Clay Times Magazine Volume 15 • Issue 83 by claytimes

ceramic

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TIMES

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Volume 15 • Issue 83 September/October 2009

What’s New in Clay Tools • Carbon Trap Raku Cone 6 Iron & Crocus Martis Red Glaze Recipes Studio Tips from the Sierra Nevada Workshop Pros Step-by-step Baking Dish Project • “Handbuilt” Show Dick Lehman & Claudia Reese Interviews

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TIMES

Clay

September/October 2009 Volume 15 • Issue 83 On the cover: Selected images from 17th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National. Center: Altered Orange Bowls 2 by John K. Oles. 6" x 7" x 7". Anagama-fired porcelain. Inset, top: Copper Lidded Jar by Scott Cooper. 5" x 4" x 4". Salt/soda-glazed stoneware. Inset, bottom: Corked Bottle by Chris Lively. 9" x 5" x 3". Reduction-fired porcelain.

features 32 Carbon Trap Raku Atlanta potter Rick Berman shares his technique for creating striking black-and-white designs with raku-style firing in a sawdust-filled saggar.

34 Conversations: Dick Lehman The final interview in our series by Joe Campbell takes an in-depth look at the various events and influences that have helped shape the career of this Indiana clay artist.

38 25th Anniversary Tips from the Summer Workshop Masters at Sierra Nevada College

Carbon Trap Bottle by Rick Berman.

As the program marks a quarter-century of outstanding summer workshops, this year’s leaders offer useful suggestions for various aspects of claywork.

46 A Few Words About Juries Greg Seigel shares his tongue-in-cheek thoughts and observations on the jurying process for acceptance into established art fairs and exhibitions.

14 2009 Strictly Functional Pottery National 30 Handbuilt National Exhibition

Richard Shaw leads a recent workshop on making ceramic decals at the campus of Sierra Nevada College at Lake Tahoe.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

exhibits

contents

TIMES

Clay September/October 2009 • Volume 15 • Issue 83

departments 9 YOUR WORDS Readers share disastrous firing experiences ...

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

23 GREAT GLAZES Crocus Martis Red for Cone 6 Oxidation

42 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers

50 SLURRY BUCKET Tips you need to know when firing a bisque kiln

53 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in your community

56 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists

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

Above: Spiky Nesting Set by Angela Cunningham. 3" x 8" x 8"; cone 10 oxidation-fired stoneware. Top right: Salt and Pepper Set with Tray by Cheyenne Rudolph. 5" x 8" x 5". Cone 6 oxidation-fired stoneware. Both works are featured in the 2009 Strictly Functional Pottery National—see story, pages 14-17.

columns 19 AS FAR AS I KNOW “A Bushel of Tomatoes” by Pete Pinnell

23 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Claudia Reese” by Lana Wilson

25 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “A Baking Dish Project with Thrown Handles” by Bill van Gilder

41 KILNS & FIRING “A Breath of Fresh Air” by Marc Ward

45 BOOKS & VIDEOS “The Potter’s Studio Clay and Glaze Handbook” review by Steve Branfman

47 TOOL TIMES “What’s New in Pottery Tools” by Vince Pitelka

51 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Carbon Monoxide from Electric and Gas Kilns” by Monona Rossol

57 AROUND THE FIREBOX “High School Reunion” by David Hendley

• I trusted a large amount of work done by me and a friend to a clay store. The manager didn’t know enough about it to be working there, evidently, because she over-fired all the pieces. Some melted to the shelves, some just melted, some turned horrible colors, and most were ruined. It broke my heart. Wendy Ward, Georgetown, CA • When firing my 12-cubic-foot gas kiln, I failed to notice a gap at the top of the door. At about cone 3, I saw the opening and put a rope of wet clay across the top of the door. You can imagine the popping mess inside and out—several pots were damaged. Unfortunately, not all the pots were mine. Margaret Lindhorst, Aurora, CO • My worst disaster is mixing an entire bucket of glaze which had been tested and having it not work like I imagined after mixing a big batch. Judy Shreve, Alpharetta, GA [

magazine

Editorial & Advertising: Polly Beach claytimes@gmail.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell ctcirculation@gmail.com

• Without a doubt, seeing clumps of glaze collected on the bottom of a pot, and trying to grind it away only to make it worse, and then ending up trashing the whole thing! Phyllis Green, North Myrtle Beach, SC

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Clay Times asked: What’s the most disastrous event you’ve experienced during a kiln firing?

Spouting Off I Your Words

Reader Remarks

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

Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene clayaccounts@gmail.com Proofreader: Jon Singer Office Assistant: Ingrid Phillips Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers: Rick Berman Joe Campbell Greg Seigel Published by: CLAY TIMES INC. 15481 Second St. • PO Box 365 Waterford, Virginia 20197-0365 540.882.3576 • FAX 540.882.4196 Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529

Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published bimonthly, six issues per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Waterford, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). To subscribe, call toll-free 1-800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com.

Correction The above image was improperly credited in “The Gallery” section of the July/August 2009 Clay Times. The photo caption should should have read as follows: “Wild Flower Platter. 22" x 22" x 4". Handbuilt stoneware; cone 10 reduction-fired. Donald Penny, Little River Studio, Hahira, GA 31632. E-mail: dpenny@ windstream.net.” We regret the error.—Editor [

POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Copyright © 2009 Clay Times, Inc. 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.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Web site for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines.

ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries

Clay CERAMIC

ART

TRENDS,

TOOLS,

AND

TECHNIQUES Vol. 12 No. 6 5 November/December 2006

TIMES

Hot Stuff I News & Events

What’s Hot Otto Heino’s Yellow Glaze: The Legend Lives On Spray Equipment for Ceramic Slips & Glazes Deborah Shapiro’s Secrets to Eye-catching Pots & Displays Dynamite Formulas for Crystalline Glazing

‰ Creating a New Craft Culture takes place October 15-17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contact American Craft Council, 72 Spring St., New York, NY 10012; www.craftcouncil.org/ conference09.

Mixed Media: Jan Jacque Joins Clay with Wood

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Marc Lancet Leads Tahoe’s Sierra Nevada College to a New Beginning

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CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2009

Otto Heino 1915-2009

sentations by Frank Giorgini, Suze Lindsay, and Gay Smith. Contact The Clay Connection, PO Box 3214, Merrifield, Virginia 22116-3214; conference@ tel. 540.636-6016; theclayconnection.org; www.theclayconnection.org.

