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ART

TRENDS,

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AND

avoiding Internet Rip-off Scams Lasting Impressions with Rope Texture Pottery Training: Mothering in the Clay Studio Multi-faceted Forming Methods

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Shopping for a new extruder

TIMES

X-Man’s Guide to Crystalline Glazing

TEChNIQUES Vol. 12 No. 3 May/June 2006

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CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

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contents

TIMES

Clay

Detail of one of X-Man’s crystalline matte glazes. Story appears on page 34.

May/June 2006 • Volume 12, Number 3

features 34 Crystalline Visions: X-Man’s Guide to Crystalline Glazes

39 Perfectly Different Alice Munn and Fong Choo share their works and techniques in Louisville, KY

43 Wrapping It Up With Texture Halldor Hjalmarson offers an unusual approach to texturing while throwing

46 Shopping for a Manual Extruder

Crystal Celadon Teapot by Fong Choo. 5" x 4½" x 4". See story, page 39.

by Jenna McCracken

exhibits

51 Making it BIG by Peggy Albers

55 Avoiding Potential Internet Fraud by Peter Callas

56 Raku the Painterly Way by Barbara McKenzie

Scott Creek’s Super Duper Clay Extruder is but one of many excellent models surveyed in the article on page 46.

14 “West Meets East” at Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland curated by Kevin Hluch

20 “State of Clay” at Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts curated by Alice Abrams and Joan Carcia

contents

TIMES

Clay

Cut down (or up) on thick pots with faceting! See step-by-step photos on page 27.

May/June 2006 • Volume 12, Number 3

columns

departments 11 EDITOR’S DESK

60 THE GALLERY

If you were stranded on a desert isle...

A selection of new works by CT readers

13 YOUR WORDS

63 SLURRY BUCKET TIPS

Letters from our readers

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

59 GREAT GLAZES Encore recipes from previous CT cover artist Sandy Miller

Save time and trouble with studio-tested tips & techniques

73 POTTERY CLASSES Where to learn claywork in the U.S. & Canada

78 ART WALK Places to sell, buy, and view ceramic art

80 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services just for clay artists

23 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Giving A Critique” by Pete Pinnell

27 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Mud Mamas” by Lana Wilson

31 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “Multi-faceted Forms” by Bill van Gilder

65 TOOL TIMES “Within Reach” by Vince Pitelka

67 KILNS & FIRING “A Tank Rubric” by Marc Ward

68 STUDIO HEALTH & SAFETY “Chromium: The Green Chemical” by Monona Rossol

82 AROUND THE FIREBOX “Real Potters” by Kelly Savino

71 BOOKS & VIDEOS Above: Halldor Hjalmarson demonstrates his method of texturing pots by wrapping them during the throwing process. For details, turn to page 43.

Left: Storage jar by Rob Barnard, part of “West Meets East” exhibition featured on page 14.

“Handmade Culture” review by Steven Branfman

On the cover: Art and photo by Xavier Gonzalez. Acorn. 8" x 5½". Black/blue glaze sprayed over Nancy’s tan glaze. Crystalline glaze on porcelain, fired to cone 9. Story on p. 34.

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magazine

TIMES

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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 Production Assistant: Jenna McCracken claytimes@aol.com Proofreader: Jon Singer Office Assistant: Ingrid Phillips Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing David Hendley, Around the Firebox Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Contributing Writers: Peggy Albers • Peter Callas M.A. DeRose • Halldor Hjalmarson Bill Hoover • Jenna McCracken Barbara McKenzie Published by: CLAY TIMES INC. 15481 Second St. • PO Box 365 Waterford, Virginia 20197-0365 (540) 882-3576 • FAX (540) 882-4196 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 1-800-356-2529, or visit www.claytimes.com.

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

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 © 2006 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.

by POLLy bEACh

lay is such a personal medium. After viewing hundreds of different works at this year’s NCECA conference in Portland, Oregon, I found myself wondering how so many different forms can by created by so many different people, using so many different techniques. As I continued to wonder (and wander, in the chilly drizzle Portland is known for), I found myself daydreaming about the onset of summer weather, and how nice it would be to take a trip to a secluded island somewhere. Then my fantasy turned into a trip to an island where I could not only soak up the sun, but play with clay, too. My imagination led me to the following “what if” scenario, which I thought would be fun to ask fellow clay artists: If you were stranded on a desert island with nothing but a block of clay and the tool of your choice, what tool would that be? Why? “My first choice in the tool department is a laptop with a satellite link so I could order ‘clay gear’ from Jim Bailey. My second choice is a pottery wheel. Third is a knife, figuring I could make any other tools with it. Wait a minute—maybe the best answer is a match, in order to fire at will before the tour boats arrive. (We just had a baby: I must be disoriented!)” Tom Collins • Pomona, CA

If you were stranded on a desert island with nothing but a block of clay and the tool of your choice, what tool would that be? Why? “If this is the desert island of my fantasies, then any moment now, a beautiful woman will come walking down the beach with a 6-pack of cold Coronas in her hand. The only tool I’m going to need is a bottle opener. The block of clay can wait—I’ve got things to do with this hair of mine and I’ll need to rehearse a few ‘stop her in her tracks’ cool lines. Don’t send a rescue team!” Tony Clennell • Beamsville, Ont., Canada “I’d choose a slab roller. I love working with slabs, and I could make just about anything I would need with one. Besides making my architectonic sculptures, I could also make plates, bowls, mugs, etc. If a slab roller isn’t considered a tool, then I’d opt for a rolling pin! I could use coconuts to drape the slabs over to make bowls, and roll the slabs over palm tree branches for awesome textures—and I could beat off wild animals with it, too.” Sheri Leigh • Incline Village, NV

