Clay Times Magazine Volume 17 • Issue 90

ceramic

art

trends,

tools,

and

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TIMES

Clay

techniques

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!

$7.95 U.S./$9.95 CAN

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.

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Volume 17 • Issue 90

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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

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CLAYTIMES·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

POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Copyright © 2011 Clay Times, Inc.

I

’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

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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.

9

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

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NEW WINTER WORKSHOP | JOSH DEWEESE | JANUARY 3-7

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

2011 CERAMICS

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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

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• 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

E

What’s Hot

11

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.”

A

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.

P

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.)

15

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.”

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Another view of the house with solarview roof,ofconceived the 1950s.

Another the houseinwith solar roof, conceived in the 1950s.

44

“I

44

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.

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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.

CLAYTIMES·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

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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

21

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

Andrea Gill | Dara Hartman | Donna Polseno | Kari Radasch | Jeri Virden | Kala Stein | Silvie Granatelli

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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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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

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

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CLAYTIMES·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

25

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.

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Pots with Attitude TEXT & PHOTOS

by BILL van GILDER

With your clay, tools, and students gathered at you wheel, share this additional observation …

Fig. 1

T

Necessary Supplies • (1) 1-lb. piece of (throwing) clay • (1) 1-lb. piece of (handle) clay • water and a small sponge • a rib tool • a sponge-on-a-stick • a cut-off wire • a small ware board • a wired or blade knife • a ½" diameter wooden dowel • a throwing towel

his is a fun and somewhat unusual project: making intentionally offcentered cups or mugs (Fig. 1). We instructors generally teach the making of centered, uniform pots on the wheel because that’s how we were taught to make them. Asymmetry and gesture in our clay work doesn’t come easily to us Westerners, especially when compared with the Asian potting community. From an Asian perspective, there are a lot of reasons why this is the case: an understanding of their roots and long history, Zen Buddhism, an uncanny appreciation of nature, and a late start of the industrial revolution as we in the West know it (more than a column’s worth of words, but a good conversation to have someday with your students).

The design of our pots will often involve some human-gestured attitude or ‘stance.’ The body has long been an influence in clay, both in form and decoration. A wide-bottomed vase with two side-handles can resemble a human torso with hands on the hips, certainly a gestured body statement. A leaning knob at the top of a lid can copy the tilt of the head. A single poked dimple in the wall of a pot can remind us of someone pulling their stomach inward while holding their breath. This project is in that direction—giving a cup some human ‘attitude, or gesture.

Throwing the Form This cup project starts by making a simple, slightly tapered cylinder on the wheel. Attach your 1-lb. ball of wellkneaded clay to a dry wheelhead, add water, and center it. Your centered clay will need to be low and wide in shape before opening. Add a bit more water and using a medium wheel speed, open the clay, creating a flat floor that’s about 4" in diameter.

TIP: To avoid leaving excess clay at the inside corner of your cup—where the floor meets the wall—open your cup clay at least ½" wider than you want the finished floor to eventually be. You’ll be pulling the wall both upward and inward while forcing the bottom of the wall inward and over the floor a little bit during each pull. This creates a well-defined, sharp interior corner versus a rounded, clay-heavy area at the base of your cup.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

As you describe and demo this funny project, you’ll see some smiles and hear more than a few “Whoa, this is strange!” as cups begin to take shape. You’ll want to mention that the line between ‘pass’ and ‘fail’ with these forms is a narrow one. Though they may not look like it, these pots do take some intentioned care and a soft touch. They demand a lot more focus than you might expect. It’s a project that certainly reinforces the skills of centering, because it’s a project that’s all about centering!

In Form I Teaching Techniques

Off Center ... On Purpose!

27

In Form I Teaching Techniques

You’ll need that clay to be part of your cup wall … so open wide and move that clay upward!

Wet your opened form and pull the wall up and slightly inward as it rises. Control the rim by leveling it with some firm side and top finger pressure after each pull.

I’m a firm believer in ‘control the rim and the rest of the pot will follow easily.’

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

When the wall of your cup is a bit less than ¼" in thickness and the rim is neat and nicely rounded, use your straightedged rib to smooth the outside wall while removing the watery slip and putting the final shape into your form (Fig. 2). The height of your cup will now be between 4" and 5" with a 3" to 3½" width at the top, from rim to rim. Use your sponge-on-a-stick to remove the water from the interior floor of the form and move on to the next step: throwing your cup off-center.

Centering Again

Fig. 4

Fig. 9

First, use your small throwing sponge to remove any clay and wetness from the wheelhead surface surrounding your cup, then use a corner of your throwing towel to completely dry that area. Stop the wheel, wire-cut your cup from the wheelhead, and dry your hands. Place the palms of both hands near the base of your cup, carefully pick it up about ¼", move it ½" off-center, and gently place it back down (Fig. 3).

Now get the wheel moving slowly and use your sponge-on-a-stick to re-attach your cup to the wheelhead. Press the sponge firmly against the inside floor of your cup, being careful not to push against or distort the wall (Fig 4).

Fig. 10

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Fig. 5

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Most potters find this next step a bit awkward, and that can certainly be the case. You’re trying to re-center a thrown form rather than a solid lump of clay … something we seldom have to do. But it’s not as difficult as it might seem.

First, use your small sponge to wet the exterior top-half of your slowly spinning cup. Second, wet your fingers. Third, carefully encircle the wet, top-half of your cup with your wet fingers and slowly re-center that portion (Fig. 5).

Keep your hands centered, with your

Fig. 6

Fig. 11

The

Fulwood Measure

TM

Note that the rim of your cup may now be out-of-level because of this re-centering step. You have the option of trimming and rounding it back to level or, leave it alone and accept that it’s part of the making process­—your call!

Use your rib again to gently smooth and shape the top-half of your cup wall, lightly sponge the rim smooth, and stop the wheel.

Wire-cut your cup from the wheelhead, dry your hands again, and gently lift it to a ware board or small bat (Fig. 6).

Finishing and Handles There are several styles of handles that can be attached to your cups when they’ve dried to a soft leather-hard stage. But before adding handles, the base edge of each cup will need to be rounded and smoothed. Because the base of your cup is off-center, attaching it to the wheelhead for trimming can be a difficult task. A better solution? Round the edge by firmly pressing and stroking your thumb along the unfinished corner, rotating the cup in your hands as you go. When that’s done, on to making handles.

One style of handle that seems to function well and visually fit your odd-shaped cup is a handle that’s attached to and pulled from the cup wall, upside down. By that I mean the thicker part of the handle is attached near the bottom of the cup and pulled toward the rim.

As you pull and lengthen your handle, ask yourself, “Is this handle going to fit one, two, or three fingers when it’s finished?” The size of your cup matters here … larger cups need bigger handles, so think ahead! When the desired length and thickness of your handle is achieved, lightly grasp the narrow end, turn your cup over and upright, and fold the end inward and against the cup wall near the rim.

You can tighten and press the handle-end to the rim wall with your fingertips, which is one option. A second option is to use a small diameter, wooden dowel to uniformly press and neatly secure the handle-end to the wall (Fig. 10).

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

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You can call your cup finished at this point, or try these small but effective additions: Allow your cup handle to dry or ‘set-up’ for about 30 minutes. Then add a small ball of soft clay near the base of the handle and press it into a soft, curved shape with your dowel (Fig. 11) as a lower ‘finger-stop.’ Do the same at the top of the handle where it meets the cup near the rim (Fig. 12).

“Once you’ve gotten comfortable with throwing off-centered mugs, you can enlarge the form—say to 3 or 4 lbs.—and make some off-centered pitchers. Add a beak-type spout at the rim, positioning it opposite the off-centered base area. Then add a handle.

