CERAMIC
ART
TRENDS,
TOOLS,
AND
®
TIMES
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TECHNIQUES
Volume 20 • Issue 98 SUMMER / FALL 2014
Remembering Don Reitz 1929-2014 Building Peter King’s Gulf Breeze Arch OSHA Proposes New Silica Guidelines Preparing for a Kiln Inspection Linda Arbuckle’s “Fresh” Majolica Mosaic Mania: Four Detailed Projects Dealing with Procrastination
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Earline Green’s clay spirit quilts on display in the Dunbar Lancaster-Kiest Branch Library in Dallas, Texas.
A Texas potter makes 1,300 pound quilts with her Paragon Dragon As a child, Earline Green made hand-stitched quilts with her grandmother Mama Freddie. Earline spent more time quilting with the older ladies than she did playing with children her own age. Her early experiences with the lively quilters taught her a life-long love of artwork.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/ FALL 2014
Earline’s other grandmother, Mama Ginger, taught her advanced quilting patterns. Later this influenced the design of Earline’s stoneware quilt tile mosaics displayed in the entrance of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Lancaster-Kiest Library in Dallas, Texas. For that project, Earline fired 284 white stoneware tiles—all in her faithful Paragon Dragon.
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“The Dragon's design and controls are perfect for firing large flat pieces,” said Earline. “The digital programming controls provide a consistent firing environment that eliminated cracks and warpage in this project. “During tile production, I fired my Dragon two or three times a week for four to six weeks at a time. I expected and received excellent results with each firing.” Contact us today for more information on the exciting Dragon kiln. Ask about the easy-open switch box hinged at the bottom. Call us for the name of your local Paragon distributor.
Earline Green with her Paragon Dragon front-loading kiln. This kiln is becoming a favorite with potters. It is easy to load, heavily insulated, and designed to reach cone 10 with power to spare.
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Cover photo: Tea Bowl by Don Reitz. 5" tall. Wheel-thrown and altered stoneware decorated with slips and underglazes, salt-fired to cone 10 in reduction.
®
contents
TIMES
Clay
SUMMER / FALL 2014 Volume 20 • Issue 98
features ➤ 14 Building Peter King’s Gulf Breeze Arch Regarded by many as the master of contemporary architectural ceramics, Peter King shares his secrets to success in part one of this illustrated series on large-scale slab building. ➤ 24 [COVER STORY] Remembering Don Reitz
Face 2 close-up of the Gulf Breeze Arch.
Rick Berman pays homage to the legendary Don Reitz, the energetic soul whose positive attitude and love of clay influenced generations of potters to keep at it ... ➤ 28 Mosaic Mania Paula Smith provides a detailed account of her inspiration and techniques for mosaic projects including a simple trivet, a bath tub enclosure, and two large outdoor sculptures.
Detail of Mosaic Sea Turtle by Paula Smith.
exhibit ➤ ➤ 36 Fresh: Linda Arbuckle Get a taste of delicious majolica from Schaller Gallery’s recent online show.
Pasta Bowl by Linda Arbuckle. Majolica-decorated earthenware. 2" x 8½" x 8½".
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SUMMER / FALL 2014 • Volume 20 • Issue 98
®
contents
TIMES
Clay
Cone 6 stoneware bowls with narrative illustrations by Rich Peterson. See more at The Gallery, p. 35.
departments
columns
9 EDITOR’S DESK
18 AS FAR AS I KNOW
“Seize the Moment...”
“Artistic Considerations for Striking Effects” by Pete Pinnell
11 WHAT’S HOT Clay world news, events, and calls for entries
21 BENEATH THE SURFACE
20 GREAT GLAZES
“Dealing with Procrastination” by Lana Wilson
Recipes for “White on White” clay body & glazes
26 SLURRY BUCKET
27 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY
CERF’s Tips to Prevent Studio Disasters
“OSHA Proposes New Silica Guidelines” by Monona Rossol
34 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers
36 TOOL TIMES
42 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists
47 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in your community
50 ADVERTISER INDEX Find your favorite ceramics suppliers in this issue (please tell them you found them in Clay Times!)
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“This Year’s New Tools” by Vince Pitelka The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) is now offering a handy guide to help artists protect themselves and their livelihoods from disaster. Available in the form of an interactive diala-wheel, this device is loaded with tips devoted to topics regarding artist insurance, workspace, documents, portfolio, and the art inventory itself. Turn to The Slurry Bucket on page 26 for a sampling of these helpful disaster prevention and preparedness guidelines from CERF, and find out where to get your own wheel for just $16 ...
43 BOOKS & VIDEOS A look at three books on “Dave: The Slave Potter” review by Steve Branfman
45 KILNS & FIRING “Preparing for a Kiln Inspection” by Marc Ward
49 AROUND THE FIREBOX “What Makes a Real Artist?” by Kelly Savino
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magazine Editor & Publisher: Polly Beach
Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface
Don was an amazing potter and enigmatic presence, with great character and boundless enthusiasm. He literally touched thousands of lives throughout his lifetime; clay artists across the globe were all saddened to learn of his passing on March 19 this year. Don was a true friend and supporter of Clay Times from the get-go, thanks to our mutual friend, Rick Berman. Rick not only wrote the piece honoring Don in this issue of CT, but also introduced Don to Clay Times and its readers way back in 1996, soon after the magazine’s inception. Rick’s two-part interview with him drew a great deal of attention to Don, as well as to the fledgling magazine. Don was so thrilled with the coverage he’d received in Clay Times that he gave me the tea bowl that appears on this issue’s cover. I’ve cherished it ever since. I am honored with the privilege of sharing it with you now, along with a story that comes to mind in my own memories of Don.
