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Volume 17 • Issue 90 SPRING 2011

A Tribute to Paul Soldner Father of American Raku 1921-2011 Nine Ways to Juice Up Your Creativity Making Off-Center Pots on Purpose Print Your Own Ceramic Decals Kiln Builders, Beware!

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A Changing Recipe for Engobe

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“Soldner Society” Exhibition • Kelly’s Hard Work Pays Off

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contents

TIMES

Clay

SPRING 2011 Volume 17 • Issue 90

Rabbit Fire by Rachel Lloyd. One of several artists’ works featured in the “Soldner Society” exhibit, page 18.

Cover photo: Vase by Paul Soldner, 1965. 16½" x 14¼" x 14¼". Wheelthrown and altered, unglazed raku clay, white slip, iron and copper decoration, post-fire smoking with reoxidation for halo effect, cone 08. Both Soldner art photos on cover and this page appear courtesy Scripps College, Claremont, CA; works are gift of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Marer. Cover inset photo: Paul Soldner portrait, courtesy Stephanie Soldner Sullivan.

features 14 Paul Soldner, 1921-2011 Student of Voulkos, teacher of thousands, world-renowned clay artist, father of American Raku: Paul Soldner leaves a legacy certain to be remembered, and unlikely to be matched.

31 Ceramic Decals It’s all the rage—ceramic decals you can make yourself, at the click of a computer mouse! Discover how high-tech art can make its way into your studio, with endless possibilities ... Pedestal Piece by Paul Soldner, 1985. 32" x 36" x 10½". Wheel-thrown and altered raku clay with copper manganese slip. Low-temperature, salt-vapor fired to cone 08.

exhibits 18 ‘Soldner Society’ Exhibition in Tampa Just a brief glance at the Web page of of show participants [http://web.me.com/sleigh4clay/ Site/Soldner_Society_Artists.html] echoes the significance of Paul Soldner’s influence on generations of accomplished clay artists. This exhibit pays tribute to Soldner with displays of not only his own work, but also that of his students, friends, and colleagues.

Porcelain platter with ceramic decal made from scanned image printed onto laser decal paper, then oxidation-fired onto dish. See page 31.

Volume 17 • Issue 90

contents

TIMES

Clay

SPRING 2011

departments 9 EDITOR’S DESK Farewell to three masters from the world of clay

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

34 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers

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

45 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in your community

47 GREAT GLAZES A look back at our Raku favorites

48 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists

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

Pearl Necklace Cups by Alleghany Meadows, participant in the “Soldner Society” exhibition at this year’s Tampa, Florida conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). See story, page 18.

columns 21 AS FAR AS I KNOW “A Changing Recipe for Engobe” by Pete Pinnell

37 BOOKS & VIDEOS “... That We Look and See” review by Steve Branfman

38 TOOL TIMES 25 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Nine Ways to Juice Up Your Creativity” by Lana Wilson

27 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “Pots with Attitude” by Bill van Gilder

“The Daily Grind” by Vince Pitelka

43 KILNS & FIRING “Kiln Builders, Beware!” by Marc Ward

49 AROUND THE FIREBOX “The Harder I Work, the Luckier I Get” by Kelly Savino

Now Playing

in Cone 6 We were amazed by the electric fired cone 10 results Steven Hill acheived in his Skutt Kiln. Now check out what he’s doing in cone 6 with the very same kiln.

Steven Hill Workshops Spruill Center for the ArtsCompany Georgies Ceramic & Clay Atlanta, GA Portland, OR February 4th & 5th, 2011 April 9-10, 2011 Jeffcoat Pottery Studio, Kevin Lehman’s Calabash, NC Lancaster, PA February 18th-20th, 2011 May 15-21, 2011 visit stevenhillpottery.com for more KC Clay Guild information on these incredible cone 6 Kansas City, MO Hill’s workshops. results and Steven June 11, 2011 for more information on Skutt Kilns or to find a local distributor, visit us at www.skutt.com or call us directly at 503.774.6000

CLAYTIMESÂ·COM n SPRING 2011

Editorial & Advertising: Polly Beach claytimes@gmail.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell ctcirculation@gmail.com Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene clayaccounts@gmail.com Proofreader: Jon Singer Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers: Terrie Banhazl Sheri Leigh O’Connor • Tom Zwierlein ✦ Printed on 100% FSC-certified and 75% post-consumer recycled paper ✦ Published by: CLAY TIMES INC. Post Office Box 365 Waterford, Virginia 20197-0365 800-356-2529 • FAX 540-338-3229

Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529 Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published quarterly, four issues per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Waterford, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). To subscribe, call toll-free 1-800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com. Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Web site for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines.

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.

Bob Dolan, founder of Dolan tools, was instrumental in providing the clay world with high-quality and super-sharp trim tools for claywork. As a potter frustrated by the poor quality of trim tools, Bob used carbon steel and hardwoods to develop a trimming tool that he could sharpen—and even more importantly, one that could hold an edge. He shared his tools with fellow potters and before he knew it, orders began floating in from all over the world. Over the next 20 years, Dolan Tools gained a reputation among the finest clay tools available. Bob’s family proudly carries on his legacy with continued production of the Dolan Tools line. Be sure to visit them at this year’s NCECA conference. Toshiko Takaezu, American ceramic artist and teacher, was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Pekeekeo, Hawaii in 1922. She attended the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the University of Hawaii, then continued her studies at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She later traveled to Japan, where she was strongly influenced by Buddhism and traditional Japanese pottery techniques. Following her return to the U.S., she served for 10 years as a teacher at Cleveland Institute of Art. Then, in 1967, she joined the ceramic art faculty at Princeton University, where she taught until 1992 and was ultimately awarded an honorary doctorate. Upon retirement, she made her art in her home studio in Quakertown, New Jersey, and her large-scale works at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York. Her final years were spent in Hawaii, where she died on March 8, 2011. Paul Soldner, ceramic artist and teacher, inventor, and perhaps the most controversial clay figure of our time, is remembered in this issue’s cover story on pages 14-17, as well as an honorary exhibition featured on pages 18-19. A multi-faceted man who touched the clay world with revolutionary equipment including his unique potter’s wheel and clay mixer, he is also remembered for his controversial lifestyle and reputation as a hot-tubbing, wine-making ‘womanizer.’ Yet I am proud to say that Paul touched my life in many ways, and I considered him a dear friend and mentor. I will be forever grateful for his ongoing support of Clay Times and his demonstrated ability to live a full, open life. Unlike most of us, Paul was capable of following his heart and standing by his beliefs, no matter what the rest of the world might think ... For that, he gained my ultimate respect. — Polly Beach, Editor

