Workshop Handbook

ceramic artsdaily.org

clay workshop handbook

knowledge and techniques for the studio Clay Workshop Handbook Knowledge and Techniques for the Studio

Welcome to your workshop! Whether you enjoy throwing, handbuilding, glaze testing or all of the above, we’ve pulled together several things for you to try out once you get back to your studio. If you’re familiar with Pottery Making Illustrated and Ceramics Monthly, then you already know they’re packed full of practi- cal information, projects, and techniques you can use. The articles in this 2015 Clay Workshop Handbook provide a sampling of some of the great content you’ll discover in each issue. In addition to our magazines, you’ll also find a wealth of information on our website www.ceramicartsdaily.org. Check out hundreds of free posts filled with tips and techniques and scores of videos providing demos from truly talented potters, as well as our magazine, book, and DVD selections. Enjoy your workshop!

Scaling It Down Liz Zlot Summerfield The size of a pot can be determined by things beyond its intended use, including one’s body size and the things you surround yourself with. Take a closer look and make a connection.

Trimming with a Chuck Mike Jabbur Tall, narrow chucks can make trimming easier because they actually fit inside the pot, saving rims from globs of smashed clay.

Inspired by Cloth and Clay Adero Willard Use a variety of techniques and tools on the same piece to add contrast and complexity—similar to sewing a patchwork quilt.

The Oribe-Inspired Decorated Jar Ben Krupka Reinvent a historical style to create surfaces that inspire you and creatively engage your forms.

The Print Duality Martina Lantin Using monoprinting and toner-resist transfer to create layers of surface decoration.

Cone 6–10 Glazes Kimberlee Joy Roth Roth shares the glazes she uses on her functional wall sculptures. Workshop Glazes Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts, Peters Valley School of Art, Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts, Ox-Bow School of Art, Northern Clay Center share some of their tried and true shop glazes.

Rhubarb Crisp Baker Sumi von Dassow Learn to make both your own baking dish and a great rhubarb crisp.

How do you journey from a drawing in your sketch book to a paper pattern? Start with a clay sketch that will become the rough draft of your pattern. Make a cylinder (either by pinching, coiling or from a slab) and attach a bottom. The cylinder should be similar in scale to the intended final piece. Draw lines on the surface of the cylinder anywhere you intend to create a seam. Cut along the lines and lay the sections out flat, creating a two- dimensional shape (1). Trace the flat clay sketch onto a malleable material, such as construction paper. Cut out the paper pattern. You now have a rough draft of your pattern. To ensure proper measurements, fold the paper pattern, as you would in making a paper snow- flake, and cut off any uneven edges. To test your pattern, roll out a slab and trace the pattern. Fold the slab to create the basic form, then take note where the pattern needs adjusting. Alter the pattern and continue the back and Lidded pitcher on brick, handbuilt earthenware, slip-trailed patterns, terra forth between clay and paper until you sigillata, underglaze, glaze, 2014. are satisfied with your pattern. Trace the pattern onto a more durable material to create a master ways work on the left-hand side of the piece. In order to accom- pattern. Paper patterns can easily be rescaled on a photocopi- plish this, you need to turn your board to orient the piece as er to create larger or smaller sizes of your original design. you cut all of the bevels. One common problem with beveling is being too tentative. The knife should cut through the clay at Rolling and Tracing an angle with the tip running along the surface of the board. Roll out a ¼-inch-thick slab large enough to fit your pattern. The following beveling instructions set the pot up in a geo- Run a rubber rib along the surface of both sides of the slab metric fashion; creating four equal sides. To begin, start from to compress the clay particles and remove any canvas texture. the top of the piece and run your knife along the edge at a Place the pattern on the slab, and first trace it with a needle 45° angle until you finish cutting one side. Repeat this step tool before cutting it out with a knife—the needle tool line on all four sides, remembering to turn the board after each creates a valley for the knife to follow. Hold the knife perpen- cut. Once you bevel the first half of all joins, flip the slab over dicular to the slab and cut in one even motion (2). and bevel the side of the seam adjacent to the first bevel. Note (with the arrows in the image) that you are always beveling on Beveling, Folding, and Shaping the opposite side of the slab (3) to create each join. The slab is ready to bevel and fold once it has lost its sticki- To prepare for folding up the sides, brush the beveled edges ness but it is still very soft to touch. To create a greater surface with slip (there is no need to score due to the wetness of the area for the slabs to connect, you will need to bevel the edges. slab). Lift two adjoining sides and begin to overlap the bev- Before you begin, here are a few simple hints to beveling. eled edges starting from the bottom of the pot (4). Gently join Hold the knife as you would a pencil and remind yourself the slabs together, working your way around all four sides of that your wrist should not be contorted or uncomfortable dur- the pot. Once the pot is standing on its own, take a rubber ing the beveling process. If you are right handed, you will al- brayer and roll the edges together to create a firm connection.

3 4 5

1 Handbuild a cylinder to make a pattern. Cut it apart to give a visual from the 3-D form to the 2-D paper pattern. 2 Trace the pattern and cut along the valley created by the needle tool with an X-Acto knife. 3 Bevel the edges to create more area for the join. Flip the slab over and do the same bevels on the sides adjacent to the first bevels on the back side of the slab. 4 Gently tack the slabs together from bottom to top all around the pot. Use a rubber brayer or rib to secure the slabs. 5 Tap all four edges between the side and bottom of the pot to create both feet and a concave bottom.

