Clay art
trends,
tools,
and
techniques
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TIMES
Volume 14 • Number 3 May/June 2008
James Brooke & Loren Lukens:
Studio Partners for 20 Years
16th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National Naked Raku with Jan Lee Vine Handles & Paperclay Making it BIG: A Step-by-step Wheel Project Another Look at Tomato Red Glaze Formulas $ 7.50 U.S./$9 CAN
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contents
®
TIMES
Clay
May/June 2008 Volume 14, Number 3
LOREN LUKENS PHOTO
Detail of Naked Raku Vase by Jan Lee. To learn more, turn to page 43.
features 34 Partners in Pots: A Perfect Pairing for 20 Years Seattle potters Loren Lukens and James Brooke have developed successful formulas for more than just glazing ...
43 Out of Control: Naked Raku with Jan Lee Handled Platter by Loren Lukens. 14" x 4". Thrown and handbuilt porcelain with multiple sprayed glazes and glaze ‘squirt’ decoration, fired to cone 10 in reduction.
“If you quit being afraid of losing a piece,” says North Carolina potter Jan Lee, “good things will happen.” This is her story.
on exhibit 19 16th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National Juror Linda Arbuckle was faced with the daunting task of selecting pieces from more than 1,000 entries for the nation’s favorite annual show of utilitarian claywork.
40 Dinnerworks 2008 Several potters put their efforts ‘on the table’ recently for this group exhibition in Louisville, Kentucky.
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contents
®
TIMES
Clay
On the cover: Mango Vase by James Brooke. 12" tall, cast porcelain fired in reduction to Cone 10. Photo by Tom Holt.
May/June 2008 • Volume 14, Number 3 Salt & Pepper Set with Tray by Renee Heyer-Starrett
departments
columns
9 EDITOR’S DESK
23 AS FAR AS I KNOW “Tomato Red Revisited” by Pete Pinnell
Paul Soldner: 87 years and Nothing to Hide!
25 BENEATH THE SURFACE
11 YOUR WORDS Readers offer their feedback & opinions
Large Platter by Frank Massarella
13 WHAT'S HOT
29 TEACHING TECHNIQUES
Clay world news, events, and calls for entries
“Make it BIG! It's Not Strength, but Technique, That Matters” by Bill van Gilder
33 SLURRY BUCKET TIPS Save time and trouble with these studio-tested tips and techniques.
54 KILNS & FIRING Butter Dish by Jennifer Lawler-Mecca
51 GREAT GLAZES Check out these tried & true formulas in your classroom or studio.
Cheryl Yawata carves one of her lanterns for the holiday sale at Diana Crain’s Tortuga school in Petaluma, California. To learn more about Crain and her work, turn to page 43.
52 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers
55 TOOL TIMES “Vine Handles and Paperclay” by Vince Pitelka
“Know (and Love) Your Clays” by Monona Rossol
Where you can learn claywork in the U.S. & abroad
62 AROUND THE FIREBOX
63 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE
“Cultural Connections” by Kelly Savino
Goods and services offered especially for active clay artists
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“Target Bricks: Help or Hindrance?” by Marc Ward
57 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY
59 POTTERY CLASSES
Works pictured on this page are all from this year’s Strictly Functional Pottery National (see story, p. 18).
“Life Outside the Box” by Lana Wilson
65 BOOKS & VIDEOS Vase by Chris Lively
“Three Books for Beginners” review by Steve Branfman
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Visualize ...
S
everal years ago, I was having a discussion with Paul Soldner at a workshop where he was serving as guest presenter. Somehow, our discussion turned to the field of books and publishing, and before I knew it, I’d agreed to publish a series of essays Paul had written in the form of an eventual book. Upon receipt of the manuscript, I was pleased to find several unusually well-written and well-organized essays on events and topics that have fascinated or somehow intrigued Paul throughout his very colorful lifetime. I was surprised to learn that, along with his wellknown roles as originator of “American Raku” and inventor of the Soldner clay mixer and Soldner potter’s wheel—and his notorious escapades with streaking, hot tubbing, and somewhat scandalous ads and posters—Paul’s lifetime (he turned 87 this year) has been peppered with accomplishments and experiences more colorful and varied than I could possibly have imagined. I was surprised to learn that Paul was not only raised in the Mennonite religion, but his father was a Mennonite minister. First Sergeant Paul Soldner served as a medic (and conscientious objector) in the U.S. Army during World War II. He took part in the liberation of the Mauthhausen, Austria concentration camp at the end of the war, and brought back home with him several compelling photos he’d taken, depicting the horrifying conditions the prisoners of war had to endure.
