ceramic
art
trends,
tools,
and
®
TIMES
Clay
techniques
Volume 22 • No. 101 SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Kevin Snipes: 2D Meets 3D
Handbuilding the Yunomi with Chandra DeBuse Clear Choices: Glazes to Enhance Underglazes Protective Gear for Pregnant Potters State of Clay 2016 Dennis Meiners: Drawing and Sculpting Relief Patterns on Clay
PLUS: Sheri Leigh O’Connor’s Visual Stance on Gun Control
$8.95 U.S./$10.95 CAN
La Mesa Exhibition at Kansas City NCECA
Earline Green’s clay spirit quilts on display in the Dunbar Lancaster-Kiest Branch Library in Dallas, Texas.
A Texas potter makes 1,300 pound quilts with her Paragon Dragon As a child, Earline Green made hand-stitched quilts with her grandmother Mama Freddie. Earline spent more time quilting with the older ladies than she did playing with children her own age. Her early experiences with the lively quilters taught her a life-long love of artwork. 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
CA E NC 18 T A -3 6 S 1 T U HS 3 I S VI OOT B
®
THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR ELECTRIC KILNS
THINNER • LIGHTER • STRONGER
866-545-6743
to subscribe to Clay Times® visit our Website at
www.KilnShelf.com
CERAMIC MATERIALS
Amaco, Bluebird, Brent, Debcor Dolan, Duncan, Giffin, Kemper L & L, Mason, Mayco, Mudtools Northstar, Olympic, Pacifica Peter Pugger, Royal, Sapir Shimpo, Skutt, Soldner Spectrum, Speedball Thomas Stuart, Xiem
www.claytimes.com or call toll-free 1-800-356-2529
MINNEAPOLIS • DENVER continentalclay.com 800.432.2529
ceramic art trends, tools & techniques
®
magazine
TIMES
Clay 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: Jorie Berman Peter Davis Sheri Leigh O’Connor ✦ Printed on 100% FSC-certified and 75% post-consumer recycled paper ✦ Published by: CLAY TIMES, LLC P.O. Box 17139 • Amelia Island, FL 32035
Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529 Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published quarterly, four issues per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Burlington, VT. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). Digital subscriptions are just $20 worldwide. To subscribe, call toll-free 1-800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com. Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Website for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 17139, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035.
4
Copyright ©2016 Clay Times, LLC. All rights reserved. The material contained herein is derived from various sources and does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All technical material is offered as general information only and should not be acted upon without expert supervision. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
Questions? Comments? Please e-mail us! Editorial: claytimes@gmail.com Advertising: clayaccounts@gmail.com Circulation: ctcirculation@gmail.com Website: www.claytimes.com
These whimsical works by cover artist Kevin Snipes (pictured, opposite page) masterfully integrate 2D narrative drawings with 3D ceramic vessels. Turn to page 14 for the story behind the forms.
®
contents
TIMES
Clay
SPRING / SUMMER 2016 Volume 22, No. 101 Cover photo: Narrative vessel by Kevin Snipes. See more of his work on opposite page and in article that begins on page 14 Cover inset photo: Teabowl by Dennis Meiners. Story begins on page 31
features ➤ 14 Kevin Snipes Brings 2D & 3D Together Discover how cover artist Kevin Snipes masterfully integrates 2D narrative drawings with 3D ceramic vessels, and what drives him to make these forms. ➤ 31 Dennis Meiners’ Life in Clay After 45 years, this accomplished clay artist brings his pots to life with realistic hand-painted images and relief patterns made from carved sprig molds ➤ 39 Mexican Encaustic Tiles True, these tiles aren’t fired — but they are comprised of clay! Discover what goes into the traditional process of encaustic tile making with a peek into the family studio of a San Miguel, Mexico tile artist.
Featured cover artist, Kevin Snipes, in his Georgia studio
➤ 42 Kentucky Fried Gun Control Sheri Leigh O’Connor sends us a message with her ceramic mockery of guns in today’s U.S. society.
exhibits ➤ 12 2016 State of Clay This annual juried exhibition features a wide variety of works by current and former Massachusetts clay artists.
Potential by Chris Staley — One of numerous place settings featured in the La Mesa 2016 show March 16-19
➤ 24 La Mesa at 50th NCECA Santa Fe Clay hosts its 12th annual show devoted to functional tableware at this year’s 50th anniversary NCECA conference in Kansas City, Missouri. 5
®
contents
TIMES
Clay Spring / Summer 2016 • Volume 22 Issue 101
departments
columns
9 WHAT’S HOT
17 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Clear Choices: Which Formulas Produce Which Underglaze Effects?” by Pete Pinnell
Clay world news, events, and calls for entries
17 GREAT GLAZES We gave an extra page to Pete Pinnell for his ‘Clear Choice’ base glaze formulas!
21 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Handbuilding the Yunomi Cup with Chandra DeBuse” by Lana Wilson
28 THE SLURRY BUCKET Studio-tested tips & techniques
29 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY
34 THE GALLERY
“Safety Gear for Pregos” by Monona Rossol
Our readers share images of their compelling clayworks
36 KILNS & FIRING “Understanding Valve Fitting Capacities” by Marc Ward
44 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially by and for clay artists
37 TOOL TIMES “Buy Quality — Seek Originality” by Vince Pitelka
47 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in your own community
45 BOOKS & VIDEOS “The Philosophy of Our Craft:” Four book reviews by Steve Branfman
50 ADVERTISER INDEX Welcome to the new advertisers in this issue! (As always, please let them know you found them in Clay Times!) 6
CTSpring2016.PressFinal.indd 6
49 AROUND THE FIREBOX Pictured, from top of page: Tree 1 by Steve Winberg; Beach Stone Vessel 2 by Paula Barry; Amphitheater by Mike Roche — all part of State of Clay 2016. See more on p. 12-13.