The brayer connects the seams, leaving a visible line, whereas done with a Surform. Roll a small ¼-inch slab about the a rib will smooth them together, eliminating the seam line. size of the opening of the pot. Place the pot upside down on Make these decisions based on your own personal aesthetic. the slab and trace around the opening. Remove the pot and There is no need to add coils to the inside seams due to the cut along the traced line, then soften the cut edges, taking wetness of the clay. You have now created your cylinder. Al- care not to stretch or deform the traced slab. Hold the slab low the pot to firm up to soft leather hard in order to address in the palm of your hand and rub it with your thumb or a the bottom and add volume. rib to create volume. Score and slip the pot and adhere the volumetric slab to the pot with the rubber brayer. The pot Adding Volume is now an enclosed, hollow form. Create a line where you Set the pot on a banding wheel, wet your fingers, and gently intend to cut the lid away from the pot. Insert your knife push out the inside walls. This stretches the slab and adds perpendicular to the pot and cut an even line (do not saw a curved, volumetric surface. Work around the pot until all back and forth) (7). Slowly spin the banding wheel while four sides are addressed. you cut the lid away from the pot. Rest a finger or part of To form the feet, the pot must still be at the soft leather- your hand against the banding wheel as you work to stabi- hard stage and hold its shape. If the clay is too wet when lize your hand and encourage an even cut. forming the feet, the bottom will sag, and if it is too dry it will It is appropriate to adhere the flange to the inside of the pot crack along the bottom. Using the fatty part of your thumb, when the lid and pot are no longer in danger of being distorted 1 3 gently tap between the seams on all four undersides of the pot from movement. Roll a thin slab (about ⁄8 inch thick and ⁄8 (5). This forces the bottom to become concave and simultane- inch in height) from soft clay. Score and slip the top inside rim ously creates four feet for the piece to sit on. Once the feet are of the pot. Finger tack the flange to the inside of the pot leav- formed, place the pot on a level surface and bend the feet to ing just a small overhang which will eventually catch the lid eliminate any wobbling. from sliding (8). Clean up the seam between the pot and flange If you choose to stamp into the clay surface, now is the with a rubber-tipped tool and avoid using any water on the appropriate time while the clay is a soft leather hard and can flange. Adjust the flange slightly inward with wet fingertips, so accept the texture (6). that the lid easily slips back into place on the pot. The lid will need to dry and fire on the pot to ensure a proper fit. Constructing the Lid, Flange, and Spout To create the spout pattern, start from a rounded triangle Once the pot is a stiff leather hard, you are ready to create or ice-cream cone shape. Alter the shape of the spout by the lid. Prepare the pot by leveling the rim. This is easily elongating or rounding the edges. Once the shape is cut from

9 10 11

6 Push a carved bisque stamp into the outside surface of the pot, while holding one hand on the inside of the pot. 7 At the leather-hard stage, cut the lid away from the pot holding your X-Acto knife horizontal to the pot. This should be done in one motion. 8 Finger tack a thin slab around the inside rim of the pot. The flange only needs to be slightly higher than the top of the pot to hold the lid in place. 9 Cut away clay from the pot just inside the traced line of the spout, so that there is enough surface area to attach the spout. 10 Use slip made from your clay body to decorate the exterior of the pot. The consistency of the slip along with the pressure used will determine the quality of line you create. 11 Underglaze is one solution to add color to the pot whether it is used for large blocks of color or small impact areas. the pattern, gently squeeze the slab in half to create a trough side of the pot. It is used primarily on outside surfaces as it is where the liquid will flow. Add a decorative cap by attach- not a glaze surface that seals the clay and may soak up mois- ing a small slab of clay onto the top of the spout. Mock the ture. Burnish the terra sigillata until you see a waxy sheen. spout up on the pot and make sure it is centered. Once it is In addition to terra sigillata, I apply AMACO Velvet un- placed, trace the spout and cut just inside the trace line leav- derglaze to any portion of the pot that requires color (11). ing enough clay for the spout to attach to the pot. Score and The Velvet line of underglazes are versatile because they offer slip the pot and attach the spout to the pot (9). Clean up the you the choice to leave the surface unglazed (raw and dry) or connections with a rubber-tipped tool. If you applied a deco- glazed (shiny and slick). Although underglazes may be applied rative cap, once the piece is leather hard drill a hole through at the leather-hard, bone-dry, or bisque stage, I prefer to apply the front of the spout to allow liquid to flow. them at bone dry, which leaves me the option to carve back through to reveal the clay body. Building Up the Surface After the bisque firing, clean the pot inside and out with a At leather hard, the pot is at the appropriate stage to slip lightly damp sponge. Wax the lid flange (for easier clean up) trail and add any additional decorative clay components. Slip and pour or brush a liner glaze inside the pot. Wait until the trailing with your clay body creates a subtle, raised surface surfaces are completely dry before applying any additional without a change in color. To prepare the slip, slake down glazes to the outside of the pot. To create stripes on the lid, your clay body to a yogurt-like consistency and run the pre- draw pencil lines as a guide. Apply glaze (I prefer commercial pared slip through a sieve to eliminate any large particles. glazes due to their brushability) with a small brush, and clean Practice dispensing the slip through a slip trailer on paper up any runs with an X-Acto knife before glaze firing. to make sure the line quality is what you desire. The size of the metal tip and the consistency of the slip will determine the author Liz Zlot Summerfield is a studio artist and ceramics instructor living in Bakersville, North Carolina. She exhibits her work and the quality of line (10). After the slip’s sheen has disappeared, teaches nationwide. To learn more visit www.lzspottery.com. loosely cover the pot under plastic until it becomes completely bone dry. At the bone-dry stage, brush three coats of terra sigillata onto the slip-trailed portions of the pot. The terra sigillata will This article originally appeared in the February 2015 issue thin out over the raised areas and pool in recessed areas. It is of Ceramics Monthly. Visit www.ceramicsmonthly.org to the perfect solution for textured surfaces located on the out- subscribe.

I started trimming pots on a chuck back in graduate school. A fellow graduate student, Joe Davis, introduced me to the technique. Honestly, I hated the process at first. The pot being trimmed needs to be not only centered, but also leveled. The clay has to be the perfect stage of leather hard. If it is too wet, it sticks. And if it is too dry, it pops loose. Also, the pot you are trimming is elevated off the wheel head higher than usual, so there is a different feel to it. The chuck can also leave a scar on the inside of the pot, although a little clean up with a sponge or rib after trimming easily takes care of that problem. The big catch is that the chuck must fit completely inside your pot. For some potters, making a variety of chucks may be necessary. But once you get used to the process, you won’t want to turn back. The advantages are many. You can trim pots that are not level, whether wavy-rimmed or leaning to the side. The chuck connects to the inside of the pot, which is almost always centered. You are also taking the pressure off the rim of the pot when you trim, which helps prevent cracking and damage to the edge. It is great for trimming lidded pots, because you do not have to disrupt the flange. And it makes trimming tall, narrow forms much easier. Finally, it puts an end to mashing coils of wet clay up against the rim of your pots, which often distorts the form and destroys the surface.

