July/August 2018

Nicole Pepper’s Sgraffito Ware Garden Ollas Handmade Tools Raku Firing with Mica Working with Ash Glazes Part No. 11605F Nothing beats a Bailey!

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1 month 2015 www.ceramicsmonthly.org www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 1 5 REASONS ...for you to try a Skutt Wheel

Easy to Clean Built in Splash Pan Just twist and lift off the wheel head for full access to the splash pan.

Large 1 Piece Splash Pan Holds hours of trimmings. When you are done just pop off the wheel head and carry the whole pan, trimmings and all, to empty. Oh... and no leaks. Removable Splash Pan

Heavy Duty Construction The shaft, wheel head, base and bearing block are the thickest and heaviest you will find. This wheel was designed by a Big Pot Potter who wanted to ensure stability.

Smooth as Silk The SSX controller has an oversized capac- itor that allows it to deliver power to the wheel head in a smooth, predictable fashion when Continuous Duty Motors you step on the foot pedal. This is Our 1/3 HP motor delivers more particularly helpful when you are torque at the wheel head than the throwing at very slow speeds. competitions 1 HP motor because it is rated for industrial use. No matter Each splash pan style is available with your what anyone claims, our wheels will choice of a 1 HP, 1/2 HP or 1/3 HP motor. handle more clay. Visit us at skutt.com for more information We help you make great things! 2 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org Inside July/August 2018 Volume 21 Number 4

13 17 22 29 42

Features In the Studio Inspiration 13 The Extruded (Baking) Dish 6 Mastering Mica Update 42 In the Potter’s Kitchen by Nancy Zoller with Michael Janes by Kate and Will Jacobson Easy and Elegant 17 Minding the Corners 8 Garden Ollas Butter Dish by Ann Ruel by Nicole Pepper by Sumi von Dassow 48 22 Natural Fiber 10 One Per Day Pottery Illustrated Handmade Tools Teapot Embellishments by Angel Brame by Robin Ouellette by Teri Lee and Jim Widess 29 A Bowl of Soup by Dubhe Carreño 34 An Oxidized Bisque Firing by Steve Davis 38 Using Wood Ash in Glazes by Robin Hopper

38 On the Cover Nicole Pepper's blue-and-white sgraffito ware. Photo: Chandra Sandoval.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 3 editor’s note

Volume 21 • Number 4

Executive Director Charles Spahr Tool Top 10 Publisher Bill Janeri Editorial Industrious and creative individuals take tool use very seriously. However, ceramic Editor Holly Goring Associate Editor Jessica Knapp artists invest significant amounts of time in designing and creating purposeful tools, Associate Editor Forrest Sincoff Gard turning them into permanent, valued possessions. Our tools range from mass-pro- Editorial Assistant Kaitlynne Phillips Editorial Support Emily Arbogast duced sponges to DIY hacks on everyday objects, to treasured, but useful, artifacts we [email protected] Telephone: 614-794-5869 have found or have been gifted over the course of our careers. Each one of them is a Senior Graphic Designer Melissa Bury valuable asset that plays an important role in each object we make. Production Artist Kerry Burgdorfer Why do we love tools so much? Not only are they functional and full of potential, but Audience Development Manager Sandy Moening they’re also nice to look at, especially when they become well-worn. And, beautiful and Advertising/Classifieds National Sales Director Mona Thiel useful objects are our business. I find that no matter how many tools I have and insist on Telephone: 614-794-5834 Advertising Services Pam Wilson buying (aka collecting) there are a few that I gravitate toward more than others. Of the [email protected] over 100 tools in my little red tool box, the ones below are my favorites for both practical Telephone: 614-794-5826 Subscriptions and sentimental reasons. Clockwise from top left: 1) circle cutter used by my mom and www.potterymaking.org her mom before her (not sure this is how she intended me to use it); 2) baker’s bench Customer Service: 800-340-6532 [email protected] scraper used by my dad, a baker for over 30 years; 3) soft red rubber rib, hands down the Editorial and Advertising offices 550 Polaris Pkwy., Suite 510 best tool I own; 4) curved Surform; 5) metal cutter from a cling-wrap box; 6) fat handled Westerville, OH 43082 USA X-Acto knife; 7) fork with thick tines; 8) rubber-tipped tool; 9) dental tools; 10) decora- www.potterymaking.org tive needle tool with a protective cap on one end and a loop on the other so it can be Pottery Making Illustrated (ISSN 1096-830X) is published worn around the neck and never lost. While I’m sure I could create work without these bimonthly by The American Ceramic Society, 550 Polaris Pkwy., Suite 510, Westerville, OH 43082. Periodical post- tools, I’m not sure I would want to. They make the experience both easier and enjoyable age paid at Westerville, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. as I reach for each tool knowing exactly what it can do and in some cases, remembering GST#:RT0001; BN: 12399 4618. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not who gifted it to me. necessarily represent those of the editors or The American In this issue, tools are the key to better work; whether that means the object made or Ceramic Society. Subscription rates: 6 issues (1 yr) $24.99, 12 issues the act of making. Nancy Zoller was given a homemade extruder die to help her create (2 yr) $43.94, 18 issues (3 yr) $59.91. In Canada: 6 issues (1 yr) US$32.79, 12 issues (2 yr) US$53.94, 18 issues (3 yr) baking dishes; Sumi von Dassow throws an invaluable device to help water the garden; US$74.91 [plus all applicable GST and PST]. International: 6 issues (1 yr) US$39.99, 12 issues (2 yr) US$70, 18 issues (3 yr) Steve Davis gets technical about kilns—a tool we all US$100. All payments must be in US$ and drawn on a U.S. want to use more efficiently; and Robin Ouellette re- bank. Allow 6–8 weeks for delivery. Change of address: Visit www.potterymaking.org to draws Lili Krakowski’s homemade gadgets that every- change your address, or call our Customer Service toll-free at one can make on their own with scraps from the studio. 800-340-6532. Allow six weeks advance notice. Back issues: When available, back issues are $6 each, plus I imagine these tools are on each of the author’s own Holly Goring $3 shipping/handling; $8 for expedited shipping (UPS 2-day top ten list. What’s on your list? Editor air); and $6 for shipping outside North America. Allow 4–6 weeks for delivery. Call 800-340-6532 to order. Contributors: Writing and photographic guidelines are available on the website. Mail manuscripts and visual materi- 2 als to the editorial offices. 1 Photocopies: Permission to photocopy for personal or inter- nal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, 3 ISSN 1096-830X, provided the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Dr., Dan- vers, MA 01923; 978-750-8400; www.copyright.com. Prior to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This consent does not extend to copying items for general distribution, for advertising or promotional purposes, or to re- publishing items in whole or in part in any work and in any for- 10 mat. Please direct republication or special copying permission requests to The American Ceramic Society, 550 Polaris Pkwy., Suite 510, Westerville, OH 43082. Postmaster: Send address changes to Pottery Making Illustrated, PO Box 8556, Big Sandy, TX 75755-9799. Form 9 4 3579 requested. 6

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7 5 Copyright © 2018 The American Ceramic Society