‰ We are sad to report that Otto Heino, widely recognized as a master clay artist by the ceramic community worldwide, died in July of acute renal failure. He was 94. Financially successful for reformulating a coveted yellow Chinese glaze with his wife Vivika, who died in 1995, Heino continued as an active clay artist for the remainder of his lifetime. Clay Times was pleased to feature Heino as cover artist of our November/ December 2006 issue, which explored his career in great detail. The full article may be accessed via the Clay Times Web site at www.claytimes. com. An exemplary influence to clay artists everywhere, Heino will be missed by us all.

Conferences ‰ The 8th Biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference takes place Oct. 1–4 in Front Royal, Virginia, with pre-

‰ Pottery from 2 Perspectives with Ellen Shankin and Donna Polseno takes place Oct. 23-25 at the Workhouse Arts Center/Lorton Arts Foundation, 9517 Workhouse Way, Lorton, Virginia. For complete details, visit www.workhousearts.org; call 703.584.2982; or e-mail dalemarhanka@lortonarts.org.

‰ Entries open to tiles 15 × 15 x 5 cm are being accepted through Nov. 30 for the Fourth International Ceramic Tile Triennial, to take place April 15– June 15, 2010 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. For details, call the Igneri Foundation at 809.531.0164; visit www.elit-tile.net; or e-mail thimop@ elit-tile.net. ‰ Entries of small teapots are being accepted through Dec. 11 for Small Fish, Large Pot IV: 4th International Small Teapot Show and Competition, to take place Feb. 11–Mar. 11, 2010 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA. For details, call 949.582.4401, visit http://gallery.saddleback.edu, or e-mail thuntley@saddleback.edu.

‰ Network 2009: Symposium will take place Nov. 3-Dec. 16, 2009 and Jan. 5-February 17, 2010 in Skælskør, Denmark. Contact Ane Fabricius Christiansen, Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center, Heilmannsvej 31 A, 4230 Skælskør Denmark; tel. 45.5819.0016; ceramic@ceramic.dk; www.ceramic.dk.

‰ U.S. clay artists may submit entries through Jan. 18, 2010 for The Third Biennial Contemporary Clay: 2010. The exhibition will take place May 14-June 26, 2010 at the Art Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. Entry fee: 1/$15, 2/$25, 3/$30. For a prospectus, call Camille Silverman at 970-243-7337 ext. 6; visit www.gjartcenter.org; e-mail csilverman@gjartcenter.org; or send your SASE to The Art Center, 1803 North 7th, Grand Junction, CO. For juror insights, google “Pete Pinnell: Thoughts on Cups.”

Calls for Entries

Ceramics Exhibitions

‰ Entries are being accepted through Nov. 12 for participation in the 48th Beaumont Art League National exhibition, to take place Mar. 1–31, 2010 in Beaumont, Texas. For details, call 409.833.4179, visit www.beaumontartleague.org, or email bal-dana@gtbizclass.com.

‰ Featured Artist works by Sam Chung are on exhibit through Sept. 30 at Red Lodge Clay Center, 123 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, Montana. ‰ Dire-Rama Wildlife on the Ledge, featuring works by Julianne Harvey, takes place through Sept. 30 at Mari-

Work clean. Play dirty.

‰ Containers for the Intangible, featuring works by Bryan Hopkins, takes place through Sept. 26 at the Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, New York. ‰ Summer of Love: Fall in Love with Something Beautiful is on exhibit through Oct. 4 at the Dowstudio Showroom, 19 Dow Rd., Deer Isle, Maine.

Hot Stuff I News & Events

posa Gallery, 3500 Central Ave., SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

‰ New Work by Mark Yasenchack takes place Sept. 12-Oct. 5 at River Gallery, 19046 Old Detroit Rd., Rocky River, Ohio. ‰ Who Lives in Greenwich Village?, featuring works by Andy Brayman and Ayumi Horie, and New Amsterdam at 400: Celebration of Dutch Ceramics, both take place through Oct. 8 at Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Jones St., New York, New York. ‰ Drink: Functional Forms for Every Libation and the Second Annual Lillstreet National both take place Sept. 14-Oct. 11 at the Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, Illinois. ‰ Making Faces: An Exhibition of Face Jugs is on display Sept. 17-Oct. 15 at the North Augusta Municipal Building, Georgia Ave., Augusta, Georgia.

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‰ In Between, featuring works by Kelly Connole and Beth Lo, takes place Sept. 18-Oct. 17 at the Carleton College Art Gallery, 1 N. College St., Northfield, Minnesota.

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‰ Featured Artist works by John Glick, and Recent Ceramics, featuring works by Dan Anderson and Richard Notkin, are on exhibit Sept. 25-Oct. 15 at AKAR, 257 E. Iowa Ave., Iowa City, Iowa.

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

‰ Clay and Light, featuring works by Jordan Taylor, takes place Sept. 10Oct. 18 at Mahady Gallery, Marywood University Art Galleries, 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton, Pennsylvania. ‰ Soaring Voices: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists takes place through Oct. 18 at the Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento, California. ‰ Wichita National All Media Craft Exhibition 2009 takes place through Oct. 18 at the The Wichita Center for the Arts, 9112 E. Central, Wichita, Kansas. ‰ 17th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National takes place Sept. 26-Oct. 25 at Kevin Lehmans Pottery, 560 S. Prince St., Lancaster, Pennsylvania. ‰ Clay Mentors II, featuring works by Patsy Cox, Cameron Crawford, Tom Decker, Craig Easter, Susanne Kuebler French, Bob Kizziar, Garrett Masterson, Una Mjurka, and Monica Van den Dool, takes place through Oct. 31 at Clay Mix, 1003 N. Abby St., Fresno, California. ‰ Ceramic Constructions, featuring works by Russel Wrankle, takes place Oct. 2-31 at Plinth Gallery/ Ceramic Design, 3520 Brighton Blvd., Denver, Colorado.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

‰ Precision, featuring works by Nathan Youngblood, takes place Oct. 15-22 at King Galleries of Scottsdale, 7100 Main St., #1, Scottsdale, Arizona.

‰ OCAC Artist-In-Residence Exhibition takes place Oct. 1-25 at the Oregon College of Art and Craft, 8245 S.W. Barnes Rd., Portland, Oregon. ‰ Collecting, Creating, Connecting, featuring works by Liz Zlot Summerfield, takes place through Oct. 31 at Crimson Laurel Gallery, 23 Crimson

Laurel Way, Carolina.

