester County Parks, Rte. 100, Somers, New York. ‰ Plates and Platters, featuring works by Matthew Hyleck, Reena Kashyap, and Brenda Quinn, is on view through Nov. 29 at Hendrick Hudson Free Library, 185 Kings Ferry Rd., Montrose, New York. ‰ Right Off the Bat: Ceramics by Mitch Lyons and Mexican Color: The Work of Amanda Jaffe are on view through Nov. 29 at Larchmont Public Library, 121 Larchmont Ave., Larchmont, New York. ‰ Ceramica Magnifica: A Celebration of a Heritage: Este, Italy is on view through Nov. 30 at Westchester Italian Cultural Center, 1 Generoso Pope Pl., Tuckahoe, New York. ‰ Ceramics at Historic Hudson Valley is on exhibit through Nov. 30 at Historic Hudson Valley: Van Cortlandt Manor, South Riverside Ave., off Rte. 9, Croton-onHudson, New York. ‰ Clay’s Inner Voice, featuring works by Sarah Baehr, Jean Lem, Toni Levin, Mitch Levison, and Sally Spielvogel, is on view through Nov. 30 at A Mini Gallery @590, 590 Central Park Ave., Scarsdale, New York.

‰ Warren MacKenzie: Legacy of An American Potter takes place through Nov. 30 at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main St., Houston, Texas.

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‰ Patz Fowle: Contemporary Characters is on view through Nov. 30 at Burr Art Gallery, 200 Powe St., Cheraw, South Carolina. ‰ New Work by Ryan Kelly and New Work by Kevin Snipes are on view through Nov. 30 at

The Clay Studio, 139 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ‰ Works by Chris Gustin are on exhibit through Nov. 30 at 360 Hamilton, 360 Hamilton St., White Plains, New York.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

‰ Reflective Firing, featuring works by Susan Elena Esquivel, Denis Licul, Jennifer Kincaid, Jerry Rhodes, Amy Sanders, Lily Schor, Jacqueline Wilder, and Alyssa Wood, is on view through Nov. 30 at Secrets of Hastings on Hudson, 32 Main St., Hastings on Hudson, New York.

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

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Ceramics Exhibitions, cont. ‰ Works by Nancy Bauch and John Allen are on view through Nov. 30 at Chappaqua Library, 195 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua, New York. ‰ Leigh Taylor Mickelson, Botanical Attraction is on view through Nov. 30 at Greenburgh Nature Center, 99 Dromore Rd., Scarsdale, New York. ‰ Distinctive Lines, featuring works by Mazin Adams, Sam Chung, Marc Digeros, Maren Kloppmann, and Mark Pharis is on view through Nov. 30 at Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois. ‰ Space Meditations is on view through Nov. 30 at Mariani Gardens, 45 Bedford Rd., Armonk, New York. ‰ Recent Works by Sally Brogden and Recent Works by Keith Renner are each on view through Nov. 30 at Gallery in the Park, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Rte. 121 S. and Rte. 35., Cross River, New York. ‰ California Clay from ACGA is on view through Dec. 5 at Art Space Gallery, Fresno City College, 1101 E. University Ave., Fresno, California. ‰ Common Ground is on view through Dec. 6 at Northern Illinois University Art Museum, Altgeld Hall, First Fl., W. End, DeKalb, Illinois.

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M P C

S F  P, S W T W   W A  C G

‰ Generations: Works by Jun Kaneko and Toshiko Takaezu is on view through Dec. 6 at Lamont Gallery, Frederick R. Mayer Art Center, Phillips Exeter Academy, 11 Tan Ln., Exeter, New Hampshire. ‰ Built: Sculptural Trends in Clay, featuring works by Nikolai Grinchenko, Marc Leuthold, Ian Meares, and Jeffrey Mongrain, is on view through Dec. 11 at Osilas Gallery at Concordia College, 171 White Plains Rd., Bronxville, New York. ‰ Confrontational Ceramics takes place through Dec. 13 at Westchester Arts Council, 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, New York. ‰ Works by Linda Christenson and Charles Jahn are on exhibit Nov. 15-Dec. 14 at TRAX Gallery, 1812 Fifth St., Berkeley, California. ‰ A Journey in Majolica: Italian Renaissance to American Contemporary is on view through

‰ The Clay Collections of Caroline Wright Reis of Somers are on view through Jan. 31 at Somers Historical Society, 335 Rte. 202/Elephant Hotel, Somers Town Hall, Somers, New York.

‰ The 6th Annual It’s Only Clay Exhibit is on display through Dec. 20 at Bemidji Community Art Center and BSU Visual Arts Department, 426 Bemidji Ave. N., Bemidji, Minnesota.

‰ Tip Toland: Melt, The Figure in Clay is on view through Feb. 8, 2009 at the Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue, Washington.

‰ Gloria Kennedy, African Symbols and Motifs is on view through Dec. 20 at Gloria Kennedy Gallery, 111 Front St., Gallery 222, Brooklyn, New York.

‰ Fantasy Teapots from the Arthur Goldberg Collection is on view through Feb. 8 at Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St., Brockton, Massachusetts.

‰ Made Here–The MudFire Holiday Show takes place Nov. 28-Dec. 23 at MudFire Gallery, 175 Laredo Dr., Decatur, Georgia.

‰ River Through the Valley of Fire: Works by Frank Boyden and Tom Coleman is on view Nov. 22, 2008–Feb. 14, 2009 at American Museum of Ceramic Art, 340 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, California.

‰ Studio Pottery Invitational 2008 is on exhibit through Dec. 30 at Ferrin Gallery, 437 North St., Pittsfield, Massachusetts. ‰ Consider the Cup: Cup and Mug Invitational is on view through Dec. 31 at The Artisan Gallery, 162 Main St., Northhampton, Massachusetts. ‰ Matt Kelleher and Shoko Terayama exhibition is on view through Dec. 31 at The Signature Shop, 3267 Roswell Rd. NW., Atlanta, Georgia. ‰ All Fired Up! Salt Wares: 1700s to 2008 is on exhibit through Jan. 3, 2009 at the Rye Historical Society, Square House Museum, 1 Purchase St., Rye, New York. ‰ South Jersey Clay: Bridge to Bridge is on exhibit through Jan. 4 at Clay College Gallery of Cumberland County College, 108 High St., Millville, New Jersey. ‰ Conversations in Clay is on view through Jan. 11 at the Katonah Museum of Art, 134 Jay St., Rte. 22, Katonah, New York.

‰ The Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler are on view through Jan. 25 at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, 724 NW Davis St., Portland, Oregon. ‰ Hannah Wilke, Gestures, is on view through Jan. 25 at Neuberger Museum of Art, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, New York.

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.claytimes. com and click on the “What’s Hot” link to fill out a submission form online.

“Cruisin’ for Clay” JAN. 11 - JAN. 18, 2009

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

‰ Holly Hanessian: The Poetry of Space continues through Jan. 11, 2009 at Russel Hill Rogers Gallery, Navarro Campus, Southwest School of Art and Craft, 1201 Navarro, San Antonio, Texas.

‰ 2009 Midstream: New Ceramics from the Heartland takes place through Feb. 28 at Arizona State University Art Museum’s Ceramic Research Center, 10th St. and Mill Ave., Tempe, Arizona. [

Register Today! Limited cabin availability; assigned on first-come basis

Hot Stuff I News & Events

Dec. 19 at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, 149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah, New York.

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Bird and Cherry Box by Julie Johnson. 6" x 6" x 5". Porcelain, cone 6 electric.

Flower Plate by Shoko Teruyama. 1" x 9" x 9". Electric-fired earthenware.

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Vase by Tara Wilson. 11" x 6" x 4". Wood-fired stoneware.

Salt and Pepper Bowls by Ingrid Bathe. 2" x 5½" x 2". High-fired porcelain.

2008 Utilitarian Clay Invitational Exhibition a sampling of works by some of the presenters’ favorite clay artists photos by Tim Barnwell • full story appears on pages 33-37

Pictured on this page (clockwise from top right): Works by Kathryn Finnerty, Keith Renner, Joe Pintz, Novie Trump, Lynn Ainsworth, Jason Briggs, and Jury Smith. Pictured on opposite page (clockwise from top left): Works by Janis Mars Wunderlich, Jessica Broad, Karen Thuesen Massaro, and Dave Eichelberger.

“All Fired Up!” Exposition Opens Oct. 3 in NY State Sixty venues throughout Westchester County, New York will join together to present “All Fired Up! A Celebration of Clay in Westchester,” from October 3 to November 30, 2008. This consortium project is being organized by the Westchester Arts Council and the Clay Art Center, with a steering committee of eight cultural institutions. All Fired Up! will include parallel exhibitions at museums, multi-art centers, library- and college-based galleries, and alternative sites. Together, they will host regional, national, and international works of art that explore the breadth and depth of ceramic expression, from

folk arts to fine arts, both historic and contemporary. Core components of the celebration will include curator’s talks and panel discussions at exhibition sites, with additional events including a panel discussion on contemporary ceramic arts, a symposium, and skill-based and specialized workshops for ceramic artists. Educational activities will include a teacher institute, family/kid introductions to workshops, artist residencies, and kiln instruction for teachers. For complete event details, log onto www.allfiredup.info, or call Leigh Mickelson at 914.937.2047. [

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Yellow Lichen Box #5 by Sheila Clennell. 6" x 5" x 6". Reduction-fired stoneware.

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Tell a story.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

He throws the pots. She chooses the glazes. She paints the scenes. He sculpts the textures. ED and KATE COLEMAN of Swannanoa, N.C., have been perfecting a recipe for teamwork ever since they were 15. Their key to a long partnership: It’s exciting when every handmade vessel is one of a kind.

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Major factors that impact the ultimate quality of a glaze

S

ometimes we believe in something without even knowing that we hold that particular belief. This is certainly true of most potters. To illustrate, let me describe a little scenario.

left out of the glaze, but the rest of the information (mixing/application/ firing/etc.) that’s necessary to turn that potentially interesting recipe into a gorgeous reality.

Please fill in the blank: You’re attending a ceramics show, and you see a pot with a magnificent glaze. You say to yourself “that glaze would look wonderful on my work. If I ask the artist, maybe she’d be willing to give me the ______.”

Here is a partial list of things that are just as important as the recipe:

What was the word that popped into your head? Most of you probably thought “recipe,” or perhaps even “formula.” Few of you probably thought “firing schedule” or “method of application.” That seems to be our unstated belief in ceramics: if we want to get a particular surface, all we need to have is the recipe. Just combine the right chemicals in the proper proportions and you’ll get a wonderful glaze. Chemistry is king! But what I’ve learned, as both an artist and a teacher, is that while the recipe for a glaze (and its implied chemistry) is important, in reality there are other variables that are equally important, if not more so.

In one way, that may be correct, though not in the way the speaker intended. It wasn’t a secret ingredient that was

We sometimes include bits of this information with a recipe; I try to include at least a skeleton version. But even when we include some of these instructions, there are other—often unspoken—criteria that can be crucially important to the success of a glaze. Let’s look at some of the factors that have a major impact on the ultimate quality of the glaze, beginning with the glaze mixing. Most of us weigh out the dry ingredients, add water to them, mix them with an electric drill, and then pour (or scrape) that mixture through a sieve. This is certainly how I teach students to mix glazes, and most of us would consider this to be a good (and fairly complete) process. The resulting glaze is smooth and lump-free, so this must be a wellmixed glaze, right? Well, perhaps not. It

might be mixed well enough to melt, but on a microscopic scale it isn’t thoroughly mixed at all. Ideally, when we combine ingredients in a glaze, they would be so dispersed that every particle of a given ingredient would have one of every other kind of particle next to it—but what we usually achieve is interspersed clumps of each material, not individual particles. The quality of mixing can have an enormous effect on a glaze’s fired qualities. One time years ago, when I was teaching in Kansas City, I saw that a group of students had all used the same beautiful celadon on their pots. The glaze was drop-dead gorgeous—everything you might want in a celadon. I quickly found the students and asked them for—yes, you got it—the recipe. I was shocked to find out that it was simply Leach Celadon, one of the most common and ordinary of high-fire glazes. How could Leach celadon look so beautiful? It turned out the students had ball-milled the glaze, grinding and mixing the ingredients far better than we usually did. That was the only difference in the entire process; otherwise, everything they’d done was quite ordinary. Who would have thought that better mixing would make such a marked, visual difference? So, do I ball-mill my glazes? Who are you kidding! It takes far too much time, and there is always the danger of ball milling a glaze too much, which can result in a glaze that shrinks so much as it dries that it tends to crawl. Instead, when I want a glaze to be particularly well mixed, I dry mix it, pour it into water, allow it to slake (untouched) for 15 minutes, then blunge it with a drill and mixer until I can’t stand to do it anymore. Then, I like to pour it through a fine screen (100-mesh) at least twice to break up the agglomerates of materials. No, that doesn’t mix it as well as ball-

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

I’ve seen this belief demonstrated many times. Think about how often you’ve heard someone say “I’ve got the recipe, but there must be something wrong with it—it doesn’t look the same when I use it.” I’ve even heard that person add, “Maybe they left something out of the recipe so it won’t work.” I’m kind of surprised how often I hear (or read online) this charge—that those of us who share recipes have purposely left out an ingredient so the glaze won’t work as well for anyone else.

