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Volume 14 • Number 6 November/December 2008
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the Object: Utilitarian Clay V Featured Project: Highlighting Small Handles Why Glazes Work ( ... or Don’t!) An In-depth Look at Profile Ribs Lead Frits: Are They Safe?
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Clay
November/December 2008 Volume 14, Number 6
Splash Cups and Carrier by Utilitarian Clay V presenter Kari Radasch. 4" x 14". Glazed terra cotta, coil-built, slipcast.
features 32 Utilitarian Clay V: Could it be the Last? Potential sale of the property leased by the Arrowmont School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee was a hot topic at this year’s clay symposium.
38 A Vineyard Kiln Building Project Construction of a new “Manabigama” kiln at the La Paz estate in Upperville, Virginia utilizes a practical new concept in wood firing.
41 New Tabletop Wheel Offers Convenience and Portability for less than $400 The “Aspire” wheel by Shimpo resolves issues of price, storage, and mobility without jeopardizing quality.
44 An Interview with Phil Rogers Joe Campbell discovers how people, influence, environment, design, patrons, and legacy have affected this British potter’s career in claywork.
Above: Phil Rogers leads a workshop at Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, NJ (see p. 44). At left: A group of wood-firing students build an energy-efficient "Manabigama" kiln. Story begins on page 38.
on exhibit 18 Invited Artists Exhibition View a sampling of invited artists’ works hand-picked by presenters of this year’s “Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object” symposium. 5
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November/December 2008 • Volume 14, Number 6
departments
Lorna Meaden demonstrates her wheel-throwing techniques at the Utilitarian Clay V symposium.
columns 21 AS FAR AS I KNOW
9 YOUR WORDS
“Why Glazes Work ... or Don’t” by Pete Pinnell
Readers offer their feedback & opinions
25 BENEATH THE SURFACE
13 WHAT’S HOT Clay world news, events, and calls for entries Bede Clark
“Hayne Bayless: Successful Non-conformist” by Lana Wilson
23 GREAT GLAZES A sampling of some favorite Raku formulas
28 TEACHING TECHNIQUES “Details, Details: Highlighting Small Handles” by Bill van Gilder
50 THE GALLERY A selection of unique works by CT readers
49 KILNS & FIRING “Gas Safety Legislation Doesn’t Always Apply” by Marc Ward
58 SLURRY BUCKET TIPS Save time and trouble with these studio-tested tips and techniques.
59 POTTERY CLASSES
53 TOOL TIMES Andy Shaw
Where you can learn claywork in the U.S. & abroad
55 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Lead Frits: Are They Safe?” by Monona Rossol
63 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for clay artists
62 BOOKS & VIDEOS “Two Timeless Classics” reviews by Steve Branfman
65 AROUND THE FIREBOX
On the cover: Platter by Daphne Hatcher (part of Three Portals triptych). 4" x 19"; handbuilt cone 12 stoneware. Inset photo: Jar by Ayumie Horie. Photos by Tim Barnwell.
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“An In-depth Look at Profile Ribs” by Vince Pitelka
“Fingerprints That Never Disappear” by David Hendley Pictured at left: Works by some of the presenters at Arrowmont’s recent “Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object” symposium. See story, p. 33. Victoria Christen
“The tabletop design of the Aspire is great for my budget, for my small studio and for my aspiring artists!� Danielle McDaniel~The Clay Lady
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It all starts with clay
Brian Giffin back to the beginnings Jalisco, Mexico 2008
Photo by Fernando Emiliano
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Editor & Art Director: Polly Beach claytimes@gmail.com Circulation Manager: Rachel Brownell ctcirculation@gmail.com Advertising Manager: Janie Herdman claytimesads@gmail.com Accounts Manager: Nanette Greene clayaccounts@gmail.com Proofreader: Jon Singer Office Assistant: Ingrid Phillips Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Bill van Gilder, Teaching Techniques Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers: Joe Campbell Missy Cochrane
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Readers’ Letters Helpful How-to’s I am writing ... to complement you on your truly inspirational magazine. As one of the instructors at the Fort Collins Pottery Studio, I must tell you how often we refer to Clay Times for lesson ideas and to solve the “how can I do this” questions. Many of our students have done pieces with the “church key” texture (it continues to be very popular) [see “The Church Key Potter,” Jan./Feb. ’08 Clay Times], and now several of us are throwing porcelain bowls with plans to carve and pierce. Jennifer McCurdy’s pieces are wonderful! [See “Defying Gravity,” July/Aug. ’08 Clay Times.] The fun never ends! We keep the latest issues out for students to read, and of course, save all back issues for reference. You provide a great resource! Thank you for a useful publication ... and thank you for your time. Sincerely, with clay under my nails, Heather Bartmann, via e-mail
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.
POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197-0365. Copyright © 2008 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.
Tile 6 Clay? In your Sept./Oct. 2008 issue there was a recipe for a transparent blue glaze (via Barbara Tipton) that calls for Tile 6 clay. We can’t seem to find any information on this ingredient and are eager to try this recipe. Is this known by another name, or can you tell us where to purchase this clay? Joanne Eschmann, via e-mail
Tile 6 Reply Dear Joanne, The Tile #6 Clay is a lightweight, very fine, lowiron kaolin. It’s used in industry on a large scale for dry-pressed tile manufacturing; hence, its name. Locally, we get it from Clayworks Supplies in Baltimore, MD, (www.clayworkssupplies.com). It’s used in glazes and slips when a low-iron clay is required. Most ceramic materials suppliers also carry this product, more commonly known as “Tile #6 Kaolin.”
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Web site for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines.