Proofreader: Jon Singer Contributing Writers: Rick Berman • Peter King • Paula Smith
to our booth, we used the backdrop again the next year. But afterward, when it came time to pack up the booth, I surrendered the poster to Don. He wanted to hang it up in his home studio. It was so sweet to see how happy that poster made him— his sheer exuberance made me feel like I’d done something really special. Those two issues featuring Rick’s Don Reitz interview have long since been out of print. But thanks to the digital age, we can share the full two-part interview again online, in Don’s memory. Check it out at: www.claytimes.com/DonReitz. Back to the subject of time: in the world of magazine publishing, it’s crucial for a magazine to be as “fresh” as possible for its readers. It’s also unfortunate for the publisher and potential readers that bookstores often pull magazines off their shelves too soon, before issues are outdated or the next issue is yet available. As such, this and all future quarterly issues of CT will cover two seasons as opposed to one: Summer/Fall, Fall/Winter, Winter/Spring, and Spring/Summer. After all, no one wants to “judge a book by its cover,” right? [
— Polly Beach, Editor
✦ Printed on 100% FSC-certified and 75% post-consumer recycled paper ✦ Published by: CLAY TIMES, LLC P.O. Box 17139 • Amelia Island, FL 32035
Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529 Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published quarterly, four issues per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Burlington, VT. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). Digital subscriptions are just $20 worldwide. 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 Website for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines. POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 17139, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035. Copyright ©2014 Clay Times, LLC. All rights reserved. The material contained herein is derived from various sources and does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All technical material is offered as general information only and should not be acted upon without expert supervision. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
Questions? Comments? Please e-mail us! Editorial: claytimes@gmail.com Advertising: clayaccounts@gmail.com Circulation: ctcirculation@gmail.com Website: www.claytimes.com
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
During the year that followed Rick’s CT interviews with him, we had enlarged the image of Don on the magazine cover (re-printed above) into a life-sized poster, for our NCECA conference booth backdrop. Don stopped by the booth and fell in love with the poster, making me promise to give it to him one day. That image of Don—with cigar hanging from his mouth, while surrounded by massive, freshlythrown pots—drew so many visitors
Clay
®
e’ve all heard that familiar saying, reminding us to make the most of what we have now because we just can’t know what tomorrow may bring. While reading our cover story in memory of Don Reitz, I was reminded of the importance of time, and how much we have (or don’t have).
Spouting Off I Editor’s Desk
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TIMES
“Seize the Moment...”
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• ceramic art world news • events • • calls for entries • Conferences
Calls for Entries
‰ Earth and Fire: The 3rd Southeast Asian Ceramics Symposium takes place Oct. 10-12 at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. The event will feature lectures and demos by 12 clay artists representing nine southeast Asian countries, concurrent with an exhibition of works by 35 southeast Asian clay artists. Full program details may be found online at www. workhousearts.org
‰ Student entries are being accepted through Sept. 24 for the 2015 NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition, to take place Mar. 21-Apr. 9, 2015 in Providence, Rhode Island. Entry fee: $15 NCECA members; $30 for non-members. For full details and online application link, log onto www.nceca.net
‰ Ceramic entries by NCECA member non-students are being accepted through Sept. 30 for 2015 NCECA Emerging Artists, to be recognized during the organization’s annual conference in March, 2015. To learn more, email kate@nceca.net, or click on the entry link at www.nceca.net
Hot Stuff I News & Events
What’s Hot
continued on next page
‰ The 30th Alabama Clay Conference takes place Feb. 2728, 2015 in Birmingham, AL. Featured guest presenters will include Nick Joerling, Patti Warashina, and Peter Rose. Sponsored by the Alabama Craft Council, the 2015 event will be held in conjunction with the 2nd Bunting Ceramics Symposium at the Birmingham Museum of Art. To learn more, log onto www.alclayconference. org, or e-mail Paula Reynolds at: preynolds6510@charter.net
“So how does a small child make such a giant mess with such a tiny amount of clay?”
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
‰ Lively Experiments, the 49th Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) will take place in Providence, Rhode Island, March 25-28, 2015. Log onto www. nceca.net for full event details.
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
What’s Hot (continued from previous page) ‰ Entries of ceramic cups of all kinds are being accepted through Sept. 30 for Personal Voice, the Fifth Cup of Comfort International Biennial, to take place Nov. 7-Dec. 26, 2014 at the Swope Art Museum/ Halcyon Art Gallery in Terre Haute, Indiana. Entry fee: $30 for up to three entries. For more, e-mail: raychenhalcyon@ gmail.com; click on the forms link at www.halcyonartgallery. com; or call 812.645.3535.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
‰ Entries by fine craft artists of Hawaii are being accepted through Sept. 30 for the Hawaii Craftsmen Annual Statewide Juried Exhibition, to take place Oct. 10-Nov. 1. Entry fee: $25 for members; $75 for non-members. For details, e-mail info@hawaii craftsmen.org; log onto www. hawaiicraftsmen.org; or call 808.532-8741.