“Embracing Failure” by David Hendley
3/7/16 10:49 PM
7 7
Think Big.
L&L Kiln’s patented hard ceramic
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016 CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Toll Free: 888.684.3232 Swedesboro, NJ 08085
88
element holders protect your kiln.
Hot Stuff I Calendar
What’s Hot • ceramic art world news • events • • calls for entries • Santa Fe Clay will again host its annual La Mesa tableware show at NCECA 2016 in Kansas City, Mo.
Conferences
Calls for Entries
‰ CCACA, the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art, takes place in Davis, California from Apr. 29 to May 1. The event will feature demonstrations, lectures, and exhibitions dedicated to the field of ceramic sculpture. Planned are 45 major shows including the John Natsoulas Gallery’s annual “30 Sculptors” exhibition.
‰ Chelsea River Gallery is accepting entries through Mar. 28 for its 8th annual Sculpturewalk Chelsea exhibition, to take place June 2016 through May 2017. Twelve sculptures will be juried into the exhibit and installed on concrete pads in outdoor locations of historic downtown Chelsea, Michigan (located 14 miles west of Ann Arbor). Online and print brochures will be provided to the public to inspire self-guided walking tours of the exhibit. Guided docent tours will also be available. For complete details, log onto www.chelsearivergallery. com or call 734.433.0826.
Also slated are several local exhibitions, along with more than 40 college shows within easy walking distance of each other. Featured artists for this year’s event include Christa Assad, Clayton Bailey, Susan Beiner, Paul Mathieu, Beth Lo, Michael Lucero, and James Tyler. For complete programming and registration details, log onto http://natsoulas.com/ccaca-2016/ or call the Natsoulas Gallery at 530.756.3938 ‰ Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia will host the Women Working with Clay Symposium from June 13 to 16.
‰ Clay artists ages 18 and up who live in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, or Texas are invited to submite their entries to VisionMakers 2016 by April 1. All works must be original and completed within the past two years by artists who are not degree-seeking students.The show takes place Oct. 7-Nov. 19, 2016 in Tulsa, OK. For further details, log onto http://108contemporary.org/2016visionmakers or call 918.895.6302. continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
The gathering will feature demonstrations, lectures, and panel discussions that explore the historical connections of women as vessel makers, artists, and artisans. Guest presenters include Syd Carpenter, Michelle Erickson, Liz Quackenbush, and Tara Wilson. Louise Cort of the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery will serve as keynote speaker. Silvie Granatelli will deliver the closing lecture. For further details and registration information, log onto www.hollins.edu/tmva or call 540.362.6021.
‰ The Clay Studio of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is accepting entries through April 1 for its Annual National Juried Exhibition, to take place May 6 through June 19. For complete details, log onto www.theclaystudio.org, or call 215.925.3453.
9
Hot Stuff I Calendar
What’s Hot (continued from p. 9)
‰ The Cub Creek Foundation in Lynchburg, Virginia is accepting entries through April 1 of claywork by persons ages 18-30 for Emerging Ceramic Artists, to take place June 1 to June 25, 2016. For more information, log onto www. cubcreek.org or call 434.248.5074. ‰ The Kirkland Arts Center is accepting entries through April 8 of works that utilize clay as the primary medium for its sixth biennial international contemporary exhibition, Clay VI. The show, to be juried by University of Washington professors Doug Jeck, Jamie Walker, and Michael Swaine, will take place June 18 through Sept. 10. Log onto www. kirklandartscenter.org for complete details on the show and a link to download the application, or call 425.822.7161, ext. 102 for additional information. ‰ The Workhouse Arts Center is accepting ceramic entries from U.S. and Canadian residents through May 4 for its Workhouse Clay International 2016. The exhibition, to be juried by Jack Troy, will take place Aug. 13 - Oct. 16 in Lorton, Virginia. To learn more, log onto www. workhouseceramics.org or call 703.584.2982.
A SILVER CITY ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICT SIGNATURE EVENT
JULY 25 - 31, 2016 SILVER CITY, NM JURIED EXHIBITIONS CLAYFEST MARKET WORKSHOPS CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
LECTURES
10
GALA LIVE MUSIC ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES POKER TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER
CLAYFESTIVAL.COM
‰ The General Gomez Gallery of Auburn, California is accepting flower-themed art of all kinds through May 4 for its second annual flower-inspired show entitled Blooming II, to take place May 20 through June 18. Log onto http://www. generalgomez.com/uncategorized/blooming-2016 -entry-form/ to download the application, or call 530.745.4230 for more information. ‰ The Kansas City Clay Guild is accepting entries of ceramic teabowls made by adult U.S. residents through May 6 for its Teabowl National, to take place Aug. 26 - Sept. 16. For complete details, log onto http://teabowl national.weebly.com or call 816.363.1373. ‰ Clay Arts Vegas is accepting entries through May 23 of functional and sculptural tableware made by adult U.S. and Canadian clay artists for Serve It Up 2016, to take place June 30 - Aug. 28 at the Victor F. Keen Gallery in Las Vegas, Nevada. Questions call 702.375.4147,
at
www.