Spouting Off I Editor's Desk
Paul Soldner: 87 years and Nothing to Hide
ITEM # MPH-10
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I also learned that Paul was one of the original innovators of the solar energy movement. He designed and built his own solarpowered home back in the 1950s, when most people had never even heard of solar power. He also was a frontrunner in the use of exposed concrete as a construction material, incorporating its use into his Aspen, Colorado home, too. After several years of organizational meetings with Paul and his daughter, Stephanie, I’m pleased to announced that the book has now been published and is available for purchase through the online store at www.claytimes.com. The project has grown considerably during its planning and this book is the first in a series of 12 projects we’ll be publishing by or about Paul, to include everything from a collection of his posters and ads to his views on kilns and firing.
With chapters on everything from his amusing encounter with painter Georgia O’Keeffe to his insights into form and the female body, Nothing to Hide is an insightful, humorous, and thoughtprovoking read that will enlighten and entertain. (But please take note: This book is NOT intended for children or the faint of heart, as some nudity and adult content are featured.) Retail distributors interested in offering the book for sale in their stores may contact the Clay Times office at 540.882.3576 for further information. — Polly Beach, Editor [
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
In the words of Stephanie Soldner Sullivan, who co-edited the book and wrote its introduction, “Nothing to Hide exposes the reader to both [Paul’s] artistic genius and his extraordinary life. Part memoir and part personal philosophy, these insightful, sometimes irreverent exploits recount both important artistic historical events as well as Soldner’s insatiable curiosity and zest for life.”
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CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
Readers’ Letters
If you take some alpha quartz (the stable low-temperature form of silica) and heat it very, very slowly, it will first transform to beta quartz, then to tridymite, then to cristobalite (these are all silica, but they have different crystal structures and different stabilities) until, finally, the cristobalite melts. The consensus value in the scientific literature for the melting point under these conditions is 1725 ± 10° C (e.g., Hlavac (1982) Pure & Applied Chemistry, Vol. 54, pp. 681-688). This is the true stable melting point of silica, and a value near 1725° C has held up very well since a paper by Grieg in 1927. Now, let’s suppose that instead of heating alpha quartz super slowly, you heat it really fast. You can’t avoid the transformation to beta quartz because no silicon-oxygen bonds need to be broken. But, if you go fast enough, you can suppress the stable transformations to tridymite and cristobalite so that it is quartz that melts, and not cristobalite. The lowest temperature at which this can happen is the metastable melting temperature for quartz, thought to be roughly 1470° C. Liquids produced by melting quartz are ephemeral because tridymite or cristobalite, the stable forms of silica at temperatures between 1470 °C and 1725 °C, will eventually crystallize and consume the liquid. These are, nevertheless, bone fide melts while they last. So, depending on how the silica is processed and what you start with, melting can occur over a wide range of temperatures; but if equilibrium pertains, which is what a phase diagram of the sort discussed by Pete Pinnell usually shows, pure silica will melt at about 1725 °C. For the record, the currently accepted melting point for alumina, which is a secondary standard for the international temperature scale, is 2053 ± 2° C (Bedford et al. (1996) Metrologia, Vol. 33, pp. 133-154). I think the concepts of stability and metastability are worth pointing out, but I certainly understand if you (and/or Pete Pinnell) think this is is too technical for your readers. Speaking of technical, just in case somebody actually checks the cited references, I converted temperatures to the international practical temperature scale of 1990 (IPTS-90). If you look at Grieg’s paper, he got 1713° C (as I recall) but later changes to the temperature scale bring that number up, and Hlavac et al give 1726° C for cristobalite melting using IPTS-68, but that drops to 1725° C in terms of IPTS-90. Thanks.
John Beckett
Senior Scientist
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
PETERS VALLEY
19 Kuhn Road, Layton, NJ (Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area)
Peters Valley Craft Center offers Ceramics Workshops (May ~ September) with nationally recognized instructors in a professional ceramic studio. Full catalog online. Peters Valley also offers scholarships and Artist Residencies All the information is at www.petersvalley.org / 973-948-5200
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Find out full details of the spectacular 2009 Clay Times Potters’ Conference in the Caribbean by logging onto the Web site at www.claytimes.com — Save $100 when you register by June 15 earlybird deadline!
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 Proofreader: Jon Singer Office Assistant: Ingrid Phillips Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers: K.T. Anders • Phil Haralam Jean Lehman • Keaton Wynn 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 1-800.356.2529, 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.
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
magazine
®
The comment & reply by Bill Hunt and Pete Pinnell in the November/December [2007 Clay Times] issue suggest to me that there may be some confusion resulting from the difference between a stable melting point and a metastable melting point.
TIMES
Clay
Chemically Speaking ...
