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Tim TimChristensen: Christensen:
Vol. Vol.1313No. No.4 4 July/August July/August2007 2007
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contents
TIMES
Clay
July/August 2007 Volume 13, Number 4
features 34 Tim Christensen-Kirby: Having His Say With Story Pots From squid and turtles to herons and fish, animals of all kinds weave tales of wonder throughout the surface designs of clay work by Tim Christensen-Kirby.
39 How-To Raku Kilns, fuel, safety, and glazing are just a few of the topics discussed
by author Ray Johnson in this step-by-step approach to raku firing.
42 Linda Taylor: Creativity & Resiliency Following years of work as a wheel-throwing potter, a bicycle accident forced Linda Taylor to approach her work from a different angle.
Palm Tree II by Kazuko Matthews. Stoneware. One of numerous works on exhibit at the ACGA “Follow the Line” show in Davis, California.
exhibit 18 Follow the Line
Crowding the Center by Tim Christensen-Kirby. 8" high. Carved porcelain and steel. Turn to page 34 to discover how this former law book salesman transformed his career into one of artistic satisfaction.
The Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California (ACGA) shares the personal side of members’ ceramic works. 7
contents
®
TIMES
Clay July/August 2007 • Volume 13, Number 4
Get in the groove of thrown and pressed textures with Bill van Gilder’s surface treatments, page 29.
columns
departments 11 IN MEMORIAM Remembering Rudy Autio, 1926-2007
13 YOUR WORDS Another Side of Green ...
14 WHAT’S HOT Clay world news, events, and calls for entries
55 GREAT GLAZES Expand your palette with these new formulas.
46 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers
59 POTTERY CLASSES Where you can learn claywork in the United States
65 SLURRY BUCKET TIPS Save time and trouble with these studio-tested tips & techniques.
66 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for active clay artists On the cover: Stand Up!, 13" tall, handbuilt porcelain. Art and photo by Tim Christensen-Kirby.
23 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Introduction to Glaze Chemistry, Part 3” by Pete Pinnell
27 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Why and How to Solicit Feedback” by Lana Wilson
29 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “Groovy Pots: Thrown & Pressed Textures” by Bill van Gilder
49 TOOL TIMES “Tools for Throwing” by Vince Pitelka
51 KILNS & FIRING “Answers to Some Burning Questions” by Marc Ward
53 STUDIO HEALTH & SAFETY “NIOSH Looks at Titanium Dioxide and Studio Safety” by Monona Rossol
57 BOOKS & VIDEOS Clay in Art International review by Steven Branfman
62 AROUND THE FIREBOX Wheel-thrown, celadon-glazed bowls with relief carvings, by Linda Taylor. Turn to page 42 to learn how this artist has adapted her style of claywork due to recent physical limitations.
8
“The Inconvenient Truth for Potters” by David Hendley
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Peter King: Architectural Ceramics for the Studio Potter November 3-4, 2007 Registration Fee: $175
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demonstrations • inspirational slide presentations • meals & lodging available to register, please visit
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magazine
Editor & Art Director: Polly Beach editorial@claytimes.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell circulation@claytimes.com Advertising Manager: Karen Freeman advertising@claytimes.com Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene accounting@claytimes.com Proofreaders: Jon Singer & Jenna McCracken 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: K.T. Anders Ray Johnson Linda Mau 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 $30 in the U.S.; $36 in Canada; $55 elsewhere (must be payable in US$). To subscribe, call toll-free 1-800-3562529, or visit www.claytimes.com. Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Web site for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines. POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Copyright © 2007 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.
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presents the Autumn ‘07 Weekend Workshop
Clay
TIMES
Dan Finch Pottery
Rudy Autio passed away June 20 under hospice care at home, during his most recent round of chemotherapy for Leukemia. Throughout his lifetime, Autio made numerous contributions to the ceramic world as a whole and earned a great sense of respect and admiration from the many associates who crossed his path. He will be greatly missed. Following are reflections from a few of Autio’s friends and students:
I knew of Rudy Autio before I met him in 1968. That summer, he agreed to teach for four weeks at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where I assisted the ceramics program. I was asked to drive Rudy to school and back each day. I learned so much in those moments about the four or five great artists living at that very time: about those who he considered artists, those he considered to be philosophers, and about his role in the continuum of ceramic art. The chance to watch his every move as he constructed and drew on the surfaces of his clay sculpture was such a privilege. I have since heard his voice in certain moments each day when I work in my studio. He always encouraged, held no secrets, was truly shy about his role and his success, pointed attention to others, and was adored by all. As Jun Kaneko so mindfully wrote that Peter Voulkos was his oxygen, I add that Rudy was our hydrogen. He worked so often with his friend and often partner, Peter Voulkos, that together they gave us our hydrogen and oxygen combination—an inspiration as basic and necessary as the water we must have to survive. What we do with that inspiration is limited only by our imaginations, and is supported by the memory of their encouragements. I am grateful for each moment spent in the company of Rudy Autio these past 39 years. Thank you, Mr. Autio. Tom Collins, Napa, California
From 1999-2006, we had the opportunity to host Rudy Autio at the Penryn Workshop.
One of my strongest recollections was of Rudy holding an oversized trowel, his hand trembling as he began to draw on his sculpture. In no time there would be monumental figure on this piece, and a little light in his eye. It was a great privilege to know him. Rodney Mott, Penryn, California
Rudy Autio (right) is assisted by Rodney Mott during a 2006 workshop in Penryn, California.