“I’m not sure how much potting I would be doing, probably spending a good deal of time looking out for Jessica Alba of ‘Into the Blue,’ and hoping for a good case of Pinot to float up. But the tool of choice was easy for me, and a practical one at that. My van Gilder Tools ‘Wiggle Wire’ is my favorite (seriously—I love that thing!) Ever since Bill gave me one, few pots escape the ‘Wiggle.’ It also does a nice job of slicing up melons; a practical tool for any beach trip.” Tom Zwierlein • Atlanta, GA “A Surform® woodworker’s plane: Presumably there would be no power, so a good power wheel would be out of the question. Since I would be doing handbuilding, the Surform is a great tool for forming and finishing hand-built or altered work. A hammer would be my second choice, for quality control!” Robin Hopper • Victoria, B.C., Canada [

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

“I’d select a needle tool because it’s multitasking. Bend it and you have a fish hook. You have to eat if you’re going to have the strength to work with that block of clay. It’s defensive ... stab those critters in the night and have a protein breakfast in the morning. Plus, it cuts and pierces clay, too!” Bill Hunt • Columbus, OH

spouting off I Editor’s Desk

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Great New Look Once again you all amaze me with your fantastic “new look” and the new content of your fine magazine! You are going to give old #1 a run for their money! I do have a few questions/comments: 1. How does one get their pottery school listed in the “Community Pottery Classes” section? Is this a matter of advertising money or is this a free service? [A one-year, six-issue listing is available for just $99. For details, e-mail Jenna McCracken at: claytimes@aol.com.] 2. With regard to Sandy Miller, the potter of those absolutely stunning pots on pages 40-43 of last issue, is she willing to share her glaze recipes? I would kill for them—especially that gorgeous red glaze! [Crime not necessary! Turn to page 59 for the formulas ... ] 3. Bill van Gilder does it again with his most informative article. Thank you! [And again, on faceting, in this issue—see page 27.] 4. I attended a workshop at The Clay Studio last weekend, where Mary Law made a great presentation of altered pots. I feel that Mary could contribute a lot to an article or two, if she is willing. [Thanks for the suggestion ... we’ll pursue it!] John Wear • New Hope, PA

Shrinkage Ruler Feedback • I especially love reading the columns in Clay Times, but must take issue with Mr. Pitelka’s “Tool Times” article in the January/February 2006 issue about shrinkage rulers. (I am not a great inventor—I got this hint from another potter, and it works!)

I am attaching a photo of three rulers: on top is the cone 10 ruler, middle is the plastic ruler used for impressing on the clay, bottom is the bisque-fired ruler. Here is how I use my fired ruler: I have a finished baking dish I want to make another one of, but I do not have my original measurements, only the finished product. To determine the wet dimensions of the finished piece, I line up my cone-10-fired ruler opposite a “real” ruler, making sure they match up at 0". For a fired measurement of 6", I see where 6" on the “real” ruler lines up with the cone 10 fired ruler. It may read 6½". This means a length of 6½" wet will shrink to 6" after a cone 10 firing. Real simple. If you change clay bodies, it is not hard to make some more shrink rulers. I write on the ruler what clay body it is. Although I have used my shrink ruler to make replacement lids, it is a last resort. Measurements for a lid are not so easy, as a container opening will shrink differently than a slab. My suggestion for lids is to throw them all the same size or only a couple of specific sizes. Then if a lid does not make it through the glaze firing, you know you make all your lids a particular diameter, and it is not so difficult to make or find a replacement lid. Susan Roden • Oakland, Oregon • Regarding Vince Pitelka’s article in the January/February 2006 issue (“Measuring and Gauging: The Shrinkage Ruler”): For those who are not so handy with folding papers, etc., put a thin ruler (the typical metallic or “advertising” plastic one will do) in a scanner. Open any image-handling

program like Photoshop® or Corel®. Even Word® can do the job, so I will do the example with this one, because almost everybody will have it. Open a new document. Click “Insert/Image” from the scanner. Now you have the image of the ruler in your document. Click “Format/Image/Size” and enter in the Scale Height box (if your image is vertical on your screen) or Scale Width box (if your image is horizontal on your screen) the percentage of shrinkage you need (114% in the example). Now print it (be careful not to re scale the printout as to fit the size of the paper in the printer—in the printing options, the “scale to the size of the paper” box should read “no scale,” and you should use a long enough paper). Cut it out and glue it to the back of the ruler. That’s it! You can even copy the original image in the same document and assign each one a different scale value. So you can make yourself a complete set of shrinkage rulers in a snap—in one print-out. Diego Lorenzo Gomez de la Serna Valparaiso, Chile

Never Better Your March/April issue is the best clay magazine issue I have ever read. That is really saying something, as I have been reading clay magazines since 1951. I am 86; I teach pottery now at a retirement community, Shellpoint. We have a wellequipped studio and my hope is that the next generation of retirees will come with enough background to keep the studio going when I am gone. I am teaching people over 80 to make pretty decent pots on the wheel, cognitively impaired people to make things they feel good about, and [just] about anyone who comes in to look around to go out smiling. Can’t beat that. I started working with clay at Cranbrook in Michigan when I was 14 and have never had more fun than I am now. How about that! June D. Lockhart • Fort Myers, FL [

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

Every clay body has different shrinkage and every potter makes his work a thickness that is comfortable for him. To make an easy shrink ruler for your own clay body, try this: Roll out a slab of clay to the thickness you prefer. I use dowels on each side to roll my slab to the ¼" thickness I like to work with. Take a ruler with raised markings and gently impress it into your wet clay. Carefully cut around the ruler.