The Dolan family honors the life of Robert L. "Bob" Dolan, founder of Dolan Tools. He lived life with passion and never stopped creating. Bob's legacy will continue through the pppppppppp pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp Wpppppppppppppppppwpppppppvppgp fppwppppppppppppppppppppppppvpppppp pppppppppfpppppfpppppppppppppp pxpppppppfpppppp�pppppppppppppp pppppppppp

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History of Ceramics Series 2011 Topics: Contemporary North American Ceramics; African Pottery; Chinese Ceramics; Korean Ceramics; and Japanese Ceramics For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.hood.edu/ceramics. • • •

Joyce Michaud Plates and Platters ∙ March 4-6 Sha Cai and Xing Zhang Contemporary Chinese Sculpture March 24-27

Rebecca Bafford Arts Management and Marketing June 6-9, 13-16

Kevin Crowe Mulichambered Kiln Wood Firing May 7, 14, 21

Throwing Large Forms June 20-25

Hood College Graduate School Art Department (301) 696-3456 n Fax (301) 696-3531 www.hood.edu/ceramics

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

’m saddened to report that since our previous issue was published, three very important and beloved members of the clay community have passed away: Bob Dolan, Toshiko Takaezu, and Paul Soldner.

magazine

TIMES

Clay

Spouting Off I Editor’s Desk

The End of an Era

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

Hood College subscribes to a policy of equal educational and employment opportunities.

Clay: The Art of Earth & Fire Ceramics Exhibit / May 2 - June 12, 2011

South African Pottery Contemporary & Traditional Works

Ardmore Ceramic Art Zulu Beer Vessels Leopard Urn Masterpiece Hand-sculpted and -painted ceramic 27”H x 14”W x 11”D; 2009 Sculpted by Benet Zondo Painted by Jabu Nene Represented by Amaridian Gallery New York, NY

David Snyder of All Fired Up said, “Everything Paragon does is normally a grade above what is the standard for the industry.”

“Paragon is by far the most solid-built kiln made” —David Snyder

featuring lectures, potter demonstrations meet-the-artists reception & more free / no registration required

www.hotchkiss.org Tremaine Gallery at The Hotchkiss School 11 Interlaken Road, Lakeville, CT / 860-435-4442

27th Annual l a k e

t a h o e

SUMMER ART WORKSHOPS

You can take a workshop anywhere, but there's no place as gorgeous as Tahoe! NEW WINTER WORKSHOP | JOSH DEWEESE | JANUARY 3-7

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

2011 CERAMICS

ALLEGHANY MEADOWS LORNA MEADEN MEIRA MATHISON SHUJI IKEDA DOUG BROWE SKEFF THOMAS DIANA FAYT JOHN TOKI JOE BOVA RANDY BRODNAX & DON ELLIS

6/6-10 6/13-17 6/20-24 6/25-26 6/27-7/1 7/11-15 7/18-22 7/23-24 7-25-29 8/1-5

Other Art Workshops also Offered

CREDIT/NON-CREDIT, INCLUDES LUNCH, HOUSING AVAILABLE 999 TAHOE BOULEVARD, INCLINE VILLAGE, NEVADA 89451

775.881.7588 | sierranevada.edu/workshops

TRURO CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Castle Hill Summer & Fall Clay 2011

Faculty Include: Hayne Bayless Jim Brunelle Linda Christianson Kevin Crow Trever Dunn Marty Fielding Silvie Granatelli Randy Johnston Matt Katz Dan Murphy Hannah Niswonger Mark Shapiro Phil Rogers Gay Smith Kala Stein Guy Wolff Joe Woodford

Linda Christianson

International Symposium May 14-15, 2011

David Snyder began repairing kilns at age 15 in his parents’ ceramic shop. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and services kilns in an eight-state area. “Paragon is by far the most solid-built, virtually repair-free kiln made,” said David. “I can honestly say it’s the best kiln made in North America. “Over the years Paragon has led the industry in innovation,” David said. “I’ve always found that everything Paragon did was followed by other kiln companies two or three years later. “As a professional repair person, I prefer selling a top quality kiln and then never having to worry about a warranty issue rather than selling a kiln of lesser quality and having to worry that I will have to make a trip for warranty service repair. “I like the balance of firing in a Paragon kiln, and quality of construction,” he said. “Their control boxes are heavy duty. The fall away easy access switch box is really nice. One thing I love about Paragon is the clear wiring diagrams for every kiln they make. Elements are pre-stretched with pre-bent corners, so there’s no worry about the element fitting or not. New element connectors come with every element.

Randy Johnston

Zulu beer pot, unpolished; South Africa; 2010; clay, pigment; approx. 30”H x 24” W; artist unknown

Fall Clay Intensive: Linda Christianson Go to www.castlehill.org or call (508) 349-7511

PO box 756,Truro, MA 02666

“The switch boxes are made of thick steel. They don't use cheap wire mesh on their switch boxes. The wire mesh is spot-welded and fails after a few years. Stands are heavy duty. The galvanized steel base plate is a great feature especially for setting up a new kiln when you have to shift the kiln on the stand. For kilns without a steel base plate, you have to lift the kiln completely off the stand to adjust the kiln even a quarter of an inch. Otherwise the stand will dig into the bare brick bottom. “Another factor is element design. One production potter I know does literally day in, day out cone 6 firings in his Paragon Viking-28. He had his kiln for right at three years before needing new elements. The element replacement in that kiln could not have been simpler.” Call or email for a colorful free catalog or to find a dealer near you.