If you were to take the decorating skills of Matisse and the lovability of your teddy bear, that would be Rudy Autio. When I received the call from Tom Collins telling me that Rudy had passed away, we talked a good while about the qualities of this man. Although I’d met Rudy in Montana, it was during the past few years that I’d had the honor to spend time with him, watching him work at Rodney Mott’s Penryn Workshops in Penryn, CA. Quietly drawing on the clay with his trowel, painting in the images, shirtless, wearing his apron, and a ball cap ... Last summer I was presenting with him at Penryn, and while taking a break I asked him a question I had wanted to ask for years: Who did he like best of that famous Hamada, Leach, Yanagi visit to the Bray? He said Hamada was a great guy. Near the end of the workshop, Rudy came over to where I was working, taking a moment to look at my pots. “That’s nice work,” he said. That was Rudy—kind and to-the-point. Then he smiled and went back to work. With unassuming greatness, Rudy Autio cranked out incredible work for nearly half a century. We are so blessed to have known him and his art. He will be sorely missed, but will always remain in our hearts. I’ll bet Pete [Voulkos] was there waiting to welcome him into the afterlife ... Tom Zwierlein, Atlanta, Georgia A memorial service in honor of Rudy Autio is expected to take place later his summer at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana. Condolences may be sent to his widow, Lela Autio, and family at: 2322 Duncan Drive, Missoula, Montana, 59802.
CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
During that time, hundreds of young students were introduced to his mastery. Being so calm and gracious and allowing students to assist him, he provided a base of inspiration for these future artists.
In Memoriam I Rudy Autio
TOM ZWIERLEIN PHOTO
Remembering Rudy Autio
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High Maintenance
Low Maintenance call or email for a demo video Soldner Clay Mixers by Muddy Elbow Manufacturing phone/fax (316) 281-9132 conrad@southwind.net 310 W. 4th • Newton, KS • 67114 soldnerequipment.com 12
“Electric Choice” A Scam? I feel compelled to contribute to the conversation on “Going Green.” I, too, am in full support of preserving the planet by conservation of our resources. But I must report that joining up with an “electric choice” program is a complete scam! Wind power is a flawed technology that only exists to provide tax credits to energy entrepreneurs. The decision to implement wind turbine technology at this time was not made by electrical engineers, but by politicians as a way to “look green.” In reality, the wooded habitat on the eastern continental divide and other ridge tops in Pennsylvania are being segmented and thousands of migrating birds and feeding bats are being killed by the industrialization of this precious resource. The rural folk who must live near these monsters are suffering not only from sound pollution and strobe effects, but also from depreciation of land values. It’s another example of the big preying on the small. Energy companies yield million-dollar tax credits for each turbine erected; the landowner gets $3000 per month subsidy.
I am one issue behind on reading my Clay Times (I often re-read an issue because I love Mr. Pinnell) and I have just read your article on global warming. By now you [have] probably received hundreds of e-mails from potters trying to outdo each other on how ‘green’ they are. They, too, have bought into the nostalgia and hysteria surrounding global warming ... forgetting that several times a year, a snow storm that cripples the Midwest in February or March was not predicted in December (or 10 years ago). As a child, I can remember news predictions of a 100% chance of 8" of snow and looking forward to a snow day off from school, only to wake up to a light dusting of snow on the ground. I also remember predictions in the 1970s of a coming Ice Age (remember the Newsweek cover?) If forecasting models can be that wrong a day or a month ahead of time, how can they be right about what may happen in 50 years? Remember how many hurricanes for 2006 were predicted in the U.S. because of global warming? Again, predictions were wrong. From all the advice that global warming advocates offer, a better title for Al Gore’s mission would be, “An Inconvenient Life.” One of the underlying fallacies global warming advocates have is known as “post hoc ergo propter hoc,” meaning, “after this, therefore because of this.” After the Industrial Revolution, when we burned fossil fuels, we noticed a rise in global temperature—therefore, burning of fossil fuels (releasing CO2) causes global warming. But this does not take
into account the storms and activities of the sun that may cause warming, or the orbit of the earth coming closer to the sun.
What follows, when reasonable criticism is offered to the junk science that feeds global warming, is another fallacy. The ... attacks on people who do not want to live a third-world existence (while Al Gore and his Hollywood buddies still fly in jets and live in homes that take three times the energy to heat and cool than we regular folks), show that well-reasoned arguments and real science are beyond them. It seems that regular people have forgotten the Alar scare in the late 1980s. After the hysteria subsided, it was found that the ascertains of ‘experts’ like Meryl Streep, and the hacks at the EPA, were wrong. The real lesson for us potters and the American people is to take anything a politician or government official or Hollywood star says about a popular scientific/political cause with a grain of salt. (Salt firing—now there’s a topic I would like to read more about ... (lol).) Potters would be better served by keeping a clean studio [and] testing new glazes to keep them food safe. Still love the magazine; re-read it all the time. David van Mersbergen, Atlanta, GA Re: Marc Ward’s Pet Peeve Marc’s excellent column on candling (May/June 2007 Clay Times) includes a story about a potter who used the same slow firing schedule for 30 years, only to discover that he had wasted time and energy. Marc’s thought-provoking story reminds me of the book, The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success by Achieving More with Less, by Richard Koch. The idea is that 20% of our effort produces 80% of the results. Marc’s story applies not only to firing kilns, but more or less to all our efforts. Arnold Howard, Mesquite, TX [
CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
Wind power will not lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Nuclear power could solve our electrical energy problems in short order. We must get over the irrational overreaction to the Three Mile Island incident! Please learn the true facts by a short visit to the National Wind Watch Web site: www. wind-watch.org. The most effective strategy is to follow the advice of Kevin Crowe: use less energy, and preserve the watersheds and wildlife from this assault. Rick Bonomo, Somerset, PA
Global Warming: Too Much Inconvenience
Spouting Off I Your Words
Greener on the Other Side ...