Spouting Off I Your Words
ceramic art trends, t oo l s & t e c h n i q u e s
Polly Beach, Editor [
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1000 Wheel Torque Test* (Ibs inch) Potter’s 800 600 400 200 0 p p p hp hp /4 hp /2 hp 1h dC /3 h /2 h /2 rt 1 ran tua uart 1 uart 1 and A d A 1 d A 1 d B 1 B S n s St St Br Bran Bran ma Bra as as m Tho hom o Th T *Tested by three independent motor specialists (not all competitor's wheels were available at the time of the test). References: Leeson Electric Motor Co. & Baldor Electric Motor Co.
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ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries Conferences ‰ A limited number of cabins on board Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom of the Seas” vessel are still available for the second annual Cruisin’ for Clay Potters Conference in the Caribbean, to take place Jan. 11-18, 2009. Sign up now to beat next year’s mid-winter blues with an incredible week of fun in the sun and clay presentations by Tom & Elaine Coleman, Susan Filley, Bill van Gilder, and Xavier Gonzalez on board Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom of the Seas” cruise ship. Destinations include San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands ports of St. Thomas and St. Maarten, with Miami, FL port of departure. For full details and registration materials, log onto www.claytimes.com/cruise.html, or contact Clay Times, PO Box 365, Waterford, VA 20197; 800.356.2529; claytimes@gmail.com. ‰ Form and Function: 2009 North Carolina Potters Conference takes place Mar. 13-15, 2009 in Asheboro, North Carolina. Guest presenters including Alleghany Meadows, Mark Pharis, and Phil Rogers will offer panel discussions and lectures. To request full details, contact the Randolph Arts Guild, Moring Arts Center, 123 Sunset Ave., PO Box 1033, Asheboro, NC 27204-1033; tel. 336.629.0399; e-mail arts@ asheboro.com; Web site: www.randolpharts guild.com.
‰ Ceramic Interface: From Dawn to Digital is the theme of the 43rd Annual NCECA Conference, to take place April 8–11, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. Complete conference details and registration information may be found online at www.nceca.net. For additional questions,
Wheel-thrown bowl by Phil Rogers, one of the guest presenters at the 2009 North Carolina Potters Conference in Asheboro, to take place March 13-15, 2009. For more on Rogers, turn to p. 44.
contact NCECA, 77 Erie Village Sq., Ste. 280, Erie, Colorado 80516; e-mail: office@nceca. net; tel. 866.266.2322. ‰ The 20th Annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (also known as CCACA) takes place throughout the city of Davis, California, May 1-3, 2009. Bill Abright, Clayton Bailey, Jack Earl, Sylvia Hyman, Louis Marak, Kevin Nierman, Richard Notkin, and Judith Schwartz will offer lectures and demonstrations, while numerous student exhibitions will take place simultaneously. For complete details and registration information, contact Nancy Resler at John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St., Davis, CA 95616; tel. 530.756.3938; e-mail: art@ natsoulas.com; Web site: www.natsoulas.com.
Calls for Entries ‰ The 75th Crocker-Kingsley: California’s Biennial is requesting digital entries from California residents through Nov. 15 for its exhibition, to take place Jan. 10–Feb. 6, 2009.
Michael Bishop will jury the show; entry fee is $40 for three works. To learn more, contact Allison Henley at the Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento, CA 95814; ahenleyreed@cityofsacramento.org; www. crockerartmuseum.org/kingsley. ‰ The Regional Juried Ceramic Competition of Irving, Texas is accepting digital submissions through Nov. 15 for its show, to take place Jan. 20–Mar. 6, 2009. Entry fee is $30; Dick Hay will serve as juror. For information, contact University of Dallas, Art/Ceramics Regional, 1845 E. Northgate Dr., Irving, TX 75062; 972.721.5319, hammett@udallas.edu; www.udallas.edu/art/regional.cfm. ‰ Jurors Ann Christenson and Elisa Nappa are accepting entries through Nov. 18 for Two By Two: Small-Scale Ceramic Sculpture Biennial, to take place Feb. 26–April 2, 2009. Fee: $25 for three entries. For details, contact the Gallery of Art, ART 140, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA 99004-2401; tel. 509.359.7070. e-mail: nhathaway@mail. ewu.edu; Web site: http://ewu.edu/x24865.xml.
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
‰ Val Cushing, Piero Fencil, Robin Hopper, Angelica Pozo, and Toni Sikes will lead presentations and panel discussions at the annual Alabama Clay Conference, to take place Mar. 13-15, 2009 in Huntsville, Alabama. For complete details, log onto the Web site at: www.alclayconference.org.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
What’s Hot
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
‰ Juror Patti Warashina is accepting international digital and slide entries through Nov. 26 for the International Cup show to take place Feb. 6–28, 2009. Entry fee is $20 for one entry; $25 for two entries. For additional details, contact The Clay Studio of Missoula, 1106 Hawthorne St., Unit A, Missoula, MT 59802; 406.543.0509; info@theclaystudioofmissoula.org; www.theclay studioofmissoula.org.
‰ Digital and slide submissions of functional and/or sculptural ceramics are being accepted through Dec. 15 for Endangered?, to take place Jan. 14–Feb. 28, 2009. Entry fee is $35 for three entries. For details, contact Gloria Kennedy Gallery, 111 Front St. Gallery 222, Brooklyn, NY 11201; tel. 718.858.5254; e-mail: gloria@gkgart. com; www.gkgart.com/pages/submissions.html. ‰ Digital submissions of ceramic artwork that tells a story or is representational of love are being accepted through Dec. 29 for the Juried Exhibition to take place Feb. 2-March 2, 2009 at the Carbondale Clay Center. Entry fee is $25 for three entries. For complete information, contact the Carbondale Clay Center, 135 Main St., Carbondale, CO 81623; tel. 970.963.2529; e-mail: info@carbondaleclay.org; Web site: www. carbondaleclay.org. CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
‰ Solo, group, and concept-based exhibition proposals for five different exhibition spaces are being accepted in digital and slide form through May 1. Entry fee: $30. Contact Manifest Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@ manifestgallery.org; www.manifestgallery.org.