2011 South Town East Blvd., Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557 Toll Free Fax 888-222-6450 www.paragonweb.com info@paragonweb.com

Clay Times

original Potter’s T-shirts make wonderful gifts! View & order the full line of designs online at www.claytimes.com

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

Conferences

‰ The 22nd Annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art takes place April 29-May 1 in Davis, CA. Entitled “CCACA 2011: The Ceramic Sculpture Conference,” the event will feature artist demonstrations, lectures, five major ceramic sculpture exhibitions and 45 college shows throughout Davis. Guest presenters will include Michelle Gregor, Joe Bova, Bar Schacterman, Richard Notkin, Jason Walker, Kevin Nierman, Amber Aguirre, and Tip Toland. Advance discount registration for the full three-day event is $167 ($149/students) if received by April 4. For complete conference details, log onto www.natsoulas. com, e-mail art@natsoulas.com, or call 530.756.3938. ‰ Unbound: The International Studio Practice takes place May 6 to May 8 at Red Deer College in Red Deer, Canada. Guest artists will include Elaine Henry, Paul Scott, Ginny Marsh, Ian Johnston, Jeremy Hatch, Carole Epp, Robin Lambert, and Koi Neng Liew. For complete details, call 1.403.356.4900, e-mail jillian.best@rdc.ab.ca, or log onto www.rdc.ab.ca.

Calls for Entries ‰ Utilitarian and sculptural entries are being accepted through Mar. 25 for From the Ground Up XXV, to take place Aug. 19–Oct. 15, 2011 at the Las Cruces Museum of Art in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Entries are limited to works by artists living in AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, TX, UT, and WY. For details, call 575.541.2221, e-mail jmiller@ las-cruces.org, or log onto www. las-cruces.org/museums. ‰ New England artists may submit entries through April 15 for the 38th Earthworks: Open Juried Clay Annual, to take place Apr. 21-May 14, 2011 in Kingston, Rhode Island. For details, call the South County Art Association at 401.783.2195, e-mail socart@verizon.net, or visit www.southcountyart.org. ‰ Solo or Small Group Exhibition Proposals are being accepted through April 16 by the University Gallery at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Local artists are encouraged to apply. For details call 610.660.1840, e-mail: jbracy@sju.edu, or log onto: www.sju. edu/gallery. ‰ The Jersey Shore Clay National, to take place June 25-July 25, is accepting functional and sculptural entries through May 1. For details, contact the m.t. burton gallery by

phone at 609.494.0006, e-mail: matt@ mtburtongallery.com, or log onto: www.mtburtongallery.com. ‰ Proposals for 2012-2013 Exhibitions at Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, Tennessee, are being accepted through May 2. For complete details, call 615.598.6801, e-mail accexhibit@tntech.edu, or log onto www.tntech.edu/craftcenter. ‰ The Workhouse Arts Center of Lorton, Virginia is accepting functional and sculptural entries through May 4 for its Workhouse Clay National, to take place Aug. 3–28, 2011. For details, call 703.584.2982, e-mail dalemarhanka@lortonarts.org, or log onto www.workhousearts.org. ‰ The Buchanan Center for the Arts of Monmouth, Illinois is accepting 2-D and 3-D entries through May 18 for 64 Arts: National Juried Exhibition, to take place Sept. 9-Oct. 22. To learn more, call 309.734.3033, e-mail bca@ frontiernet.net, or visit www.bcaarts.org. ‰ NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) invites U.S. artists who reside west of the Mississippi River to submit entries through June 15 for Uncommon Ground: Impact and Influence, to take place Sept. 15–Nov. 13. For further details, call 866.266.2322, e-mail lganstro@fhsu.edu, or log onto www. nceca.net. ‰ The Associated Artists of Southport are accepting painting, pottery, and sculpture entries from North and South Carolina artists through June 1

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

‰ Clay, The Art of Earth and Fire— South Africa: New and Traditional Works of Zulu Pottery takes place May 14-15 in at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. Guest presenters include Delores Coan, Fee Halsted, Juliet Armstrong, and Edward S. Cooke, Jr. For

more information, call 860.435.3127, e-mail dcoan@hotchkiss.org, or log onto www.hotchkiss.org.

Hot Stuff I News & Events

What’s Hot

Hot Stuff I News & Events

for its Summer Regional Show, to take place June 27–July 23. To learn more, call 910.268.7560, e-mail artslavenc@ yahoo.com, or log onto the Website at www.franklinsquaregallery.org. ‰ Burchfield Penney Art Center of Buffalo, New York is accepting entries through May 20 for Art in Craft Media 2011, to take place Oct. 15, 2011–Jan. 8, 2012. Works completed in past two years eligible. Call 716.352.6163, e-mail camesapa@buffalostate.edu, or log onto www.burchfieldpenney.org. [

To view additional “What’s Hot” listings, please log onto www.clay times.com. 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 an online submission form.

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Remembering Paul Soldner

BY POLLY BEACH

Nothing to Hide

Exposures, Disclosures, and Reflections by Paul Soldner

“I find that as a teacher, the most important gift I give my students is the permission to teach themselves.”

lthough most of my memories these days aren’t as clear as I’d like them to be, my first memories of Paul Soldner come to mind easily. He had caught my attention through his clever, humorous, and often controversial ads for Soldner Pottery Equipment, which ran in Ceramics Monthly each month from the 1970s to the 1990s. I remember bursting into laughter that first time I saw a Soldner ad. It was one with a beautiful woman in a sexy-yet-silly pose on top of a Soldner mixer, published with some form of humorous statement beneath. Humorous to me, anyway—I soon learned those ads were often offensive to others, drawing plenty of criticism in CM’s “Letters to the Editor” section. From then on, when CM arrived each month, I would first turn to the ad index to look up the page number for Soldner’s latest ad. They were so fresh; so daring and bold! So humorous, I thought ... poking fun at anything and everything

(particularly sex). I hadn’t seen anything like these ads before, in any other publication ever. I was impressed. I loved the shock-value of the ads, and the nerve of the skinny old man behind them. To make a long story short, a few years later I found myself starting the clay world’s next ceramics magazine (you know it—you’re reading it right now)! I needed to connect with advertisers to help make this crazy idea a success. So one day, there I was, direct-dialing the number on the Soldner Equipment ad in CM. “Hello?” asked the voice on the other end of the line. “I’m trying to reach Paul Soldner,” I said. “Speaking,” he replied. What? Soldner answered his own phone? Was I really on the line with the man who had the guts to run those edgy ads I’d been following each month? I was nearly dumbfounded, but man-

aged to continue the conversation. I explained who I was, and what I was doing with this new magazine I’d started, and how I thought Soldner’s ads would look great in Clay Times, too. He responded very kindly to me in a soft, gentle voice. He explained that his ads were doing quite well in CM, thank you, but he didn’t have the budget for any other ads at this time. OK, I thought ... yet I found myself in such awe of the fact that I was actually having a one-on-one conversation with this icon, Soldner—way out there in Colorado—the guy who actually made up those ads himself, every month! My journalistic instincts kicked in and I found myself asking question after question, now that I had this real-live famous potter on the line. Where could I find this ceramic product? What’s the best way to do that clay process? After a while, I realized I was taking up too much of this