1. How the recipe is mixed, screened, and adjusted for application; 2. how the glaze is applied—both the thickness of the glaze, as well as the actual method of application; 3. over what surface (the clay body, slip, terra sig, or other glaze) the glaze is applied; 4. the shape and texture of the piece; 5. and, of course, the biggie—how the glaze was fired and cooled.

by PETE PINNELL

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Why Glazes Work ... ... or Don’t

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Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Why Glazes Work ... or Don’t

milling, but it does a good enough job for my needs. However, if you are looking to produce a particularly gorgeous glaze, you might think about spending a bit more time and effort on this underappreciated contributor to glaze quality. Besides the quality of mixing, it obviously makes a difference when a liquid glaze has a higher or lower viscosity. This can be affected by how much water you use, as well as whether the glaze is flocculated or deflocculated. (I’ve mentioned these last words so often in columns that I think they must inspire a mass eye-rolling every time they appear here!) However, if you want to see a huge and immediate difference in the application of a glaze, the easiest way is to adjust the degree of flocculation.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

The actual glaze application is obviously important. As we all know, most glazes will look very different when applied in varied thicknesses. One of the variables in application is the viscosity (runniness) of the glaze, while another is the porosity of the bisque ware. For instance, pots bisqued to a higher temperature exhibit less absorption, so the glaze layer will tend to build up less quickly.

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Another variable is the method of application. A sprayed glaze will never look the same as one that is dipped, which will look different from one that is poured, or splashed, or otherwise. Even holding a pot (for dipping) at different angles makes a difference. Let’s say I have a tall vase and a bucket of copper red glaze. I will get a very different result if I dip it with the pot upright as opposed to holding it upside down. Remember, the first part of the pot to enter into the glaze is the last part to exit, so these choices dictate where the glaze is thicker and where it is thinner. In the case of my vase, if I dip it upside down (so application is thickest at the top) then the glaze will tend to be red all over, and won’t have much of a white lip (copper reds turn white where applied thinly). Also, since the thickest part of the glaze is at the top, it will not tend to run off the pot, so I can use a runny glaze (like copper red), and still apply it almost all the way down to the foot.

If, on the other hand, I were to dip it rightside up, then the glaze would be thin at the top, and thicker at the bottom. It would have a greater tendency to run off onto the kiln shelf, yet it would also leave that beautiful white rim that gradually fades into red an inch or so down from the top. Which way is better? That depends on what I want; they both can be beautiful. The important thing is to simply recognize that we get different—very different—results when the same glaze is applied differently. It makes a huge difference what surface we put a glaze over. That fact often goes unmentioned in recipes, but glazes always sit on top of something else—and that “something else” is every bit as important as the recipe of the glaze. It isn’t just the background color that makes the difference. A glaze doesn’t simply sit on top of the layer beneath; it chemically interacts with that layer. A glaze can look quite different over two different white bodies, for instance, simply because each has a different chemical or mineralogical composition. When you ask someone for a recipe, at the same time you should ask what clay, slip, or other surface they are using underneath that glaze. Last, and certainly not least, is the variable of firing. Included in this are both obvious and not-so-obvious variables: a. the rate of climb b. the ultimate firing temperature (cone) c. the rate of cooling d. soak times, both up and down e. and, in reduction firings, you also need to mention when, how, and how much the firing is reduced. I could easily write a whole series of columns on how variables in firing can change the qualities of glazes, and I am planning on writing at least one future column on the subject. Suffice it to say that we should always pay attention to these things if we want consistent, highquality surfaces. Do you think this only applies to reduction glazes? If so, then you haven’t been following the revolution in firing that

has accompanied the widespread use of computerized electric kiln controls. Many of us who fire in electric kilns have begun to realize that the cooling of the kiln (what happens on the way down) is at least as important as what happens on the way up, if not more so. Computer controls, with their simple to use “ramp-hold” functions, have enabled potters to manipulate crystal growth (along with other types of phase separations) by altering the rate at which the kiln cools, or by programming “soak” periods into parts of the cooling. This has vastly altered the quality of mid-range glazes in particular, and led some potters to specify firing and cooling cycles as part of the information that accompanies a recipe. I’ve even noticed that some potters who fire in gas kilns are experimenting with “firing down” in order to mimic some of the nicer glazes coming out of electric kilns. Early in this column, I wrote that these variables can sometimes play a larger role in the final qualities of a glaze than the recipe, and I’m sure that statement was met skeptically by some of you. Allow me to give you an example: the shino glaze. If you compare a bunch of shino recipes, you’ll quickly see the similarities among them. Most contemporary North American shinos are simply variations on the original Wirt shino. The vast differences in the fired qualities of shino are rooted in the choice of clay body and the application, drying, and firing of the glaze, and are not as affected by subtle variations in glaze composition. I don’t mean to imply that glaze recipes are inconsequential. Yes, of course the recipe plays a role in the final quality of the glaze. However, it’s just one player among many, and sometimes it’s not even the most important player. It’s always worth remembering that a poor recipe masterfully used will always provide a better result than a masterful recipe poorly used. How about that for a truism? [

Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. You can reach him at ppinnell1@unl.edu.

Readers Share I Glaze Recipes

Great Glazes These cone 06 raku glazes are for decorative use only and appear courtesy of Nancy Pené

No. 6 Raku Orange • Low-fire Raku Westwood Frit G 625 94.4% Westwood E 421 (Selenium) 2.8 Westwood E 436 (Cadmium 2.8 TOTAL 100.0% Selenium may be increased up to 4.7% if desired. No. 4 Red • Low-fire Raku S. Paul Ward Ferro Frit 5301 95.2% S.P.W. C810 Cadmium Red 4.8 TOTAL 100.0%

Frit 3134 Gerstley Borate EPK Silica

TOTAL

add Copper Carbonate

45.0% 40.0 8.0 7.0 100.0% 6.0%

Gary Ferguson Blue • Low-fire Raku

TOTAL

add Copper Carbonate

5.0% 70.0 10.0 10.0 5.0 100.0% 3.0%

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 halfbucket 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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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

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This summer near a Tennessee ravine known for moonshine during Prohibition, Hayne Bayless taught at Shakerag Workshops. Nick Joerling and I both took the class and watched Bayless demonstrate techniques I have never seen before. He also shared many tools he has invented. I was impressed at first, and then I succumbed to intimidation! This is the first of two columns on Bayless.

by LANA Wilson

Lana Wilson: How long have you been interested in art? When did you first use clay?

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Hayne Bayless: Successful Non-conformist

Hayne Bayless: My parents weren’t particularly artistic themselves, but they had great appreciation. My sisters and brother and I were often dragged to museums and concerts and plays. I was in my teens when something made me want to do a painting of the enormous chestnut tree in our backyard. My folks promptly bought me paints and brushes. About that time our neighbor, a wonderful artist named Marika Frank Abrams, gave me a book called The Artist in His Studio, about the working lives of some of the great 20th-Century artists: Matisse, Giacometti, Picasso, Brancusi, Klee, and dozens more. I loved that book. It introduced me to some stunning art, but more than that it made being an artist seem real to me, something that real people do.

We got the wheel repaired, I rehydrated the clay, and started making pots. The following years until graduation

I taught a small but interested group of my classmates the little I had learned from my readings, and by trial and error. The summer after graduation I joined a potters’ cooperative, Pottery Northwest in Seattle, where I learned something about what it was to be a craftsperson—but also that for a lot of people, it was possible to make a living at it. Other than lessons with a potter in Tokyo for six weeks when I was 18, and a few informal classes and workshops later on, I managed to avoid any proper academic training in ceramics. Wilson: How long did you do clay before leaping in and doing it full-time? Bayless: I had every intention to be a potter when I left high school. I wanted to do clay in college, but I didn’t want to

go to an art school. I thought it might be too limiting. When I got to college, the elective pottery classes were very popular and competition was fierce on registration day. I had a perfect record at never getting into any of them. So I ended up studying a lot of other things and had a hard time sticking with one: I majored in anthropology, switched to history, then English, then oceanography. I went to five colleges over seven years, also taking some time off in between to work for a while. I finished with a degree in journalism 13 years after I started school. I worked at a newspaper in New Haven, Connecticut, for ten years as a reporter and then editor. During that time, my interest in clay resurfaced and grew, and so did my disenchantment with journalism.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

One of my first discoveries as a high school freshman was a neglected potter’s wheel and some dried-up clay in a corner of the art room. Something about it attracted me, perhaps because no one else seemed interested. Ceramics wasn’t the art teacher’s strong suit, but he pointed me to Leach’s A Potter’s Book. Luckily it was smaller than my textbooks and I could hide it in class while feigning interest in the class text. My grasp of the Civil War is in inverse proportion to what I learned about the evolution of kilns, Hamada, and Yanagi, or how a Cornwall pottery was run.

Dzi Teapot by Hayne Bayless. 8" tall. Handbuilt white stoneware, stretched slabs and extrusions, hinged lid. Inlaid black slip stencil, unglazed exterior. Cone 9 reduction, propane-fired in a Minnesota flat-top kiln.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Wilson: What did you like writing about as a journalist? Bayless: I most liked writing about off-beat stuff; obscure events; things that were out of the ordinary. But I didn’t always have a choice. The last four years at the paper I was Arts Editor, which was equally exciting and frustrating. This was the era when the news business was first experiencing a downturn, and things have only gotten worse since. It meant I no longer had the budget to cover the New Haven arts scene the way it should be covered, and it was immensely frustrating. But the good part was it got me thinking about quitting, which was one of the best decisions of my life. Wilson: Do you set aside time to experiment (as you obviously experiment a lot to figure out all these techniques and tools) or do you do it continuously as you work? Bayless: If I were smart, or at least organized, I would set aside time to experiment. So I end up fooling around first, and then having to set aside time to make work for shows and orders—sort of like eating dessert first. I’m trying to be more disciplined about all that, but it’s hard.

Dinner, Salad, & Dessert Plates. 11", 9", 6" square. Handbuilt stoneware; inlaid black slip stencil under copper matte glaze. Propane-fired to cone 9 in reduction.

Wilson: Do you feel being a selfsupporting potter allows you the freedom in your work that you want? Bayless: I’d have quit my job years earlier if I hadn’t worried about what depending on clay for a livelihood might do to my enjoyment of it. Turns out I didn’t need to worry. Not that there isn’t a certain amount of drudgery sometimes, but it beats working. Carl, a guy who came to fix our furnace one day, looked around my studio and at me fooling with a teapot and said, “Oh, I get it, you don’t work, you just do this.” Wilson: How did you deal with things like health insurance when you decided to quit your journalism job?

Wilson: What inspires your art work? Bayless: That was, of course, something my wife, Mara, and I mulled over a lot before I quit my job. What’s Plan B if I can’t bring in enough making pottery? What made the transition less stressful is that she was, and is, still bringing in a regular paycheck as a photographer for the newspaper. Plus her health insurance covers me—not that it’s great coverage, but it’s something. It would have been a much tougher decision otherwise. I didn’t have a Plan B.

Leaf Teapot. 10" tall. Handbuilt stoneware with hinged lid using the same decoration/ firing methods as above.

propane tank sitting at the end of my drive like a beached submarine makes me uneasy. I know I have to be there and pay attention because it makes a difference, but by then I’m on to the next thing and thinking about what I’m going to make once the firing is over and the work is shipped off. What I like most is when the clay is still soft and the slips are still liquid, and the forms are still malleable. That’s when all the possibilities are still lurking somewhere in there, waiting. [

Wilson: What parts of being a studio potter do you relish the most, and what would you love to skip? Packing for shipping doesn’t count, although I realize you might think it should.

See more images online at www. sidewaysstudio.com. Hayne Bayliss may be emailed at: hayne@sidewaysstudio.com.

Bayless: Firing is not so enjoyable for me. I don’t really like heat, I’m not a pyromaniac, and the 1,000-gallon

Columnist Lana Wilson is a passionate handbuilder whose work may be seen at www.lanawilson.com. She may be reached via e-mail at: lana@lanawilson.com.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Bayless: I get lots of inspiration from Shang and Zhou Dynasty ritual bronzes, Jomon-period pots, English and Colonial silver, pewter and tinware, contemporary architecture and sculpture, Andean folk music, and 1960s rhythm & blues. I think the common thread I see running through all these things is a love of form and rhythm, and a delight in disregarding limits. I try to set aside time to pore over books. I have a pretty big collection on ceramics, probably about 400 by now. Most are on museum collections of historical Asian pots. A lot of them are in Japanese or Chinese, which I don’t read, but it’s the images that are important. I usually need to grab my sketchbook while I’m looking because ideas for forms or decoration will start to bubble up. My work doesn’t look particularly old or Asian, I hope, but the thread is there.

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

I quit the newspaper in 1992 to become a full-time potter. The day after I quit, I did my first craft show in a tiny church yard in a neighboring town. By the end of the day, all I’d sold were two coffee mugs to a good friend who I suspect was motivated more by her pity than my pots.

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In Form I Teaching Techniques

Highlighting Small Handles

Details, Details! by BILL van GILDER • PHOTOS BY CHARLES HOFFACKER

Necessary Supplies • one 1-lb. ball of soft clay • a short length of 1" diameter wooden dowel • a hole cutter • a pair of wooden butter paddles • a small sponge • some water Optional: • two pieces of Masonite® board • a sawtooth tool • an old toothbrush

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

ere’s a studio classroom scenario that happens frequently: You’re giving a simple demo in front of the class and because of a single question or comment from one of your students, your demo lesson takes off in another direction.

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An example: You’re teaching a collaringin technique while making four 2-lb. vase forms. The first rounded form you make is left unaltered, but the second one you make is squashed and slightly flattened when wet, between two pieces of fuzzy-sided Masonite board. The third form is also pressed with your two fuzzy boards. But it’s pressed, or pinched, at four equally spaced points around the vase to create four corners. The fourth vase is thrown tall and somewhat cylinder-shaped and, like the first, left unaltered. It’s a fairly simple demo, mostly about collaring-in a form.

1 You place your vases under the classroom heat lamps or in front of a slow-moving fan, and wait for them to stiffen enough to roll and thumb-smooth their foot edges. When they are ready,, you gather the class to demo this quick, final finishing step.