‰ The State of Clay 6th Biennial Exhibition, to take place Mar. 30–Apr. 25, 2009 in Lexington, Massachusetts, is accepting digital submissions through Dec. 5 at a fee of $30 for three entries. Jim Lawton will jury the show. To learn more, contact Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, 130 Waltham St., Lexington, MA 02421; 781.862.9696; lacs.lexington@verizon.net; www.lexingtonma.org/lacs. ‰ Terra Incognito Studios is accepting digital entries through Dec. 15 for 1+1, to take place March 21–April 23, 2009. Entry fee is $25 for three entries. For details, contact Terra Incognito Studios, 246 Chicago Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302; tel. 708.383.6228; dtoan@ameritech.net; www.terraincognitostudios.com.
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‰ Digital entries of all media are being accepted through April 24 for the 5th Annual Magnitude Seven. Contact Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati OH 45206; info@manifestgallery.org; www.mani festgallery.org.
‰ The Craft Alliance of St. Louis, Missouri is calling for solo and collaborative installation artist proposals through Dec. 31. For complete details, contact the exhibitions coordinator at the Craft Alliance, 6640 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130; 314.725.1177 ext. 323; exhibitions@craft alliance.org; www.craftalliance.org. ‰ Digital or slide images of cups, mugs, goblets, tea bowls, tea cups, and tumblers may be submitted through Jan. 5 for the Starbrick Clay
Ron Meyers decorates a covered jar before a group of attendees at this year’s “Utilitarian Clay V: Celebrate the Object” symposium at Arrowmont School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. To see more event images, log onto www.claytimes.com. National Cup Show to take place Feb. 27–April 19, 2009. Entry fee: $20 for three entries; $30 for five entries. Contact Starbrick Clay Fine Art Ceramic Gallery, 21 W. Columbus St., Nelsonville, OH 45764; 740.753.1011; starbrick@ gmail.com; www.starbrick.com. ‰ Digital entries of all media are being accepted through Jan. 30 for Mythography: An Exploration of Narrative, to take place at Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@manifestgallery. org; www.manifestgallery.org. ‰ Solo, Two-Person, or Group Exhibition Proposals are being accepted in digital and slide form through Feb. 1, at no charge. Contact Pittsburg State University, 1701 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762; 620.235.4303; sbowman@pittstate. edu; www.pittstate.edu/art/exopp.html. ‰ Digital submissions are being accepted through Feb. 6 for the 20th Annual Teapot Show, to take place April 5–May 18, 2009. Entry fee is $25 for two entries. Contact Joan Houlehen, A. Houberbocken, Inc., PO Box 196, Cudahy, WI 53110; jhoulehengraphics@yahoo.com. ‰ Digital submissions are being accepted from undergraduate students through March 13 for the 5th Annual Rites of Passage. For details, contact Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@manifestgallery.org; www.manifestgallery.org.
‰ Entries of all media are being accepted through May 31 for Small Art Objects 2009, to take place in Vallauris, France in July. Contact A.I.R Vallauris Place Lisnard, 1 Boulevard des Deux Vallons 06220,Vallauris, France; tel. +33(0) 493.646.550; contact@air-vallauris.com; www. air-vallauris.org. ‰ Current or recent M.F.A./M.A. students may submit digital entries through June 5 for the 3rd Annual Master Pieces. Contact Manifest Creative Research Gallery, PO Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206; info@manifestgallery.org; www.manifestgallery.org.
Ceramics Exhibitions ‰ The Artful Tabletop continues through Nov. 16 at Lyndhurst Mansion, 635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, New York. ‰ Points of Entry is on view through Nov. 21 at Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE., Grand Rapids, Michigan. ‰ Clay³ is on view through Nov. 21 at ClaySpace Ceramic Arts Studio, 28 W. 210 Warrenville Rd., Warrenville, Illinois. ‰ Terra Forma: Perspectives in Clay takes place through Nov. 22 at Westchester Community College, Fine Arts Gallery, 75 Grasslands Rd., Valhalla, New York. ‰ Asheville in Atlanta ’08, featuring works by Kyle Carpenter, Penelope Clark, Jon Keenan, and Ken Sedberry, is on view through Nov. 22 at MudFire Gallery, 175 Laredo Dr., Decatur, Georgia. ‰ Soda National IV is on view through Nov. 28 at The Clay Studio of Missoula, 1106 Hawthorne Unit A, Missoula, Montana.
Hot Stuff I News & Events
‰ Owen/Owens: A Family History in Clay is on view through Nov. 29 at the North Carolina Pottery Center, 250 E. Ave., Seagrove, North Carolina. ‰ Michel Louis Viala, Scattered Galaxy is on view through Nov. 29 at Lasdon Park and Arboretum, Westchester County Parks, Rte. 100, Somers, New York. ‰ Susan Halls: Birds and Beasts is on view through Nov. 29 at Muscoot Farm and Main House Gallery, Westchester County Parks, Rte. 100, Somers, New York. ‰ Plates and Platters, featuring works by Matthew Hyleck, Reena Kashyap, and Brenda Quinn, is on view through Nov. 29 at Hendrick Hudson Free Library, 185 Kings Ferry Rd., Montrose, New York. ‰ Right Off the Bat: Ceramics by Mitch Lyons and Mexican Color: The Work of Amanda Jaffe are on view through Nov. 29 at Larchmont Public Library, 121 Larchmont Ave., Larchmont, New York. ‰ Ceramica Magnifica: A Celebration of a Heritage: Este, Italy is on view through Nov. 30 at Westchester Italian Cultural Center, 1 Generoso Pope Pl., Tuckahoe, New York. ‰ Ceramics at Historic Hudson Valley is on exhibit through Nov. 30 at Historic Hudson Valley: Van Cortlandt Manor, South Riverside Ave., off Rte. 9, Croton-onHudson, New York. ‰ Clay’s Inner Voice, featuring works by Sarah Baehr, Jean Lem, Toni Levin, Mitch Levison, and Sally Spielvogel, is on view through Nov. 30 at A Mini Gallery @590, 590 Central Park Ave., Scarsdale, New York.