Hint: A pizza roller has minimal drag on the clay when it cuts. I use a cheap ruler from a discount store that measures in inches and centimeters. When dry, bisquefire. Make another one that gets bisqued and then fired to the temperature you fire your finished ware. I fired mine to cone 10.

Spouting Off I Letters

YourWords

West Meets East: A Contemporary Pottery Show

rganized to showcase the talents of 10 outstanding American potters, this show was recently held at the Rockville, Maryland campus of Montgomery College to bring together varied viewpoints, technical approaches, and unique aesthetic styles.

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

Curated by Montgomery College art professor Kevin Hluch, the show featured works by west coast potters including Trent Burkett, Robert Brady, Sequoia Miller, Kathryn Finnerty, and Andrew Martin. Among the east coast participants were Bill van Gilder, Rob Barnard, Richard Hensley, James Chalkley, and Kristen Kieffer.

These artists work in the realm of pottery where utility is the handmaiden to art. Since the beginning of civilization, individuals have made pottery to support the daily functions of living. Many of these historical objects have achieved the status of high art due to their exceptional beauty, and

are thus found in museums throughout the world. The artists represented in this exhibition have traveled along paths similar to those of previous artists, providing their audience with objects that are not only wonderful to behold with the eye, but also a wonder to hold in the hand. These art objects were not created to be isolated behind glass walls and considered only for contemplative purposes. By its very nature, pottery is designed for everyday use. The objects represented in this exhibition have only a temporary residence in the limelight of the gallery. Their true fate lies in the home, where they lend their delightful presence to the daily processes of living. Because they have not separated form from utility to ascend to a presumed “higher” art status, these artists have instead dedicated themselves to producing superb objects with a noble and satisfying

Pictured at top: Large Grooved Bowl by James Chalkley. Below: Black Storage Jar with Weave by Sequoia Miller.

Hot Stuff I On Exhibit

role to play in everyday life. Theirs is an accessible art. This is where pottery as a separate, distinct, and valuable art form stands out. The tactile character found in these works is as essential to their aesthetic success as the visual cues that make up the forms themselves.

Clockwise from top left: Covered Jar by Richard Hensley. Flower Box by Kristen Kieffer. Teapot by Kathryn Finnerty.

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

Each artist has developed and perfected skills and techniques that reflect their love of working with clay and, in so doing, they promote their own individual, unique expression. From low- to high-temperature firing; from earthenware to porcelain; from exploitation of the wood fire for surface animation to animated brushwork, these artists instill in their work a fullness that mirrors the reason why these pots were made in the first place—to add a measure of enjoyment and pleasure to their use in the home and at the table. [

What’sHot

ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries

Ceramic Trade Show

‰ CERAMITEC 2006, the 10th international

trade fair for machinery, equipment, plant, processes, and raw materials for ceramics and powder metallurgy takes place May 16-19 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany. CERAMITEC has developed into the world’s leading trade fair for the ceramic industry since its premiere in 1974. The comprehensive supporting program provides an ideal overview of current trends and innovations in the ceramic market. Exhibitors from 40 countries will represent the industry’s global players. For additional information, visit www.ceramitec.de.

ness magazine specifically for artists, Crafts Business provides readers with successful arts business role models in the magazine’s feature pages. Rosen Media has indicated that a name change may be implemented, and that once the transformation is complete, the new magazine will offer readers insider business knowledge from the most successful artists in the community. For more information, visit www.american craft.com.

Conferences and Symposiums Clay Artist Wins Award ‰ The Flintridge Foundation has awarded an unrestricted grant of $25,000 to Jamie Walker, a ceramic sculptor from Seattle, Washington. The award recognizes an artist working in fine arts and crafts media whose work demonstrates high artistic merit and a distinctive voice for 20 years or more.

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

Walker has created a burgeoning clay universe of unique sculptural forms, which range from large, freestanding pieces constructed out of geometric shapes to recent organic-looking objects resembling clouds or proliferating cells.

For more on the Flintridge Foundation or the artists who have been awarded grants, visit www.FlintridgeFoundation. org, or contact them by mail at 1040 Lincoln Ave., Suite 100, Pasadena, CA 91103.

New Owner for Craft Magazine ‰ Rosen Media, a division of The Rosen Group, announced that it has purchased Crafts Business magazine. Created as a busi-

‰ “Clay: The Art of Earth & Fire” will be held May 12-14 on the campus of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. The event will feature master potters from around the globe sharing their expertise, showing their work, and swapping ideas. Participating in the event are three renowned ceramists: Warren MacKenzie, 7th Hanjiro Mizuno, and Junko Shibata-Ito. Among the activities slated for the weekend are clay-throwing demonstrations to be performed by MacKenzie and Mizuno on Saturday morning, and a panel discussion Saturday afternoon addressing the importance of the arts in education, with an emphasis on ceramics. The conference will be coordinated with a ceramics exhibit in the Tremaine Gallery at The Hotchkiss School. The ceramics exhibit will be on display in the Tremaine Gallery from May 5 through June 18. A traditional Japanese farewell tea ceremony will wrap up the conference on Sunday morning. Tea master Glenn Pereira will lead attendees in a ritualized tea preparation and presentation.

There is no registration required for conference activities, and all events are free. The Hotchkiss School is a private day and boarding school located in northwestern Connecticut. For more information, visit www. hotchkiss.org/arts or call (860) 435-4423. The Tremaine Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

‰ “Create Value/Provoke Change: The Future of Craft,” the 2006 national conference of the Craft Organization Development Association, will take place June 1-4 at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon. The conference, co-hosted by Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery and Oregon College of Art & Craft, will provide opportunities for recognizing national and regional trends in craft, and exploring issues important to the field. For more information, visit: www. codacraft.org or call (870) 746-5159.