Spouting Off I Your Words
ceramic art trends, t oo l s & t e c h n i q u e s
11
Stan Welsh, Dunce (detail)
Juan Quezada, Vase (detail)
Richard Notkin, Teapot (detail)
SUMMER WORKSHOPS 2008 Doug Casebeer, John Neely, Gail Kendall, Alleghany Meadows, Sam Harvey, David Pinto, Joe Bova, Stan Welsh, Mark Pharis, Jill Oberman, Richard Notkin, Tip Toland, Posey Bacopoulos, John Gill, Andrea Gill, Christa Assad, Andy Brayman, Charity Davis-Woodard, Val Cushing, Brad Schwieger, Michael Wisner, Juan Quezada, Mary Barringer, Sam Clarkson, Lorna Meaden SUMMER 2008 VISITING ARTIST Takashi Nakazato
FIELD INTENSIVE JAMAICA
April 25 - May 3, 2008 / John Neely with guest artists: Alleghany Meadows, Doug Casebeer & David Pinto
P 970/923-3181 F 970/923-3871 info@andersonranch.org Post Office Box 5598 Snowmass Village, CO 81615 andersonranch.org
kilns for
potters CLAYTIMES·COM n MAy/june 2008
freedom 2527He– 11.9 Cu. ft., Cone 10
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23 raku– 7 Cu. ft., Cone 10 Raku, bisque or glaze in Olympic raku gas kilns. The unique firing chamber keeps temperature hot inside the kiln even when opened. Sizes range from 18” to 28” wide to accommodate small to large pieces. Propane or natural gas.
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strong, duraBle affordaBle! Olympic Freedom kilns really free you up! Each Freedom kiln comes with their own emergency repair kit — 2 elements, crimping tool, pint of mortar, wiring schematic and extra thermocouple at no additional cost to you! And Freedom furniture kits contain shelves and posts to fit your kiln and a free bag of assorted stilts (33 stilts) for firing glaze ware. Freedom kilns are equipped with electronic controllers and fire to cone 10. Sizes range from 14” wide x 14” deep to 25” front to back, 37” wide x 27” deep.
Olympic commercial electric and gas kilns are heavily insulated (6” of insulation and air space) for energy efficiency and built to last with heavy angle iron frames, stainless steel skins. The electric kilns have options for kiln sitter and limit timer, electronic controller, 480 volts, 3-phase, and 3-zone control. Olympic DownDrafts are designed to fire on propane or natural gas. Stainless steel or galvanized vent hoods can be added as an option in addition to kiln sitter and timer, electronic control wall unit, pyrometer and blower burners. Olympic commercial electric kilns range in sizes from 5.5-53 cubic feet and the gas kilns range from 9-40 (useable space) cubic feet.
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What’s Hot
Hot Stuff I News & Events
Pictured: Several views of the historic Gladding, McBean terra cotta factory in Lincoln, California, where more than 70 contemporary ceramic works are on view through May 25 for the annual “Feats of Clay” exhibition.
ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries Conferences ‰ SOFA New York 2008, to feature exhibiting galleries and a lecture by renowned ceramic artist Akio Takamori, takes place May 29-June 8 in New York City. Fee: $40; one-day pass, $25. For complete details, contact SOFA; info@sofaexpo.com; www. sofaexpo.com; 773.506.8860. ‰ Community of Fire takes place in Sweet Briar, Virginia from May 30–June 1, 2008 and will feature presentations and discussions by guest artists including Svend Bayer, Robert Compton, Kevin Crowe, Stephen Driver, Victoria Hansen, Mark Hewitt, Micki Schloesingk, and Jack Troy. Registration fee is $425. To find out more, visit www.kevincrowepottery.com; contact Kevin Crowe at tyeriverpottery@aol.com; or call 434.263.4065.