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North

‰ The Self and Beyond, featuring works by Dana Major Kanovitz, is on exhibit through Oct. 31 at Wexler Gallery, 201 N. Third St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ‰ We Believe in Some Thing, featuring works by Roxanne Jackson, takes place through Nov. 1 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minnesota. ‰ Remonstrations from the Iconic Rustbelt: New Works by William Brouillard takes place through Nov. 1 at Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Ave N., Canton, Ohio. ‰ The State of Clay takes place Oct. 8-Nov. 5 at Newport Potters Guild, 302 Thames St., Newport, Rhode Island. ‰ Recent Ceramics, featuring works by Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt, takes place Oct. 16-Nov. 6 at AKAR, 257 E. Iowa Ave., Iowa City, Iowa. ‰ Skin, featuring works by Thomas Schmidt, takes place Sept. 11-Nov. 7 at Dubhe Carreño Gallery, 118 N. Peoria St., 2nd Floor, Chicago, Illinois. ‰ New Work by Stephanie Craig and Todd Leech takes place Oct. 10-Nov. 7 at River Gallery, 19046 Old Detroit Rd., Rocky River, Ohio. ‰ Revisiting Traditions: Illuminating Our Times, featuring works by Emmett Leader, takes place through Nov. 8 at The Bennington Museum, 75 W. Main St. (Rte. 9), Bennington, Vermont. ‰ 2009 Regis Masters, featuring works by Ron Meyers and Patti Warashina, is on view Sept. 25-Nov. 8 at the Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave. E, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

‰ Traffic Patterns, featuring works by Kathy Erteman, takes place Oct. 22-Nov. 19 at Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Jones St., New York, New York.

‰ The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories is on exhibit through Jan. 3, 2010 at the Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St., Brockton, Massachusetts. ‰ Gifts from the Earth takes place Nov. 30, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010 at Scope Gallery, The Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria, Virginia.

‰ New Work by Harrison McIntosh takes place through Nov. 28 at the American Museum of Ceramic Art,. 340 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, California.

‰ The Renwick Craft Invitational 2009 takes place through Jan. 3, 2010 at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Pennsylvania Ave. at 17th St., NW, Washington, DC.

‰ Plinth Gallery Artists 2009, to feature works by Peter Saenger, Amanda Jaffe, Suzanne Kane, Dan Anderson, Conner Burns, Russel Wrankle, and Kevin Snipes, takes place Dec. 4-28 at Plinth Gallery, 3520 Brighton Blvd., Denver, Colorado.

‰ Masters of Mid-Century California Modernism, including ceramic works by Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman, is on exhibit through Jan. 10, 2010 at the Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, San Diego, California.

‰ Porcelain Umbrella Wall Installation, featuring works by Ann Mortimer, takes place through Dec. 31 at the Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Canada.

‰ Bigger, Better, More: The Art of Viola Frey takes place through Jan. 10, 2010 at the Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Canada.

‰ Inspiration and Ingenuity: American Stoneware takes place through Dec. 31 at Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, 325 W. Francis St., Williamsburg, Virginia. ‰ Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia takes place through Jan. 1, 2010 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 1050 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC.

September 2009 Kevin Crowe Multichambered Wood • Sept. 12-13: ARTS 502 – Kiln East Asian CoilFiring: Technique May 2, 9 and 16 • Sept. 19-20: ARTS 520 – Photographing Ceramics Throwing Large Forms: July 6-11 October 2009 Pamela Theis • Oct. 8-11: ARTS 530 – Kiln Technology Alternative Kilns and Firings: May 29-31 Parents and Children Joyce Michaud • Oct. ARTS 511Technique: – Properties of June Clay 6-7 East24-25: Asian Coil • Oct. Ceramic 30-Nov. 1:Sculpture: ARTS 599AAJuly – 18-30 Finding Ideas and Giving Them Life in Clay Masters’ Throwing: August 6-9 Glaze November 2009Application: August 29-30 • Nov. 5-8: ARTS 531 – Wood Firing Antonio Mendez • Nov. 12-15:Sculpture: ARTS 521 – Properties of Glaze Portrait August 21-23 and 28 Visit Hood’s Web site for more information. Hood College Graduate School Art Department (301) 696-3456 n Fax (301) 696-3531 www.hood.edu/ceramics Hood College subscribes to a policy of equal educational and employment opportunities.

‰ Collection Focus, featuring works by Michael Lucero, takes place Sept. 20-Jan. 17, 2010 at the Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St., Racine, Wisconsin. ‰ New and Novel 2009: Recent Gifts to RAM’s Collection is on exhibit through Jan. 17, 2010 at Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St., Racine, Wisconsin. ‰ Bright Abyss, featuring works by Robert Sperry, takes place Oct. 10-Jan. 31, 2010 at Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, Washington. [

To list your clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, and ceramic news items in Clay Times, please e-mail the complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, with “What’s Hot” in the subject line, or visit www.clay times.com and click on the “What’s Hot” link to fill out a submission form online.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

‰ Out of the Fire: Clay & Glass from ACGA takes place through Jan. 2, 2010 at the Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Ave., San Rafael, California.

M.F.A. in Ceramic Arts The M.F.A. and Graduate Certificate in Ceramic Arts provide students with skills and knowledge from which to build a strong aesthetic direction.

Hot Stuff I News & Events

‰ New Work, featuring works by Chris Gustin, takes place Oct. 16Nov. 15 at the Sherrie Gallerie, 694 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio.

2009 Strictly Functional Pottery National

Corked Bottle by Chris Lively. 9" x 5" x 3". Porcelain fired to cone 10 in reduction. Winner of Clay Times purchase award.

Egg Tray by Susan Kennedy. 2" x 10" x 6". Soda-glazed stoneware. Square Stacked Jar by Shadow May. 15" x 6" x 6". Porcelain electric-fired to cone 6. 14

ome of the best work in contemporary American functional ceramics will be on display September 26 through October 25 during the 17th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National®.

This year’s show will be preceded by an opening reception on September 25. Held during the spring in previous years, the new autumn exhibition dates and late spring application deadline make it more desirable for academic jurors to come to Lancaster, PA just when their semesters or quarters are ending.

Platter by Doug Jeppesen. 2" x 13" x 13". Wood-fired.

The 2009 application deadline was June 10 instead of immediately after the holidays, as in previous years. A survey among jurors and participants found this new timing to be better for all concerned. The new “call for entries” date also allowed students to enter work from the current school year. Other ceramic artists benefit by the later date because they won’t be caught short after holiday sales. An additional benefit to the date change is the new availability of SFPN applications at NCECA, the national clay conference held in March/April each year.

The SFPN Web site at www. strictlyfunctionalpotterynational.net has further information about the show. Visitors have the opportunity to view the past five exhibitions all year long. Images of several works in the 2009 SFPN appear on pages 1417 of this issue of Clay Times. [

Trio by Lisa Pedolsky. 4" x 11" x 4". Cone 04 terracotta fired in oxidation.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Juror for the 2009 SFPN is Pete Pinnell, Clay Times “As Far As I Know” columnist and Professor of Art and Art History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Pinnell is well known as a teacher, lecturer, writer, and juror. His work in clay has been shown in numerous books and journals, and in exhibitions worldwide.