Clay Festivals ‰ The 5th Annual Sanford Pottery Festival takes place May 6-7 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center in Sanford, North Carolina. The event assists public schools in the state, where, on average, one dollar per student per year is spent to purchase supplies for the visual arts. So far, the Sanford Pottery Festival has given more than $60,000 from their 2002 and 2003 events to support the visual arts in local schools. The festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For additional information, visit www.san fordpottery.com or call (919) 777-9933.

‰ The 14th Annual Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival takes place at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road in Palo Alto, CA on July 8-9. Admission is free. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

mission is free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call Baltimore Clayworks at (410) 578-1919 or visit www.baltimoreclayworks.org.

‰ “Bennett Bean: Influences and Objects” Ceramics Exhibitions ‰ “Looking Back, Looking Forward: The State of Clay in Massachusetts” takes place April 8 through June 7 at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts. The exhibit will feature 90 works by 30 Massachusetts ceramic artists. A public reception is planned for May 21. The museum is located at 455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA 02301. For more information, visit www.fullercraft.org or call (508) 588-6000.

takes place through June 4 at the Hunterdon Museum of Art in Clinton, New Jersey. This retrospective exhibition will feature Bean’s innovative, finely-crafted ceramics, along with many of his other artworks. The exhibition will highlight the intertwining of art and daily life that is a basic tenet of Bean’s existence. The museum gallery and shop, located at 7 Lower Center Street, Clinton, NJ, is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (908) 735-8415. Suggested admission to the museum is $3.

‰ “An Extravagance of Salt & Pepper,” a national invitational exhibition of functional and sculptural containers for salt and pepper by more than 100 emerging, mid-career, and established artists, will run May 6 through June 4 at Baltimore Clayworks in Baltimore, Maryland. An opening reception will take place Saturday, May 6 from 6-8 p.m. Ad-

Calls for Entry May submission deadlines

‰ The Doll and Toy Museum of New York City

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

The festival will feature the work of more than 185 clay and glass artists, ceramic workshops, “Clay for Kids,” food, and music. For more information, visit www.acga.net or call (650) 329-2366.

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requests entries for fine and decorative arts

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Hot Stuff I News & Events

in miniature (in 1" to 1' scale). Artists do not have to be working exclusively in miniature. Works in all media are welcome. Accepted artwork will be incorporated into a Doll & Toy Museum display of historical miniature period rooms and will be treated as a regular exhibition. Examples of miniature rooms in the permanent collection may be seen on the museum Web site, www.dtmnyc.org. Send resume/bio and a few samples of work on a non-returnable disk to The Doll and Toy Museum of NYC, 157 Montague

Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Deadline for submissions is May 15.

‰ Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL Gallery) is accepting submissions for “Gender | Identity,” an all-media exhibition of contemporary work exploring gender issues. See prospectus for complete information. Entry deadline is May 19; entry fee is $25 for up to three works. Entries must be original work completed within the last two years. All media will be considered. The show takes

place July 8 through August 6. Send an SASE to ALL Gallery, 319 Peck Street, New Haven, CT 06513. For a prospectus or more information, go to www. allgallery.org/exhibitions.html.

‰ The “36th Annual Peters Valley Craft Fair” takes place September 29 through October 1. Entry deadline is May 31. Juried from slides; entry fee is $25; booth fee is $350. For more information, contact Peters Valley Craft Center, 19 Kuhn Road, Layton, NJ 07851 or visit www. pvcrafts.org.

‰ “Strange Figurations,” a thematic

“I had always used my own glaze recipes, but Spectrum’s Raku Glazes gave my work some exciting new dimensions and they are so convenient.” - Ian Chung

exhibition to feature all interpretations of the concept, is open to all figurative styles from the realist to the surreal and visionary. All media will be considered. Maximum dimension of works is 72". The exhibition will be held at the Limner Gallery, September 1-24. An online entry form is available at www.slowart.com/prospectus/figure.htm, or e-mail slowart@aol. com, or send an SASE to SlowArt Productions, PO Box 503, Phoenicia, NY 12464. Entry deadline is May 31. June submission deadlines

‰ Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts is offering grants of $2,500 to $12,000 for professional artists who demonstrate professional achievement and commitment to career; work primarily in painting, sculpture, drawing, or printmaking; have a financial need that is inhibiting the production or recognition of their art; and possess a clear and specific plan for using the grant funds. Applicants must be 30 years or older by the application deadline, or if under 30, applicants must have been working for at least six years since completion of formal schooling.

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

Obtain a complete application and guidelines by contacting the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, PO Box 2670, New York, NY, 10108. Entry deadline is June 1. For additional information, visit www.efacen ter.org or e-mail grants@efacenter.org.

For Details on how Ian made the pots, go to our website: http://www.spectrumglazes.com Our New Address: 94 Fenmar Dr. Toronto, ON Canada M9L 1M5

Phone: (800) 970-1970 (416) 747-8310 Fax: (416) 747-8320 Email: info@spectrumglazes.com

‰ “Ephemera: Members’ Exhibition” is open to all members of The Arts Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. The central theme is time—time being our constant companion, our closest friend, and worst enemy. The exhibit, which takes place July 21 through August 19, will feature works that convey artists’ perceptions of the passage of time, revealed either in

Entry cards must be postmarked by June 1 and sent to The Arts Center, 719 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. There is a $5 entry fee. Cash prizes will be awarded. For more information, visit www.theartcenter.org or call (727) 822-7872.