‰ The International Sculpture Center will present Sculpture in Public: Part 2,
Calls for Entries ‰ The National Cup Show, to take place June 21–August 10 at Barrett Clay Works of Poughkeepsie, New York, is accepting digital and slide submissions through May 15. Entry fee: $30 for three entries; $5 for each additional entry. Leslie Ferrin, co-owner of Ferrin Gallery, will serve as juror. For further details, contact Barrett Clay Works Art Studios and Galleries, 485 Main St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601; info@ barrettartcenter.org; www.barrettartcenter. org; 845.471.2550. ‰ The Woman Made Gallery of Chicago, Illinois is accepting entries through May 16 for its The Secret exhibition, to take place June 27–Aug. 28. For complete details, contact Woman Made Gallery, 685 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622;
gallery@womanmade.org; www.woman made.org; 312.738.0400. ‰ Digital and slide entries are being accepted through May 16 for the Shelburne Farms 21st Exhibition and Sale to take place Sept. 26–Oct. 19 in Shelburne, Vermont. Entry fee: $15. For more information, contact Holly Brough, Shelburne Farms, 1611 Harbor Rd., Shelburne, VT 05482; hbrough@shelburnefarms.org; www. shelburnefarms.org; 802.985.0324. ‰ The ACCI National Juried Exhibition of Berkeley, California is accepting digital and slide entries through May 30 for its event to take place July 11–Aug. 17. Entry fee: $30. Jurors are Kate Eilertsen and Suzanne Baizerman. To learn more, contact ACCI National Juried Exhibition, 1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709; muse@accigallery.com; www.accigallery. com; 510.843.2527. ‰ The SOHO20 Chelsea Gallery is accepting digital and slide submissions through June 1 for its 14th Annual International Exhibition, scheduled to take place July 17–August 13. Entry fee: $30 for three submissions. Juror: Chakaia Booker. Contact SOHO20 Chelsea Gallery, 511 W. 25th St., Suite 605, New York, NY 10001; http:// soho20gallery.com/juried.htm. ‰ Juror Nancy Lindberg is accepting submissions through June 1 for the 6th Around Oregon Annual to take place Oct. 2–30 at the Arts Center in Corvallis, Or-
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
‰ From July 13–17, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deere Isle, Maine will present The Language of Craft. The event will feature lectures and panel discussions with artists including Paulus Berensohn, Akiko Busch, Charles Garoian, Janet Koplos, John McQueen, Margo Mensing, Warren Seelig, and Kim Stafford. Registration fee: $310. For complete details, contact Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, PO Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627; www.haystack-mtn.org.
Public Art from Oct. 2-4 at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Online registration opens in May; earlybird discounts available through June 30. The conference will offer special exhibitions, panel discussions, and trade fair, along with keynote address by sculptor and installation artist Jaume Plensa. Plensa’s work will also be the subject of a major exhibition at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. For online registration and complete conference details, log onto www. sculpture.org, or call 202.234.0555.
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
egon. For complete details, contact The Arts Center, 700 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis, OR 97333; www.theartscenter.net; 541.754.1551. ‰ Artists from within a 150-mile radius of Houston, Texas may submit entries through June 1 for the 3rd Annual ClayHouston Festival, to take place Dec. 5–7. Lisa Orr will serve as juror. For complete details, contact ClayHouston, PO Box 667401, Houston, TX 77401; betsevans@global.net; www.clay houston.org. ‰ Rhonda Schaller Studio of New York, New York is accepting digital submissions through June 1 for Stories We Tell Ourselves, to take place July 12–August 2. Entry fee: $45 for three entries; $5 for each additional entry. Contact Rhonda Schaller Studio, 547 W. 27th St., Suite 529, New York, NY 10001; info@rhondaschallerchelsea.com; http:// rhondaschallerchelsea.com; 212.967.1338.
Crystalline
Glazing
Workshops with
Xavier González
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
June 16-20, 2008 Sierra Nevada College Lake Tahoe, NV www.sierranevada.edu/ workshops Hands on Workshop Throwing Techniques and Crystalline Glazes
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July 26 & 27, 2008 Boulder, Colorado Potters Guild Crystalline Glazing: Demos and Lecture
To schedule a workshop with Xavier González, call 818.779.0990 or e-mail: xgceramics@sbcglobal.net
‰ Prince George’s Community College of Largo, Maryland is accepting entries through June 1 for its Juried Sculpture Exhibition to take place Aug. 24–Oct. 9. Juror: Kristen Hileman. For details, contact Sarah Wegner, Marlboro Gallery, Prince George’s Community College, 301 Largo Rd., Largo, MD 20774; wegnersx@pgcc.edu; www. academic.pgcc.edu/artandmusic. ‰ Lillstreet Art Center of Chicago, Illinois is accepting digital entries of functional porcelain works through June 2 for its 1st Annual Lillstreet International exhibition to take place Sept. 1–Oct. 1. Fee is $30 for three entries. Juror: Sam Chung, ceramics professor at Arizona State University. To request a prospectus, send your SASE to James Mitchell, Gallery Director, Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60640; james@lillstreet.com; www.lillstreet.com. ‰ Entries are being accepted through June 6 for the 28th Annual National Juried Fine Art Competition: A Sense of Place. The event takes place Sept. 19–Oct. 17 at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art in Augusta, Georgia, and will be juried from digital and slides by Amanda Cooper, curator of exhibitions for The Arts Center of St. Petersburg, FL. Entry fee: $25 for three entries; $5 per additional entry. For further details, contact Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, 506 Telfair St., Augusta, GA 30901; ghia@ghia.org; http:// www.ghia.org/exhibit.html; 706.722.5495. ‰ Home: The Planet Dreams of Survival, to take place Sept. 5–Oct. 2 at the Rhonda