Or how about making an off-centered, lidded storage jar? Or a simple-but-wonky vase form? Just give them some gesture, and a bit of attitude. Let’s go to work! [

Bill van Gilder has been a full-time potter since the 1960s and teaches pottery-making workshops. He may be reached by e-mail at vangilderpottery@ earthlink.net. His potters’ tool line, van Gilder Tools, is available via the online store at www. vangilderpottery.com.

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First, roll out a tapered coil for each of your cups and cut the thick ends at an angle (Fig. 7), which will easily align them against the jutting, off-centered bottom portion of your cup. Then dampen both the top and bottom areas of the cup wall where your handle will be attached. Next, dampen the thick, beveled-cut area of your handle and wait 15 seconds for that cut surface to become sticky and tacky. Now press the fat end at an upward angle against the widest, most off-centered point of your cup. Hold your cup up and slightly tilted, dip the handle in water and pull, and gently stretch it in a straight-downward direction (Figs. 8 and 9).

By tilting your cup during this pulling step, you’ll give your handle some visual ‘lift.’

That’s a good thing.

Fig. 12

In Form I Teaching Techniques

elbows held tightly to your body as you allow the bottom-half of your cup to rotate off-center. Concentrate totally on centering just the top-half of your cup.

29

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Making & Firing Your Own Ceramic Decals

bY TERRIE BANHAZL

Using a laser printer or copier, FiredOn brand decal paper, the design you want to appear on your pot, and a kiln, you can duplicate images onto your pots with ease. It’s that simple!

TM

T

en years ago, when the Betty Crocker Company reissued its 1950s Picture Cookbook, I began a long and difficult quest. I was determined to find a way to permanently copy our family’s beloved Dutch Cocoa Cream Cake recipe onto a cake plate to give to my mother for her 70th birthday. I wanted to replicate the original recipe exactly as it was in the book, kitschy graphics and all. I also wanted to personalize it with my own words and an old photograph of Mom and her kids from that delicious bygone era.

What seemed to be so simple wasn’t. It took more than two years of scouring the earth (OK, Google did most of the searching) before I was able to do what I set out to do. It took almost another year to create a process that would enable anyone with access to certain Black & White laser printers, special transfer paper, and a kiln, to easily fire one-off images onto any type of glazed clay or fusible glass surface. There is now a Patent for this process and system, with do-it-yourself kits sold worldwide. Several instructional books for this process are also available.

Family memories make heart-tugging heirloom gifts.

So my education began. I delved into the history of fired-on photographic imagery, silk-screening processes, and hightechnology solutions. This proved to be both long and frustrating, yet incredibly interesting.

Add illusions of depth and texture.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

My quest began with a search into all the ways possible to make a durable, lead-free, oven- and dishwasher-safe platter with a good quality print fired onto its surface. After an initial Web search and inquiries to a ceramics instructor friend, I was dismayed to discover that I really was in uncharted waters.

I am by nature a creative and handy person who enjoys a good artistic challenge, but attempting to find a cost-effective method of achieving my vision was daunting, to say the least.

First, my ceramic expertise was limited to the slipcast world of trivets and ashtrays from my days as an occupational therapist in a psychiatric hospital. Second, my budget was limited.

Last but not least, my technical skills were from the “bull in a china shop” school of art. This process needed to klutz-proof.

31

The THE RefRacToRy REFRACTORY SupeR SUPER SToRe! STORE!

Make Your Own Ceramic Decals (continued from previous page)

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In modern times, the invention of the 4-color, silkscreen-generated decal enabled manufacturers to mass-produce ware, each run adorned with the same photographic image. Precisely calibrated industrial 4/2/08 11:16:05 AM machinery is used to achieve the full color range. The less sophisti11/3/08 3:51:54 PM cated half-tone photo silk-screening setup, using ceramic glaze for ink, did seem to have the potential to make a one-color digital image decal in a home-based studio. The screen could then be used to reproduce the same decal over and over again. Although not a practical option to do more than one custom run at a time, this method showed some early promise, but the screening material couldn’t handle the

Larkin Refactory.1_4.5-6_08.indd 1

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Untitled-1 1

32

The first successful attempts at printing photographic images onto porcelain and ceramic surfaces began shortly after the discovery of photography in the 1800s. These early processes were painstaking and required lots of time, technical training, and expertise. These techniques are still used today to make some decorative ware and gravestone portraits, but are definitely not practical for use on foodsafe functional pieces. Scratch that one off the list.

Hydra-Lite Bats Potter’s love these bats Available 1/2” or 3/4” 8” square 12-22” round Will not warp 1101 Stinson Boulevard NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 1-800-432-CLAY continentalclay.com Easily add color for spectacular effects.

super-high dpi (dots per inch) of the print: the result was slightly blurry.

Recently, some techno-savvy manufacturers have begun using expensive retrofitted color printers that use ceramic pigments instead of ink to make full-color, computer-generated decals. Although an interesting technique for making custom one-of-a kind digital images, these $50,000 printers are not an option for the artist or home hobbyist (unless your last name happens to be Gates).

The commercial availability of laser printers and photocopiers containing iron-based toner raised my hopes. Maybe this would be the do-it-yourself, one-color method of firing photographs and graphic imagery onto kiln-fired surfaces that I was looking for. The trick was to find a way to affix the toner to the surface and then fire it at a temperature that would maintain the integrity of the iron in the toner. If it worked, this method could make crisp and clear photographic images in seconds. The final product could then be lead-free, oven-safe and durable—very promising, indeed!

The list of variables for this “experiment” was overwhelming. There were many things I would need to learn and consider. After much research and even more trial and error, I managed to find the right combination of printer, surface, transfer paper, firing time, and temperature that worked every time. When my first perfect platter came out of the kiln, I literally screamed with joy!

Ceramic Decal Making, Step-by-Step for Cone 5-6 glazed surfaces You will need: • Fired-On Images MS (multi-surface) Transfer Paper • Any HP or Canon Black-Only Laser Printer • White or light-colored, smooth cone 5-6 glazed surface • Photo, text or graphics 1. Scan or download image into computer and manipulate with graphics software.

2. Print onto glossy side of Fired-On Images Transfer Paper 3. Cut image close to edges 4. Place in a dish of warm water for a few minutes 5. Apply to surface and push out water and bubbles with a paper towel 6. Fire to Cone 06 ... cool thoroughly ... and admire!

Detailed information is included with the transfer paper.

Check out www.fired-on.com for distributors.

On my mother’s 73rd birthday (just a little late) she received her Dutch Cocoa Cream Cake Platter. She cried. I sighed.

Mission accomplished!

The future potential of these new technologies is limitless. Professional and amateur artists alike will be able to turn their visions into reality by themselves, from their home or studio, with the simple click of a computer mouse. [ CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Author Terrie Banhazl is owner/operator of Heirloom Ceramics. She may be reached via e-mail at: tbanhazl@comcast.net. For details on materials for ceramic decal making, log onto her Website at www.fired-on.com.

33

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

CLAYTIMES¡COM n SPRING 2011

Circles 6. 24" x 24". Sculpture clay and white earthenware glazed with low-fire glazes, fired to cone 06 in an electric kiln.

Michal Golan; tel. 646.345.0720; E-mail: Migolan@aol.com; Website: http://www.michalgolan.com/art.html

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Submit images of your claywork to The Gallery!

Send your high-quality color print, slide, or 1050-x-1500-pixel (minimum) digital image to: The Gallery, Clay Times, P.O. Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, Website 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.)

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Turtle. 17" x 10" x 9". Raku-fired clay. Cindy Lou Farley, Stephens, GA 30667.

E-mail: natureclean@mindspring.com

Interrupted. 19" x 28" x 17". Terra cotta fired to cones 04 and 06, epoxy resin, seeds, acrylic. Jonathon McMillan, 302 South Harden St., Columbia, SC 29205.

E-mail: jonmcmillan@hotmail.com; Website: www.jonmcmillan.com

Baby Nation Building. 10½" h x 9" w x 9" d. Stoneware with glazes and stains, fired to cone 6. Naked “Fauxku” Technique. Amber Aguirre.