‰ “Spring Brookdale Park Fine Art and Crafts Show” takes place June 17-18; entry deadline is June 1. Open to all handcrafted work. Juried from three slides or photos and one of the booth. Contact Rose Squared Productions, Inc., 12 Galaxy Court, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 or visit www.rosesquared.com.

‰ The 21st Annual Conservatory Art Classic, sponsored by the Bosque Conservatory, is a juried art competition offering $12,500 in awards (including $5,000 purchase award). The fee is $12 per entry (slides only); entry deadline is June 9. Show dates are September 16-24. For more information, contact Sara Irvin at art@bosqueconservatory.com, or visit www.bosqueconservatory.com. The conservatory is located at 1701 W. 9th Street, Clifton, Texas 76634; the phone number is (254) 675-3724.

‰ “WAD Clay Institute Juried Clay Annual” is open to all ceramists residing in Washington, DC, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. The entry fee is $20 for up to three images (slides only); the entry deadline is June 15. The exhibition takes place September 8-30. For a prospectus, contact WAD Clay Institute, 2100 Mary St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203; telephone (412) 279-9956.

concept. All media will be considered. Entries must be original work completed within the last two years. The entry deadline is June 30; entry fee is $25 for up to three images. Show dates are August 19 through September 17. See prospectus for complete information. For more information or a prospectus send an SASE to ALL Gallery, 319 Peck Street, New Haven, CT 06513, or visit www.allgallery. org/exhibitions.html.

July submission deadline

‰“ClayFest 2006” is open to current and former residents of Indiana. Entry fee is $20 for three slides; entry deadline is July 14. The event takes place Sept. 5-29. To request a prospectus or further information, contact the University of Indianapolis, Dept. of Art and Design, 1400 E. Hanna Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46227, e-mail pduval@uindy.edu, or telephone (317) 788-3253. [

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‰ “World Women: On the Horizon,”

‰ Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL Gallery) is accepting submissions for “Texture,” an exhibition of work in which text is integral to both composition and

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

sponsored by Baltimore Clayworks, is open to works made by women about women. The entry deadline is June 16; slides or digital images may be submitted. The exhibition takes place October 7 through November 12. For more information, visit www.baltimoreclayworks.org or phone (410) 578-1919, ext. 18. Baltimore Clayworks is located at 5707 Smith Ave, Baltimore, MD 21209.

Pillar by Claudia Olds Goldie. 31" x 11" x 11". Stoneware.

Chef Dan Among His Elements by Stephanie Osser. 8½" x 7" x 8½." Porcelain and glaze.

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Sensation by Ben Eberle. 44" x 22" x 20". Handbuilt stoneware, acrylic finish.

Saggar-Fired Bull Dog by Ronnie Gould. 8" x 6" x 12½". Stoneware.

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Swell Jar by Simon Levin. 11" x 8" x 8". Anagama-fired porcelain, wheel-thrown and stretched.

This exhibition grew out of the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society biennial exhibition also known as “The State of Clay.” The show gives contemporary clay artists in Massachusetts the opportunity to exhibit their work, while allowing Massachusetts residents an opportunity to see new and exciting designs in ceramic art. For further details, visit www.fullercraft.org. [

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

ooking Back, Looking Forward: The State of Clay in Massachusetts” features the work of 30 ceramic artists who are pushing the boundaries of craft. Curated by Alice Abrams and Joan Carcia, this exhibition runs through June 7 at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA. Featured are pottery, sculpture, tiles, and more by emerging and established artists including Ben Eberle, Claudia Olds Goldie, Barbara Katz, Simon Levin, Ben Ryterband, Jill Solomon, and many more.

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by PETE PINNELL

couple of columns ago, I gave some advice for receiving (and surviving) a critique. In it, I advised artists to seek out critiques from a wide range of people. Since artists tend to hang out with other artists, it’s natural that all of us who receive critiques on our work will, at some point, be asked to give a critique to others. If we want to present a judgment that goes beyond “I like this,” and “I don’t like that,” then it’s important to have a basis for that judgment. The following points are intended to give you just a few things to think about when you are called upon to critique the work of another artist.

Where do we start? As a quick guideline, there are four broad categories that artists and critics tend to focus on whenever we talk about art:

2. Aesthetics: How things look. 3. Content: What the art “means.” 4. Precedents: Who worked with these ideas before. Process is the shorthand term for both the materials we use and the ways we turn those materials into objects. In ceramics, this includes the clays we use (earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, etc.), the ways we form the object (i.e., throwing, handbuilding, trimming, etc.), the ways we finish them (glaze, slip, terra sig, etc.), and the ways we fire the objects. This is important because each material and forming process has inherent capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Wheel-thrown porcelain has qualities inherently different from hand-built earthenware, for instance, and a discussion of these choices can help the artist clarify intentions.

the rest. Traditionally speaking, it’s the heart of art: the stuff that causes us to look at art and say “ooh” and “wow.” In contemporary art terms, this is referred to as the “formal” aspect of art. With usable art (such as pottery), the category of aesthetics includes the visual as well as the tactile and experiential aspects of the object. The judging of aesthetics can never be completely objective—there will always be some degree of subjectivity. This is why any critique of aesthetics needs to be a discussion, not a monologue. As an aside, here at the University of Nebraska (where I teach), we have an

“The point of a discussion about process is to help the artist understand his or her intentions ...”