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4
What’s Hot
ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries
Rudy Autio, 1926-2007 ‰ Beloved clay artist Rudy Autio passed away June 20 following complications from leukemia. Autio was considered one of the most masterful and influential artists working with clay in the United States
today. Born in Butte, Montana in 1926, he lived in his native state throughout most of his career. Autio headed the ceramics area at the University of Montana for 28 years and later retired as Professor Emeritus of the School of Fine Arts. Prior to his appointment at the University of
Montana, Autio was a founding resident artist at the Archie Bray Ceramics Foundation in Helena, Montana. Autio received a Tiffany Award in Crafts in 1963, the American Ceramic Society Art Award in 1978, and a National Endowment grant in 1980, enabling him to work and lecture at the Arabia Porcelain Factory and the Applied Arts University in Helsinki, Finland. While there, he was elected honorary member of Ornamo, Finland’s Designers organization. In 1981 he was the first recipient of the Governor’s Award and named outstanding visual artist in the state of Montana. He was a Fellow of the American Crafts Council, Honorary member of the National Council of Education for the Ceramic Arts, and recipient of the honorary Doctorate of Art from the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore. In November 1999 he was awarded the American Craftsman’s Gold Medal Award in ceremonies at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C.
CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
While Autio’s best known work is figurative ceramic vessels, he worked in a variety of materials and other media. In addition to commissions in ceramic relief and tile murals, he also worked in bronze, concrete, glass, fabricated metal sculpture, and design of colorful Rya tapestries. Most of these were commissioned for public buildings in the Northwest, with one in Finland.
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Calls for Entries
Elysian Fields (1993) by Rudy Autio. 30½" x 25" x 24". Stoneware.
‰ Hand Harvested: Artists for a Greener Planet will take place Sept. 1–29 in Chicago, Illinois. Juried from digital images and slides, this event is open to all media. Entry fee: $15 for three images; $5 for additional images. Submission deadline:
‰ The Santa Monica 2007 California Open Exhibition runs Aug. 14 through Sept. 1 in Santa Monica, California, and is open to all media. Entry deadline: July 10. [Note: Entered works must be handdelivered]. To obtain a prospectus, visit www.tagtheartistsgallery.com, call (310) 829-9556, or send your SASE to TAG Gallery, 2903 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404. ‰ The National Juried 3-D Competition will take place Sept. 5–Oct. 6 in Ingram, Texas. Entry deadline: July 13. To request a prospectus, e-mail visualartsdirector@hcaf. com. Contact Debbie Luce, Hill Country Arts Foundation, 120 Point Theatre Rd., Ingram, TX 78025.
‰ Naked Clay, open to women artists working in clay, takes place Sept. 7–Nov. 8 in Chicago, Illinois. Entry deadline is July 14. For an application and further details, visit www.womanmade.org/artisangallery. html; e-mail artisangallerywmg@yahoo. com, call (312) 738-0400, or write Artisan Gallery at Woman Made, 685 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622. ‰ The Fabulous Finishes Exhibition takes place Sept. 12–Oct. 27 in Brooklyn, NY, and is open to all ceramic works that incorporate an exterior treatment. Entry fee is $35 for three entries; deadline is July 15. For further details, visit the Web site at www.gkgart.com/pages/submissions.html, or contact Gloria Kennedy Gallery at 111 Front St. Gallery 222, Brooklyn, NY 11201. ‰
‰ Down to Earth takes place Nov. 9-Dec. 8 in West Chester, PA. Entry deadline: July 31. Although entries are limited to functional ceramics artists living within 100 miles of Chester County, Pennsylvania, “empty bowls” donations are not juried or limited to region. To obtain a prospectus, visit www.downtoearthexhibit.org, or mail your SASE to The Arts Scene, DTE, 530 E. Union, West Chester 19382.
‰ The Fuping Emerging Artists Competition and Exhibition takes place in Shaanxi, China during November, 2007. All submissions must be in digital format and received by July 31. Awards: $1000, 10 one-month residencies at Fuping Pottery Art Village. Entry questions may be e-mailed to Dr. Hsu at: editor@chinese potters.com; or write to Fuping Pottery Village, 1 Qianshan Rd., Fuping, Shaanxi, China 700710; www.flicam.com. ‰
Dan Anderson will jury this year’s National Juried Ceramics Exhibition and Symposium, to take place Oct. 19–Nov. 28 in Lawrence, Kansas. Entry deadline: Aug. 4; fee is $25 for three entries. For further details, visit www.lawrenceartscenter.org/ ceramicsshow; e-mail: educoord@sun flower.com, or contact Ben Ahlvers, 940 New Hampshire, Lawrence, KS 66044.
‰ Virginia Scotchie will jury Bowls 2007 from digital submissions received by Aug. 8. The event takes place Oct. 1–31 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Entry fee: $20/three images. To learn more, visit www.uncw.edu/art/bowls2007.html. ‰
Clay artists whose works are made solely by hand are invited to submit entries to Clay: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, to take place Oct. 13–Nov. 24 in Pasadena, California. Paulus Berensohn will jury slides and digital submissions received by the August 11 deadline. Fee: $20. To find out more, visit www.xiemclaycenter. com; e-mail suzette@xiemclaycenter. com; call (626) 794-5833; or write Suzette Munnik, Xiem Gallery, 1563 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104.
CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
The University of Indianapolis 2007–2008 Campus Sculpture competition will place one or more pieces of three-dimensional art on the University of Indianapolis campus. There will be one or more awards of up to $2,000 for a two-year lease. Purchase prices will be negotiated. Submissions of previously completed and ready-to-install sculptures will be accepted through July 16. All works must have been completed within the last three years and should not have been previously exhibited at the University of Indianapolis. Artists are encouraged to submit up to five images
of their work, a resume, and biographical information. Installation of winning pieces will be complete by July 25. To request a prospectus, call (317) 788-3253 or send an SASE to Dept. of Art and Design, University of Indianapolis, 1400 E. Hanna Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46227.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
July 9. To request an application, e-mail info@lunarmedia.net; visit www.hand harvested.org; call (312) 331-0453; or send your SASE to Lunar Media, 1200 W. 35th, Chicago 60609.
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
‰ The fifth annual It’s Only Clay National
‰ Clay on the Wall: 2007 Clay National takes place Dec. 1, 2007 through Feb. 17, 2008 in Lubbock, Texas. Matthew Kangas will jury digital and slide entries received by the Aug. 31 deadline. Fee: $25 for three entries; up to two additional entries may be submitted for $5 each. Awards: $2500. To learn more, e-mail landmarkarts@ttu. edu; call (806) 742-1947; or write: Texas Tech University School of Art, Landmark Arts/Clay on the Wall, Box 42081, Lubbock, TX 79409.