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‰ Entries of professional quality cups and mugs, each of which will represent a child in foster care, are being accepted through Oct. 1 for the Finding Forever Exhibition. The event will take place Nov. 1-Dec. 31 in Greenfield, MA. Each cup will ultimately be sold for $50, with $20 to benefit the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, $20 to go to the artist, and $10 to cover event production costs. To learn more, e-mail findingforeverexhibition @gmail.com; log onto www. findingforeverexhibition.org, or call 413.773.1214. ‰ The Studio 550 Community Art Center of Manchester, New Hampshire is accepting entries through Oct. 10
of functional ceramic works made for drinking for its 2nd Annual Cup Show & Sale. The event will take place Nov. 10, 2014 - Jan. 17, 2015. Entry fee is $25 for three entries; $10 per additional entry. To learn more, e-mail info@550arts. com; log onto www.550arts. com / opportunities / or call 603.232.5597. ‰ The Pro Arts Gallery of Oakland, California is accepting entries through Oct. 10 by artists who live in the Greater Bay Area for The Annual 2015. The event will take place Dec. 2, 2014 - Jan. 16, 2015. Entry fee is $25 for three entries; $5 per additional entry. To learn more, e-mail info@proartsgallery. org; log onto www.proarts gallery.org, or call 510.763.4361. ‰ Entries of ceramic drinking vessels by potters who live in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia are being accepted through Oct. 13 for Daily Ritual: The Ceramic Cup, to take place Nov. 8-Dec. 27, 2014 in Saxonburg, PA. Fee: $10 for one cup. To learn more, e-mail christylculp@ yahoo.com, log onto www. saxonburgarts.blogspot.com, or call 724.422.0851. ‰ The Association of Clay & Glass Artists of California (ACGA) is accepting entries through Oct. 31, 2014 for its 3rd Clay & Glass Biennial in Brea, California, to take place Jan. 24 - Mar. 6, 2015. Fee is $30 for three entries from clay or glass artists ages 18 and up. To learn more, e-mail acganational @gmail.com; or log onto www. acga.net.
‰ Ceramic art entries made within the past three years are being accepted through Nov. 7 for the Korea Ceramic Foundation’s International Competition to take place Apr. 24-May 31, 2015 at Korea, Gyeonggido. To find out more, e-mail hycho.seyartnet@gmail.com, call +82-(0)31-799-1518, or log onto www.kocef.org
‰ Entries of tea-related ceramic, metal, and wood art ranging from infusers and teapots to cups and sets are
being accepted through Dec. 5 for All Things Tea, to take place Jan. 22-Mar. 6, 2015 in Manchester, NH. Fee: $25 for three entries. For prospectus, log onto www.550arts.com. For more information, email info@550arts.com or call 603.232.5597. ‰ 18 Hands Gallery of Houston, Texas is accepting entries through Dec. 10 for its 8th Annual Texas Teapot Tournament, to take place Jan. 10-31, 2015. Entry fee: $45 for up to two teapot entries composed of at least 60% clay [fee also covers membership in CAMEO, Clay Arts Membership and Education Organization]. For prospectus and complete submission details, log onto www.18handsgallery.com, e-mail info@18handsgallery.com, or call 713.869.3099. ‰ Entries of bonsai containers handmade in the U.S. are being accepted through Mar. 21, 2015 for the 3rd National Juried Bonsai Pot Exhibition, to take place June 12-Aug. 2, 2015 at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC. Fee: $35 for up to 10 entries. For full details, visit www.bonsai-nbf. org, e-mail AskRon@comcast. net, or call 561.832.0480. [
To list your events, clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, or ceramic news items in Clay Times®, please e-mail complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, or click the submission link at www.clay times.com/contribute.html to fill out an online entry form.
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‰ Entries of works made primarily of porcelain are being accepted through Nov. 14 for All About Porcelain, to take place Feb. 6-27, 2015 at The Clay Studio of Missoula, Montana. Fee: $25 for up to two entries. Works must measure less than 20 inches and weigh less than 20 lbs. For further details, e-mail: info@theclay studioofmissoula.org, telephone 406.543.0509, or log onto www. theclaystudioofmissoula.org
Hot Stuff I News & Events
‰ The Workhouse Arts Center of Lorton, Virginia is accepting entries of ceramic drinking vessels from artists worldwide through Nov. 2, 2014 for Drink This! The Workhouse International Cup Show, to take place from Jan. 7 - Feb. 2, 2015. Fee: $25 for one entry, $30 for up to three entries. Entries must have been completed within the past two years. Mixed media works are permitted if clay is the primary component. To learn more, e-mail dalemarhanka@ workhousearts.org; log onto www.workhousearts.org; or call 703.584.2982
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CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
Building the Gulf Breeze Arch Part one of a step-by-step series on Architectural Ceramics BY PETER KING
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Pictured, opposite page: Xinia Marin, who assists husband Peter King with construction, beneath the completed arch.
lose out to mosaics made with commercial tile or, more often, welded sheet metal. With these it is far easier, cheaper, and faster to make something of monumental size. Architectural ceramists must give themselves an edge. This can be done with narrative.
For pure symbolism, my favorite such passageway is a “Torii Gate,” the entrance to a Shinto Shrine. While freestanding in the open, it is a clear passage from profane to sacred space.
This land is the site of one of the first U.S. Strategic Reserves. It was created to preserve and cultivate the native live oak trees to build the Country’s first real Navy. Ships like the U.S.S. Constitution were built with wood from such live oaks. Gulf Breeze, Florida is today a huge boating community.
The Torii is what attracted me to the use of the freestanding arch as a vehicle for architectural ceramics as a public art medium. Pursuing and refining this led to our most complex, challenging commission to date, “The Gulf Breeze Arch” in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Public art is extremely competitive. Handmade ceramics usually
I have found that proposals that win many public art competitions have symbolic content that speaks to their context: the surrounding space, its history, and the local community. I find that something of the history of the art work’s location is always a winner. This means the artist is listening to the community. The work is about its residents, and where they live and work. This is why we chose the history of the Gulf Breeze Peninsula from PreColumbian times to the present day as our subject.
For these reasons the starting point for our design is a radial arch representing watercraft, ancient and modern, including the surf boards used in the adjacent Gulf of Mexico (Figs. 1 and 2).
continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
“Over the past 40 years, I have used and altered a few basic handbuilding techniques and applied them to the construction of high-relief architectural ceramics. All of these use readily available materials, homemade tools, and the tools found in most pottery studios. The many large-scale architectural works we have created, in a myriad of styles, have been made using these same basic techniques. Our latest commission, The Gulf Breeze Arch, used all of these—some in new and different ways.”