Ceramic artists are often criticized for focusing too much attention on process. While we don’t want to limit our discussions to process alone, we also don’t want to ignore it. In ceramic art, process is so tightly interwoven with aesthetics and content that it’s almost impossible to accurately discuss these latter categories without also talking about the first one. The point of a discussion about process is to help the artist understand his or her intentions, see how the chosen process helps or hinders the artist in that pursuit, and find the links that may bind a particular process to aesthetics and content. Aesthetics is the stuff that artists really like to talk about: shape, form, mass, void, color, texture, proportion, and all

active visiting artist/critique program, and I’ve watched a number of professional art critics give group critiques. Interestingly, they don’t tend to discuss the aesthetic nature of art, preferring to spend their time on content and precedents. It’s the artists who love to be immersed in aesthetic considerations (which is probably why we became artists, and not professional critics). Content in the arts (in general) and visual art (in particular) can be both large (political, religious, or cultural issues) and small (personal, individual insights). Content in post-modern art has tended to be negative, and used to highlight the ugly, unfortunate, and hypocritical aspects of life. This has not always been the case. Much of the content in historical art is positive, with the artist teaching, extolling a religious viewpoint, or honoring a patron. Both are valid ways to use content in art. It’s also important to remember that it’s sometimes easier to illustrate the universal by focusing

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

The “Hippocratic Oath,” an oath of conduct for physicians, was originally written by Hippocrates of Cos (460-380 B.C.), an ancient Greek physician considered by many to be the father of modern medicine. The Hippocratic Oath has undergone many changes over the years, but many versions have contained the famous phrase, “Primum non nocere (First, do no harm).” That’s a good place to start, since the person giving a critique is in a position of power, and if not careful, is capable of doing great damage to an artist. As artists, we really do take our work seriously and critical comments about it can cut very deeply. It’s not at all unusual for people to cry during a critique, which is certainly an indicator of deeply-held feelings. The critic should take care to move slowly and choose words carefully. Try to phrase things in the narrowest sense, and don’t draw broad conclusions from one example. For instance, it’s much better to say “this isn’t a very comfortable handle,” rather than “you don’t make very good handles.”

1. Process: How things are made and what they are made of.

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

Giving A Critique

Perspectives I As Far As I Know

on the personal. When Anne Frank wrote her Diary of a Young Girl, she was writing only for herself. She described the inner life of one small, insignificant girl, but found within herself the great truths that touch and move all humanity. Wonderful art has been made using content that is small and large, positive and negative—and even in ways that are so quiet as to be almost invisible (as it often is with pottery). Content is the meat of post-modern art. Any discussion of art in the 21st Century centers on “meaning,” and if ceramic art wants to be taken seriously in the wider art world, we must also understand this aspect of our work. I’ve written a number of columns in the past discussing content in pottery¹, but this is a field of discussion that is still wide open and ripe for discovery. Whatever approach a ceramic artist might take, it is important that we acknowledge and discuss content, and try to define what the artist is saying, both purposely and inadvertently.

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

My fourth category is precedent, which is not a word you’ll find in most art books. I borrow the term from the legal profession, but it accurately describes a topic that artists and critics alike seem to enjoy discussing. The dictionary defines precedent as:

1) An earlier occurrence of something similar. 2a) Something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind; 2b) The convention established by such a precedent or by long practice. 3) A person or thing that serves as a model².

When artists and critics give critiques, we often point out examples of other artists (current and past) who have done similar work, or who have developed similar ideas. It can sometimes sound as though we think that an idea is only valid if there is sufficient artistic precedent (definition number 2), though that’s really not the intent. Instead, the precedent can act as a source of information to provide the artist with deeper insight, to allow his or her work to develop more quickly, and to help him or her to use ideas in a more sophisticated manner. The best critics have a broad, deep knowledge from which

precedents can be drawn. However, even if you don’t possess an encyclopedic knowledge of art, it can be useful in a critique if you can say, “I saw a similar piece in a magazine last year; I’ll look it up for you.” As human beings, we learn from each other in all situations, and art is no different. Besides these four broad categories for discussion, there’s one other thing that a good critique can cover, and that is intention. What did the maker intend continued on page 72

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by LANA WILSON

received a poignant letter from an accomplished clay artist who had a baby two years ago. She was troubled with how little time she had available to work and with the isolation she felt as an artist. When I was a mother of young children, I remember the difficulties I experienced as I tried to be a good parent and make adequate work at the same time. The young mother’s letter prompted me to interview 10 clay people who are also parents. This first column is devoted to interviews with parents of younger children. The second column will deal with mothers of children over six years of age. The third column will feature Janis Wunderlich, a mother of five children who remains—with little free time—fiercely committed to her work. There are myriad difficulties and joys in trying to be an artist and a parent. People come to parenting and making art with distinctly different capabilities, energy, money, and support. Some of the solutions to the challenges that parents share here may sound desirable, or sadly and/or humorously impossible for you. We each find our own way. A mother of a two-year-old says, “Everything is percolating, and it will come together, just probably not this year— maybe not the next. I know I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities in another time or culture.