Schaller Studio in New York, New York, is accepting digital entries through June 7. Fee: $45 for three entries; $5 for each additional entry. Contact Rhonda Schaller Studio, 547W. 27th St., Suite 529, NewYork, NY 10001; info@rhondaschallerchelsea.com; http:// rhondaschallerchelsea.com; 212.967.1338. ‰ Digital and slide submissions from artists residing in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico are being accepted through June 15 for Clay Continuum III, to take place July 29–Aug. 23 in La Veta, CO. Entry fee: $25. For details, contact Clay Continuum, c/o Polly’s Pottery, 1849 County Rd. 521, Walsenburg, CO 81080; pollythepotter @gmail.com. ‰ Hands on Gallery of Houston, Texas is accepting submissions through June 15 from artists who reside in Texas and Louisiana for the August 2008 For the Table Show. Entry fee: $10 for five entries. For a prospectus, visit www.18handsgallery. com, or contact 18 Hands Gallery, 249 W. 19th St., Suite B, Houston, TX 77008; info@18handsgallery.com; 713.869.3099. ‰ Residents of several states including IL, IN, KY, MO, OH, TN, VA and WV are eligible to submit their digital and slide entries through July 3 for the KY7 Biennial, to take place Oct. 18–Dec. 21 in Lexington, Kentucky. For complete details, contact Lexington Art League, 209 Castlewood Dr., Lexington, KY 40505; www.lexington artleague.org; 859.254.7024. ‰ The Arts Council of York County in Rock Hill, South Carolina is accepting digital or photo submissions through July 7 for its 19th Annual Juried Competition to take place Aug. 20–Sept. 21. Entry fee is $30. For further details, contact the Arts Council of York County, 121 E. Main St., Rock Hill, SC 29732; info@alfredmccloud.com; www.yorkcountyarts. org; 803.328.2787. ‰ Woman Made Gallery of Chicago, Illinois, is accepting entries through July 11 for Object of Desire, to take place Sept. 5–Nov. 13. To learn more, contact Woman Made Gallery, 685 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622; gallery@womanmade.org; www. womanmade.org; 312.738.0400. ‰ Digital or slide submissions are now being accepted through July 15 by the Art Center of Estes Park, Colorado, for its 12th Annual Lines into Shapes show, to take place Sept. 19–Oct. 4. Fee is $13 per submission. To obtain a prospectus, visit
Nothing to Hide
Exposures, Disclosures, and Reflections by Paul Soldner
Join us at Clay Times booth #112 at NCECA in Pittsburgh for exclusive daily book signings of “Nothing to Hide” by Paul Soldner!
The man who revolutionized modern ceramic art with American Raku, hot tubbing, clay conference tattoos, and streaking has now published a limited edition book — the first in a series of fascinating reflections on the extraordinary life of Paul Soldner.
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
www.artcenterofestes.com, or send an SASE to the Art Center of Estes Park, PO Box 3635, Estes Park, CO 80517; 970.586.5882. ‰ Digital and slide submissions are being accepted through July 16 for the University of Indianapolis 2008–2010 Sculpture Walk, to take place Sept. 25, 2008–Aug. 29, 2009 at the University of Indianapolis, Indiana. To obtain a prospectus, send your SASE to the Dept. of Art and Design, University of Indianapolis, 1400 E. Hanna Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46227; or visit http://art.uindy.edu.
‰ Pottworks Gallery of Hamilton, Michigan, is accepting entries through July 18 for Artful Drinking Vessels, to take place Oct. 3–Nov. 1. Entry fee: $30 for three entries; $40 for five. Obtain further details by contacting Pottworks Gallery, 3765 Lincoln Rd., Hamilton, MI 49419; wmcp@verizon.net; www.pottworks. com; 269.751.5839. ‰ Funeria of Graton, California will host the Fourth International Biennial Ashes to Art/Scattered exhibition from Sept. 26–Nov. 30. Digital and slide entries may be submitted through
WE WANT TO BE SURE THEY’RE SAFE The FIRST glaze company to commit to being 100% LEAD FREE
Aug. 1 and must consist of either non-traditional funerary urns, ritual objects, scattering vessels, or reliquaries. Entry fee: $35 for three entries; $5 for each additional entry. Jurors are: Nadine Jarvis, Sylvia Seventy, and Adela Akers. To obtain a prospectus, send your SASE to Funeria, PO Box 221, Graton, CA 95444; pros@funeria.com; www.funeria.com; 707.829.1966. ‰ The Clay Studio of Missoula, Montana is accepting submissions through August 1 for its Soda National IV exhibition, to take place Nov. 7–28. Jim Koudelka will jury the show from digital and slide submissions. Entry fee: $30 for three entries. To request a prospectus, mail your SASE to Hannah Fisher, The Clay Studio of Missoula, 1106 Hawthorne Unit A, Missoula, MT 59802; info@ theclaystudioofmissoula.org; Web site: www. theclaystudioofmissoula.org. ‰ Juror Simon Levin is accepting digital submissions through August 1 on behalf of ClaySpace Ceramic Studio of Warrenville, Illinois, for the Clay³: National Juried Ceramics Exhibition. The show takes place Oct. 24–Nov. 21 and is open to functional and sculptural ceramic art that fits within one cubic foot. Entry fee is $25 for three entries. For more information, contact ClaySpace Ceramic Studio, 28 W. 210 Warrenville Rd., Warrenville, IL 60555; info@clayspace.net; www.clayspace.net; 630.393.2529.