‰ Warren MacKenzie: Legacy of An American Potter takes place through Nov. 30 at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main St., Houston, Texas.
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‰ Patz Fowle: Contemporary Characters is on view through Nov. 30 at Burr Art Gallery, 200 Powe St., Cheraw, South Carolina. ‰ New Work by Ryan Kelly and New Work by Kevin Snipes are on view through Nov. 30 at
The Clay Studio, 139 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ‰ Works by Chris Gustin are on exhibit through Nov. 30 at 360 Hamilton, 360 Hamilton St., White Plains, New York.
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
‰ Reflective Firing, featuring works by Susan Elena Esquivel, Denis Licul, Jennifer Kincaid, Jerry Rhodes, Amy Sanders, Lily Schor, Jacqueline Wilder, and Alyssa Wood, is on view through Nov. 30 at Secrets of Hastings on Hudson, 32 Main St., Hastings on Hudson, New York.
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Hot Stuff I News & Events
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Ceramics Exhibitions, cont. ‰ Works by Nancy Bauch and John Allen are on view through Nov. 30 at Chappaqua Library, 195 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua, New York. ‰ Leigh Taylor Mickelson, Botanical Attraction is on view through Nov. 30 at Greenburgh Nature Center, 99 Dromore Rd., Scarsdale, New York. ‰ Distinctive Lines, featuring works by Mazin Adams, Sam Chung, Marc Digeros, Maren Kloppmann, and Mark Pharis is on view through Nov. 30 at Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois. ‰ Space Meditations is on view through Nov. 30 at Mariani Gardens, 45 Bedford Rd., Armonk, New York. ‰ Recent Works by Sally Brogden and Recent Works by Keith Renner are each on view through Nov. 30 at Gallery in the Park, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Rte. 121 S. and Rte. 35., Cross River, New York. ‰ California Clay from ACGA is on view through Dec. 5 at Art Space Gallery, Fresno City College, 1101 E. University Ave., Fresno, California. ‰ Common Ground is on view through Dec. 6 at Northern Illinois University Art Museum, Altgeld Hall, First Fl., W. End, DeKalb, Illinois.
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‰ Generations: Works by Jun Kaneko and Toshiko Takaezu is on view through Dec. 6 at Lamont Gallery, Frederick R. Mayer Art Center, Phillips Exeter Academy, 11 Tan Ln., Exeter, New Hampshire. ‰ Built: Sculptural Trends in Clay, featuring works by Nikolai Grinchenko, Marc Leuthold, Ian Meares, and Jeffrey Mongrain, is on view through Dec. 11 at Osilas Gallery at Concordia College, 171 White Plains Rd., Bronxville, New York. ‰ Confrontational Ceramics takes place through Dec. 13 at Westchester Arts Council, 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, New York. ‰ Works by Linda Christenson and Charles Jahn are on exhibit Nov. 15-Dec. 14 at TRAX Gallery, 1812 Fifth St., Berkeley, California. ‰ A Journey in Majolica: Italian Renaissance to American Contemporary is on view through
‰ The Clay Collections of Caroline Wright Reis of Somers are on view through Jan. 31 at Somers Historical Society, 335 Rte. 202/Elephant Hotel, Somers Town Hall, Somers, New York.
‰ The 6th Annual It’s Only Clay Exhibit is on display through Dec. 20 at Bemidji Community Art Center and BSU Visual Arts Department, 426 Bemidji Ave. N., Bemidji, Minnesota.
‰ Tip Toland: Melt, The Figure in Clay is on view through Feb. 8, 2009 at the Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue, Washington.
‰ Gloria Kennedy, African Symbols and Motifs is on view through Dec. 20 at Gloria Kennedy Gallery, 111 Front St., Gallery 222, Brooklyn, New York.
‰ Fantasy Teapots from the Arthur Goldberg Collection is on view through Feb. 8 at Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St., Brockton, Massachusetts.
‰ Made Here–The MudFire Holiday Show takes place Nov. 28-Dec. 23 at MudFire Gallery, 175 Laredo Dr., Decatur, Georgia.
‰ River Through the Valley of Fire: Works by Frank Boyden and Tom Coleman is on view Nov. 22, 2008–Feb. 14, 2009 at American Museum of Ceramic Art, 340 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, California.
‰ Studio Pottery Invitational 2008 is on exhibit through Dec. 30 at Ferrin Gallery, 437 North St., Pittsfield, Massachusetts. ‰ Consider the Cup: Cup and Mug Invitational is on view through Dec. 31 at The Artisan Gallery, 162 Main St., Northhampton, Massachusetts. ‰ Matt Kelleher and Shoko Terayama exhibition is on view through Dec. 31 at The Signature Shop, 3267 Roswell Rd. NW., Atlanta, Georgia. ‰ All Fired Up! Salt Wares: 1700s to 2008 is on exhibit through Jan. 3, 2009 at the Rye Historical Society, Square House Museum, 1 Purchase St., Rye, New York. ‰ South Jersey Clay: Bridge to Bridge is on exhibit through Jan. 4 at Clay College Gallery of Cumberland County College, 108 High St., Millville, New Jersey. ‰ Conversations in Clay is on view through Jan. 11 at the Katonah Museum of Art, 134 Jay St., Rte. 22, Katonah, New York.
‰ The Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler are on view through Jan. 25 at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, 724 NW Davis St., Portland, Oregon. ‰ Hannah Wilke, Gestures, is on view through Jan. 25 at Neuberger Museum of Art, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, New York.
To list your clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, and ceramic news items in Clay Times, please e-mail the complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, with “What’s Hot” in the subject line, or visit www.claytimes. com and click on the “What’s Hot” link to fill out a submission form online.
