Clay Times Magazine Volume 23 • Issue 102

ceramic

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Volume 23 • No. 102 Spring / Summer 2017

Dick Lehman: Thoughts on Collecting UNF UNF Inaugurates Inaugurates “Ceramics “Ceramics JAX” JAX” Citywide Citywide Exhibitions Exhibitions OSHA’s New Standards for Working with Silica Darting & Paddling Tips & Techniques from Ben Carter Pete Pinnell’s Advice for Dealing with ‘Bubble Troubles’

$8.95 U.S./$10.95 CAN

Handbuilding Chandra DeBuse’s Squirrel Platter Great New Additions for Your Clay Tool Box PLUS: How to Save Time & Money on Your Gas Kiln Firings

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

SA U V TH O BO

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.

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.

“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.

Join the Clayart pottery forum here: lists.clayartworld.com

Constantly looking for better ways to make kilns

2011 South Town East Blvd.

Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557 www.paragonweb.com info@paragonweb.com

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CERAMIC MATERIALS

ceramic art trends, tools & techniques

Editor & Publisher: Polly Beach Customer Service: Nanette Greene 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 Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers: Ben Carter Dick Lehman ✦ 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.

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Copyright ©2017 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.

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BY DICK LEHMAN • Cover Artist

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COLLECTING: Its Role in the Artist’s Life Cycle Collecting the Works of Others

E

arly in my clay career I had the good fortune to visit some well-known and established potters. Each had a significant collection of other clayartists’ works. “Surrounding myself with the excellent work of others,” said one, “nurtures my own capacity to make good works. I’m not looking for ways to make their pieces, but to gain some insight into the spirit of excellence; to translate that insight into my own work and aesthetic.”

A well-crafted collection can function as a continuing source of inspiration and learning. Living with the exceptional works of others allows one, over time, to perceive, apprehend, ingest, even ,digest the hundreds of small nuances that shape the difference between merely-good and exceptional.

These sophisticated nuances, separated out from the work itself, become lifetime tools that can be available to one’s own aesthetic development and studio practice.

I’ve come to believe that the extent to which I’ve purchased exceptional works from others, and invested in their careers, is the extent to which I’m investing in my own career: it is an enabling of my own continuing development. By collecting, I am being collected: brought together, assembled, coordinated, and composed.

Purchasing from others very often fosters deep, new friendships. And for the duration of time that we are the caretakers of the works of others, the pieces not only teach us, but often capture and represent for us, daily, the richness of relationships shared. Collecting the works of others allows us to be curators, for one brief lifetime, of someone else’s work and legacy.

Collecting Our Own Works We’ve all likely heard the truth/myth of the wise potter who, over the course of his/her career, had enough foresight to set aside the best work from each firing. Most of us learn about this too late in our careers to duplicate such a feat. Nevertheless, whenever one begins, there is always a range of positive functions which emerge from collecting and/or documenting one’s own best works.

Apart from simply assembling a historic overview of one’s own career, our best work can be part of our own continuing education - a teaching tool for ourselves. If clay is your life’s work, I’ll wager that you’ll not be able to remember all the ways you’ve formed, trimmed, altered, or assembled. Some of the finest nuances will be lost to memory. A collection of pieces or images can be a nudge to revisit a particular approach … to inject it back into one’s now-newer and more recent aesthetic. Our best works, available for review, will foster and enhance a continually developing visual literacy.

No matter how hard we work, or how much attention we pay to our processes and approaches, in clay there will always be those works which astound us by being better than we ever could have imagined. We can scarcely believe that we’ve made them. As these works set themselves apart by virtue of the magical uncontrollability of process, we can only receive them. These pieces, in particular, stimulate and inspire us to strive for even better continued on page 30

contents

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Spring / Summer 2017 Volume 23, No. 102 Cover photo: Detail of Dancing Bottle by Dick Lehman. 10" tall. Shino-glazed and fired for 36 hours in the Todd Pletcher train kiln. Part of Dick’s collection of his own work. See story, p. 4.

Cover inset photo: Yellow Button Tea Set

by Rebecca Lowery, Bloomington, IN. 6" x 10" x 6". Cone 6 white stoneware. [Thanks to Rebecca for sharing her pics with Clay Times at our NCECA 2016 exhibit booth.] Who’s next?

features ➤ 4

Collecting: Its Role in the Artist’s Life Cycle Do you collect pots made by your favorite potters? Do you keep your own favorites, too? Cover artist Dick Lehman reflects on years of collecting his favorite works of clay, made by not only his favorite potters, but also his own two hands.

➤ 16 “Darting and Paddling”: An Illustrated How-to

Chapter from Mastering the Potter’s Wheel

If you haven’t yet read this book by Ben Carter, you may find yourself dashing to your favorite retailer after checking out this useful clip. Discover secrets for making those altered forms you’ve always admired, including tips from Jennifer Allen, Ben’s “darting Queen”.

Ben Carter demonstrates his paddling techniques as pictured in his 2016 book, Mastering the Potter’s Wheel.

exhibitions ➤ 12 2016 Ceramics Invitational Juried by McKenzie Smith for exhibition at Univ. of N. Florida ➤ 28 Woodfired Ceramics at UNF Just one of several inaugural Ceramics JAX exhibitions.

Vestige by Trevor Dunn. One of multiple pieces featured in this issue from the University of North Florida’s shows celebrating claywork in the Jacksonville, FL area.

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Hiraeth II. Wood-fired stoneware

by Tracey Tanner.

Spring / Summer 2017 • Volume 23 Issue 102

departments

columns

9 WHAT’S HOT

21 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Dealing With Bubble Troubles”

by Pete Pinnell

Clay world news, events, and calls for entries

33 GREAT GLAZES 23 THE SURFACE

Nathan Willever shares cone 6 formulas

34 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

Serving Bowl by Stephen Frazier.

Wood-fired stoneware with overglaze.

Goods and services offered especially by and for clay artists

31 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “New Silica Standards”

by Monona Rossol

37 THE SLURRY BUCKET Studio-tested tips & techniques

35 KILNS & FIRING “Do You Know Why You Are Candling?”

by Marc Ward

38 THE GALLERY Our talented readers share images of their inspiring clayworks

40 BOOKS & VIDEOS “New Ceramic Surface Design” review

by Steve Branfman

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

45 POTTERY CLASSES

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Where you can learn claywork in your own community

44 TOOL TIMES “Great Finds on New Clay Tools”

by Vince Pitelka

50 ADVERTISER INDEX Welcome to the new advertisers in this issue!

(As always, please let them know you found them in Clay Times!)

“Handbuilding a Platter with Chandra DeBuse” Part 3 of a series by Lana Wilson

Wood-fired Jar by Mark Fehl.

NOTE: Each work pictured on this page appeared in exhibitions at the University of North Florida during the inaugural “Ceramics JAX” event. Turn to pages 12-15 and p. 28-29 to see more images of works in the shows.

47 AROUND THE FIREBOX “The Joy of Less”

by Kelly Savino

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

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MEGAN BOGONOVICH JESS RIVA COOPER KIM DICKEY LINDA SORMIN DIRK STASCHKE CHRISTOPHER ADAMS JOANN AXFORD LISA MARIE BARBER CHRIS BERTI DEIRDRE DAW AUDRY DEAL- MCEVER JENNIFER DEPAOLO SHANNON DONOVAN CAROLINE EARLEY CAROL GOUTHRO KAREN GUNDERMAN DAWN HOLDER CJ JILEK CHUCK JOHNSON TSEHAI JOHNSON HEATHER KAPLAN PAUL KOTULA ANNIE RHODES LEE NANCY LOVENDAHL ANDREA MARQUIS LINDSAY MONTGOMERY GRACE NICKEL ANNE DREW POTTER JESSICA PUTNAM-PHILLIPS DORI SCHECHTEL ZANGER CLAUDIA TARANTINO HIROTSUNE TASHIMA COLLEEN TOLEDANO JENNI WARD STAN WELSH

CURATED BY GAIL M. BROWN AND PRODUCED BY NCECA Disjecta Contemporary Art Center Portland, Oregon www.disjectaarts.org

THE EVOCATIVE

GARDEN MARCH 8- APRIL 1, 2017 Reception: 6PM–9PM Thursday, March 23

Artist: Ryan LaBar

REGISTER ONSITE FOR THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON EDUCATION FOR THE CERAMIC ARTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE Opens Tuesday, March 21st at 12pm | Oregon Convention Center | 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard | Portland, OR 97232

MARCH 22–25, 2017 CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017 CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

PORTLAND

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Oregon

VISIT NCECA.NET NOW!

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

‰ Future Flux, the 51st Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, (NCECA) takes place March 22-25, 2017 at the city convention center in Portland, Oregon. Concurrent clay exhibitions, a resource hall of commercial vendors and educational institutions, plus expert discussions and demonstrations by accomplished clay artists highlight the agenda for this annual blockbuster convention of clay people.

For complete details and registration information, visit http://nceca.net/2017nceca-conference-portlandoregon/

‰ The 29th Annual California Conference for the Advancement for Ceramic Art (CCACA) takes place April 28-30 in Davis, California. The event will feature demonstrations, lectures, and more than 40 major shows of sculptural ceramic work including the annual 30 Ceramic Sculptors show and the California Clay Competition. This year’s featured artists include Eva Kwong, Lisa Clague, Bar Shacterman, Kenjiro Kitade, John Balistreri, and Dirk Staschke. For complete details of the event, sponsored by the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, log onto http://www.natsoulas. com/ccaca-2017natsoulas. com/ccaca-2017. ‰ Hollins University's Annual Women Working with Clay Symposium takes place June 12-15, 2017, in Hollins, Virginia. Directed by ceramic artist Donna Polseno, this symposium explores the connections of the long history of women as vessel makers, continued on next page

Planning a trip to Southern China? You may want to visit the ancient Dragon Kiln, re-opened in Qinzhou, Guangxi last summer.

Skyscrapers and modern city life offer a striking contrast to the gigantic wood-firing kiln, which has a history of more than 1600 years of firing and measures as long as a football field!

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

‰ The 12th Annual Fired Works Regional Ceramics Exhibition and Sale takes place April 22-30 in beautiful Central City Park of Macon, GA. The event will feature more than 6,000 pieces of pottery by 65 ceramic artists from Georgia and the Southeast.

Fired Works began as a local pottery show and has grown to become the largest exhibit of functional and sculptural pottery in

Georgia. Visit www.fired worksmacon.com for complete details.

JAMES SMITH PHOTO

Conferences

Hot Stuff I Calendar

Spring / Summer 2017

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

What’s Hot (continued from p. 9) artists, and artisans in cultures worldwide.

Featured events are demos on figurative sculpture and wheel-thrown pottery making, handbuilding, and altering thrown pots, plus various decorating, glazing, and finishing techniques. Keynote speaker: Lal Dilbas.

Presenters: Julia Galloway, Gerit Grimm, Ayumi Horie, and Patti Warashina. For complete details, visit https://www.hollins.edu/academics/workshops-online-writing-courses/womenworking-with-clay-symposium/ ‰ The CLAY Festival 2017 takes place July 2230 in Silver City, New Mexico. Entries for this year’s juried exhibition, “A Tile and a Vessel,” are being accepted through June 16. Handson workshops will be presented by clay artists Bede Clarke and Marko Fields. Additional events include the CLAYfest Market; tours along the Southwest New Mexico Clay Arts Trail, and various scheduled activities. To learn more about this celebration or inquire about selling your work at the Market, log onto www.CLAYfestival.com

MFA • M.A. • Graduate Certificate

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

Scholarship Opportunities in Ceramic Arts

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Calls for Entries ‰ The General Gomez Gallery of Auburn, California is accepting bird house art of all kinds through April 12 for its show entitled Out on a Limb, to take place April 28 through May 21.