man’s time. I apologized for the fact that I was such an inquisitive newbie ... a doit-yourselfer, without any solid ceramic art schooling or experience, hungering for whatever information I could find on claywork. I felt as if I wasn’t qualified to be speaking with Paul Soldner because I didn’t have the official schooling or credentials to do so. Then something incredible happened: THE Paul Soldner assured me that I didn’t need any official schooling. He said I could become a skilled potter on my own! “I find that as a teacher, the most important gift I give my students is the permission to teach themselves,” he said. Whoa. I was dumbfounded! I will never forget that line, ’til the day I die. After a short while longer, the conversation came to a close and I thanked Paul for his time, understanding that budgets are matters of business, and explain-

ing that Clay Times would be very pleased to run Mr. Soldner’s ads at any time in the future, should he decide to give the new magazine a chance. More than a year later, we had still not been able to land the Soldner advertising account. Then one day, I received a call from my friend Rick Berman, a lifelong Atlanta potter who’d been helping me connect with various established personalities in the clay world. He had known Soldner for years and had been periodically nudging him to place an ad in CT. Rick informed me that Soldner’s most recent ad design had just been REJECTED by Ceramics Monthly. “Rejected?” I asked. “Why?” “Apparently they consider it offensive and in bad taste. Now Soldner wants to place his ad with Clay Times. Are you up for it?”

Above: Paul with his teacher and lifelong friend, Peter Voulkos. Upper left: The racy ad that sent the Soldner account from CM to Clay Times. Opposite page: Paul and CT editor Polly Beach at Penryn Workshop, 2000; and Paul’s book, Nothing to Hide, just released in paperback.

Paul with his teacher and lifelong friend, Peter Voulkos.

and admiration, to the point

had long suspected: Paul Sold-

otential graduate students ask, “What should I attend?” immediate answ where often Paul asked me to school be ner was, quite simply, aMy genius.

theforeditor, publisher, forget the school: look a mentor, study and the field, and learn whose work excites you designer of the book he’d

I could go on and on, but have

person is teaching somewhere, you are lucky.eager Study thatchosen person. choose been writing. I agreed, to with instead to Many providestudents you see what he’d written.

with Paul’s own words. On page 17 is a candid interview The process of helping compile conducted by Tom Zwierlein knowledgeable as the teacher, unfortunately missing the challenge and importance of learni and publish Paul’s 2008 book, with Paul back in 1997, when a guru role model. Nothing to Hide, was one of the Clay Times featured him on most interesting points of my the cover of that year’s March/ career. I became fascinated April “NCECA” issue. (Those of personal history, you who were probably and in ceram SometimesSchools they wereare on like the verge stars:ofevenwith thehis best explode and as die. Bauhaus, Blackthere Mountain, well as his attitude toward all remember it as the year when being offensive to even me, an openLos Angeles Art Institute that spawned aspects were of life.all Hisschools book matePaul got insignificant trouble withartists, the Lasboth faculty a minded liberal who grew County up with the rial encompassed topics rangVegas police for streaking at to study wi “live and letdents live” philosophy. Yet I must who changed the status quo, even if for just a short time. For me, choosing ing from teaching, the 60s arts the annual dance!) now confess that on one occasion, I did movement, and streaking to have to refuse one of Paul’s ads. 23 his development of “American I personally recall that NCECA Raku” and his opinions on sex. as extra-special because it What was the ad about? Well, let’s His writings were so candid, was the year that Paul, Peter just say that the photo in the ad thought-provoking, and down- Voulkos, and Don Reitz joined depicted a cat cleaning itself in a private manner. I can’t seem to recall to-earth that I took great pride us at the Clay Times booth for a poster-signing session. I’ll the caption, but I remember that in helping him publish them for photo very well. To me, it appeared the world to see and learn from. never forget the long lines of eager potters waiting for their rude, and I knew I could not, with turn to have our annual poster good conscience, publish it. During that time, I was priviautographed by their mentors. leged to visit with Paul and his Thank you, Paul (and Pete and Thankfully my pal Rick Berman had daughter, Stephanie, at their the guts to call Paul and explain that infamous Aspen home. Known Don) for your support back then I couldn’t risk alienating our Clay as “the compound” to family ... and thanks to you readers, Times subscribers by running the and friends, it is a highly origiwho are still there for us now. ad. So I held my breath as I awaited nal, Flintstone-like complex Paul’s reaction. Luckily, he “gave in” of concrete, rock, and glass. If you haven't yet read Paul's and provided us with a different Designed and built by Paul book, you owe it to yourself (quite harmless) ad. The next time I in the 1950s, it was truly one to do so. I guarantee that you saw Paul, however, he confronted me of the first solar homes ever will learn something and will on that matter. I think he was testing made. As I visited with Paul and be impressed and surprised by to see whether or not I would support toured his home, studio, and the variety of topics on which his controversial ways in the future. gallery, I witnessed first-hand he has written. Paul's daughSomehow I successfully defended his originality and creativity ter, Stephanie, has now made my position, and we moved beyond all around me, in the form of Nothing to Hide available in the “censorship” issue for good. every stone, beam, and piece of paperback, and plans to offer ceramic art that comprised his it on amazon.com. Meanwhile, Our relationship from then on dwelling. That special visit to Clay Times can always connect was comprised of mutual support Aspen confirmed something I you with a copy.

for their reputation, a quick degree, or tempting teaching scholarships. In many cases, the stud

“I’ll have to see the ad for myself before I make that decision,” I said. When the ad arrived, I examined it closely (it’s pictured here, above, so you can judge for yourself). Offensive? Not to me. I thought it funny, playful, a bit edgy, and perhaps more along the British lines of silly sexfocused humor. But offensive? Nope. Of course I would allow Paul to run that ad in Clay Times.

I do admit, there was a time shortly after Paul’s wife, Ginny, died, when I began to question whether or not I needed to censor those ads myself.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

So the ad appeared in our next issue, and our readers loved it (except for the one reader who complained and cancelled their subscription). The following issue, Paul sent us a new ad ... then another one for the next issue ... and so on, and so on. I’m pleased to say that Soldner Pottery Equipment ads have now been in every issue of Clay Times for the past 15 years. (Even after Conrad Snider took over Paul’s clay mixer business several years ago, he has continued to design and run the ads with CT in the Soldner tradition. Meanwhile, Paul never advertised in Ceramics Monthly again.)