The Question But then … a certain question is posed by an observant student and your simple, organized demo becomes something else altogether! The student has noticed and announces that one of the vases you’ve just made looks similar in shape to a big, old Asian storage jar, which they had seen in a History of Ceramics book. “But the round jar I saw had three or four small handles at the shoulder, just below the rim. What’s that about?” he asks. You reply, “Those small handles or ‘lugs’ were probably put there to tie down a cloth cover as a lid over the opening of the pot. Maybe it was used for rice storage, or water?” The young potter then declares that he liked the look of them and felt that those little handles added

something visually to the finished piece. Good comment. In my case, I was glad to hear that some of my students were looking at old pots and had an interest in some of the small details they saw. And the fact that there was an expressed interest in those small details took my demo on an unexpected tangent—but a good one. If I could introduce him, and the whole class, to some ideas and techniques for creating similar small features on the vases I just made, my demo would be more informative. I continued, “OK, I’ll show you how to make an assortment of small lugs using my four vases (Fig. 1). The handles I show you may not have any function other than visual, but they’ll certainly become part of the piece and hopefully, make it a bit more interesting.”

The Lug-Handle Demos Gather the few tools listed above and, working on a clean table surface or small,

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In Form I Teaching Techniques

smooth ware board at your wheel, begin your ‘Part 2’ demo by imitating the simple coiled lugs of the Asian storage jar.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

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Most of the small lugs you’ll demo begin as a small coil. Others begin as small, round balls of clay. But the first thing to establish is how many lugs will be used—and where they will be placed on the pot. Before rolling out your 4" long thin coil— which will be divided into smaller sections —dampen the three or four areas of the vase where the lugs will be attached. Then roll out your coil. Wetting the pot at those spots will soften the surface and avoids having to score and slip the attachment areas. If your vase has slightly passed the leatherhard stage, use a slip-loaded toothbrush to roughen up the small attachment areas.

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Before rolling coils, lightly dampen your canvas-covered rolling surface. Canvas holds dampness in, so the clay softens as it’s rolled over the wet surface. This keeps the coil from cracking or splitting as it is bent and shaped into a curved handle or lug. Cut your 4" long coil into three or four equal short lengths. Round and soften the ends of each short coil between your fingertips, bend each of them slightly, and press them into place on your vase. Use your thumb tip or a small-diameter wooden dowel to tightly secure the ends of each lug to the vase wall (Fig. 2). This particular coil lug can be positioned vertically or horizontally on your vase. A duo of epaulet-style lugs is another option, which also begins as short coils. Use the flat, backside surface of a butter paddle to roll and press each coil into a tapered cone shape. Then add some texture to each coil by rolling them between the corrugated sides of the paddles. Immediately roll up each of your tapered coils into a snail-like shape and use your dowel to press them into place (Fig. 3). Again, wet the attachment areas of your vase prior to attaching each of your lugs.

The

Continue with coiled lugs by creating three or four small, leaf-shaped lugs, which always seem to be a big hit with students. Roll out a small number of coils, each about an inch long and ¼" in diameter, and roll the ends of each coil into a gradual, pointed taper. With each of your short, tapered coils laid out on the table, use your dowel to firmly press downward along the length of each piece, pressing one side, then the other (Fig. 5). The ‘high point’ or stem of the ‘leaf’ will be down the center of the coil. Bend each of your ‘leaves’ around a very smalldiameter wooden dowel and press them to the dampened areas at the shoulder of your vase. Use a larger-sized dowel to press and spread the end of each lug tightly to the vase wall (Fig. 6).

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. 356.2529.

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Details, details! Often they can complete the pot, so think it through: Would my vase benefit by adding a few highlights? Try it. See where it takes you. Let’s go to work! [

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A final and very different, decorative use of small balls of clay: use a series of them, attached and in-line from the shoulder to the foot of your vase. Smear the bottom half of each small ball downward onto the wall with your fingertip or thumb (Fig. 9). You can leave them as is, or use a saw-toothed tool to further texture your downward smear.

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Moving on, here is perhaps the easiest of all the lugs to make. Form a small number of equal-sized balls of soft clay. Place them individually at the shoulder of your vase and use your fingertip or dowel to secure them to your vase by pressing across the top of each ball (Fig.7). Another variation of ball-type lugs: squeeze and slightly flatten each ball, then press them in an upright position at the shoulder of your pot. Once the lugs are in place, further elongate them by squeezing and pressing upward and downward at their ends. Then use your hole-cutter to bore a small hole through their centers (Fig. 8).

Fulwood Measure

In Form I Teaching Techniques

Another option once your epaulet-style lugs have set up and stiffened a bit: use a tapered hole cutter to bore a small hole through the center of each lug (Fig. 4).

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CLAYTIMES¡COM n November/December 2008

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Karma. 18" x 3". All works are made with grog-free Standard #105 white earthenware and are decorated with Mayco, Gare, or Duncan underglazes with clear glaze on top.

Utilitarian Clay V Could it be Arrowmont’s last symposium? The first Utilitarian Clay: Celebrate the Object Symposium was held 16 years ago, exploring a theme that has challenged makers throughout history. Held only every four years at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, the symposium continues to appreciate the limitless interpretations of the utilitarian clay object, with consideration to both its literal and subtle role in everyday life. In early September of this year, Utilitarian Clay V hosted 17 nationally known potters who shared their techniques and exchanged ideas through demonstrations and discussions. The intimate size of only 200 attendees felt more like a gathering of old friends and colleagues than strangers. Presenter’s demonstrations, panel discussions, and four exhibitions sparked the imagination and stimulated conversation. The exhibitions featured the works of the 17 presenters, several of which appear on these pages, and works of invited clay artists chosen by the presenters (see photos on pages 18-19).

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any Tennesseans and artists from all over the country come to study at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They seek inspiration from the Great Smoky Mountains and instruction from world-class faculty in the school’s well-maintained studios and facilities. Anyone who has ever stepped foot onto Arrowmont’s campus knows that it is someplace special. There’s a connection to all

Above: Jug by Michael Kline. Wheel-thrown stoneware with wax resist. Wood-fired. Opposite page: Covered Jar by Bruce Cochrane. Wheel-thrown, wood-fired stoneware.

who’ve created there before, and a sense that you are leaving something for those who will follow. If you’ve had an opportunity to take a workshop or attend a conference there, you probably also know that your Arrowmont experience can be life-changing. Pi Beta Phi Fraternity currently owns approximately 70 acres in Gatlinburg, 14 of which are leased to Arrowmont. The

Fraternity founded the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School on the property in 1912 and owns all of the buildings built on campus prior to 1991 when Arrowmont became its own 501(c)(3). In early August, the Grand Council of Pi Beta Phi informed Arrowmont’s Board of Governors that they had been approached by a developer to sell their land in Gatlinburg and that a settlement could be reached as early as

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

But this year’s event was marked with much uncertainty: in his opening remarks, Arrowmont Director David Willard informed attendees of the very real possibility that the school will no longer exist in its present location four years from now. Details follow.

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Above: Teapot by Pete Pinnell, Clay Times columnist and one of 17 presenters at “Utilitarian Clay V.”

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Opposite page: Vase by Lorna Meaden. 10" x 6" x 6". Soda-glazed porcelain; cone 10.

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September. As of press date, a settlement had not been reached, and in recent weeks, it has been rumored that the negotiations and the proposed development have ceased. However, whether this developer or another comes forward, the Grand Council has indicated their interest in divesting the Fraternity of the property. As a result, Arrowmont’s long history with the Fraternity will change. This change will also affect the school’s funding from them, which is approximately $300,000 per year. Arrowmont is facing a crossroad. “There is no doubt that the decision by the Grand Council to sell their property has been an eye-opening development for all involved. This decision has impacted thousands who hold Arrowmont near and dear to their heart. What is important for all of you to understand is that Arrowmont will continue,” said Arrowmont’s Director, David Willard.

Following the announcement, Arrowmont’s Board of Governors released this statement:

the new facilities are being built could prove catastrophic.”

“The Arrowmont Board of Governors (BOG) is fully committed to the ongoing success of Arrowmont. However, the sale of the land on which the school is located represents a major threat to Arrowmont. While the school can be relocated and rebuilt elsewhere, the cost of doing so would greatly exceed the amount of money that Pi Beta Phi has suggested it might offer, up to $9 million. The Arrowmont Board of Governors believes that losing the historic campus and the professional craft studio facilities and dormitories would be devastating to the school, not only in the short term, but also because it would sever its long-lasting ties to the early heritage of Pi Beta Phi in Gatlinburg. Of additional concern is the fact that the immediate loss of revenue and constituents (both local and national students and conference attendees) while

“Currently we are investigating a variety of options that could help us remain on our existing site. There have been informal discussions with city officials about their interest in keeping Arrowmont in Gatlinburg,” said Willard. While the school continues efforts to remain in Gatlinburg, other options must be considered should Arrowmont be unable to remain at its present location. Since the public has learned of the Fraternity’s potential sale of the property, numerous individuals have approached the school and communities in the region to consider their properties, should the school relocate. “I am very appreciative of those individuals who recognize Arrowmont’s importance, as well

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

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as their enthusiasm to begin dialog about relocating, if that is our eventual path,” said Willard.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

“We also know that we need even more financial support. As a non-profit, we are always dependent on outside support, and now more than ever, we are going to need it. One way supporters can help right now is to consider a gift to our Friends of Arrowmont Annual Fund or to take a workshop,” said Willard.

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The months ahead will ultimately reveal more information as various avenues are explored and more information becomes available. “I encourage you to keep checking the Arrowmont Web site for the latest news and developments, as that is where the most current information we have will be posted,” said Willard. “We have been overwhelmed with letters and calls from supporters across Tennessee and the United States. I can’t tell you how much that has meant to all of us at Arrowmont. It’s what will get us through

this challenge ahead and what will help forge a secure and strong future for our beloved Arrowmont,” said Willard.

For more information or to make a contribution to the Friends of Arrowmont Annual Fund, visit www.arrowmont.org. Arrowmont is located at 556 Parkway in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Visit the school’s galleries, resource center, and art supply store. Business hours are Mon.-Sat., 8:30-4:30 pm. [

Above: Black Striped Cooking Oil Can by Linda Christianson. Thrown and altered, decorated with black underglaze. Wood-fired. Left: Bottle by Mark Shapiro. 35" x 7" x 7". Carved, salt-glazed, wood-fired stoneware with slips. Opposite page: Platter by Ron Meyers. 2ž" x 14". Wheel-thrown earthenware with underglazes and incised decoration.

CLAYTIMES¡COM n November/December 2008

To view a wide variety of symposium images and useful studio tips from Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object, log onto the Web site at www.claytimes.com.

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A Vineyard Kiln Building Project

About the Kiln • The kiln was designed during winter 2007/2008 by John Thies, Bill van Gilder, and Stan Burgess. • In Japanese, ‘Mana’ translates as ‘learning.’ ‘Bi’ translates as ‘beautiful’ and ‘gama’ means ‘kiln;’ hence, ‘A beautiful learning kiln.’ • Although a 12-hour firing is preferable, a Manabigama kiln can be fired in as little as eight hours, making it an ideal kiln to use as a workshop focus. • The kiln consumes less than one cord of common, mixed hardwoods per firing.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

• A Manabigama firing yields heavy ash effects in the front half of the chamber, typical of much longer anagama kiln firings.

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• The ware chamber yields softer flashed effects in the back half of the chamber. This part of the kiln is used for glazed wares— especially those with shino-type glazes. • An average Manabigama firing schedule is as follows: • Day 1: Load the kiln • Day 2: Fire the kiln • Day 3: Cool the kiln • Day 4: Unload the kiln

Excess mortar is scraped from the interior of the chamber.

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am a member of the Glen Echo Pottery community near Washington D.C., a group of pottery students of varied levels of experience under the direction and tutelage of Jeff Kirk, potter and teacher extraordinaire. When my friend and fellow student potter, Bill Kruvant, mentioned he wanted to build a Manabigama wood fire kiln at his ‘La Paz’ vineyard property in northern Virginia, I was delighted. As a long time supporter of our pottery community, Bill hoped to provide the members of Glen Echo Pottery continuous opportunities to wood fire. I have participated in several wood firing workshops at John Thies’ Monocacy Pottery in Maryland using his new Manabigama

kiln. My experience was that the kiln was easy to load and fire. Each firing consumes approximately ½ to ¾ cord of wood, and 120 to 150 averaged-sized pots can be fired to cone 12 in just 9 to 10 hours. The Manabigama kiln produces vibrant, flameflashed, jewel-like ash surfaces that look as if they took multiple days to achieve. It is a great ‘learning’ tool for a small group of beginners, or a couple of experienced potters. This past summer Bill Kruvant brought John Thies and Bill van Gilder to La Paz to lead a three-day, kiln building workshop. Under John’s prior direction, Bill and his vineyard staff had a sizable concrete slab poured and a shelter built. He procured materials, supplies,

by Missy Cochrane

John Thies teaches the nuances of wadding pots.

The arch is insulated with 2" of ceramic fiber blanket and turkey wire mesh.

and tools, organized the construction dates, and invited our wood firing group to come to work or watch. About 15 of us convened at the vineyard on a brilliant, hot summer day. After a brief lecture by John Thies and Bill van Gilder on safety and how to safely lift and carry bricks and block, we divided ourselves into teams and began moving cinderblocks and bricks to the pad.

I have never participated in a group building project of this scale, and I gained a tremendous respect for the persistence,

Day Two started with the building of the catenary arch, (catenary from the Latin word ‘catena,’ or chain). Bill van Gilder gave a clear explanation and simple hands-on demonstration of how to create a catenary arch by suspending a chain from two level but separate points: “The weight of the hanging chain creates the catenary arch.” John then drew the wooden template using the arched chain as a guide and instructed one of the teams in the construction of the wooden arch form. At the same time, Bill taught a second team the procedure for the laying of the chimney. The wooden arch form was set in place at the top of the kiln walls and, with John supervising at one side and Bill the other, we began laying equal courses of arch brick. More bricks, more mud and we had become a competent bricklaying team! The day ended with the setting of the

Charlie Hoffacker trowels a protective coat of stucco over the insulation.

Photo captions here.