Untitled 2: In-tangibles by Tristyn Bustamante, Undergraduate, Northern Arizona University. 12" x 15" x 9".

Small Plate Set by Susan Dewsnap. 1" x 8" x 8". Soda-glazed stoneware fired to cone 9.

Truffle Basket by Lisa Buck. Earthenware electric-fired to cone 04. 16

Shino Hut by Greg Jahn & N. Halter. 5" x 5" x 5". Porcelain fired to cone 10 in reduction.

Vase by Doug Bleacher. 10" x 5" x 5". Stoneware fired to cone 10 in reduction.

His, Hers by Lee McCarty. 5" x 3" x 3". Soda-glazed stoneware fired to cone 11. 17

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New Iron Red Glaze Recipes by PETE PINNELL

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

A Bushel of Tomatoes

A. This image shows TR 3 (Tomato Red Glaze Formula #3) with varying amounts of iron oxide added to it. From left, the tiles contain 8%, 9%, 10%, 11% and 12%. These were soaked at 1700° F for two hours. (All article images are cropped to show a section of tile approximately 11/8" wide by 2¼" high. The upper half of each tile has been double-dipped.)

ver the course of the last couple of years I’ve written a number of columns on the topic of iron red glazes (also known as tomato red, persimmon red or khaki). I began this series with an article on how we can use the unity molecular formula to understand and manipulate a glaze, and I used the classic Tomato Red glaze as an example1. That column was really intended to just talk about the process of glaze calculation, but instead it generated enough interest on its secondary topic of tomato reds that I followed it up by doing a series of tests on the composition of that glaze2.

To briefly recap, the chemistry of these glazes is different from other mid-range and high-fire glazes in that the base glaze must contain some magnesium oxide (MgO)5. The MgO is included in the glaze as a replacement for some of the calcium oxide (CaO)6, which is the primary flux in most pottery glazes (regardless of temperature). Besides the inclusion of MgO, iron reds almost always contain phosphorous oxide (P2O5), which we get from bone ash or tricalcium phosphate (also known as synthetic bone ash). The glaze must also contain iron, of course: usually an addition of red iron oxide in the range of 8-10%. Other than that, iron reds have a pretty ordinary chemistry, and are similar to other high-fire glossy glazes. As was explained in the last issue, John Post’s cone 6 versions

were developed from a test (Pete’s #3) that added some boron oxide (B2O3, in the form of a frit) to the original Tomato Red. B2O3 has the terrific quality of expanding the firing range of glazes, so working it into the formula of a cone 9-10 glaze can often allow that glaze to mature at cone 6 or below, while still often working at the original temperature. However, the red color in these glazes comes from an iron/magnesium crystal7 that grows in the glaze during the cooling cycle, and B2O3 can tend to inhibit crystal growth in glazes. It’s obvious from tests that John and others have done that some B2O3 is acceptable, but how much is enough, and how much is too much? In this series of tests, I worked with three variables, making sure that each test included only one variable. First, as I mentioned above, I was interested in what varied amount of boron would do to the color and surface texture of the glaze. Second, I was interested in varying the balance of MgO to Cao to see if adding more MgO (at the expense of the CaO) would help color development when B2O3 was increased. And

finally, I wanted to try a wide range of cooling cycles to see if I could find the temperature range in which the red crystals form and then see how much I could manipulate color by using that information. Along with my own tests, I did another search of the literature to see if similar tests had been done previously, and reread information I already had to see if I could learn anything new. There has been surprisingly little written on this kind of glaze: just two scientific articles (footnoted above) and test results that several potters have posted on the Internet8. There is just one book (that I’m aware of) with a section on its formulation9, although several different books list recipes. As for boron, I had begun the tests (as reported in an earlier article) at .1 B2O3 (in the Unity formula). From experience, I knew that this should be enough B2O3 to get this glaze to mature at cone 6. I formulated additional tests with .2 and .3 B2O3, which is still within the range of other cone 6 glazes. Besides these first

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Recently in Clay Times, I reported on some excellent research that potter and teacher John Post did in response to that article, and in particular how he demonstrated some very interesting things about how these glazes can work when fired to cone six in an electric kiln3. This was a wrinkle that I hadn’t spent much time on, so during this last school year I’ve worked with a student assistant (David Knox, and later, Lindsey Clausen4), and together we’ve done some pretty

extensive testing on that subject. I formulated the tests, David and Lindsey weighed them out and I fired them. Together we mixed several hundred tests, did about 25 firings, and learned some interesting things.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

B. From left: TR 3, TR 4, TR 5, TR 6, TR7, TR8. This firing was allowed to cool naturally after reaching temperature.

D. From left: TR 3, TR 4, TR 5, TR 6, TR7, TR8. These tiles were soaked at 1700° F for three hours. D.

C. From left: TR 3, TR 4, TR 5, TR 6, TR7, TR8. These tiles were soaked at 1800° F for three hours.

E. From left: TR 3, TR 4, TR 5, TR 6, TR7, TR8. These tiles were soaked at 1600° F for three hours.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

three (which were all based on the proportions in the original Tomato Red), I also formulated B2O3-containing versions of the Tasty Tomato glaze. Why, by the way, would I add more B2O3 if both my and John Post’s testing showed that .1 is sufficient? I’m interested because B2O3 creates a range of interesting visual effects, and I thought that while it might impede the growth of red, it might also be visually interesting. Besides, additional B2O3 would provide a little wiggle room on the maturing temperature, so pots in the cool corners of a kiln might still be completely mature. And finally, sometimes in glazes, as in life, “too much” is just enough.