THE INVENTOR

Above: The Aspen “Compound”: Paul’s home, studio, and The “compound:” Paul’s house, andof gallery. gallery. Below: Another view thehouse, house solar roof, Thestudio, “compound:” Paul’s studio, with and gallery. conceived in the 1950s.

THE PREACHER’S KID

prototype of a Soldner clay mixer at the Aspen “factory.” 1960s prototype of 1960s a Soldner clay mixer at the Aspen, Colorado “factory.” 18

Another view of the house with solarview roof,ofconceived the 1950s. Another the houseinwith solar roof, conceived in the 1950s. 44

“I

often smile when I think of the time I spent with Paul. His quiet, gentle nature made him one of the most genuine people I have had the pleasure to know. He was able to combine the ability to get all kinds of things done without taking the work or himself too seriously.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

You could never visit Paul’s house without becoming involved in one of his many projects. All of his interests (clay; photography; designing and building kilns and equipment; working on his house; tending his bonsai trees) were pursued with the same excitement. Problem-solving with an eye out for simple solutions, we often joked about doing things the hard way, which would usually lead to new ideas. I will miss Paul, but I will always remember the lessons I learned by watching him live life.” — Conrad Snider, Owner, Muddy Elbow Manufacturing (present-day maker of Soldner Clay Mixers — still sold through www.soldnerequipment.com)

Photograph taken byby FirstFirst Sergeant Paul Soldner Paul at Mauthhausen concentration camp, Austria, May 6, 1945. Photograph taken Sergeant Soldner at Mauthhausen concentration camp, Austria, 1945, while he was serving as a U.S. Army medic.

All photos on this page are from Nothing to Hide by Paul Soldner (just released in paperback and now available via Clay Times or amazon.com).

16 37

Paul Soldner: American Master by Tom Zwierlein • Excerpted from March/April 1997 Clay Times interview (full interview appears online at www.claytimes.com)

TZ: I know that you and Pete (Peter Voulkos) are contemporaries. What was your relationship like with him in the beginning? SOLDNER: I was three years older than Pete so he called me "old man." In the first month or so, I was Pete's only student, so we had a very personal student-teacher relationship. We built wheels and kilns together. We went to exhibits together and worked together. Other students (John Mason, Mac McCord, Ken Price, Joel Edwards, Jerry Rothman, Billy Al Bengston, Mike Frimkess and more) began working at the Los Angeles Art Institute. Pete left us alone. We were free to teach ourselves. No assignments, no official critiques and I believe we all got A's. Grades were not important, only working, hanging out together, drinking coffee and night clubbing in L.A. after midnight were important. TZ: Although you were working during abstract expressionism it never seems apparent in your work. Who or what were your influences? SOLDNER: I think I was more influenced by Zen and Japanese aesthetic than the New York abstract movement. But Pete was into the abstract movement. Because I was older (and maybe more mature), I tried to find my own way. Sure, I was influenced by Pete's work because I wanted to be. But also, I didn't want to copy him. That's why I involved myself with throwing really tall pots that didn't look like Pete's. We had lots of visitors in the studio, like Tony Prieto (Mills College), Laura Andreason (UCLA), Marguerite Wildenhain, Vivika and Otto Heino, Susan Peterson, etc. Pete took classical guitar lessons and played when he got bored in class. We had a radio playing all the time, classical and popular. TZ: Can you talk about how you got started building pottery equipment, and did you have any of the skills, like welding, with you when you went to California?

However, I continued to re-invent the wheel by casting the frame as an integral unit. It held the bearing, motor, table, legs and drive chain. I also made a stripped-down version which was complete, except it has no floor frame. Instead, it hooks on the side of a table like the "Sassy" children's chair you see in restaurants. It is very successful and portable. I used to put it in the overhead compartment of airplanes! My foot pedal is kind of old-fashioned. It consists of only two parts: a variable transformer (to control the voltage/speed) and a solid-state rectifier to make the AC voltage into DC (to run DC motors). Because

clay should release better than metal; it needed to be efficient (HP-to-mixer-load ratio); needed to be repairable in the field; should be able to mix 300 lbs. per batch, quickly; and most of all, it needed to be safer. TZ: Will you tell us about the evolution of your [Aspen home/studio] complex, and your visionary uses of materials like concrete and solar power? SOLDNER: It's hard for me to separate making my sculpture (and pots) from building my own house, or experimenting with solar heat, wine making, mushrooming, architecture, hot tubbing, advertising or my life style. It's all there. I sometimes say clay is the hub of the wheel and exhibiting, teaching, manufacturing equipment—all of the above—are spokes of my wheel of life. TZ: I used to always look for your ad first in Ceramics Monthly. I doubt many people know that you do the ads yourself, including the photography. The ads often stirred quite a response in the "letters to the editor." SOLDNER: When I decided to advertise, I told Ginny, let's not do a high-pressure, bragging

“I think hot tubbing, wine making and play are all very natural impulses. It’s too bad so many people are hung up about enjoying life.” — Paul Soldner I don't use transistors, the wave form produced by my low-tech pedal is more pure than that of cheaper transistor pedals. Therefore it is quiet and sensitive in a broad speed range. After the fire, I sold the wheel division to Bluebird. They are making the wheel the way I designed it. TZ: What about your clay mixers, and the concrete tub concept? I remember the drum mixer you pulled behind your car. SOLDNER: I invented my clay mixer because (again!) I didn't like what was available: pug mills (which are designed to extrude clay—poor mixers), old dough machines, or modified motor mixers. All of them had problems: too big to move, too obsolete to repair, but most of all, too dangerous to use. Also, because they were made of metal, clay sticks to them (making them difficult to clean) and they rust. When I developed my mixer it had to fit through a 32-in. doorway. It couldn't rust; the

kind of ad. Let's use humor, and it worked. When I advertised in Ceramics Monthly (about 20 years) I made a new ad every month. It takes a lot of work to think up a new idea, photograph it, typeset and design the layout, but that's what I did. The new owners of Ceramics Monthly said they had a problem with my ads so I quit. I'm trying to help Clay Times now with a full page. TZ: Paul, I'm worried—are you really a womanizing chauvinist? SOLDNER: ... No, I don't think so. However, I do love women. I love them for their wisdom, their caring nature, their companionship, and yes, for their beauty. I have many girl friends who I consider my best friends. My male peers often take a male assistant along when they do workshops, but I prefer female assistants, so I often take one with me. They are great. [

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

SOLDNER: Because the school was new, the ceramics department didn't have any equipment. We only had a room, a couple of tables and a sink. No clay, no kiln, no mixers, etc. So Pete and I tried building our own wheels because Pete didn't like the ones available commercially! After I designed and built my own wheel, Pete got a purchase order from the school for me to make eight wheels. Then teachers from other schools would come to our school and order some for their shops. I always liked to build things and I learned skills (like welding and casting concrete) when it was necessary or helpful. When I was younger I built my own photo enlargers, strobe flash, photo electric light meters, etc. I also worked on residential construction in the summers.