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
‰ Former and current residents of Indiana are eligible to submit their digital entries through Aug. 8 for Clayfest 2008, to take place Sept. 5–Oct. 3 in Indianapolis. Entry fee: $25 for three entries. To learn more, contact Abbey Pintar, c/o Basile Center, Herron School of Art and Design, 735 W. New York St., Indianapolis, IN 46202; apintar@iupui.edu.
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GLAZES INC. 94 Fenmar Dr Toronto, ON Canada M9L 1M5
P.O. Box 874 Lewiston, NY USA 14092-0874
Phone: (800)970-1970 or (416)747-8310 Fax: (416)747-8320 www.spectrumglazes.com info@spectrumglazes.com
‰ The Archie Bray Foundation of Helena, Montana will host its ceramics exhibition, Beyond the Brickyard, in January of 2009. Patti Warashina will jury the show from digital entries of clay works received by the Aug. 15 deadline. Fee: $35 for three entries. For further details, contact the Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts, 2915 Country Club Ave., Helena, MT 59602; www.archiebray.org; 406.443.3502, ext. 18. ‰ The Wayne Art Center of Wayne, Pennsylvania is accepting digital and slide submissions through Sept. 19 for Craft Forms 2008, to take place Dec. 5, 2008–Jan. 22, 2009. Standard entry fee is $40; just $30 for online submissions. For more information, contact Wayne
Ceramics Exhibitions ‰ Out of Madness – Seven Potters Follow Ohr; Pots by the River: Treasures from the Waynesburg University Collection; and Women with Wood – Three Generations continue through May 18 at the McGuinn Gallery, Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Andreson, Peter Voulkos, Ruth Duckworth, Hans Coper, Philip Cornelius, Shoji Hamada, Jun Kaneko, Kanjiro Kawai, Bernard Leach, Kenneth Price, Billy Al Bengston, James Lovera, James Melchert, Mineo Mizuno, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, Lucie Rie, Paul Soldner, Beatrice Wood, and Betty Woodman—most of which is culled from the Marer Collection of Contemporary Ceramics at Scripps College. ‰ Taste of Power: 18th Century German Porcelain for the Table may be viewed through June 30 at Harvard University Art Museums, Busch-
Reisinger Museum, 32 Quincy St., Cambridge, Massachusetts. ‰ Cheers! A MAD Collection of Goblets is on view through August 2 at Museum of Art and Design, 40 W. 53rd St., Wayne, Pennsylvania. [ To list your clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, and ceramic news items in Clay Times, please e-mail announcement details to: editorial@claytimes.com, with “What’s Hot” in the subject line.
‰ Feats of Clay XXI, an exhibition of 70 contemporary ceramic works displayed in the historical (still operating) Gladding, McBean terra cotta factory in Lincoln, California, takes place with docent-led tours on Wednesdays through Sundays through May 25, 9 am-noon. A donation of $10 per person is requested. Reservations are required and early bookings are encouraged as desirable dates fill quickly. Tours begin at the gallery and are handicapped accessible. Closed-toe shoes are required for insurance purposes. School and club groups can be accommodated with prior arrangements. For further information or to make reservations, call Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation at 916.645.9713.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
Art Center, 413 Maplewood Ave., Wayne, PA 19087; www.wayneart.org; www.craftforms.com.
‰ David Hendley, Pots and Process is on exhibit through May 30 at the Museum of East Texas, 503 N. 2nd St., Lufkin, Texas. ‰ The Industrial Hand: Tableware Design by Heather Mae Erickson will be on exhibit through June 1 at The Clay Studio, 137-139 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ‰ Voices: 2008 NCECA Invitational Exhibition continues through June 7 at the Society for Contemporary Craft, 2100 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
‰ Within Two Hands: The Eye of The Collector is on view through June 29, 2008 at the San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design, 550 Sutter Street in San Francisco, California. This show features more than 70 ceramic objects, including works by Laura
Highwater Clays’ new Web store:
WWW.HIGHWATERCLAYS.COM The most comprehensive online potters’ catalog with more than 2,000 items, including The Earth’s Best Clays. Highwater Clays 600 Riverside Drive Asheville, NC 28801 828.252.6033
Highwater Clays (Florida) 420 22nd Street South St. Petersburg, FL 33712 727.553.9344
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
‰ Eating Wonderland: Recent Works by Sue Johnson will be on exhibit through June 15 at Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature, University of Richmond Museums, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, Virginia.