E-mail: ambersart@gmail.com. Website: www.amberaguirre.com Bottle with White-crowned Sparrow. 8" x 43/4" x 2½". Cone 5 Nara porcelain, with Amaco underglazes. Image transferred to wet clay using Versa Ink covered with a very thin clear coat of PZN-Clear. Fired to cone 6 in oxidation.

Claire Tietje, 5860 Highplace Drive, San Diego, CA 92120.

E-mail: ctietje@cox.net. Website: www.cgphoto.us

Balance. Handbuilt, glazed, and high-fired in oxidation.

Robyn Bailey, 4532 Black Cove Road, Virginia Beach VA 23455.

E-mail: heronshope@cox.net.

Untitled. 14" x 6". Coil-built stoneware with glaze, fired to cone 5 in oxidation.

Lee Daniels, 330 Forest Drive, Brinnon, WA 98320.

E-mail: leedanielspottery@me.com; Website: www.leedanielspottery.com

CLAYTIMES··COM COM n n SPRING SPRING 2011 2011 CLAYTIMES

Raku Luster Bottle. 12" h x 7½" w. Wheel-thrown white stoneware fired to 1750° F with freehand copper luster glaze application using a sable short liner brush.

Post-fire reduction with hardwood dust and newspaper. Nancy Pene, Claremont, CA. E-mail: nancypene@hotmail.com; Web: www.claypenetration.com; www.nancypene.com

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review by STEVEN BRANFMAN

of stuff. For those who don’t recognize the author’s name: Marguerite Wildenhain was a master potter and teacher, born in France and schooled at the Bauhaus in Germany. When the Nazis began their oppression, she fled to Holland, only to emigrate to America when the Nazi regime reached the Netherlands.

Here she established her Farm Pond Pottery in Northern California, which became a mecca for pottery students from all over the country.

She became as well known for her pots as for her teaching and mentoring. Her books, Pottery Form and Expression and The Invisible Core are classic texts that quickly became the foundation of the education of countless potters.

...that We Look and See/ An Admirer Looks at the Indians

by Marguerite Wildenhain South Bear Press Hardcover • $30

T

here is no shortage of new, or at least very recent books on pottery and ceramics worthy of sharing with you in this column. Now, as you might expect, I read pottery books. Not only do I read, but I have a library that—well, let’s just say that one of the reasons I’ve never been able to make much money selling books is because so many of them end up in my own library! Not a day goes by when I don’t peruse my shelves, look at the books, pull one out, turn the pages, put it back. Slide out another. Do the same. I love the look, the feel, and the humanity of the book. I cherish the connections that books make between us in the here and now and our history, culture, society, and people of clay that we are so devoted to and inspired by.

Written by Marguerite Wildenhain in 1979, ...that We Look and See/An Admirer Looks at the Indians is a book in two parts. Each, in its own way, serves as a personal invitation to join Wildenhain on her journey down a road of observation, analysis, inspiration, translation, interpretation, and creativity. That’s a lot

People were different. She saw people not as in the human figure, but through their appearance, dress, or expression. She was attracted to and moved by their differences, characteristics, and visual qualities.

Wildenhain was interested in the essence of the human being, of the most economical aspects that bring the person to life and give them presence and humanity. For these reasons and others, she drew people only from memory.

Of course ... that We Look and See/An Admirer Looks at the Indians is also about pots. How can it not be? In the first part of the book, Wildenhain tells us that her landscapes were never meant to be incorporated into her pots or tiles, while she purposefully translated her drawings and observations of people into her claywork. These impressions, recordings, and feelings about the human being became direct influences on her clay work. The way she explains how she used them—how she interpreted and then translated her initial observations into drawings and then worked them into the clay—is intimate and fascinating. Side by side are pictures of her drawings and her tiles and vessels. We are struck by an aggressive ruggedness in her

An Admirer Looks at the Indians, the second part of the book, in many ways continues Wildenhain’s expression of observation as shared in the first part. However, here she focuses precisely on her attraction to, and love of, the Native American peoples without reference to pots or tiles or to her own interpretation of her observations and use as direct artistic inspiration. She serves as our tour guide, escorting us through the daily lives of these people who mean so much to her and for whom she has so much respect and admiration. It is a captivating trip that she takes us on.

This publication is a handsome book—as simple, direct, and honest as its contents.

Plain black-and-white dust jacket over ivory cloth-covered boards, soft semi-satin creamtoned pages, and filled with Wildenhain’s drawings and photos of her pots, this is a book to be held and enjoyed as much as one would hold a ceramic object. I dare say that Wildenhain would have wanted us to see it that way. As I look through it every so often, I wish the pots were in color; but the work is so expressive that you can “see” the color without it being there. This is a book that deserves your attention—but not because of the iconic stature of Wildenhain and her influence on our pottery history, culture, and practice. There is no celebrity envy here. Read this book and your sense of observation, translation, interpretation, and expression will be heightened. Your claywork will be affected. And your life? That, too, might just become a little richer. [

Steven Branfman is a an accomplished potter and teacher of pottery and ceramics at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts, and proprietor of The Potters Shop and School. He may be reached by telephone at 781.449.7687 or via e-mail at: sbranfpots@aol.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011 CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Having said all that, every so often I like to bring a book to your attention that you may not know about. You may have missed it when it was first published or you may have been too young to have been interested in it or too young to even know about it. It may have come and gone and could be totally off your radar. ...that We Look and See/An Admirer Looks at the Indians is one of those books.

...that We Look and See/An Admirer Looks at the Indians is different. Unlike the previously mentioned books, this one is about pottery, but has nothing to do with making pots. In it, Wildenhain shares her passion for drawing as a means of understanding and making sense of the world around us. For Wildenhain, drawing is associating. She is most attracted to landscapes and people. For Wildenhain, landscapes evoke geology, pattern, and timelessness. Wildenhain drew landscapes from nature and from life—from being there.

She drew landscapes out of respect and love for their beauty, and for what Mother Nature gave her every day.

work that she is able, through her sensitive use of line and shape and surface treatment, to express softly and in a feminine sensibility.

As potters, and especially as teachers of clay, we often speak to the truth and honesty of simplicity as a means of achieving complexity.

Wildenhain’s work is a study of that concept.

There is a clear, simple, and primitive style to her drawings, yet her pots and tiles display a sophistication in their appearance that is undeniably engaging, attractive, and complex.

This was because she remained dedicated to her first impressions and primitive approach in her drawings.

Resources I Books & Videos Hot Stuff I Events

‘... that We Look and See’

3737

Shop Talk I Tool Times

The Daily Grind I have mentioned grinders and grinding media in past columns, but this is an important topic, and the following is far more comprehensive than previous coverage. If you have never found need for these tools in the clay studio, you may just be very fortunate. Most of us encounter a variety of studio situations that call for hand- or power-grinding or sanding tools.

Safety in Using Grinding and Sanding Media All dry grinding and sanding processes create dust, and all grinding and powered sanding processes create flying particles or chunks. Make sure that you and anyone else in the vicinity are protected with proper respirators and safety goggles.

If you are grinding or sanding indoors, make sure that the dust you create is gathered by a HEPA-filtered vacuum, or is exhausted to the outside.

Grinding Glaze Flaws on Fired Wares What should be considered a flaw? It depends on the nature of the flaw, the firing process, and the kind of work. In wood firing, many effects celebrated as chance occurrences would be considered flaws in other firing processes. When utilitarian considerations are primary, any drips, runs, chips, craters, bubbles or chunks of clay or kiln wash in the glaze surface are flaws if they interfere with function or finish. Every clay artist has to be the judge of this before offering work to the public, but the viewer or buyer can and should be a discerning judge of quality and finish.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

For glaze runs on the bottoms of pots, the bench-grinder is still a great choice.