“Cruisin’ for Clay” JAN. 11 - JAN. 18, 2009
Cruise the Caribbean while you learn the trade secrets of master potters Tom & Elaine Coleman, Susan Filley, Bill van Gilder, and Xavier Gonzalez during our 7-night mid-winter Clay Times Potters Conference at Sea with visits to San Juan, St. Thomas, & St. Maarten! Featuring professional demos/lectures on wheelthrown pottery tips & tricks, soft slab handbuilding, glazing techniques, and much more!
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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
‰ Holly Hanessian: The Poetry of Space continues through Jan. 11, 2009 at Russel Hill Rogers Gallery, Navarro Campus, Southwest School of Art and Craft, 1201 Navarro, San Antonio, Texas.
‰ 2009 Midstream: New Ceramics from the Heartland takes place through Feb. 28 at Arizona State University Art Museum’s Ceramic Research Center, 10th St. and Mill Ave., Tempe, Arizona. [
Register Today! Limited cabin availability; assigned on first-come basis
Hot Stuff I News & Events
Dec. 19 at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, 149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah, New York.
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Bird and Cherry Box by Julie Johnson. 6" x 6" x 5". Porcelain, cone 6 electric.
Flower Plate by Shoko Teruyama. 1" x 9" x 9". Electric-fired earthenware.
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Vase by Tara Wilson. 11" x 6" x 4". Wood-fired stoneware.
Salt and Pepper Bowls by Ingrid Bathe. 2" x 5½" x 2". High-fired porcelain.
2008 Utilitarian Clay Invitational Exhibition a sampling of works by some of the presenters’ favorite clay artists photos by Tim Barnwell • full story appears on pages 33-37
Pictured on this page (clockwise from top right): Works by Kathryn Finnerty, Keith Renner, Joe Pintz, Novie Trump, Lynn Ainsworth, Jason Briggs, and Jury Smith. Pictured on opposite page (clockwise from top left): Works by Janis Mars Wunderlich, Jessica Broad, Karen Thuesen Massaro, and Dave Eichelberger.
“All Fired Up!” Exposition Opens Oct. 3 in NY State Sixty venues throughout Westchester County, New York will join together to present “All Fired Up! A Celebration of Clay in Westchester,” from October 3 to November 30, 2008. This consortium project is being organized by the Westchester Arts Council and the Clay Art Center, with a steering committee of eight cultural institutions. All Fired Up! will include parallel exhibitions at museums, multi-art centers, library- and college-based galleries, and alternative sites. Together, they will host regional, national, and international works of art that explore the breadth and depth of ceramic expression, from
folk arts to fine arts, both historic and contemporary. Core components of the celebration will include curator’s talks and panel discussions at exhibition sites, with additional events including a panel discussion on contemporary ceramic arts, a symposium, and skill-based and specialized workshops for ceramic artists. Educational activities will include a teacher institute, family/kid introductions to workshops, artist residencies, and kiln instruction for teachers. For complete event details, log onto www.allfiredup.info, or call Leigh Mickelson at 914.937.2047. [
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
Yellow Lichen Box #5 by Sheila Clennell. 6" x 5" x 6". Reduction-fired stoneware.
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1101 Stinson Blvd NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 1-800-432-CLAY continentalclay.com
Tell a story.
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
He throws the pots. She chooses the glazes. She paints the scenes. He sculpts the textures. ED and KATE COLEMAN of Swannanoa, N.C., have been perfecting a recipe for teamwork ever since they were 15. Their key to a long partnership: It’s exciting when every handmade vessel is one of a kind.
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Major factors that impact the ultimate quality of a glaze
S
ometimes we believe in something without even knowing that we hold that particular belief. This is certainly true of most potters. To illustrate, let me describe a little scenario.
left out of the glaze, but the rest of the information (mixing/application/ firing/etc.) that’s necessary to turn that potentially interesting recipe into a gorgeous reality.
Please fill in the blank: You’re attending a ceramics show, and you see a pot with a magnificent glaze. You say to yourself “that glaze would look wonderful on my work. If I ask the artist, maybe she’d be willing to give me the ______.”
Here is a partial list of things that are just as important as the recipe:
What was the word that popped into your head? Most of you probably thought “recipe,” or perhaps even “formula.” Few of you probably thought “firing schedule” or “method of application.” That seems to be our unstated belief in ceramics: if we want to get a particular surface, all we need to have is the recipe. Just combine the right chemicals in the proper proportions and you’ll get a wonderful glaze. Chemistry is king! But what I’ve learned, as both an artist and a teacher, is that while the recipe for a glaze (and its implied chemistry) is important, in reality there are other variables that are equally important, if not more so.