Making the Chuck Tumbler, 4½ in. (11 cm), wheel-thrown porcelain, glaze, fired I recommend throwing your chuck as a simple form, similar to cone 9 in oxidation, 2014. to a spout. It should have a wide, low base for stability, and a narrow neck that is flared at the rim to make attaching wet not sit correctly on the chuck. The shape of the coil I add var- clay easier (see figure 1). If necessary, trim the chuck when it ies from one pottery form to another, and sometimes I trim is leather hard to make the base of the cylinder as narrow as the coil a little between pots to improve the fit for a given possible (providing more versatility for tall, narrow forms), piece. Because of this, I always trim pots with the narrowest and trim the edge of the base to make sure that there are no opening last. You may need to add a fresh coil or re-soak the burrs or brittle edges. Dry the chuck slowly, as these forms chuck if you are trimming for several hours or working in a tend to lean to the side as they dry. After bisque-firing the drafty studio. chuck, store it in a bucket of water, because it has to be com- Center your pot on the chuck—making sure it is both cen- pletely saturated when you use it. tered and level might take some practice—and give it a little downward pressure with a subtle twisting motion. Applying Using the Chuck pressure will help your pot adhere to the chuck. Then trim Stick the chuck down to a bat as you would any other pot your pot as you normally would. Although the pot is stuck and then add a generous coil of clay to the rim (1). You can to the chuck, it is still important to apply downward pressure center this coil with water or let it stiffen to leather-hard and as you trim. trim it (2). I do a bit of both. Then air dry or blowtorch the I always begin by defining the outside diameter of the foot coil until it is leather hard. It is helpful to match the shape of ring (3). I do not trim inside the foot ring until later, which the coil to the inside shape of the pot you are trimming and allows me to push down on the bottom of the pot while I trim make sure that the widest part of the coil is also the highest. and it helps to keep the pot stuck to the chuck. I trim away If the inside edge of the coil is the highest point, your pot will all of the excess clay between the foot ring and the waist or

4 5 6

7 8

1 Center and stick the saturated, bisque-fired chuck to the wheel head with clay, then and add another coil of clay at the top. 2 Center the coil with water or let it stiffen to leather hard and trim it. 3 Place the cup onto the chuck and begin trimming by defining the outside diameter of the foot ring. 4 Trim away about 90% of the excess clay between the foot ring and the waist or belly of the pot before trimming the inside of the foot ring. 5 After trimming the inside of the foot ring, finish trimming the outside area until the rhythm and gesture compliments the throwing. 6 Use a smaller trimming tool to clear away any trimming scraps and then use a cosmetic sponge to smooth the foot. 7 Use a sponge on a stick to clean up any scars left from the chuck. 8 The finished cup after trimming. 1–8 Photos: Eliot Dudik. belly of the pot, focusing more on wall thickness than on When I am done trimming, a little twist helps the piece pop the surface of the trimmed area (4). I stop trimming outside loose from the chuck. I use a sponge on a stick to clean up the the foot ring when I am about 90% done—before doing any scar on the inside of the pot left by the chuck (7). Of course, detail work. Then I trim inside the foot ring, because these chucks are only needed for certain forms. Experiment. Solu- trimmings can easily damage the detail work outside the foot tions for pottery making are rarely one-size-fits-all. as the scraps fall. Once the foot is how I want it, I finish it by trimming the outside area (5). I like the final trim marks the author Mike Jabbur is an assistant professor of ceramics at The to have a rhythm and gesture that compliment my throwing. College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. To learn more, visit www.mikejabbur.com. Finally, I use a smaller trimming tool around the waist of the pot and the edge of the foot and clear away any trimming scraps with compressed air. I make a single pass over all the This article originally appeared in the March 2015 issue edges with a cosmetic sponge so that they retain their crisp- of Ceramics Monthly. Visit www.ceramicsmonthly.org ness but are not sharp to the touch (6). to subscribe.

A primary creative idea on my decoration map. The behind my decoration next step is to introduce the techniques is manipulat- first wax-resist element once ing real or illusory depth the underglaze is dry to the through relationships be- touch (figure 1). Here, leaf tween different textures, pat- shapes are painted onto the sur- terns, colors, and proportions. face using wax. If you haven’t Using different techniques and worked with masking, you may tools on the same piece adds to the find it helpful to think of applying contrast. Quilts are one of the many wax as preserving whatever is directly inspirations I draw from. Separate patch- underneath it, even as more underglaze is ap- es create repeating patterns that ultimately plied. The first pattern I create uses relatively large become a complete and unified form. Translated to clay and shapes, which will appear as black-on-clay-body. When the glazes, the patchwork appearance and depth comes from wax is dry, the entire surface is covered in white under- layering of underglazes and the revealing of layers through glaze (figure 2). When that layer is dry to the touch, I use a masking (using wax resist). Using underglazes gives one the dry sponge to remove the underglaze that beads up on the immediacy of working with color in painterly ways. waxed areas in order to prevent glaze defects (repeat this Platter Planning after every application of underglaze to a waxed area). A larger form like a platter allows more surface for contrasting decoration to inhabit. I create a double lip, and Creating Patterns with Sgraffito then alter the shape of the form by pulling and stretching At this point I use the X-Acto blade to retrace the lines of the edge to vary the degree to which the two conjoin. Con- my map, as the underglaze may obscure them. The next dec- sideration of how these alterations affect the character of oration I apply using sgraffito. I use the side edge of the tip the form helps inspire the mapping out of the decoration: of the blade, carving away the upper white layer to reveal which areas of decoration will be contained inside the form, the black layer beneath. In some areas, I create a vine pat- which will extend to some, but not all edges, and so on. tern, which sweeps and loops around itself and between the Using an X-Acto blade, I map out areas so contrasting pat- mapped-out areas, echoing the waved edge of the altered terns will collide, intersect, and overlap. It may be helpful to form (figure 3). I also use sgraffito to begin a pattern of make a separate sketch on paper and keep it nearby in case a contrasting geometric style in adjoining areas (figure 4 ). you lose track of the order of the layers during the applica- Note: Clear away the dust created by the carved underglaze tion of underglazes. with a dry brush; don’t clear it by blowing it away, as it’s harmful to inhale. I like to create contrasting dimension in Layers and Masking a piece by alternating between carving the positive shape of I apply a layer of black underglaze once the form is leather the vine in some areas, and carving away the negative space hard. I leave the clay body exposed in specific places based in others (figures 5 and 6).