38

Depending on the amount you use the bench-grinder for this application, and the size of wares you are normally grinding, you may wish to have a dedicated grinder mounted outdoors under-roof with an abrasive flap wheel mounted on one end for finishing bottoms, as mentioned below. When grinding glaze runs or drips, don’t let the piece to heat up too much in one spot, or it may crack.

For small touch-up jobs, as in small craters or bubbles or specks of clay or shelf-wash affixed to the surface, a small “die-grinder” with mounted diamond points is my first choice. The inexpensive and ubiquitous Dremel Tool works fine for light-duty applications, but it is a hobby tool and relatively under-powered for such applications, especially if you attempt to use the flexible shaft attachment. Better choices are electric or pneumatic die-grinders, or the quality flexible-shaft tools used by jewelers, such

by VINCE PITELKA

as Foredom, Rotamax, Grobet, or Pfingst.

I quit using Dremels because they failed so quickly in studio use, and now use the better flexible-shaft units purchased used on eBay. The Foredom is the standard and the most expensive, but all of these brands are powerful, smooth-operating, far quieter than a Dremel, and accept interchangeable hand pieces. Make sure to get a hand piece that either has a 1/8" collet, or a small Jacobs chuck that accepts up to 5/32", as in the popular Foredom #30 hand piece. Stay away from cheap knockoffs for the main unit and the hand piece.

For all of these tools, traditional mounted stones will work, and of those, silicon carbide is the best. A far better choice for ceramics are mounted diamondimpregnated points or burrs available in sets from any jewelry supply, or go to eBay and enter “diamond burrs” in the search box. On eBay I have bought sets like the one pictured and they have performed well. With a little water dribbled on for lubrication and cooling, the smaller burrs will drill through high-fired clay and glaze. That is never the method of choice for creating a hole, but if an air-hole in a teapot lid glazes over, one of these will drill it out. Diamond burrs are available in many sizes and shapes, so select ones appropriate for your needs and with the shank-size to fit your tool. Dremels and

flexible-shaft tools most often accept 1/8" shanks, while electric and pneumatic diegrinders generally take a ¼" shank. When viewing images of burrs, you will be able to estimate the head-size by comparison to the shank.

Generally, the slightest touch with one of these burrs will clean up a very small crater or bubble, or will remove a tiny fleck of clay or shelf wash, and the resulting mark is almost invisible and of little consequence.

More aggressive grinding generally leaves a mark that will be considered a flaw unless you can eliminate it. One option is to apply a little glaze and re-fire the piece, taking into consideration the normal caveats of refiring. Another is to consult with a jewelry supplier and get the appropriate 1/8"-shank buffing wheels and compound suitable for polishing out the grinding marks. This is a little-utilized technique in ceramics, and I am not sure why.

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Finishing Fired Bottoms, Lid Contact Surfaces, and Other Rough Surfaces Potters who do not take the time to smooth the bottoms of fired pots lose many customers. When potential customers pick up a pot, one hand goes to the bottom, and if it’s rough, they usually put it back without further consideration. My favorite device for smoothing bottoms is an abrasive flapwheel bench-grinder, but it does leave a discoloration that can be problematic on porcelain and other light clay bodies. For stonewares that are tan or darker, I have not found it an issue, and the flapwheel leaves a silky-smooth surface.

Go to www.grainger.com and enter “3DV14” in the search box for a Merit 80-grit 6" x 1" flapwheel, and enter “3DV21” for the bushing set to adapt it to the arbor on your grinder.

Diamond hand polishing pads are becoming increasingly popular for smoothing bottoms and also to soften rough surfaces on wood, salt, or soda-fired ware. The most common brand is MK Diamond, and I found good prices at their Website at www.

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vangilder pottery.com pots • tools • brushes • DVDs • kiln plans • recipes • workshops

CLAYTIMES·COM n WINTER 2010/11

[Editor’s note: A brand-new tool called the Glaze Eraser, designed to grind off glaze mistakes and to smooth pot bottoms, has just been unveiled

by Smith-Sharpe Fire Brick Supply. Although CT hasn’t yet had the chance to test it, it will be demonstrated at this year’s NCECA show.

Further details about this promising new product appear on page 41.]

Ron Meyers Athens, GA

39

Shop Talk I Tool Times

Daily Grind (continued from previous page) mkdiamond.com. Click “lapidary” and then click “hand polishing pads.” These are not cheap, at a little over $30 each, but they hold up well. They are a wet/dry product, and using them wet will eliminate dust and increase working life. They are available from 60- to 3500-grit, with the finer grits for polishing to a high shine. I cannot testify as to how they would work on visible glaze defects, but the 120-grit or 200-grit should work great for smoothing bottoms.

The same pads are good for smoothing unglazed contact surfaces on lids and galleries, but might not reach into recessed galleries. In that case, any good wet/dry sandpaper will work. You can also use small mounted abrasive flapwheels on a Dremel or flexible-shaft unit.

Removing Glaze Runs/ Drips from Kiln Shelves

®

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

The Steve Tool

40

Wild Texture on Pottery!

One Tool - Many Results www.graberspottery.com Pottery by Sheryl Holstein www.MountainOakPottery.com

Small glaze runs and drips are easily removed from kiln shelves with a hammer and properly-sharpened single-bevel chisel, always working parallel to the shelf and never against it. Another popular choice is silicon-carbide hand grinding blocks available from ceramics suppliers, and also available from restaurant suppliers for surfacing griddles.

More serious or frequent runs and drips warrant escalation to an angle grinder, useful for many other workshop grinding tasks as well. Consider only the major quality brands such as Bosch, Makita, Ryobi, Milwaukee, Porter-Cable, Hitachi, or DeWalt, and make sure any angle grinder of any size has the standard 5/8-11 spindle thread that fits most accessories. Avoid any cheap angle grinder, especially since even the best brands are reasonably priced.

For most studio and workshop tasks, a 4½" angle grinder is best, and at Amazon. com you will find abundant models for less than $75. Try to get one with a paddle switch, which is safer because it shuts off the instant you release pressure. For more serious shelf and refractory grinding in salt and wood-firing, a larger 7" angle grinder may be necessary. Again, stick with the major brands.

For grinding media, your choices are, in order of aggressiveness, sanding disks, fiberglass-reinforced grinding disks, silicon-carbide cup wheels, and diamond cup-wheels. For removing flaky shelf-wash,

a flexible sanding disk works great, and for that you need to get the back-up pad with threaded nut plus appropriate sanding disks in 60- or 80-grit. For most moderate light grinding tasks, fiberglass-reinforced grinding disks work well. Make sure to get a true grinding disk and not the thinner cutoff-wheel, which cannot stand side pressure. A grinding disk can be used with the edge directly against the surface, or at an angle with the outer edge of the face against the surface, which generally works best for grinding shelves.

For more serious grinding, a silicon-carbide cup-wheel is a good choice. Go to www. grainger.com and enter “2D922” for a 4" cupwheel for a 4½" angle grinder, or “6AO80” for a 5" wheel for a larger angle grinder. Tilt the face of the wheel against the shelf or brick for serious grinding, or hold the face flat against the shelf to level the surface.

For the most aggressive grinding, a diamond cup-wheel is the best choice, but must be used with a light touch or will gouge deeply into the shelf. I have found the best prices at www.mcgillswarehouse. com. Click on “tools and hardware,” click on “polishing pads, adaptors, and grinder cups,” and scroll down to the bottom. They are available in sizes from 4" to 6". Never use any sort of cup-wheel larger than 4" on a 4½"angle grinder.

Sharpening/Shaping Tools and Removing Glaze Runs/ Drips from Kiln Furniture A stationary bench-grinder is a pretty standard tool for any well-equipped workshop, and is very handy in the clay studio for these tasks and others mentioned above.