SOLDNER, cont.: I never expected to become a businessman or a manufacturer, but I didn't like the equipment sold to potters. Mostly it was designed by non-potters. Since I was a potter I had ideas of how it should perform, not how many I could sell. Therefore, I taught myself how to make them better. By that, I mean stronger parts, better control of slow speeds and more quiet than other electric wheels. I also tried to keep them low-tech by using off-the-shelf parts and simple, no-nonsense solutions (like wooden table tops, oversized 1-in. bearings, etc.). Eventually my factory burned down, and I never rebuilt it.

Anthony Cuñha PHOTO

Trans-Orb, Black with Tracers by John Mason. 12" x 14" x 12".

Dry Run by Sheri Leigh O’Connor. 12" x 16" x 16". Low-fire ceramic w/mixed media.

Soldner Society an exhibition organized by

Sheri Leigh O’Connor and T Robert The Heights Trolley Barn, Tampa, FL • Mar. 30-Apr. 2, 2011

T CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

his exhibition is intended to honor Paul Soldner, a great mentor and inspiration to so many successful ceramists. He is one of the founding fathers of contemporary ceramics, and Raku. His lifestyle influenced and forever changed nearly everyone he met. Paul taught by example as he worked in the Scripps studio alongside his students. Often, when asked how he thought some technique would work, he would respond, “Try it, and let me know what happens.” His open lifestyle freed a new generation of ceramic artists to experiment and live life to its fullest. Opening reception: Apr. 1, 5-8 pm. 1910 N. Ola Ave. (in the Soldner spirit, clothing optional; sarongs encouraged!) [

18 18

Evening Cascade by Jim Romberg. 22" x 15" x 6". Raku.

Untitled Dango by Jun Kaneko. Ceramic.

CLAYTIMESÂ·COM n SPRING 2011

Crucible #12 by Rick Hirsh. 64" x 18". Ceramic.

Cabazon Pass by T Robert. 18" x 10" x 6". Wood-fired stoneware.

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Questions about this column? E-mail Pete at ppinnell1@unl.edu

hings change. Of course we all know that this is true in life, and any of us who have been around ceramics for any time at all certainly know this. Every aspect of a raw material (color, particle size, chemical analysis, etc.) can change, either abruptly or over time, and materials can simply disappear altogether. Still, some of us can forget this obvious bit of wisdom and continue mixing up the same old recipes, assuming that it (the clay body, slip, glaze, etc.) will always be the same. Last semester, I taught a glaze formulation course, and one of my students, Lauren Karle, decided to do her final project on low-fire slips. (As an aside, when we say “slip” in ceramics, we could be talking about a mixture as simple as a clay mixed with water, but most of the time we’re actually talking about an “engobe,” a mixture of clays, fluxes, fillers, colorants, and opacifiers. In this article, I’m actually talking about a white engobe, but I may slip and say slip, since this is what most of us call it).

SLIP #2

SLIP #3

White Slip #3

LAUREN’S SLIP

Cone 04 to 9 Tile # 6 Clay OM 4 Ball Clay Custer Feldspar Silica TOTAL add: Zircopax

tests, I was a bit surprised (and chagrined) to find out that this recipe wasn’t very white, and it had a bad habit of causing the flat tiles to warp, with the slip side bulging upward in the firing. The other recipes she tested were whiter, more opaque, and none of them caused that odd warping. Here’s the class recipe:

Pete’s White Slip Cone 05-03 Oxidation KT 1-4 Ball Clay Wollastonite Nepheline Syenite Silica TOTAL

40% 40 10 10 100%

I had Lauren try adding 10% Zircopax (an opacifier) to the slip, which did make it a bit whiter and a bit more opaque, but it still wasn’t as white or opaque as the other recipes, and the Zircopax didn’t affect the warping. The “fit” of our slip to our clay body is excellent: it doesn’t peel or crack, and it can be

applied at any stage from wet to bisque (it needs to be applied thinly to bisque). Similarly, its glaze fit was good: glazes applied over the slip didn’t craze, dunt, or shiver. Moisture expansion was nil: the glazes that were applied over the slip didn’t craze after being soaked in water for 24 hours. But there were three problems: it wasn’t white (more of a light beige), it wasn’t opaque (more translucent, really), and it caused that odd warping on a flat tile. By contrast, several of the other recipes that Lauren tested were very bright, very white, and very opaque. The surface of the clear glaze was almost flawless on top of them. Here are a couple of the other recipes she tested:

White Slip #2 Cone 04 to 10 EPK Ball Clay Silica Kona F-4 Feldspar TOTAL

25% 25% 25% 25% 100%

34% 20% 27% 19% 100% 8%

Looking at both of these successful recipes, you can see that they are very similar: both use a blend of light-firing clays (kaolin and ball clay), some silica, and a fluxing material (feldspar) to help the slip mature. However, neither of them contains a flux that is active at earthenware temperatures. A soda feldspar (like Kona F-4) begins to actively melt at mid-range temperatures (cone 5-7), and Custer Feldspar is a potash ‘spar,’ most active at cone 7 and above. Usually, if you want a clay body (or engobe) to mature at cone 04, you would use as the primary flux an alkaline earth source like talc (a magnesium silicate) or wollastonite (a calcium silicate), and then add an alkaline flux (like feldspar) as a secondary flux. So why would it matter if the slip doesn’t contain the fluxes we normally use at earthenware temperatures? After all, both of these slips were beautiful when fired. What I would be concerned about is a problem called “moisture expansion” (I alluded to this in a previous paragraph). When a

continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

She tested a number of low-fire slip recipes, including the one we use in all our beginning, undergraduate classes. This recipe is one that I developed about 25 years ago, and that we’ve used in our undergraduate program, unchanged, for the past 15 years. It was the result of a lot of testing (way back when), and has always seemed to be very forgiving and dependable. So when Lauren fired her