Leaving areas bare, apply black underglaze as back- Apply white underglaze to the entire surface. Once dry, ground color. Paint shapes with wax resist to create the retrace your decoration map. first layer of pattern.

3 4

Using the side edge of an X-Acto blade, create sgraffito Create a contrasting, geometrical sgraffito pattern in decoration. The ivy pattern accentuates the platter’s ir- adjoining areas, per your map. Clear away shavings with regular edges. a dry brush.

5 6 7 In one area of the ivy pattern, use In the other areas, cross-hatch around Use a slip-trailing bottle to decorate cross-hatching to make the ivy pat- the ivy pattern to create a light-on- the bare area, contrasting delicate tern dark-on-light (positive space). dark decoration (negative space). strokes against larger bold elements.

Variations on Technique level before applying more colors of underglaze. Between the large leaf shapes preserved by the first layer of resist, I Recall that some areas had no black underneath the white add a second vine-like pattern using wax (figure 8). Over underglaze: these will show as white-on-clay-body, where the rest will show as white-over-black. (The thickness of the grid, I introduce a corresponding geometric element of the white layer determines how dark or light the resulting wax circles that accentuates the curvilinear aspects of the combination will be.) In the area with white-on-clay-body, form (figure 9). The wax also serves purely as a mask to I use a slip-trailing bottle to create decoration that is sug- preserve areas where the decoration is complete. gestive of writing without being overly literal (figure 7 ). This black design element contrasts with the larger black Expanding the Palette leaf shapes created by the initial wax application. I introduce other colors at this point; areas masked by wax will not be affected. Note: Using wax as a mask protects Second Resist Layer against the brush slipping or drips. As with the very first ap- With the sgraffito and slip-trail decoration complete, I application, use a dry sponge to remove the underglaze that ply the next wax decoration to preserve elements at this beads up on the wax after every step. The geometric area has

www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2015, Ceramic Publications Company | Clay Workshop Handbook 8 8 9 Apply a second ivy pattern with wax resist. Although The second wax pattern contrasts by its geometric na- constrained within the map, this creates the appearance ture, as well as contrasting circles against the sgraffito of endless flow. grid.

10 11 Apply yellow underglaze in the gridded areas. Remove A second wax pattern, also geometric but similar in char- any underglaze that beads up on the waxed areas with a acter to the ivy, is applied over the yellow underglaze. dry sponge.

12 13 Apply red underglaze to the second ivy area. The wax Apply a layer of white underglaze over the yellow. decoration will show through. Remove any underglaze Masking adjoining decoration with wax helps prevent that beads up on the waxed areas with a dry sponge. errors. Remove any underglaze that beads up on the waxed areas with a dry sponge. two layers of color; the first is yellow-over-white, with the scrubbing pad to sand off the flaky residue that the wax wax circles showing through the yellow (figure 10). Then, I leaves behind, then I dunk the entire piece in glaze to seal apply a third level of resist over parts of the yellow, introduc- the decoration and make the colors more vivid. I glaze fire ing a spiral that relates geometrically but contrasts in scale to cone 03 in an electric kiln. and gesture (figure 11). The organic area will have red-over- white, with the brush-applied vine showing through the red Adero Willard lives in western Massachusetts, where she is a studio potter and instructor of ceramics at Holyoke Community College. She (figure 12). Once the wax spirals dry, the white-over-yellow has shown in a number of galleries and craft shows nationally, includ- layer, with the spirals showing through the white, completes ing the Society of Arts & Crafts, Craft Boston, and the Smithsonian the geometric area (figure 13). Craft Show in Washington, DC. Two Firings The platter must be bisque fired before glazing—I bisque This article originally appeared in the September/October fire to cone 06. After the initial firing, I use a non-stick-pan 2014 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated. Visit www.potterymaking.org to subscribe.

Ben Krupka carves through wax-resist-covered slips to create a playful Oribe-inspired surface on his porcelain jar.

As a maker, I remain dedicated to the evolving conversa- Throwing tion with material, aesthetic ideals, and function. I work Start by throwing a straight-walled cylinder with the bot- within the parameters of aesthetic functionalism while tom third resembling a bowl on the interior rather than a striving to build pots that feel full of volume, look soft cylinder, which would have evenly thick walls. This will and fresh, and tell a story, while maintaining a historical give the stability necessary to slightly swell out the belly reference. The work shown here references the experimen- of the pot in the throwing stage without compromising its tal and playful feel of Oribe-style ceramics, but through a vertical, wet structural strength. It also will come into play later when trimming. contemporary lens, both in pattern and narrative themes Leave the top quarter of the pot about twice as thick as as well as in form, which is influenced by how I eat and the walls so it maintains its structure as you use downward drink. The work uses abstract cloud forms to reference an pressure to create the lid seating. intangible dream state and fuzzy communication that are After the cylinder is thrown, smoothed, and the lid seat- depicted in unframed floating spaces. Pattern is used to ing is roughly formed, begin at the top, working downward define place and divide space. to swell out the walls, creating more volume (figure 1). It’s The majority of my work begins on the wheel. I find important to begin widening the form from the top as this al- this tool to be the simplest way to connect curves and cre- lows the bottom half of the pot, which is still thick, to maintain structure and keeps the pot from getting too thin early ate not only physical volume, but also a visually suggested on, causing it to slump. Once the pot is formed, delicately rib sense of volume.

Swell out the walls from the top Use the rib to remove all throwing Form the knob prior to opening the downward. Keep the walls an even lines and refine the surface of the pot. walls of the lid. thickness.