As many of you know, you can’t just add B2O3 to a glaze; instead, it must be used in the form of a complex, insoluble compound, like a frit. Because the choice of raw material sometimes makes a difference, we mixed tests with a variety of frits, including Fusion F-6910 (a magnesium boron frit) and Ferro frits 3134, 3195 and 3124 (all calcium boron frits). The short answer to that question is that any of these sources worked—the recipes

just had to be adjusted to reflect the differing compositions of these frits. As it happens, increasing the amount of B2O3 in the glaze does inhibit the growth of red crystals. The glazes that were based on the original Tomato Red were less apt to develop a red color as greater amounts of B2O3 were added to the formula. However, the versions with more B2O3 had beautiful, almost flawless glossy surfaces and a greater depth and variety of color than those with less B2O3. I also added increasing amounts of B2O3 to the glaze called Tasty Tomato, which has a higher MgO content than the original Tomato Red. These glazes also developed those flawless surfaces, but retained a greater tendency to turn red, evidently based on their higher MgO content. As with the two parent glazes (the original Tomato Red and the Tasty Tomato), those glazes that have a higher CaO content (like the Tomato Red) tend to produce smaller red crystals and a more even, overall color. Those that have a higher MgO content (like the Tasty Tomato) tend to have fewer, larger crystals and a

more visually textured quality. I should mention, however, that in the end I found that how these glazes are fired and cooled plays as large a role in the qualities of the end product than any of my chemical tweakings (more on that later). Iron is another variable, and I found that the relative purity of the iron oxide needs to be taken into account when you’re deciding how much iron to add. In my earlier articles, I called for 8% of a high purity precipitated iron (99+% pure). One of the things I noticed in John’s testing (and confirmed in mine) is that iron reds fired in cone 6 oxidation turn red more consistently with a slightly higher addition of iron- about 9-10% seems right. If you use a “natural” red iron oxide (what you’ll get if you just call a ceramic supplier and ask for red iron oxide), the relative purity can range from 85-95%, while Spanish red iron oxide tests out at 75-80% pure. These less pure irons work just fine, but you’ll need to increase the amount, to compensate for the lower strength. The only minor difference I’ve noticed is that the pure iron gives a slightly redder

color, while the natural iron I’ve used is slightly more orange. For the tests illustrated in this article, I used 9% precipitated (pure) iron oxide, which is comparable to using about 10% of ordinary red iron oxide. Most of the recipes I’ve seen for Tomato Reds call for magnesium carbonate as the source for MgO. Magnesium carbonate has some great advantages as a glaze material: it’s very pure and finely ground, so it’s incorporated easily into the glaze melt. It contains no other oxide, so it’s also very easy to use for adding MgO when you want to increase the amount of that oxide. On the down side, is a very light, fluffy material and it can increase the amount of water that the unfired glaze requires. In small amounts, this characteristic can improve the application qualities of some glazes. However, in larger amounts this tendency can increase the dry shrinkage of the glaze, which can, in turn, cause the glaze to crack and crawl (crack during drying, and then crawl during the firing (by the way, don’t “crack and crawl” sound like a musical variant on “rock and roll”?). This is particularly an

In order to find out if there’s a good substitute for magnesium carbonate (in these glazes), I reformulated several of these glazes to use talc (a magnesium silicate), the only other raw material that contains enough MgO for these purposes. Interestingly, it does make a difference which source is used. Glazes that use magnesium carbonate are more apt to turn red after a reduction firing, or will turn red more quickly (with less soak) in an oxidation firing. That doesn’t mean that the glazes with talc won’t turn red, just that you might have to alter the firing or cooling a bit in order to get it as red as you want. In return, the glaze will be much less apt to crawl. As for the glazes that contain magnesium carbonate, I found that all of them can tend to crawl, but only when the glaze is applied very thick- in fact, too thick to turn red. When these are applied to a normal thickness (that produced good reds), then crawling was not an issue on my test tiles. If you survey the field, you’ll find the full range of feldspars used in iron reds. It doesn’t seem to matter whether the glaze uses a soda or potash feldspar, or even nepheline syenite. We mixed glazes using each of these, and they all worked. You just need to adjust the rest of the glaze recipe to account for the varied compositions of the materials.

Reduction firing results in a more complex range of colors that often has a temmoku-colored background with a brown and red foreground. Oxidation firing tends to produce a brighter red-orange foreground, while the background glaze is a dark olive green or green brown. If the glaze is soaked at 1900° F during the cooling, the red crystals do form, but fewer of them with greater distance between them. A long soak at 1800°

Glaze Firing Schedules Here’s the program I settled on after many different tries, and the one used on the tiles in the illustrations: Ramps up: Ramp 1 — 250° F per hour to 2000° F. No hold. Ramp 2 — 100° F per hour to 2170° F (cone 6 on my kilnfeel free to adjust this temperature to match your kiln). No hold. Ramps down: Ramp 3 — 150° F per hour to 1900° F. No hold. Ramp 4 — 50° F per hour to designated soak temperature. Hold up to three hours (my best results were with a three hour soak). Switch off.

F produces colors that are darker, with less orange and more of a dark burgundy red. When the glazes were soaked at a very long time at this temperature, the surface of the glazes also started to become slightly less glossy, and took on a nice polishedleather quality. This is the only temperature at which this surface texture occurred. The brightest colors occurred when the firing was soaked at 1700° F, regardless of the formulation of the glaze. The outside limits for crystal growth seems to lie between 1900° F and 1600° F during the cooling, though most of the color development seems to occur within a smaller window, from about 1850° F down to 1650° F. While holding it at one temperature gave me better results than just a very slow cooling (50° F per hour through this range), the combination of the two gave the best results. I tried one, two and three hour soaks, and the longer these glazes are soaked, the more complex the glaze color becomes. It seems odd to spend so much time on the cooling—more time, in fact, then on the

firing—but it’s the glaze that seems to prefer this, not me. One thing to keep in mind: the K-type thermocouples used with computer controls (as well as with most pyrometers) are notoriously inaccurate at higher temperatures, and can become more so with age. Think of the thermocouple as your computer’s eyes within the kiln. When we see a onetenth-of-one-degree readout on the pyrometer, it can give us a false sense of the accuracy of those eyes. Don’t think of them as eagle eyes- instead, think of that old cartoon character “Mr. Magoo,” with his thick, pop-bottle glasses. The temperature reading in the kiln can easily be 30° F off by the time you reach cone 6. If you want to have a better idea of the accuracy of your thermocouple, put a series of large cones in your kiln and watch when they bend on the way up in the firing. You can use the bending points (and rate of climb) to figure out how accurate your thermocouple is, and then you can make the appropriate numerical adjustments during the cooling phase.

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Another thing we found is that the color of the clay body isn’t crucial: these glazes can work equally well over porcelain, light stoneware or dark stoneware. In fact, one of the things that surprised me is that you often can’t tell from looking at just the glazed area whether the clay body is porcelain or stoneware. On the other hand, application is very important—when too thick or too thin, these glazes can look entirely different.