‰ Claywork measuring no more than 8" in any dimension, or no less than 24" in any dimension, will be accepted through May 27 for the 2016 Clay National XI: The Intimacy of Scale. The exhibition of small works will be at one gallery, while the large works will be exhibited at another. Both shows will take place Aug. 5 - 26 in Carbondale, Colorado. To learn more, log onto http:// carbondaleclay.org/gallery.html or call 970.963.2529. ‰ The Salt Spring Potters Guild of Canada is accepting entries through May 31 from claywork by artists residing in Vancouver Island and The Gulf Islands, BC, for the Salt Spring Island Ceramics Awards. More than $4200 in prizes will be awarded to clay artists in two categories: emerging artists and established artists. For full details on the event, which takes place Oct. 6 to 16, log onto https://salt springpottersguild.com/ceramics-awards, where you can download a prospectus. ‰ Entries for the 2016 Strictly Functional Pottery National, to take place Sept. 17 through Oct. 22, are being accepted through June 1. All works must be functional and made by U.S. artists. The juror for this year’s event, the 24th annual show, is Simon Leach. For entry details and application, log onto www.strictlyfunctionalpottery.net, or call 717.509.7547 if you have questions.
SWAN SONG
rrrrrrrrrr rrr rrrrr srrr srrďż˝rrrďż˝rr ďż˝rďż˝rrrrďż˝r rrrr rrrrr rrrrrrrrrsssr rrrrrrsr rrrr rrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrďż˝s iÇ°JT JT NZ ĂOBM BDU JO TPNFUIJOH ZFBST BT B QFSJQBUFUJD QFSGPSNFS w rrrrrďż˝rrrrrďż˝rr��rrrrrr��rrrrrrrrsrrsrr rrr���srďż˝ssrrrrrrrrrrrrr��rrrrrr��r rrssrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrďż˝rrďż˝rsssrďż˝rrrrrrr ďż˝rrrrďż˝rrrrrrsrrrrrrďż˝rrrrrrrrr��rrrrrrrrr srrrrrr rrrrrrrďż˝r rrrr rrrr ďż˝sr ďż˝rrrr srrrrrsr��rrrrďż˝rrďż˝rrsrrrrrrďż˝rrrrďż˝s To Purchase:
XXX HPGVOENF DPN SSN NLL XXX DIPTJOQPUUFSZ DB XXX UIFQPUUFSTTIPQ DPN
AVAILABLE AT CLAY TIMES NCECA BOOTH #212
Summer 2016 Master Artists Workshops in Ceramics Yoshi Fujii • July 8-9 Elaine Henry • July 22-24 Sunshine Cobb • August 4-6 270.408.4278 • PaducahSchoolofArtand Design.org
To list your events, clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, or ceramic news items in Clay TimesÂŽ, please e-mail complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, or click the submission link at www.claytimes.com/contribute.html
Paducah, Kentucky • UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art
WKCTC is an equal educational and employment opportunity institution.
CLAYTIMES¡COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
‰ The Wayne Art Center of Wayne, Pennsylvania is accepting entries through Sept. 14 for Craft Forms 2016, its 22nd International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft. The show, to take place Dec. 2, 2016 through Jan. 28, 2017, will feature media of all kinds and will offer more than $8,000 in awards to artists. For details and the online entry form, log onto www.craftforms entry.org or call 610.688.3553 x 211 for more information. [
Robin Hopperrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrr rrrr rrrr rrrrrrrrrrr clay work classic bookss sss ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Hot Stuff I Calendar
or download the prospectus, clayartsvegas.com/calls/serve2016.pdf
11
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
12
Calyx Crater by Paul Briggs, to be featured with works on opposite page as part of State of Clay 2016 in Lexington, Massachusetts. More images from the upcoming show appear on page 6.
State of Clay 2016
T
he year 2016 is the 20th year of the State of Clay exhibition. This is the 9th biennial show, with an additional two invitational shows that were held at the Fuller Craft Museum in 2006 and 2015.
Presented by the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, State of Clay is the only juried show in Massachusetts that showcases works by clay artists who come from all over the state. Works by former residents who reside
elsewhere in the U.S. — plus works by a few former residents who now live abroad — are also featured. This year’s exhibition takes place May 7 - June 5, and features a wide variety of works selected by juror Wayne Higby, professor at the NY State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. On May 20, Higby will personally award prizes to the makers of pieces he considered to be the most outstanding. Besides showcasing the artists and their work, the show educates the public about the vitality and growth of ceramic art within Massachusetts. For further details on the show, log onto www.stateofclay.com [
Striped Creamer Set by Jeremy Ayers.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Yellow Boat by Jill Soloman.
13
14
14
meets
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
2D
3D
BY JORIE BERMAN
Kevin Snipes
wants us to wonder what came first — the drawing, or the form?
It is an engaging challenge for him to find imagery in the forms that he constructs. He draws regularly in his sketchbook to work on ideas, but the drawings don’t get transferred directly onto clay. Rather, he prefers to improvise so that the imagery remains fresh and specific to each form. Kevin thinks a lot about the tension between opposites, and the relationship between self and other. He subscribes to the overall philosophy that we know ourselves by knowing what or whom we are not. We distinguish our character, preferences, and tastes by defining, categorizing, and labeling. He says, “We discriminate to know who we are — but it can end up messy.” Kevin is African American, but he does not want to make “black” work. He is, however, interested in revealing differences and starting dialogues about what it means to be “other.”