4 5 6

Use the rib to push down the walls Center the pot so it can be used to Trim the bottom of the lid until the creating a flat lid. hold the lid while trimming. walls are evenly thick throughout. down the entire pot removing all throwing lines that would lid until the walls are an even thickness throughout (figure 6). eventually act as a visual distraction to the applied surface Flip the pot over, center it, and begin trimming. This is treatment (figure 2). Remove the pot from the wheel and al- where the distinction between physical and visual volume is low it to become leather hard. created. Because the interior of this vessel is shaped like a Next, center a substantial amount of clay as a hump. bowl, it affords the flexibility to trim heavily, exposing the This allows you to throw multiple lids more quickly in the bowl shape within. After the bulk of the trimming is com- event that one does not fit. While ignoring the majority of plete, use the metal rib as a trimming tool to remove un- clay that is already centered, focus on a portion of clay that wanted trimming lines. Sponge down the surface and use a comfortably fits in your hand, and center it as though it’s a soft rib to unify the thrown and trimmed surface (figure 7). separate entity from the remainder of the clay on the wheel. Rather than creating a hole, which one would normally do Slip Decoration when opening, form the knob in the center of the ball of It’s important to have a vision for the finished piece in or- clay (figure 3). der grasp the steps and work backward. I find it helpful After the knob is formed, throw walls around the knob to sketch my ideas on paper prior to applying slip to the and, using a stiff rib, push down and level out the top of surface of the pot. Once the pot is on the dry side of leather the lid (figure 4 ). Once you are happy with the shape of the hard, begin to apply colored slips by starting with the dark- lid, use calipers to measure the exact lid diameter and cut est color, in this case black. After allowing the black slip to it to size with a needle tool. Smooth out the cut edge, then dry, apply the next color of slip—I used AMACO Velvet remove the lid and allow it to become leather hard. Underglaze V-388 Radiant Red. Once the slips are dry, cover the entire pot with wax resist Trimming and allow it to sit overnight so the wax hardens (figure 8). Next, re-center the pot (before trimming it) so it can be used The longer you let the wax dry, the easier it will be to draw as a chuck, or holder, for trimming the lid (figure 5). Trim the clean lines.

Trim excess clay around the base. Use Apply colored slips. After the slips Use a pointed tool to draw through a soft rib to even out the trimming are dry, cover the entire pot with the wax and slip creating sgraffito surfaces. Allow it to become leather wax resist and allow the wax to lines. Avoid brushing the burrs into hard. harden. the lines.

10 11 12 Use a soft brush to remove the dry After the drawing is complete, use Sponge away what doesn’t fill the burrs of wax and clay that peel up as colored slips to fill the lines. lines before applying the next color. you draw. Incising and Inlaying (figure 12). The overlying color should wipe away easily due to the layer of protective wax resist still on the pot. Use a tool with a point that gives the line quality you desire—anything from a ballpoint pen to a needle tool will work. Another contributing factor to line quality is the Glazing After bisque firing the pot, use a damp sponge to clean the moisture content of the clay. The drier the pot, the sharper surface before applying glaze. This removes any dust that de- the line (figure 9). veloped from the wax burning off in the kiln and allows for a Throughout the drawing process, pause occasionally to consistent and clean coat of glaze. Apply areas of colored glaze, brush off the burrs of wax and clay that peel up as you draw allow them to dry, then apply a thin layer of clear glaze on top so they don’t accidentally get pushed back into your lines. Be of the entire pot. Wipe the bottom clean, allow the glaze to dry, patient and wait as long as it takes for the burrs to dry. The then fire it to temperature. drier the burrs are when you brush them away, the cleaner the line will be (figure 10). Once the drawing is complete, use colored slips to fill Ben Krupka is a ceramic artist and educator living and working in Great in the lines (figure 11). After each color is applied, sponge Barrington, Massachusetts. He teaches ceramics at Bard College at away what doesn’t adhere before applying the next color Simon’s Rock. To see more of his work, visit www.benkrupka.com.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2014 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated. Visit www.potterymaking.org to subscribe.

Martina Lantin’s cups combine monoprinting, toner-resist transfer, wax-resist glazing, and glaze trailing on thrown and altered forms. The surfaces have a rich, layered, and weathered appearance that encourages a closer look.

The ceramic surface may be activated by the imposition or Monoprinting printing of pattern, the framing of an image or the juxtaposi- Monoprinting—where an image is created on one surface, tion of colors. Throughout history, potters have sought to and then transferred to another—is likely the most direct embellish the surfaces of their vessels. Ornament can accen- print method I employ. I prefer to use clean newsprint to tuate components of the pot—whether rim, foot, or body. In generate my image, though printed newsprint will also addition, surfaces can inform us about the status or beliefs of work. The clean newsprint allows me the space to draw the the owner; they can convey a narrative, a moral, or a meta- image or pattern first in pencil or permanent marker. If ap- phor. These surfaces may be representative or abstract and plying the print to a more complex form, I make a pattern executed in a myriad of ways. of the form—cutting the paper to shape with darts to allow While a resident artist at Baltimore Clayworks, fellow for the curvatures of the piece. resident Jessica Broad was teaching a Print on Clay class The outline, drawn here using a Chinese brush and com- and invited me to join in to see her demonstrate some slip- mercial black underglaze (figure 1), is the first layer. Images based methods. The rest, as they say, is history. need to be built up in reverse, since the elements drawn onto Two direct and low-tech methods that inspired me then, the paper initially will be topmost in the printed image. and that I continue to use in various ways within my work, The outline is then filled in with colored slips. This layer are monoprinting and toner-resist transfer. There are some can also be scratched away or eroded (figure 2) to allow the points to keep in mind that will apply to both of the tech- backing layer of the white slip to be brought forward. I ap- niques. While I use these techniques with slips formulated ply the white slip last, covering the entire image (figure 3). In for earthenware, the methods are transferable across clay addition to creating a bright background, the layer of white and firing types. Similarly, the images included here show slip also helps to ensure a complete transfer of the image. the techniques executed on a flat tile surface. Both the toner The prepared print is applied to the surface of the piece, resist and monoprint adapt well to three-dimensional forms. working from one edge to the other to avoid air bubbles. In each case, the success of the print depends in part on the Use fingers or a soft rib to compress the paper, being careful moisture content of the clay being printed upon, though it not to shift or tear the page (figure 4). can be a challenge working on large-scale or very volumet- Once the paper dries—evidenced by the change in color, ric forms. Ideally, the piece will be at a soft-leather-hard pull it away, revealing the image underneath (figure 5). If consistency. For forms with large curved sections, darting any parts of the print have failed to transfer, the paper may may be required to get the pattern to fit the shape. be carefully lowered and compressed once more. While I’m

When creating a monoprint on newsprint, Apply additional layers of colored Apply a backing layer of white slip. This draw or paint the top or outline layer slip to define different sections of the slip will be visible as a background layer first using underglaze and a thin brush. image, then scratch through to create in all white or patterned areas. patterned areas.