Photo: Forrest Sincoff Gard. Forrest Photo: All rights reserved

4 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org Cosmic Tea Dust Cosmic Tea on Yellow on Ir glazes CONE 5/6

Ancient Copper for a reduction look a reduction for in five Sapphire Float venturine A

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 5 in the studio | raku surfaces Mastering Mica Update by Kate and Will Jacobson

Recent collaborations by people using mica with raku and other The selective micas will color shift. Some are red or blue when bare-clay techniques have produced some noteworthy results. looked at from one direction and then shift to green or yellow While the first discovery of the use of mica in clay came from when looked at from another direction. They come in all differ- a natural curiosity, these new works are the result of shared ent kinds of color combinations. methods and ideas. When using these smooth micas in terra sigillata, it’s impor- Reflective or regular micas were addressed in the March/ tant to start with a very refined terra sigillata. Shake up your April 2013 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated. This new update terra sigillata very well and let it rest overnight. Then use only is about the use of interference and selective types of mica. No the top 25% to mix with the micas. Start with 6–8 grams of longer are potters limited to a black crackle on a white or a mica per cup of terra sigillata. You can increase that amount up colored background. Now with the use of these two types of to 12 grams, depending upon the size of the mica particles. For mica, crackle patterns of all colors are available. These micas the mesh size, 10–60 microns is a good range to go with—that only show their true colors when placed on a dark or black is more or less the standard range for smooth mica powders. background. That’s good news for raku potters, since we know The sparkle and glitter micas are much larger in size and how to trap carbon on our pots, creating dark or black areas. don’t work that well in terra sigillata, but work well when mixed These micas work well with naked raku, horse hair, and saggar with sodium silicate and then applied to the surface of pots. techniques, as well as the sodium-silicate crackle method. Mica and the Sodium Silicate Raku Technique Interference and Selective Mica Sodium silicate can be applied to the exterior of pots, hardened Interference micas are always a single color. They come as a quickly using a heat gun, then (because only the exterior is hard- white powder with very little, if any, hint of their color poten- ened) the piece can be expanded from the inside, and the surface tial. You can easily color test them by rubbing a small amount of the piece will break into a crackle pattern. The idea of using on a black surface. That will show their approximate fired color. mica in the sodium-silicate raku technique was given to us by

David Hodapp’s vessel, 14 in. (36 cm) in height, Indu Rose Shift Red Hook, 10 in. (cm) in height, Hilite violet mica-infused terra mica, sodium-silicate method. sigillata, fired in a horsehair reduction.

6 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 15 grams of mica (regular or interfer- a nice sample to start with. For the color ence types) per cup of sodium silicate. shift micas, they have the Shift Collection. For ¼ cup of sodium silicate, use 2½ We highly recommend the book, Na- teaspoons of mica. These pots can then ked Raku and Related Bare Clay Tech- be bisque fired to cone 017–015. Then, niques, edited by Eduardo Lazo, and pub- heat them to 1450°F (788°C) and reduce. lished by The American Ceramic Society Try reducing for 90 seconds and adjust (in which we contributed a chapter) as an accordingly. Remove the pots from the excellent source of further information. reduction chamber and let them cool.” Kate and Will Jacobson have been collaborating Mica Sources artists for 40 years. They are widely recognized as early originators of naked raku. Their studio We buy most of our micas from TKB is on the Big Island of Hawaii and they will be Trading (https://tkbtrading.com). They teaching workshops in Italy and New Zealand offer an interference Basic 7 package and in the Summer of 2018. To see more or learn the interference Extra 6 collection to get more visit www.JacobsonArtStudio.com.

The TnF-27-3 comes with a heavy duty rolling Splendid, 12 in. (30 cm) in height, Hilite stand and locking red mica-infused terra sigillata, naked casters. Dry raku fired. greenware on the Why limit yourself lower shelf during to the standard firing. Speed blue kiln? At no production by extra charge, pre-drying your choose jade, navy, ware. hot pink, turquoise, berry, black or purple paint. Have the most colorful kiln in your district! The short, easy to load Paragon TnF-27-3 For teachers who have difficulty within easy reach. Operate it from a loading a studio kiln, Paragon has an comfortable position. answer: the TnF-27-3. This studio You will marvel at the heat unifor- kiln is as short as a hobby kiln. Yet the Vase, 16 in. (41 cm) in height, mica- mity in the TnF-27-3. Elements are infused sodium silicate. There are at least 12-sided interior is a massive 8.11 cu- tuned to pour extra heat into the top 7 different micas applied both pre and bic feet, slightly larger than a typical and bottom. A full-formed galva- post firing. 10-sided 29” deep studio kiln. nized steel plate supports the 3” brick Paragon’s LiteLid spring coun- bottom. The stand has a solid top David Hodapp. He attended a workshop ter-balance reduces lid weight to sev- that fully supports the kiln bottom. we gave and we asked him to collaborate eral pounds of pressure. The LiteLid The TnF-27-3 uses 3” thick fire- prolongs sidewall brick life by elimi- with us on using the new interference mi- brick throughout instead of the stan- nating wall flex. cas in naked raku. He subsequently tried dard 2 ½”. combining the micas with sodium sili- The top row of brick is 2” high and For more details on the exciting cate, then applying that to the pots before without element grooves. It is less TnF-27-3, see your nearest Paragon susceptible to damage during loading drying the exteriors and expanding the dealer. Or call for a free catalog. than a grooved brick. pots to create a crackle pattern. Constantly finding better Based on his experience, he has this Hinged at the bottom, the switch ways to make kilns. advice: “Mica in sodium silicate needs to box opens forward. A folding support be used quickly after mixing, so prepare arm holds the box open for easier 2011 South Town East Blvd. maintenance. small batches, and if you’re going to use Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 it on several pots, cover it well between The Sentry digital controller is 800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557 mounted at the top of the switch box www.paragonweb.com applications. It generally doesn’t store [email protected] overnight. Start with approximately

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 7 in the studio | garden pots Garden Ollas by Sumi von Dassow

As pottery and cooking go hand-in-hand, so too do cooking and gardening. Potters know the pleasure of cooking and serv- ing from hand-made dishes designed especially for homemade recipes; and every cook knows the sweetest peas and corn are those that are harvested fresh from the garden moments before they are to be eaten. To complete the triangle and bring pot- tery into the garden, you can make ollas to keep your thirsti- est vegetable plants healthy and productive through the hottest summer weather. An olla (pronounced oya) is an unglazed bottle made from porous clay. Filled with water and buried next to a garden plant, the olla allows water to seep slowly into the soil to be drawn up by the roots as needed. Tomatoes growing with an olla suffer less from cultural problems such as blossom-end-rot as they re- ceive a steady supply of water. Cucumbers are less likely to grow bitter in hot weather. Pumpkins and squash can grow big and plump without splitting their skins. Ollas keep the soil from dry-

1 2 3 Throw a wide, sturdy bowl. Cut the rim Throw a second bowl to the same rim Join the two sections together. Then, at a downward angle toward the inside, diameter. Open it up all the way to the widen the opening to fit your hand and and measure with calipers. bat. Trim the angle of the rim upward. join the inside seam.

