Eliades janfeb17pmi

In the

Service of

FOOD

by Adrienne Eliades

Wheel-To-Table Construction

My method of making explores the relationships to personal food narratives inherent in pottery form. Pottery is rooted in utility. For me, the act of making revolves around the idea of design cohesion based on a particular food evocative of the past. Designing a food-specific ceramic form for the service of my grandmother’s loukoumades (fried dough pieces drenched in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon), required reimagining the disposable, red-checkered paper food trays traditionally used to serve the confectionery treat.

Piercing visually defines form and lightens a dense material that can typically appear heavy. My various colored baskets are reminiscent of pierced metal work. The perforations mimic the checkered pattern as a technique to blend line and form through articulation. The cutouts are not only decorative, but they also provide air circulation for the treats served in them.

Beginning with 2 pounds of clay, throw a bottomless bowl (so you can shape it into an oval later) about 6½ inches in diameter, with a 2¾-inch-wide base. The form should have a continuous curve from the edge of the interior foot ring to the rim of the bowl and should be approximately ¼ inch thick, in order for the pierced structure to support the addition of the solid handles in the firing. Tip: Consistency in wall thickness is important in aiding even drying and preventing warping. Inconsistent walls will have nowhere to hide once the perforations are cut into the form. Be sure to smooth the interior and exterior with a soft flexible plastic rib to remove throwing lines and excess slip. Compress and smooth the rim with a chamois before releasing the bat from the wheelhead. Leave the form attached to the bat (1).

Next, roll out a ¼-inch-thick small slab. Compress the slab in all directions and on both sides, then leave it uncovered.

When the form has set up but is still slightly tacky to the touch, release it from the bat with a cut-off wire. With both hands, gently apply pressure on either side, manipulating the circular bowl into an oval shape. Place the bowl on the slab and trace the footprint of the foot ring inside and out (2). Carefully flip the bowl upside down, cut out the oval shape, then score, apply slip, and attach the slab to the foot ring. Cover the bowl with plastic overnight to allow the moisture level of the slab and the bowl to equalize. The next day the bowl should be flexible but firm to the touch. Use a Surform to remove the uneven edges off the slab bottom (3), and compress the join to create a seamless wall.

Cut out a half-moon shaped handle from a slab (4), then allow it to reach the same hardness as the bowl before joining it to the rim. Position the long, straight side of the handle against the bowl’s rim (5), mark the edges, then score, slip, and attach the two pieces together, working the seam for a strong joint. www.potterymaking.org | January/February 2017

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process | In the Service of Family Food | Adrienne Eliades

1 Throw a bottomless bowl on a bat, leaving the foot ring attached.

WEB EXTRA IMAGES

WEB EXTRA VIDEO

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Cut out a half-moon-shaped handle from a slab.

2 Trace the bowl’s footprint on a slab of the same thickness.

5

Sketch Twice, Cut Once Start Âź inch below the rim, setting a standard width for the grid lines. Sketch the desired size and shape of a square or rectangle for the grid (7). Pay attention to the spacing as you continue to sketch each square around the top row first. Although not an exact measuring method, this free-hand technique aids in applying a flat grid pattern to a convex curved bowl. Practice is key. Sketch slightly smaller squares on each row below, ensuring the grid between the squares is even in width.

Fill up the form with squares until the bottom row is just above the attached slab bottom. Once the grid is drawn on the form, trace each square with an X-Acto knife, slightly rounding the lines and correcting inconsistencies (8), then cut through the wall with two passes of the knife tip. While cutting, support the interior wall with two fingers in order to judge when the blade has cut through (9).

Use a surform to remove the excess clay around the base of the bowl.

6

Score and slip the slab to the bowl with firm, yet gentle pressure.

Smooth the seam to remove all texture from the surface and further compress the join (6).

January/February 2017 | www.potterymaking.org

3

Smooth the handle to match the rounded profile of the thrown rim.

Finishing Wrap the basket in a piece of lightweight dry-cleaning plastic overnight to promote slow drying. Due to its minimal material structure, the next day the form will have dried significantly despite being well wrapped. Finally, bevel the cut edges of each square to create a softer profile that matches the rim and handle (10). Let the basket air dry for two days until completely bone dry before bisque firing.

Glazing Glazing can be tricky with a delicate form. The bisqued basket can easily become oversaturated with water when glaze is applied. The best way to deal with this is to heat up the bisque-fired piece before glazing it and spray the glaze rather than dipping it. It will absorb more glaze and dry faster. Spray three coats of glaze, allowing fifteen-minute intermissions for drying in between.

Adrienne Eliades lives and maintains a studio in Vancouver, Washington. She is currently a visiting artist at the Ash Street Project in Portland, Oregon. See more of her work at www.adrienneeliades.com.

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8

Sketch the size and spacing of the squares.

Start below the rim, and decrease the size of lower rows to keep the columns even.

9

Round the traced lines slightly and correct inconsistencies before cutting out the squares using an X-Acto knife.

Cut through the line with two passes of the X-Acto knife, supporting the wall from the inside.

VAL CUSHING SOFT SATIN GLOSSY Cone 6

Cornwall Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dolomite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gerstley Borate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wollastonite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ferro Frit 3124 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EPK Kaolin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46 % 12 14 10 8 10 100 %

Add: Zircopax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 %

Colored Stain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2% Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 %

STINKY LINKY JOINING SLIP

10 Cover the bowl in plastic overnight, then bevel the cut edges.

Loukoumades (Yiayia’s Recipe)

Cone 6 Friends enjoying loukoumades and coffee using handmade pots.

Recipe

1 cup lukewarm water 1 cup lukewarm milk 15 grams active dry yeast 3¼ cups flour 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 4 tbsp butter Oil for frying Dissolve yeast in a cup of warm milk (105–115°F). Add the dry ingredients until the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter, adding water as needed. Cover and let it rise in a warm place overnight or several hours before frying. Finish warm loukoumades with a drizzle of hot honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Laguna WC-617, #16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50% White Distilled Vinegar.. . . . . . . . . . . . 50%

100 %

Firing Schedules I use a down-fire schedule for glaze firing to promote crystal growth. The Val Cushing Soft Satin Glossy glaze will go shiny when cooled too quickly.

Cone 06 Bisque Firing Schedule Ramp 1 . . . . 50 to 150 °F, 5 hour hold Ramp 2 . . . . 150 to 1100 °F Ramp 3 . . . . 208 to 1830 °F Cone 6 Glaze Firing Schedule Ramp 1 . . . . 50 to 180 °F Ramp 2 . . . . 350 to 2000 °F Ramp 3 . . . . 150 to 2210 °F, 10 minute hold Ramp 4 . . . . 500 to 1910 °F, 10 minute hold Ramp 5 . . . . 90 to 1400 °F, 10 minute hold

www.potterymaking.org | January/February 2017

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