W
hile making a living building fireplace façades, fountains, murals, and such, I have always been more attracted to the passage or entryway as a format for artistic expression. Maybe this is the carpenter or wannabe architect in me, but I think it’s more my background in religious studies. Entryways, or portals of any kind, have been important in both utilitarian and spiritual ways since the time of our cave-dwelling ancestors. They can symbolize the security of the home, forbidden space, or political power, but they are also often a clear symbol of spiritual transition. Think of the entrance to a Gothic cathedral or, in fact, the temples of any religion. Entrances to “Holy Space” can be more or less ornamental, but they all carry the same symbolic weight of meaning.
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Building the Gulf Breeze Arch (cont. from previous page)
Preparing the Studio & Equipment We have evolved a design for home built work tablets that are ideal for studio architectural ceramics. They are 2' x 4' x 33" high. They are made with ¾" plywood tops, have 360°, 750-lb.-capacity locking casters, and thus can hold up to 3000 lbs. We can arrange these in various configurations, making them adaptable for projects of different dimensions and profiles. For most projects we configure them, clamp them together, dust them with grog, and start laying out slabs.
Fig. 3
However, sometimes it is necessary to make custom additions. This was the case for “The Gulf Breeze Arch.” We wanted the radius opening to wrap to the inside in one continuous piece of the clay. Once installed, this completely covers the reinforced concrete substrate, making the sculpture more visually substantive. To achieve this, we configured our tables to maximum advantage for the profile of the arch (Fig. 3). We then built the radius by screwing 2x4s to the same level as those of the table frames, and extended our work surface by screwing ¾" plywood into the top edge of these 2x4s (Fig. 4).
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
Fig. 4
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Fig. 5
Once built, the added surface was flush with the existing tables (Fig. 5). I then built a large compass using 2x4s, calculated the size and placement of the opening, swung and marked an exact radius on the plywood addition. I repeated this to create a mirror image for the opposite edge. Once these had been cut away with a jig saw, we wrapped the inside of each radius with a double layer of 1 8 / " luan. This fine-grain material will flex more without breaking than other types of plywood. We affixed a ledger to the bottom edge of the luan to support the 1" slab we later wrapped down from the table’s surface. With the tables dusted with grog so the
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
slabs would move and release, we were then ready for the clay (Figs. 6-17). Flipping Slabs
We set the roller at 1", roll out a large slab, leave the canvas attached to the bottom side of the
Fig. 18
Then, using a rounded chop stick, we outline onto this smooth, 1"-thick surface the areas to receive relief construction. At this point, we are ready to begin application of the relief design (Fig. 19). [
Tune in to part two of this series in the next issue of Clay Times to continue with the sequentially illustrated construction process of the Gulf Breeze Arch.
Fig. 19
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
I have a 1978 Bailey 30" drive board slab roller. We have made 100-lb. slabs with it since that date without a problem. My entire handbuilding system is based on this machine. If I didn’t have it I would have to invent it!
slab, and use it to carry the slab to our configured work tables. We then flip it onto the grogged surface. By lapping the slabs with a 2" lap, and pounding, sewing, and scraping the seams, we can quickly create a large, smooth “clay canvas” for our design. We call this our base slab (Fig. 18).
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Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Artistic Considerations for Striking Effects BY PETE PINNELL
D
uring a lecture at the University of Lille in 1854, the scientist Louis Pasteur made his famous statement, “In the fields of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.” This quote is often shortened to state simply, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Either way, the meaning of it is as important to artists as it is to scientists: “chance” may present us with opportunities, but only those who are open to those possibilities will be able to take advantage of them.
White on White. Thrown porcelain plate by Amy Smith. 12" x 12" x 2".
I thought about this recently when I saw a show of work by Amy Smith, a Lincoln, Nebraska artist. The pieces that caught my eye were shallow, wall-mounted plates. The plates were coated on the inside with a white, semi-gloss glaze. This glaze has a slightly pebbled surface that diffuses light in a soft, skin-like way. Artfully arranged inside of each plate were round, high-gloss islands of a second glaze. These islands take the form of a thick, translucent lens that floats on top of the background glaze and has a sense of depth that contrasts nicely with the opaque, textured glaze around it. The effect is both quiet and dramatic.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
As someone who occasionally teaches glaze chemistry, it was easy for me to see what had happened on a chemical and physical basis. The background glaze (OU White) melts first, allowing the islands to sink slightly into the surface. This satin-white glaze has a lower silica-to-alumina level, so it devitrifies (crystalizes) slightly in a slow cooling, resulting in the slightly pebbled surface.
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Detail of the plate’s glaze application before firing.
By contrast, the islands are made from Matt Long’s Accent Glaze. Matt’s glaze has a very high alumina level, so it is very stiff (has a high viscosity) and begins to melt later in the firing. A high silica-to-alumina ratio prevents crystal growth that would alter the surface, and a relatively high level of alkali (sodium and potassium oxides) lowers the glaze’s fired surface tension, resulting in a contrasting, high-gloss surface.
Perspectives I As Far As I Know Close-up view of White on White plate. The reflection of the light reveals the difference in surface textures of the two glazes.
In order to make this work, Amy had to (first) recognize the potential of each glaze; (second) decide how to combine them; (third) push the
qualities of that application far beyond the norm; (fourth) create a vessel worthy of this composition; and (finally), compose all of these elements in an aesthetically effective manner. This is what artists do. They recognize an aesthetic potential and then take that germ of an idea and develop it into something wonderful. Information is an important tool for artists, and it’s a good thing when we strive to learn more. On the other hand, artists don’t work from information alone: art also requires the heart, the hand, intuition, and experience. These are the things that create “the prepared mind” that Pasteur mentions. These are also the things that separate the scholar from the artist.