4 5 6 Create a neck by alternately pulling and Trim what you can from the base and Bury the olla up to its neck in the soil. collaring. You want the neck to be at least refine the form as needed. Bisque fire Plant seedlings a few inches away from 3 inches tall and 1½ inches in diameter. the pot. the neck of the olla.

8 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 7 8 9 To use an olla in a container, bury it up to Sprinkle seeds around the buried olla. Mulch, water, and fill the olla. Water daily the neck in potting soil right in the center Avoid plants that grow large roots. Use a until the seeds sprout. After that, you can of the container. ball to cover the opening. just keep the olla filled.

ing out but never contribute to overwatering—if the soil is moist There will be a thick collar of clay where the pot was stuck enough, water doesn’t seep out of the porous clay. As long as you to the bat. Use this clay to form a tall, narrow neck. First you keep the olla full, the plants always have exactly as much water need to make the opening large enough to get your hand inside as they want. to smooth the area where you joined the two sections (3). Next, For most purposes, a fairly large olla is desirable so you don’t pull up the neck and collar it in until it’s about three inches tall have to fill it too often. You want a nice round bottle with a long, and the opening is 1½ inches or so in diameter (4). narrow neck so you can bury it fairly deep and leave the neck You shouldn’t have a lot of clay to trim from around the foot, sticking out of the ground for easy filling. You can throw a bottle but if you feel it’s heavier than it needs to be, trim it with a trim- from 6 or so pounds of clay, trimming the excess from the foot ming knife (5) or turn it over in a chuck to trim. You don’t need as needed. Or, you can make a bigger bottle with less clay if you a foot on the bottom—in fact the bottom doesn’t even need to throw it in two sections. be flat—but you shouldn’t leave it too heavy. Water will pass Two-Section Bottle through it more quickly if it’s not too thick. Bisque fire the pot. Start with 3 or 4 pounds of clay and throw a sturdy bowl on a Putting Your Olla to Use bat. This will be the bottom section of the bottle, so don’t make I use ollas in several different ways in the garden. Big, thirsty it too delicate. When you cut the rim, bevel it so it angles down plants, such as pumpkins, that need to be planted 2–3 feet apart toward the inside of the bowl, then measure the outside of the get one olla apiece (6). Plants like tomatoes and cucumbers rim with calipers (1). do fine with one olla between every pair of plants. For small With an equal amount of clay, throw a second bowl (this will vegetables, such as scallions and lettuce, you can try planting a be the top section), but open it all the way down to the bat, mak- ring of seeds around an olla. If you have an irrigation system or ing an opening big enough to get a few fingers inside and leav- soaker hoses, the ollas will keep soil moisture levels more con- ing a generous amount of clay at the base. Measure the rim with sistent and reduce the need for watering. If you rely on sprin- calipers to make sure it matches the rim diameter of the first klers to water your garden, the ollas may be sufficient for most bowl, and bevel it in the opposite direction. This means it needs of your water needs, requiring you to supplement with a sprin- to angle down toward the outside of the rim. With the two cuts kler only when the weather is extremely hot and dry. angled in opposite directions, they will fit together perfectly and Ollas are especially useful in container gardening (7–9), whether make a more secure joint than two flat cuts. Don’t wire under you are growing tomatoes, flowers, or perhaps sweet basil. Contain- either piece. ers require constant vigilance in a hot summer to keep plants from Allow the base bowl to stiffen slightly, so it can support the drying out and an olla can cut a twice-daily watering chore down to weight of the second section. Put the bat with the bottom bowl once a day or even every other day. If you’re thinking you’ll just end back on the wheel and pick up the bat with the second section. up filling the olla every day, don’t worry. The ollas I make hold one Flip it upside down, holding it by the bat so it stays perfectly to two quarts of water, and I find I don’t have to fill them more often round, and set it on the first section rim to rim, matching them than once a week, even when the weather is hot and dry. up exactly (2). Use your fingers and then a stiff rib to smooth the Sumi von Dassow is an artist, instructor, and regular contributor to Pot- two pieces together. Cut the top section free from the bat by run- tery Making Illustrated. She lives in Golden, Colorado. Check out Sumi’s ning your needle tool under the edge as far as it will go, then cut book, In the Potter’s Kitchen, available in the Ceramic Arts Network it the rest of the way with a wire. Remove the bat. Shop, http://ceramicartsnetwork.org/store/in-the-potters-kitchen.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 9 in the studio | idea generation One Per Day by Angel Brame

As an artist, there is always that hunt for the next project, challenge, discovery, or grand era to have a daily digital diary as well. I idea. In 2016, I found myself searching. Having completed a solo exhibit and a large piece gathered rubber stamps to number each for an exhibition at the annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts piece as soon as it was built. (NCECA) conference, I began to consider what I could do next to push myself with clay. Functional, production pottery is my bread and butter, but I needed an exciting challenge. Critical Exploration I stumbled across a fellow potter, Rebecca Ziemer, who was working on a project to The first month’s pieces were a series make one small clay piece every day, for one year. She was creating an animal or crit- made by putting together the body parts ter full of personality, attitude, and life every single day. It was intriguing to watch her from the damp boxes into various pour- journey as the days passed and witness what she was learning along the way. able items. This exploration was critical. It forced me to make things I had not at- A New Project tempted before or had not done in that While not wanting to copy her project completely, I considered a variation on her chal- small a scale: watering cans, oil cans, lenge. I had decided to create a teapot every day in 2017. After careful thought, I knew gas cans, and the obvious, teapots. I also I needed additional parameters or I would quickly suffer boredom or burnout. I settled began to pay attention to my surround- upon each piece being able to pour and take up less than six cubic inches. Each piece ings differently. What did I use or see on would be made using a combination of wheel-throwing and handbuilding techniques. a regular basis that poured and could be I began the process on December 31, 2016 by filling one damp box with blank pieces, translated into a clay vessel? The possibili- or, body parts, as I sarcastically referred to them, and a second damp box with spouts. ties quickly began to open up. I purchased a sketch book to document my progress and a chalkboard to quickly work The first month was also a starting point out shapes and details. Knowing that this project was going to be lengthy, I knew being for figuring out how organized I was going organized was crucial. I set up a backdrop and lighting along with my studio cam- to have to remain for an entire year to keep track of my progress with the project. Each piece had a sketch in the book, a sketch on the chalkboard (1, 3), and an image taken at the greenware and fired staged (2), plus an image of the chalkboard sketch. Complete information—regarding firing method, glaze combinations, dimensions, and additional notes—was recorded by each sketch. Starting the process fully or- ganized helped me further down the road 1 2 with proposal information and setting up This was the initial Surf and Turf chalk- Surf and Turf, 4½ in. (11 cm) in height, a separate Facebook page dedicated to this board sketch for days 58 and 59. Sketch- wheel-thrown and altered porcelain, fired project. Any future exhibits would need book notes were also taken for each piece. to cone 6 in oxidation. detailed inventory lists as well. Learning Exponentially The bits and pieces I discovered in January allowed me to progress and learn exponen- tially. By forcing myself to set aside time every day, I learned how to create quickly. A heat gun was my new best friend. There were days of having a complete plan in 3 4 place and days of letting the clay lead the This was the initial chalkboard sketch for #103/104, 5½ in. (14 cm) in height, way. If I wanted a long spout on an oil can, days 103 and 104. Once the piece was wheel-thrown and altered porcelain, I had to figure out how to do it. If I wanted complete a photo was taken of it. fired to cone 6 in oxidation. the lid to be on a hinge, I had to figure that