Pots are tumble-stacked at the front of the chamber. castable keystone, cleaning the site and the kiln walls. One of our group quipped, “Who knew slave labor could be so much fun?” On the morning of Day Three, John and Bill guided one of the teams through the process of laying the 14-ft.-tall brick chimney. Simultaneously, lengths of fiber blanket and wire mesh were cut, trimmed, and set over the

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

As the first hour passed, everyone settled into a rhythm—grind and clean, carry and stack, dip, set and level—one brick at a time. John and Bill were encouraging and concise in their directions: “Please hold this,” “Move that,” “Measure this brick,” and “Have it cut on the brick saw” by Charlie Hoffacker, visiting master mason from Santa Fe, NM. Cries for “More mud! More brick!” rang out.

endurance, and humor of my fellow potters. What an awesome team! Day One ended with the kiln base and floor, the firebox and one foot of the chamber walls completed.

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arched chamber of the kiln. Batches of a protective stucco mix of cement, sand, fire clay, and saw dust were then blended and troweled over the fiber and wire. A chimney hole was cut through the metal roof and the chimney building continued throughout the afternoon. Did I mention the 100° heat? Or the carrying and lifting of bricks and mortar up and onto the 15-foot-tall scaffold? Or the teams of incredibly committed volunteers? By the end of Day Three, this little kiln had taken shape. It was a happy, tired, and proud crew that bid farewell to our host, Bill Kruvant, to each other, and to our fearless leaders, Bill and John. They would stay the fourth day to finish the chimney top and organize the kiln door. The Firing We met again at the La Paz vineyard for our first Manabigama firing in early October.

The kiln performed beautifully, yielding every wood-fired surface imaginable, from ash-dripping, tumbled-stacked pots at the front of the chamber to softly flashed wares from the back. The firing was accomplished in 12 hours, with our ‘teams’ stoking in energized, 30-minute shifts. We used a bit more than ½ cord of dry, split walnut, locust, and cherry—all of it fallen wood from the vineyard property. There were pre-glazed pots ‘kissed’ by a light fall of ash, some 12 clay bodies tested, rice hull used as a decorative element, new slips, new glazes, and a new wadding mix tested—all with successful results. These pots were certainly worth the effort! “So, when do we load and fire next?” was the theme by the end of our unloading day. “Make more pots!” was the answer. We can hardly wait. [

For the first firing, ware is loosely stacked at the back of the chamber, allowing for an efficient flame path to the exit flues.

What Makes the Manabigama Kiln So Different? • It is a suitably sized kiln, allowing for a reasonably quick making and firing cycle. • It is an ideal option for universities, craft schools, art centers, or private studios. • The kiln can be completely constructed within three to five days, by 2-15 people. • The kiln chamber is large enough to yield an ample amount of wood-fired pieces per firing and hence, is useful for group workshops and/or individual studio potters.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

• The kiln is capable of yielding typically longer firing results (i.e., saturated natural ash deposits, intense flame flashing, heavy-to-light reduction effects) within a minimal 8- to 9-hour firing.

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• It’s an excellent instructional wood kiln for teaching hands-on, introductory wood firing programs. • The Manabigama is a sensible addition to the school or private kiln yard with existing large wood-fire kilns that often take weeks to fill, load, fire, cool, and unload. A Manabigama kiln can be loaded in an afternoon, fired to cone 12 over eight to twelve hours, and unloaded within a total of four days. This time frame allows students to learn quickly about wood-firing, without the sometimes overly intense labor needed to operate larger wood firing kilns.

• The Manabigama kiln is a perfectlysized wood-fire kiln for batch-testing clay bodies, slips, and glazes. • Fuel consumption for a short firing will total less than one cord of common stove wood, typically purchased locally with ease. • The kiln can also be fired as a long firing (more than 12 hours) if desired.

Participants stoke the manabigama kiln during the tenth hour of firing.

• Optional soda and salt ports are located at the mid-point of the kiln chamber. • The kiln design incorporates a double passive damper system, allowing for top temperature ‘soaking’ of the ware. • The entire kiln can be loaded, fired, cooled, and unloaded comfortably by a single person, if necessary. • The Manabigama kiln is designed to accommodate four stacks, or “bungs,” of 12" x 24" kiln shelves. • The Manabigama has proven to be a wood kiln that is actually fun to fire! • For more information about the Manabigama Kiln, see the classified ad listed under ‘Tools’ on p. 63 of this issue of Clay Times, or log onto www.monocacy.com. The first firing produces flashed and ash-covered porcelain and stoneware pots.

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otter’s wheels come in all shapes and sizes, all power levels, and designed for different skill levels and individual preferences. With so many options on the market, how do you know which wheel is for you? Enter the Aspire, a tabletop potter’s wheel that can handle your most creative challenges. Since its introduction in January 2008, the Aspire has grown in popularity and is quickly becoming the premier “tabletop, easy-to-carry, great-for-demos and teaching, multi-tasking classroom-friendly” potter’s wheel. The Aspire was met with hesitation when it first came on to the market because of its small size. Many thought it resembled a toy rather than a serious wheel. Minds changed when people were able to try the Aspire at the NCECA Conference in March 2008. Several experienced potters used it for demonstrations and the common remark was, “That’s a serious wheel. It’s not a toy!” After the NCECA Conference the Aspire found its place in the ceramics community. Skeptical minds changed once again, at the CCSA Conference in September 2008, where people of all skill levels had the opportunity to try out and fall in love with the Aspire. Novice ceramic artists were not intimidated by its size, while skilled potters were able to appreciate its easy portability and the fact that it doesn’t move or shift when in use during demos and workshops. Everyone was in agreement on how amazingly quiet the Aspire was for a belt-driven wheel.

One-piece splashpans may not the most popular choice nowadays, but don’t pre-judge. The Aspire’s one-piece

pan fits over the wheelhead and effortlessly locks into place. Clean-up is just as easy—simply move the splashpan sideways to unlock it and lift it off. The speed-control lever is easily accessible and when used for teaching, allows the teacher—rather than the student—to control the speed if necessary. At a list price of $399 including splashpan, two bats, and a twoyear warranty, the Aspire is a wheel that should be taken seriously. Your “aspirations” are its only limit! [

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

The Aspire is a 1/3 hp, 100-watt, belt-driven potter’s wheel that can center 20 lbs. of clay with ease. It’s a “table-top” model with speed control (0 to 230 rpm) delivered by a lever mounted on the side of the wheel. A one-piece splashpan and two 9¾" bats are included. The compact size, (20" l x 14½" w x 9" h), features a 7" wheelhead with bat pins. Weighing in at only 25 lbs., the Aspire is easy to transport and store when not in use.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

An Interview with Phil Rogers Reflections on what has had the greatest impact on his work, and what he considers most important ...

STORY AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOE CAMPBELL

The interview that follows was recorded at the Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, New Jersey in July 2008. Phil Rogers needs no introduction to most potters, as his work and writings are well established in the 21st-Century vernacular of studio potters. His best known books, Salt Glazing, Ash Glazes, and Throwing Pots have become necessary manuals for many in our field.

Influences Joe: Would you talk a little about the people or places that have influenced your career and the way you think about your work?

People Joe: Are there any particular people whose pots or careers stand out in any way when you think about this? Phil: I’m quite happy to be within a certain genre—in Britain they call it the “Leach School.” I think we’ve moved far enough away from his work that it no longer applies to me in that way now, but Bernard Leach had such a great impact at home, because there were so few things that he didn’t do. Some people would say that Leach and Shoji Hamada where overly influential—I think that Hamada was more influential as

a potter and Bernard was more influential as a potter and a writer and a teacher. If you talk to potters at home and ask them, “How did you get involved in clay?” they almost all say, “I read Bernard’s A Potters Book.” I think Hamada was a far more talented potter, but Leach was a tremendous writer and ambassador. As it played itself out over the decades, it appears in some way that Leach was the more influential potter because every little village in England had a potter making Leach look-a-likes. Bernard’s influence was there—not so much because of the pots, but because of the cozy workshop atmosphere that he portrayed in the book. It appealed to so many people that they thought they could work for themselves in their cozy little shops—that all their pots naturally took a “Leachy” point of view. Many of the pots that came out of that period really owe their forms and decoration to Hamada. He, too, was a very eloquent writer and speaker—it’s just because the writing’s all in Japanese that most of us know little of it. I’ve always tended to look not at other

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Phil: I wasn’t really “taught” to make pots, and because I wasn’t schooled or apprenticed or anything of that sort, I tended to make pots that had obvious influences. There were two or three people making pots that I thought were really good, and I tended to look at them as absentee tutors. So for the first two or three years, I made pots that were adequately made and adequately glazed, but were very much like the pots I was looking at. I then started to move away from that

and introduce a bit more of me into the pots. I’m always still looking at lots of other pots and trying to absorb stuff and I mash that all up together—and it comes out in my work. I think that’s good—everybody is influenced by somebody or something, and very little if anything is brand-new. I’m not a person that strives to be innovative. I’m not out to make new, cutting edge, innovative pottery.

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media, like stone carving or metalwork or sculpture, but at pots—say pots from 15thor 16th-Century Korea, or English medieval or slipware pots, German salt-glazed pots, American settler pots, 20th-Century studio potters like Walter Keeler and Michael Cardew. There are things I see in these pots, old or contemporary, and I think, “Now there’s something I can adopt or adapt�—not copy; perhaps twist around a bit and use in the work I’m doing.

Design Joe: Do you have a primary concern with your work when it comes to “design�—say form, texture, color, etc.? Phil: I rather think about the word orchestrate— and when I orchestrate the pot, my primary goal is to get a good form that that I’m happy with at that stage. I look at the proportion, the lines, the angles, the dimensions—they all need to fit together. I’m also concerned that

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pots that are meant to function—to do so well. I’m also aware that many studio art pots today are priced in such a way that some people may choose not to use them. We have to be realistic about that, and that we are making these pots for a more contemplative reason, and they are often used to enrich the owners’ environment just like a painting or sculpture would do. Having said that—I still want my pieces to work. If a jug or teapot dribbles, or a cup or mug is rough to the lip, I’m worried, but my main preoccupation is making forms that are successful. Within each category of pot—say tea bowls or jugs—there are many configurations that work fine, and there are just as many that don’t. Just like every other potter, I don’t get it right every time, and the bugger of it is that the ones that don’t work, you don’t often see until they’re coming out of the glaze kiln. There is something about the light and reflection coming off of the glaze that lets you see it immediately, and you say, “Why the hell didn’t I see that before I wasted the space in the kiln to fire it!� Another important concern for me, from a decorative standpoint, is to get the most from the least. I want to be able to decorate simply, quickly, but effectively. I try to think about the surface as I’m throwing the pot and often create what some might call surface as an extension of the form. For instance—the small cups or yunomi that I make with the little raised band near the middle—I don’t like the line to run round the pot at the same level and same thickness; rather, I like it to wobble and waver. I want the pot to reflect that it was once a plastic material. Suppose you see a brushwork pattern on an old Karatsu or Shino pot and you like the way it interacts with the form—and because I’m not brilliant with a brush, I’ll try to translate that mark into the plastic surface of the clay, rather than on the surface. Joe: Is there a certain way you think about translating that 2-dimensional brush mark into the 3-dimensional relief of the pot? Phil: I think that most of us work in given ways because we know that we can do that aspect well—I know that I can draw reasonably well into the surface of the clay, and I’m not very good with a brush. Having made that decision, there’s no sense covering it all up with some thick Shino glaze, rather I want to highlight the drawing. I often use two ways—an ash glaze that pools in the hollows and burns on the edges, or by firing the pot in the salt kiln,

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Salt-glazed, wood-fired bottle by Phil Rogers.

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which will magnify any mark you’ve left on the pot. Also now with my new wood kiln, I’ve got a 3rd way to think about highlighting the marks I’ve made. The drawings I do tend to be fairly minimal, or the stamping or impressing is simple, as I don’t like over-decorated things.

Patrons Joe: Do you think your work or design sense is in any way driven by your patrons or customers?

Phil: I make what I make—and then I hope to sell it—I’m not involved with any group of patrons that have any real “set of rules” or requirements. But, this surely is different for some potters who have specific clients that they “make” for—and that’s fine—some potters like having an avenue or guideline— it’s not to be put down—it’s actually quite clever to have the your pots sold before you even make them in some cases—but it doesn’t suit me. I don’t take orders any more. If someone asks me for some specific thing I don’t have I say “come back in a few

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months and see.” The problem with making something that’s someone else’s idea is that they seem always disappointed with it. I’d say 99% of the time it’s not exactly what they had as an image in their mind—and you hand it over to them and you see their face drop—it’s a no-win situation—so why do that?

Environment Joe: Do you see any connection between your work and the physical or cultural environment in which you live and work? Phil: I tend to think that where I live doesn’t have much impact on my pots in any sort of visual representative way. What I rather do think is, that because I live in the country—among the country people—that their unpretentious way of living—with no bullshit—has had an impact. Consequently, there’s none of it in my work. I try to be as straightforward and honest as I can. It also has had another effect—in that I am now quite happy to work within a tradition. In the countryside tradition is quite well thought of—and by that I mean the old traditions—not the newly invented and reworked traditions you often find in the cities.

Legacy Joe: To finish up our conversation, would you talk a bit about legacy—we’ve talked about the legacy you feel you’ve “inherited” and how it has impacted your work, but what “mark” do you think you’ve made to hand forward? Phil: I don’t feel I’ve made much of a mark. There are other potters who have— like Walter Keeler—as I think he was so innovative, and Voulkos obviously, and Leach and Hamada that we talked about quite a bit, but I’ve been quite happy to follow within a sort of genre and tried to do the best I can within that place. I quite like having this kind of avenue to walk down. Hamada said quite the same thing in a way—people asked him why are you working in Mashiko—it’s got such crap clay for a start—and he said I make good pots from bad clay. And then they said to him why don’t you use celadon glazes— and he said I use five local materials and I get to know them well and get the most out of those materials that I can. I think much the same—I don’t want too many things to choose from.