Juried Ceramics Competition and Exhibit takes place in Bemidji, Minnesota from Oct. 5-27. Entry deadline: August 29. Juror: Jeff Oestreich. Fee: $30 for three entries. For entry details, visit the Web site at www.bcac.wordpress.com; call (218) 444-7570; or write Bemidji Community Art Center, 426 Bemidji Ave. N., Bemidji, MN 56601.
GLAZES INC.
Introducing our new Low-Stone 900 Series colors. Here is the second half of our 37 brand new colors for 900 series low-fire glazes. As always they are lead-free and dinnerware safe. Each color will work with the existing colors to create new layered effects.
Conferences ‰ Presentations
by a variety of special guests including Ellen Dissanayake, Rob Forbes, Lisa Hunter, Lewis Hyde, Barry Katz, Chris Rose and Chris Staley will be featured during The Object and Making: Function and Meaning. The event will take place July 15–19 at Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, Maine. Registration fee is $300. For more information, write to PO Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627.
‰ Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota will host the International WoodFire Conference July 16–26 with presenters including Broc Allen, Tonya Borgeson, Richard Gruchalla, Sara Haugen, Bob and Cheryl Husby, Bjorn Norgaard, Lu Pinchang, Lenore Lampi Rukavina, and Wenzhi Zhang. For further details, visit the Web site at: http://blog.lsc.edu/woodfirecon ference; e-mail: d.beaulieu@lsc.edu; call (218) 725-7715; or write Dorian Beaulieu, Lake Superior College, 2101 Trinity Rd., Duluth, MN 55811. ‰ The Seventh Biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference takes place in Front Royal, Virginia October 4–7 and will feature special guest Randy Brodnax and presentations by many other accomplished clay artists. For full event details, e-mail: conference@theclayconnection.org; call (540) 636-6016; or write to The Clay Connection/Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference, PO Box 3214, Merrifield, VA 22116.
‰
CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
The National Juried Ceramics Exhibition and Symposium is slated for Oct. 17–19 in Lawrence, Kansas. Presenting guests include Dan Anderson, Bob Archambeau, John Balistreri, Mark Burns, Brad Schwieger, Jane Shellenbarger, Beth Cavener Stichter, and Michaelene Walsh. For full details, visit www.lawrenceartscenter.org/ceramicsshow; e-mail: educoord@sunflower.com; or write Ben Ahlvers, Symposium Director, 940 New Hampshire St., Lawrence, KS 66044.
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Phone:(800)970-1970 or (416)747-8310 Fax:(416)747-8320 www.spectrumglazes.com info@spectrumglazes.com
‰ The Michigan Ceramic Art Association Conference in Detroit will feature demonstrations, lectures, exhibitions, and tours during Michigan Mud 2007, to take place Oct. 26-27. For full event details, visit www.michclay.com; e-mail: kay@ youristpottery.com; or write Kay Yourist, 1133 Broadway, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
‰ Small and Exquisite: Clay for a Miniature World runs through July 31 at the Carbondale Clay Center, 135 Main St., Carbondale, Colorado. ‰ Renegade Clay: Five Views from the West is on view through September 4 at the Ceramics Research Center, ASU Art Museum, 10th St. and Mill Ave., Tempe, Arizona.
‰ Penland Gallery presents Resident Artists, 2007 through July 29 and The Power of Red from August 7–September 30 at Penland School of Crafts, 67 Doras Trail, Penland, North Carolina.
‰
Slipped, Dipped and Dotted: 18th–21st
Century North Carolina Redwares takes place through August 25 at the North Carolina Pottery Center, 250 E. Ave., Seagrove, North Carolina.
‰
Clay: A Personal View runs August 8–September 3 at the Coastal Art League Gallery, 300 Main St., Half Moon Bay, California.
‰
Contemporary Ohio Ceramics runs through July 22 at the Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Ave. N., Canton, Ohio.
‰ Teapots: Object to Subject is on view through August 12 at the Museum of Texas Tech University, Fourth St. and Indiana Ave., Lubbock, Texas. ‰ What a Dish! Dinnerware and Serving Pieces from RAM’s Collection runs through October 21 at the Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St., Racine, Wisconsin. [
Hot Stuff I News & Events
Exhibitions
‰
Voices from the Pacific Rim: Asian American Ceramists is on exhibit through August 19 at Platt and Borstein Galleries, University of Judaism, 15600 Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, California.
‰ Mata
Ortiz Pottery: A 40 Year Phenomenon takes place through August 25 at American Museum of Ceramic Art, 340 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, California.
‰
Parades: Freer Ceramics continues through November 4 at the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, 12th St. and Jefferson Dr., Washington, DC.
‰ 5th Annual Perspectives: Georgia Potters and Collectors opens August 1 and continues through September 19 at Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, 34 School St., Watkinsville, Georgia.
‰ Architectural Aspects—Tiles & Murals runs until August 31 at Pewabic Pottery, 10125 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, Michigan. ‰ Fire and Mud takes place July 10–August 24 at the Lansing Art Gallery, 113 S. Washington Square, Lansing, Michigan.
‰ 2007 Artists of NCC is on view through August 26 at the Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave. E., Minneapolis, MN.
‰ The Annual Resident Artist Summer Exhibition takes place through July 28 at Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts, 2915 Country Club Ave., Helena, Montana.
you’re the artist
we’re your partner
CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
‰ The Mississippi Clay Invitational continues through August 10 at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, 1596 Glenn Swetman St., Biloxi, Mississippi.
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Follow the LINE TRADITIONS RE V EALED B Y AC G A ARTISTS
“Follow the Line” was the theme of the recent ACGA exhibit at the Pence Gallery in Davis, CA. Staged in conjunction with the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art, participating artists were directed to focus on tradition, either personal family traditions or artistic heritage. In their artist’s statement, each participant wrote about what links their work to this “line” of tradition. For some, it was interpreting the human figure. For others, it was memories of childhood structures. Following are some of the great stories behind the art.