I’ve often told my students that you can memorize every word in the dictionary and still not be able to write poetry. What Amy does with this work is carefully select just a few visual elements, and combine them in an unusual way that results in the creation of visual poetry. That’s what I call art. [
Turn to “Great Glazes” on [next] page 20 to see recipes for the clay body and both glazes used to make Amy Smith’s plate pictured on these pages. Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor
of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. E-mail him at ppinnell1@unl.edu or contact him via his Facebook page at
www.facebook.com.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
From an artistic perspective, all of the information I provided in the last paragraph is completely irrelevant. What’s important is that Amy recognized the contrasting, yet complementary, qualities of the two glazes. The white glaze is applied in a conventional manner and then the islands are slowly poured onto the surface in small, thick pools (see image). The placement and size of the islands are carefully selected to achieve the best composition: composed in a way that produces a serene but striking effect.
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Great Glazes furnished by Pete Pinnell (supplement to story and photos on p. 18-19)
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CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
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20 20
Amy Smith’s Porcelain (clay body) Grolleg China Clay 50% Ball Clay 5 Flint 13 Custer 20 Pyrophyllite 12 TOTAL 100% add: Macaloid
2%
OU White* Glaze Kona F-4 Feldspar 25% Custer Feldspar 20 Whiting 9 Dolomite 10 Talc 6 EPK 18 Silica 12 TOTAL 100% add: Zircopax Bentonite
8% 2%
* “I tried to find the original author of this glaze and I believe it may have been Val Cushing, who published a similar glaze (with slightly different proportions) called Cushing Stone White Matt.” — Pete Pinnell
Matt Long Accent Glaze Cornwall Stone 90% Whiting 10 TOTAL 100%
PART 1 OF 2
P
rocrastination is a universal topic for clay people and everyone else. We delay doing things that we don’t like, such as doing paperwork or a placing a difficult phone call. Following are remarks by five clay people about their thoughts and experiences with procrastination.
Susan Feagin, Clay Coordinator Penland School, North Carolina “I still put off the paperwork stuff like taxes. I got my taxes done early one year because I knew we were going to build the wood kiln, and I had to get ready. I have to write a manual for Penland on how to be a clay coordinator. It is due January 25 so, of course, I am going to start on January 22. I put off getting my car inspected and then when I go there, it goes so fast. I am a deadline-oriented person, like lots of potters. If I have to ship it on the 15th, I plan backwards and fire at the last possible minute.
I have to prioritize tasks during the summer when I am really busy. Like
I should file stuff instead of having piles and I just never get around to it because it is not crucial. Like old kiln logs — do I have to keep them? Where should they go? So they stay in a pile. Every year for the big August Penland auction, we make 500 cups to give away. We have even started earlier and earlier each year, and I am proud of that because now we have the cups done before summer classes even start.”
Jeff Oestreich Studio Potter, Minnesota “I have always procrastinated. I put off doing my taxes so I always get an extension on taxes.
At the end of a wet cycle of making work, I try to get one more mini series done because I so want to get one more idea in the kiln. I really push the drying process with these last-minute pots, so sometimes things blow up in the oven overnight, or in the bisque. But it is stimulating for me to make that new mini series and push the time on drying. Even today I am procrastinating because I am at the beginning of a cycle of pots. About ten years ago I figured out this was my pattern. I started looking at what my habits are, and what I can do to have more joy in my pottery making. If we know better, we do better. I have thought about some of my other traits and their connection to procrastination. I am a bit obsessive
“I am a deadline-oriented person, like lots of potters. If I have to ship it on the 15th, I plan backwards and fire at the last possible minute.” — Susan Feagin I am always slow to get going on the beginning of the clay making cycle. Later in the cycle of making pots, I get really focused; I don’t procrastinate as much. I am so focused preparing for the big St. Croix Pottery Tour (www. minnesotapotters.com) that when it gets down to that last month, if there are any interruptions I can be easily annoyed [and annoying, too]!
and compulsive (you may have already guessed!). For me, the end result of my obsessiveness is procrastination. I read in the book Please Understand Me, which tests one’s temperament, character, and intelligence (Myers-Briggs Test), that artists go for stimulation. My obsessive-compulsive side creates stimulation for me, and in the end, it can fuel my work. continued on next page
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The process I like the best is forming things out of clay, working with wet clay. I also like the printing on clay; it is exciting. Glazing is okay, but not great. I procrastinate photographing my work. I have a photographer in Georgia just over the border, but I put off taking work down to be photographed. I just have to buckle down and do it.
BY LANA WILSON
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Dealing with Procrastination
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Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Procrastination, cont. For example, here is what happened today: I woke up, made coffee, and got back in bed with my iPad to answer e-mails. An e-mail from Judy Davis mentioned a Website that sells a liquid wax for batik artists. As I am always on the lookout for a better wax resist, I checked out the Website. Later, I checked out an e-mail from Red Lodge Clay Center. I saw some cups with great slip trailing by Ron Philbeck, and I thought of thickening a wax so I could trail it.
by the time I got back from buying the varnish. It was dark out, but I got the board out of my system and was calm enough to work in the studio.) I realize that one of the benefits of being self-employed is that I can be as obsessive as I want; I am allowed to be who I am. This creates stimulation, and that gets funneled into my work. But this behavior can backfire on occasion (and yes, you can print this)!”
From there, I practiced the piano and was having a hard time with the timing. I began to wonder if my timing problem was due to the possibility of my left brain not functioning as well as my right brain. “Time to take a bath,” I thought. I would research it while in the bathtub.