“For instance—the small cups or yunomi that I make with the little raised band near the middle—I don’t like the line to run round the pot at the same level and same thickness; rather, I like it to wobble and waver.” Joe: Legacy doesn’t have to be like fireworks and loud noises, does it, now? Phil: I was talking with someone at home just the other week and we were saying that there’s not many people on the face of the earth—numerically speaking—that get the chance to leave artifacts behind them. When we’re dead—in 100, 200, perhaps even 500 years—there will still be some of our pieces behind. And people will look at them, perhaps out of context, and say “this was made in the 21st Century—and it was made using 16th- or 17th-Century technology—was it some sort of revival or did it have virtue and value in its own time?” However it’s seen—none the less I’m very happy to have had the chance to leave something of merit behind that people can remember you by. Now, that’s kind of an ego thing, I guess, but it’s still quite nice. Somebody will be looking at the pieces—in a museum or not—and that’s quite a responsibility and also quite humbling as well. The best we can hope for is to “make what we make, the best way we can, on the day that we make it, and to always stand by our work.” For resume information, to see more of Phil Rogers’s work, or for contact information, visit the Web site at: www.philrogerspottery.com. [

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Yunomi by Phil Rogers.

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Finding One’s Way With Clay by Paulus Berensohn is one of the best loved books on clay ever written. It is an eloquent how-to book and a provocative and inspirational look at the relationship between clay and the human being. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Finding One’s Way With Clay is available at Trinity Ceramic Supply, Inc. On sale now for $24.50 plus shipping. If you are a bookseller or a teacher interested in multiple copies contact us for discounts.

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Local Inspection Rules Can Cause Kiln Building Frustration

Shop Talk I Firing

Gas Safety Legislation Doesn't Always Apply BY marc ward

I

’m writing this in September. Most of you reading this live in the United States, where September—specifically September 11th—has specific significance. My daughter called me on that morning in 2001 and told me to turn on the TV. I watched dumbfounded as one of the World Trade Center towers burned because a plane had flown into the building. Like many of you, I was thinking, “How could this happen? It’s a clear day; FAA traffic controllers should have stopped them. What the hell is going on?” Then the second plane hit. My wife and I were stunned. I turned to my wife and said, “The world just changed.” The horror and bravery of that day have become part of the fabric of our society. One of the side effects of that day is fear. You’re probably starting to wonder, “What’s this got to do with firing kilns?” It took me a while to understand, but this fear has worked its way into the pottery world.

One of the major ways the world of kiln building has changed is the demand for ‘approved’ items. Is this UL listed? Is this CSA listed? CSA! Are they talking about the Confederate States of America? No—they are talking about the Canadian Standards Agency. Canadian? All of these rating agencies are private labs. UL is Underwriters Laboratories. The old AGA (American Gas Association) was bought by CSA, which has become the main gas approval agency. This is where the trouble begins. Governments have legislated safety by insisting on these approval codes. But the real world doesn’t work by the codes. Governments are insisting you go by the book. But you’re not in the book! Here is an example: I know Massachusetts is a lovely state, but it isn’t a pretty place to build a new kiln since new laws were passed a couple of years ago. The powers that be, in the guise of protection, have now mandated that the Massachusetts Gas Board approve all burners. The Gas Board wants to see burners that have been approved by UL or CSA. So you need to go to Boston and present your burners twice to committees for approval. My company sells custom burners. We would have to do this every time we sold

burners. $30,000 to $50,000 for a CSA listing on a custom burner, then trips to Boston? We get to eat good seafood and have fun in a great city, but it all costs more bucks! All of this just to sell a couple thousand dollars worth of burners? It isn’t going to happen! A few manufacturers who produce package burners for industrial applications such as boilers have gotten these approval codes, but their products are not at all appropriate or affordable for pottery kilns. The laws don’t represent reality! More and more states are becoming like this. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not moaning about my problems. My concern is for my customers who get caught up in this red-tape jungle. More and more, the powers that be are going by the book. They are looking for new books that cover more and more situations. No matter how many books they get, potters don’t seem to be addressed in any of them. But let’s not be bummed out! Local inspectors are starting to realize that some of the new laws that have been passed are not workable. Be prepared to educate your local inspector on how kilns work, why your situation is different from the boiler at the high school, and the fact that you’re really not a menace to the social order. Start with your propane supplier or natural gas company to find out what the rules are. You will then be less likely to encounter any unwelcome surprises during your kiln building experience. [ 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 this address: www. wardburner.com.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Over the past seven years, I have seen a profound change in the way governments, from local to state, deal with permits and regulations. Government, in many ways, has hunkered down and is bound and determined to protect you, even from yourself, whether you want protecting or not. The kiln that was built ten years ago with a “Here’s your gas line—thanks for the business,” has been replaced with inspectors, fire marshals, and rules that, many times, are silly and contradictory. Governments are going to protect you from the things they can control, because they have been shown that there are things they can’t control or protect you from. Let the micro-management begin.

If you’re getting ready to build your first kiln, you’re most likely going to start checking with building inspectors and the gas company. You may be a bit aggravated with the hoops you have to jump through, but you figure it’s part of the process. If you are a potter who has worn out the kiln you built 18 years ago, you may be in for a surprise. The old rules have changed.

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Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Three Bottles. Up to 8" tall. Thrown and altered stoneware with Malcolm Shino glaze, wood-fired in an anagama-noborigama kiln. Joe Giacquinta, 177 Sunset Road, Montrose, NY 10548. E-mail: JBGPOTS@aol.com.

CLAYTIMES¡COM n November/December 2008

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Architectonic-Landscape with Shoe and Boat. 18" x 16" x 10". Salt- and wood-fired, low-fired and lustre glazed, then assembled. Keith Ekstam, 818 South Kickapoo Ave., Springfield, MO 65804. E-mail: keithekstam@missouristate.edu.

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Four Cups. 5" x 5" x 4" each, with handles. Wheel-thrown porcelain gas-fired to cone 10. Amy Smith, 7540 Nemaha St., Lincoln, NE 68506. E-mail: claynwood@aol.com.

Large Wheel-thrown Vessel. 12" x 16". Soldate 60 clay with terra sigillata. Decorated with ferric chloride and fern leaves. Raku-fired in an aluminum-foil saggar, then finished with beeswax. Ray Bogle, 220 M.F. Bowen Rd., Huntingtown, MD 20639. E-mail: rbogle@comcast.net; Web site: www.madewithclay.com.

Have your work considered for publication in The Gallery! Please send a high-quality color print, slide, or 1050-x-1500-pixel digital image to: The Gallery, Clay Times, P.O. Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197. Please 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.)

CLAYTIMES¡COM n November/December 2008

Sloth 2. 13" x 9" x 6". Campbell Brick Red Clay stained with red iron oxide and fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln; glue spider web additions. Callie Badorrek, 19839 Scott Hill Dr., Hagerstown, MD 21742. E-mail: Callie.badorrek@gmail.com.

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52

Part One: Making Your Own & How to Use Them

by VINCE PITELKA

Shop Talk I Tool Times

An In-Depth Look at Profile Ribs

Customized shapes and sizes of profile ribs can be made with a simple bench grinder and file set.

with thrown and handbuilt work. The photo above shows a range of profile ribs made from various materials, and in both columns I refer to these ribs by number.

What Is a Profile Rib? A profile rib is any rib that has a profile cut or carved on one or more edges. When held stationary against a lubricated rotating pot (with corresponding pressure applied inside) or dragged along a lubricated stationary clay

surface, the profile rib creates a continuous raised or recessed shape corresponding to the negative space carved or cut into the edge of the rib. A simple comparison with architectural moulding will clarify. We are all familiar with decorative wood moulding seen along the edges of floors or ceilings. Wood mouldings can be very simple or quite complex, but in every case the cross-sectional shape of the moulding corresponds to the negative space in the cutter blades attached to the router or

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

T

he profile rib is a useful tool that opens up interesting and unusual decorative possibilities in clay. I mentioned them briefly in a column entitled “Rib It” in the Sept./Oct. 2003 issue of Clay Times, but I have come to realize that they need a lot more attention. Most potters who work on the wheel know something about profile ribs but rarely take full advantage of the possibility, and few handbuilders use them at all. So this column provides general information about profile ribs and how to make them. My next column will cover specifics of using them

53

Shop Talk I Tool Times

shaper spindle that created the moulding from a plain board. The same basic concept applies to a profile rib. Whatever shape you cut or carve as negative space in the edge of a wood, metal, or plastic rib will become a continuous profile when dragged along a lubricated clay surface.

What Are the Best Materials for Profile Ribs? You can make profile ribs from any sort of rigid, thin material. Plastic credit cards or thin sheet metal will work, but I prefer ribs made from wood or from thick plastic like ¼" Plexiglas (#5) or PVC (#7). Thin materials are often too flexible, and tend to scrape clay from the surface as they create the profile. A rib made from thicker material with beveled edges along the profile tends to displace the clay rather than removing it from the surface, preserving the wall thickness of your piece while still creating the desired effect.

How Do You Make Profile Ribs and What Tools Do You Need?

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

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Stamped Platter by Rick McKinney.  

Visit www.MKMPotteryTools.com 

Wholesale: Fax: 920-830-9394   Voice: 920-205-2701  Retail: Your local distributor.  



Different materials offer different challenges. Plastic credit cards can be cut with scissors, and are good for initial experiments with different profiles. Thicker materials like ¼" hardwood or plastic work better but need to be sawed, ground, or filed. I generally start with a standard straight- or curved-edge hardwood rib available from any supplier. They are inexpensive and fit my hand well. Wood is easy to work, and while you should always wear a proper respirator and safety goggles and never breathe sawdust, the dust and fumes created in working with wood are far less toxic and offensive than those created when you sand or grind plastic. If you have access to small blocks of hardwood and a band saw, you can cut ¼" stock that is ideal for making ribs. When initially working with profile ribs, it will help to draw a series of profiles on poster board or manila folder stock and cut them out in order to really see the negative space. Pick out the ones you like and trace the profile onto the rib stock with a Sharpie® before you start cutting or grinding the profile. The standard bench grinder works well for limited kinds of shaping. Go to www.grizzly. com and enter “bench grinder” in the search box. The “H8148” 6" bench grinder for $50 is

perfect for general workshop and clay studio needs, and is ideal for tool shaping and sharpening. The edge of a fresh grindstone will cut sharp V-notches, and by carefully moving the rib you can cut rounded notches of whatever size you wish. A slightly worn stone will cut smoothly rounded notches, and a well-worn stone will cut broader, rounded notches, but neither will allow you to cut sharply-defined notches or details. The bench grinder often works very well for the initial shaping of a rib and for roughing out the profile. Always wear a respirator and safety goggles when using any kind of grinder. You can do accurate finish shaping with a Dremel® tool and a selection of appropriate carving burrs, but I prefer to use a good set of files, including assorted sizes of flat, halfround, round, triangular, and square files. I have a lot more control with files, and they are ideal for the kinds of cuts you need to make in creating profile ribs. At the Grizzly Web site, enter “files” in the search box. Get the “G8073” 7-piece file set for $14 and the “G8979” mini file set for $7. $21 plus tax and shipping is a bargain price for all these files, and you will be well set-up to do any sort of shaping on the edge of a wood or plastic rib. When creating the profile with a Dremel tool or a set of files, it works best to hold the rib-stock in a vise. At the Grizzly Web site, the “G7058” 4" bench vise for $42 is an ideal general-purpose, heavy-duty shop vise for holding anything while you work on it. Clamp the rib stock vertically in the vise jaws with the edge to be worked sticking up at least 1½" above the jaws. As indicated in the photos, initially hold the file horizontally at 90° to the edge of the rib and start cutting the profile. When filing any hard material, always relieve pressure against the file on the back stroke. Change between different sizes and shapes of files as necessary to form the desired profile. As you observe the developing profile, keep in mind that you will be holding the rib at an angle as you drag it against the clay, and thus the profile must be cut fairly deep to still produce the effect you want when the rib is angled. Once you’ve got the profile you want, tilt the file at approximately 45° so that you are filing upward, and create a bevel all along the profile. The bevel is very important, because it allows the rib to run smoothly against the lubricated clay without simply scraping clay and slurry from the surface.

A good set of files, including assorted sizes of flat, half-round, round, triangular, and square files, may be used to accurately bevel and finish the shape of wooden rib grooves. After creating the bevel on one side, it is a good idea to turn the rib around in the vise with the profile still sticking upward to file a bevel in the opposite side, so that the rib is reversible. On a profile that is bilaterally-symmetrical it doesn’t really matter, but it can be very important on an asymmetrical profile, for reasons that will be explained in the next column when I discuss using profile ribs on thrown forms. It can’t hurt to bevel the profile on both sides, and you never know when it might be an advantage.

Be adventurous in your experiments. Try grinding random profiles and then using them to see what they do. Unexpected combinations of rounded and angular notches can create nice profiles. Just remember to always think in terms of negative versus positive space. The negative space you carve into the rib will become a positive ridge, bead, or profile on the surface of the pot. [

Vince Pitelka is professor of clay at Tennessee Technological University’s Appalachian Center for Craft, an active participant on the Clayart Internet discussion group, Note that many of my ribs have multiple profiles on different edges. and author of Clay: A Studio Handbook. You can contact Vince through his In some cases, one rib includes various sizes of the same kind of Web site at http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka. mark, as in rib #9 (pictured on page 53). In other cases, a rib like #8 has a variety of profiles, either as random options, or as a collection used in the creation of a particular form.

Bill van Gilder 2009 Workshops & Presentations

Using Profile Ribs When using a profile rib, back-up pressure from the other side of the clay is essential. If you are using the rib on a slab, the table or board beneath will provide the back-up pressure. If you are working with thrown forms, simply pressing a profile rib against the outside of a spinning form will have little effect. You will need to lubricate both surfaces with water and apply corresponding pressure against the inside while you use the rib on the outside. The kind and amount of pressure applied from the inside will depend on the specific profile of the rib, and will be discussed further in my next column. A rib with a shallow profile could require only one pass, while a deeper profile will need several passes.

The Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL www.ArmoryArt.org

Jan. 11-18

Clay Times “Cruisin’ (the Caribbean) for Clay” Ph: (540) 882-3576 • www.claytimes.com

Feb. 20-22

Jeffcoat Pottery, Calabash, NC (near Myrtle Beach) Ph. (910) 579-2400 • www.jeffcoatpottery.com

March 6-8

Fusion, Toronto, Canada Ph: (416) 438-8946 • www.clayandglass.on.ca

March 20-22

Goggleworks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA www.pacrafts.org

April 8-11

NCECA (VAN GILDER CLAY-TOOLS), Phoenix, AZ Ph: toll-free (866) 266-2322 • www.nceca.net

May 31-June 12 Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer lsle, ME www.haystack-mtn.org July 20-24

Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village at Lake Tahoe, NV www.sierranevada.edu/workshops • Ph: (775) 881-7588

Sept. 11-13

Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild, Haslett, MI

Sept. 27-Oct. 3

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN Ph: (865) 436-5860 • www.arrowmont.org

Oct. 8-10

Clayworkers’ Guild of Illinois, Crystal Lake, IL Ph: (815) 455-8764 • www.clayworkersguild.com

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

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Profile ribs are extremely versatile tools, and can be used to create marks or details not possible with other tools. When you design a profile rib, you are helping to set your work apart and create a style and look that is your own. The particular profile is up to you, of course, but there are lots of sources of inspiration. Look at wood mouldings and all sorts of smooth, decorative edges on furniture and picture frames. Go to www.interior-wood-mouldings.com and check out profiles of all kinds of mouldings. Don’t just experiment with large cuts that make big beads, steps, or ridges. Try some very small marks that make subtle lines, indentations, steps, grooves, or ridges in the clay, and experiment with small, parallel steps or ridges spaced closely and widely. Consider the scale of the marks in proportion to the size of the vessel.

Jan. 5-9

55

Studio I Health & Safety

Lead Frits: Are They Safe? by MONONA ROSSOL

M

any commercial glazes contain lead in the form of a lead frit. Frits are made by heating compounds containing metals such as lead, barium, and boron with silica and other ingredients to form a glasslike substance that is then made into a powder. This is done in the belief that fritting makes the lead insoluble so that it will not be absorbed into the body.

SAFETY CLAIMS In the May/June 1998 issue of Clay Times, I wrote a column called “The Frit Myth.” It explained how rendering lead in glazes insoluble in acid does not provide safety for the user. I thought this issue was settled and done ... but it’s ba-a-a-ack! Recently, I have seen material safety data sheets and product literature again touting the safety of fritting. For example, one MSDS said “once these oxides are fused and converted into frit they are no longer available in toxic form ... ” Clearly, it is time to address this subject again.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

HISTORY

56

The belief that lead frits are safe started in Britain in the late 1800s. Deaths from lead poisoning in the pottery industry were greatly reduced when acid-soluble raw lead compounds were replaced by insoluble lead frits. As a result, the British Government has required industrial frits to pass solubility tests with hydrochloric acid since 1889. For almost 100 years, acid solubility tests were accepted worldwide uncritically and with essentially no supporting experimental data. No one assessed

the effects of other measures that were introduced to British potteries at precisely the same time frits were introduced. These measures were ventilation, wet cleaning, hand washing, protective clothing, and other hygiene practices. These changes in hygiene were actually the major change that saved lives and reduced the numbers of poisonings.

ANIMAL DATA In 1985, the acid solubility theory was finally tested directly. The investigators first compared the solubility of lead disilicate and lead monosilicate frits with raw red lead in acid. Then they exposed rabbits to these substances by ingestion and by inhalation, and plotted their blood lead concentrations against time (six days for exposure by ingestion; over 12 days for exposure by inhalation). The study concluded: ...“Those compounds that exhibit a lower solubility in acidic media do not behave differently in in vivo [animal] experiments from the other compounds and, in particular, from red lead. Moreover, the compounds which exhibit the lowest absorption levels via the ... digestive system ... do not show the lowest solubilities in acidic and biological media.” Consequently, the in vitro solubility of each compound does not predict the degree of absorption in vivo by experimental animals. We therefore call for attention against the unjustified feeling of safety that often accompanies the use of such compounds.1 The ceramic industry and its toxicologists did not accept this animal data. Instead, it took human poisonings to convince them.

HUMAN DATA Poison Control Centers in the United States have reports of hundreds of human ingestions of lead glazes over the years. There were 318 cases reported in 1991 alone. A number of these incidents occurred because teachers and occupational therapists used lead glazes in activities in nursing homes and mental hospitals. These ingestion incidents were not followed up by medical tests of the victims because the doctors and poison control center personnel believed the manufacturers’ claims. They were told that since these glazes released less than 0.06% lead by weight in an acid solubility test, they could not be absorbed by ingestion. Then in 1992, one nursing home patient swallowed some glaze labeled “lead-free” and her symptoms of poisoning were not ignored. This patient’s blood was tested and it was proven that the lead was absorbed.2 The significance of this event was understood by Dr. Woodhall Stopford, toxicologist for the Arts and Creative Materials Institute, the largest certifier of art and hobby products in the U.S. At this time, Dr. Stopford routinely certified glazes containing acid-insoluble lead frits as “non-toxic” and “lead-free!” In a deposition in a 1997 lawsuit during which several manufacturers were accused of causing brain damage in a child whose mother used their lead glazes during her pregnancy, Dr. Stopford referred to the 1992 nursing home incident in the following exchange: Dr. Stopford: “And at that time, one of the glazes that was being used [in the nursing home incident] was in the low-soluble

and barium. These elements also can be absorbed by those who inhale the dust or ingest the powdered materials.

Question: Say that to me again in layman’s terms? Dr. Stopford: “... It appeared that the categorization between insoluble and soluble did not really have meaning from a toxicologic basis.” Question: Did it have any meaning for the consumers? Dr. Stopford: “Well, it’s apparent that they would be at risk if they ingested either soluble or insoluble lead glazes.3”

LAWSUITS AND LAWS The existence of both animal and human data made it easier for people poisoned by lead frit glazes to sue for damages. In 1997, there were two cases in which children were allegedly brain damaged by their parents’ ceramic work. In both cases, I was retained as an expert witness and the plaintiffs obtained hefty settlements from ceramic glaze manufacturers.3,4 Testimony in these cases also pointed out that it is illegal to use lead glazes on the job in the United States unless employers are complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Lead Standard. This law requires personal monitoring of employees exposed to lead and other very expensive precautions. To its credit, OSHA never made any distinction between raw lead and lead frits. The same air quality standard (0.05 milligram/meter3) applies to lead whether in soluble or insoluble form.

OTHER METALS IN FRITS In addition to lead, the frits also contain other oxides such as boron, lithium,

Many stains are also fusions of two or more metals. This includes the “encapsulated” or “inclusion” pigments in which highly toxic metals such as cadmium are placed in contact with growing zircon crystals and become contaminants in the crystals. While there is data indicating that these stains and inclusion pigments are very stable at high temperatures or in acid, these traits are not likely to be related to solubility in people. [

FOOTNOTES 1. “Lead Silicate Toxicity: A Comparison among Different Compounds,” Sartorelli, et al, (University of Siena), Environmental Research, 36, 420-425, 1985. 2. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control, October 23, 1992, Vol. 41, No. 42, pp. 781-783. 3. Deposition: 4-1-97 page 69 (Ashley Rose Witt, a minor, by and though her mother and natural guardian, Patty Moore and Ronald Witt vs Duncan Enterprises; American Art Clay, Co.; Mayco Colors, Inc.; C and R Products, Inc.; and Robert R. Umhoefer, Inc., in the Circuit Court, Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pinellas Co., Civil Division, No. 925392-CI-20). Settled for ~$500,000. 4. Sherrell McClendon wife of/and Richard A. Duggan, Jr., individually and as natural tutors of the minors, Richard A. Duggan,, III, Jordan E. Duggan, & Michelle L. Duggan. v. Duncan Ceramics D/B/A/ Duncan, Mayco, D/B/A Mayco Colors, & Allstate Insurance Company USDC No. 94-2183 (US Dist. Crt, Eastern Dist. of Louisiana). Settled for ~$865,000. 5. Press Release, ACMI, Inc., Boston, Institute Items, 39(4), Dec. 1997.

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.

1. Consider all lead-containing glazes as potentially hazardous. 2. Consider all stains, spinels, encapsulated or inclusion pigments that contain toxic metals as potentially hazardous. 3. Consider all truly lead-free glazes as potentially toxic if they contain other toxic metals such as barium, boron, chromium (green), cobalt (blue), etc. 4. Reject claims based on solubility unless they are supported by peerreviewed studies in recognized journals (not unpublished lab tests by industry certifiers). The studies should show that animals have ingested and inhaled the metalcontaining frit and show no increase of the metal in their blood. 5. Consider hazmatting glazes labeled “nontoxic” that were purchased in 1996 or earlier. Some of these may actually contain lead. 6. Treat all glazes as potentially toxic. Do not eat or drink in the studio. Keep the floors and surfaces spotless, and follow all other common sense hygiene rules. 7. Always get the MSDSs on all glazes and stains and READ them. Watch for the solubility argument and reject it. 8. Dispose of glaze waste in accordance with local, state, and federal waste disposal rules. Two sources for these rules are: a) Clay Times® safety columns in Jan./Feb., Mar./Apr., and May/June 2005 issues; or b) Go to http://www.epa.gov/ region02/capp/ and click on “K-12 Schools” and look for a publication called “Environmental Health & Safety in the Arts: A Guide for K-12 Schools, Colleges, and Artisans.”

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

But hospitals ignored this law and used lead glazes anyway. In 1992, the Centers for Disease Control reported on a number of ingestion incidents by patients including one in which the patient died from lead poisoning in Pennsylvania.2 In 1997, there were still more of these incidents and another death in North Carolina.5 The ACMI put out another warning to hospitals and nursing homes in 1997.

STAINS

Recommendations

Studio I Health & Safety

category and its ingestion was associated with an elevated blood lead level.

57

Readers Share I Tips & Techniques

The Slurry Bucket Looking for helpful studio tips? Got some to share? This is the place... Tiles from Hands & Feet

Recycled Sponges

I am a tile maker who makes relief tile by pressing clay into my plaster molds. I tried the usual methods of pressing the clay into the mold, i.e. pounding it in with a rubber mallet (too noisy, and hard on my wrists) or using a manual tile press (this required more arm strength than I possess). I have found my perfect tile press: I stand on it!

Need a great sponge for fettling or throwing? Use that old “Dobie®” Scotch-Brite® cleaning pad. Once it becomes too worn for dish cleaning, cut away the nylon covering and use the sponge inside. Cut it into triangles sized to fit your size hand comfortably.

I place my clay pug in my mold. I cover the clay with a piece of cloth and a flat board. Then I position the mold on a foam mat on the floor, and stand on it, rocking a bit. It works like a charm! I weigh about 148 pounds, and so far, I have not broken a mold this way.

Send us your useful clay tip or technique to share with our readers. If it’s published, we’ll send you a Clay Times T-shirt. Mail your tips (and T-shirt size) to: The Slurry Bucket, c/o Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197.

Fay Jones Day, via e-mail

Eugene Prial, Westfield, NJ [

O u r Wo r l d I s F l at …

with 10 [or 12] sides.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

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58

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Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation. Publication Title: Clay Times. Publication number 1087-7614. Filing Date: 10-1-2008. Published bimonthly. Annual subscription price: $30. 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: 18,070. b) Paid/requested circulation: (1) Outside county mail subscriptions: 10,973. (2) In-county subscriptions: 5. (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other non-USPS paid distribution: 5,196. (4) Other classes mailed through USPS: 381. c) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 16,551. d) Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary, and other free): (1) Outside county: 644. (2) In-county: 6. (3) Other classes mailed through USPS: 89. e) Free distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means): 100. f) Total free distribution: 839. g) Total distribution: 17,395. h) copies not distributed: 674. i) Total: 18,069. j) Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 95.14%. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Polly Beach, President, Clay Times Inc.

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

ARKANSAS

CONNECTICUT

GEORGIA, cont.

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.

Creative Arts Workshops – 80 Audubon Street, New Haven, CT 06510; 203.562.4927; www.creativeartsworkshop.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, firing.

The Ocee Arts Center — 6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Building #700, Duluth, GA 30097; 770.623.8448; www.oceearts.org; dcocee@bellsouth.net; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile, mosaic, firing, glazing/ decoration. Apprentice programs and workshops.

CALIFORNIA Echo Ceramics — 2856 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034; 310.815.1525; www.echoceramics. com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, firing,glazing/decoration, adult and teen classes, supplies. Get Centered Clay Studio — 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.

COLORADO 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.

The Pottery Studio — 1541 W. Oak (in City Park), Fort Collins, CO 80521; 970.221.6204; www. ci.fort-collins.co.us/recreator/; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, glazing, firing oxidation, reduction and raku. Child, teen and adult classes. Trails Recreation Center — 16799 East Lake Avenue, Centennial, CO 80015; 303.269.8400; www.aprd.org; arts@the-trails.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, glazing.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Eastern Market Pottery — New location on Capitol Hill. 320 3rd Street NE, Washington, DC 22002; 202.544.6669; cbrome@earthlink.net; stoneware, wheelthrowing, glazing, decorating. Hinckley Pottery — 1707 Kalorama Road, NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202.745.7055; www.hinckleypottery.com; info@hinckleypottery.com; wheel-throwing.

FLORIDA Carla’s Clay — 1733 Northgate Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34234; 941.359.2773; www.Carlasclay.com; cobrien@ carlasclay.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, gallery, tools, and supplies. Craft Gallery – 5911 South Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33405; 561.585.7744; www.thecraftgallery.net; bettywilson@thecraftgallery. net; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, architectural sculpture, glass fusion, workshops, gallery, supplies, and kiln rental.