By LINDA MAU
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“Personal investigations into my multi-cultural heritage have brought to light the similarities between different cultures and the myths and rituals they create to pass information through generations. My current work is an exploration through my own intricate labyrinth of ancestral experiences following the line of those who have gone before me.”
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Sharon Virtue
Visionary by Sharon Virtue. Earthenware.
“One of the greatest traditions in art history is the art of the human figure. I have chosen to follow the idea of the human form, giving my figures arms, legs, heads and torsos, but without any anatomical correctness. The figures give a slight hint that they were once based on something that might have been human, but for me, the thrust of the figure is more to express a movement, stance, or attitude rather than anything anatomically perfect. I like the idea of freezing a moment in the figure’s daily routine, something like a photo in 3D that shows what the figure is doing, was doing, or is about to do. Expressing that action in the figure is at the core of my pieces. They all tell a story and the story can be from my mind or from the person viewing the piece.” Fred Yokel
Now That’s Working by Fred Yokel. Raku.
Judith Serebrin
Soul Book, Horse I by Judith Serebrin. Stained porcelain with handmade book.
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“These pieces are from a series of work called, “Soul Books.” They are a tactile and symbolic way of depicting the importance and existence of the soul in all living creatures. I’ve been using ceramic figures to contain handmade books, which represent the soul of each creature. Art and books have played a significant role in my life, and in my Jewish culture—it’s all about books!”
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“Being the daughter of a Bay Area architect—spending weekends visiting construction sites or sitting at a drafting table looking at plans, line, structure, and form—are predominant elements in my work.” Jane B. Grimm
Vortex IX by Jane B. Grimm. Ceramic and wood.
“I grew up hearing of my grandfather’s career in the 1920s and ’30s as a sculptor for Universal Studios in Hollywood, and later for William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan at San Simeon. His work was classical in style, frequently larger than life. Although often modeled first in clay, [it was] finally executed in marble or cement. He died before I was born, but I know his work and have felt his passion for sculpting since childhood. I often wonder what he would think of my ceramic sculpture that makes social commentary and lacks classical proportions.” CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
Janet Fullmer Bajorek
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Gulf War Pieta by Janet Fullmer Bajorek. Clay and underglazes.
“When I was young, my grandfather told me stories of his early life in the mining town of Virginia City, Montana where my mother was born. As he talked, he carved up square cardboard milk cartons to make little buildings with removable roofs. My father read the Wizard of Oz books to me as a child. I loved imagining the fanciful and makebelieve houses of the Munchkins. My current work explores time and timelessness through the “containers/houses” inspired by my grandfather’s and father’s stories.” Virginia Rigney
Home to Play by Virginia Rigney. Salt/soda firing atmosphere.
Tom Decker
G.W. by Tom Decker. 27" x 14" x 9".
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“In the tradition of figurative representation, these ceramic sculptures question the validity of the artist’s choice to animate inorganic material in depicting the temporal gesture.”
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“I believe “Home” is the incubus of tradition. My house pots are based on Nigerian mud houses. They are simple boxes of shelter and safety.” Julia Terr
House Pot by Julia Terr. Stoneware.
“My Memories Series” is a metaphor for my childhood, for growing up in a good family. They [family members] are [likened to] the steel beneath the clay. Camping trips with them are fond memories I carry with me. But memories fade and have holes, just like my sculpture. We must fill in the missing parts.” Linda Hansen Mau
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Memories of Campfire Coffee by Linda Mau. Paperclay on steel wire.
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Clay has always given artists a ‘voice.’ Through the choices they make in design, materials, and style, they give us glimpses of what is important to them; we see a “Line of Tradition.” [ Linda Hansen Mau is a member of the Ceramics Department, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA, and a member of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California (ACGA).
An Introduction to Glaze Chemistry by PETE PINNELL
I
n the second column of this series (March/April 2007 Clay Times), I discussed how the elements in our base glazes oxidize in just a few, predictable ways, and how this can indicate what role each would play in a glaze. Based on those forms, we can arrange our oxides into three fairly neat categories (see the chart at right). These categories can carry a variety of different names: base, amphoteric, and acid are commonly used. The problem with these category names is that they only make sense to someone who already has a chemistry background. Everyone else would need a lengthy discussion of what these terms mean—a cumbersome beginning for a non-technical audience. Instead, like a lot of potters, I prefer to use names that tell us what the oxides in each column do: fluxes, stabilizers, and glass formers. To recap, a glass former is something that melts to a liquid, and then retains that “amorphous” (noncrystalline) structure even after it cools. This makes it a super-cooled liquid: a material with the structure of a liquid that exhibits the properties of a solid.
Fluxes can be defined as oxides that combine with silica to cause the mixture to melt at a lower temperature. This is a much larger group, as you can see from the list in our chart. Our third category, the middle one in the chart, is called stabilizers. Practically
Here’s our chart of common glazeproducing oxides, with each oxide’s reported melting point:
RO, R2O (Fluxes)
Na2O K2O Li2O
Alkalis sodium oxide (1132˚ C, 2070˚ F) potassium oxide (350˚ C, 662˚ F) lithium oxide (1700˚ C, 3092˚ F)
CaO MgO BaO SrO
Alkaline Earths calcium oxide (2572˚ C, 4662˚ F magnesium oxide (2800˚ C, 5072˚ F) barium oxide 1923˚ C, 3493˚ F strontium oxide 1100˚ C, 2012˚ F
ZnO PbO
Other Fluxes zinc oxide (1975˚ C, 3587˚ F) lead oxide (888˚ C, 1630˚ F) R2O3 (Stabilizers)
Al2O3 B2O3
alumina (2054˚ C, 3729˚ F) boron oxide (450˚ C, 842˚ F) RO2 (Glass Formers)
SiO2
four —all from group 2—are called alkaline earths, and include calcium, magnesium, barium, and strontium. We finish up the flux column with an awkward little grouping—lead and zinc—that we can just call other fluxes. They aren’t in the same group or period, but they’re both fluxes, so we can just stick them there together. We like to acknowledge these sub-categories because oxides within each of the first two tend to share similar traits: to some extent the oxides within each of the first two categories are interchangeable. In fact, one interesting way to explore glazes is to use the Unity Molecular Formula (which I’m going to explain next time) to substitute one flux for another from the same subcategory. This is a great way to learn more about both their similarities and their differences. I promised last time that I would talk about boron oxide, because it is probably the single most interesting oxide we use. As I mentioned before, boron is actually a glass former: all alone, it will melt into a glass, and at a surprisingly low temperature. The problem (from a potter’s perspective) is that it’s completely water-soluble, so it certainly wouldn’t qualify as a glaze. That doesn’t mean we still couldn’t include it in the glass former column, and many people do. Still, it’s never our primary glass former (that always falls to silica), and I think there are convincing arguments for placing it elsewhere.