Log onto http://www.generalgomez.com/call-toartists/out-on-a-limb-art-show/ to learn more about the show and download the application, or call 530.745.4230 for more details. ‰ The Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Montana is now accepting entries through May 1 from clay artists 18 and older for its Juried National IV, to take place Sept. 1–22.

Works primarily made of clay, weighing 50 lbs. or less and measuring 24" or less in any direction, are eligible. For complete details, log onto http://www.redlodgeclaycenter.com/ exhibition/juried-national-4/

A high level of academic quality, cutting-edge resources, convenient scheduling and affordable tuition. www.hood.edu/graduate | gofurther@hood.edu | 301-696-3600

‰ Plates, Platters, and Nothing Else Matters, to feature ceramic works that are for sale and ready to hang on a wall, will take place June 27–July 17 at the Long Beach Island Foundations of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies,

Hot Stuff I News & Events

NJ. Entry deadline is May 1; juror is Garth Johnson. For complete details, log onto www.lbifoun dation.org/events or call 609.494.1241. ‰ The Workhouse Arts Center is accepting ceramic entries from U.S. and Canadian residents through May 10 for its Workhouse Clay International 2017. The exhibition, to be juried by Chris Gustin, will take place Aug. 12Oct. 8 in Lorton, Virginia. To learn more, log onto www.workhouseceramics.org or call 703.584.2982. ‰ Clay Arts Vegas is accepting entries through May 26 of functional and sculptural tableware made by adult U.S. and Canadian clay artists for Serve It Up 2017, to take place July 6-Aug. 27 at the Victor F. Keen Gallery in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For details call 702.375.4147, or download the prospectus via the link at http://clayartsvegas.big cartel.com/product/serve-it-up-2017 ‰ Entries for the 25th annual Strictly Functional Pottery National, to take place Sept. 16-Oct. 21, are now being accepted through June 1 (or with late fee from June 2-10). All works must be functional and made by U.S. artists. The juror for this year’s show is Linda Sikora. For entry details, log onto www.strictlyfunctionalpottery.net.

JULY 22 - 30, 2017 www.clayfestival.com

‰ The Kansas City Clay Guild is accepting entries through June 9 of ceramic teabowls made by adult U.S. residents for its annual Teabowl National, to open October 6. This year’s juror will be Chandra DeBuse. For prospectus and complete details, log onto https://kcclayguild.wildapricot.org/ Apply/ or call 816.363.1373.

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.claytimes.com/contribute.html

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

‰ The Wayne Art Center of Wayne, Pennsylvania is accepting entries through Sept. 15 for Craft Forms 2017, to take place Dec. 1, 2017-Jan. 27, 2018. For details and entry form, log onto http://www.craftforms.org/call-for-entries/ or call 610.688.3553 x 211. [

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Ceramics JAX

T

to the Jacksonville area. The events were designed to inform and educate not only students and professional artists, but also members of the greater community who are usually not otherwise exposed to ceramic art. Pictured here and on pages 13-15 are dynamic sculptural and utilitarian works from the

UNF International Ceramics Exhibition, an invitational show juried by Florida clay artist McKenzie Smith.

Images from a simultaneous show featuring wood-fired works by UNF students and faculty appear on pages 28-29 of this issue.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

he University of North Florida (UNF) teamed up with several other art venues in the Jacksonville, FL area to kick off their 2016-2017 school year with “Ceramics JAX,” an inaugural series of group exhibitions organized to bring a sampling of highcaliber contemporary ceramics

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Chevron Forms by Niko Weissenberger. Wood-fired stoneware with slips. Awarded “Honorable Mention”.

Ceremonial Jar by Seth Green. Reduction-fired stoneware, glaze, white gold luster. Awarded “Honorable Mention”.

Vase by Megan Mitchell. Stoneware. Awarded “Honorable Mention”.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

Crucible Series #7 by Kenneth Baskin. Wood-fired stoneware and steel pins, mid-range firing. Awarded “Best in Show”.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

Ceramics JAX Exhibitions (continued from previous page)

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Attaboy! by Denny Girwin.

Barn and Berries by Julia Feld.

Clay hand-painted with underglazes.

Green Tea Dreams by Chris Sneed. Cone 6 oxidation.

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

Reduction Cooled Teapot by Stephen Heywood. [

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PADDLING AND DARTING Excerpted from Mastering the Potter’s Wheel by Ben Carter, 2016.

Chapter 5 reprint courtesy of Quarto Publishing Group, London, England

PADDLING PADDLINGAND ANDDARTING DARTING

P

Paddling Paddlingand anddarting dartingare areboth bothwell wellsuited suitedfor forshapes shapesthat thatare aremore moregeometric geometricthan thanthey theyare areround. round.

These Thesetechniques techniqueswork workwell wellononpots potsthat thatare aresoft softleather leatherhard. hard.Your Yourpot potshould shouldbebewet wetenough enoughtoto remain remainflexible flexiblebut butdry dryenough enoughthat thatyou youdon’t don’tleave leavefingerprints fingerprintsononthe thesurface. surface.

Paddling Paddlingcan canbebecombined combinedwith withother othertechniques. techniques.Josh Josh Copus Copuscombines combinestwo twothrown throwncylinders cylindersbefore beforepaddling paddling and courtesy andfaceting facetingtotorefine refinehis hislarge largevase vaseforms. forms.Photo Photo courtesy ofof thethe artist artist

16 142 142

Chapter Five

Kristen KristenKieffer’s, Kieffer’s,top, top,and andTara TaraWilson’s, Wilson’s,bottom, bottom,flower flower bricks bricksboth bothutilize utilizedarting dartingtotocreate createtheir theirdistinctive distinctiveshapes. shapes.

When Whenusing usingthis thistechnique, technique,think thinkabout abouthow howthe theform form terminates terminatesatatthe thefoot footand andthe thelip. lip.You Youwill willnotice noticethat thatboth both Kristen’s Kristen’sand andTara’s Tara’sforms formsrise risegracefully gracefullyupward upwardfrom from smaller smallerfeet. feet.This Thislifts liftsthe thepiece pieceupupininthe theair, air,allowing allowinganan otherwise otherwiseheavy heavyhorizontal horizontalform formtotoappear appearvisually visuallylight. light.

They Theyalso alsoenergize energizethe thebottom bottomthird thirdofofthe thepot potbybyusing using diagonal diagonallines linestotoarticulate articulatethe thetransition transitioninto intothe thefeet. feet.This This makes makesthe thepot potfeel feelmore moreenergetic energeticthan thanit itwould wouldwith witha a straight courtesy straighthorizontalhorizontal-ororvertical-oriented vertical-orientedfoot. foot.Photos Photos courtesy ofof thethe artists artists

BY BEN CARTER PADDLING

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

Paddling is one of the most intuitive forms of alteration. The technique requires you use a piece of wood or hard plastic to shape the exterior of the pot through concussive force. Your local clay supplier might sell clay-specific paddles, but you can also use a large wooden kitchen spoon for this purpose. I’ll demonstrate using a paddle to make a square-sided form, but you could also use this technique to make more elaborate geometric shapes, like octagons.

You can also use this technique to make freeform asymmetric alterations. Josh Copus’s vase forms are an example of paddling large forms. The pieces are made of multiple thrown sections that are then paddled and refined with a carving knife.

Throw a cup form that curves out from the foot into a straight-sided wall one-third of the way up the form. Leave the walls a little thicker than you normally would. Set the piece aside for a while to let the surface dry or dry it with a heating device before paddling the top two-thirds of the form.

Divide the pot into four equal parts by pushing out the rim to create a square. Brace your left hand on the inside of the form with your hands in the three o’clock position. Using a wooden paddle, strike the outside surface of the pot in the area that corresponds to your inside hand. With soft but forceful strikes, shape the exterior from a curved shape into a plane. Continue around the form, making four even sides. A paddled square form can have a soft quality left over from its round beginning. To make the pot look more angular, rib the sides of the pot, making sure to accentuate sharp edges at the corners. Trim normally for a round foot or facet a square foot with a knife.

You can also add some texture while paddling.

The square cup pictured above was paddled with a smooth paddle. Try paddling with a textured paddle to create surface texture. You could also start by paddling a cup into a square shape and then add rope or other rolled texture to the form. continued on next page ALTERING POTS

143

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PADDLING AND DARTING

Ⓐ

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

DARTING DARTING Darting is

18

a a

a subtractive technique used in both Darting is subtractive technique used geometin both tailoring anda metal-working.

By removing tailoring and metal-working.

By removing geometric shapes (triangle and diamonds) from the top ric middle shapes of (triangle the into top or a form, and you diamonds) can bend a from cylinder or middle of a form, you can bend a cylinder into a non-round shape. The number of darts that are a non-round Theshape number of darts that are removed will shape. affect the of the pot. Removremoved will affect the shape of the pot.

Removing two or more darts will create a symmetrical ing two or more darts one will larger createdart a symmetrical shape while removing can create shape while removing one larger dart canaltering create an asymmetric shape. a Much like other a Much like other altering an asymmetric shape.requires techniques, darting that you work with techniques, darting requires that Ityou workbewith the clay at the right moisture level. should dry the clay at the right moisture level.

It should be enough to not be tacky, but also remain flexible.dry enough betime tacky,you buttry also For to thenot first it,remain start byflexible. throwing For the first time you try it, start by throwing a 6-inch cylinder that is slightly wider than a cup. aPracticing 6-inch cylinder that is slightly wider than a cup. darting on a simple cylinder will help you Practicing darting on a simple cylinder will help you understand the process. For this demonstration, understand the process.

For this demonstration, I am using a rounded form whose widest curves I am using a rounded whose widest happen one-third of theform way up the pot.

Allowcurves your happen one-third of the way up the pot. your form to dry to soft leather hard. Cut twoAllow opposing form to dry to the softtop leather hard.

Cut twothe opposing triangles from of the form with widest triangles from the top of the form with the widest side being at the lip of the cylinder. b side being at the lip of the cylinder. b

144 144

Chapter Five Chapter Five

continued from p. 17

Ⓑb b

Ⓒ

c c

Fold the corresponding wings down so that Foldedges the corresponding wings down so that want a seamless the cut match. c If you If you want a seamless the cutmake edgesyour match. match, cuts c with a slight inward bevel. match, make your cuts with a slight inward bevel.

You can also overlap the edges to leave evidence of You can also overlap the edges to leave evidence the construction method. Slip and score together.of the construction method.

Slip the andsoftness score together.

The size of the darts and of your The size of the darts and the softness touch will affect how much volume is leftofinyour the touchAll willdarting affect will howdecrease much volume leftpushing in the form. volume,isbut form. darting will decrease buttopushing out onAllthe wall below the dartvolume, can help create out on the wall below the dart can help to create the swelling volume that many thrown forms have. the swelling volume that many thrown forms have.

You can do this with your finger, a throwing stick, You can do this with your finger, a throwing stick, or even a breath of air pushed into a closed form. As or even a breath pushedconsiderations into a closed form.

As we discussed in of theairdesign section we discussed in the design considerations section of Chapter 2, pots that are touched last from the of Chapter 2, look pots as that are touched last from the inside tend to if they are expanding.

Taking inside tend to look as if they are expanding.