Claire Reishman, Director Shakerag Workshops, Tennessee
Then I thought I’d better go out in the studio and cut a board to lay across the bathtub for my iPad. I got out there and found some boards ... but then thought, ‘it must be a beautiful board’, so I sanded down a nice oak board. From there, I thought I should varnish it, but had no marine
“I am not realistic about how long things will take. Ultimately one must prioritize, and I do, which always leaves some things at the bottom of the list. I have needed to varnish my front door for two months and mend my horse blanket for three weeks. I have had the time to do those things, but have chosen to do other things instead — ride the horse (repeatedly!), fire the kiln, make pots, clean the studio, bake cookies. We all have 24 hours in a day, and I for one tend to do what interests me, and what I feel responsible
“... most procrastination issues happen from not knowing how long something might take to do, so I put it off, thinking I can just get it done easily.” CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/ FALL 2014
— Sandi Pierantozzi
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varnish. (I’m in the bath typing this and will get out, get dressed, and drive 20 miles to buy some varnish.)
to do. Only at the end do I do what I know I should do, but don’t really enjoy!
After decades of battling this obsessive-compulsive part of me, I now just give in to it and let it run its course. (It was mid-afternoon
Clay procrastination is on a shorter time line, since one can’t let things dry out before handles and alterations are made. Bisqued but
unglazed ware must eventually go somewhere so it finally gets glazed ... but the procrastination still exists, even within a shorter time period. I don’t know how others handle this problem but for me, the things that I procrastinate on gradually bubble up to the top and eventually get done, albeit not in a timely fashion — and last month I even cleaned my sewing room, which has needed to be done for years! All of my procrastination is inadvertent, as it is not procrastination so much as it is a consistent underestimation of the amount of time things take. I will make cups one day and plan to put handles on after trimming the next day, but then the sun comes out and it seems like a wonderful day to be outside trotting through the woods on my horse ... so I tell myself that I can trim and get those handles on in just a few minutes before dinner, which is obviously impossible. Even though I know how long it takes me to put on handles, or trim pots, or glaze, I consistently underestimate the time needed. So I end up having to postpone a firing, or move ahead without the work that I had hoped to have in [the kiln]. I see this pattern over and over, yet I expect a different result each time, even though any idiot would be able to foresee the impossibility of being able to do what I set out to do within the time I’ve allowed! It is a dilemma, but one I’ve grown accustomed to see looming before each show or firing. I take comfort in my mother’s saying that it is better to have too much to do than to have nothing one wants to do!”
“For the most part, I am not too bad at procrastination with studio work, but it is easy to be distracted from things like desk and computer work, which I do at home. If I am home, I would rather be cooking, and so I do … the desk work will get done, I tell myself. For me, most procrastination issues happen from not knowing how long something might take to do, so I put it off thinking I can just get it done easily. Years ago, when I was trying to make the transition from graphics to clay, I could only get to the studio at night. I would plan too much to get done in the available time, so I finally started timing myself to see how long various tasks took me to do. That really helped. I knew I could get handles on 15 cups in two hours, and then if I had time, I could start on something else. If I did procrastinate, at least I knew how long I could put things off!
Making work is not usually a problem. We have a calendar of when we are going to fire. I write down all the deadlines and get them on my calendar and use postit notes on my table. I often forward e-mail reminders of deadlines to myself, until the deadline is met.
time management. Besides that, my parents were good role models. I do procrastinate on getting back to e-mails I’ve put off. I type with two fingers and it takes me forever. E-mail is the worst. With income taxes, we never do it at the last minute. We do them in March. For our open house, we plan with a calendar and we know when we have to get things done. I have a friend who is a big procrastinator and I watch it. I never want to do that because it would make me crazy.
“I will make cups one day and plan to put handles on after trimming the next day, but then the sun comes out and it seems like a wonderful day to be outside trotting through the woods on my horse ...” — Claire Reishman My mother was very organized. She worked in the home as a seamstress and was always on her deadlines. I never saw my mother in a frenzy about things, so I had a good role model for organization. I hate being in a frenzy, so I try not to put myself in that head space. It has taken some time to learn how to do that. I don’t think because you procrastinate you are not organized, I just think that time can evaporate and there is always so much to get done!” Neil Patterson, Potter and Co-owner of Neighborhood Pottery, a gallery and teaching studio in Philadelphia “I’ve never been much of a procrastinator. I had to work to get through college, and that was good because I had to be good at
When I teach, I recognize that my students never do their best work when they are stressed or crunched up against a deadline. There is so much time management involvedin working with clay; I feel that it is an important part of any studio practice.” [ PROCRASTINATION PART 2: [to be continued someday soon!]
The second part of this column, to appear in the next issue of Clay Times, will offer more artist interviews and will highlight Lana’s online research on this topic (a process which, along with interviewing people, has already helped her deal with her own procrastination!) Lana Wilson may be reached at lana@ lanawilson.com. Her Website for workshop info. and images is www.lanawilson.com.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
I can deal with my own procrastination, as long as it only affects me. I find it much harder to be on the other end of someone else’s procrastination, such as getting an e-mail requesting that images, approvals, or other written info is needed by noon tomorrow, or an unreasonable deadline for the given request. This is difficult because I might not have time to deal with the request on the spot, given that I already have other things to get done that day.
I once heard a quote, “The disorganization on your part does not constitute a crisis on my part.” That made me laugh, but it does get to the point of what it is like to be on the other end of procrastination.
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Sandi Pierantozzi, Potter and Co-owner [with husband Neil Patterson] of Neighborhood Pottery, a gallery and teaching studio in Philadelphia
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Directly above: Reitz covered pitcher, 12½" tall; and (above pitcher) its foot detail. Top right and background/detail: Don Reitz platter, 13½" diameter. Pictured works are wood-fired stoneware from the Clay Times permanent collection. Top left: Don Reitz (center) with Tom Coleman (l) and Glen Blakley at the 2011 NCECA conference in Tampa, FL.