10 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 5 This was the first of three exhibits displaying all 365 One Per Day pieces at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, Missouri. Photo: Valerie Clairday. out, too. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. This proj- In December, a fellow potter asked me what I had learned from ect became an opportunity to try anything and everything. this project. I was not prepared for that question. The long an- As completed pieces cycled out of firings, it was time to write swer is that I learned a tremendous amount. Long spouts can be exhibit proposals and find appropriate venues for submission. made with bamboo skewers and lugs of clay. There is no handle This was another learning opportunity for me, never having writ- too small to pull properly. Anything can be made to pour with the ten anything of that magnitude. I gathered images and details of proper spout, including a snow globe. There is no reason why tea- completed pieces, created a document with my vision for a project pots can’t have wheels, wings, or legs. They can also hang and re- that wouldn’t be completed for months, and collected a list of ap- semble blimps or hot air balloons. I learned how to saggar fire and propriate galleries. I dusted off my curriculum vitae and wrote an use gold luster. I learned how to manage my time on a scale much artist statement specific to the project. As an artist, I love creating. grander than just getting enough inventory for the next show. My time is best spent in front of my wheel and elbow deep in clay. As this was my project, I followed my own rules. It was perfectly By deciding to create 365 pieces, I was also inadvertently decid- acceptable to steal the wheels off of my son’s Hot Wheels cars for the ing to show them. I have never been a fan of self-promotion, but pull-toy teapot (4). If I wasn’t happy with a piece after a glaze firing, it was going to be a necessity in this case. Proposals sent started a I ran it through as many times as it took to get the results I wanted. waiting game for letters of acceptance (5) and rejection. I also learned that planning and organization won’t stop acci- Throughout the course of the year, I chose to do a few themes dents from happening, kilns from misfiring, glazes from running, and series of shapes. February’s theme was “And,” which incor- and frustration to set in. In the beginning, pieces that failed—like porated an automatic “and” in the title. For example, two poison spouts closing up with glaze or lids sticking—were a great source of bottles were titled, Romeo and Juliet. March explored specific stress. Over time, I realized that both the failures and the successes shapes: simple cylinders, hollow balls, and altered pitchers, tak- were valuable learning experiences. Each piece was still created as ing at least a week’s worth of pieces per exploration. In June, I part of a huge challenge and ending up with 365 pieces that were worked on expanding upon the piece from the day before, and 100% successful was an unrealistic expectation. It is, after all, clay. this lasted well into August. October took on a spooky theme The short answer to her question was simple: I learned how while December was full of classic toys. to get out of my own way. I had no way of knowing that tak- Small Decisions, Big Impact ing on the outrageous challenge of making 365 pots in 365 days would turn in to fearless discovery. I learned not to let my lack Regardless of the day or month, each piece filled me with a of skill stop me from making something happen. I had a wealth sense of accomplishment. Some days were easier than others. of knowledge at my fingertips, fellow potters all around me with Some days, I walked away from the piece with minimal enthu- unlimited encouragement, years of my own education and ex- siasm. Yes, the piece was done, but no, I was not excited about perience, and a stubborn determination to see the whole thing it. Some days, the excitement was uncontainable. Some pieces through. If it didn’t work the first time, I tried again. Just because were created almost effortlessly and some drove me crazy. I be- I hadn’t done it before, didn’t mean I was incapable. The piece came rather good at problem solving from a spatial perspec- made on January 1st is nothing like the one made on December tive and from a finishing perspective. How do I translate the 31st, and wasn’t that the point? two-dimensional sketch into a three-dimensional form, and is it best constructed from wheel-thrown shapes or slabs or both? Angel Brame has a BA from Missouri Southern State University and has How do I get clay to look like wood or metal? What is the best been working in clay for 13 years. She exhibits in multiple galleries across the way to adhere additional details to pieces after glaze firing? My state as well as online. To see more visit www.dragonfliesandmudpottery.com year was a long series of small decisions with a big impact. or www.etsy.com/shop/dragonfliesandmud.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 11 42

Silicon Carbide Kiln Shelves Custom Manabigama Kiln Refractory Packages

12 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org THE EXTRUDED

(Baking) Dishby Nancy Zoller with Michael Janes

A few years ago my friend Michael Janes—a­ fellow clay artist and Essential Tool Kit volunteer instructor in my Loveland, Colorado, clay program— The most essential tools in my studio are my hands. The two walked into class and casually handed me an extruder die. He most used pieces of equipment for my handbuilt pieces, though, had made two of them (his own design), one for me and one as are my Scott Creek extruder and my Brent slab roller. a gift to the classroom (1, 2). This particular homemade die can, of course, be used for anything but I use it to create the beautiful Creating New Extruder Dies sides of baking dishes and planters (like the one shown below). When creating your own extruder dies, consider using the fol- One of my favorite things about the design of this extruder die lowing materials: ½-inch plywood, ¼-inch plastic cutting board, is the beautifully thick top edge as well as the inside edge at the or ⅛-inch aluminum sheet. An aluminum die is the most effi- bottom (see 1). This beveled-edge design makes it unnecessary to cient—I have tried them all. Some extruder companies offer add a coil to the bottom inside of the baking dish as would other- blank dies. wise be necessary. The die shape is designed so that the extra clay Draw your desired pattern on the blank die with a permanent is incorporated into the extrusion, making the attachment to the marker. Be sure the die cutouts are consistent, and that the cross slab bottom easy and efficient. It also makes the bottom inside section is about ¼-inch thick (the walls of a proficient vessel are edge smooth and more food friendly. generally ¼ inch thick). Any inconsistency will, if too thin, cre-

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 13 ate a weak spot, and if too thick, make the consideration your clay body’s shrinkage. My template is 10×14 inches. Since my B- baking dish too heavy. To cut the die, drill Mix clay body has a shrinkage rate of 20%, this means the finished pieces are 8½ × 12 a ¼-inch hole through one of your pat- × 2½ inches. The buff clay I use shrinks a bit less. tern lines. Then, continue to cut out the Roll out a ¼-inch thick slab, place the template on the slab, then cut it out, making a design using a 6-inch jewelers saw with straight cut for the base of the baking dish. When attaching it to the sides, you’ll use the ex- a #5/0-sized saw blade. Be sure to leave tra clay to strengthen the attachment. Next, extrude the pieces for the sides of the dish. For ¾ inch of blank space around the die edge, this large baking dish, extrude two pieces that will be joined together. Each of my extruded as the barrel cap covers this section. Once pieces are 26 inches long. Allow them to stiffen up for 15–20 minutes before assembling. the die is cut, there is no need to sand any It should be flexible, but easier to handle without stretching or distorting the extrusion. of the edges as they need to be square for Score and slip the base slab around the outer perimeter before attaching the extruded optimum extruding. sides. Score and slip the bottom of the extruded sides. Place the extruded sides at least Extruding a Baking Dish ¼–½ inch inside the outer edge of the base slab (4). Make a beveled cut on the side edges of the extruded walls where they will be joined together, join them (5), then add a small Cut a template out of tag board (or simi- coil to the join to reinforce it (6). lar stiff material) to the size you want the baking-dish bottom to be (3). Take into A Perfect Incorporation Baking dishes can be tricky; the joined edge between the bottom and the wall needs to Inside wall be very secure to withstand repeated use in the oven. Use a red flexible rubber rib and sponge to smooth and secure the inside edge of the extruded walls to the bottom slab (7). Next, I use my custom, bevel-cut kitchen knife (see image 3, above extruder dies) to join the outside edge of the bottom slab to the outer walls by pushing clay from the bottom