Yeah, it’s something like that.
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2008
Strictly FuNctioNal Pottery NatioNal
by Phil haralam and Jean lehman, Co-direCtors
CLAYTIMES¡COM n MAy/june 2008
Blue Storage Jar by Jeremy D. Randall, Tully, NY. 15" x 9" x 9". Electric-fired earthenware with terra sigillata and steel tacks.
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ne hundred and four outstanding utilitarian works selected from more than 1,000 entries comprise the 16th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National, which opened April 19 and runs through May 18 at Kevin Lehman’s Pottery, 560 South Prince Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The show, sponsored by the Market House
Craft Center, part of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, and the Wayne Art Center, then travels to Wayne Art Center at 412 Maplewood Ave., Wayne, PA for exhibition from May 27-June 27, 2008.
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAy/june 2008
Pitcher by Emily Free Wilson, Helena, MT. 8" x 6" x 5". Porcelain; cone 6 electric. Clay Times Award of Merit recipient.
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A
merican studio ceramic artists continue to develop new and creative interpretations of traditional craft forms with new techniques, observations, and technologies. The utilitarian object provides the artist with a set of functional boundaries, but does not necessarily define the final work. Some contemporary works focus on design, form, texture, and color. Others express more conceptual ideas like love, humor, and memory. The works may be functional, but they also have the possibility of awakening us to our surroundings—evoking emotions and bringing art and beauty to our daily lives. The Strictly Functional Pottery National is an important venue for showcasing these new works. We continue to provide one of the most diverse exhibitions of functional work in the country. This year we received more than 1,000 images from almost every state. Onethird of the selected 104 pieces are by first-time applicants. Our show represents the best work from full-time potters, part-time potters, instructors, college students, and graduate students. Each year, a highly respected artist and educator in the ceramics field is invited to be the exhibition juror. We are honored to have University of Florida Professor and renowned ceramic artist, Linda Arbuckle, as the SFPN 2008 juror. We encouraged Linda to apply her knowledge and experience when jurying our show, and asked her to keep in mind the “Strictly Functional” theme of the show when selecting work. Linda Arbuckle selected an exciting and diverse group from a strong pool of candidates for this, our 16th exhibition. We are proud of this year’s exhibition, and we are honored to work with the many volunteers who have made this show possible. We are greatly appreciative of our sponsors and friends who have made this show financially feasible. We will continue to work hard and carry this momentum into our 17th year.
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAy/june 2008
Double-Handle Platter by Matthew Hyleck, Baltimore, MD. 2" x 16" x 16". Stoneware; cone 10 gas reduction.
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Deep Brown Bowl by Richard Aerni, Rochester, NY. 7" x 17" x 17". Stoneware; cone 10 gas.
“To me, handmade pottery in the 21st century is all about values. I think the clay community has some very good ones, although we are not a monolithic group. Handmade functional work champions attention and engagement in daily life; this really matters and makes a difference.” — Linda Arbuckle, Juror, 2008 Strictly Functional Pottery National
Pitcher by Lauren Sandler, Philadelphia, PA. 8" x 5" x 5". Earthenware; cone 04 electric. Lidded Pitcher by Lorna Meaden, Durango, CO. 10" x 5" x 4". Porcelain; cone 10 soda.
CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
“What a Pair!” by Paula Smith, Rock Hill, SC. 9" x 11" x 7". Stoneware, earthenware; cone 04 electric.
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Dan Finch Pottery
Tell a story. Natalie Blake began traveling the world at age 13. From the Caribbean to Indonesia to South America, she absorbed
2008 Fall Workshop
the warm, steamy colors of the tropics. Today, her
Family Affair!
hand-carved pots express a gypsy wanderlust and a simple joy of creation.
Featuring Dan, Justin, & Kathryn Finch.
Tell your story to shops & galleries at the Buyers Market of American Craft.
AUGUST 2-4, 2008 PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PA
Enjoy a weekend of multiple points of view with Finch Family Potters.
WWW.AMERICANCRAFT.COM
INFO@ROSENGRP.COM
410.889.2933
The threesome will share their techniques and talents and a southern-style barbeque. Enjoy!
M.F.A. in Ceramic Arts The M.F. A. and Graduate Certificate in Ceramic Arts provide students with skills and knowledge from which to build a strong aesthetic direction. Resist and Surface Finishes Adam Spector July 25 - 27
KEVIN CROWE Multi-chambered Kiln Wood Firing May 10, 17 and 24 Prelude to Community of Fire Conference
Throwing Large Forms: June 23 - 28 SHAWN GROVE Ceramic Sculpture CLAYTIMES·COM n MAY/JUNE 2008
June 30 - July 12
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JOYCE MICHAUD Ceramic Decoration July 19 - 31
Master’s Throwing
Registration: $150 Saturday and Sunday, November 1 and 2, 2008.