Go to www.grizzlyindustrial.com and enter “H4378” in the search box to find the unit pictured on p. 38 for $65. For almost all studio and workshop applications, there would be no reason to get a larger bench-grinder. You can easily remove the wheel from one end and install an abrasive flapwheel. [

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

Shop Talk I Tool Times

Simple Safe

Effective Visit us at NCECA Booth 507

GlazeEraser is a unique, slow speed grinding tool designed to work with your potter’s wheel to quickly remove glaze drips and other unwanted kiln debris from pot bottoms. Ideal for quickly smoothing foot rings and rough glaze edges.

GlazeEraser is an extremely durable tool that will provide years of service. Simply place the GlazeEraser rubber pad and 14” diameter grinding disc directly onto your wheel head and you’re ready to go!

Designed to be used with or without bat pins, there is no special saftey protection required. You control the speed and p pressure.

Smith-Sharpe Fire Brick Supply 2129 Broadway Street NE Minneapolis, MN 55413 Toll Free: 1.866.545.6743 www.KilnShelf.com

www.GlazeEraser.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Distributed By:

41

                     

Slurry Bucket part of the tool. Cut it length-wise into two equally wide pieces, or narrower for small-mouthed pots. Fold one piece in half, then in half again. Fold it over the brush bristles and wrap it tightly to the brush handle with the rubber band.

   Pendant

by Jill Featherwolf  using MKM stamp ssM-20  

Sponge-on-a-Stick MKM ssM-20

      Visit us at Booths 500 & 502  at NCECa 

A very useful and multi-purpose spongeon-a-stick tool can easily be made in-house using three readily available supplies: a discarded, long-handled oil-painter’s brush, a thin sheet of foam sponge, and one heavy-duty rubber band.

 

The thin sheet of foam sponge that’s used to protect boxed pyrometric cones supplied by Orton is ideal for the sponge

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

               

42

The two corners created at the top of the ‘fold-over’ are ideal for getting the sponge into the corners of a narrow, wet pot—far more effective than a rounded sponge tool. The brush bristles also help to stiffen and support the sponge as it’s pressured against the floor or wall of the form.

As a bonus … you can use the long, tapered handle of the brush during the making of teapot and oil-bottle spouts.

Use it against the inside wall of a spout to smooth the wall and ultimately, enhance the pour of liquid during use. You can also use it in place of your finger as you thin and pull the spout wall upward. [

Kiln Builders, Beware

Shop Talk I Firing

Too Good to be True?

BY marc ward

Y

ou’ve been beside yourself to build a kiln—any size of kiln. You’ve fallen into the soothing quicksand of making pots and now need the jungle vine of a kiln to pull you out. You got hooked on the process of making pots, but as the greenware stacks up, you slowly realize there’s another part to this equation.

Finding a reliable place to fire your work is tough. If you find it, you’ll have to give up your creative works to the whims of an unknown kiln and the promises of a kiln operator. That won’t cut it for your newly created clay babies.

So, you start this search for a way to build or have your own kiln. Little did you know, the trap has been set. (I get a bit melodramatic, but you have to start an 800-word article somehow. And if you’ve read this far? Well, I hope I’ve got you!)

The first place potters start looking for a small kiln that is ‘perfect’ for them is in the magazines they read about pottery.

This can be slim pickin’s. Then they move on to the Internet—the vast repository of opinions that masquerade as facts. Here you will always find something. I’ve had several callers in the last couple of weeks calling about the problems they are having with the new kilns they’ve just built. The conversation goes something like this:

“I’ve just built this kiln that I saw on the Website, www.yourpefectlyawesomelittle potterykiln.com, and I’m having problems.”

“I can’t get to temperature, I did everything they said to do, and it doesn’t work! They wrote how easy this was, but I must be

My eyes are firmly closed and my forehead is still firmly pressed on the edge of my desk.

This is where I tell you, gentle reader, what I tell my anxious caller: “Many experts are not selling their questionable kiln building skills, but simply trying to get their name out in the ‘Clay World.’ An article, a reference, or a connection with a certain process hopefully helps assure sales of their work ... or helps with the tenure committee ... or at least helps with background stuff for their grant application. You can imagine how my ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes’ take on this goes over with certain folks in the Clay World!

Here’s what to look for when you stumble across that article or video that seems to promise you that perfect little kiln with minimal thought.

1

Does this design show examples of the work that came from the kiln? All you can do is trust that the pictures are real. Look for the glazed pieces in the kiln, and then the same pieces finished.

2

Here’s a major one for me: Is the designer of this kiln available to you? Did they provide an e-mail address? Or a phone number? Why not?

You’re investing time and energy in this process while giving your trust to this person. If they haven’t made themselves available to you, then I question their own

belief and/or competence in the project.

As I alluded to before, this goes back to the reasons our kiln builder brought forth their plans. If they really want to help you with a kiln ... well, they would be available to help you with a kiln they’ve designed. If it’s about being a ‘clay star,’ they may not want to deal with all the ramifications of their plans. I know that’s pretty harsh, but I see this played out on a regular basis.

3

Here’s another major point to look out for: Are there different burner packages explained based on gas and pressure? Or has this been glossed over? If this answer is not clear, then all you have is a brick-stacking pattern, not a kiln plan. Also be aware that what works for the plan provider may not work for you. Different altitudes, different propane tank sizes, different ambient temperatures, different pipe sizes, different natural gas meter sizes, ‘just different stuff’ are variables that your intrepid kiln plan provider may not even be aware of. If the variables are not spelled out and you can’t contact these folks, please proceed with caution.

4

Many of the folks who provide plans are good people. They simply don’t know what they don’t know. Be as good a consumer about kiln plans as you are about fruit—if it’s too squishy, pass on it. [

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: www.ward burner.com.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Here’s where I close my eyes and put my forehead down on the edge of my desk, then speak into my geeky little telephone headset. I tentatively ask, “What kind of problems?”

doing something wrong. I’m sure you’re familiar with Joe Easykiln’s article about this—I went to a workshop of his about the Primal Intuitive Gesture in the Clay Multiverse and he says this kiln will fire to cone 10 in 6 hours using a weed burner. I did everything exactly as he said—everything, really!

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

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

Classes are listed alphabetically by state

ALABAMA Studio 101 — 101 East 4th St., Prattville, AL 36067; 334.549.0292; www.studio101pottery.com; Studio101Potter@aol.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric & alternative firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, pot shots (group parties). Supporting beginning to advanced artists by providing knowledge, space, and access to great pottery equipment.

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

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

FLORIDA Craft Gallery & Dixie Art Loft — 5911 South Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, FL 33405; 561.585.7744; www.thecraftgallery.net; potteryme@ comcast.net. Gallery, studio & kiln rental. Glazes, clay, glass, tools, books, equipment, and art. Classes in glass fusion, enameling, silver clay, wheel-throwing, handbuilding, and architectural sculpture. Workshops by guest artists.

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

LOUISIANA Pottery Alley — 205½ W. Vermilion St., Lafayette, LA 70501; 337.267.4453; www.potteryalley. com; info@potteryalley.com. Pottery Alley offers classes, parties, workshops, and open studio in a relaxed, creative atmosphere. All levels welcome! Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, classes for adults and children, guest artist workshops, monthly clay dates.

MAINE

DELAWARE Rehoboth Art League — 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth, DE 19971; 302.227.8408; www. rehobothartleague.org; educator@rehobothartleague.org.

Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric & raku firing, guest

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

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

MARYLAND Renaissance Art Center — 12116 Darnestown Rd., Suite L4, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; 866.212.6604; www.rcarts.com; info@rcarts.com.

Pottery classes for all ages, teaching wheel throwing, handbuilding, and glazing techniques. Electric firing.

MASSACHUSETTS Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill — 10 Meetinghouse Road, Truro, MA 02666, 508.349.7511; www.castlehill.org; info@castlehill.org.