Remembering Don Reitz BY RICK BERMAN GLEN BLAKLEY PHOTO
Please allow me to speak from the heart about our beloved friend, Don Reitz, who passed away in early March, 2014.
I
’ve always said that if there were one potter in the world who could represent all of us at the U.N., the White House, or on one of the late night talk shows, it would most definitely be Don Reitz. Of the thousands of people he met in his many travels and workshops around the world, I would bet there is not one person who would disagree with this statement. Don was a one-in-a-million personality who touched everyone’s heart because he gave love and encouragement to everyone he met. He truly was bigger than life. I would like to share one small story about the first time I met Don, in summer of 1970. I had started making pots in the fall of 1968, and was starting my last year of undergraduate school at Georgia State University in Atlanta. I heard somehow that there was a workshop coming up at the University of Georgia in Athens. Even though I knew nothing of such things, I decided to go.
At that time, however, I had never heard of Don Reitz, so I didn’t know what to make. Instead, I observed.
had covered every table and floor space in both the undergraduate and graduate studios.
Don was constantly talking and moving his giant hands as he threw. Soon I witnessed the making of some of the biggest and most beautiful pitchers ever made!
Just keep passing it on. May God bless his precious soul. [
He made covered jars, large plates, sculptural forms to put together later, and handles, handles, handles, on almost every pot. By the end of the first day of the workshop, his pots
Needless to say, my life and awareness were changed forever. I still think about that day 45 years ago and get a huge burst of energy, and a tick in my neck. Just think ... Don Reitz gave this same experience and this sense of freedom to thousands of potters around the world. How could we ever repay him?
Editor’s note: For more on Don Reitz and his work, log onto www.claytimes.com/ DonReitz, where you will find Rick Berman’s complete two-part interview with him (originally published in the Jan/Feb and Mar/Apr 1996 issues of Clay Times). Rick’s e-mail is: rickbermanceramics@gmail.com
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
About 30 or 40 potters from many neighboring states were all there waiting for Don, who had been delayed at the airport for an hour or two. Meanwhile, Cynthia Bringle suggested that we all make a miniature Don Reitz piece to surprise him when he arrived.
After a while, Don finally showed up and started wedging very large pieces of clay. (I don’t think he ever wedged less than 25 lbs. of clay at a time.) He eventually sat at the wheel, and went to work. He threw a couple of cups off the hump, and decorated them loosely with his slips straight away. You know the drill: honey, white, blue, green, brown, black. Then a comb tool mark or two, and needle tool lines, then a bowl, more brush strokes, more marks, coil additions, more clay.
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Slurry Bucket Tips
“My Flex Slider is here and my students are loving it. Thanks for taking the time to get it right.” Charlotte Greenblatt Canyon Pottery Malibu
Editor’s note: With all the crazy weather our world is now experiencing from climate change, it’s a good idea to consider the following disaster preparedness advice for artists, compiled by the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF): CERF Tips for Disaster Preparedness • Document the contents of your studio (photo, video, or paper inventory) and store in a safe off-site location (SOL) 50-100 miles away from your studio • Install smoke detectors, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers, and check them regularly to be sure they are in working order • Keep hazardous materials in appropriate containers, stored in approved fireproof cabinets away from ignition sources • Properly dispose of oily rags and other hazardous waste
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/ FALL 2014
• Secure all points of entry and install a burglar alarm system
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The Flex Slider III™ For off-centered, asymmetrical, and plain old wonkey pots.
More of CERF’s tips for “covering your As” (Arts, Assets, Archives) are now available in the form of The Studio Protector Wall Guide. This easy-to-use disaster readiness and response toolkit has been designed by artists for artists, to help save your art, your workspace, and your career. The interactive, easy-to-follow kit features two wheel charts and five pull-out, pocket-sized booklets loaded with tips on how to prevent and prepare for an emergency in your studio; what to do immediately after a disaster; and where to get help. To learn more, log onto the Website at: www.studioprotector.org. [
In response to the continuing high rates of silicosis and silica-induced lung cancer in U.S. workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a new silica regulation. The public hearings on this proposal were held from March 18 to April 4, 2014 after which written comments and data were accepted for 45 days. Some time in the near future, OSHA is expected to either publish a final rule or reopen the discussion.
Studio I Health & Safety
BY MONONA ROSSOL
The proposal1, all 230 pages of it, includes discussions of the major studies that OSHA has relied on for its opinion. There are reams of studies referenced. Three of these are of special interest because they are of silica exposures in Chinese tin miners and pottery workers. Pottery Workers Studied
T
he primary study of the potters and miners was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. It measured cumulative silica exposures in a group of more than 30,000 workers over a 44-year period. This study, as well as all the other studies in the proposal, showed clearly that airborne silica dust is associated with significant increase in the risk of developing lung cancer and silicosis.
Clay dust, then, can cause silicosis, but at lower rates because the silica particles in clay don’t have sharp, freshly broken surfaces. There are only a few sources of freshly fractured silica particles in art potteries (such as when chipping or grinding kiln wash from shelves, during abrasive blasting, or when cutting refractory brick during kiln building). Back in 2005, in two issues of Clay Times, I wrote about several potters and teachers with silicosis including Warren MacKenzie, a well-known ceramics professor.2
The New Proposed Limit The proposed rule sets the new OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) at 0.05 milligram per cubic meter (mg/m3). However, OSHA says clearly that this standard will not protect workers fully. They note that a better standard is that of the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists® (ACGIH®). This limit is half that of the proposed OSHA limit (TLV® = 0.025 mg/m3). OSHA explains that they must set an unprotective limit because they are required by law to set standards that are both technologically and economically feasible. While the lower limit would be technically feasible, it would require respirator use for many industries, and this is not economically feasible for many continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
The rates of lung cancer were about the same in both the miners and the pottery workers studied. However, the risk of developing silicosis was somewhat less in the Chinese pottery workers, when compared with the miners. The reason appears
to be that higher numbers of cases of silicosis will occur in industries in which the airborne silica particles are freshly cut or fractured, such as in mine work or sand blasting.