Taking a little extra time working on the interior of your a little pots extracan time working on the interior of ayour darted make the difference between pot darted pots can make the difference between a pot that looks dead or full of life. that Jen looks deadisora full of life.

Allen master of darting. See the sideJen Allen is a master of darting.

See the sidebar on the next page for drawings of the singleand pages 20-21 bar on the next page for drawings of the singleand double-pointed darts beside images of the work opposite from a page of works double-pointed darts beside images of the work she creates using this technique. she creates using this technique. continued on page 20

Skill Building

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

Ovals: Start with four 2-pound balls. First make two ovals using the willow leaf method.

Change the height and width of the form prior to cutting out the willow leaf so that you better understand how proportions affect the technique. You might also try altering the forms at different moisture levels. Developing a personal touch with these techniques is often dependent on a better understanding of when to make the alteration.

Using the two remaining balls of clay, experiment with the bottomless oval method.

First throw bottomless cylinders that differ in height and width. For one, make the walls straight and throw a gallery in the lip so that you can later practice adding a slab lid. For the second form, tilt the walls out from the bottom. When ovaled, this form will be more bowl-like. Think about how the tilt of the wall changed the way the cylinder moved during the alteration. Did you notice the rim was more or less likely to lose shape based on the starting shape? Add slab bottoms to complete the pieces.

Paddling: Start with three 3-pound balls. Throw the tallest concave-, convex-, and straight-walled vase forms that you can. Paddle each form into a different multisided shape. For instance, the concave shape might be paddled on two sides to make a soft oval, while the convex shape might be paddled into a four-sided square. After paddling, let the pieces dry to leather hard.

Make a thick slip out of your clay body. Use this slip to create a textural surface on one of the forms. On another form, carve into the surface with carving tools or a homemade rib to create an active texture. On the last form, use a surform to accentuate the planed nature of the form. Try to create crisp edges that are well-defined but not excessively sharp.

Once all three pieces are bisque fired, try to glaze them in a way that accentuates the form. Think about how a runny glaze might pool into the slip texture. Think about how a shiny or matte glaze will change the perceived hardness or softness of the form.

Darting: Start with four 2-pound balls. Throw one concave-, one convex-, and two straight-walled vase forms. Try to maintain the same height, width, and thickness for all the forms. Use Jen Allen’s drawings (see page 146) as a guide and cut out double-pointed or single-pointed darts. As these will be used to hold flowers, leave some opening at the top of the form to allow liquid in and out. On two of the pieces, leave the dart line showing after construction. On two pieces, cover the dart line to accentuate the smooth quality of the new curve. Bisque, glaze, and fire the pieces to completion.

Purchase cut flowers and make your own arrangements in the forms. Ask yourself the following questions: How does the severity of the dart affect the shape? Do you prefer slightly darted forms to their more drastic counterparts?

How does the number of darts restrict the size of the vase’s mouth? Is a large or small hole better for your flower arrangements?

Which shapes accentuated the flowers better? If you did the exercise again, would you buy larger or smaller flowers to go with each shape?

19 ALTERING POTS

145

PADDLING AND DARTING

continued from previous pages

TAKING DARTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Darting is a simple and exciting way to create complex curves on a form. Triangular darts can be taken from the top of a form to draw the form in at a sharp angle, while diamond-shaped darts can be taken from the middle of a form to create a dramatic curve. Jen Allen uses darting to great success with her thrown forms. In this section you will see Jen’s drawings of darts on cylinders as well as forms that she made using this technique.

SINGLE-POINTED DARTS IN ACTION

DOUBLE-POINTED DARTS IN ACTION

1. Single-pointed dart from rim.

1. Double-pointed dart from top to bottom of form.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

2. Same as 1 but wider triangle removed, thereby exaggerating steepness of angle in profile view.

3. One singlepointed dart from rim and one from foot.

3. Same as 2, but wider dart cut out exaggerates profile and removes more volume.

4. Two singlepointed darts cut from rim.

4. Two double-pointed darts cut on opposite sides of grain.

5. Four singlepointed darts cut from rim.

20 146

2. Double-pointed dart in the middle of the form.

Chapter Five

excerpted from Mastering the Potter’s Wheel: Techniques, Tips, and Tricks for Potters Author: Ben Carter • Foreword by: Linda Arbuckle Published in 2016 by Voyageur Press Format: Hardcover Book, 208 Pages ISBN: 9780760349755 • Retail: $30 ** reprint courtesy of Quarto Publishing Group **

Jennifer Allen’s drawings on opposite page illustrate the dart patterns used to make her works pictured on this page. [

Editor’s Note: The layout of this article has been slightly modified from its original book format to fit the page size of this publication.

21

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to subscribe to Clay Times® visit our Website at www.claytimes.com or call toll-free 1-800-356-2529 or stop by booth #315 at

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2017 Directory

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

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2017

Prevention is the Best Option

Dealing With Bubble Troubles

A

friend of mine recently asked me about some occasional bubbles that were occurring on his pots, making them unsellable. The bubbles only occurred with one of his glazes and not his others. My friend fires to cone 6 in an electric kiln and his glazes are fairly standard. His clay body is a bit unique, since he mixes it himself and uses a local brick clay as a major constituent, but the positives of the clay makes him hesitant to change it and, besides, his other glazes work just fine.

Since you can’t fix a glaze bubble after it occurs, then the best answer is to prevent them. The goal is to minimize outgassing, and then

Choose a clean clay body. Some clays are inherently dirty: secondary clays (such as ball clays, stoneware clays and fireclays) and red clays can tend to contain more impurities, as can clays mined in certain locations (Ohio clays tend to have a higher sulfur content, for instance). On the other hand, these impure clays are often more workable or simply more beautiful. If you have a glaze that can’t be changed (but that has problems on a particular clay body) then the best option may be to change clay bodies.

Avoid adding impurities that have to be fired away. In particular, this means wax resist. When wax, latex or other resist is applied to the piece, it melts during the firing and is absorbed into the bisque ware. All of this material has to be burned away.

If you avoid using wax, then there will be FAR less material to burn away. Frankly, wax resist is probably the most common cause of bubbles in glazes. It can also be a source of the dreaded white dots that appear in the overglaze portions of majolica glazes.

Slow down the glaze firing, especially from about 600° F to 1600° F (315°C to 870° C.) This is the best window for oxidizing organic impurities before glazes begin to melt. Burning wax has a distinct odor, and it’s pretty easy to smell when it’s still

burning away. If you can still smell the wax burning as the firing gets into red heat, then you may want to reprogram the computer to include a soak before the glaze melts. The goal of this is to ensure that all organic materials are burned away before the glaze begins to melt.

Vent your kiln to the outdoors.

An electric kiln vent draws gasses and impurities out of the kiln, and replaces them with fresh room air. The clean air facilitates the oxidation of more impurities. Just as it’s hard to wash dishes in dirty water, it is harder to “clean” a firing pot in a dirty atmosphere. I highly recommend powered kiln vents for electric kilns: the kind of vent that has an electric blower that pulls gasses directly from the kiln.

A hood above the kiln can help keep the air safe near the kiln, but it won’t help the quality of the glaze. A direct kiln vent improves the quality of glazes, extends the life of the elements and (of course) provides a safer environment for those who are working near the kiln who might breathe any gasses that escape.

The steps I just outlined are the easiest ways to deal with this problem. There are other ways to approach the problem, of course, but these become progressively more complex. What makes my friend’s “problem glaze” different is that it contains a bit more boron continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

Glaze bubbles are usually caused by “outgassing”: gas bubbles that are often generated in the clay body during the firing by elements in the body oxidizing away. This outgassing isn’t usually an issue if the gasses can move freely out of the body and into the air. They do become an issue when the glaze begins to melt and the gases are trapped. As the gas forces its way through the liquid (or semi-liquid) glaze it can either leave a bubble or (when the bubble pops) a pinhole or small bare spot. In theory a glaze can heal after the bubble pops, but most practical glazes have a fairly high viscosity (resistance to running) which prevents the glaze from lying flat or healing. This means that a bubble will never heal, no matter how long you let the firing soak at the end.

make sure any outgassing that does occur does so before the glaze begins to melt.

by PETE PINNELL

23

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Dealing with Bubble Troubles (continued from previous page) than the typical cone 6 glaze.

Boron is common in cone 04 and cone 6 glaze. Most glazes have some, and some glazes have a lot. Boron broadens the maturing temperature of a glaze, so a “cone 7” glaze might look fine at cone 5 and not be over-fired at cone 9.

That’s a nice quality in a glaze.

This glaze gets its boron from a frit, Ferro Frit 3134. A frit, if you’re not familiar with the term, is a manufactured powdered glass that can be used in glazes and other fired coatings. Ferro Corporation manufactures frit (among other things) and 3134 (as it’s called for short) is one that’s commonly used by potters.

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

One of the nice things about this particular frit is that it melts at a very low temperature (about 1450° F or 790° C). With such a low melting point, this frit can be used as an ingredient at just about any glaze temperature. The down side of this low melting point (which you probably already spotted) is that the glaze can begin to seal over quite early in the firing, while there is still outgassing occurring.

And that, of course, is the root of our problem.

24

Sometimes this can be dealt with by decreasing the amount of frit in the glaze. It’s not unusual for a glaze recipe to call for more frit than is necessary to get the desired fired results. Sometimes using less frit works just fine and can delay the melting of the glaze just enough to let gasses escape.

For instance, if the recipe calls for 30% frit, try mixing tests with 25% or 20%. If you do this, don’t change anything else in the recipe: just let the total be less than 100% for the test. You can always adjust the overall percentage later if one of these tests works.

Another thing you can try is substituting a frit that begins melting at a higher temperature.

Here are five Ferro frits that begin melting at progressively higher temperatures: Frit 3110: 1400° F (760° C) Frit 3134: 1450° F (790° C) Frit 3195: 1500° F (815° C) Frit 3124: 1600° F (871° C) Frit 3249: 1800° F (982° C) If you want to match the exact chemistry of your existing glaze using alternate materials, you will have to calculate the substitution (there are several good computer programs available that can help you do that). However, it never hurts to run a quick-and-dirty test with a direct substitution of an alternate material. Sometimes that’s all that is necessary. Besides melting at a different temperature, each of these frits has a different thermal expansion. Frit 3110 would tend to raise the thermal expansion (creating crazing) while 3249 would tend to lower the expansion and prevent crazing.

As it happens, 3124 can often be substituted for 3134 with little or no visible difference, yet the glaze would begin to melt later, avoiding at least some outgassing. There are chemical analyses for each of these available online.

When all else fails, the bisque temperature can be pushed higher than the glaze temperature.

This cleans out the clay (getting rid of any materials that might outgas) and it fires the clay body to maturity. The glaze firing just needs to be hot enough to mature the glaze, not the body. This would be a pretty major change and not one that you’d do lightly. However, this is exactly the route that much of the ceramic industry has taken.

By doing a bisque firing that is higher than the glaze firing, anything that can fire out has fired out before the glaze is even applied.

For instance, there are potters who want to glaze the entire exterior of their earthenware pots (and fire the glaze ware on stilts). With no unglazed surface on the pot, this ware would usually be very prone to glaze bubbles. By bisque firing the work to cone 03 and then glaze firing it to cone 05, glaze flaws are avoided.

Similarly, industrial china (including both bone china and restaurant china) is usually bisque fired to cone 9 or 10, and then the glaze firing is done at cone 3-5.

While this can prevent problems with outgassing, it also makes it trickier to apply the glaze, since the body will no longer be porous and absorbent after the bisque.