What is most crucial to the final color and quality of the glaze is the firing, or to be more specific, the rate of cooling. These glazes respond to any variation in cooling rate, and can completely change color in response to a long soak during the cooling phase (e.g. holding the kiln at one temperature for a period of time). As I described in my last article, John has been “firing down” (e.g cooling more slowly using the power of the kiln) in his cone 6 firings, and that goes a long ways towards getting his glaze to turn red. I tried a variety of cooling patterns, including a range of “ramps” (cooling rates) for parts of the cooling, as well as “soaks” in which I would program the kiln to stay at one temperature for a period of time. These glazes are quite interesting- they can turn a wide range of colors and textures, depending on just this one variable. I had my best results from manipulating the cooling between 1900° F and 1600° F. Above 1900° F there is a different crystal that forms in the glaze that is dark plum brown and slightly metallic. It’s not unusual to see this crystal interspersed in reds that are fired in a large or heavy gas kiln that cools slowly at high temperatures. Some of it in the glaze can make it more complex and interesting, but by itself (without the red crystals) it isn’t nearly as interesting. In order to avoid this in an electric kiln firing, I found it better to let the kiln cool fairly quickly down to 1900° F, and then slow down the cooling after that. As a side note, Pete’s Tasty Tomato (and other reds with a higher MgO content than Val’s original) have a greater tendency to turn dark if they are fired in a larger gas kiln that naturally cools slowly.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

issue because these recipes also call for tricalcium phosphate (synthetic bone ash), which also shrinks a lot while drying. Together, these could cause problems.

(by percentage)

Iron Red Recipes

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

TR7

TR8

Ferro Frit 3124 17.0 Fusion Frit F-69 7.6 15.1 22.5 8.0 Kona F-4 feldspar 45.0 45.0 44.7 43.5 33.0 46.0 Custer feldspar 44.2 Magnesium carbonate 6.0 12.9 10.0 7.9 5.9 10.0 Whiting 7.0 Talc 15.0 Tricalcium phosphate 11.0 10.2 10.9 10.8 10.7 9.0 11.0 EPK 7.0 10.0 4.7 2.1 9.0 5.0 Silica 24.0 22.1 21.8 19.4 17.5 22.0 15.0

TR1

18.0

Add: Bentonite Red iron oxide (pure)

2.0 8.0

Key to Glazes TR1-TR8 (as noted in chart above)

TR 1. The original, cone 10 reduction Tomato Red TR 2. Tasty Tomato, cone 10 reduction (Neither of these is illustrated here—I include them for reference.) TR 3. Cone 6-10, oxidation or reduction. This is the same chemistry as TR 2, but with .1 B2O3 added (from the Fusion frit). This is one of the most consistent Tomato Reds I’ve tested, and is just slightly more variegated than TR 6. TR 4. Cone 6-10, oxidation or reduction. Same as TR 2, but with .2 B2O3 TR 5. Cone 6-10, oxidation or reduction. Same as TR 2, but with .3 B2O3

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

TR 6. The same as TR 3, but with the balance of MgO to CaO adjusted so that the glaze can be made with Ferro Frit 3124 rather than the more exotic Fusion Frit F-69. This is the other most consistent of the cone 6 iron red glazes I’ve used (besides TR 3), and has a slightly smoother visual texture than TR 3.

TR 7. The same as TR 3, but with the MgO coming from Talc rather than magnesium carbonate. Using talc does cut down on the amount of water the glaze requires, reducing the possibility of crawling. On the other hand, it may require a slightly longer soak to develop the same degree of red color. I’ve mixed it with several different brands of talc, and all worked well. TR 8. The same as TR 3, but formulated to use talc and Ferro Frit 3124. This glaze developed beautiful little red/orange crystals when the soak temperature was at 1600° F, but not when it was soaked at other temperatures.

TR2

2.0 8.0

TR3

2.0 9.0

TR4

2.0 9.0

TR5

TR6

2.0 9.0

These long soaks work with either cone 6 oxidation or cone 10 reduction firing (and would probably work at cone 6 reduction or cone 10 oxidation, though I’ve never tried either). Obviously the mechanism for soaking a kiln is quite different when you compare a computer-operated electric kiln and a gas-fired reduction kiln. In the electric kiln, I simply programmed a soak at the end of the final ramp. If your electric kiln is manually fired, then you’ll need to use a pyrometer and manually adjust the switches to maintain the chosen temperature (it’s not that difficult—I did it several times in the Neolithic, pre-computer days). In a gas kiln, it is important that the soak occur in an oxidizing atmosphere. For me, the easiest way to do that has been to open the damper, adjust the burners as oxidizing at possible, and adjust the output of the burners so that the kiln will cool to the target temperature. When this is reached, you should readjust the burners to hold that temperature. A digital pyrometer is essential for this. Just think of this process as “driving” the kiln and the pyrometer as your speedometer. By the way, if you’d like to make a lot of money, just invent a cone that will fall as the temperature increases, and then stand up again as the kiln cools. It would be perfect for situations like this.

2.0 9.0

33.0

15.0 11.0 10.0 13.0

2.0 9.0

thing to remember is that it’s all in the cooling, so even if you stick with a recipe you’re already using, you may want to try a variety of soaking patterns to see if you can improve your results. [

Footnotes: 1.

“Back to Basics Part 5: Practical Use of

the Unity Formula,” 2007 Nov/Dec:23‑24. 2.

“Tomato Red Revisited,” 2008 May/

June:23‑24. 3.

“Tomato Reds at Cone 6,” 2009 May/

June:19-21. 4. David and Lindsey are paid by UCARE (Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences) a unique program at the University of Nebraska that funds outstanding undergraduates who want to take part in research. 5. Primary sources: magnesium carbonate, talc, dolomite, or frit. 6.

Primary sources: whiting, wollastonite,

bone ash, feldspar, frit. 7. “Coloration Mechanism of Hard Oxidizing Fire Iron Red Glaze,” Part 1, PARK Wonsook and LEE Byungha. Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, 113 (2) 161-165 (2005) and Part 2, Vol. 113, (3), pp. 232-235 (2005). 8.

http://www.sankey.ws/glazeiron.html and

http://www.johnpost.us/ 9.

The Practice of Stoneware Glazes by

Daniel De Montmollin. ISBN: 2-90898820-8. I was only able to get this by ordering

In conclusion, I’d say that any of these (TR 3 to 8) would work just fine at cone 6 in oxidation, depending on what you’re looking for, and how much you’re willing to alter your firing schedule. My favorites for an allover red are TR 3 and TR 6, while I really like the less red (but more visually dynamic) TR 4 and TR 5. Regardless of which cone 6 recipe you might use for an iron red, the main

it online from the French language Website: http://www.revue-ceramique-verre.com/ pages%20html/Livres.html 10. Available from Fusion Ceramics. http:// www.fusionceramics.com/

Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. You can reach him at ppinnell1@unl.edu.