silica (1710˚ C, 3110˚ F)
We can add a bit of detail by offering some subcategories in the flux column. We usually refer to these by the same names that are used in the periodic table of elements. Our first three fluxes—sodium, potassium, and lithium—are all from group 1, and are called alkalis. The next
Some potters think of boron (or even describe it) as a flux. This might make sense if you think of a flux as something that melts. But, as we learned in my previous glaze column, a flux isn’t a “melter” (despite the popular perception). For our purposes, a flux is something that combines with silica to cause the mixture to melt at a lower temperature. Most of
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The main glass former that we use in our traditional branch of ceramics is silica (SiO2), which by itself makes a practical, durable glass, if you’re able to reach the very high temperatures necessary to melt it. Since its melting temperature is so high, people have long used fluxes to bring the melting point down to a manageable level.
speaking, these oxides do two things: they control the viscosity of a glaze (i.e. how runny it is) and whether, or how much, a glaze might crystallize.
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Back to Basics, Part 3
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Perspectives I As Far As I Know CLAYTIMES·COM n JULY/AUGUST 2007
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our fluxes actually melt by themselves at temperatures far exceeding the limits of our kilns. It’s only when the flux is combined with silica (and other oxides) that its melting temperature is lowered. There is a term that ceramists in both art and science use to describe this phenomenon, and it is a source of both clarity and confusion. The term is eutectic. For our purposes, a eutectic occurs when two or more substances combine to melt at a lower temperature than either would alone. The confusion is caused because the term ‘eutectic’ is also used by the wider world of chemistry and physical science to describe a particular point in a phase equilibrium diagram. This is a different (though somewhat related) animal. Our interest is in something called a deformation eutectic, which is measured by making a cone out of a material (or mixture) and heating it until it melts. The temperature at which the cone would bend over and touch down would be its deformation temperature. If you find the proportion of any particular blend of oxides that has the lowest melting point, we would call that point the eutectic point. We also use eutectic to describe the general lowering of melting temperature that we talked about earlier. It’s a handy term if you remember that we’re not talking about phase diagrams when we use it this way. With this in mind, let’s re-examine boron. Since it melts, why don’t we call it a flux? After all, potters are practical people who tend to believe in “the duck test.” The duck test states that if something walks, talks and swims like a duck, then we should call it a duck (even if a naturalist might call it something else). Boron seems to quack like a flux, so why don’t we call it that? Because, at least theoretically, boron doesn’t form a eutectic with silica. Yes, it melts and it causes silica to melt at a lower temperature than it would otherwise, but it doesn’t work the other way around. When a flux is blended with the silica it should lower the melting temperature of the silica, and boron does that. But when a eutectic occurs, the opposite should also be true: adding silica to the flux should cause the flux to melt at a lower temperature. Think about
the three-part eutectic I mentioned in part 2 of this series: 34% whiting, 30% kaolin, and 36% silica. None of these three materials melts below 1700° C (or about cone 23). Yet when these materials are combined in this proportion, a cone made from this mixture will bend before cone 9, or by about 1250° C. That’s a markedly lower temperature than the temperature at which any of the three would melt alone. As I also mentioned last time, even alumina (which potters like to think of as the ultimate refractory) can take part in eutectic mixtures. If you add about 5% alumina to pure silica, you will lower the melting point of the silica from about 1710° C to about 1545° C , even though alumina melts alone at 2054° C. There are very good reasons to call boron a stabilizer, and place it in the middle column. In glasses that mature at a lower temperature, boron can fill the entire stabilizer role and sometimes does. China paints and enamels are often stabilized with boron alone. More importantly, boron can fill the other role that we assign to stabilizers to affect and control crystal growth. Add enough boron to a matte glaze recipe and it will become a glossy glaze. (A matte glaze is simply a glaze in which enough microscopic crystals have grown to affect the texture and reflectance of the surface. Add the right amount of stabilizer to the glaze—either alumina or boron—and the crystals won’t form.) So, is this the column where we should place boron? I put it there, but frankly, it doesn’t really matter. This will become more obvious when we start putting numbers into this, because we’ll always look at the boron level by itself and not in combination with alumina, silica, or anything else. In essence, we’ll treat it as if it were its own column. Yes, it acts like a stabilizer, but I put it in this column mostly because there’s plenty of room there. (Yup, sometimes a complex question demands a simple answer.) In practical terms (and who needs a theory if there’s no practical application?), what does it mean that boron seems to function simultaneously as a flux, stabilizer, and glass former? It means that boron has a marked tendency to both lower and broaden the firing range
of a glaze. There’s no easier way to lower the maturation temperature of a glaze than through the addition of boron. We can add .05 mole equivalents (more later on what that means) to just about any glaze and lower its maturing temperature about one cone. This is a great little tidbit, since it means that we can lower cone 10 glazes down to cone 6 by adding somewhere between .1 and .25 moles of boron. Why the imprecision? Because all glazes have a firing range, not just a firing temperature. A recipe labeled as “cone 10” might actually have a range of, say, cone 8 to 12 (that’s a pretty common firing range for a glossy, high-fire glaze). This means we don’t need as much boron to bring its maturation temperature down to cone 6. A larger amount might be needed for a matte glaze that matures at temperatures from cone 10 to 13, but is also labeled “cone 10.” The interesting thing is that even though the lower end of the glaze’s range will come down, the top end doesn’t follow as quickly: the addition of a little boron could easily convert a cone 8-11 glaze into a cone 6-11 glaze. This allows us to formulate glazes with a very long and forgiving firing range, which is handy if you’re using a kiln that fires unevenly. It’s not unusual to see boron-containing glazes that are mature at cone 04, and yet fire to cone 6, giving them a practical range of ten (or more) cones. I’ve never seen this kind of range in a glaze that doesn’t include boron. Whew! See, that’s not so bad, and now that we’re through the theory we can begin using this information to produce new glazes and alter existing ones. Next time, I’ll introduce glaze calculation and the Unity Molecular Formula, and we’ll start putting all of this knowledge to practical use. [
Pete Pinnell teaches at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has been a potter for many years and has numerous exhibitions and workshops to his credit. You can reach him with comments or questions at ppinnell1@unl.edu.