For this process, glazes have to be adjusted to give them particular application qualities. It’s not easy or quick, but it is possible.

You’ll notice in this column that I’m not giving you “the answer”, but that’s because there is rarely just one answer to any issue. Most technical problems have multiple causes and can require several, smaller changes rather than one large one. The key is to identify the root cause (“stuff burning away and making gas”, in this case) so you can then find a workable solution.

Knowing how to find an answer is always more empowering than being given an answer. [ Peter Pinnell is 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.

Part 3 of 3: Making the “Squirrel Platter”

by LANA WILSON

Chandra DeBuse creates three-dimensionality with simple tools she makes herself: a hole in plywood for a drop mold to make the feet, and a convex coiled-and-bisqued mold to form the main platter.

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Handbuilding with Chandra DeBuse

Following are the steps she uses to make for making her “Squirrel Platter” pictured at right.

D

eBuse begins to make the main platter form by rolling out a 3/8" slab of clay. She compresses both sides by firmly pulling or dragging a rib over the entire surface of both sides. The desired general oval shape of the platter is cut out using a needle tool (Fig. 1). Since her coiled oval mold is white stoneware bisqued to cone 06, she doesn’t risk getting plaster bits embedded in the soft oval slab that will become the base of her Squirrel Platter.

Fig. 1

To make the three-dimensional feet, a piece of scrap plywood is needed. DeBuse draws a teardrop shape that resembles a water droplet, an acorn, or a leaf. (She cautions to be sure to leave a 1" to 2" border between the edge of the plywood and the planned contour of the negative shape.) She then clamps this plywood to the edge of a work table, and drills a pilot continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

DeBuse creates three hollow feet using a plywood drop mold.

Hollow feet provide lift and volume to the platter, as well as visual interest on the backside. The hollow spaces of the feet also provide a place for optional holes to accommodate wire for hanging the platter on the wall.

25

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

26

Making Chandra DeBuse’s Squirrel Platter, Step-by-step

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

At this stage, DeBuse applies low-relief decoration of small loop branches and

Next, DeBuse drapes an appropriatelysized 3/8"-thick slab securely over the drop mold. The tear -drop shape of the foot mold is pictured on the bottom

into the waxed clay surface. She then brushes the underglaze (slightly watered-down Amaco Velour Black) on top of the incised lines. The wax will resist the underglaze, and causes it to bead up on top of the surface, yet it still sinks into the areas of incised lines.

DeBuse then uses a clean, slightly damp sponge to right of Fig. 2, gently wipe opposite page. the extra black underglaze off To achieve the of the wax. The foot shape, Underside of completed Squirrel Platter by Chandra DeBuse. wax resist aids she holds the in combining mold with both sgraffito and inlay techniques without acorns (see top of Fig. 4).

These details hands at a 45-degree angle to the smearing or damaging the brushwork. table. Next, she gently but firmly add visual and tactile interest, as well The wax also slows the drying time starts tapping the mold, allowing as enhancement to the illustration. of the platter and minimizes cracking gravity to drop the slab into the open space (Fig. 3, opposite page). She Between the early and late leather- due to uneven drying. After the platter rotates the plywood and continues hard stages, brush decoration can is bone-dry, it is ready to be bisque-fired. the tapping until the volume of the shape is evenly distributed softly down into the mold. The clay is then separated from the wood by flipping the slab over, resulting in a 3-D form that translates the drawn 2-D shape.

After the underglaze has dried, DeBuse waxes the entire platter — front and back — to prepare for her fine line underglaze inlay technique. She applies a water-soluble and fast-drying wax, such as Forbes Wax from Highwater Clays, to the surface of the platter.

She allows the wax to completely dry.

Forbes dries in 5 to 10 minutes. Then she uses an X-ACTO knife to carve fine lines 1 mm deep (about 1/25 of an inch)

After bisque firing, the platter is gently sanded and washed. Certain areas are masked off, then colored glazes are applied by dipping and pouring.

DeBuse uses commercial underglazes to fill in between the lines, much like a coloring book. Finally, a clear glaze is applied over the entire form, and any glaze remaining on foot bottoms is completely wiped off before the final glaze firing. [ Columnist Lana Wilson has been making pots for more than 40 years and has presented more than 150 clay art workshops worldwide. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Lana now resides in Berkeley, California, and may be reached via e-mail at lana@lanawilson.

She wants readers to be aware that “I make a big effort to answer all e-mails.” Lana’s Website for workshop information and images is www. lanawilson.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

Excess clay is cut from the foot form.

Because the platter is drying on the bisqued hump mold, the feet can now be attached. Score and slip each foot to the platter, and allow the feet to stiffen before flipping the platter.

Poke a small hole into the bottom of each foot to allow for air flow during drying. After the platter is flipped onto a board, the edges can be refined and smoothed. Optional holes for wires to hang the bowl on the wall can be drilled after the feet have stiffened.

be applied. DeBuse use a variety of brushes with full strength and diluted black underglaze to capture the gesture of a squirrel in black and gray tones. She also paints a few floral patterns around the edge of the platter.

To achieve the lightest areas, she uses sgraffito tools to scratch through the underglaze, revealing the white clay beneath (Fig. 5).

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

hole into the inner shape of the drop mold. Using a jigsaw, she cuts out the shape of the drop mold; then she softens the interior edges of her new mold with sandpaper.

27

Wood-fired Works at UNF

P

place along with several concurrent ceramics shows as part of the ingural “Ceramics JAX” festivities in North Florida to mark the beginning

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

ictured on these pages are woodfired works made by students and faculty at the University of North Florida. This exhibition took

28

Succulent by Trevor Dunn. Wood-fired stoneware.

of the 2017-18 school year. To view additional images of works from these shows, turn to p. 5 and pages 16-19. [

Mask by Kaity Asimos. Wood-fired stoneware.

Untitled by Seth Charles. Wood-fired stoneware.

Untitled by Joshua Scott. Wood-fired stoneware.

29

Collecting

(continued from page 4)

work. “I wonder if I can do that again!”

These we should collect. These, also, we should share and gift to others as powerful acts of encouragement.

Creating New Seasons of Inspiration Hopefully all of us will share a significant amount of our professional lives with a vibrant, lively collection. But ultimately there will come a time for us all to part with our collections, whether due to downsizing, a change of course, or entry into our final chapters.

We’ll be wise to think carefully about how we want to dispose of such an important tool. Whether we choose to sell or donate; whether we look to museums, study collections, galleries, secondary markets, or gifting; we would all do well to contemplate the possibility and the power to do good that resides in the distribution of exceptional work.

Sharing and dispersing one’s collection can be an act of teaching, a way of honoring and respecting the makers, a nudge of encouragement, and an act of gratitude; it could even save a life!

(Read on.)

Those well-known and established potters whom I visited early in my career had it right. But there is so much more: ultimately, an enormous potential for beneficent service and purposeful altruism — finding new homes for the works that have meant so much to us. We have the rare opportunity of helping to create a new season of inspiration for others. With care, we can enable another generation of nurture.

Sharing as an Act of Encouragement One holiday season when I was about 10 years into my career as a full-time clay artist, a package unexpectedly arrived in the mail. On the return address was the name of one of my “ceramicheros”. We had never met in person.

What could it be?

A hand-made card read: “Dick. Thinking of you and your family at this time of gathering. May the New Year bring good tidings. Warm wishes ...”

Inside the package was his museumquality Shino-glazed bowl: this was a pot for which the forces at work in its making process converged to bring all the goodness imaginable into a single piece.

His unexpected gift and recognition functioned, for me, as a powerful encouragement. It suggested mutuality, and nurtured a confidence in myself and my work that I’d never known before: an uplifting good he likely could not have imagined. It was a positive and formative event; one that changed my life as a ceramic artist.

A Life-saving Loan?

I’d been diagnosed with stage IV follicular lymphoma; given the diagnosis none of us want to hear. The oncologist was blunt: “Some lymphomas can be cured, yours can’t. You have a terminal illness.”

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

Amid the swirl of emotional uncertainties, the debilitating treatment, the fatigue, and the depression came the inevitable questions about the meaning

30

of life. I began to feel disdain toward my collection: no longer did I experience its power and beauty; now it was an ugly anchor, an incredibly unwanted “obligation x 1000” that I’d be leaving to my survivors.

Months later, as my emotions began to stabilize and treatments took a breather, I regained a glimpse of the collection’s goodness. But I declared that I’d never again collect another single piece. I would not add to the bulk of its obligation. In fact, I’d start disassembling it.

A few more months passed. More clarity. I would stop collecting, but ... there was just one more very powerful piece that I wished to live with. I e-mailed the potter, explained my situation, and told him about my hoped-for final purchase.

His reply: “My wife and I have never done this before, but we want to loan you the piece that you desire. You may keep it as long as you live. Your family can return it later.”

I kept it eight years. My prognosis improved. I got stronger. I began to make work again. I gained the courage to live without it, and to return it to my potterhero. We are all grateful.

My health has continued to improve.

I’m aging. I’ve downsized. I continue to make work. The majority of my collection has been redistributed. I’ve enjoyed initiating a new season of inspiration for others, and I’m grateful. A portion of my collection (of both my own, and of others’ works) now resides at the Haan Museum, in Lafayette, Indiana. [ Dick Lehman, a frequent contributor to international ceramics publications, lives and works in Goshen, Indiana. He may be reached via e-mail at: dicklehman@ aol.com. View more of his works on the Website at: www.dicklehman.com

bY MONONA ROSSOL

O

n March 25, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published their Final Rule on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica in the Federal Register.

For medical privacy, employers will only be provided with the date of the examination, a statement that the examination has met the requirements of the standard, and any recommended limitations on the employee’s use of respirators.

medical surveillance programs. I would call attention to the “any foreseeable conditions” language in this exemption. It means that employers must consider worst case scenarios (e.g., the dustiest work done in their business).

The new permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 0.05 milligrams/ cubic meter (mg/m3) for respirable silica (particles under 10 microns in diameter) as a time-weighted, 8-hour average (TWA). The old limit PEL was 0.1 mg/m3 and will still be used for certain workers.

This also means that employers must have a full respiratory protection program which includes, in addition to medical certification, fit-testing and training under the Respiratory Protection Standard (1910.134).

Getting the Exemption

Exemptions How Does This Affect Us? First, the standard, like all OSHA standards, only applies to workplaces in which there exist both an employer and employees. Artists and hobbyists working alone in their studios, for example, are not covered.

Those schools and businesses that come under the standards must develop the following: • Written Program — A full written exposure control plan detailing how employers will monitor and control their workers’ exposures.

1) Exposures that result from the “processing of sorptive clays.” By “processing,” OSHA means the mining, milling, and preparation of these clays for market. “Sorptive clays” are bentonite, attapulgite, and similar clays mined and sold for the purpose of sopping up spills of toxic substances or oils. There are not enough studies of these workers to quantify their risk. These workers will continue to be protected by the old PEL. 2) Situations where employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica will remain below 25 µg/ m3 as an 8-hour TWA under “any foreseeable conditions.” This is the exemption schools and small potteries should try to qualify for in order to avoid setting up expensive

The way most schools and businesses will achieve exemption status is to hire an industrial hygienist to monitor those of its employees exposed to silica at a time during which the work they are doing represents the highest foreseeable exposure. Personal monitoring is done by attaching a sampling cassette to the worker’s lapel; the cassette is connected to a small pump that is worn on the belt. This device “breathes” about the same amount of air as a worker would. The apparatus usually remains in place for seven hours or longer. Then the cassette is sent to a lab for analysis to determine the amount of silica that would have been inhaled that day by the worker.