Readers Share I Glaze Recipes

Great Glazes Crocus Martis* Red Glaze Cone 6 Oxidation (courtesy The Frederick Pottery School) A red to maroon, semi-gloss glaze. Breaks black where thin or over textured surfaces and edges. NC Soda Feldspar Talc Bone Ash Silica (325 mesh) EPK Lithium Carbonate Bentonite add Crocus Martis or Red Iron Oxide

TOTAL

46.7% 16.9 15.0 11.4 4.0 4.0 2.0 100.0%

11.5%

OR for a streaked, textured surface, add Crocus Martis and Red Iron Oxide

8.5% 3.0%

Each formula is provided in percentage (by weight). Results vary with clay bodies and firing conditions; always test first to be sure you’re happy with the results. To mix a glaze batch to store in a 5-gallon bucket, multiply each percentage ingredient by 50 grams (for a half-bucket with room for dipping) or 100 grams (for a very full bucket). It is the responsibility of the user to have glazes tested for stability. [

Plus other New Glazes More coming soon Minnesota Clay Co. 7429 Washington Ave S Edina, MN 55439 800-CLAY-USA www.minnesotaclayusa.com

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

*What is Crocus Martis? Available from Clayworks Supplies in Baltimore, MD, it’s an extremely iron-saturated, finely-milled, purple-to-violet colored form of red iron oxide containing variable, minor oxide contaminates. It is often used as a partial percentage substitute for red iron oxide in glazes. It can also provide a deep, rich, purple-to-brown color on fired clays when used as a wash.

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Claudia Reese, a prolific potter, is from Austin, Texas, where she is continuously building and decorating her rambling tiled compound. She has run her business, Cera-Mix Studios, since 1980. This is the first of two columns on Claudia and her work.

Lana Wilson: You did a double-major in ceramics and printmaking for your undergraduate work, and you continued printmaking at Indiana University for your M.F.A. in ceramics. Tell us more about the influences on your work. Claudia Reese: I’ve always been drawn to folk art, indigenous art, and third-world art. It has authenticity and is straightforward. In my personal spaces, I’ve surrounded myself with patterned fabric from Africa (adinkra cloth, mud cloth, woven and tufted raffia mats), India and Pakistan (wall hangings, entry door embroideries), Turkey (kilims), Guatemalan weavings, and embroideries from Mexico. I have collected fabric for its patterns and for its colors—earthy and tonal, with a surprise shot of color and riotous color. It seemed natural to begin to incorporate pattern into my ceramics. When I started this work in 1981, my patterns were simply stripes and dots. Over the years, I’ve added layers of color and patterns. I like to juxtapose pattern with other patterns. I love the feeling of going almost too far with a piece and saving it by reining it in a bit, or by pushing it a bit further. Wilson: What details of family and personal life have had important influences on your clay career?

Wilson: You are prolific with your dinnerware and tiles. What other kind of work have you done in clay? Reese: I work with stoneware for my sculptures. I fire them to cone 4 or 5. The sculpture is figurative—people and animals. I made sculpture first, and later started to make the dinnerware and platters. Over time, the sculpture seemed to influence the dinnerware and vice versa. I use the same slips on the sculpture, firing it to cone 4-5. It forms a tight bond—almost a matte glaze on the stoneware. As the dinnerware took off in popularity, the sculpture took a hiatus. But I found when I came back to the sculpture that it always got better for the break. Wilson: I know your tiles are installed in many houses across the nation and in commercial and public spaces like libraries, churches, and universities. I realize it was your tile I admired at the Austin Airport in the main concourse bathrooms. Doing so much work, you must have dealt with a variety of disasters in the studio. Reese: Kiln disasters, meltdowns, frozen cones, and exploded pots all happen. Cracks happen. Usually this all occurs when I am pressed to the wall for time. Check your kiln, set the timer, and don’t fire wet pots. I seem to have to learn these things over and over. What I like to do when the car breaks down, the fridge dies, and my orders just got cancelled anyway is to take a beach day. I don’t live anywhere near the beach, but beach means ‘relax’ to me. I pretend I’m at the beach, and read a book, take a walk, soak in a long bath, and get myself to the place where I am appreciating the good things in my studio and my life. From that place of appreciation, it is easier to tackle all those mini disasters, one by one.

Claudia Reese’s functional work, formerly wholesaled to as many as 200 galleries, is now offered directly via her Web site and retail shows.

Wilson: How did you figure out the business end of your clay work so well? Reese: Necessity? Lucky timing? I had been teaching in colleges and universities for six years as a visiting artist. I finally decided, “enough!” I wanted to see if the things I’d

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Reese: My dad is a professor of philosophy, always on a quest for knowledge. His questioning helped me clarify my ideas for sculpture. My mom was the original “material girl” and passed on her discriminating tastes. They took me and my two siblings traveling the world at young ages. Living in France, Argentina, and Spain helped open my mind to different lifestyles, food, music, and art. I started my business when I was young and single. I could devote huge swaths of time to it, and that was necessary to get things going. But things changed. I got married and now I have a son who is 17. When he was small, we went everywhere together. When he started school, it seemed OK to take him out to go and do a show. But as he got older it became more difficult to take him with me, and this pretty much coincided with my releasing the

wholesale side of my business. I needed to be here for him; he needed to be in school. I was single again and did not have family in this area as back-up. I needed to stay home. Now he is at the launching place in his own life, which will free him to his own path and me to change my direction again.

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Claudia Reese

by LANA Wilson

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

learned about ceramics could amount to money in the bank. I didn’t have a job at the moment and I was cleaning houses to pay the bills. I discovered that building a business can be every bit as creative as building a pot or a sculpture. I began doing the ACC wholesale shows and the whole thing kind of snowballed. I was astounded. At my first show, ACC in Dallas, Frank McIntosh of Henri Bendel came into my booth, bought everything there, and told me to send him 48 plates a month indefinitely. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Buyers would be waiting in line to place orders, calling ahead of the shows to reserve space on my calendar. It was a wild ride—at one time I counted that I was selling to 200 galleries, shops, and stores. It felt like I was on a treadmill. I never stopped working. There was always so much to do—kilns firing day and night. And I had a few international accounts. I had shows in Tokyo for five years, and was asked by a Japanese sportswear company to design fabric for their swimwear line. So I did. I did a show in Paris with the ACC. This was all happening in the boom glory years for American crafts, the years when galleries were opening everywhere. All the department stores had a “handmade” section and at one time or another, I sold to most of them. I did this for 25 years, when I finally said “enough!” I called all my accounts and told them no more wholesale. This coincided with the slowing time when galleries were closing. There were more street shows and the wholesale shows weren’t what they had been. During this time, my patterns had become increasingly complex and difficult to produce, so selling them for wholesale prices didn’t feel as good as it had. I began to do a few retail shows, sell from my Web site, and now have a couple of sales here in my studio each year. The frenetic pace slowed down a bit. Now I make a lot less money, but I have fewer expenses, too. I am now able to explore new ideas and make more sculpture again. I tend to work 9-4 during the week. I try to take Fridays off: windshield time, errands, meeting friends for lunch. But if there is a deadline or a crunch, I work through weekends and evenings. This past year, I built a new house—kind of a big clay pot—and got to put ceramic details everywhere. It is my biggest sculpture, and it was so much fun. Six years ago, a group of us here in Austin cofounded Art of the Pot (with Lisa Orr, Rebecca Roberts, Marion Haigh, and Ryan McKerley), a studio tour and sale held every Mother’s Day weekend in Austin. We invite potters from all over the country to come and show with us. It has been a wonderful way to connect with our immediate community and with the larger