ILLINOIS Clay Space — 28 W. 210 Warrenville Road, Warrenville, IL 60556; 630.393.2529; www.clayspace.net; clay.space@yahoo.com; adult & children’s classes, wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture, firing, glazing/decoration.

LOUISIANA Louisiana Pottery — 6470 Highway 22, Cajun Village, Sorrento, LA 70778; 225.675.5572; www.louisianapottery.com; lapottery@eatel.net; handbuilding. Special focus classes.

MAINE Portland Pottery — 118 Washington Ave. Portland, ME 04010; 207.772.4334; www.portlandpottery. com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, firing, glaze/ decoration.

MARYLAND

The Lake Eustis Arts Accord — 205 & 211 North Grove Street, PO Box 1619, Eustis, FL 32727; 352.589.4ART (4278); info@lakeeustisartsaccord.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, raku, firing, sculpture. Workshops and classes.

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

GEORGIA

Columbia Art Center – 6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD 21045; 410.730.0075; www. columbiaartcenter.org; art.staff@columbiaassociation. com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, alternative firing methods, summer teen wheel camp, workshops, youth and adults.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center — 980 Briarcliff Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30306; 404.872.5338; www.callanwolde.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, reduction, salt, soda, raku, and oxidation firing.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Northern Colorado Potters’ Guild — 209 Christman Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524; 970.416.5979; www.coloradopottery.org; ncpg@comcast.net; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, glazing, fused-glass jewelry.

Resources I Classes

Community Pottery Classes

59

Resources I Classes

MARYLAND, cont.

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Ceramic – Pottery – Glass – Studio Equipment Discount Packages – Delivery – Installation – Instruction -IKE 3WAUGER s 4/,, &2%% +),.$/# TOLL FREE 1-877-KILNDOC (545-6362) mike@thekilndoctor.com www.thekilndoctor.com 202 East Main Street, Front Royal, VA 22630

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

The Smooooooooth Alternative to Canvas!

The Art School at Old Church — 561 Piermont Road, Demarest, NJ 07627; 201.767.7160; www.tasoc.org; info@tasoc.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile, glazing, raku.

Glen Echo Pottery — 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812; 301.229.5585; www.glenechopottery.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, raku and soda firing.

Kissimmee River Pottery — One 8th Street #11, Frenchtown, NJ 08825; 908.996.3555; www.kissimmeeriverpottery.com; riverpots@earthlink. net; beginner to advanced classes, wheel-throwing, handbuilding, workshops, cone 10 reduction firing, single firing, raku, adult day and evening classes.

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.

Larger Custom Available – Inquire New Prices: OrderYardage before 4/1/05 to SAVE ≈ 10% Order from retail distributors, or contact us Herring Designs, LLC www.HerringDesigns.com PO Box 3009 888-391-1615 970-547-4835 Breckenridge CO 80424 pjh.mae@aya.yale.edu

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Setting up a studio? Your full-service pottery supplier featuring clays by Standard, Highwater and Laguna; kilns, glazes, chemicals and equipment. School orders welcome!

60

CAROLINA CLAY CONNECTION

704/376-7221

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

NEW JERSEY

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

Serving VA, WV, MD, DC & DE

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816.941.2555; pottersobsession.com; obpotter@kcnet. com. Wheel-throwing; handbuilding; cone 6 electric firing; raku firing; classes for adults.

MASSACHUSETTS

Thompson Park Creative Arts Center — Monmouth County Park System, 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738; 732.842.4000, ext. 4343; www.monmouthcountyparks.com; sliu@ monmouthcountyparks.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, workshops, raku & electric kilns, beginners thru advanced for adults, children, parent/child.

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

Visual Art Center of New Jersey — 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ 07901; 908.273.9121; www.artcenternj.org; Deemick@artcenternj.org. All things clay.

MINNESOTA

NEW YORK

Edina Art Center — 4710 West 64th Street, Edina, MN 55435; 612.915.6604; www.edinaartcenter.com; artcenter@ci.edina.mn.us; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile.

Clay Art Center — 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY 10573; 914.937.2047; www.clayartcenter.org; mail@clayartcenter.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, special topics, programs for kids and adults.

Northern Clay Center — 2424 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis, MN 55406; 612.339.8007; www.northernclaycenter.org; nccinfo@ northernclaycenter.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile.

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

MISSISSIPPI

The Potter’s Wheel—120-33 83rd Avenue, Kew Gardens, NY 11415; 718.441.6614; www. potterswheelny.com; potterswheelny@earthlink.net; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, raku, saggar firing, kids and adult classes.

Bodine Pottery & Art Studio — Rebuilding: 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).

92nd Street Y Art Center — 1395 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10128; 212.415.5562; www.92Y.org/artclasses; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture; intensives in plaster, glazing, and complex serving pieces; open studio available.

MISSOURI

NORTH CAROLINA

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

Blue Gill Pottery — 4522 W. Wilkinson Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28056; 704.824.9928; www.bluegillpottery.com; bluegillpottery@bellsouth.net; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, glazing, and throwing.

The Potter's Obsession, LLC — 13035-B Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64145;

Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts — 236 Clingman Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801;

Sawtooth School for Visual Arts — 226 N. Marshall Street, Winston Salem, NC 27101; 336.723.7395; www.sawtooth.org; ceramics@sawtooth. org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile, classes and workshops in other fine arts and media. Finch Pottery — 5526 Finch Nursery Lane, Bailey, NC 27807-9492; 252.235.4664; www.danfinch.com; dan.finch@earthlink.net; wheel-throwing.

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

PENNSYLVANIA Allen Stoneware Gallery & Pottery Studio Classroom — Colony Plaza, 2602 West 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505; 814.836.0345; www. allenstoneware.com; pottery@allenstoneware.com; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture. The Clay Studio — 139 North Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; 215.925.3453; www.theclaystudio.org; info@theclaystudio.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture.

SOUTH CAROLINA Adele’s Pottery Studio & Gallery — 1659 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482; 843.883.9545; wheel-throwing, handbuilding for children and teens.

TENNESSEE

The Clay Lady’s Studio: The Teaching Facility at Mid-South Ceramic Supply Co.—1416 Lebanon Pike, Bldg C, Nashville, TN 37210; 615.242.0346; www.midsouthceramics. com;danielle@theclaylady.com; full schedule of ongoing pottery classes as well as weekend workshops.

Dry Creek Pottery & Supply — 8400 Cleburne Highway, Granbury, TX 76049; 817.326.4210; www.drycreekpottery.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding for adults, reduction, low-fire, and raku firing.

VIRGINIA Creative Clay Studios — 5704 E General Washington Drive, Alexandria, VA 22312; 703.750.9480; www.creativeclaypottery.com; daisy_gail@msn.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, classes, workshops, studios, retail supplies, tools, clay. The Art League School — Located near the Torpedo Factory at 105 North Union Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703.683.2323; www.theartleague.org/school; school@theartleague.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile, mosaic. Jacksonville Center for the Arts — 220 Parkway Lane, Floyd, VA 24091; 866.787.8806; 540.745.2784; www.jacksonvillecenter.org; info@ jacksonvillecenter.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, mosaic, raku and pit firing, glazing and decoration.

Seward Park Clay Studio — 5900 Lake Washington Blvd. South, Seattle, WA 98118; 206.722.6342; www.sewardparkart.org; info@sewardparkart.org; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture, kids and adults.

WISCONSIN ADAMAH — 4651 County Road ZZ, Dodgeville, WI 53533; 608.257.3577; www.art-ventures.org; bhorizon@ bethel-madison.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile, glazing/decoration, raku, woodfiring, kids 16+ and adults [

A year-round listing of your community pottery class in CT and on our Web site is available for just $99— a real bargain! To feature your classes, e-mail Janie Herdman at: claytimesads@gmail.com.

Manassas Clay & Tin Barn Pottery Supply — 9122 Center Street, Manassas, VA 20110; 703.330.1040; www.manassasclay.com; manassasclay@ aol.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, glazing, and raku. LibertyTown Arts Center — 916 Liberty Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401; 540.371.7255; www.libertytownarts.com; liberty townarts@verizon.net; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, glazing, decorating, tile, raku. Nan Rothwell Studio Pottery — 221 Pottery Lane, Faber, VA 22938 (near Wintergreen); 434.263.4023; www.nanrothwellpottery.com; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, glazing, firing. Potter’s Wheel Studio — 25050 Riding Plaza, Suite 145, Chantilly, VA 20152; 703.542.8956; www.potterswheelstudio.com; info@potterswheelstudio.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, firing, glazing/decoration, kids and adults.

$-": 500-4 3&'&3&/$& ."5&3*"-4

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WASHINGTON Northwest Ceramic Art Institute (The Clay Zone) — 2727 Westmoor Court, Olympia, WA 98502; 360.943.7765; www.theclayzone.com; ddurso@ theclayzone.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture.

865.397-2914 info@wardburner.com

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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

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.

TEXAS

Resources I Classes

828.285.0210; www.highwaterclays.com; odyssey@ highwaterclays.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, tile.

61

Resources I Books & Videos

Two Timeless Classics review by steven branfman sensible and natural perspectives, allowing for views that are straightforward with no distractions. Woody’s style is to present the photos without captions. Instead, she offers detailed narrative instruction referring to the photos, letting them illustrate her extremely complete explanations. The photos are generous in size, with many filling the full page. Handbuilding Ceramic Forms by Elsbeth Woody Allworth Press • Paperback, $29.95

E

very so often a blast from the past serves as a wake-up call, reminding us of our roots, or a first encounter, or some other early influence. Sometimes these dialogues are unwelcome and interfere with the calm present-day status quo. At other times these chance meetings with yesterday can stir us, causing us to reflect positively and enthusiastically about an experience when we tried something for the first time with success. It may have been in the classroom, in the company of others, or reading a book in the solitary confines of your private space. Here are two books that have long been out of print, which stirred me when they were brand-new and continue to stir me today. Kudos to Allworth Press for bringing them back to a new generation of potters.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Here is the short review: These are great books for the beginner as well as the intermediate potter. Stop wasting time asking for all kinds of advice and recommendations—just get them! You’ll be glad that you did. Period. (For the longer review, read on ...)

62

Pottery on the Wheel and Handbuilding Ceramic Forms are a pair and as such, much can be said about them collectively. Written by Elsbeth Woody in 1975 and 1978 respectively, these books are both elegantly simple and masterfully sophisticated. The text is extensive, yet the books are imagedriven. That is, the pictures tell the story. Photographed by Steven Smolker, the images are clear and totally instructional. Every step is illustrated and virtually nothing is left to the imagination of the reader. The images are taken close-up from

Both of the books have ample white space and are nicely designed. Generoussized type fills each page and leaves space for the reader to take notes or jot down ideas.

Pottery on the Wheel by Elsbeth Woody Allworth Press • Paperback, $29.95 Pottery on the Wheel begins with a short-yetsubstantial introduction in which Woody opens with the origin of the expression “throwing.” In fact, it is in this book that I first made sense of the word. What is it, you ask? OK, I’ll give it to you. ‘Throwing’ originally meant turning a form on the wheel, and it is the word ‘throwing’ that has survived. She goes on to talk about the properties of clay, the wheel, and the attraction to throwing that is so captivating. Woody acknowledges that her methods, while common to most potters, are only one way to tackle the skill and she recognizes the individuality that we all bring to the craft. She brings to the forefront that throwing is a rhythmic process involving a dialogue between potter and clay, clay and wheel. Woody also mentions the often confusing aspect of left-handed versus right-handed throwing, something that is ignored by most teachers.

Pottery on the Wheel is divided into four sections: Basic Shapes and Techniques, Trimming, Specialized Throwing Techniques, and Specific Forms. Each section is further organized into logical subsections that cover the details of each subject. For example, after addressing tools and offering an outstanding demonstration of spiral wedging, the section on Basic Shapes and Forms is divided into cylindrical shapes and open shapes. Fiftyeight photos illustrate Woody’s approach to cylindrical forms, while 21 reference open shapes. Details of centering, opening, raising, shaping, finishing, and removing the pot from the wheel are all covered. As an aid to the student, following each step (shaping, for example) a concise summary in bullet form is offered. A variety of forms are trimmed, including right-side-up trimming and the use of a chuck. Specialized techniques include coil throwing, throwing off the hump, sectional forms, and throwing large pots. Jars and covers, teapots, pitchers, handles, deep bowls, and flat plates are demonstrated in the final section. An appendix with clay bodies, glazes and glazing, and tips on wheels and kilns—followed by a glossary of terms and a short recommended bibliography—concludes the book. Handbuilding Ceramic Forms follows a similar format with equally detailed and instructional text referring to expressively shot and numbered photographs. Eight sections entitled Technical Information On Clay, Tools and Working Space, Preparation of Clay, Considerations Common to All, Forming Methods, Surface Treatment, Specific Forms, and Handbuilding with Wheel-thrown Forms comprise the bulk of the book. Each section is expertly organized into subsections, well written and wonderfully illustrated. ‘Ten Approaches to Handbuilding” in which the working methods of a carefully selected group of potters including David Middlebrook, Susan Wechsler, Mikhail Zakin, Paula Winokur, and the author are presented. The same quality and style of photography and instruction accompanies this section. Granted, many of you and certainly young students will not have heard of these artists. View this section as a bonus. These are potters with continued on page 66

For Sale • RETIRING: Downdraft Kilns for Sale — 22 cu. ft. propane-fired sprungarch kiln with hinged door; 50 cu. ft. forced-air burners sprung-arch kiln with stacked door; K26 insulating fire brick, full safety equipment, shelves, posts, plate holders,etc. Large kiln has a commercial stack for indoor placement. Art center or production studio would be perfect. Make an offer. A pdf is available to view details. David L. Davis, Flemington, NJ; 908.782.0788; davidldavis@comcast.net. • For Sale: Established (31 years) pottery business in the Sierra foothill town of Folsom, CA, 20 miles from Sacramento. Favorable lease, 4200' building facing 80-car parking lot. Fully equipped production shop with 54' Geil shuttle kiln, two electric kilns, 30-ton ram press, Bluebird pugmill, jigger, hundreds of jigger molds, full casting shop, hundreds of original molds, wheels, carts, fork lift, 1400' showroom with great displays. Mailing list. For details, visit Cloudspottery. com or call 530.677.5430. • For Sale: Pottery and Art Gallery established 30+ years; includes 30+ consigned artists. Beautifully situated in historic downtown Stuart, FL. 1,000 sq. ft. showroom plus 700 sq. ft. well-equipped studio. Extensive loyal customer list and e-Commerce Web site; documented sales growth; turnkey operation. Health issues force sale. Call 772.214.5458.