Bottom inside wall Top rim

4½ inch-diameter 1 aluminum disk Aluminum extruder die sized to fit in the barrel cap of a 4 in. (10 cm) barrel.

3 Tools to make an extruded baking dish, clockwise from left: Template for a baking dish bottom (10x14 in.), metal rib, soft and firm rubber ribs, wooden Dirty Girls foot-finishing rib, pin tool, custom beveled knife, aluminum die, and a die made from a cutting board.

2 4 5 Clay extruded using the baking-dish die. Score and apply slip to the bottom slab Cut a beveled edge on both joining For the baking dish, you will need two ex- and wall pieces before attaching. Place pieces of the wall, score, and add slip trusions that are 26 in. (66 cm) in length. walls ¼ inch in from the edge of the slab. before attaching together.

14 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 6 7 8 Add a small, soft coil of clay to the joined Smooth the inside edge of the wall so Use an angled knife tool or a firm rubber pieces, then blend them in to strengthen that it joins securely and transitions well rib to push the outside edge of the slab and secure the attachment points. to the bottom slab. up onto the wall. Round the outer edge.

9

Handles can be made from leftover ex- 12 truded pieces for a consistent design. The completed baking dish. The dish should be assembled on a piece of can- vas or newsprint, or placed on one for drying so that the bottom can shrink and move without causing cracking. Once the dish is complete, cover it with plastic and let it dry slowly for several days before bisque firing. 10 11 Play with stamping textures on the ends Textures added with an MKM large roller or faces of the handles. stamp to top edge of dish and handles.

slab up onto the side walls (8). The final step is to use a wooden foot rib (see image 3) to make a nice rounded bead finish at the bottom of the dish. The Little Bits Any leftover pieces of extruded clay are perfect for making the han- dles, and bringing in design continuity. Add the handles and play with textures on the dish’s rim as well as the handles (9–11). Once the baking dish is complete (12), cover in plastic and dry it slowly over the course of several days, turning it over and smoothing the bottom once it reaches leather hard. More Design Options This extruder design can be used to make any number of pieces, including planters, napkin holders, square-cornered baking dishes, butter dishes, and handles for other vessels and test tiles. Thanks to my friend Michael, this extruder die has become invaluable in my clay making life. Ev- eryone needs a baking dish! Nancy Zoller has been a professional potter and teacher for 40 years. She lives and works in Loveland, Colorado. Three baking dishes, white stoneware, buff clay, fired to 2350°F To see more, check out www.nancyzollerpottery.com. (1288°C) in reduction. Photo: Jafe Parsons.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 15 USA

MADEby Makers for Makers

artist Takuro Shibata using the black platter rib

16 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org by Nicole Pepper

It’s all about the clay: how it feels in your hands, on your fin- was an assuredness as he went about his process and I could see gertips; how it can be shaped and decorated into useful, beauti- his passion for what he was making come through. ful objects. Timing is crucial when working with clay. The many That was 20 years ago; life happened, and now I’m back into clay stages of drying clay give us opportunities to manipulate and and the sgraffito process. As my loop tool carved through the clay, form the visions we hold. In this article, I hope to share with you I was immediately hooked again by the feeling, and by seeing the what I have come to learn about the sgraffito technique and how curls of clay lifting up and an image come through. Sgraffito is ad- important timing is to the process. dictive to say the least. Sgraffito, an Italian word meaning to scratch, is a form of decoration made by carving through a slip or underglaze sur- Creating the Right Form for Sgraffito face on leather-hard clay to reveal the contrasting color of The best clay body for use with sgraffito is ideally a smooth one, the clay body. This technique has been used by many cultures because it is easier to carve through. If the clay has a lot of grog, throughout history by not only the Italians, but also the Ger- your tools will catch on those pieces of fired clay and sand and will mans, Austrians, and Spanish. cause your tool to jump, creating jagged and inconsistent lines. While I find that a dark clay with a white slip is beautiful, I use New Opportunities, Changes Over Time a mid-range white stoneware. It’s a versatile clay body that I can After graduating with my BFA, I discovered the Kirkland Arts throw, handbuild, and carve. I like the off-white color after it’s Center in Kirkland, Washington, and instructor Larry Halvors- glazed and fired because it contrasts well with the dark slip so my en while looking for a studio space. I immediately connected marks can be seen. with Halvorsen’s work. A sgraffito master, his work reflects na- Forms with smooth, even surfaces are the easiest to sgraffito; ture in both the forms and the sgraffito patterns on his surfaces, however, I have sgraffitoed hand-pinched forms and have discov- giving the viewer a sense of rhythm and movement. After some ered that uneven surfaces add interest to the sgraffito technique. time taking his class, he offered me a job working for him at his studio. Making Slip I spent hours observing the way he cut through the clay with I make the slip I use; however, you can use commercial un- confidence, leaving marks and patterns that fit his forms. There derglazes with great success. Making slip requires adding dried

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 17 process | Minding the Corners | Nicole Pepper

1 2 Apply two even coats of slip to the leather-hard clay form. Allow Using a dull pencil, sketch your design or pattern onto the the slip to dry between coats. chalky slip surface.

3 4 With a small loop tool, outline the negative spaces of the drawn Continue to outline the drawn design or pattern. Once the clay design or pattern. shavings are dry, they can be cleared from the surface.

5 6 When carving, rotate your plate to suit the best angle for carving Once you’re finished outlining the carving, carefully remove the and to be sure not to smudge your surface. shavings without creating hazardous dust.

18 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 7 8 With the design now outlined, begin to lightly remove the slip By taking away the background, you will start to see your design from the negative spaces. pop out and come away from the surface.