PETE’S SLIP

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

A Changing Recipe for Engobe

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

A Changing Recipe for Engobe (from p. 21) clay body is underfired, a glaze might I also suspect that any glaze that’s applied wide-particle-size, blended ball clay (like KT initially fit the body, so everything will look, over an underfired slip would probably be 1-4 or Spinks C&C) was more forgiving in feel, and even “sound” right. But underfired more prone to chipping. We’ve all felt how application, even if just a bit more creambodies tend to expand when they absorb soft bisque-fired porcelain is, and these slips, colored at cone 04. The big difference in water—like a dry sponge placed in a bucket at cone 04, are simply bisqueware. I would color came when Lauren substituted talc of water—and when they expand, they be very concerned about the ability of these (Amtal C-92, a Texas talc) for wollastonite: stretch the glaze, causing delayed crazing. slips to stand up to the banging around that the slip suddenly became much whiter and opaque, while the glaze fit was still good That’s why we sometimes see glazes begin to even our “nice” pots endure. and a 24-hour soak in water didn’t craze as of days, weeks, or even months after a pot leaves the firing. Of course “When I see a claim like ‘cone 04 to 10,’ cause any problems. It actually seems a bit odd, because unfired Amtel talc a slip is a very thin layer, and during I tend to place it in the same category is gray, so the wet slip itself is quite the firing it is effectively made even gray in color. Still, it fires white, and thinner by the glaze/slip interface at its as ‘one size fits all’ panty hose.” with talc substituted for wollastonite upper edge, and the slip/clay interface the warping disappeared. at the lower edge. So I wasn’t entirely sure it would react in the same way when it was In all honesty, I expected this would be the outcome just from reading the title of the I’m not sure what has happened with exposed to water. recipe. It’s rare to find anything ceramic that wollastonite over the past 25 years. Perhaps Lauren put these tiles in a bucket of water has a useful range of more than about 5 I’m just buying a different brand or grade overnight, and the next day they were cones, so when I see a claim like “cone 04 to than I did long ago, but the switch to talc crazed, so moisture expansion is definitely 10,” I tend to place it in the same category as appears to be all that’s necessary to fix the problems. a potential issue. Why just “potential”? “one size fits all” panty hose. With an object that won’t (or can’t) be used for food or drink, delayed crazing isn’t That left us with the task of combining the If you’re wondering why we include the as important; but for utilitarian pottery, best traits of all these slip recipes. Lauren other ingredients (nepheline syenite and delayed crazing is probably even worse than did a variety of substitution tests within quartz), it’s because they each play a role immediate crazing. What potter would want our original recipe and the results were in the fired qualities of the slip. Slips that a customer returning a vase with the news quite interesting. Using a whiter-firing clay contain a large amount of calcium or that it had leaked, and ruined the top of an (like a kaolin) did make a recipe marginally magnesium occasionally have a tendency to whiter, but a slip that is formulated with a cause shivering, a fired condition in which antique sideboard?

W O M e n W O R k i n g W i t H c L Ay S y M P O S i U M

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Join us for the Women Working with Clay Symposium at Hollins University, June 13-16. Observe the presentation of various working methods in pottery, art vessels, and sculpture and participate in discussions that examine and explore the connections of the history of women in cultures all over the world as vessel makers, artists and artisans. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ll find inspiration as you explore the creative process from every level. Led by remarkable ceramic artists, you will gain valuable insight from demonstrations, lectures, and panel discussions. Space is limited, so visit www.hollins.edu/tmva or call (540) 362-6229 to register today. Hollins University | P.O. Box 9552 | Roanoke, VA 24020-1552 | cpowell@hollins.edu

June 13-16, 2011

Lauren could have quit there, but we decided to try one more thing. Many years ago I did some testing with Plastic Vitrox (also known as PV Clay), a California material that has been used in a lot of clay bodies, both low- and high-fire. If you look at a chemical analysis for it, it looks like a high-fire flux, and indeed, it’s used as that in a number of popular commercial clay bodies. On the other hand, many potters have also used it as a flux in white earthenware bodies. On paper, this makes no sense to me at all, but somehow it really does work. I’ve tested it in the past, and Lauren tried it again this time, and it worked in substitution for some or all of the talc. I have mixed feelings about this: I’m reminded of the point in one of the Harry Potter novels when Harry and his friends were told “Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” On the one hand, Plastic Vitrox contains less magnesium than talc, and magnesium can alter or destroy some colors from commercial stains, so it has that advantage. On the other hand, I’m not sure I trust an effect that I can’t understand.

Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. You can reach him at ppinnell1@unl.edu or through his Facebook page at www.facebook.com.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

the glaze flakes off the body in sharp little fragments: sometimes just at the edges, and sometimes all over. Ironically, this seems to happen more often with objects that we care most about and fire (and cool) very slowly. This tendency can be controlled by including some alkali (sodium or potassium oxide) in the recipe. Nepheline syenite contains both sodium and potassium and is relatively insoluble, which makes it a good choice for this. The silica is included because it helps prevent crazing, and its non-plastic characteristic helps keep the wet slip from shrinking too much as it dries. This recipe contains a smaller percentage of quartz than the other recipes we looked at, but that’s because the talc partially fulfills the qualities provided by the quartz.

10%

In the end, Lauren decided to go half way, and split the talc with Plastic Vitrox. In initial use this slip seems to be working out quite well. Here’s the final recipe:

Lauren Karle’s White Slip 40% 20% 20% 10% 10% 100%

The recipe could be used alone as a base for colors, or with the addition of Zircopax (10% or so) it is whiter and more opaque. Kaolin could be substituted for up to half of the ball clay if a whiter surface is desired. [

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Cone 05-03 KT 1-4 Ball clay Amtel C-92 Talc Plastic Vitrox Nepheline Syenite Silica (“quartz, flint”) TOTAL

CLAYTIMESÂ·COM n SPRING 2011

by LANA WILSON

Mary Corita [http://www.corita.org] was a celebrated artist, teacher and nun in the ’60s and ’70s. She posted ten rules for students and teachers, and these are the ones that particularly spark creativity: • Consider everything an experiment. • Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail. There’s only make. • The only rule is work. If you work, it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all the time who eventually catch on to things. • Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes. • Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It’s lighter than you think. • And the last rule: There should be new rules next week! Erin Lee Gafill, [www.eringafill.com], a painter from Nepenthe in Big Sur, California, advises, “Being prepared to take a risk is a big part of doing something creative. Painting a blank canvas red is one way. No drawing skills required; no expectation; no stress. (It doesn’t have to be red, by the way. Choose your color.) It will serve, later, as the underpainting of your “real” painting.