Kevin draws on hard-leather-hard (nearly bone dry) porcelain, often with an exacto knife. He uses a combination of mishima and sgraffito techniques to achieve the color and line quality that he strives for. The process of mishima involves carving fine lines into leather-hard clay, filling the etched lines with underglaze, and then scraping away the excess underglaze with a rib. Sgraffito is the opposite — one paints underglaze on to leather-hard clay, and then carves away lines or shapes to reveal the clay color beneath. By using these techniques in tandem, Kevin is able to layer drawings by adding and subtracting line, shape, and color until he is satisfied with the outcome. The work is constructed from porcelain slabs that are rolled with a rolling pin on a flat, porous, nontextured (no canvas) table. When the porcelain slabs have reached the right consistency — sturdy enough to hold a form, but not so dry that they can’t be nudged into curves without cracking — Kevin builds the forms. He often uses scratchboard templates to quickly test out ideas before attempting a form in clay. He does this simply by cutting shapes out of the scratchboard (four shapes for a four-sided vessel) and taping them together. If he doesn’t like the form, he can make alterations easily, without having invested the time it would take to build the piece out of clay. continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
The majority of Kevin’s work is vessel-based, and has distinct flat sides, each of which contains a narrative and/or abstract drawing. Word bubbles with single words or short phrases often accompany the drawings. Each side of the vessel acts as a blank canvas on which Kevin draws. Although no side is the “back,” Kevin sets up a relationship between “this” and “that” by placing figures and objects on sides opposite from each other. The notion of the vessel is important to the work because the interior space signifies the potential between these characters. Are they friends … enemies … lovers? Nearly anything could happen between them.
The bright colors and funky shapes draw the viewer into this seemingly playful world where ice cream cones are animated and Pez guys are nearly life size! At close inspection, however, the viewer notices that the figures are solitary, and sometimes those ice cream cones (which are reminiscent of pre-Civil Rights Movement blackface minstrels) are crying. Kevin enjoys including imagery that is simultaneously funny and disturbing — he wants the work to “sneak up on you.”
15
Kevin uses Speedball underglazes for the mishima and sgraffito drawings. Once the drawings are complete and the work is bisque-fired to cone 06, Kevin paints on translucent glazes and fires the work to cone 6 in an electric kiln.
Kevin Snipes (continued from previous page)
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
As a child, Kevin always knew he wanted to be an artist. Like many boys, his earliest art influence came in the form of comics. He thought he would be the next Charles Schulz! He loved drawing, making paper airplanes and constructing cardboard boats, and he also recalls being totally engaged by the images and text on cereal boxes while eating his breakfast. In addition to being influenced by the comics of his youth, Kevin finds inspiration in the work of Robert Crum, Kirk Mangus, and Picasso, as well as children’s books from the 1950s and ’60s and old textbooks with informational diagrams.
16
Kevin graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a BFA in Ceramics and Drawing in 1994, and received an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Florida in 2003. He has participated in a number of artist residency programs, including the Worcester Center for Crafts, in Worcester, Massachusetts; the Clay Studio, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Watershed Center for the Arts, in New Castle, Maine; the Archie Bray Foundation, in Helena, Montana; and CRETA, in Rome, Italy. Kevin currently resides in Athens, Georgia, where is an artist in residence at the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. [ See more of Kevin’s work at kevinsnipes.com, or follow him on Instagram @hollowfingers
Clear Choices: Not All Clear Glazes Are the Same
PART TWO OF A SERIES • by PETE PINNELL
E
very potter has a favorite clear glaze recipe, but often just one. Clear glazes can seem kind of boring (compared with other glazes), so most people find one that meets the minimum requirements (doesn’t craze or run) and then don’t give it much more thought. However, clear glazes can be just as varied as any other kind of glaze. In this article, I’m going to present three successful clear glazes, each of which has very different qualities. These aren’t necessarily the “best” glazes at anything — they each have specific strengths and weaknesses. I’m presenting these to provide you with my thought process for evaluating them, as much as to provide you with the glaze recipes themselves.
I then translated that formula into a recipe made from
contemporary materials. Surprisingly, it worked quite well and looked a lot like those Chinese examples from the 18th century. Once I got out of school, I ended up rounding the ingredient percentages (to make the glaze easier to mix) and found that it worked just the same. It’s a recipe that many potters use today. From a chemical standpoint, this formula is what potters might call a “high lime” glaze. Most of the fluxing is done with calcium oxide (“lime” in traditional potter’s language, since potters used to use “quicklime” or “burnt lime” for this), with potassium oxide and sodium continued on next page
Pete’s Clear Glaze Cone 9-12 oxidation or reduction 25% 35 20 20
Potash Feldspar* Silica Whiting Grolleg China Clay TOTAL
100%
* I've used Custer Feldspar (both old and new), G200, and G200 HP. All work, but they have slightly different qualities. for Pete’s Celadon, add:
Tin Oxide Barium Carbonate Barnard Clay
1% 2% 3%
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
The first glaze is one that many potters know as “Pete’s Clear”. I formulated this glaze when I was a graduate student in the early ’80s. I had long admired the clear glazes on Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) Chinese porcelain, and discovered that there were published chemical analyses that had been done from shards. I collected a number of analyses, discarded those that seemed anomalous, and averaged the others.
Image 1: Pete’s Clear Glaze. The left tile is fired to cone 6 in oxidation and is melted, but not yet mature. The three right-hand tiles are fired to cone 10 in reduction and have a progressively thicker glaze application (single-, double-, and triple-dipped). As you can see, the glaze doesn’t cause any smearing of the underglaze, but it does obscure the lines as it becomes thicker.
17
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Clear Choices (continued from previous page)
oxide (the alkali metal fluxes) playing a secondary role. It has a relatively high alumina level, so it’s very stiff (it never runs). Its fairly high silica level means that it achieves a glassy surface. This glaze is a bluish-clear on Grolleg porcelain, and is very durable. I have pie plates that I made with this glaze more than 30 years ago. These pots have taken numerous trips through the dishwasher and been scraped by countless knives, yet the surface is still in remarkably good condition.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
This glaze has a good resistance to crazing, and a good color response over colored slips or underglazes. If you look at the test tiles in illustration 1, you’ll see that there are three diagonal lines on each tile. These are slip-trailed lines made from a commercial black cone 6 underglaze that contains cobalt. These are included to show if the glaze causes smearing or moving in the underglaze. As you can see, this glaze does not: the black underglaze lines are unchanged by the glaze. That’s not surprising; the Chinese glaze that I was copying was formulated to go over cobalt decoration, and they wanted those images to remain sharp.