9 Go back and clean up any ragged corners and add image details Nicole Pepper displays a stack of her blue-and-white sgraffito with a small loop tool. plates and platters. Now you can add Mason stains to color the slip. I add 5–10% black Mason stain to my slip. It’s possible to layer colored slips to get various effects. Try experimenting on test tiles you can fire and reference later. I have stuck with the black color be- cause it reminds me of river rocks and it’s a simple, straight- forward look. Prepping the Surface with Slip Apply two coats of slip to your leather-hard clay form (1). This will give an even, opaque coverage. Wait for the slip to feel a lit- tle chalky as you run the pads of your fingers across the surface. Once it does, the surface is ready for you to draw your design. Using a dull pencil, lightly sketch your design, light enough to show up but not cut through the slip (2). Patterns that I have found to work best are ones with bold clear shapes. But if you can imagine it, go for it I find this chalky stage to be the most ideal surface to start carving on. The slip and the clay will not gum up your loop tools and the slip residue left behind is minimized as you carve. The clay should curl up, similar to how the clay feels and behaves when trimming a pot on the wheel. Sgraffito Process Start with a small loop tool and follow your pencil lines to out- line the shapes (3, 4). Hold your plate at any angle that’s com- fortable for you, but be sure that your hand doesn’t rest on the plate as you work or you may smudge your slip and carving work (5, 6). I often prefer a 45° angle when carving and adjust the hold and angle depending on the form or where I’m sitting. Start with a small loop tool and follow your pencil outlines. With my flower patterns, I focus on outlining the negative spac- es. This allows some overlapping of the images so the flowers don’t appear like they were simply cut out with a cookie cutter. After you have outlined the negative spaces, then go back with various larger loop tools and carve out the negative areas (7, 8). This step creates bold images and various flower and leaf shapes. I then go back with a small loop tool and carve the detail work within the flower shapes and leaves (9). If I make a mistake in the carving process, I go back and fill in the area with slip, then start over once again. This is a very forgiving process. Mind Your Corners Top: Teapot, stoneware, blue slip, fired to cone 6, 2018. It’s important to mind your corners. If you don’t go back into Above: Mugs and service ware, stoneware, fired to cone 6. those tiny corners and make sure all the burrs are cleaned up and all the edges are fully refined, they could jump up onto the glazed surface in the firing process. These aren’t only visible pieces of your clay body to water. Using a slip made from your eyesores, but worse, they can leave a sharp point that could cut own clay body assures a better binding relationship between the your hand or could chip off, ruining your plate. clay body and the slip, helping to prevent peeling and flaking. Sgraffito provides a means to decorate the surface of clay with To make the slip, put your dried trimmings into a bucket clarity and leave a warm, handcrafted feel due to the carved sur- and cover the trimmings with water, to about an inch above the face. I hope this inspires you to play with slips and get carving! top height of the clay. Let this sit overnight to slake down the Thank you to my photographer, Chandra Sandoval, for all the creative clay. In the morning, stir the clay and run it through a 28-mesh and wonderful photos. sieve. The sieved clay should have the consistency of pudding. Nicole Pepper graduated from Western Washington University with Add small amounts of water if it’s difficult to get the slip to pass a BFA in ceramics. Her current work can be viewed on Instagram at through the sieve. modhome.ceramics and on her website at www.modhomeceramics.com.

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www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 21 Natural Fiber TEAPOT EMBELLISHMENTS by Teri Lee and Jim Widess

A good teapot calls for creativity, meticulous craftsmanship, commercial handles sold in every ceramics supply store. By and hard work. While one of the most challenging forms to using natural fibers, potters can create teapots and other forms make, teapots often provide the maker with an opportunity to where the size, shape, and placement of lugs and demonstrate personal style and identity. Unfortunately, handles are determined solely by the maker. those of us who use commercial cane handles are forced While basketry, chair caning, and to select from a handful of forms whose rigid dimen- other fiber arts have a detailed and sions and limited variety can stifle innovation. complex language and culture of By learning and applying a few rudiments about their own, we have culled out a natural fibers, potters can create highly individu- few relevant fiber basics that alized and personalized teapot handles. Cane, can be easily learned by pot- rattan, and other fibers can be used to embel- ters. These basics may serve as lish pulled-clay handles as well as to eman- a starting point for additional cipate potters from the uniformity of the experimentation and discovery.

22 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org Clay and Fiber: A Long History Together The interplay between clay and natural fiber is part of a long and ancient history. Clay fragments from 27,000 years ago found in MATERIALS AND TOOLS Europe contain fragments of textiles or baskets. Early basket • Glazed and fired teapot (or other fired form) with a side handle makers used clay to make baskets more waterproof, and then • 6 strands of 3.5 or 4 mm binder cane (aka chair cane) to protect the contents from hot charcoal when the container • 1 strand, 10 feet long, to serve as the wrapping strand was used for cooking. At some point, the woven baskets were • 5 strands, the length of the side handle discarded and replaced with clay containers. Early clay contain- • Masking tape • Fid or awl ers continued to use patterns that imitated the rows of coiling • X-Acto knife needed to weave a tight basket. Vines or ropes were wrapped • Small sponge or spray bottle filled with warm water or woven around pot exteriors to make handling and carrying • Small bowl of water easier. Clay lugs were later added to anchor ropes or vines more • Super glue efficiently. Eventually, actual ceramic handles were attached to pots, eliminating much of the need for vines and ropes. There- fore, this teapot handle project comes full circle, reclaiming and continuing the long relationship between clay and natural fiber. Dyeing Fiber Best Fibers for Beginners: Cane and Reed You may decide that you want additional color choices to ex- For potters who are new to using natural fibers, we highly recom- pand on the natural tones of cane and round reed. Dyeing is an mend that you first experiment with binder cane and round reed option you can try at home. It’s a messy business, but it can pro- as wrapping elements. Round reed and binder cane are flexible vide for a greater creative palette. Round reed readily takes dye enough to wrap around handles and lugs, and they’re easy to find because of its flexible and porous nature. Binder cane also can at stores (brick-and-mortar as well as online) that sell supplies for be dyed, but the high amount of silica on the shiny side of the basketry, chair caning, and other fiber crafts. cane makes that side extremely water-resistant. The other, non- Cane and reed come from the rattan palm vine. Cane is the bark shiny side is fibrous and softer, so it will absorb the dye better. A that’s revealed when the thorny outer skin is removed. It’s the gold- light sanding of the outer bark will help the dye sink in. en-colored skin that you see in commercial teapot handles and rat- After sanding, a five-minute soak in hot water is usually tan furniture. Binder cane is thicker and wider than regular chair enough to prepare the binder cane for the dyeing process. How- cane, and its sturdiness is good for wrapping ceramic handles. ever, oversoaking the cane will result in the outer bark turning a Reed, more porous than cane, is machined from the pithy core gray-green color, indicating that it has become weakened. If this of the rattan vine and comes in various shapes in cross section: occurs, the cane should not be used. Similarly, care should be round, flat, flat/oval, and oval/oval. For teapot handles, round taken to not oversoak the round reed, which weakens its struc- reed is the best type to use. ture. Fiber artists tend to use Rit™ Liquid Dye because of the large A brief soaking in hot water is the key to softening reed and number of color choices, the ease in obtaining more colors, and cane so they become flexible enough to use. Oversoaking will options of using a hot or cold dye bath. A heated dye mixture weaken the fibers. Often, several reeds are bunched and bent gives more brilliant colors while a cool or cold dye bath will re- around lugs to serve as the handle core, with a long strand of sult in more pastel colors. Procion dye, often used for batik or cane or reed used as the wrapping agent. tie-dying, can be used to capture more brilliant colors, but the Many beautiful fibers used for basket-making, including process is more complicated. straw or grasses, are problematic for teapot handles. These fi- Diamond-Weave Embellishment bers are too weak to hold the weight of the teapot and also may This process creates a repeatable diamond shape from five fray as a wrapping medium. Other fibers such as grape and oth- strands of cane to enhance a handle on a ceramic vessel that er vines lack the flexibility to bend around lugs or wrap around has already been glazed and fired. It works best on a side handle a handle without cracking. However, experimentation is highly that’s flat and fairly uniform. encouraged. Depending on the size of your piece, the diam- eter of your handle, and the functionality (or nonfunctionality) of your work, some fibers will work better than others. Some materials that could serve as either the handle core or wrap- Do you like to bring PMI into the studio to reference ping elements include white oak, akebia vine, elm bark, black while trying out new techniques? Then check out the bamboo, honeysuckle, and driftwood. Feel free to experiment new TEAR OUT AND TRY poster on the next page with wires, colored string/twine, other vines, leather, or what- for the perfect wall decoration for your studio! ever you’d like to try.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 23 Natural Fiber Teapot Embellishments | Teri Lee and Jim Widess