In one way, that may be correct, though not in the way the speaker intended. It wasn’t a secret ingredient that was
We sometimes include bits of this information with a recipe; I try to include at least a skeleton version. But even when we include some of these instructions, there are other—often unspoken—criteria that can be crucially important to the success of a glaze. Let’s look at some of the factors that have a major impact on the ultimate quality of the glaze, beginning with the glaze mixing. Most of us weigh out the dry ingredients, add water to them, mix them with an electric drill, and then pour (or scrape) that mixture through a sieve. This is certainly how I teach students to mix glazes, and most of us would consider this to be a good (and fairly complete) process. The resulting glaze is smooth and lump-free, so this must be a wellmixed glaze, right? Well, perhaps not. It
might be mixed well enough to melt, but on a microscopic scale it isn’t thoroughly mixed at all. Ideally, when we combine ingredients in a glaze, they would be so dispersed that every particle of a given ingredient would have one of every other kind of particle next to it—but what we usually achieve is interspersed clumps of each material, not individual particles. The quality of mixing can have an enormous effect on a glaze’s fired qualities. One time years ago, when I was teaching in Kansas City, I saw that a group of students had all used the same beautiful celadon on their pots. The glaze was drop-dead gorgeous—everything you might want in a celadon. I quickly found the students and asked them for—yes, you got it—the recipe. I was shocked to find out that it was simply Leach Celadon, one of the most common and ordinary of high-fire glazes. How could Leach celadon look so beautiful? It turned out the students had ball-milled the glaze, grinding and mixing the ingredients far better than we usually did. That was the only difference in the entire process; otherwise, everything they’d done was quite ordinary. Who would have thought that better mixing would make such a marked, visual difference? So, do I ball-mill my glazes? Who are you kidding! It takes far too much time, and there is always the danger of ball milling a glaze too much, which can result in a glaze that shrinks so much as it dries that it tends to crawl. Instead, when I want a glaze to be particularly well mixed, I dry mix it, pour it into water, allow it to slake (untouched) for 15 minutes, then blunge it with a drill and mixer until I can’t stand to do it anymore. Then, I like to pour it through a fine screen (100-mesh) at least twice to break up the agglomerates of materials. No, that doesn’t mix it as well as ball-
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
I’ve seen this belief demonstrated many times. Think about how often you’ve heard someone say “I’ve got the recipe, but there must be something wrong with it—it doesn’t look the same when I use it.” I’ve even heard that person add, “Maybe they left something out of the recipe so it won’t work.” I’m kind of surprised how often I hear (or read online) this charge—that those of us who share recipes have purposely left out an ingredient so the glaze won’t work as well for anyone else.
1. How the recipe is mixed, screened, and adjusted for application; 2. how the glaze is applied—both the thickness of the glaze, as well as the actual method of application; 3. over what surface (the clay body, slip, terra sig, or other glaze) the glaze is applied; 4. the shape and texture of the piece; 5. and, of course, the biggie—how the glaze was fired and cooled.
by PETE PINNELL
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Why Glazes Work ... ... or Don’t
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Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Why Glazes Work ... or Don’t
milling, but it does a good enough job for my needs. However, if you are looking to produce a particularly gorgeous glaze, you might think about spending a bit more time and effort on this underappreciated contributor to glaze quality. Besides the quality of mixing, it obviously makes a difference when a liquid glaze has a higher or lower viscosity. This can be affected by how much water you use, as well as whether the glaze is flocculated or deflocculated. (I’ve mentioned these last words so often in columns that I think they must inspire a mass eye-rolling every time they appear here!) However, if you want to see a huge and immediate difference in the application of a glaze, the easiest way is to adjust the degree of flocculation.
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
The actual glaze application is obviously important. As we all know, most glazes will look very different when applied in varied thicknesses. One of the variables in application is the viscosity (runniness) of the glaze, while another is the porosity of the bisque ware. For instance, pots bisqued to a higher temperature exhibit less absorption, so the glaze layer will tend to build up less quickly.
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Another variable is the method of application. A sprayed glaze will never look the same as one that is dipped, which will look different from one that is poured, or splashed, or otherwise. Even holding a pot (for dipping) at different angles makes a difference. Let’s say I have a tall vase and a bucket of copper red glaze. I will get a very different result if I dip it with the pot upright as opposed to holding it upside down. Remember, the first part of the pot to enter into the glaze is the last part to exit, so these choices dictate where the glaze is thicker and where it is thinner. In the case of my vase, if I dip it upside down (so application is thickest at the top) then the glaze will tend to be red all over, and won’t have much of a white lip (copper reds turn white where applied thinly). Also, since the thickest part of the glaze is at the top, it will not tend to run off the pot, so I can use a runny glaze (like copper red), and still apply it almost all the way down to the foot.
If, on the other hand, I were to dip it rightside up, then the glaze would be thin at the top, and thicker at the bottom. It would have a greater tendency to run off onto the kiln shelf, yet it would also leave that beautiful white rim that gradually fades into red an inch or so down from the top. Which way is better? That depends on what I want; they both can be beautiful. The important thing is to simply recognize that we get different—very different—results when the same glaze is applied differently. It makes a huge difference what surface we put a glaze over. That fact often goes unmentioned in recipes, but glazes always sit on top of something else—and that “something else” is every bit as important as the recipe of the glaze. It isn’t just the background color that makes the difference. A glaze doesn’t simply sit on top of the layer beneath; it chemically interacts with that layer. A glaze can look quite different over two different white bodies, for instance, simply because each has a different chemical or mineralogical composition. When you ask someone for a recipe, at the same time you should ask what clay, slip, or other surface they are using underneath that glaze. Last, and certainly not least, is the variable of firing. Included in this are both obvious and not-so-obvious variables: a. the rate of climb b. the ultimate firing temperature (cone) c. the rate of cooling d. soak times, both up and down e. and, in reduction firings, you also need to mention when, how, and how much the firing is reduced. I could easily write a whole series of columns on how variables in firing can change the qualities of glazes, and I am planning on writing at least one future column on the subject. Suffice it to say that we should always pay attention to these things if we want consistent, highquality surfaces. Do you think this only applies to reduction glazes? If so, then you haven’t been following the revolution in firing that
has accompanied the widespread use of computerized electric kiln controls. Many of us who fire in electric kilns have begun to realize that the cooling of the kiln (what happens on the way down) is at least as important as what happens on the way up, if not more so. Computer controls, with their simple to use “ramp-hold” functions, have enabled potters to manipulate crystal growth (along with other types of phase separations) by altering the rate at which the kiln cools, or by programming “soak” periods into parts of the cooling. This has vastly altered the quality of mid-range glazes in particular, and led some potters to specify firing and cooling cycles as part of the information that accompanies a recipe. I’ve even noticed that some potters who fire in gas kilns are experimenting with “firing down” in order to mimic some of the nicer glazes coming out of electric kilns. Early in this column, I wrote that these variables can sometimes play a larger role in the final qualities of a glaze than the recipe, and I’m sure that statement was met skeptically by some of you. Allow me to give you an example: the shino glaze. If you compare a bunch of shino recipes, you’ll quickly see the similarities among them. Most contemporary North American shinos are simply variations on the original Wirt shino. The vast differences in the fired qualities of shino are rooted in the choice of clay body and the application, drying, and firing of the glaze, and are not as affected by subtle variations in glaze composition. I don’t mean to imply that glaze recipes are inconsequential. Yes, of course the recipe plays a role in the final quality of the glaze. However, it’s just one player among many, and sometimes it’s not even the most important player. It’s always worth remembering that a poor recipe masterfully used will always provide a better result than a masterful recipe poorly used. How about that for a truism? [
Peter Pinnell is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. You can reach him at ppinnell1@unl.edu.