Full-Color Catalog available September 1st Reserve a copy by calling or logging on Stonewall Gallery • 25579 Plank Road Cambridge Springs, PA 16403 ( 8 1 4 ) 7 3 4 -8 8 0 0 www.campbellpotterystore.com
Jamie Kozlowski Wizard of Clay Pottery
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t last, I had figured out new work: handbuilt functional pieces. I’d done a decade of altars, drawers, workable doors, etc. It took me a year to make a plate my kids even liked. When I finally had some passable new plates, I asked clay people for suggestions. The first part of this column will discuss the process and results of asking for feedback. The second part of this column will briefly explain the colored slip techniques, as inspired by Denise Smith, that I am using on my new work.
changed, but how the visual responses of other people’s eyes can be so extremely exciting and useful. The lesser point of the article is to share the technique of the new functional work. The first person who looked at a new plate watched me to see if I was interested in a full critique. He said the surface was nice, interesting, blah, blah, blah ... but then he moved on and said that it was just a slab of clay. Bingo! I
by LANA Wilson
realized I had been so involved with the surface that I had not paid careful attention to the edges or shape. Edges—good grief—hadn’t I given slide shows and preached with fundamentalist zeal on edges? Yes. Seems like I had received that same comment 35 years ago. It’s hard to open those eyes wide and see. After that comment, I went home and worked with excited fervor on the edges. I tried a variety of systems, had to throw
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Why and How to Solicit Feedback
When asking for feedback on my new functional pieces, I know I need to clarify that I am interested in suggestions and negative comments. I don’t want generalized mushy, feedback comments like “wow” or “interesting.” I have a variety of small speeches I make like, “I am mostly interested in your negative reactions, suggestions, or critical comments so I can learn. I don’t want to hear it is “great.” I know I have to be ready for negative comments, or anything I get. I try not to look as if I would be seriously dented by negative comments. Another speech for soliciting critiques, suggested by Richard Burkett, is: “I’m excited about these new pieces, but there is something that is not working. Can you help me think about what it is?”
The point of this article is not what the pieces looked like and how they
Lana’s new work reflects constructive criticism she invites and welcomes.
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I would not have had a thick enough skin for this honest feedback 30 years ago. My present thick skin is handy; it means I can be excited and learn from suggestions instead of having sudden feelings of depression. Besides, I know I am slow on developing these new plates and cups. They are like a new boyfriend in high school; I am somewhat besotted and blind to what to do next. I am also aware that I don’t have to use all the suggestions offered.
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Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
away quite a few, and finally figured out a rolled edge that was stamped down on the back. His critique made it deliciously fun to improve the plates. The next suggestion hinted that my “more is more” philosophy was too much. In making new plates with (gasp) plain areas, even I could see how it set off the densely-patterned areas. I was getting energized by how much more quickly my work was improving as a result of these constructive comments. One insightful critique came 15 years ago from a student who’d been awarded a scholarship to my class at Arrowmont. He is now a professor of ceramics, and it was impishly fun to ask him what he thought. He said he would like to see some of my handles incorporated into the new work ... and suggested a foot to lift them up. Yep, I then rushed home and tried to figure out handles. His thoughts made sense to me. I found I had to make new types of handles; the old ones didn’t work. Good, time to move on, I thought. It was more interesting to make new handles anyway.
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A full-time functional potter pointed out that the lip on my new cups would look better if thinner. I had not noticed! My less sensitive reaction to criticism, compared with that from years ago, meant I could learn and thrive with negative feedback instead of getting deflated. I do admit, it took me two decades to begin to get that tougher skin. What I am obviously advising here is to develop a thick skin faster than I did.
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The process of improving my work has been accelerated by these reactions from other clay artists. Exploring specific and fresh input in the studio is exhilarating. Consider asking clay artists and other folks for feedback on your work, or e-mail images to distant clay friends. Tell them you want to make your work better and would value their suggestions. Take a look at online critiques at www.critical ceramics.org. Now for some more concrete suggestions you might wish to apply to your work. The remainder of this column is devoted to details on how I use colored slips on textured functional ware. I learned the basic technique from Denise Smith, and wrote about her process in the July/August 2005 Clay Times issue.