18
As always, there is no perfect glaze. This one is stiff enough that flaws in application won’t tend to heal. I have to do a very good job of applying the glaze (I pour interiors and dip exteriors). Any drip has to be dried and gently scraped off, or it will definitely show after the firing.
In addition, it doesn’t have a particularly wide firing range. It may not be clear in the photograph, that although the sample fired to cone 6 is melted, it is not mature. It would probably need to reach cone 8 before it would be reliably mature, though I know that it can go to at least cone 12 and not be over-fired. On a final note, there’s a variation of this glaze floating around called Pete’s Celadon. It’s this same recipe, but with the addition of 1% Tin Oxide, 2% Barium Carbonate, and 3% Barnard Clay. The glaze has a beautiful light celadon-blue color in reduction. It’s not my recipe (I believe it may have originated with Peter Beasecker) but it is very nice, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. [Yes, there is a slightly elevated toxicity issue with the raw barium carbonate, but once the glaze is fired, it would be chemically stable and resistant to any acid or alkali leaching.] One of the perks of giving away recipes is that other people take my efforts and tweak them to make them better. This is a very nice celadon on a Grolleg Porcelain body. Pete’s HG Clear The second clear glaze that I’d like to discuss is one that I call HG Clear. The name came from a series of tests that I ran about 10 years ago. The initials don’t mean anything — they were just part of a series labeled with letters and numbers. This glaze is much like the Pete’s Clear. It has similar Alumina and Silica levels, so it’s
also a stiff glaze with a glassy surface. It’s also a durable glaze that has a good fit (meaning it doesn’t tend to craze). Pete’s HG Clear Cone 6-12 oxidation or reduction
Ferro Frit 3124 Kona F-4 Feldspar Talc Wollastonite Grolleg China Clay Silica TOTAL
18 % 15 6 13 23 25 100 %
Chemically speaking, one difference between the two glazes is that part of the Calcium Oxide is replaced with Magnesium Oxide (from the Talc). Both of these are Alkaline Earths (on the periodic table of elements) so they both fill the same role in a glaze, and have similar characteristics. However, Magnesium Oxide has a lower thermal expansion in a glassy glaze, so this glaze is a bit more craze-resistant than the Pete’s Clear. Magnesium oxide can also alter the color response of some colorants, so it would be good to test this before mixing a big bucket. The other difference is that this glaze contains Boron, which it gets from the Ferro frit. A frit is a manufactured material — a finely ground glass that’s formulated to have specific properties. Boron tends to broaden the firing range of a glaze, bringing the low end of maturity down while not significantly lowering the upper
limit. This glaze is completely mature at cone 6, but doesn’t move at cone 12. Boron can make a glaze less durable if it’s used in large amounts, but I haven’t noticed problems with smaller levels like this.
As you can see in the image above, slip lines are unchanged with a thinner application of glaze, but there is some smearing of cobalt in a thicker application (double and triple dips).
If you intend to apply a thick layer of this (or any) glaze that has more than 15% clay, then you should calcine (fire to 1000° F) some of the clay and substitute that for some of the raw clay. That will help prevent crawling. Some may wonder why both the HG Clear and the Pete’s Clear use Grolleg, rather than a domestic kaolin, such as EPK. That’s because EPK tends to give a greener color in a clear reduction glaze, while Grolleg tends to give a bluer tone. This
is due to trace amounts of titania in domestic kaolins. I happen to prefer the blue, but you could certainly substitute EPK if you prefer the green. It’s a matter of taste. Pete’s Moving Clear The final glaze I’m sharing is one that’s fairly new. It’s what I call a smearing glaze: it causes underglaze color to smear and move during the firing. Pete’s Moving Clear (glaze formula and image appear on following page) has a lower alumina level, so it can tend to run if it’s applied too thick, but it doesn’t run at all in a thin or medium application. The lower alumina level is key to making the underglaze smear. Like the HG, it will move or smear continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
There are some small impurities in the raw materials that make it appear as slightly bluish clear in reduction. In oxidation it’s a bit creamier over porcelain, but not in a bad way. Over the years, I’ve used this glaze in mid-range oxidation firings as well as high-fire reduction firing. It’s a beautiful, durable, practical glaze.
Like the Pete’s Clear, the HG Clear is stiff enough in the firing that application has to be done carefully or drips will show. It can also tend to crawl a bit when it’s given a thick application; that’s because it has a high clay content (the Grolleg in the recipe).
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Image 2: Pete’s HG Clear. The left tile was fired to cone 6 in oxidation and is completely glossy and mature. The three right-hand tiles are fired to cone 10 in reduction and have a progressively thicker glaze application (single-, double-, and triple-dipped). The underglaze moves and is obscured as the glaze becomes thicker. The glaze on the right-hand tile also crawled in one small section in response to the very thick application. The color of the glaze fired in reduction shifts progressively from blue to green in thicker applications.
19
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Clear Choices (continued from previous page)
Image 3: Pete’s Moving Clear. This glaze causes the underglaze to smear at all temperatures and thicknesses, but it does so more with a thicker application. It can also run at high temperatures with a thick application. The right three tiles are fired to cone 10 in reduction, while the far left tile is fired to cone 6 in oxidation.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
a lot more when the glaze has a thicker application, but it’s pretty easy to get an application that will smear the underglaze without running at all. A higher boron level (from the frit) makes it very tolerant of firing temperature: it’s completely mature at cone 5, and easily fires to cone 10.