Throwing & handbuilding by some of the best potters in the country: Jim Brunelle, Linda Christianson, Kevin Crow, Marty Fielding, Silvie Granateli, Linden Gray, Randy Johnston, Matt Katz, Hannah Niswonger, Mark Shapiro, Gay Smith, Kayla Stein, Guy Wolff, Joe Woodford, Mikhail Zakin – something for everyone.

MISSISSIPPI Bodine Pottery & Art Studio — New location: 432 West Frontage Dr., Wiggins, MS 39577; 601.928.4718; www.bodinepottery.com; hukmut@ bodinepottery.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, kiln building, PMC (precious metal clay), week-long clay camps for adults and summer clay camps for kids. Also a clay supplier and gallery, featuring the work of ten Mississippi artists.

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

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Sawmill Pottery — 112 Main St. #14, Putnam, CT 06260; 860.963.7807; www.sawmillpottery.com; dot@sawmillpottery.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric & raku firing, classes for adults and children, guest artist workshops, mosaics, Paint-Your-Own, gallery. A very community-minded pottery, we have classes for all ages and abilities ... join us!

artist workshops, classes for adults and children, art classes of all kinds. Teach, Inspire, Preserve. Historic setting at the beach. New Pottery School!

Resources I Classes

Community Pottery Classes

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Resources I Classes

CT Print & Online Class Listings are just $99/year!

To feature your classes, visit www.claytimes.com/ classes.html or call 800-356-2529

Potters for Peace offers technical design and marketing assistance to potters in Central America, and worldwide training in the production of inexpensive, highly effective ceramic water filters.

Your tax-deductible donation will help.

Learn more at our Website:

www.pottersforpeace.org

Be sure to visit the PFP invitational show and sale at NCECA, at the Hyatt Regency Esplanade ... an exciting show of work by some of the finest potters working in the U.S. today.

Stop by our NCECA tables T21 and 22 for your Potters for Peace T-shirt!

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Statement of Ownership, Management and CirculaPotters4Peace0311.indd 1 3/20/11 tion. Publication Title: Clay Times. Publication number 1087-7614. Filing Date: 3-21-2011. Published quarterly.

Annual subscription price: $33. Office of publication: 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: 13854. b) Paid/requested circulation: (1) Outside county mail subscriptions: 8778. (2) In-county subscriptions: 10.

(3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other non-USPS paid distribution: 3818. (4) Other classes mailed through USPS: 543. c) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 13149. d) Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary, and other free): (1) Outside county: 168. (2) In-county: 4. (3) Other classes mailed through USPS: 45. e) Free distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means): 40. f) Total free distribution: 257. g) Total distribution: 13407. h) copies not distributed: 447. i) Total: 13854. j) Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 98.07%. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Polly Beach, President, Clay Times Inc.

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NEW YORK Artworks at West Side YMCA — 5 West 63rd St., New York, NY 10023; 212.912.2368; ymcanyc.org/westside; kmissett@ymcanyc.org.

A large, friendly, supportive studio with lots of open studio hours on the upper west side of Manhattan.

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

Banner Hill School of Fine Arts & Woodworking — 741 Mill St., P.O. Box 607, Windham, NY 12423; 518.929.7821; bannerhillwindham@mac.com; www.bannerhillLLC.com; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric & raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults & children; 1-day to 2-week courses in ceramics for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

BrickHouse Ceramic Art Center — 10-34 44th Drive 1st Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101; 718.784.4907; ellen.day@brickhouseny.com; http:// www.brickhouseny.com. Spacious, fully-equipped studio, year-round adult classes, ceramic artist rental shelves, pottery for sale. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, private parties.

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

Clayworks on Columbia Inc. — 195 Columbia St., Brooklyn, NY 11231; 917.428.3128. Clayworks on Columbia Inc. is a not-for-profit clay studio now in its 16th year offering classes, membership, and gallery space for students and members. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children, sculpture rental space, gallery.

2:35 classes, PM The Painted Pot — 339 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231; 718.222.0334; www.paintedpot.com; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture.

Supermud Pottery Studio — 2744 Broadway (between 105th and 106th St.), New York City, NY 10025. Year-round classes for adults and children of all skill levels on the Upper West Side. Call 212.865.9190 or visit us at supermudpotterystudio.com. Wheel-throwing, handbulding, electric firing, wood firing, private lessons, private parties, studio space rental with 7-day access, gallery space.

Tribeca Clay Works — Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St., New York, NY 10007; 212.766.1104 x259; Fax 212.766.

3980; susan@downtowncommunitycenter.org; www.downtowncommunitycenter.org. Ceramic/pottery classes in Tribeca. Fully equipped and spacious studio

for all levels. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children, mommy and me classes, parties.

TEXAS Eric Orr Clay — 22 Blackjack Lane, Lewisville, TX 75077; 940.241.1242; ericorrclay. com; ericmuddorr@yahoo.com. A complete teaching studio for lovers of clay and glass. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, glass fusing and slumping, classes for adults and children.

Potter’s Wheel — 5419 FM 1960 W Suite E, Houston, TX 77069; klanier327@sbcglobal.net; www. giftedpotter.com; 281.537.8447. We are a private teaching studio and gift gallery in a busy shopping center.

Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, paint-your-own pottery.

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

VIRGINIA Art Pottery Studio — 4810 Tabard Pl., Annandale, VA 22003; 703.978.1480; artpottery@earthlink.net; www. potteryart.biz. Year-round classes for all ages and abilities; group and private lessons, with special programs for Girl Scouts, cancer survivors, & others facing life’s challenges.

Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children, mixed media, sculpture, and specialty workshops.

Workhouse Arts Center-Ceramics Program — 9504 Workhouse Way, Bldg. 8, Lorton, VA 22079; (703) 584-2982; www.workhousearts.org or www.workhouseceramicsarts.org; dalemarhanka@ lortonarts.org. A collective and highly dynamic environment with the goal of promoting ceramic art through research, education, and outreach. Resident artist program and classes for adults (ages 16 & up) and children (5-15 years old) in wheel-throwing, handbuilding, ceramic sculpture, tile making, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, visiting artist workshops, corporate retreats, and workshops for Girl /Cub Scout troops.

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

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

Readers Share I Glaze Recipes

Great Glazes Copper Red Raku Cone 08 Raku Gerstley Borate Nepheline Syenite TOTAL

80% 20 100%

add Copper Carbonate add Iron Oxide

10% 10%

A reliable copper red with minor reduction. Note: This glaze matures at a cooler temperature than most. If it appears brown, it has been overfired.

Rick’s Turquoise Raku Cone 04 Raku Gerstley Borate Nepheline Syenite Spodumene Lithium Carbonate TOTAL

43.8% 18.4 18.7 19.1 100.0%

add Superpax or Zircopax 17.7% add Copper Carbonate 2.4% add Epsom Salt .6%

White Crackle Raku Cone 04 Raku Gerstley Borate 65% Nepheline Syenite 15 Tin Oxide 10 Tennessee Ball Clay 5 Silica 5

TOTAL: 100%

can be just

as much fun

as throwing.

Brian Giffin president www.giffingrip.com

©

Giffin Tec inc. / Giffin Earthworks inc.

All rights reserved.

Made in the USA.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

All glaze recipes above are listed in percentage by weight, and should be tested before regular use. Each of the above yields its best results when fired in the “American Raku” manner, with post-firing reduction: that is, fast-fired and pulled from the kiln when the glaze is molten red hot (using fireplace tongs and wearing appropriate fireman’s gloves and heat-resistant safety gear), then rolled in sawdust or leaves, covered with a metal bucket, smoked, and repeatedly rolled, covered, and smoked for best effects.

Trimming

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Resources I Classified Marketplace

Classified Marketplace Classes • Tom Turner’s Pottery School, Gallery, Studio, and Museum invites you to visit.