Readers Share I Glaze Recipes
Great Glazes These cone 06 raku glazes are for decorative use only and appear courtesy of Nancy Pené
No. 6 Raku Orange • Low-fire Raku Westwood Frit G 625 94.4% Westwood E 421 (Selenium) 2.8 Westwood E 436 (Cadmium 2.8 TOTAL 100.0% Selenium may be increased up to 4.7% if desired. No. 4 Red • Low-fire Raku S. Paul Ward Ferro Frit 5301 95.2% S.P.W. C810 Cadmium Red 4.8 TOTAL 100.0%
Frit 3134 Gerstley Borate EPK Silica
TOTAL
add Copper Carbonate
45.0% 40.0 8.0 7.0 100.0% 6.0%
Gary Ferguson Blue • Low-fire Raku
TOTAL
add Copper Carbonate
5.0% 70.0 10.0 10.0 5.0 100.0% 3.0%
Each formula is provided in percentage (by weight). Results vary with clay bodies and firing conditions; always test first to be sure you’re happy with the results. To mix a glaze batch to store in a 5-gallon bucket, multiply each percentage ingredient by 50 grams (for a halfbucket with room for dipping) or 100 grams (for a very full bucket). It is the responsibility of the user to have glazes tested for stability.
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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
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This summer near a Tennessee ravine known for moonshine during Prohibition, Hayne Bayless taught at Shakerag Workshops. Nick Joerling and I both took the class and watched Bayless demonstrate techniques I have never seen before. He also shared many tools he has invented. I was impressed at first, and then I succumbed to intimidation! This is the first of two columns on Bayless.
by LANA Wilson
Lana Wilson: How long have you been interested in art? When did you first use clay?
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Hayne Bayless: Successful Non-conformist
Hayne Bayless: My parents weren’t particularly artistic themselves, but they had great appreciation. My sisters and brother and I were often dragged to museums and concerts and plays. I was in my teens when something made me want to do a painting of the enormous chestnut tree in our backyard. My folks promptly bought me paints and brushes. About that time our neighbor, a wonderful artist named Marika Frank Abrams, gave me a book called The Artist in His Studio, about the working lives of some of the great 20th-Century artists: Matisse, Giacometti, Picasso, Brancusi, Klee, and dozens more. I loved that book. It introduced me to some stunning art, but more than that it made being an artist seem real to me, something that real people do.
We got the wheel repaired, I rehydrated the clay, and started making pots. The following years until graduation
I taught a small but interested group of my classmates the little I had learned from my readings, and by trial and error. The summer after graduation I joined a potters’ cooperative, Pottery Northwest in Seattle, where I learned something about what it was to be a craftsperson—but also that for a lot of people, it was possible to make a living at it. Other than lessons with a potter in Tokyo for six weeks when I was 18, and a few informal classes and workshops later on, I managed to avoid any proper academic training in ceramics. Wilson: How long did you do clay before leaping in and doing it full-time? Bayless: I had every intention to be a potter when I left high school. I wanted to do clay in college, but I didn’t want to
go to an art school. I thought it might be too limiting. When I got to college, the elective pottery classes were very popular and competition was fierce on registration day. I had a perfect record at never getting into any of them. So I ended up studying a lot of other things and had a hard time sticking with one: I majored in anthropology, switched to history, then English, then oceanography. I went to five colleges over seven years, also taking some time off in between to work for a while. I finished with a degree in journalism 13 years after I started school. I worked at a newspaper in New Haven, Connecticut, for ten years as a reporter and then editor. During that time, my interest in clay resurfaced and grew, and so did my disenchantment with journalism.
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
One of my first discoveries as a high school freshman was a neglected potter’s wheel and some dried-up clay in a corner of the art room. Something about it attracted me, perhaps because no one else seemed interested. Ceramics wasn’t the art teacher’s strong suit, but he pointed me to Leach’s A Potter’s Book. Luckily it was smaller than my textbooks and I could hide it in class while feigning interest in the class text. My grasp of the Civil War is in inverse proportion to what I learned about the evolution of kilns, Hamada, and Yanagi, or how a Cornwall pottery was run.
Dzi Teapot by Hayne Bayless. 8" tall. Handbuilt white stoneware, stretched slabs and extrusions, hinged lid. Inlaid black slip stencil, unglazed exterior. Cone 9 reduction, propane-fired in a Minnesota flat-top kiln.
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CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
Wilson: What did you like writing about as a journalist? Bayless: I most liked writing about off-beat stuff; obscure events; things that were out of the ordinary. But I didn’t always have a choice. The last four years at the paper I was Arts Editor, which was equally exciting and frustrating. This was the era when the news business was first experiencing a downturn, and things have only gotten worse since. It meant I no longer had the budget to cover the New Haven arts scene the way it should be covered, and it was immensely frustrating. But the good part was it got me thinking about quitting, which was one of the best decisions of my life. Wilson: Do you set aside time to experiment (as you obviously experiment a lot to figure out all these techniques and tools) or do you do it continuously as you work? Bayless: If I were smart, or at least organized, I would set aside time to experiment. So I end up fooling around first, and then having to set aside time to make work for shows and orders—sort of like eating dessert first. I’m trying to be more disciplined about all that, but it’s hard.