20
It will also work in either oxidation or reduction, though like many high-frit glazes it can become a bit yellowed when applied thick and fired in reduction. The good side of the high frit glaze is that it doesn’t have to be applied very thick at all and it will still produce a good coating. This is because a frit is (essentially) a pre-fired material, so it has already had its firing shrinkage. A thin layer can cover quite well. Pete’s Moving Clear is is VERY shiny, with an almost flawless, mirror-like surface. That’s because the low alumina and the relatively high boron levels give it a lower surface tension, allowing the surface to heal during the firing. It’s also formulated with materials that don’t outgas during the firing,
which contributes to a good surface quality. I don’t have a long history with this glaze (compared with either of the others) but I wouldn’t expect it to be nearly as craze-resistant or as durable; low-alumina glazes never are. In fact, if I were going to use this on pots for daily use, I’d apply this on the outside only and use a different, more durable glaze on the inside. So … which of these is the best clear? That depends on the specific glaze qualities you want to accent your work. This is precisely my point: you can easily collect a variety of glazes and, with a few simple tests, learn what qualities they have. You can then use them appropriately for the situation and the characteristics you want to achieve. The tiles in these images are extruded square tubes that are fired upright to check movement. The section of tile shown in each image is about 1¼" wide by just under 2½" tall. [
Pete’s Moving Clear Cone 5-11 oxidation or reduction Ferro Frit 3134 Spodumene* Kona F-4 Feldspar Talc Wollastonite EPK Silica TOTAL
21 % 9 7 3 22 20 18 100 %
* Pete uses Gwalia Spodumene from Australia.
In our next issue of Clay Times, I’ll continue this subject and provide you with additional opportunities for achieving rich and beautiful surfaces from an electric kiln. Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. E-mail him at ppinnell1@unl.edu or contact him via his Facebook page at www.facebook.com.
Part Two: Making the Yunomi Cup
by LANA WILSON
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Handbuilding with Chandra DeBuse
Pictured art: Two views of a yunomi cup by Chandra DeBuse.
Lana Wilson: Look at the puffed out shapes near the bottom of the Yunomi cup above. I never knew craft foam could be so helpful in creating a definition line that yields a clean, puffed-out shape on a clay form.
She elaborates: “Approaching clay in this manner is a simple way to turn sketchbook twodimensional drawings into ceramic three-dimensional forms. I love how
A yunomi is a Japanese winter tea bowl that is taller than it is wide.
W
hen making the yunomi, DeBuse uses craft foam and cuts out a flexible
stamp to define where she wants puffed-out shapes that appeal to the eyes and the hands during use. She designs the shapes of each of the craft foam “negative” molds with her surface decoration in mind. These techniques have become important in her studio process where she relates form and surface. But be aware that she begins with 2-D drawings and translates some of those 2-D areas into 3-D convex shapes. continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Chandra DeBuse’s go-to way to start a form is by pushing clay into a negative space.
a two-dimensional shape can become three-dimensional by gently pushing the clay to stretch it into the negative shape cut out of craft foam. The following cup form shows variations on this idea, using different materials and methods of pushing clay into a negative space.”
21
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Making Chandra DeBuse’s Yunomi, Step-by-step
1
2
3
4
5
6
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Step 1: Forming
22
Center 1 lb. 4 oz. of clay on the wheel, and pull into an hourglass shape. DeBuse uses a smooth white stoneware, such as Laguna B Mix cone 5, and she glaze-fires it to cone 6. Step 2: Use a metal rib to smooth out the throwing lines and remove the excess slip from the pot exterior. Step 3: Using craft foam as a flexible stamp — Cut shapes into a strip of craft foam (variations shown in foreground) and put the craft foam cut-out form on the cup while the clay is wet on the wheel. As long as
the thrown form is wet enough to be tacky, the craft foam will stick to the side of the cup. Use the inside fingers to gently coax the clay into the negative-shaped spaces of the craft foam template, while simultaneously using the outside hand to apply gentle stabilizing pressure to the craft foam edges. (See right hand middle finger pressing against the craft foam on the outside of the pot in the image.) Rotate the cup and continue pushing out into the negative shape of the craft foam all the way around the form.
Step 4: Remove excess clay from the base of the cup, and remove the craft foam template. Use a wire tool to cut the cup off the bat. Let the cup dry for trimming. Step 5: Trimming — When the cup is ready to be trimmed, place it upside down and center it on a foam bat, which grips the form. Apply slight downward pressure from the hand to keep the form in place without clay wads. A Surform® tool is helpful for early trimming of the base of the cup, especially if there are uneven textures. Use a trimming tool to complete the removal of excess clay
Step 6: Lobing the foot — Cut a circle out of a piece of paper. If you fold it in half three times and unfold, you will have divided the circle into eight equal shapes. Use the paper to aid in dividing the foot into eight equal shapes for lobing. Use a knife to make eight V-notches in the foot, as well as to shape the lobes. Use a slightly dampened sponge to smooth the feet and the exterior of the cup. Step 7: Fine-line underglaze inlay — Apply a water-soluble and fast-drying wax, such as Forbes Wax from Highwater Clays, to the outer surface of the cup. Allow the wax to dry. Use an X-acto knife to carve fine lines 1 mm deep (there are about 25 mm in an inch!) into the waxed clay surface. Brush a watery underglaze over the incised lines. I use AMACO Velour Black that has been watered down slightly. The wax resists the underglaze, causing it to bead up on the surface, but it does sink into the incised lines.