If these tests demonstrate exposures below the 0.025 mg/m3 action limit (half of the PEL), the results provide the documentation needed for the exemption. This means a one-time expense of clearly documenting the low exposures provides a great benefit. The business or school only has to re-test if they change procedures, location, processes, or anything else that would influence the amount of airborne dust.

continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

• Medical Surveillance — OSHA will require that medical surveillance be made available to employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level of 0.025 mg/m3 for 30 or more days per year. Employers need to obtain a written medical opinion from physicians or other licensed health care professionals for medical examinations.

The standard says it “applies to all occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica,” except for two types of silica exposures:

Studio I Health & Safety

At Last — A New Silica Standard

31

Studio I Health & Safety

New Silica Standards for Clay Workers (continued from previous page) Who Gets Monitored?

A worker doing each type of work should be monitored. In a school this might include: • custodians or people who clean up the clay or glaze areas • teachers working or teaching with clay • employees mixing reclaiming clay

and/or

• teachers mixing glazes (or using silica-containing products) • any employee doing other tasks such as cutting refractories, chipping shelves, etc.

A small pottery business may have one or two people doing all of these different tasks. In this case, the testing should be done when all the dustiest work is done by that person to meet the “any foreseeable conditions” requirement.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

What are the Likely Test Results?

32

Schools or businesses in which dust can be seen on floors and surfaces are likely to exceed the 0.025 mg/m3 action limit. I know this from various sampling results at a number of schools I am privy to, and from a NIOSH study (NIOSH HETA 97-0189-2668) done in 1997 at a high school in West Des Moines, IA. This study showed that personal monitoring of an instructor found respirable silica at 0.03 mg/m3.

The same level was also measured in an air sample taken over the wedging table.

In 1997, these levels were below the NIOSH recommended limit of 0.05 mg/m3 so they were not considered unsafe. But today, they are both over the new 0.025 mg/m3 action limit.

Potteries or studios that are spanking-clean or well-operated will probably qualify for the exemption.

For example, custodians who wet mop, power wash, or HEPA vacuum pottery floors are unlikely to be breathing much silica. If teachers require students to clean up wheel areas thoroughly and immediately after use when most of the clay is still wet, there is not likely to be a lot of floor dust to get airborne.

the action limit, they also can cease running a full respiratory protection program. They now can distribute masks to those workers who want them under the OSHA Voluntary Use program, which doesn’t require medical certification, fit testing, or training. The employer only needs to provide each employee a copy of appendix D of regulation 1910.134, which covers some of the risks.

What About Students?

Silica exposures also should be very low if teachers or employers only allow dusty procedures such as sanding or glaze mixing to be done using local exhaust, such as in a spray booth or slot hood exhaust.

Potteries that reclaim clay on a daily basis to keep up with the mess and who only occasionally need to add dry clay to the pug mill will also probably be able to demonstrate a low silica exposure.

However, mixing clay from scratch is not likely to pass. I have never seen a ventilation system for clay mixing that did not need respirators for back up. As such, some potteries may now find an economic incentive to have clay mixed for them.

Students do not come under the OSHA regulations (except in a few states). Instead, schools must protect students under liability laws that are far more protective than the OSHA standards. For example, lawyers representing an asthmatic student could use the same silica studies done of the pottery air to qualify for the exemption as proof that there were levels of dust that are unhealthy for people with respiratory problems! For this reason, I recommend that course descriptions include information that ceramics cannot be made completely dust-fre, to forewarn such students.

When is the Compliance Deadline?

Who Sees the Air Sampling Data?

In addition to having this data on file to show OSHA, employers must provide all of the reports to their workers or their representatives.

This is true of all types of testing of the workplace, or of the workers, that affect safety or health. It is a worker’s right under regulation 1910.1020. The new Silica standard clearly states at the end of both the sections on air monitoring and medical surveillance that “the employer shall ensure that objective data are maintained and made available in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020.”

Additional Benefits If a school or pottery documents that their workers will be under

The date for getting all the sampling done is June 23, 2018.

This should be more than enough time, since air monitoring should actually have been done years ago as a job risk assessment under hazard communication. I recommend doing it as soon as possible. [ FOOTNOTE: Previous Clay Times issues addressing silica: Jan/Feb 1999: School Pottery Activities Studies Sep/Oct 2001: Recommendations for High School Ceramics Mar/Apr 2004: New Silica Standard Still in the Works Nov/Dec 2004: Ceramics Hazards: Merely Myths?

Jul/Aug 2005: Warren MacKenzie Diagnosed with Silicosis Nov/Dec 2005: Other Potters with Illness Come Forward Monona Rossol is an industrial hygienist/ chemist with an M.F.A. in ceramics/ glass. E-mail her at: ACTSNYC@cs.com

Great Glazes Nate’s Clear Glaze Frit 3134 Wollastonite Nepheline Syenite EPK Silica Talc TOTAL

Nate’s Red Clay

22.0 % 22.0 22.0 16.5 16.5 1.0 100 %

For Yellow: add 3% Red Iron Oxide For Green: add 4% Copper For Off-white: add 1.5% Red Iron Oxide

Recipes and image furnished by Nathan Willever of Philadelphia, PA. To see more of Nathan’s work, turn to The Gallery on p. 38.

Newman Red Redart Clay OM4 Ball Clay Silica Sand 60-Mesh TOTAL add Bentonite

41% 41 16 2 100 2%

Tile 6 Slip

Above: Nathan’s Red Clay body with Tile 6 Slip, Nate’s Clear Glaze with 1.5% Red Iron Oxide, and Nate’s Clear Glaze with 4% Copper Carbonate.

Each formula listed here is for firing to Cone 6 in oxidation.

Always test first!

Tile 6 Clay OM4 Ball Clay Silica Nepheline Syenite TOTAL

42 % 25 24 9 100 %

For Dipping: Add Zircopax 14% OR for thick brushing slip, add only 5%

Robin Hopperrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrr rrrr rrrr rrrrrrrrrrr clay work classic bookss sss ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss SWAN SONG THERE’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN PRICELESS AND WORTHLESS.

rrrrrrrrrr rrr rrrrr srrr srr�rrr�rr �r�rrrr�r rrrr rrrrr rrrrrrrrrsssr rrrrrrsr rrrr rrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrr�s

a lot more to a flood? Metalsmith Diane Falkenhagen knows what five

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feet of contaminated saltwater can do to a jewelry studio. CERF+ can

To Purchase:

Artist Diane Falkenhagen’s Texas studio — destroyed by flooding during Hurricane Ike, 2008

What would you do if you lost your work, your tools, your images, and

help you learn how to protect your career from crossing that fine line.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

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33

Resources I Classified Marketplace

Classified Marketplace Classes

Opportunities, cont.

Tools for Potters, cont.

• Throw like a pro! Hone your craftsmanship with this proven method. I will teach you in your studio. Your skill will grow substantially.

See reference letters at: Jepsonpottery.com; neverleavetheplayground.com

• Emergency relief and recovery resources for artists affected by recent disasters are available from CERF, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund.

Log onto studioprotector.org for details on how to get help from the arts sector, relief providers, and your community. The site, created by artists for artists, also offers strategies for becoming better prepared to deal with or avoid craft emergencies altogether.

Only the highest quality materials are used including exotic woods and Kirinite; each tool is a work of art. Some of our latest tools even glow in the dark! Check us out online at https://www.etsy.com/ shop/SegersPotteryTools

Summer & Fall Internships • Attention College Students!

Clay Times is now interviewing for Summer and Fall 2017 internships in graphic design, journalism, marketing, and studio management. Earn, learn, and get your clay kicks at our beautiful new island art center in Fernandina Beach, FL. For details, e-mail your resume and cover letter to claytimes@ gmail.com with “CT Internship” in the subject line.

Opportunities

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

• The Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition is a yearly juried clay competition for Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students in the United States.

34

Designed to showcase the best K-12 ceramic work made in the country, the exhibition takes place in a different city each year in conjunction with the annual conference of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). Visit the 20th annual show in Portland, Oregon, March 22-24, 2017. For complete details about the show and the entry process, log onto http://www.k12clay.org/

• Arts Community seeks smart, happy people — Intentional, sustainable, artsoriented community located in the NC mountains near Penland School of Crafts. Forest preserve, hiking trails, organic farm site, green-built houses. Makers and appreciators of clay (and other arts) welcome! Visit us online at www.HighCove.com For Sale • Order print and digital back issues, original potter’s t-shirt designs, and more — available exclusively from Clay Times!

We’ve also got the Great Glazes I & II collection of glaze recipes, Teaching Techniques how-to article PDFs by Bill van Gilder, and lots more great gifts for clay lovers at www.claytimes.com/store.html Tools for Potters • Segers Tools is a family-owned business creating originally designed, handcrafted tools.

• If you ever enjoyed the Spirograph® — that geometric drawing toy that produces mathematical curves technically known as hypotrochoids and epitrochoids — then you will probably enjoy ‘The Steve Tool’, which produces the same in 3D on clay. The next time you throw a pot, or spin-form extrusions, try this device to add texture to your cylinder before stretching out the shape. If you teach beginners and they just can’t limit the glaze they apply to a pot, hand them a Steve Tool to get the benefit of holding back some of that slobber thru crazy texture. For full details, visit www.graberspottery.com or e-mail steve@graberspottery.com [

Reach tens of thousands of active clay artists with your message in Clay Times!

Classifieds as low as $ 75 Display ads as low as $ 151 YOUR PRINT AD in any issue EARNS YOU a FREE 3-MONTH AD ONLINE!

Order your Clay Times classified at www.claytimes.com/classifieds.html or call 800.356.2529 for display ad details

Do You Really Know Why You Are Candling?

T

here I was, on the phone with a customer. He was about my age, and was a grizzled veteran of the craft scene. We spent some time swapping war stories about the craft show / gallery world. Then we began talking about making pots and firing kilns.

the need to not shock the body and blah, blah, blah. That’s when I ask him if he really knows why he candles overnight. He pauses and that’s when I pounce. [OK, I really don’t pounce; at my age, pouncing would probably pull a ligament.] I just rudely interject with:

During our conversation, he said something about firing his kiln a bit faster. He was tired of spending so many late nights tending a kiln and being away from his family.

“You candle because you were taught to candle.”

Well, I keep notes about my customers in the computer.

I type little observations into their files while we’re on the phone to help me troubleshoot things later. One of the notes in this particular file pertained to this man’s unwillingness to turn the burners up. He kept thinking that he shouldn’t let them go at full blast.

Many readers already know that this subject is one that I’ve written about before, and feel pretty passionate about. I asked my customer why he was candling overnight ... and he gives me the ’ole song and dance about glazes and clay bodies and

The term “candling” can mean very different things to any number of people. Our old potter friend started the kiln the night before, and got up at 6:30 a.m. to find the kiln at 200°F. He then proceeded to slowly turn the kiln up and eventually finished firing at 10:30 p.m.

Now in my opinion, spending 12 hours going from ambient temperature to 200°F is just an unproductive ritual. Then there are folks who start the kiln the night before, and come in to check on the kiln at 8:00 a.m. to find it at 1200°F. Both of these situations are wildly different. Also, they are both called candling.

I call the first a dogmatic waste of gas; the second, I call a poor burner or gas supply choice.

In the second case, you’re not candling, you’ve just started the firing the night before, most likely because you can’t fire in a reasonable amount of time. For the latter group, you have to do what you have to do. If starting the firing the night before is the only way to get to temperature, so be it.