Dinner, Salad, & Dessert Plates. 11", 9", 6" square. Handbuilt stoneware; inlaid black slip stencil under copper matte glaze. Propane-fired to cone 9 in reduction.
Wilson: Do you feel being a selfsupporting potter allows you the freedom in your work that you want? Bayless: I’d have quit my job years earlier if I hadn’t worried about what depending on clay for a livelihood might do to my enjoyment of it. Turns out I didn’t need to worry. Not that there isn’t a certain amount of drudgery sometimes, but it beats working. Carl, a guy who came to fix our furnace one day, looked around my studio and at me fooling with a teapot and said, “Oh, I get it, you don’t work, you just do this.” Wilson: How did you deal with things like health insurance when you decided to quit your journalism job?
Wilson: What inspires your art work? Bayless: That was, of course, something my wife, Mara, and I mulled over a lot before I quit my job. What’s Plan B if I can’t bring in enough making pottery? What made the transition less stressful is that she was, and is, still bringing in a regular paycheck as a photographer for the newspaper. Plus her health insurance covers me—not that it’s great coverage, but it’s something. It would have been a much tougher decision otherwise. I didn’t have a Plan B.
Leaf Teapot. 10" tall. Handbuilt stoneware with hinged lid using the same decoration/ firing methods as above.
propane tank sitting at the end of my drive like a beached submarine makes me uneasy. I know I have to be there and pay attention because it makes a difference, but by then I’m on to the next thing and thinking about what I’m going to make once the firing is over and the work is shipped off. What I like most is when the clay is still soft and the slips are still liquid, and the forms are still malleable. That’s when all the possibilities are still lurking somewhere in there, waiting. [
Wilson: What parts of being a studio potter do you relish the most, and what would you love to skip? Packing for shipping doesn’t count, although I realize you might think it should.
See more images online at www. sidewaysstudio.com. Hayne Bayliss may be emailed at: hayne@sidewaysstudio.com.
Bayless: Firing is not so enjoyable for me. I don’t really like heat, I’m not a pyromaniac, and the 1,000-gallon
Columnist Lana Wilson is a passionate handbuilder whose work may be seen at www.lanawilson.com. She may be reached via e-mail at: lana@lanawilson.com.
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
Bayless: I get lots of inspiration from Shang and Zhou Dynasty ritual bronzes, Jomon-period pots, English and Colonial silver, pewter and tinware, contemporary architecture and sculpture, Andean folk music, and 1960s rhythm & blues. I think the common thread I see running through all these things is a love of form and rhythm, and a delight in disregarding limits. I try to set aside time to pore over books. I have a pretty big collection on ceramics, probably about 400 by now. Most are on museum collections of historical Asian pots. A lot of them are in Japanese or Chinese, which I don’t read, but it’s the images that are important. I usually need to grab my sketchbook while I’m looking because ideas for forms or decoration will start to bubble up. My work doesn’t look particularly old or Asian, I hope, but the thread is there.
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
I quit the newspaper in 1992 to become a full-time potter. The day after I quit, I did my first craft show in a tiny church yard in a neighboring town. By the end of the day, all I’d sold were two coffee mugs to a good friend who I suspect was motivated more by her pity than my pots.
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In Form I Teaching Techniques
Highlighting Small Handles
Details, Details! by BILL van GILDER • PHOTOS BY CHARLES HOFFACKER
Necessary Supplies • one 1-lb. ball of soft clay • a short length of 1" diameter wooden dowel • a hole cutter • a pair of wooden butter paddles • a small sponge • some water Optional: • two pieces of Masonite® board • a sawtooth tool • an old toothbrush
H
CLAYTIMES·COM n November/December 2008
ere’s a studio classroom scenario that happens frequently: You’re giving a simple demo in front of the class and because of a single question or comment from one of your students, your demo lesson takes off in another direction.
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An example: You’re teaching a collaringin technique while making four 2-lb. vase forms. The first rounded form you make is left unaltered, but the second one you make is squashed and slightly flattened when wet, between two pieces of fuzzy-sided Masonite board. The third form is also pressed with your two fuzzy boards. But it’s pressed, or pinched, at four equally spaced points around the vase to create four corners. The fourth vase is thrown tall and somewhat cylinder-shaped and, like the first, left unaltered. It’s a fairly simple demo, mostly about collaring-in a form.
1 You place your vases under the classroom heat lamps or in front of a slow-moving fan, and wait for them to stiffen enough to roll and thumb-smooth their foot edges. When they are ready,, you gather the class to demo this quick, final finishing step.
The Question But then … a certain question is posed by an observant student and your simple, organized demo becomes something else altogether! The student has noticed and announces that one of the vases you’ve just made looks similar in shape to a big, old Asian storage jar, which they had seen in a History of Ceramics book. “But the round jar I saw had three or four small handles at the shoulder, just below the rim. What’s that about?” he asks. You reply, “Those small handles or ‘lugs’ were probably put there to tie down a cloth cover as a lid over the opening of the pot. Maybe it was used for rice storage, or water?” The young potter then declares that he liked the look of them and felt that those little handles added
something visually to the finished piece. Good comment. In my case, I was glad to hear that some of my students were looking at old pots and had an interest in some of the small details they saw. And the fact that there was an expressed interest in those small details took my demo on an unexpected tangent—but a good one. If I could introduce him, and the whole class, to some ideas and techniques for creating similar small features on the vases I just made, my demo would be more informative. I continued, “OK, I’ll show you how to make an assortment of small lugs using my four vases (Fig. 1). The handles I show you may not have any function other than visual, but they’ll certainly become part of the piece and hopefully, make it a bit more interesting.”
The Lug-Handle Demos Gather the few tools listed above and, working on a clean table surface or small,
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