1 2 3 4 5

1 2

Use masking tape to hold the shiny side of the wrapping Tightly wrap the cane about ½ inch above the masking tape. strand against the handle core and create a 90° bend so the Wrap 4 times around the handle. Insert 5 strands of binder cane glossy side is facing up and goes across the top of the handle. under the wrap, so that they protrude beyond the wrapping.

2 1 1 3 4 5 2 3 4 1 5 2 4 5 3

3 4 5 3 1st row: Weave over #5 , #4, under #3, over #2 and #1. Pass strand under handle. 2nd Fourth row: Weave over #5, under #4, #3 row: weave over #5, under #4, #3, #2, over #1. Pass strand under handle. 4 Third row: and #2, over #1. Pass wrapping strand Weave under #5 and #4, over #3, under #2 and #1. Pass wrapping strand under handle. under handle.

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8

Fifth row: Weave over #5 and #4, under Sixth (final) row in pattern: Weave over A completed teapot handle embellish- #3, over #2 and #1. Pass wrapping strand all strands. Duplicate pattern as desired ment with a diamond-weave pattern under handle. by repeating steps 3 to 7. repeated 3 times.

24 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org Pottery Making Illustrated | Tear Out and Try All photos: Teri Lee and Jim Widess. Lee and Jim Teri All photos:

9 10 11 To finish, wind five wraps fairly tightly, Push the wrapping strand up through Crank the 5 wraps with your hand to then loosen just enough to fit the awl the space. Note the strand twist so that tighten, then pull the wrapping strand up through the wrap. glossy side is against the handle body. through the wraps.

12 Pull strand tight so the fold at the corner disappears into the wrap. Trim the end of the wrapping strand flush with the wrap.

13

Trim the ends of the 5 vertical strands so 14 they disappear into the wrap. Trim top ends, remove temporary masking tape. The completed diamond-pattern wrapped handle.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 25 Process #5 and #4, over strand #3, and under strands #2 and #1 (4). Pass Note: We use two basketry terms to identify different ends of the wrapping strand under the handle, from left to right. For the the cane strands. The stationary end of the strand is the stand- fourth row, weave over strand #5, under strands #4, #3, and #2, ing end. The end that is manipulated is the working end. and over strand #1 (5). For the fifth row, weave over strands #5 Soak the 10-foot-long cane strand in hot water for 5 minutes and #4, under strand #3, and over strands #2 and #1 (6). For the before starting the project. Don’t oversoak the cane. Any more sixth and final row, loop over all 5 strands and pass the strand time in water overly relaxes the fibers and can make them weak under the handle from left to right (7). This step completes the and bristly. If the cane strand dries out and becomes stiff, use six rows that comprise the diamond-weave pattern. Repeat the the moistened sponge or a quick misting of the strands from the six rows to duplicate the pattern as needed for your handle (8). spray bottle to relax the fibers and make it flexible again. To finish, tightly wind the wrapping cane around the handle Lay the standing end of the cane strand against the right side five times. Slightly loosen the wraps to make a space for the of the handle, shiny side next to the handle. Hold the cane in awl (9). Slightly moisten the wraps to loosen them if neces- place, leaving about 3 inches trailing alongside the right side. sary. Trim the end of the wrapping strand to create a sharp edge Wrap masking tape over the cane and around the handle to keep (which is easier to push through the space). Thread the end of the the cane in place. About ½ inch above the masking tape, make wrapping strand up through the space made by the awl, with the a right-angle bend in the cane so the glossy side is up and lies glossy side sitting against the handle (10). Tighten the five wraps across the width of the handle (1). The masking tape will eventu- by cranking them with your hand and then pull the end of the ally be covered by the cane wraps as the design progresses. wrapping strand up through the wraps (11). Make sure to create Wrap the cane four times around the handle tightly so the a fold in the cane strand so its glossy side remains against the rows touch one another but don’t overlap. Insert the five strands handle. Pull the strand slowly so that the fold at the corner begins of shorter binder cane under the wrapping strands so they pro- to disappear into the wrap. Be careful not to snap and break the trude beyond the wrapping (2). Place a temporary piece of mask- strand as you pull. Use the X-Acto knife to trim the end of the ing tape across the tops of the five strands to keep them straight. wrapping strand flush with the wrap (12). Trim the ends of the Begin weaving the six-row diamond pattern. (The five short five short strands so that they disappear into the wrap (13, 14). If strands have been numbered in the illustrations, from the strand you’re worried that the long, working strand will unravel later on, on the far left (#1) to the strand on the far right (#5), to serve as a drop of super glue where the strand touches itself as it disap- reference.) Tip: Don’t forget to moisten the sponge and run it pears into the weave should alleviate those fears. across the weaving cane as it dries out and becomes difficult to A Final Word work with. The inexpensive cost of natural fibers allows you to experiment, For the first row, position the wrapping strand over short discard, and begin again. Don’t be in a hurry. Weaving and strands #5 and #4, under the middle strand #3, then over strands building with fiber can be as meditative as working in clay. Feel #2 and #1. Pass the wrapping strand under the handle, from left the rhythm and enjoy the journey in learning this new medium. to right (3). For the second row, weave the wrapping strand over strand #5, under the middle strands #4, #3, and #2, and over Teri Lee is a longtime potter and a ceramics assistant at Chabot College in Hayward, California. Jim Widess is the author of over a dozen books strand 1. Pass the wrapping strand under the handle, from left to on chair caning, gourd craft, and basketry. He is the owner of The Caning right. For the third row, weave the wrapping strand under strands Shop in Berkeley, California.