4 5 6

Place the paper image-side down onto a Once the paper dries (the colors change Add water to the frit and Mason stain mix- tile, use a rubber rib to compress the paper as it dries), pull it away from the clay, ture until it’s a consistency that’s repelled against the clay and to ensure a transfer. revealing the transferred image. well by the toner spaces on the image. interested in the incomplete transfer possible with this tech- direct control over color that my own stain mixture provides. nique, and don’t mind the blank spaces, it can also create a Water is slowly added while blending the components together sharp and complete image. This method is flexible, because with a brush or palette knife (figure 6). The mixture may need it allows underglaze, slips, and stains to be intimately com- to be adjusted to get the right consistency that’s repelled well bined with one another. by the toner spaces of the image. An additional variable is the pressure on the brush. Working quickly and directly can be the Toner-Resist Transfer most efficient form of application. The toner-resist transfer technique requires more prepara- Loading the brush with pigment, the lines of the motif are tion, but is similarly flexible. The method depends on the traced, reloading as needed (figure 7 ). The resistant properties water-resistant property of the toner (rather than the toner’s of the toner will push the pigment away from the black areas iron content as in decal printing). It’s best to experiment with of the image, allowing a freer hand. Any stray drops can be laser printers or copiers available to determine which may picked up with a sponge or dry brush. Once the sheen has left work best. Line drawings or patterns with equal amounts of the page, the print is applied to the piece and compressed from figure and ground are suited to this technique. Using high- the center outward, or from one side to the other to avoid air contrast images with minimal large open spaces ensures that bubbles. Using a soft rib, the paper may be further compressed the black areas resist the application of pigment and the printed spaces are consistent in their color application. to ensure transfer. Should the clay be on the drier side, the The image can be generated through the use of copyright- back of the page can be dampened with a sponge and com- free imagery, or drawings made either on paper or digitally. pressed again. The paper is pulled up once it has dried (figure Many copiers have the capacity to color reverse the im- 8). It can be reapplied and recompressed if the image didn’t age (making what is the black-on-white line drawing into transfer completely. a white-on-black image). When working with text, letters The versatility of this method lies in its ability to repeat need to be mirrored in the original, as the print process will an image using multiple copies, to execute fine lines, and be be the reverse—making the text readable. applied to a three-dimensional surface. In addition, with a This technique is flexible, working well with slips, commer- quick hand, the page can be backed with a contrasting col- cial underglazes, and colorant/frit mixtures. I use a mixture of ored slip (figures 9 and 10). The two techniques detailed here two parts Mason stain to one part Ferro Frit 3124. I like the may also work in concert on the same piece.

Paint the frit and stain mixture onto the Apply the image to clay once the If desired, apply a backing slip over the white areas of your laser-printed image. sheen disappears. Compress the back, paper pattern before applying it to the Clean any stray drops with a sponge. then once the paper dries, peel it off. clay. This creates a varied background.

10 11 12 After applying the slip, place the im- After the bisque firing, apply glazes to Add additional layers over the pattern age onto the tile, compress, and peel accentuate the pattern. Here the glaze is to the bisque-fired and glazed form by the paper away. Note the image’s applied to fill between the lines. trailing accent glaze lines. added depth.

Glazing In glazing on top of existing slip decoration, I seek to continue building visible layers by adding a variety of colored glazes. Glazes are often applied to fill between the lines of the underlayer (figures 11 and 12), then covered in wax, so that the colors resist any additional glazes and maintain their integrity in the firing. Once the wax resist dries, I either pour a glaze over the tile, or for cups and larger forms, dip the form in glaze. When glazing cups, I hold them with one finger on the rim, and my thumb on the foot, then dunk the cup in at an angle, rim-side down. The tumblers feature all of the techniques described here, applied to a three-dimensional form.

Enhancing Context The finished tile showing toner resist From the moment they were introduced to me, monoprinting and toner-resist trans- with a white backing slip and added fer became ways for me to generate depth in my surfaces and insert more detailed glaze accents. narratives and pattern references to enhance the context of my work. As my famil- iarity with these techniques evolved, I became interested in the erosion of images, making them difficult to read. The incomplete transfer of an image generates a surface that evokes the age of the object. Currently I use the toner-resist transfer technique underneath a layer of white slip, further obscuring the pattern as in the plate image at left. Through these methods I seek to convey the number of times during the making process that the object has been handled. The print processes generate a surface that I hope will encourage exploration, and through that exploration, lead to a deeper This article originally appeared in relationship between user and the crafted object. the May/June 2014 issue of Pot- Martina Lantin teaches ceramics at Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont. To see more tery Making Illustrated. Visit of her work, visit www.mlceramics.com. www.potterymaking.org to subscribe.

www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2015, Ceramic Publications Company | Clay Workshop Handbook 15 Cone 6–10 Glazes Kimberlee Joy Roth shares her cone 6–10 oxidation and reduction glaze recipes for matte and shiny glazes.