7
Cone 6 Oxidation by Eric Mirabito Silica 20% Nepheline Syenite 20 Whiting 20 EPK 20 Frit 3124 20 TOTAL 100% add: Bentonite 2% add: 4% to 7% Mason Stain for color
8
9
I also love Stroke-and-Coats by Mayco for pops of intense color. I have been really enjoying Cutie Pie Coral and Orange-A-Peel lately. I water down the commercial products and use them more like watercolor washes to fill in the lines of my drawings. Tune in to our next Clay Times issue for a final illustrated, step-by-step look at more aspects of Chandra's creative process. Columnist Lana Wilson may be reached at lana@ lanawilson.com. Lana’s Website for workshop information and images is www.lanawilson.com.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Note: If you didn’t get to read Part One of this series, the remaining text repeats the color and glaze information from the first part in Clay Times® issue no. 100:
My go-to base glaze is EM Satin (above). It takes color well and fits both my white and red clay bodies. I like how the surface changes from satin to glossier depending on how quickly the kiln cools. Amaco Velvet Underglazes have been a studio staple for me. I especially like Chartreuse, Velour Black, and Radiant Red. I use these, along with Mayco Squash Yellow Underglaze, all over the surfaces of my work including the bottoms of my pieces, because they won’t flux out and stick to the kiln shelf at cone 6.
Step 8: Use a clean, slightly dampened sponge to wipe the underglaze off the wax. Let dry, then bisque fire. Step 9: Glazing — After bisque firing, sand the entire cup [wearing your Niosh-approved respirator, of course], then wash and apply any colored glazes to designated areas. Use watered-down underglazes to color between the lines as you would in a coloring book. Apply a clear glaze on top (see formula at top right of this page), and make sure there is no glaze on the bottom of the cup. Fire to cone 6. [
EM Satin Glaze
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
and shape the base and foot ring.
23
Above: Porcelain cups by Karen Massaro. Below: Stoneware bottle and cup set by Todd Volz.
24
Wood-fired stoneware place setting by Simon Levin.
Santa Fe Clay • PRESENTS •
La Mesa 2016
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
marks the twelfth year that Santa Fe Clay has hosted a unique showing of dinnerware called “La Mesa” during the annual conference of the National Council on Education for Ceramic Art. Thousands of people have attended this spectacular banquet table display of more than continued on next page Wood-fired stoneware pitcher by Bede Clark.
25
La Mesa Exhibition (from previous page)
150 place settings made by artists from across the United States. La Mesa (Spanish for “The Table”) will be on display March 16-19 at the Central Exchange in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Again this year, this invitational exhibit highlights many of the established masters in our field, and introduces talented emerging artists as well. For further details on the show, e-mail Avra Leodas at sfc@santafeclay.com [
At left: Wood-fired oval teapot and cup by Blair Meerfield.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Below: Glazed earthenware place setting by Joseph Pintz.
26
La Mesa 2012, Santa Fe Clay.
Wood-fired stoneware jar by Jack Troy.
Porcelain place setting by Mike Jabbur.
27
The THE RefRacToRy REFRACTORY SupeR SUPER SToRe! STORE!
Lots of Inventory. Lowest Prices.
The Slurry Bucket
larkin REFRACTORY SOLUTIONS Unparalleled Service & Refractory Design Assistance for over 30 years by the folks who truly care about your business. Firebrick – straights, arches, wedges & tiles Insulating Firebrick – straights, arches & wedges Ceramic fiber blankets, boards, papers & textiles Castables in several insulating & dense compositions Mortars, patches & inexpensive coatings
Nitride Nitride&&Fines FinesBonded BondedKiln KilnShelves Shelves Custom Manabigama Kiln Refractory Packages P.O. Box 716, Lithonia, GA 30058 Phone: 678.336.7090 Fax: 678.336.7094
Kiln Furniture
GALORE!
Email: LRS@LarkinRefractory.com
www.LarkinRefractory.com
ALL SIZES AVAILABLE!
BACK by Popular Demand
Larkin Refactory.1_4.5-6_08.indd 1
wls ls • Bo
EXAMPLES
COURTESY
BILL VAN
GILDER
• Bow
Four Inward
Three
Inward
Swirled
Rim
ed Rim
s Corner
d Double
Rim
Pinche s rd Corner
s Corner
CT Poster.3_
ut 1
3/6/08
Claylids & feet Roped
2008:Layo
11:48
AM
Page
1
Rim
ut Rim
Deep-c
-cut Rim
Shallow Rim
LIDS
Lifted
MAKING A
DOMED LID
Double
1.
Bowls
Use your
d Rim
fingertip s to divide
the rim
of the lid.
DROP-IN LID
TIME
®
S
2.
RAMIC CE3. L OF IQU ES UR NA HN Use dowel to secure TH E JO AN D TEC of thea handle each end 1995” at the top Since DS of a lid. sionals TR EN and Profes Teachers, Center and attach your the top lid surface into shape. to a clay pad and trim
4. This domed
ts,
TIP:
Studen
2.
top of a
Trim the
base of
the lid and
3.
hollow-o ut the knob.
This drop-in
lid best
fits a pot
with a gallery
at the rim.
1. Throw
2.
a thin-wal
led cylinder.
FEET
Slowly
TIP:
bend the
3.
rim inward.
Compres s the rim the inside downwa rd and wall. press
The foot of a pot can be completed as a final throwing step, of additional or comprised clay elements.
Profiled
roll and
fits a thin-rim med pot.
it tightly
to
E.
GALLERY
lid best
When making lidded forms, a series of making a experiment by of differentfew extra lids shapes, with different knobs.