August 7- 10
UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENT! Ceramic Art Tour of China May 13 - 27, 2008
Hood College Graduate School Art Department (301) 696-3456 � Fax (301) 696-3531 www.hood.edu/ceramics Hood College subscribes to a policy of equal educational and employment opportunities.
To register, please call (252) 235-4664 or e-mail dan.finch@earthlink.net
A
few months ago, I completed a series of columns I’d written on glaze calculation by doing a column in which I used glaze calculation techniques to look into a kind of ironred glaze known as Tomato Red. In that column, I mentioned that tomato reds appear to be distinct from other high-fire reduction glazes by having both magnesium oxide and phosphorus pentoxide in their formulas. The article described how a series of tests showed that both these oxides were essential for this glaze to develop an iron-red color, rather than a temmoku black. After receiving requests from several readers, I decided that it would be fun to take a more in-depth look at iron reds and see if it would be possible to improve on the original formula. The original recipe is one I was given as an undergrad at Alfred. Every other tomato red recipe I’ve seen is either identical to this one, or incredibly similar. Using UMF (unity molecular formula) and the Hyperglaze glaze calculation program, I developed ten variations of this glaze in order to test varying proportions of the original oxides. In each test, I pushed one oxide either up or down, to the limits possible with this particular set of raw materials. “TR” stands for the traditional Tomato Red, which I believe is one of Val Cushing’s glazes. It can vary widely in color and texture depending on the firing. In a cooler, faster firing, it can be mostly brown or black (like a temmoku), with just a few small dots of iron-red/ orange color floating against the dark background. A longer, hotter firing with a longer, slower cooling will increase the amount of orange, up to the point when it can become a solid, metallic orange.
1. In the previous column on this subject, tests showed that phosphorus pentoxide
Result: Not very interesting. In two different firings, the glaze was an uninteresting liver-brown color with small, smudgy spots of green. 2. If you’ve ever studied shino glazes, you might have noticed that those containing lithium oxide (Li2O) tend to break into a brighter orange color. Those that are higher in aluminum oxide also tend to be more orange. In this test, Li2O was added at the expense of CaO, to equal the amount of magnesium oxide (MgO) in the unity formula. Spodumene provides the Li2O, along with some alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2). Result: Even less interesting than #1: brown, runny, slightly flat (less reflective) with some tiny brown dotting. 3. In this test, boron oxide (B2O3) was added, while the level and balance of every other oxide remained the same. I really didn’t know what this would do. In general, B2O3 can tend to impede crystal growth, and broadens the firing TR Kona F-4 Feldspar Nepheline Syenite Spodumene Ferro Frit 3134 Ferro Frit 3124 Bone Ash Nytal Talc Wollastonite Whiting Magnesium Carbonate Lithium Carbonate Kaolin (EPK) OM-4 Ball Clay Silica Add: Bentonite Red Iron Oxide
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by PETE PINNELL
range of a glaze. I added .1 moles (on a unity basis), or about the amount that would lower the maturing temperature of a glaze about two cones. The B2O3 is being supplied by Ferro Frit 3134, which also provides the oxides of sodium, calcium, and silica. Results: Practically indistinguishable from the original in color and texture. This seems to indicate that we might be able to use even larger amounts to lower the maturing temperature to cone 5-6. 4. Like test 2, this one contains Li2O at the expense of CaO, the difference being that the Li2O is provided by lithium carbonate, which (unlike spodumene) contains no alumina or silica. Other than the Li2O for CaO substitution, this formula remains identical to the original. Result: Orange in places, but with a brown, abrasive surface wherever the glaze is thickest. Surprisingly, this one is less runny than test 2, which contains more alumina (which normally raises the viscosity of a molten glaze). 5. How glossy or matte a glaze may become can be predicted and controlled (to some extent) by manipulating the ratio of silica to alumina in the unity firing. In general, when the ratio of silica
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CLAYTIMES·COM n MAy/june 2008
This glaze often also has areas of dark purple/brown crystals on the surface, which have a slightly more matte, crystalline texture. My personal preference is the result seen when there is a variety of colors, with a variegated surface showing red, orange, black, and green—not like any tomato I’ve ever seen, but more interesting than a straight metallic orange.
(P2O5) was essential for the formation of the red/orange crystals. In this test, I pushed the amount of P2O5 to the maximum possible with these materials (while still keeping all other oxides the same). We get the P2O5 from bone ash, which also contains calcium oxide. I increased the bone ash at the expense of the whiting (which also provides the glaze with calcium oxide).
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Tomato Red Revisited
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