1 Green Breaks Blue glaze 2 Liz White, Pink, and Green Glaze 3 Liz White with Green Glaze on rim 4 Don Swartz Yellow, Wild Rose Metallic

Green Breaks Blue (1) Green Glaze (2–3) Don Swartz’s Base (4) Cone 8–10 Oxidation or Reduction Cone 8–10 Oxidation or Reduction Cone 8–10 Oxidation or Reduction Gerstley Borate ...... 2 % Bone Ash...... 1 .00 % Bone Ash...... 1 .02 % Lithium Carbonate...... 4 Talc ...... 7 .50 Talc ...... 7 11. Whiting...... 5 Whiting...... 22 .50 Whiting...... 22 .34 Nepheline Syenite ...... 70 Custer Feldspar ...... 31 .00 Custer Feldspar ...... 31 .47 OM4 Ball Clay ...... 14 EPK Kaolin...... 12 .50 EPK Kaolin...... 12 .68 Silica ...... 5 Silica ...... 25 .50 Silica ...... 25 .38 100 % 100 .00 % 100 00. % Add: Cobalt Carbonate ...... 1 % Add: Copper Carbonate...... 4 .50 % For Yellow: Rutile ...... 2 % Copper Oxide...... 0 .25 % Add: Mason Stain #6440 . . . . . 1 .50 % Matte kelly green where thin and very shiny Bentonite...... 1 .00 % For Green: blue with crazing where thick . (This glaze is just a slight variation on Don Add: Copper Carbonate ...... 1 .50 % Liz White (2–3) Swartz’s Base and Fred Herbst’s Oribe Glaze) Copper Oxide...... 0 .75 % Cone 9–10 Oxidation or Reduction This is the green I brush or dip over Liz White on the rims of the work . For Light Blue: Dolomite...... 12 .96 % Add: Cobalt Oxide ...... 0 .20 % Lithium Carbonate...... 1 .85 Wild Rose Metallic (4) Manganese Carbonate. . . . 1 .00 % Whiting...... 14 .81 Cone 9–10 Oxidation or Reduction For Medium Blue: Custer Feldspar ...... 33 .33 Bone Ash...... 10 % EPK Kaolin...... 5 .57 Add: Cobalt Oxide ...... 0 .45 % Lithium Carbonate...... 10 Silica ...... 31 .48 Manganese Carbonate. . . . 2 .25 % Nepheline Syenite ...... 62 100 .00 % For Dark Blue: Grolleg Kaolin ...... 18 Do not eliminate lithium or the glaze will settle . Add: Cobalt Oxide ...... 1 .00 % 100 % I use 1 .85% lithium, but up to 3 .7% will work . Red Manganese Carbonate. . . . 5 .00 % Fire to cone 9 to get a satin surface . It is satin For Brown: matte at cone 8 and very glossy at cone 10 . Add: Spanish Red Iron Oxide. . . . . 10 % Great liner glaze when satin—coffee and tea Metallic Add: Red Iron Oxide ...... 2 .00 % will not stain it . In reduction, it is a bit blue . Add: Copper Carbonate...... 2 % For Violet: Pink (2) Rutile...... 5 % Add: Mason Stain #6304 . . . . . 15 .00 % Cone 6–10 Oxidation For Tangerine: Whiting ...... 20 .0 % Saint John’s Black Add: Mason Stain #6027 . . . . . 15 .00 % Ferro Frit 3134...... 14 .0 Cone 8–10 Oxidation or Reduction For Light Green: Albany Slip ...... 80 .00 % Nepheline Syenite ...... 18 .0 Add: Copper Carbonate ...... 0 .50 % OM4 Ball Clay ...... 18 .0 Nepheline Syenite ...... 20 .00 Yellow Ochre ...... 5 .00 % Silica ...... 30 .0 100 .00 % For Dark Green: 100 .0 % Add: Cobalt Carbonate...... 7 .41 % Add: Iron Chromate ...... 4 .00 % Add: Tin Oxide...... 7 .5 % At cone 9 this glaze is a very nice satin black . Cobalt Oxide ...... 0 .1695% Shiny at all temperatures, gets darker pink as You can also use cobalt oxide at 5% instead of the glaze gets thicker, white where very thin . I 7 .41% cobalt carbonate . Eliminating the cobalt I fire this to cone 9 . It has a satin surface at cone fire this to cone 9, at cone 8 it is a darker pink . carbonate or oxide results in a nice chocolate 8 . This is a good base glaze for experimenting At cone 10 it is almost white . brown glaze . with colorant additions .

This article originally appeared in the January 2015 issue of Ceramics Monthly. Visit www.ceramicsmonthly.org to subscribe.

Get ready for summer workshop season by trying out a few shop glazes used in workshop studios around the US and Canada. For more recipes from workshop venues, check out the digital edition of this issue.

Meira’s Copper Blue BvictoriaD Fat cat red Cone 10 Reduction Cone 10 Reduction Cone 6 Oxidation Barium Carbonate...... 30 % Dolomite...... 9 .0 % Gerstley Borate ...... 8 .0 % Spodumene...... 10 Talc ...... 6 .0 Talc ...... 4 0. Nepheline Syenite ...... 50 Whiting...... 6 .0 Whiting...... 21 .0 Silica ...... 10 Zinc Oxide...... 3 .0 Custer Feldspar ...... 31 .0 100 % Nepheline Syenite ...... 46 .0 Ferro Frit 3134 ...... 9 0. Silica ...... 30 .0 EPK Kaolin...... 9 0. Add: Copper Carbonate...... 4 % 100 .0 % Silica ...... 18 .0 Opaque blue green, buttery texture . Use as an 100 0. % overspray . Not food safe . Add: Cobalt Carbonate ...... 0 .4 % Rutile ...... 3 .0 % Add: Tin Oxide...... 5 .0 % Recipe and image courtesy of Meira Mathison, Ceramics Program Coodinator at Metchosin Titanium Dioxide...... 1 .0 % Chrome Oxide...... 0 .2 % International Summer School of the Arts, www. Bentonite...... 2 .0 % Recipe and image of Double Handled missa.ca. Recipe and image courtesy of Bruce Dehnert, Goddess Vase by Gabriel Kline courtesy Head of Ceramics at Peters Valley School of Art, of Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts, www.petersvalley.org. www.odysseyceramicarts.com.