Opportunities • JOIN AMERICANPOTTERS.COM TODAY! Be a part of a national, searchable database for FREE ... or an “online gallery/portfolio” to sell your work, without commissions. If you have a Web site, join with a “link” page. All

Kiln Repair • Kiln Repair. All makes — Washington, DC metro & Northern Virginia. $45/ hour (one-hour minimum) plus parts. Larry Safford, The Studio Resource: 703.283.7458; larrysafford@comcast.net.

Tools for Potters • Manabigama Wood Firing Kiln Plans — Fires and ‘flashes’ 30 cu. ft. of pots beautifully in 8 hrs., or extended firings to c.12 using approximately ½ cord of stove wood. Great teaching tool: 6-8 students/firing: 25-30 pots ea. 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. Questions? Contact: John Thies, Bill van Gilder at www.monocacypottery.com or tel. 301.898.3128.

Travel • Mata Ortiz Contact — Week-long workshops for potters in Mata Ortiz. Learn several unique handbuilding, decorating, and firing techniques in the Mata Ortiz potters’ homes. $900 fee includes transportation, food, lodging and all workshop expenses. Small groups, all skill levels welcome, a high quality experience. Next workshop will be Nov. 12-19. Visit www.mataortizcontact.com or e-mail peterpfp@gmail.com. • Potter’s Workshops and Tours in an Undiscovered Mexico. Explore the immense, but little-known, ceramic diversity of deep Mexico. Handson learning and uncommon, smallgroup travel among the ancestral masters. Winter 2008. January: Zapotec Handbuilding; February: Great Masters of Tonala; March: Potters of Michoacan; March: Mata Ortiz Workshop. www.traditionsmexico. com; traditionsmexico@yahoo.com.

Videos & Books • CD of 40 images available from Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object Symposium and Exhibition held at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Sept. 10-13, 2008. Includes works of 34 exhibiting artists, three exhibition and four event captures. $15 (includes S&H). Contact 865.436.5860 ext. 22. DVD: Advanced Pottery Projects with Doug Oian — Enhance your skills to include Large Bowls, Pitchers, Handles, Lids, and Carved Candle-lanterns. $50 fee includes shipping. www.SunrisePottery.com; tel. 210.494.8633. • Five Teacher Clay Lesson Plan Books (K-12) by Janice Hobbs on CDs or binders. Each book includes objectives to closures, pictures and diagrams. www. drycreekpottery.com or 817.326.4210. • Order Great Glazes I & II for just $15 each at the Clay Times online store at www.claytimes.com. These classic hands-on studio glaze books feature dozens of favorite glaze recipes for a wide variety of firing temperatures and atmospheres. • PotteryVideos.com — DVDs with Robin Hopper, Gordon Hutchens, and Graham Sheehan. Video workshop for potters at all levels of experience. Choose from 21 titles. E-mail info@potteryvideos.com or call 800.668.8040. • TOM TURNER’S POTTERY SCHOOL AND HIS TWO-DAY WORKSHOP 4-DISC DVD SET available at: www.tomturnerporcelain. com, or contact by telephone at 828.689.9430.

Workshops • Teaching Clay Workshops with Janice Hobbs. Learn new clay projects you can teach in your classroom from elementary through high school. www. drycreekpottery.com or telephone 817.326.4210. [

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

• Two Kansas Houses for Sale. Kiln, 2 fireplaces, concrete lofts, raku kiln, hoist, solar panels, Brent potter’s wheel, ample storage. Photos — http:// www.eggshellmosaics.com/keeney. html. Information — TessMichaelis@ aol.com.

information is editable by you, without Web knowledge. Go to the site and click on “FAQ” for more info.

Resources I Classified Marketplace

Classified Marketplace

63

U.S. Pigment

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Rock and Roll guitar. Created by a middle school student. Article in the January 2008 issue, “ART Rocks!”

Subscribe online

at SchoolArtsOnline.com, or call (800)533-2847

BY DAVID HENDLEY

M

seems that there was a new discovery of an ancient civilization that was previously unknown. What was interesting was that the archaeologists were having trouble figuring out what these ancient people and their society must have been like.

y favorite aunt died recently, and my cousin, while cleaning the house, offered to return a pitcher I had made and given my aunt in 1972, the first year I started making pottery. Wow, I’m glad to get it out of circulation! It reminded me once again that clay is forever. I try to keep that in mind every time I step into the studio. It’s the best reason I know for self-imposing high standards in the pottery studio. Don’t make junk! It may be hanging around longer than you, your children, and your children’s children. I was doing some repair and maintenance on my home earlier this year and it got me into a long-term mode of thinking—as in lifetimes, not years. Some of you may know that, in the late 1980s, I retired from being a potter for several years so I could design and build my own house. It was a great few years. I had not had a break from pottery since I took my first ceramics class in 1972. I had gradually begun to do more and more wholesale business, which meant filling orders for the same pieces time and again, and quite frankly, I was in need of a break. Everyone should be able to retire for a while in their 30s!

Of course that has changed over the course of the past 20 years, but I still love the house. It is well crafted, with lots of great features such as big timber-frame beams, lots of thermopane windows, extra thick insulated walls, and a solar design that keeps the sun out in the summer but lets it shine through in the winter. Yet things

have broken, worn out, and weathered at a disappointing pace. In spite of my best efforts to buy quality building materials, I have had to replace the kitchen faucet twice, the water heater three times, and just about every light dimmer switch in the house. Many of those great thermopane windows have clouded, and last summer I used my “economic stimulus check” to buy a new door, because the old one was showing signs of dry rot. Everyone tells me my expectations about the life span of things are unrealistic. A few years ago, when our vacuum cleaner had broken, I was complaining to the vacuum store owner about how things don’t last like they used to. “How long have you had this vacuum?” he asked. When I told him, “Twenty years,” he just laughed. I guess my expectations are skewed because of a lifetime of working with clay. I mean, 20 years is nothing in “clay time.” A while back, I heard an intriguing public radio feature story about an archaeological site in South America. It

Usually archaeologists hope to find the graves or tombs of the wealthy and powerful leaders of an ancient society, because they are filled with artifacts. The artifacts, in turn, help them hypothesize about the ruling structure, culture, technical development, and social order of the civilization. In this case they found no gold, gems, or precious jewelry that would signify the elite status of a wealthy ruler. They did, however, find lots of pottery, and some of this pottery was so well preserved that the potter’s fingerprints were still discernible on the surface. Well, I thought that was pretty cool. The kings, or queens, or emperors of the day probably thought they would be remembered as great leaders, but we know nothing about them. Yet, 800 years later, we know about the potters through their unique fingerprints, and we can even tell if the same potter made the bowls found in different locations. During the four years that I was building my house, I envisioned that I was working on the biggest project of my life and that the house would be my longest lasting legacy of achievement—but for 800 or 1,000 years? I doubt it. One of my bowls, on the other hand—who knows—might still be around in the next millennium. After hearing the radio program, I was inspired to write a song about how it may indeed be the humble potter who is remembered longest of all.

continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

I put my heart and soul into building my house. I evaluated every design and material option for energy efficiency, aesthetics, and longevity. I had never lived in a new house before, and those first few years in the new house were fabulous because everything worked, nothing was worn out or deteriorated, and no maintenance was required.

An old pot comes back to haunt the author.

Opinion I Around the Firebox

Fingerprints That Never Disappear

65

Opinion I Around the Firebox

Around the Firebox (cont. from previous page) Fingerprints That Never Disappear The rich make money and spread it around. You’ll see their names all over town. But plaques on the wall and buildings will fall, from wars, disasters, or the wrecking ball. The powerful rule with armies and police, bring rivals to defeat, on their knees. But times they will change, as new leaders are found, and the monuments and statues can be torn down. We long to make it clear that we were here, before the hourglass runs out of sand. Most things fade away, from rust or from decay, but clay records each touch of the human hand.

CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008

Index to Advertisers

66

Aftosa...................................................... 3 AMACO................................................. 67 Bailey Pottery Equipment........................ 42 BigCeramicStore.com............................. 52 Bracker’s Good Earth Clays...................... 9 Buyers Market of American Craft............. 20 John C. Campbell Folk School................ 58 Carolina Clay Connection........................ 60 Ceramic Supply Chicago........................ 60 Chinese Clay Art USA............................. 48 Clay Times Products................ 12,17,29,31 Clayworks Supplies................................ 61 Continental Clay Co................................ 20 The Cookie Cutter Shop......................... 61 Davens Ceramic Supply......................... 48 Euclid’s Elements...................................... 4 Flat Rock Clay Supplies.......................... 60 Fulwood Measure................................... 31 Georgies Ceramic & Clay Center............. 64 Giffin Tec.................................................. 8 Graber‘s Pottery, Inc............................... 52 Great Lakes Clay & Supply Co................ 52 Herring Designs...................................... 60 Highwater Clays..................................... 12 Hood College......................................... 52 Insulating Firebrick.................................. 64 Japan Pottery Tools................................ 52 Kentucky Mudworks............................... 54 The Kiln Doctor....................................... 60 L & L Kilns................................................ 2

And the potter, using water, earth, and flame, will be remembered by her touch, if not her name. It’s a touch that can last a thousand years, the fingerprints that never disappear. Life goes by too fast, nothing seems to last, in two generations all connections are lost. An abstract memory, a footnote in history, life’s about change, and forgetting is the cost. But the potter, using water, earth, and flame, will be remembered by his touch, if not his name. It’s a touch that can last a thousand years, the fingerprints that never disappear. If you would like to hear the song, go to the Clay Times page of my Web site, www.farmpots.com/claytimes.htm, to download a free mp3 recording. This is a special Web page for Clay Times readers, with no links from my home page, so you must type in the entire address as written. I hope you like the song. [

Larkin Refractory Solutions...................... 23 Lorton Arts Foundation............................ 24 Mayco Color............................................ 3 Minnesota Clay USA............................... 23 MKM Pottery Tools................................. 54 Muddy Elbow Mfg./Soldner Wheels........ 26 North Star Equipment............................. 12 Olympic Kilns ........................................ 47 Paragon Industries.................................. 24 PCF Studios........................................... 61 Peter Pugger............................................ 3 Saint-Gobain Ceramics........................... 58 School Arts............................................ 64 Scott Creek/Clay Art Center.................... 24 Sculpture House.................................... 16 Sheffield Pottery..................................... 20 Shimpo America....................................... 7 Sierra Nevada College............................ 31 Skutt Ceramic Products.......................... 68 Spectrum Glazes.................................... 16 Speedball Art Products........................... 15 Texas Teapot Tournament....................... 48 Thomas Stuart Wheels....................... 10,11 Trinity Ceramic Supply............................ 48 Tucker’s Cone Art Kilns........................... 44 U.S. Pigment Corp................................. 64 van Gilder Workshops............................. 55 Ward Burner Systems............................. 61 Westchester Arts Council........................ 46 Xavier González Workshops.................... 31

David Hendley can be reached by e-mail at: david@farmpots.com.

Book Reviews (cont. from page 62 ) whom you should be familiar. An appendix of clay bodies, a glossary, and a brief bibliography round out the book. Pottery on the Wheel and Handbuilding Ceramic Forms are books worth their weight in gold. They are simple yet full of important instructional material. They have stood the test of time. My only criticism is that Allworth Press took the easy and inexpensive route in publishing these books by reproducing them as is, with no enhancement of the photos as well as eliminating the few color photos from the original edition of Handbuilding Ceramic Forms. In fact, the books look like high-quality copies, and the warmth of the originals has been lost. Of course this has no effect on the value of the content and should not be a factor in deciding whether to get them or not. Despite the mediocre quality of the look and feel, Allworth Press deserves thanks for bringing these classics back. We can never have too many books and these two should go to the top of your list. [ Steven Branfman is an accomplished potter, author, and teacher of pottery and ceramics at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts. He is the proprietor of The Potters Shop and School and may be reached at 781.449.7687 or via e-mail at sbranfpots@aol.com.

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ProSeries use what the pros use

Great things come in small packages.

THE ARTIST: Jon Almeda, Jon Almeda Pottery A full-time potter for 7 years, Jon originally specialized in very large pieces, challenging himself to make the largest pieces possible. When he came across the miniature scene, though, he was captivated. “Now, I push the limits of clay in the opposite direction.” Today, Jon’s work can be seen in shows across the USA and Europe, and at www.almedapottery.com

THE TECHNIQUE: Miniature perfection A very meditative process, throwing miniature pottery is similar to full-scale work except for the size—everything is contained in a one-inch area. Aside from the precision and steady hands required, there’s one other area that’s particularly tricky: glazing. Too thick it runs and the piece sticks to the shelf, too thin and the piece doesn’t look good. Rigorous experimentation eventually led Jon to the perfect balance of glazes and firing schedules to finish his beautiful miniatures.

THE KILN: KM-818-3 Jon has used many Skutt kilns over the years including his current KM-818-3. The rest is probably best left in Jon’s own words, “The KM-818-3 is the first digital kiln I have owned and I am thoroughly impressed with the control I have over my firings. The reliability and consistency of Skutt is amazing. No matter where a piece is placed in the kiln, the results are consistent.”

CERAMIC PRODUCTS

We help you make great things. If you would like more information on Jon Almeda Pottery or would like to become a ProSeries Artist, visit our website at www.skutt.com/proseries

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