Yet in the former case, where folks get up in the morning to find the kiln at just a couple hundred degrees … well, if that describes you, you need to stop it! You’re not only wasting energy, but time as well.

Let’s look at this from a different perspective.

Many potters make raku pots, using stoneware clay. It may have some extra grog or kyanite in it, but it’s still stoneware clay. They then bisque this clay, glaze it, and fire it from ambient temperature to 1850°F in just 20 to 30 minutes. The very same potter may take stoneware clay, bisque fire it, glaze it, put it back into a stoneware kiln again, and spend as much as 18 hours (with overnight candling and next-day turn-up) going from ambient temperature to 1850°F. What’s THAT about???

It’s about habit. It’s about not questioning authority. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

From my notes, I knew he was a bit reluctant to do anything radical (although I’m sure his parents thought becoming a potter was pretty radical)!

Eventually, the subject of candling overnight came up ... and that’s when I sorta’ freaked him out.

It’s just dogma. Now, if you’re doing once-fired ware that’s thick, candling overnight is probably a good thing. But, if you’re like my customer, who’s putting glazed bisque ware of fairly uniform thickness into his kiln, then you’re wasting time, sleep, and money by candling overnight. Let’s take a look at some facts.

BY marc ward

Shop Talk I Firing

Save Time and Firing Costs with Other Options

35

Shop Talk I Firing

Why Are You Candling?

Our Best Deal Ever!

(continued from previous page)

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

Now, if you like the ritual of the overnight candle — the dark, cool night and the soft hiss of burners — sitting quietly with your pots and your thoughts, then go for it. Just don’t delude yourself into thinking that the pots need this.

At some point, you may want a kiln to perform within the dictates of your life and not have a kiln dictate your life. How fast can you go?

That depends on you, your clay, and your methods. About 25 years ago, I wanted an answer to that very question. What I did was not about being efficient; it was about pushing the limits.

I took about 3 lbs. of clay, wedged it, and threw a vase shape without handles or additions. I dried it to leather-hard and trimmed it. I then dried it and bisque-fired it. It was then cooled, the foot was waxed, and the pot was glazed.

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

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Next, I raku-fired it and cleaned it — all in just six hours! That was the total time for forming and two firings. It was a perfectly fine pot that was indistinguishable from other pots.

The above example is not the best way to make pots, however. That one pot consumed most of an entire day and required the use of heat guns, hair dryers, water baths, and the tops of firing electric kilns.

The above example can be a way to think outside the box and discover the limits of your materials.

If you learn to push your materials, you may not have to push yourself as much. [ Marc Ward is owner/operator of Ward Burner Systems in Dandridge, Tennessee. He may be reached via the online catalog and Website at: www.wardburner.com, where you can also sign up for his free newsletter.

The Slurry Bucket Anchor Down That Display If you’re one of the many potters who takes part in outdoor craft fairs, you may have found yourself struggling with ways to keep your display secure. Sudden thunderstorms and gusts of wind are forces of nature that often pop up unexpectedly, and a heap of broken pots on the ground is the last thing any of us wants to deal with!

To help prevent accidents when Mother Nature strikes, invest in a heavy-duty canopy that can not only be staked to the ground, but also provides 100% UV protection from the hot summer sun. Because many fairs take place on paved areas such as parking lots, you’ll need a back-up method of staking when you’re not able to dig in to the ground. Try filling milk jugs — or partially filling 5-gallon buckets — with concrete, then tie each corner of the canopy to these containers to weigh down your tent for wind resistance.

Bring A Friend to Share the Love

Explore Conical Forms with These Easy to Use Templates!

Perfect for Teachers & Potters Working with Clay Slabs or Paper. Based on Proven Techniques in Development of Forms.

CircleMatic Form Finder Set includes 24 circular, flexible, durable templates. Develop forms by stacking multiple parts made from the various templates.

Developed by Potter & Teacher Sandi Pierantozzi For more info & to purchase Templates & DVD

www.circlematic.com

Speaking of craft fairs, do you ever feel nervous or uncomfortable as you wait for potential customers to pop into your booth? Or do you perhaps feel a bit weird when they browse or inspect your work, wondering if they like it enough to buy it? Sometimes it seems that folks avoid entering booths where the artist sits alone inside, because they don’t want to hurt their feelings by leaving without buying anything.

To view more useful clay artist tips, visit www.claytimes.com — where a new tip appears each time you log in! If you’d like to share one of your own studio tips with fellow readers, you can earn a free t-shirt if it’s published. Send your tips to: The Slurry Bucket, Clay Times, PO Box 17139, Amelia Island, FL 32035 and be sure to include your t-shirt size!

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

These awkward moments can be avoided by simply bringing a friend or family member along to not only keep you company, but also “talk up” your work. Words of praise by your pal will be considered by the customer as a positive testimonial, as opposed to being perceived as a sales pitch by the vendor. After your friend has praised your work, you can feel free to add technical words of advice, or explain what previous customers have enjoyed most about the work being considered. This one-two punch has proved to be a very effective sales strategy for many a craftsperson.

The additional benefit of having someone to help not only makes the time seem to pass more quickly on slow days, but also streamlines sales during busy times. [

37

Readers Share I Art Works CLAYTIMES¡COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

38

The Gallery

Dinner Plate. Red stoneware with slip, underglaze, and transparent glazes. Fired to cone 6 in oxidation. Nathan Willever, 1214 Emily St., Philadelphia, PA 19148. E-mail: nwillever@meca.edu; Website: www.nathanwillever.weebly.com; store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NateWilleverPottery. (See Great Glazes on p. 33 for formulas used to make this dinner plate.)

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 17139, Amelia Island, FL 32035; or e-mail to claytimes@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, Website and/or e-mail address, type of clay and glaze, firing method, and the dimensions of the work. (Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you need photo or slide returned.)

Readers Share I Art Works

The Gallery

Bone Flower. 11" x 15" x 3/4". Unglazed white clay fired to cone 05. Victoria Trofimova, 221 Pine St. #419, Florence, MA 01062.

E-mail: veekatceramics@gmail.com; Website: www.veekat.com

CLAYTIMES··COM COM n n Spring SPRING // Summer SUMMER 2017 2017 CLAYTIMES

Indigenous Fruit. Stoneware, faience. 16" x 8" x 8". Anina Major — E-mail: anina@aninamajor.com; Website: www.aninamajor.com

39

Resources I Books & Videos

Learn to Inlay, Stamp, Stencil, Draw, and Paint on Clay

New Ceramic Surface Design review by STEVEN BRANFMAN

I

t’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a technical or “how to” book. Why? Because many books in this genre are oversimplified, boring, not very well illustrated, repetitive ... you get the idea. Not so with New Ceramic Surface Design.

in the context of creating successful surfaces. I was impressed when I read, “Don’t forget that a threedimensional form has a base and an interior space that should be taken into consideration ... we have the ability to add detail in unexpected places ...”

Let me start by saying that there is nothing “new” in the book. All of the topics, methods, and processes are well established and practiced techniques. Some have historical origins. What is new is the bright, well thought-out presentation, and a selection of well chosen approaches to surface design.

The remaining chapters are categorized into types of surface treatment: Making Lines, Texture, and Shape, with four different approaches in each chapter. These include Mishima slip inlay, tape resist, shellac resist, contact paper stencil, assorted stamping techniques, sgraffito, and more. An inspiring feature of the book is the section including profiles of other artists and images of their work to help illustrate each of the techniques presented.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

Subtitled Learn to Inlay, Stamp, Stencil, Draw, and Paint on Clay, New Ceramic Surface Design is a handsome book intended to be used in the studio. The 160 pages are printed on heavy, white, semi-glossy paper and assembled on a strong spiral binding that allows the book to open flat. Every one of the 250 photographs and drawings is reproduced in full color, unless originally taken in blackand-white. The covers are heavy boards that will withstand some abuse. The author, Molly Hatch, is a well established clay artist with a long list of exhibitions and workshop presentations under her belt. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this book, and her dedication to teaching and sharing her expertise is evident in her friendly and easy-to-understand writing style. She successfully presents straightforward instructions and details without oversimplifying. There is no dumbing down, and no overly complex or intricate directions, even though this book is appealing, relevant, and useful to beginners as well as more seasoned potters.

40

New Ceramic Surface Design is comprised of six chapters. Chapters 1-3 set the stage, offering a suggested tool list (with descriptions), and pertinent information on clays, slips, underglaze, and glaze. Hatch even gives instructions on making a very simple, yet totally useable, damp box from a plastic bin or Styrofoam cooler. How practical!

She writes about sources of inspiration and how to organize and manage your ideas. Finally, she gives the reader suggestions for form and composition

The book is rounded off with a section of templates that can be used on one’s work, a list of materials, resources, recipes, glossary, and artist directory.

New Ceramic Surface Design offers the reader useful, spirited, and practical instruction in an easyto-read and understand style. Hatch’s efforts to encourage the reader to try things without fear of failure is a key quality of a good teacher. If you’re working in clay and find yourself frozen in doing the same things over and over and you’re not sure where to go for help — or if you’re looking for ideas and instruction to help you broaden and expand the surface design elements of your work — or if you’re looking for support in improving the way you are using some of the methods presented here, then consider adding New Ceramic Surface Design to your library. Whether you are brand-new to clay or a clay worker with years of experience having made thousands of pots, New Ceramic Surface Design can add to your palette and arsenal of creative tools.

Take my advice as a potter, teacher, workshop presenter, and writer: New Ceramic Surface Design will not disappoint.[ Steven Branfman is an accomplished potter, author, and teacher of pottery and ceramics at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts, and proprietor of The Potters Shop and School. You can e-mail him at: sbranfpots @aol.com

Resources I Books & Videos CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

New Ceramic Surface Design by Molly Hatch.

Quarry Books, hard cover, $29.99.

41

Shop Talk I Tool Times

NCECA Past & Present

Great Finds on Clay Tools

by VINCE PITELKA

Lots of interesting new clay tools make their way into the annual NCECA Conference exhibit hall each year, and the 2016 Kansas City show was no exception. Featured in this column are several impressive new tools I discovered there, and I expect that this year’s NCECA Conference in Portland, Oregon will yield many more great finds to highlight in forthcoming columns.

2 Hsin Trimmers and Bowl Rib

1 Hsin-Chuen Lin, Covered Jar

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

A

42

relatively new face in domestic tool-makers is Hsin-Chuen Lin, a studio potter in Northern California since 1991. Hsin produces several sizes of very fine circular bowl ribs with perfectly spaced indentations for three fingertips on the back to allow secure grasping with wet fingers. There is something especially satisfying about a hefty, domed hardwood rib when shaping thrown bowls.

Hsin also produces a line of very fine East Asian-style trimming tools in hard stainless steel. I recently received a set, and the only other occasions when I’ve seen such fine packaging were upon receiving an exquisite Japanese Damascus folding knife or my last iPhone.