Rituals help. I light a candle as a way of stating that now I am working on “this”

Patrik Kusek [www.patriksstudio.com], whose primary medium is PMC or precious metal clay, tells us what spurs his creativity: “Nature never fails to provide infinite sources of inspiration,” he says. “Every day I come across things that inspire me. It could be a color, a poem, a person, a new jewelry technique, or a flower.”

Here are the techniques Kusek offers his students to help spark their creativity: 1. Color hunt

6. A different angle

Pick a color and take a picture of that color in any context, any shade. Begin in the studio and work outward. Compare the different colors of the same color. Color of the day... Burgundy. Go!

Try looking at things from the viewpoint of another person. What if you were Georgia O’Keefe, Madonna, Picasso, or Jacques Cousteau? How differently would you see what you are making?

2. A child’s eyes

7. Chain reaction

If you have ever spent time with a six-year-old, you know the sense of amazement and imagination they have: they can turn a pencil into a jet plane! Explore your idea through a child’s eyes, and you open yourself up to new ways of seeing.

Ideas feed off one another. For 60 seconds, try to generate rapid-fire ideas. The faster, the better. Keep track of the ideas on a sketch pad. At the end, review the ideas. For another 60 seconds, build on each idea. At the end of the exercise, cull the ideas for refinement. Unique ideas can come from ordinary beginnings.

3. Microscopic view Scientists use microscopes to explore things not readily seen upon first inspection. What are you not seeing upon your initial look?

4. Order out of chaos Take a handful of unrelated things and write each down on a small piece of paper. Randomly arrange these pieces of paper to create a loose sentence structure. Use these sentences to spark ideas.

5. Change of scenery Sometimes we need to break free from the studio. Brainstorm in a museum, a park, or at the beach.

8. Hitting a roadblock Photocopy the ideas from number 7 above onto separate pieces of paper and put them in a bag. Reach in and pull out one. Read it out loud and use the technique as a starting point. The only rule is that no ideas can be put down. Get everything down on paper, good or bad. Generate at least ten ideas, then choose which ones are worth refining.

9. Keep an art journal When you are stuck, mine fresh ideas from your journal.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Setting yourself an assignment is another way. I will paint 100 roses, for example ... or lemons with their shadows. One day this spring I painted 100 little seascapes for The Surfrider Foundation, and found my groove at number 36. Settling in to do the assignment is a way of tricking yourself into working on getting to work without actually realizing you are now, actually, working.

(painting) and not “that” (you name it). Carving out this period of time doesn't always mean I put paint on the canvas, or that if I do it adds up to much of anything; but it does mean that I have set aside the time and don’t allow myself the other usual distractions. Sometimes it is only at the end of this self-appointed time that the idea begins to gel.”

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Nine Ways to Juice Up Your Creativity

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Creative Juices (continued from previous page)

From Leah Leitson, [www.warren-wilson. edu/~art/faculty/leah.php] potter and teacher: “To ignite creativity with students, I like the candlestick/goblet project. Everyone makes two bottoms, two tops, and four middles. Tops must hold any type of candle, pillar, taper, or cup if a goblet. The base must be wide enough to not be tipsy. Students should not be at all concerned about size relationship or how parts will fit together, and students do not know ahead of time that they will not be using all their own parts. Throw or handbuild and be wild and playful. When the parts have stiffened up, put all the tops on one end of the table, bottoms on the other, and middles in the middle. Now the first person picks a bottom, then a second person chooses a middle that she/he thinks goes with that bottom. Everyone must agree, or that person has to select a different middle part. This is group consensus with yelling, laughing, and sometimes easy consensus; sometimes not. Often the piece

will have three or four middle parts before the top is added. At this point the parts are only assembled, not attached. Then a lottery is done by numbering all the pieces. Now everyone blindly picks a number and locates their candlestick or goblet to assemble.” Here is another group exercise from Leitson: “Think of a very familiar object—anything from a comb to a baby. Put on a blindfold and in half an hour, make the object from memory using only your hands. You can make the scale of your piece larger or smaller than the actual object. “To take it further, make another version of the same object—also blindfolded—but now include a sense of emotion in it. For example, if the emotion you’re thinking of is anxiety, how would you show it visually? How would that come about if you are making the piece using your sense of touch, but not your sense of sight? This assignment is

about exploration, not getting it to look like something.” Margaret Bohls, [www.margaretbohls.com] potter and teacher, gives us a project that is finished in just 20 minutes. Students are put into groups of four or five and are given a large pile of moist clay. Each group is asked to collaborate to illustrate a word: i.e. strength, romance, eternity, innocence, grotesque, fire, war, disaster, truth, falsehood, navigation, violation, ceremony, power, etc. In conclusion, consider that creativity and play in your life can be a scintillating path toward joy. Always remember Rule Nine: Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It’s lighter than you think. [

Lana Wilson is happy to respond to your e-mails. You may reach her at: lana@ lanawilson.com. To view her new work and workshop schedule, visit her new Web page at: www.lanawilson.com.

The best in contemporary American functional ceramics

CALL FOR ENTRIES SFPN JURORS HALL OF FAME

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JUNE 1, 2011

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BILL VAN GILDER 2010 PETE PINNELL 2009 LINDA ARBUCKLE 2008 MALCOLM DAVIS 2007 TOM COLEMAN 2006 JOHN GLICK 2005 SUSAN PETERSON 2004 WAYNE HIGBY 2003 JACK TROY 2002 LINDA CHRISTIANSON 2001 KEN FERGUSON 2000 WARREN MACKENZIE 1999 CYNTHIA BRINGLE 1998 VAL CUSHING 1997 PHYLLIS BLAIR CLARK 1996 CHRIS STALEY 1995 BILL DALEY 1994 JACK TROY 1993