mothers who are also artists, but it is hard to get all of us together. “I don’t regret becoming a mother any more than I regret becoming an adult, but sometimes it is hard,” she adds. “Our daughter is a happy and very active toddler. I know it will get easier. I’m planning on having her start pre-school next fall. Sometimes the days feel very long and unproductive. “It seems now with my work I need to look for things that make my heart sing instead of trying to be creative or clever. My greatest fear is that I will stop, and never get back to making art,” she concludes. Another mother, this one the parent of a 3-year-old child, notes, “For me, the issue is that I never have enough time. I am not good at multi-tasking, and the interrupted nature of my life is very hard on me. I used to be a professional fundraiser. I was very task-oriented and very focused. I was also very organized, and I could take that same sense of organization to run our household, pay bills, get things done. Now I do three jobs that are very different from each other: being a mother (where you can’t plan a lot), running the household (where you have to be organized and get things done), and making pots. For me making pots is so different, I wouldn’t even say that I need to get into a different mindset. Instead, I need to get into an ‘un-mindset’: I need to get out of my mind and into my gut. That transition takes a while for me—I can’t just run into my studio and make a pot. To make a good pot, I need to center myself, draw into myself, away from the demands of the other parts of my life. While I can be pulled back to the role of mother, partner, and friend in an instant, it often takes me an hour or so of being alone to feel ready to work in clay. The time I have for my clay work (during my

son’s preschool hours and naps) comes in chunks throughout the week, and I spend a lot of it getting myself centered. “Another struggle for me—but a blessing at the same time,” she continues, “is that my partner makes vastly more money than I do. While on the one hand this allows me to do my clay work at all, it also diminishes its importance. If we depended on the money I earn with my work, I would get more credit for doing it and I would take it more seriously myself. “Money is a very strong force. While we both say that my work as the stay-athome mom and keeper of the household is the harder job, I still feel incredibly beholden. So when some parenting or household issue comes up during what should be my studio time, I often give that priority. We used to make the same amount of money, which was a lot easier. This is a new and uncomfortable position for me, to earn so little and be so dependent. I think this is a huge issue for all parents who quit their jobs to be with their children, whether they are potters or not. I need to find a way to resolve my feelings about my work, my partner’s work, and money. Resolving those issues would make a world of difference. “I would like to be much more serious about my pottery and produce and sell, but I don’t feel like I can produce dependably. I need to get there. Orders would give me a status,” she says. Lee Puffer, a graduate student in ceramics with a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old, says this: “Having very young children and making art is extremely challenging—both pursuits require so much attention. The older my children get, the more they understand and accept my being away from them, and value what I do. I am a very attached mother and it

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

“I suppose,” she continues, “one of the hard parts is feeling isolated from two communities: the art community (most of whom are men or single women), and the ‘mother’ community, that I mostly feel alienated from by my trying to find a life beyond motherhood. I am constantly trying to get playgroups together. But now I’m thinking maybe I should work more on getting mothers together instead of the kids. I have found a few

“My greatest fear is that I will stop, and never get back to, making art.” — clay artist and mother of 2-year-old

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface

Mud Mamas

Perspectives I Beneath the Surface CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

seems to be as hard for me to be away from them as it is for them to be away from me. I feel very early childhood is such a brief and important time, so making art took a back seat for a while. During that time, I felt like I didn’t do either art or parenting well enough. Little by little, I have more time. I can see how women who are artists give up art-making after having their babies,” she notes. “It would be impossible to continue if it were not for the support of my family, who consider what I do as an artist important, even though I make very little money. My husband has a remarkably ‘ungendered’ view of child raising. He has always relished feeding, changing, rocking, and comforting our children. He is an equal partner in the running of the household. My husband has a flexible schedule at work, which allows him to be available at crucial times. My 3-year-old son goes to preschool two half-days a week at the university where I go to graduate school in ceramics. We were on the waiting list for this center for 18 months, and I was close to dropping out of grad school when they finally made room for him. My 5-year-old goes to kindergarten five half-days a week. My husband and I alternate drop-offs and pick-ups. On Saturdays, the children go to my mother’s house for the day. I go to the studio and my husband has a little time to himself. My mother makes dinner for us on Saturday night, which is a special treat for me. In addition, my father, who is retired, will come for a week or two when things get crazy (whether that is exam time for me or a really busy stretch for my husband at work). Everyone involved is very flexible with their schedules, but there are emergencies and things fall through the cracks occasionally. “My family is an inspiration for my artwork; I have them to thank for much of the subject matter I address,” she relates. “I try not to fall victim to the perfection madness that plagues us mothers. It is difficult because we know that early childhood is such an important time. There is a prevailing myth that women artists are terrible mothers (selfish, emotionally unstable, etc.). I read versions of this regularly in my research. The fact is, art-making is like any other vocation, and work interferes with parenting. I think the nexus of the problem is that both art-making and motherhood as occupations are undervalued by con-

temporary society. Just like anyone can criticize artwork, everyone, it seems, is qualified to criticize styles of parenting,” Puffer says. Adam Field and Heesoo Lee are a husband-and-wife potter team with an 18month-old. Field says of their situation, “Our families are over 2,000 miles away and we don’t have extra income for formal day care. This has forced my wife and me to shift our schedules in order to continue creating our work. We have taken advantage of our natural working habits to create a schedule that has my wife—the early bird—working from early morning until 2 p.m.

at times to be an artist and to take care of a 3-year-old. I have to remember so many details for her: do I have the right things in her diaper bag, has she eaten, does she need to sleep? It is taxing. I used to have to do more preparation for my art but now I don’t have time. I have to do my art more concisely now. I used to have nothing but time. I had a job I barely had to go to and my art was a free time within free time. Now my art has become a career and it is not free time. So now both childcare and art are incredibly challenging. I know I couldn’t do this forever. I am trying to move through this and maintain myself. My goal for this period is to grow at the rate I can.

“I’m the night owl, working from 2 p.m. until midnight. We have just recently started hiring a baby-sitter on Wednesdays and Sundays, our designated sales days, which allows my wife some studio time while I am out selling our work.

“I feel like I am operating on a different gear. The reason this works is that my art is like a repetitive, meditative process, and so is childcare. With both my art and childcare, I have to be in the moment in order to get by.