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Studio I Health & Safety
Proposed Silica Rule Changes industries. As a result, the law requires workers to sacrifice their health and life spans to keep their industries healthy.
In order to alert employers to the fact that other standards are more protective than the PELs, OSHA has provided two new Web-based resources:
New OSHA Strategy on Air Quality
1) a step-by-step toolkit with information, methods, and guidance on chemical substitution in the workplace, and
OSHA and its director, David Michaels, are very aware that most of their standards are not fully protective. In fact, most of the Agency’s PELs are also out-ofdate: they have been unchanged
2) an annotated occupational exposure limits table featuring OSHA’s existing regulations (called
“I remind schools that non-employees, such as students or volunteers, do not come under OSHA standards. Instead, we have a responsibility to protect them completely. They did not agree to accept the risk of contracting either lung cancer or silicosis. Legally, we owe them even more information and protection than the OSHA regulations require for workers.”
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/ FALL 2014
since 1971, when they first adopted about 400 of the ACGIH’s air quality standards into law. Today, there are over 640 ACGIH TLV®s, which means there are also more than 200 toxic substances for which OSHA has no standards at all.
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OSHA tried to update 400 PELs in 1989, but a court challenge by a coalition of industries vacated them in 1992. The court required OSHA to develop complete economic and environmental impact statements for each substance. Since writing these two documents for 400 substances would take decades, OSHA is unable to proceed.
the Z-Tables) alongside other occupational exposure standards including the California state standards, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limits, and the current ACGIH TLV®s. As an Industrial Hygienist and member of the ACGIH, I’m especially pleased to see this annotated table. Until now, the ACGIH TLV®s were only available in a booklet that cost $49.95 plus shipping. Now this data plus the data from California and NIOSH can be seen for free at: www.osha.gov/dsg/annotatedpels/index.html
Recommendations OSHA’s David Michaels advises using the most protective limits for workers when this is possible. I agree ... and if, on occasion, that requires instituting an OSHA Respiratory Protection Program for the workers, so be it. In addition, I remind schools that non-employees, such as students or volunteers, do not come under OSHA standards. Instead, we have a responsibility to protect them completely. They did not agree to accept the risk of contracting either lung cancer or silicosis. Legally, we owe them even more information and protection than the OSHA regulations require for workers. Students who are children, in particular, must have essentially no exposure to substances that cause long-term illnesses. They should be given an array of interesting and educational projects that do not create dust. Proper clean-up and good hygiene should be part of their training. These hygiene practices should keep workers and students well and healthy for a lifetime of working with clay. [ Footnotes: 1. Two Federal Register documents: 78 FR 65242-654244, October 31, 2013 and 78 FR 56274-56504, September 12, 2013. 2. Clay Times, July/Aug 2005 and Nov/Dec 2005. Monona Rossol is an industrial hygienist/chemist with an M.F.A. in ceramics/glass. E-mail her at: ACTSNYC@cs.com
Mosaic Mania BY PAULA SMITH
Mosaic is a visual art form that uses small pieces of ceramic tiles, glass, stones, and/or found objects. This ancient decorative art dates back to the second half of the 3rd millennium B.C., with glazed tiles appearing as early as 1500 B.C. The early Greek mosaic imagery depicted mythological figures, while early Roman mosaics featured beautifully patterned geometric centers with strong borders. There are many historical examples of mosaic throughout the Middle East and Europe, too. Ravenna, Italy is known for its beautiful Byzantine mosaics inside the churches, mausoleums, and historical buildings. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudí created a modern twist with mosaics or trencadis, a form of mosaic, in which he used broken ceramic tiles and dishes to cover park benches, fantastic creatures (i.e., Park Güell), exterior walls, and chimney stacks. Inspired by Gaudí, 20th-century French artist Niki de Saint Phalle created “The Tarot Garden” in Tuscany, Italy. This monumental sculpture park takes its inspiration from tarot card imagery: featured are scaled sculptures are covered in broken tile mosaic. depicting The Wheel of Fortune, The Magician, and The High Priestess, to name a few. Project I: Trivet, 12" x 12" x ½" Materials: Store-bought floor tile, broken found plates, premixed acrylic tile adhesive, cream sanded grout, small bucket to mix grout in, respirator, rubber gloves, and silicone feet.
Project II: Bath Tub Surround, 120" x 29" x ¼" Materials: Concrete backer wall board, Liquid Nails®, screws, thin set mortar, purchased and found broken tiles, black sanded grout, grout sealant, paint brush, sponges, buckets, drill with a mixer attachment, rubber gloves, and a respirator. My next project was our front bathroom tub surround. At that time I didn’t have a lot of money, so I was on a tight budget. I went out to all the local tile companies and collected old tile sample boards and discarded tiles. Then I proceeded to break them into smaller pieces. I wanted a very colorful palette, so I did need to special order some of the colored tiles, (i.e., plum). continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER/FALL 2014
A
great way to learn a technique is to make something small like a tile trivet. I went to junk and secondhand stores to collect chipped or broken old plates. I then went to a home improvement store and purchased a few 12" x 12" x ½" floor tile. I broke the found ceramic objects into small pieces, designed, and adhered my mosaic onto the surface of the floor tiles. I let it dry for 24 hours; then I grouted them and put silicone squares on the bottom so that they will not scratch the table surface.
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