3 Segers Kirinite Tools Receiving a tool in this kind of presentation box sets very high standards, and upon opening the box and removing the foam protector, my response was, “That was worth it!” The craftsmanship and finish are consistent and commendable, with beautifully beveled, razor-sharp cutting edges (Fig. 2). Some of the tools also work well for chattering, as seen in the Fig. 1 image of Hsin’s covered jar (above left). You can find more information and a link to

Hsin’s ETSY sales site at mypots.net I have previously written about Pamela Segers’ beautifully-fashioned hardwood throwing and modeling tools, and she now offers the same shapes in Kirinite, a versatile and very durable acrylic material originally designed for knife handles and gunstocks (Fig. 3). Kirinite comes in bright colors and patterns and will never warp or otherwise deteriorate from exposure to water. The image shows a throwing stick, a “Trumpet

4 Mudtools Fettling Knife can find Segers tools at Clay-King.com and other ceramics retailers.

At the Mudtools booth I acquired what is simply the finest fettling knife I have ever seen (Fig. 4). I have written about my favorite all-purpose clay knife – the common X-Acto #1 knife with the #11 blade. For many tasks you need the longer, tapered blade of a fettling knife, and unfortunately we’ve seen a deterioration in quality in inexpensive fettling knives, supporting the notion that when it comes to tools, you really do get what you pay for. The Mudtools fettling knife has a finely shaped and sharpened, double-edged, springy carbon-steel blade, and a comfortable turned hardwood handle with copper ferrule. The handle is the same as those found on Mudtools’ new Petal Knives, seen in the Fig. 5. The Petal Knives are curved carbon steel carving, scraping, and trimming tools unlike anything I have encountered before.

As is usually the case with Mudtools, they are beautifully made and feel just right in the hand.

Zebra also makes an interesting variation on the popular D-shaped shaver with the curved blade. Their Arc Shaver features an adjustable blade allowing broad variation in the degree of curvature, which should make it a highly versatile tool (also shown in Fig. 6). I have not worked with it yet, but look forward to experimenting.

I acquired a set of three of Diamond Core Tools’ semi-flexible diamond sanding pads (Fig. 7, next page) in

5 Mudtools Petal Knives NCECA were surprised by the ease with which they glide through clay, even when making deep cuts. The small stainless steel bolt allows adjustment of blade angle to suit personal need and preference, and easy replacement when the blade wears out.

6 Zebra Carving Tools and D Shaver

60-, 120-, and 240-grit, and found them highly effective for removing the “tooth” from the bottom of midrange and high-fired wares. With more aggressive pressure, they make short work of that stray glaze drip.

I’ve only had them for a short time, but the makers report long life in heavy studio use.

For serious grinding tasks, the 8" and 12" rigid diamond grinding disks (Fig. 8, next page) can be glued to a bat that fits on the wheelhead, and are ideal for removing the worst glaze runs and leveling the bottoms of forms. These disks bear no similarity to the sanding continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

Diamond Core Tools are makers of diamond sanding pads, hole-cutters, rotary tools, and grinding disks aimed specifically at the studio clay market, and their booth at NCECA ’16 was a hive of activity. Their commitment to this market is evident in their line of Zebra Tools, unique handmade carving tools featuring ultra-thin

stainless steel loop and hook blades in a variety of shapes, as seen in Fig. 6. They are designed specifically for carving, and are not intended to be trimming tools. These tools are more like surgical instruments, and should be handled with care. Those who tried them at

Shop Talk I Tool Times

Tool,” and a versatile modeling tool, ideal for trimming and beveling the bases of freshly-thrown vessels. You

43

Shop Talk I Tool Times

Great New Tool Finds (continued from previous page)

7

8

9

Pictured above: Semi-flexible Sanding Pads (7); Grinding Disk (8); and Hole Saw (9), all from Diamond Core Tools.

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

disks currently available. They have a thick layer of diamond grit bonded in a metal matrix, will grind far more aggressively than other products on the market, and should last for many years. Similarly, on the 15 mm hole drill (Fig. 9), the first 3/8" of the cutting rim is solid metal-bonded diamond grit, which translates to many years of service.

44

These hole drills are identical to those used in art glass, and this is the first time I’ve seen a hole drill offered in the studio ceramics market that will cut through high-fired stoneware and porcelain with ease. These drills are available in seven sizes from 3 mm to 25 mm. Both the grinding disk and the hole drill work best and last far longer with water irrigation during grinding,

which also eliminates the dust. You’ll find all of the Diamond Core Tools and Zebra tools at diamondcoretools.com [ 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.

Contact Vince through his Website at https://sites.tntech.edu/wpitelka/

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

Classes are listed alphabetically by state

COLORADO

FLORIDA, cont.

Spinning Star Studio — 427 East Colorado Ave., Studio 129, Colorado Springs, CO 80903; http:// www.spinningstarstudio.com; jennifer@spinningstarstudio. com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, classes for adults; wheelchair accessible wheel available. Open studio is available as well as electric kiln rental for firing up to cone 6.

Morean Center for Clay — 420 22nd St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712; 727.821.0516; www.MoreanArtsCenter.org; valerie.scott.knaust@ moreanartscenter.org. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children. Children’s summer camps and week-long adult camps.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

GEORGIA

Hinckley Pottery — New Location! 3132 Blues Alley NW, Washington, DC 20012; 202.745.055; www. hinckleypottery.com; info@hinckleypottery.com. Resident and associate work spaces; glaze firing in cone 10 gas kiln.

Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center — 980 Briarcliff Rd., Atlanta, GA 30306; 404.874.9351; www. callanwolde.org; gdair@callanwolde.org. Located in Midtown Atlanta, Callanwolde offers basic and intermediate wheel and handbuilding classes for adults, as well as electric, gas, raku, and soda firing, plus guest artist workshops.

FLORIDA Boca Raton Museum Art School — 801 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33486; 561.392.2503; Fax 561.361.8306; artschool@bocamuseum.org; www.bocamuseum.org/ artschool. We offer handbuilding, wheel-throwing, clay sculpture classes for kids, teens, and adults as well as classes in jewelry, painting, and photography.

Clay Times® Art Center — NEW! 112 S. Third St., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034; 904.624.7426; 800.356.2529; claytimes@gmail.com, www. ameliaartcenter.com. Studio space rental, gallery, lessons, open studio, visiting artist workshops. Glazing, firing, tools, books, equipment, and classes for all ages in wheelthrowing, handbuilding, sculpture, glass art & more. Custom internships for college students. Feel free to ask questions!

Johns Creek Arts Center — 6290 Abbotts Bridge Rd., Building 700, Johns Creek, GA 30097; 770.623.8448; Fax 770.623.6995; jcacinfo@ bellsouth.net; http://www.johnscreekarts.org. Located in Johns Creek, GA, the Johns Creek Art Center provides ceramics instruction for adults and youth with wheelthrowing, handbuilding, summer camps, cone 06-6 electric firing, and guest artist workshops.

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

Year-round classes, all skill levels, monthly workshops,

private lessons, retail gallery, shows. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

MARYLAND The ClayGround Studio & Gallery, LLC — 3715 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21043; 443.812.1158; claygroundonline.com; clayations46@ yahoo.com. Pottery classes for all ages, with wheel throwing, handbuilding, and electric firing. We do birthday parties, scout troops, home school, and corporate team building events.

Renaissance Art Center — 9250 Gaither Rd., Gaithersburg, MD 20877; 301.987.0377; www.rcarts.com; info@rcarts.com. Pottery classes for all ages, teaching wheel throwing, handbuilding, and glazing techniques. Electric firing. Our new studio features 12 wheels and over 2000 s.f. of studio space!

MASSACHUSETTS Purple Sage Pottery — 3 Mechanic St.,Merrimac, MA 01860; 978.346.9978; www.purplesagepottery. com; iris@purplesagepottery.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, sculpture; electric, gas reduction, and raku firing; guest artist workshops; classes for adults and children.

MISSOURI 323 Clay — 323 West Maple Avenue, Independence, MO 64068; 816.254.7552; http://www.323Clay.com; kimberly@323clay.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults, classes for children.

continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

Carla’s Clay Inc. — 1733 Northgate Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34234; 941.359.2773; www.carlasclay. com; cobrien@carlasclay.com. Classes for adults and children in wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric and raku firing. Guest artist workshops; retail supplies and gallery.

The Hudgens Center for the Arts — 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Bldg. 300, Duluth, GA 30097; 770.623.6002; Fax 770.623.3555; info@thehudgens. org; www.thehudgens.org. The Hudgens is located north of Atlanta and offers year-round fine art classes. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, classes for adults and children, open studio for students.

Resources I Classes

Community Pottery Classes

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Resources I Classes

MISSOURI

NEW YORK, cont.

VIRGINIA

Kansas City Clay Guild — 200 West 74th St., Kansas City, MO 64114; 816.373-1373; www.kcclayguildstudios.org; kcclayguild88@yahoo. com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes and “pottery parties” for adults and children. A fun, family atmosphere for novice through advanced ceramic artists.

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

Nan Rothwell Pottery — City Clay, 700 Harris St. Suite 104, Charlottesville, VA 22903; www.nanrothwellpottery.com; info@nanrothwellpottery.com.

Wheel-throwing, gas firing, salt glaze firing, guest artist workshops, plus two- and three-day workshops focused on wheel work or decorating and firing functional pottery.

NEW YORK Artworks at West Side YMCA — 5 West 63rd St., New York, NY 10023; 212.912.2368; ymcanyc. org/westside; kmissett@ymcanyc.org We are a friendly, supportive studio on Manhattan’s Upper West Side offering classes and open studio time in the visual arts. Wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, stained glass, watercolor, drawing, and beading. Classes for adults and children.

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, yearround 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; leigh@ clayartcenter.org. Clay Art Center kindles a passion for the ceramic arts and provides a community for that passion to flourish. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, community arts programming.

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

Clayworks on Columbia Inc. — 195 Columbia St., Brooklyn, NY 11231; 917.428.3128; ddmcdermott@rcn.com; www.clayworksoncolumbia.org.

A not-for-profit clay studio now in its 16th year. Classes for adults & children in wheel-throwing, handbuilding, and sculpture; featuring electric firing plus rental space and gallery for students and members.

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The JCC in Manhattan — 334 Amsterdam Ave., 76th St., Brooklyn, NY 10023; 646.505.5715; sorr@jccmanhattan.org; www.jccmanhattan. org/artstudios. The Upper West Side’s community ceramics center with classes for everyone at every level! Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children.

We also offer classes for children with Special Needs, private lessons, birthday parties, and bench time for registered students.

NORTH CAROLINA Dan Finch Pottery — 5526 Nursery Lane, Bailey, NC 27807-9492; 252.235.4664; http://www.danfinch. com; dan.finch@earthlink.net. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults. Demonstrations and workshops for groups (school, church, civic). Quarterly day and evening classes available in a collaborative and nurturing environment at Finch Farm.

OHIO John Bryan Community Pottery — 100 Dayton St., Yellow Springs, OH 45387; 937.767.9022; www.communitypottery.com. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, wood firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children. Four 8-week, sessions beginning in January, April, June and August. Studio and kiln rental.

TEXAS SUNIN Clay Studio — 13473 Wetmore Road, San Antonio, TX 78247; 210.494.9100; suninpottery@ sbcglobal.net; suninclaystudio.com. A teaching and working pottery studio offering classes, equipment, supplies, gallery/ shows and creative encouragement. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children, sculpting classes and retail products.

VIRGINIA Mainly Clay — 217 N. Main, Farmville, VA 23901 (beside Green Front Furniture). Pottery wheel and handbuilding classes, open studio, supplies, gifts, and jewelry; 434.315.5715; butlerp@mainlyclay.com; www.mainlyclay.com. Amaco & Standard dealer, Brent wheels, Shimpo slab roller, and Skutt electric kilns. Located in beautifully renovated historic building with upstairs rental space available for events and workshops.

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.

PFAC — 101 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606; 757.596.8175; mpreble@pfac-va.org; www.pfac-va.org; wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops, classes for adults and children. PFAC offers the opportunity to explore clay with a variety of techniques and processes.