One-to-one teaching is all about you. Almost 1000 pots ranging from Ralph Bacerra to 10th-century China welcome you to study with them. A potter’s dream for sure. Call or e-mail with questions: 828.689.9430 or tt@tomturnerporcelain.com

Events • 19th Annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour and Sale May 6, 7, 8, 2011: 46 outstanding potters from 14 states will welcome visitors at 7 Minnesota studios for an “open house” weekend. It’s a national destination event for all who enjoy handmade pottery. Visit minnesotapotters.com for info and map.

For Sale • GORGEOUS GALLERY, 2-story home and studio on ½ acre with huge oak trees.

Successful gallery with sales $200K plus a year. Mom and Pop operation with complete ‘turnkey’ studio (3 kilns, wheel, etc.) and gallery. Three separate buildings. All custom designed in a "Frank Lloyd Wright" architectural style. Beautiful home is 3/3.

Fully furnished. $439K. Retiring. George and Wanda Holland, Buffalo Gap, Texas. Call 325.572.5056,or e-mail: buffalogappottery@ hotmail.com. View this beautiful property @ www.buffalogappottery.com.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

• Arts Community — High Cove is an affordable, un-gated green community in the mountains near Penland School of Crafts, one hour from Asheville, NC. Featuring forest preserves, trails, finely-crafted green homes, and mountain views. Hundreds of art/craft studios nearby. We cherish the environment, the arts, life-long learning — and great neighbors. www.highcove.com.

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• 5 acres for sale in the Texas hill country, close to San Antonio. Studio with two Kilns: 18-cu.-ft. raku and 60-cu.-ft. salt kiln, plus 900-sq.-ft. garage with workshop, pool, water, septic; fenced. All you have to do is build your home! E-mail: brendabeam@ sbcglobal.net or call 210.273.3106.

• Ceramic Studio and Gallery For Sale — $38,000 National Historic Registry 2,500 sq. ft. building includes Wood/Soda kiln, CXC wheel, electric kiln, and all glaze materials.

Located on Main Street in Richwood, WV. 1 mile from Monongahela National Forest.

Completely rewired. Pictures at www.wix. com/LoriDoolittle/Studio; call 304.846.6822.

• Hummingbird Studios FOR SALE! Incomparable property in southern Oregon w/2500 s.f. straw-bale home & 2300 s.f. adobe studio w/kilns. 4 view acres, wonderful community. Renew the Summer Workshop program, continue the small B&B, or create your own dream. Join Leslie Lee & Dennis Meiners for a great tour. Owner Carry. http://strawbalehomeforsale.com • Pottery Equipment for Sale — Kiln, wheel, multiple high- and low-fire glazes, & tools. Automatic KM 1078-3 Skutt Kiln, electric w/Envirovent—fires up thru Cone 10. Pacifica GT 400 Pottery Wheel [Laguna] with leg extensions, splash pan, & stool.

Multiple glazes, both hi-fire and low-fire, & gobs of tools, manuals, etc. All in excellent condition. Moving to another state. Original costs $4000. Sell all for $2600 if picked up at my location in Howard, Ohio. Call 740.397.4760 or e-mail: Webbstudio1@ yahoo.com

Opportunities • CERF — To find out how your group can support the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, call us at 802.229.2306; or visit www. craftemergency.org • ClayParent — An Internet forum for potters who are parents and their issues.

After many requests for this type of interaction, the Clayworkers’ Guild of Illinois is donating web space to open up this forum to members and non-members alike.

Registration is free. The forum is located at: www.mudmamasandpapas.com 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 Website, join with a “link” page. All information is editable by you, without Web knowledge. Go to the site and click on “FAQ” for more information.

• K-12 Ceramic Exhibition — The 14th Annual K-12 Ceramic Exhibition opens in April 2011 at the NCECA Conference, Tampa, Florida. Open to K-12 students by teacher entry, the annual event is a great success. Check out past award winners and their works online at www.k12clay.org.

Tools for Potters GROOVY TOOLS LLC — Trim Tools with an edge! High quality steel tools in all your favorite shapes. Check us out at www. groovy-tools.com or call your distributor.

Made in Lawrenceburg, KY, USA.

Travel Quickfire Wizards! Pottery Tour, Oaxaca, Mexico. March 26-April 4th. Ten potters, ten stories. Indigenous pottery, traditional and changing ways, markets, ruins, cultural immersion, colonial city, small group travel, off the beaten track and safe. Led by Mexico pottery expert. Traditionsmexico.com or traditionsmexico@yahoo.com. Land cost $1,980.

Videos & Books NEW DVD — Award-winning potter Denise Martin shows you step-by-step the secrets of successfully creating brilliantly colored layered majolica. This professionally produced video can be ordered for $24.95 plus S&H by calling VideoByLindy at 866.679.3897. Visa and MC accepted.

• PotteryVideos.com — DVDs with Robin Hopper, Gordon Hutchens, and Graham Sheehan. Video workshops for potters at all levels of experience. Choose from 21 titles. E-mail info@potteryvideos.com or call 800.668.8040.

• 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 offer dozens of favorite glaze recipes for all kinds of firing & atmospheres.

Workshops • Randy Brodnax Workshop — June 17, 18, 19 at The Clay Bank in Springdale, Arkansas.

Fee $250 includes Friday, Saturday lunches.

The Clay Bank is a new pottery equipment, supply, and studio open in Northwest Arkansas.

Call Gailen for details at 479.751.3838 or e-mail claybank2010@yahoo.com • Upcoming Bill van Gilder Workshops — Apr. 15-17: City of Orlando Pottery Studio, Orlando, FL, www.cityoforlando.net/pottery; July 19-22: The Bascom Visual Art Center, Highlands, NC, www.thebascom.org; Aug. 12-14: Grand Junction Art Center, Grand Junction, CO, www.gjartcenter.org; Aug. 2327: Rehoboth Art League, Rehoboth, DE, www.rehobothartleague.org [

To place your classified ad, log onto: www.claytimes.com/classifieds.html

A

s an M.F.A. student in my 40s, I learned the layout of the academic landscape. A handful of ceramics programs at well-known colleges appeared as the high spots on this wide map. The assumption was that the cream of the M.F.A. crop would go on to teach in the most prestigious programs, where the pay was good, the kiln yards offered miracles, grad students were true artists, and everybody would end up on a poster at NCECA. Conversations with the wider ceramics community offered tips on navigating that map, along with mountain-climbing advice.

I was cautioned that competition would be steep, and only nationally known “big dogs” need apply to the most prestigious jobs. I was warned that the battles would be bloody, and the ocean of egos difficult to navigate.

And from those who were working in college positions, I heard stories of epic battles of department politics, even within castle walls.

It was interesting, even though I really didn’t expect to gain fame and fortune with my M.F.A. I didn’t want to leave town. My husband had a good job. My family was here, from my brother’s new baby to my 96-year-old grandma. My kids were active with friends, scouts, schools, and other connections that we wouldn’t sacrifice for a move. (Besides, I planted a plum tree in my yard five years ago, and I refuse to leave now that it’s finally started to bear fruit!)

Then I found a place to teach ... at the moment, three places! I have always taught at the local potter’s guild. When I graduated,

So there’s no “ivory tower.” While I have some traditional students, I also have a diverse mix that reflects the realities of our economy. There are single moms, injured or displaced factory workers, migrant workers, and students just out of the military or jail.

One student walks to my writing class from a homeless shelter, and several write about domestic violence and addictions. There are no frat parties, no football games for these college students­—just hard work and a door-die goal.

I never found this specific coordinate on that academic map I talked about. None of my students are making work likely to end up on a magazine cover. There is no sexy equipment, no grant money, and the pay is lousy. There are no grad students. I have no office, no benefits, no time off, and no job security from semester to semester. And I love it.