#2 r Lift Step
Scrape
MAKING A
Visit www great clay .claytimes.com for magazine tips and techn more and detail subscription informiques, s mid-winter on the acclaimed ation, Conference "Cruisin' for Clay" annual Potters in the Carib bean! Poster exam Clay Times ples & instru ction by columnist "Teaching Techn Bill van iques" Bill to Gilder. To present invite workshop an instru or guild, for your ceram ctional ics call vangilderpo (301)416-2970 school ttery@earthl or e-mail: ink.net.
foot Coiled foot Sprig-mo lded foot Cut foot
Recessed
foot In-line foot Straight
foot Faceted
THE ULTIM
ATE RESO URCE
ARTIS
TS SINC E
®
FOR CERA MIC
1995
foot
TIMES MAGAZIN
ng Clay
“Servi
1.
Throw a one-piec large hump e lid and knob from of clay. the
#1 r Lift Step
Scrape
COURTES Y OF CLAY
MAKING A
Notche
STEP •BY STEP•
PHOTOS
m times.co rs!) www.clay or visit classroom orde 6-2529 bulk 1-800-35 ents and es, call time stud Clay Tim cribe to available for fullTo subs s ted rate (Discoun
Four Outwa s Corner
Curved & 8 “Out” 4 “In”
• handle the piece by its foot so your skin oils don’t keep the glaze from penetrating the pot’s surface;
Crawl Away When a fired glaze exhibits bare spots on part of the area where it
• add gum tragacanth to the glaze to prevent glaze cracking before firing. [
MAKE TRIMMING FUN!
s Corner
Scallop “Out” and Four Four “In”
s Corner
• lightly sponge off any dust on the pot prior to glaze application;
s Corner
d
Square ered
Tri-corn
& 3 “Out” 3 “In”
was applied, “crawling” has occurred. To prevent this fault from happening:
• let the glaze dry completely before firing the pot;
11/3/08 3:51:54 PM
Bowls
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Flat, wide pieces have a tendency to warp when drying. To minimize warpage, dry your wares on slatted racks, which facilitate even drying due to air circulation both beneath and above the piece. For heavy works, place fine sand or paper on the racks to allow pieces to shrink with minimal resistance.
4/2/08 11:16:05 AM
Untitled-1 1
28
Warp Not
TIP:
Decide on the type of you're going foot thrown formto trim into your before you begin throwing. Some planning makes the simple process much easier.
TO SUB SCR CALL 1.80 IBE TO CLAY WWW.C 0.356.2329 OR TIMES, LAYTIME VISIT S.COM DISCO
UNTS STUDENTS AVAILABLE FOR & BULK CLASSROOFULL-TIME M ORDE RS!
Clay Times® Studio Poster Reprints! Order online at www.claytimes.com/store.html
We believe that when students are having fun, they stay engaged. For years, ceramic educators have relied on the Giffin Grip to reduce frustration encountered in trimming. Giffin Grip keeps the creative fun flowing from clay to kiln! GiffinGrip.com
bY MONONA ROSSOL
I
deally, pregnant women should avoid all potentially toxic substances completely. There are risks at all stages of pregnancy and we are only beginning to understand the effects of tiny amounts of some toxic substances on the developing fetus. Even during breast feeding, there are risks.
[see footnotes 1-3]. In two studies, 22 healthy, non-smoking pregnant women and 22 non-pregnant, nonsmoking women had physiological and subjective measurements taken with and without wearing an N95 mask during exercise and postural sedentary activities over a onehour period.
But when work in the studio is also a person’s primary source of income, compromises may have to be made. In these cases, personal protective equipment such as a toxic dust mask may be needed.
The Results
The Risks Wearing a toxic dust mask does produce breathing stress, as lungs work to pull air through the filter. This stress is why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to provide medical certification for employees who need to wear masks or respirators. In this certification process, a health professional who is trained to evaluate patient questionnaires — and, when necessary, medical test results — will determine if an individual can wear masks and respirators without exacerbating any underlying health conditions.
More importantly, wearing an N95 mask for one hour by healthy pregnant women was not found to have an effect on the fetal heart rate. Study Limitations The data is encouraging for women who need to work during pregnancy. But these tests were only an hour in duration, involved a relatively small number of test subjects, the only fetal effect monitored was heart rate, and the women were all healthy. The results should not be extrapolated to 8-hour work days or to work involving additional stress factors, such as lifting or tasks that by themselves greatly increase heart rate.
For example, potential exposure to highly toxic dusts containing metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, and manganese is not appropriate at any level for pregnant women. This means that glaze mixing or any other glaze task that involves dust exposure is not appropriate during pregnancy. Now is the time to prevail on colleagues, husbands, friends, and/or lovers to do the dusty stuff! This includes having them clean up the pottery when the tasks are finished so there is no surface dust that will easily become airborne on air currents. After the dusty tasks are over, working carefully with liquid glazes without creating dust — in a very clean environment, and while keeping the skin mostly free of contact with the glazes — should be a relatively safe activity. Be sure to always change clothes and shoes to avoid bringing any glaze drips and bits into your car or home. Additional tasks that are definitely off limits include any jobs involving solvents such as paint thinners, alcohols, citrus oil, or any fastdrying organic (based on carbon) liquid. The N95 paper masks do not filter out solvent vapors and the effects of organic vapor cartridge respirators were not studied.
continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SPRING / SUMMER 2016
Breathing stress may be especially taxing during pregnancy. For this reason, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) participated in three studies that provide information on wearing an N95 toxic dust mask during pregnancy
The studies show that the effects of wearing N95 masks are mild (average of one breath-per-minute decrease in the breathing rate, two beats-per-minute increase in heart rate, 1 to 7 millimeters (mm) mercury (Hg) increase in diastolic blood pressure, and 1 to 2 mm increase in mean arterial pressure). These measurements were the same for both pregnant and nonpregnant women.
These studies also did not consider the contaminant that women are using masks to avoid.
Studio I Health & Safety
Studio Safety During Pregnancy
29