Round Hill Arts Center — 35246 Harry Byrd Highway, Round Hill, VA 20142; 540.338.5022; info@ roundhillartscenter.org; www.roundhillartscenter.org; wheelthrowing, handbuilding, electric firing, classes for adults and children, summer camps, also classes for all art mediums.

Mention Clay Times for a 10% discount on your first class!

Open studios for students.

Workhouse Arts Center Ceramics Program — 9504 Workhouse Way, Bldg. 8, Lorton, VA 22079; 703.584.2982; www.workhousearts.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.

WISCONSIN Adamah Clay Studios of Bethel Horizons — 4651 County Highway ZZ, Dodgeville, WI 53533; 608.574.8100; e-mail: artventures@bethelhorizons.org; www.bethelhorizons.org. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, wood firing, classes for adults and children. Weekly pottery classes, affordable summer intensive week-long workshops, beautiful views, & university credits.

WYOMING Potters Depot LLC — 75 East Benteen St., Buffalo, WY 82834; pottersdepot@msn.com; www.pottersdepot. com; 307.684.4555. We have a beautiful gallery and offer pottery classes for adults, teens, and kids. Wheel-throwing, handbuilding, electric firing, gas firing, raku firing, guest artist workshops. We are located at the foothills of the beautiful Big Horn Mountains and provide a large selection of clay bodies and tools. [

LIST YOUR POTTERY CLASSES IN PRINT AND ONLINE for just $129 per year at: www.claytimes.com/classes.html

BY KELLY SAVINO

Opinion I Around the Firebox

The Joy of Less

Kelly’s bullet journal, where she’s trying to stay organized by keeping her entire life in one book — it’s “part planner, part art journal, part creative inspiration — combined with grocery lists and bucket lists, things to do and inspirational quotes, meal tracking and exercise logs, daily habits and scribbled thoughts,” she says ...

T

his is the year I set out to unclutter my life.

“embarrassment of riches”. In my closet at home, most of the clothes piled on shelves and crammed on hangers are “seconds” – those jeans that ride up in the back, the shirt with iron oxide on the sleeve – or are perfectly serviceable garments that look fine, but don’t (as organizer Marie Kondo says) “spark joy”.

My favorites rarely surface in the basement laundry mines, because I grab what is handy, easy, and on top of the pile. (After all, it’s going to be covered with clay by the end of the day anyway.)

I have had to face the fact that my studio is not unique in its cluttered

As this awareness of too much stuff has increasingly begun to manifest continued on page 49

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

My studio is more storage space than work space. Somehow I have accumulated drawers full of stamps and cutters, ribs and rollers, brushes, trimmers, and gadgets.

Ironically, when I head out to throw or demo, I am armed with only the flat metal rib that fits in my back pocket, a bisque signature chop in my front pocket, and maybe a short bamboo skewer poked through a hastily wadded bun that keeps my hair out of my eyes when I throw.

I have a couple of prized, spendy Bison trimming tools, but can never seem to find them behind the pile of cheaply-made but more available trimmers at hand. Sadly, I end up using whatever massproduced, joyless - but - workable thing I find first in the chaotic swirl of way-too-much-stuff, so I rarely come across that perfect throwing sponge that fits in my palm, or the pointy-beaked Dolan knife my late friend Edith Franklin gave me (the one my students called “the little ninja knife”).

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CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2017

COME SEE US AT NCECA BOOTH #314!

48

itself, I found myself turning my eyes on the kitchen. How many ladles, measuring spoons, and unused countertop gadgets are taking up space, time, and energy? Isn’t there a favorite for each of those? Why, as a potter with a collection of beauties, do I even own those “extra” commercial coffee mugs?

Possessions complicate my life.

Yet for a week every summer, I stay alone in a pop-up camper near a Renaissance festival, where I sell flasks, in full costume. I have exactly one spatula — a nice one, always clean and at hand. One tea kettle, one tin cup, and one blanket (it’s my best crazy quilt, with bits of my wedding dress and grandma’s aprons stitched in). Every item there has meaning, and the lack of chaos and clutter is calming. I can clean the entire kitchen with a single wet wipe. I recently bought a lovely oval Allegheny Meadows bowl for my morning oatmeal and evening soup, just for that week (smile).

I had to turn the tide or I would drown in stuff, or end up on an episode of “Hoarders”. I began to sort, donating bags of clothing. Slowly but surely I am taking on the basement, attic, studio, and garage. Every item I give away makes my favorites more available, front and center. I saw something similar happen with my parents and grandparents when they sold the big family home for a smaller condo. They kept only the very best of their furniture, art, and heirlooms. They distilled all the “stuff” down to only the things that mattered. But I’m not waiting — I’m starting NOW. In the process, everywhere I dig, I find bits of paper, lists on envelopes, business cards, and cryptic sticky notes that say “Call by Wednesday.”

(Call whom? Which Wednesday?)

There are scattered legions of spiral notebooks where I had begun to sketch, list, budget, or organize on the first few pages, before the notebook was sucked into the chaos and disappeared. How many great studio ideas had I scribbled, lost, and forgotten? How many ideas had I tucked away from workshops, recipes for glazes, or “aha” moments lost in the swirl of scribbled napkins and laundered receipts?

I had heard about “bullet journaling,” and checked out the offerings on blogs, Websites, Pinterest and Facebook. At first it was daunting.

The idea is to keep all of your life in one book — part planner, part art journal, part creative inspiration — combined with grocery lists and bucket lists, things to do and inspirational quotes, meal tracking and exercise logs, daily habits and scribbled thoughts. But many of the posts were intimidating compositions of perfect lines, legend symbols, washi tape, calligraphic fonts, and over-the-top graphics that made me wonder how anyone had time to DO the tasks on that artfully presented things-to-do list?

Fortunately, my years as a potter have provided me with the ability to embrace the variables and adjust my expectations. My bullet journal would likely be like my life: messy, yet productive, with bits of humor and lots of mistakes; chaotic and crusted with clay. So I began.

As a potter, I also appreciate the relationship between my hand and my brain ... so the effort required of a pen and paper seemed to anchor my thoughts the way a keyboard never has. As a non-linear thinker with “attention issues”, it was a comfort to know that everything I needed – appointments, deadlines, and ideas – were all there in my hand. My anxiety level dropped. I got things done on time (even my Clay Times column made it in by the deadline!) I learned to sketch instead of photographing pots and inspirations, no matter how gradeschoolish the resulting image was, because it helped me to “see”.

Like a new potter who wants to try everything, I set out to explore some of the interesting journal templates posted online. Some needed to be adapted for the way my brain works, while others were too much fuss and bother, causing me to quickly flip the page and move on. continued on next page

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

In retrospect, a lot of the extras in my studio – apart from what I have made myself or rummaged at sales – have been given to me by potters who were cleaning their own studios, consolidating and simplifying. Maybe it’s a rite of passage. Once, when my kids were babies and I had built a clay space behind the garage, Majolica potter Ann Tubbs pulled into my driveway and unloaded her van, offering boxes and bags and buckets of stuff for my fledgling studio.

“I don’t teach classes anymore,” she said, producing boxes of tools, toothbrushes, and paintbrushes.

“I don’t fire at this cone anymore,” she explained, offering a bucket of glaze. “I don’t use Cornwall Stone ... I don’t need this extra plaster …”

I was thrilled. I intended to do it all, try it all, master it all.

Elder potters who were mentors did the same when they downsized their homes. Then a school program closed, a friend switched from clay to fiber arts, and of course there were endless finds from junk shops and yard sales that COULD be a clay tool. After every NCECA conference I seemed to come home with one more new gadget jammed between pots and clothes in my carry-on bag.

Opinion I Around the Firebox

The Joy of Less (continued from page 47)

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Opinion I Around the Firebox

Index to Advertisers 3-D Potter................................................48 Advancer Kiln Shelves..............................3 American Ceramic Supply Co................22 Carolina Clay Connection.......................50 CERF Studio Protector...........................33 Circle-Matic Form Finder........................37 Clay Times Products...............................22 Continental Clay......................................22 Dish TV....................................................36 Dolan Tools.............................................48 Euclid’s Elements....................................51 Fired-on Images......................................37 Giffin Tec.................................................48 Great Lakes Clay & Supply Co...............50 Handmade Tile Association....................22 Hi-roller Vertical Slab System.................44 Hood College..........................................10 Japan Pottery Tools..................................4 L & L Kilns.................................................7 Laguna Clay............................................11 MKM Pottery Tools...................................3 NCECA Evocative Garden Exhibition.......8 New Mexico Clay’s Terra Sigillata...........48 Paducah School of Art & Design............10 Paragon Industries....................................2 Robin Hopper’s Swan Song Video.........33 Silver City Clay Festival..........................11 Skutt Kilns...............................................52 Slab Mat....................................................4 Ward Burner Systems...............................4

CLAYTIMES·COM n Spring / Summer 2017

To advertise in Clay Times®, log onto www.claytimes.com/advertise.html

50

We believe artists should have access to consistent and affordable clay. www.GreatClay.com

The Joy of Less (continued (continued from from previous previous page) page) So it seems that bullet journals are all about the “fresh start”.

When Sunday comes, it’s a clean new week, and unchecked tasks get migrated ahead of the mess of last week’s trials and failures. It’s oddly satisfying. My first journal filled quickly.

By the time I left for last year’s NCECA, traveling Amtrak from Ohio to Kansas City, I was ready to move into a whole new book. In the long hours on the train, I spread out my journals and three good pens at a lounge car table. A brand-new Moleskine dot-grid journal, bought on clearance and freshly decorated with my own collage cover, was waiting to be next.

It was like cleaning my studio all over again! I realized I don’t need to keep every experiment I ever tried, or items other people find essential, or future intentions and half-baked plans that get in the way of what’s truly useful, joyful, or important. I carefully sorted through my first journal, being honest with myself: is this a useful list, chart, or habit to track? I migrated only the best of the best, knowing full well that every journal would present new rough drafts for later rejection.

But unlike an attic full of outgrown clothes, or a studio full of donated art supplies, this process was quick and easy and kind of fun. In a moment of effort, I attempted one of those fancylettered headings while the train rattled and rocked across farm land, but laughed and labeled the wobbly results “Amtrak Font”. No matter!

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One of my new favorites in the journal is a “life page”. With a pen and ruler, I laid out 99 years (as many as my Grandmother lived, therefore my ambitious goal). I began with 1961, and the simple word “Born.”

Down the page, I noted graduations and milestones, a semester abroad, marriage, and the births of my children, until 2016— where I drew a fat black line. Life so far, above the line. Life to come, below.

(No guarantees.)

I pondered the page for a long time, then flipped back to my bucket list. I could write my novel at 80, but might not want to jump out of a plane. If we hope to retire and travel, there’s a slice after kids are launched, but before health issues might intervene, and those dates are anyone’s guess.

If I squint at it one way and assume my Grandma’s genetics and luck, I have a lot of page left to live. If I squint at it the other way, the years look fleeting and there’s a lot left to do. Maybe not time to do it all; maybe only the most important ones on the list.

For now, all I can do is keep choosing from day to day what to keep, and what to leave behind. I’m choosing what is useful, joyful, essential, and learning to cross out or hand off what has proven unnecessary and in the way. I’m looking around for new potters in my area who are still in the “gathering” phase, as I consolidate and distill. I no longer wish to do it all, and need to choose which goals and projects have held my interest across the test of time.

What are those things? I’m trying to decide ... guess I’ll make a list in my bullet journal. [ Kelly Savino may be reached via e-mail at: ksavino@bex.net

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