If ceramics teaches us anything, it’s that the idea we start with can be a long way from the end result. We build the pot we see in our minds, but the reality is clay sags, stretches, cracks, and shrinks; glazes drip, ash goes where it will, and often the final results are out of our hands—but the skilled potter can roll with the changes. If a glaze drip ruins this pot, I will make a new pot that transforms that drip into a jewel. If the clay refuses to go where I want it to, then I’ll go where the clay leads me. This kind of openness to fate translates nicely to life outside the studio.

As always, my own education continues.

The older I get, the less I can generate much interest in arty blather and the sometimes self-involved creative navel-gazing I engaged in as a student. I care less about what people say and more about what they can actually

BY KELLY SAVINO

“I have no office, no benefits, no time off, and no job security from semester to semester ... and I love it.” do. (Apparently I’m not alone. I was recently attending an especially longwinded and contentious potters meeting, full of posturing and self-important speechmaking, when an octogenarian friend leaned over and whispered a little too loudly, “Do any of these people actually make pots?”)

It’s not our words, but the work we’re willing to do, that matters. A potter friend likes to say, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” That’s a good guideline for artists, and there is certainly work that needs our hands, if we can make the opportunity. In my fading town where strip malls stand empty, schools are abandoned, and parking lots grow 3' weeds in the asphalt cracks, art survives. Tall brick buildings downtown stand vacant, and business areas are a sea of faded “for lease” signs. But area artists have found a way to take advantage of the situation, using the same creative thought processes that art fosters in all of us.

A printmaker bought the third floor of an empty office building downtown at a good price, and has set up a thriving studio and gallery there. A potter set up shop in another building, making and teaching in an otherwise decaying part of downtown.

An empty warehouse under the bridge has been divided into studios for a group of painters, sculptors, and others who are enjoying the interaction and community of the shared space, as well as the low rent.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Even when Jeff’s job disappeared, the economy collapsed, and our already struggling rust belt town began to look boarded up and abandoned, I remained determined to bloom where we were planted—literally. When they tore down abandoned buildings and condemned crack houses in the inner city, my kids and I helped the urban gardens project plant gardens on those vacant lots. We filled our own skinny neighborhood plot with tomatoes, chard, and sunflowers, and grew collard greens for soup kitchens in the lawn at the UU church.

I got a call from the local community college.

They needed a teacher who could fix dicey kilns, cobble equipment, mix glazes, and operate on a tight budget. I teach Ceramics 1 and 2 and an Art Appreciation class there.

This semester, the local university sought me out to teach writing to parents at a failing inner city school.

Opinion I Around the Firebox

The Harder I Work, The Luckier I Get

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Opinion I Around the Firebox

Around the Firebox (continued from previous page)

Inspired by their success, and heartened by the resurgence of public interest in learning new hands-on crafts and skills, I began to daydream about one empty building in the artisan village at the nearby Toledo Botanical Garden.

It’s a marvelous garden, where I once strollered my babies and now walk with my teens. The smells of the herb gardens, the sculptures my kids played around, the swans, and botanical collections and Laurie Spencer’s Phoenix Cairn are only part of the attraction.

The gardens also house a potter’s guild and a photographer’s guild, an artist’s club and a rock and gem society. The glassblowers work in their guild with doors wide open so that visitors can sit on a bench under a shady tree and watch. The Lithophane museum is there, the urban gardens project, and a big community vegetable garden as well. And right in the middle of all that sits this little empty building, with big sinks and a moppable floor, waiting for a new purpose and a little elbow grease.

It has taken months of planning and meetings, but in a few weeks I’ll be opening the doors of that building as a community studio for scout troops, art clubs, seniors, teens and neighbors.

We’ll teach them how to batik and solder, felt and carve, make prints and handmade paper, spin wool, throw pots, mix glazes, and do beadwork. We’ll make whistles and rattles and drums, earn merit badges and learn new skills. Open lab time will allow students to work independently in a bright space with big windows, surrounded by flowers and art—in a little cottage that I can get to in less than three minutes on my bike.

This is certainly new and exciting territory, and there will surely be pitfalls and pinholes for the best laid plans. But it feels right for me to draw a smaller circle, in my life’s plan: eat local, buy local, work local. I’m not sure anymore where I am on the grand map of the academic world, but I’ve put away my compass. Some of the best places are uncharted, anyway. [ Kelly Savino can be reached via e-mail at: primalpotter@yahoo.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING 2011

Index to Advertisers

50

AMACO/Brent................................12, 39, 51 Bailey Pottery Equipment.......................... 44 Banner Hill School of Fine Arts.................. 30 Bascom Art Center.................................... 26 BigCeramicStore.com............................... 50 Carolina Clay Connection.......................... 29 Castle Hill Truro Art Center........................ 10 Cedar Heights Clay/Resco........................ 36 Clay Times Products.................................. 10 Clayworks Supplies................................... 42 Continental Clay......................................... 32 Dolan Tools.................................................. 9 Euclid’s Elements....................................... 13 Evenheat Kilns........................................... 12 Fired-on Images/Heirloom Ceramics........ 33 Fulwood Measure...................................... 29 Georgies..................................................... 36 Giffin Tec.................................................... 47 Graber’s Pottery, Inc.................................. 40 Great Lakes Clay & Supply Co.................. 20 Herring Designs......................................... 39 Hollins University....................................... 22 Hood College............................................... 9 Hotchkiss School....................................... 10 Japan Pottery Tools................................... 29 Kentucky Mudworks.................................. 40

The Kiln Dr.................................................. 30 L & L Kilns.................................................... 2 Laguna Clay Co........................................... 3 Larkin Refractory Solutions....................... 32 Master Kiln Builders................................... 23 Mayco Color............................................... 30 MKM Pottery Tools.................................... 42 Muddy Elbow Mfg./Soldner Wheels............ 8 North Star Equipment................................ 12 Odyssey Center for the Arts...................... 36 Olympic Kilns ............................................ 30 Paragon Industries..................................... 10 PCF Studios............................................... 23 Peter Pugger................................................ 4 Potters for Peace....................................... 46 Saint-Gobain Ceramics............................. 20 Scott Creek/Clay Art Center...................... 20 Sierra Nevada College............................... 10 Skutt Kilns.................................................... 7 Skutt Wheels.............................................. 52 Smith-Sharpe Fire Brick Supply................ 41 Speedball Art Products Co........................ 24 Strictly Functional Pottery National........... 26 Tucker’s Cone Art Kilns.............................. 23 vangilderpottery.com................................. 39 Ward Burner Systems................................ 30

10-year warranty

“Never use another wheel.�

Rich Holt, Visiting Asst. Professor Towson University

“Some “Somedays daysI’m I’mstanding standingup, up,some somedays days “Some days I’m standing up, some days “Some days I’m standing up, some days I’m I’msitting sittingdown downwhen whenI throw.

I throw.SoSobeing being I’m sitting down when I throw.

So being I’m sitting down when I of throw.

So being able the inin ableto toadjust adjust theheight height ofthe thelegs legs able to adjust the height of the legs able to adjust height of the legs in in nuanced ways nuanced waysisthe isa areal realadvantage... advantage... nuanced ways a real advantage... nuanced is is a aluminum real advantage...

I also the builtI alsolove loveways thelarge large aluminum builtI also love the large aluminum builtI also love the large aluminum builtininsplash splashpan. pan.It Itgives givesme mesomething something in splash pan.

It gives me something in splash pan.

It gives me something very stable totolean mymybody into very stable lean body intoasasI’m I’m very stable to lean my body into as very stable to lean my body into as I’mI’m throwing. and throwing.It Itgives givesme meextra extrastability stability and throwing.

It gives extra stability and Itstrength.” gives meme extra stability and a throwing. alittle littleextra extra strength.” a little extra strength.” a little extra strength.”

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ergonomic ergonomic ergonomic ergonomic smooth smooth smooth smooth value value value value

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