“The quantity and quality of our work have actually both increased as a result of our more rigid studio schedule,” he continues. “The time constraint has forced us to think about creating our pieces in less time with less effort, which—for each of us—has resulted in new lines of pottery that don’t require trimming, carving, or detailed glaze decoration.

“I feel really fortunate because my wife works at home and if we need a moment for the three of us, we can do that. I am interested in other art forms but I have no time for them. I sense there is time for these things to happen later and I try not to think about them now because I want to live in the moment. To try to stuff them in now would pollute this whole period of childcare and art making. Maybe I don’t need as much sleep as most peopl—I need only about 5½ hours for a few days. and then I will need a 10hour sleep. Thus, I can stay at the studio for a long time after dinner,” he says.

“Our son is 18 months old now. We deviate from our time schedule quite often to accommodate firings or daily chores that are outside of our usual schedule. We are much more busy, but we seem to be able to accomplish more, too. We are more organized since we had our son. Our biggest frustration is trying to make the time for the pieces that require intricate and time-consuming work, like carving or painting,” he notes. A father describes his typical schedule: “I take care of our 3-year-old daughter from when she wakes up in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, when my wife takes over. At 4 p.m., I go to my studio for a couple of hours and then come home and eat dinner. I go back after dinner and work in the studio some more. I wouldn’t do anything else. This is it—childcare and art. But it is taxing and very difficult. “Spending so much time with our daughter and seeing her develop is endlessly fascinating,” he remarks. “Sometimes my art seems sort of pale compared to seeing our daughter try to talk and learn to communicate. It can feel incongruent

“I suppose the hardest times are those days when I feel it is not working. If I have stayed at the studio too long because the art was not going well, the next day can be hard. I can be impatient. And my daughter can be cranky. “What is intriguing is that our daughter’s seemingly carefree approach and lack of concern when she makes art has loosened me up in my work. It has been so endlessly interesting to me to track her development. The crux message seems to be that things are going very well but it is very difficult,” he concludes. [ Lana Wilson is a handbuilder and brand new grandmother from Del Mar, California. She gives frequent workshops and is the author of Ceramics: Shape and Surface. Visit her Web site at www.lanawilson.com; e-mail comments to her at lana@lanawilson.com.

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Finding One’s Way With Clay by Paulus Berensohn is one of the best loved books on clay ever written. It is an eloquent how-to book and a provocative and inspirational look at the relationship between clay and the human being. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Finding One’s Way With Clay is available at Trinity Ceramic Supply, Inc. for $26.50 plus $4.00 for shipping in the continental U.S.

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by BILL van GILDER

Necessary Supplies • (2) or (3) 2-lb. lumps of clay • water and a small sponge • small bats • stiff rib • undercut tool • cut-off wire • 1 or 2 altered cheese cutters • needle tool

hen looking for classroom demo projects, there’s one source we can all use: historical pots. For inspiration, I’ve shown students American-made crocks from the 1800s and contemporary Native American pots, Japanese Jomon pots, German salt-glazed wares, British medieval pots, and more. Pick one facet—no pun intended—of any historical pot, and you’ve got a starting point for your classroom project. One of my favorites? The Korean pots of the Yi Dynasty. The faceted bowls and jars from this era are a good lesson in form and proportion, as well as harmony of texture and glaze. That’s also where this project comes from: the faceting on Yi Dynasty pots.

I’d really like to know more about the faceting tools, and how these potters used them. I suspect the most common was a very sharp, very thin-bladed knife … but does anyone really know? With that suspicion, I decided that offering students a sharpened knife

is straight-wired, one is spring-loaded, and one has a very small, corrugated wire installed. Pass the tools around so everyone starts to get an idea of where you’re going with the project.

To do this, separate the roller part of the tool from the handle part. Dab some epoxy at each end of the hollow roller, and secure it to the bar, which runs through its center. Otherwise, as the roller rotates up the side of a pot, the cut-away clay will roll up, too—clogging the tool completely. Next, remove and replace the original wire that comes on the tool. That wire is too thick and is usually mounted too loosely to cut through clay efficiently.

Three cheese cutters, modified for wet-faceting.

The Set-up Replace the wire with any textured wire you can find. But as you search for wires, note that the thinner they are, the better they cut. Look for multistranded or wrapped wires, which will provide a slight texture to the faceted surface. Multi-stranded wires will also cut through clay with less drag than a thinner, smoother wire.

Prepare two or three 2-lb. lumps of clay for throwing. Attach a small bat to the wheelhead, and center lump #1. Making your pot on a bat means you won’t be smudging the faceted surfaces, which would be the case if you were to remove your piece from the wheelhead by hand.

I’ve replaced our tool wires with a piece of “leader” line. That’s the very thin wire that a fly fisherman uses to connect his clear line to his hook. You can purchase small spools of it at your local sporting goods store, for cheap.

Note that the bulk of this demo is more about the techniques of using the tools than the ultimate form of the finished pot, so the pots you’ll demo can start as simple cylinders. But also note that there are three important ‘set-up’ steps to keep in mind as you throw:

Another option: use a small-diameter, stretched-out spring. In our classroom’s communal tool bin, there are three faceting tools for students to share. One

1. Throw each cylinder with walls that are at least ½” thick. You’re going to cut away half the wall as you facet, so leaving ample clay in the sidewalls is essential.

CLAyTIMES·COM n May/June 2006

The Tools

to facet their pots might not be a very safe option. The alternative? Purchase a couple of metal cheese cutters from the kitchen supply department at your local supermarket, and alter them a bit to make them facet-friendly (see photo on this page).

In Form I Teaching Techniques

Multi-faceted Forming Methods