To make the slip, I use small scraps of bone-dry Half and Half clay, a cone 5 body by Laguna. It is half porcelain and half white stoneware, so it is very white, but also easy to work with. It is not great for throwing. I add the Mason® stains in the percentages listed below. If it calls for 50% Chartreuse, I weigh out 100 grams of bone-dry clay and add 50 grams of 6236 Chartreuse. It mixes more smoothly if I let it sit for half an hour or so. I use a very stiff brush to mix it, using 50 to 100 grams of dry clay plus the stain, whenever I mix up a color. With this basic-white-clay-plus-stain system, you can use any white clay rated from cone 04 to cone 10, and mix it with the percentages of the stains listed below. Then you can apply a clear glaze, and fire to the appropriate cone. I brush the whole, intricately-textured bisqued piece top to bottom for a plate, with slips made from one of the base or first-layer colorants listed below. I usually use the black slip. The bottom is also textured, and after I paint on the black slip, I sponge it off so the black slip only remains in the myriad crevices of the texture. Since the slip is almost all clay and not a glaze, the bottom will not stick to the kiln shelf. When I want only black and white in the glazed area, I paint the black slip on and then sponge it off. In the areas where I want black plus other colors, I paint on the black slip first, then unevenly dab on small, casual ¼" square splotches—some here, other colors there—often in up to three layers. I do not sponge off the colored splotchy sections. I use fine steel wool to “sand” the colors down, a subtractive abrading process. I wear a Survivair® mask (about $50). I brush all the dust off the steel-wool-abraded areas while still wearing the mask. After brushing all the dust off, I use the clear glaze recipe listed at right. I am sure other clear glazes will also work; this one is slightly on the expensive side. If I need bits of more color after the cone 6 glaze firing, I apply Spectrum SuperWriter® Fire Engine Red 467 or Atomic Orange 463 and refire to cone 6. Someday I plan to be so good at this whole process that the above rescue technique will be totally unnecessary.
BASE OR FIRST-LAYER COLORANTS: 6600 Black 6069 Dark Coral 6207 Celeste (a dark aqua) 6339 Royal (blue)
10% 35% 25% 10%
Often I put the black slip on first, then unevenly apply small ¼" dabs of the first three colors below. I highlight with small dabs of different colors scattered across the piece. You needn’t adhere to these exact numbers: decrease the percentages to yield pastel colors, or increase them to yield darker, more intense hues. You can also mix these slip colors with each other to produce new colors.
6129 Golden Ambrosia 30% 6485 (a tan orange) 20% 6024 Orange 30% 6027 Tangerine 25% 6069 Dark Coral 30% 6207 Celeste (dark aqua) 25% 6211 Pea Green 50% 6223 Ivy Green 50% 6226 Dark Leaf 25% 6236 Chartreuse 50% 6288 Turquoise 50% 6304 Violet 100% 27496 Persimmon 30% or K 5997 Red 30% (or some other red stain, depending on your supplier)
“Kate the Younger” Clear Cone 6 Oxidation Glaze by Richard Burkett use over colored slips yields a shiny surface, resistant to crazing (but don’t speed-cool) Ferro Frit 3195 EPK Wollastonite Silica
70% 8 10 12
TOTAL
100%
add Bentonite
2%
Lana Wilson is a passionate handbuilder. See her Web site at www.lanawilson.com. If you have a comment or critique on her work, she welcomes your e-mail at: lana@ lanawilson.com. If you are a parent and a clay person, see the bulletin board and articles at The ClayParent Web site: www.mud mamasandpapas.com. [
In Form I Teaching Techniques
Thrown & Pressed Textures
Groovy Pots column by BILL van GILDER • photos by rex looney
Necessary Supplies • (2) 2-lb. 8-oz. lumps of clay • (1) 2-lb. lump of clay • (3) small bats • a straight-sided rib tool • a cut-off wire • a throwing sponge • some water • one or two short lengths of wooden dowel • a sharp-edged, square-ended wooden stick, 4" to 5" in length • a trimming tool
“Picking the right glaze to cover this visually busy decoration can also add to the success of each piece.” Here’s a grassy-colored, cone 6, glossy, transparent recipe we’ve been using in our classroom on a white clay body, with great results:
Oribe Green
H
ere’s a wheel-throwing project that we’ve had quite a lot of fun with in our classroom. It’s a 2-step project (or more, if you decide to trim, add handles, or add lids). Expect an “Oh, wow, what a cool pattern” and “I think I can use it on my pots” type of reaction—a good thing.
Custer Feldspar Whiting Silica (325 mesh) Tile #6 Kaolin (or EPK) Zinc Oxide TOTAL add Copper Carbonate
32.0% 24.0 24.0 12.0 8.0 100.0% 4.0%
This glaze pools nicely in each groove if used at a 48 to 50 thickness reading on the hydrometer. We dip pots quickly, for 1 to 2 seconds each, and glaze-fire like all our classroom glazes, to 2200° F over 9-10 hours, then turn off. The kiln cools at its own speed with the exhaust vent turned off shortly after the computer control panel reads ‘complete.’
Making Pot #1 With your weighed and kneaded lumps of clay, three bats, and the throwing tools listed above, gather your students around your wheel. A note about the dowels: the length of your dowels isn’t important, though a length that fits across my hand is my choice. The diameter is important. Dowels that are less than ¼" or more than ¾" in diameter are a hassle to use. So use dowels that are somewhere in between (the blunt end of a metal needle tool works perfectly for a small pot). Throw the simplest pot first—the bowl. Using a 2-lb. lump of clay on a small bat, throw your bowl with a straight-up wall of an
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I explain that, “There are multitudes of ways to decorate your pots. Creating part of a pattern at the throwing stage and later, building on top of that pattern, is a fairly immediate way to decorate. But this technique takes some pre-planning and careful execution. Just check out the pots made by Shoji Hamada and Tatsuzo Shimaoka, two very important Japanese potters who used this building technique with great insight and skill.
cone 6 oxidation / cone 8 reduction
A tip about sieving this glaze: the zinc oxide can be horribly chunky and a real nuisance as you try to force it through an 80-mesh sieve twice. To solve the problem, we combine the weighed-out zinc amount and a cup or two of water in a blender, whip it up, and add it to the batch to be immediately sieved. Problem solved! One more note: we use clay bodies rated to mature at cone 6, not cone 6 to cone 10. We bisque-fire all the clays to cone 08 for more porosity and a quicker glaze drying time.
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