national community of potters. This event, one of four or five pottery events that I know of run by the potters themselves around the country, is part of a movement of potters to stage our own events. Wilson: Tell us a few important things you have learned about business. Reese: Pay attention to details. Be nice to everyone. Follow up on all contacts—you don’t know which one could be a big bonanza. Whatever you are making, make sure that the aggregate, the final product, is worth more than the raw material. Everything you do, think, and experience finds its way into your art, so in a way every expense could be seen as a business expense. There are many markets for artists out there: the art market, the craft market, the tile market, the green market, the architectural/building product market, and I’m sure there are more, too. They all have lots of subcategories and they overlap a great deal. You can tap into any and all of them. Just make whatever lets your heart sing, and people will respond. Wilson: What is your sage advice about having studio assistants? Reese: For me, more than two assistants is too many. I end up spending all my time instructing and/or correcting. Right now, I have one flex ¾-time assistant, and one who comes in a couple of hours a week to do office work. This leaves me time to actually do studio work, sculpture, and experiment with new ideas. It’s always a balancing act. If you have an assistant, you have to bring in enough income to pay him/her, which means you have to work harder. On the other hand, if you have no assistants, you are limited to what you alone can produce. I find that with one studio assistant, the two of us can produce more than twice what just one of us can do, so for the moment, this is working out. It feels better now with fewer assistants than it did when I was in full production and had three or four or more assistants. Then I had to deal with scheduling, their personal problems, keeping the work flowing, and meeting deadlines in spite of everyone being out with the flu. It is the same as any micro business. Wilson: What are your goals now, at this point in your clay saga? Reese: My goal is to achieve balance, and this is a constantly shifting enterprise. I once did a sculpture called ‘Post Tao’—a female figure doing a headstand with her head balancing on

two books, the Tao of Physics and Emily Post’s Book of Etiquette. Life is like that. My mom sent me a quote from Gabriel Garcia Marquez that exhorted us all to be constantly reinventing ourselves. So right now, as my son heads off on his own, I am in the final stages of building a house—the house that has been in my head for years. The house is compressed earth block —raw dirt. I installed myriad ceramic elements. I made chimney pots, base and crown molding, murals, pond tiles, sinks, floor tile rugs, and bathroom and kitchen tiles. I am thinking I would like to make ceramic architectural details for other people’s houses, too. My assistant and I are keeping our dinnerware and tile work going while I work on two large commissions: one for a library and another for a private home. Wilson: Has working so hard dimmed your enthusiasm for being in the studio? Reese: I can say that right now I am very happy in the studio and enjoying coming up with new ideas, playing with glazes and different forms, and making sculpture. But there was a time, just before I cut off all the wholesale, that I would walk into the studio and have to walk out again. I couldn’t stand to be there. I couldn’t even look at my work, which was hard because it was everywhere: dinnerware in my kitchen; tiles all over the house; dinnerware at all my friends’ houses. It felt like the end of the world. But when I cut out the production, stopped wholesale, took a break and made a new plan, it came around again. I had been going full-tilt boogie for 20 years. And out of the chaos (there is great energy in chaos)came a new order. Reconciliation came by cutting back both expenses and income, and refocusing on what I loved about my work and studio, which is playing with pattern, color, and combinations and making simple, strong forms to carry all the pattern. I had the opportunity to do a number of large commissions, each of which had different challenges and possibilities, problems, and solutions. I reengaged. A big part of it was making the time for sculpture. But I would have to admit that I am a Type A personality: I like to have many projects going on, whether in the studio, or the garden, or the house. Also, taking a vacation (eureka!) helps. Getting away, going skiing or traveling, takes me out of myself. I come back refreshed. See more of Reese’s work or contact her for a workshop at www.cera-mix.com. [ Lana Wilson’s e-mail is: lana@lanawilsoncom. Her new (finally!) Web page is: www.lanawilson. com.

In Form I Teaching Techniques

A Baking Dish Project with

Thrown Handles TEXT & PHOTOS by BILL van GILDER

Necessary Supplies a 2-lb. piece of clay a small bat a small sponge some water an under-cut tool a straight-edged rib tool a wire knife a 1" diameter cookie cutter a small square board a cut-off wire a trimming tool Optional:

ne of my goals as an instructor is to provide students, over a period of time, with a ‘tool box’ of techniques and efficient short cuts. That’s some of the hands-on part of my teaching philosophy. Equally important is talking about the history of our craft and directing them to visit museums and collections. Or at least, introduce them to the books and magazines that illustrate the old pots I talk about and describe as my constant source of inspiration. Web sites about pots and potters are another easily accessible source younger students seem to jump onto quickly. Likewise,

contemporary pots are always of interest and I often bring a pot—or two or three pots—to class from my household collection that exhibit a point I’m trying to make within the current class project. Though my columns in Clay Times are generally about how to teach the making of pots, I feel strongly that over time, the bigger picture of our craft should be continually addressed: the occasional slide show or DVD, an interesting Web site address provided, an invitation to a local gallery opening … there’s a lot out there to share with students. They’ll be glad you did. But now, back

to teaching another potmaking technique.

The Project This thrown and slightly squared small baking dish (Fig.1) is an easy project which can be completed in two classes of making and finishing. It’s within the skill range of beginners at the wheel or, at an increased size, can challenge your more advanced students. At a 2-lb. weight, the baker is ideal for individual servings of scalloped potatoes, baked macaroni or onion soup. Make the baker with 3, 4, or 5 lbs. of clay and the dish becomes your often-used, oven-to-

CLAYTIMES·COM n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

a wiggle-wired cheese cutter a fettling knife an old credit card a foam-covered trimming bat

Fig. 1