Izzy’s Black Screen-Printing Slip Jacquie’s Base Deb’s Clear Cone 04–10 Oxidation and Reduction Cone 04 Oxidation Cone 04 Oxidation Cedar Heights Redart...... 700 g Gillespie Borate ...... 38 % Ferro Frit 3195...... 45 % Ferro Frit 3124...... 300 g Lithium Carbonate...... 10 Ferro Frit 3134...... 30 1000 g Nepheline Syenite ...... 5 EPK Kaolin...... 25 EPK Kaolin...... 5 100 % Add: Black Copper Oxide...... 150 g Silica ...... 42 Black Iron Oxide...... 150 g Add: Bentonite...... 3 % 100 % Cobalt Oxide...... 20 g For Deb’s Copper Green Dry-mix the ingredients then place into a ball- Add: Bentonite...... 2 % Add: Copper Carbonate...... 6 % mill to grind the slip into a fine powder over- For Jacquie’s Flasho Pink Spanish Iron Oxide...... 3 % night . Add 8 oz . of corn syrup . Add water and Add: Rutile...... 3 % Recipe and image courtesy of Dustin mix to a viscous, ink-like consistency . Tin Oxide...... 10 % Yager, Head of Education and Artist Ser- Use as you would screen-printing ink to print Recipe and image courtesy of Dustin vice Programs at Northern Clay Center, onto leather-hard clay or newsprint for a Yager, Head of Education and Artist Ser- www.northernclaycenter.org. newsprint-transfer technique . vice Programs at Northern Clay Center, Recipe and image of Ballerina Dresses Dream www.northernclaycenter.org. Clouds courtesy of Israel Davis, faculty member at Ox-Bow School of Art, www.ox-bow.org. This article originally appeared in the April 2015 issue of Ceramics Monthly. Visit www.ceramicsmonthly.org to subscribe.

1 2 3 After throwing a ring of clay, use Once the ring has stiffened, use Cut a slab to fit the bottom, score, a needle tool to cut about ½ inch your hands to shape the ring into a slip, and join both inside and out- inside the base. square or rectangle. side and add handles.

By springtime my green thumb gets really itchy. I’ve needle tool to cut a groove ½ inch or so inside the gotten my seeds and maybe I’ve been able to dig beds. base to separate it from the excess clay in the center There will be nothing to harvest yet for weeks, but of the bat (figure ).1 This creates a foot inside the ring green things are starting to come up. One of the earli- that will be used to join it to the slab that forms the est edible plants to produce a usable crop is rhubarb, bottom. and by March we may even see it pushing little pink If you want to aim for a specific size, say 8-inches fists through the earth and unfurling crumpled leaves. square, you need to do a bit of math. To turn a circle Time to start thinking about making a baking dish for into a square, start by figuring out the circumference rhubarb pies and crisps! If you begin this project as of your circle. The formula for circumference is pi soon as you see the rhubarb starting to emerge, you (3.14) × diameter—so a circle with a 10-inch diameter can have it fired and glazed in plenty of time to try has a circumference of 31.4 inches. An 8-inch square, ceramic artist Sarah Jaeger’s rhubarb crisp recipe. with four 8 inch walls, requires 32 inches total—pretty Every cook needs a square or rectangular baking close to the circumference of a 10-inch circle. A typi- 1 dish, which is perfect for lasagna and brownies since cal stoneware clay shrinks 12½%, which is ⁄8 of the you can make square servings. Crisps and crumbles total. So an 8-inch fired pot is 12½% smaller than the are scooped out of the dish with a spoon, so they don’t original. To find the original size, divide 8 by 0.875 to really need to be baked in a square dish, but it’s fun to get 9.13. make a square dish anyway. For this baking dish, you can use glazed porcelain, stoneware, or earthenware Roll the Bottom clay. After you make your clay ring, set it aside to stiffen up while you make a slab. I like to throw my slab on the Throw and Alter the Ring wheel using a couple pounds of clay—a table or a slab Make a squared baker out of two parts—a ring and a roller with work just as well. I roughly center the clay, slab. Start with about two pounds of clay and throw then flatten it across the bat with the heel of my hand. a short, wide cylinder with no bottom. Tip: You don’t need to be scrupulously careful about making sure this Assemble the Baker ring has no bottom. If you try too hard to pull all the Once both the ring and the slab are dry enough to clay across the bat, you could pull it completely off the handle, lift the ring from the bat and shape it with bat! The ring should be 2½ to 3 inches high, though your hands into a square or rectangle (figure 2). If you exact height is not critical. When you’re done, use a really want it exact, use a dividing web (you can buy

www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2015, Ceramic Publications Company | Clay Workshop Handbook 18 one or make one from directions on Ceramic Arts Daily (http://bit.ly/di- vidingweb), but I do it by eye. Place the reshaped ring on your slab and draw around the outside with a needle tool, remove it, and cut out the shape with a sharp blade. Doing this avoids marking the reshaped ring with your cutting tool. Besides, you need to score and slip both the top of the slab and the bottom of the ring to join them. Or even better, scrub both pieces with a toothbrush dipped in Magic Water, making sure to work up a good amount of slip (Make Magic Water by mixing one gallon of water with 3 tablespoons sodium silicate and 1½ teaspoons of soda ash). Place the squared-off ring back on the slab and smooth the two pieces together by working the foot you left inside the ring into the slab (figure 3). Use fingers and a rib to smooth the two parts together on the outside. It’s a good idea at this point to add some kind of handle; whether it is pulled, extruded, or cut from a slab is up to you. Handles will make it much easier to remove the baker from the oven. Allow the baker to fully dry, bisque fire it, fully cover it with food-safe glazes, and finally fire it to the recom- mended clay and glaze temperature. Check out the link under this article’s title at http://bit.ly/ovenware for more info on making ovenware.

Sumi von Dassow is an artist, instructor, and frequent contributor to Pottery Making Illus- trated. She lives in Golden, Colorado. Recipe Sarah Jaeger’s Rhubarb Crisp Fruit Topping 8–10 cups diced rhubarb ¾ cup unsalted butter (or combine with strawberries, 2 cups flour huckleberries, apple, etc ). 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup sugar ¾ cup brown sugar (more or less, to taste) 1 tablespoon cinnamon Grated zest of one orange ¹⁄³ cup nuts (slivered almonds) 2 tablespoons cornstarch pinch of salt ¹⁄³ cup cognac 1 egg

Mix the fruit, orange zest, and sugar . Dissolve the cornstarch in the cognac and add it to the fruit . In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt . Cut the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed (pea size) . Add the rolled oats and almonds . Break the egg into a small bowl, beat it lightly, then add it to the dry mixture to bind it loosely . Place the fruit in an oven-safe baker in an even layer, then spread the topping over the fruit . Bake at 350°F for approximately 50 minutes .

Sumi’s glazed rhubarb baker with Sarah Jaeger’s rhubarb crisp.