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28 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org A Bowl of Soup by Dubhe Carreño

Mmmm, mmmm soup! To comfort, to heal, to warm up, and strangely enough, to cool you down during scorch- ing summer days. In Venezuela, where I grew up, in the heat of the day, my grandmother would cook delicious hot soup, full of vegetables and amazing flavors. Sure enough, I would sweat while eating the soup and then cool off when done. Our body’s cooling system makes you sweat as you eat or drink a hot item and ultimately lose body heat, whereas consuming colder foods or liquids causes you to produce less sweat, evaporate less, and ultimately retain more body heat. So, by the time you’ve finished your soup, you’re as cool as a cucumber. My experiences with food and cooking have influenced my studio work. One cannot dedicate one’s life to functional ceramics and not be interested in cooking, serving, sharing, and play- fully experimenting with the natural beauty of food. To a functional ceramic artist, food’s rich colors and endless combinations of textures and flavors are as complex and enthrall- ing as the process of making ceramics. In my ceramic work, I pay close attention to the relationships between forms. A functional ceramic piece is rarely alone. It’s always surrounded by other forms and these should have a harmony based on a balanced contrast between colors, shapes, and textures. My soup bowl and saucer set is a good example.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 29 process | A Bowl of Soup | Dubhe Carreño

1 2 3 Use two wooden slats of the same thick- Use an old plastic place mat to create a After cutting out the saucer shape, ness and a rolling pin to roll out a slab template, then place it on top of the slab remove the extra clay and transfer it to a that’s no thicker than ¼ inch. and cut out the shape for the saucer. piece of drywall.

4 5 6 Use a rubber rib to smooth and com- Use 1 pound of a contrasting clay body While the bowl is still wet, use your fin- press the slab. to throw a bowl on the potter’s wheel. ger to pull and alter the bowl’s rim.

The bowl has a saucer companion. The saucer indent is off- between the bowl and the saucer, I use different colored clay centered, which allows space for a piece of toasted and buttered bodies or I use glazes that offer different textures or colors. sourdough bread or some crackers to accompany your soup. The In figures 1–12, I used a very rich, cone 6 dark stoneware for bowl is slightly altered by pulling the clay during its plastic stage the saucer, and a cone 6 porcelain for the bowl of one set, and with a finger in only one spot (or three spots for a triangular for the sets shown on pages 29 and 32, I used a porcelain clay shape) to make a resting nook for a spoon. body with contrasting glazes to show both possibilities. In my recent work I have been exploring combining and Handbuilding the Saucer contrasting different clay bodies—not without a lot of chal- lenges. Previous to my current body of work, I had been work- Start by rolling a slab of your favorite clay body using two ing exclusively with porcelain. Introducing a dark stoneware slats of wood to gauge the thickness and a sheet of fabric to the mix has affected the way I use my tools and organize to create an even and consistent slab without having to use my studio. It has been important to keep separate sets of tools a slab roller (1). Start with 1½ pounds of clay to create a such as ware boards, fabric for rolling slabs, rolling pins, slab that’s approximately 10×10 inches. The thickness of wedging tables, bats, and a splash pan (just to mention a few). your slab will be determined by the thickness of the slats, Having a separate set of tools and separate areas for working so choose a set no thicker than ¼ inch. If you want to repeat in porcelain and stoneware is a huge inconvenience; however, the form multiple times, create a template made of flexible having finished pieces that are free of the blemishes associat- plastic. I create durable templates using my kids’ old plas- ed with light and dark clays contaminating one another makes tic place mats (whether it’s Ninja Turtles or Power Rangers, it worth the effort. it doesn’t matter!). If your shape is asymmetrical, mark one side as the top in order for multiple finished pieces to Contrasting Clay Bodies and Glazes line up correctly when stacked. Place the template on top The saucer is handbuilt with the slab construction method of the slab and cut it using a needle tool when the clay is and the bowl is made on the potter’s wheel. To create contrast still soft (2). Remove the extra clay (3), then transfer your

30 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 7 8 9 Center the bowl on a chuck that is Smooth the bottom with a rib. Measure the Once the saucer is leather hard, soften attached to the wheel head. The chuck is diameter of the bowl’s foot to match it to the edges with a sponge on both sides, important to maintain the altered rim. the indent that will be made in the saucer. then slightly taper the edge with a rib.

10 11 12 Anchor the leather-hard saucer to the Test fit the bowl and saucer to make sure Dubhe Carreno’s finished bowl and sau- wheel head and trim an indent for the the indent in the saucer works for the cer set ready for use. See page 32 for a bowl. I trim my indents off center. size of the bowl’s foot. great soup recipe to eat out of the set. slab onto a piece of drywall. Smooth and compress it with Finishing the Saucer a soft rubber rib (4), then allow it to dry to a soft leather- Once your saucer is leather hard, soften the edges with a sponge hard consistency. on both sides, then slightly taper the edge using a rubber rib. Throwing the Bowl Lift the rim of the saucer by wetting your fingers, then lifting Using 1 pound of a different clay body (to achieve con- and applying a rotating motion (9). You can use a banding trast), throw a simple bowl on the potter’s wheel (5). As soon wheel to facilitate this process. Allow your saucer to dry to a as you finish throwing the bowl, alter the edge of the bowl’s stiffer leather-hard consistency, anchor it in place on the wheel rim by pulling any side with one finger (6). You can do this al- head with chunks of soft clay, then trim an indented foot well teration on one spot of the edge or multiple spots to achieve using the potter’s wheel. I like to trim the indent off center (10). different shapes. The diameter of the indent should be slightly larger than the Allow the bowl to dry to a leather-hard consistency. Use any measurement you took of the foot of the bowl. Make sure the preferred method of trimming to shave the bottom of the bowl. bowl fits comfortably on the saucer indent (11), before you take Center the uneven rimmed bowl on a chuck placed on the wheel the saucer off the wheel. After trimming, allow the saucer to head and secure it in place (7). I always create what I like to call dry slowly on a drywall board, covered with a sheet of plastic. my “flip-flop trimming look” on these bowls, which is opposite to what I call the “high-heel trimming look.” The difference be- Final Steps tween the two is that the bases of pieces trimmed to my flip-flop Bisque fire your work and glaze it with contrasting glazes or use look are completely flat, except for a beveled edge (8), whereas a clear glaze if your clay bodies are contrasting in color. Finally, pieces trimmed to the high-heel look have an elegant, tall foot fire your glazed work to its proper maturing temperature (12). that elevates the bottom of the bowl off the table. Measure the diameter of the foot of your bowl to match it to the indented foot See Dubhe’s Parsnip and Cilantro Soup recipe, which is a perfect well that will be made on the saucer. fill for a completed bowl and saucer set, on page 32.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 31 Left: Sedimentary Collection, bowl and sau- cer set, to 8 in. (20 cm) in length, porcelain, fired to cone 6 oxidation, 2018.

Dubhe Carreño is an artist living in Chicago, Illinois, where she runs her studio, This Quiet Dust. To see more of her work, visit www.thisquietdustceramics.com.

Dubhe’s Parsnip &Cilantro

Ingredients Soup 2 tablespoons of butter 1 medium onion, chopped This soup has the most fragrant qualities and it almost tastes like flowers. I added 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped ginger root to my recipe, which increases its aromatic properties. Not only is this ½ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped a delicious soup, but it’s also very healthy. It’s high in vitamin C and can help boost 2 leeks, sliced 4 cups of boiling water the health of your eyes. Overall, parsnips are such a mystery to me. They look like 2 cups of chicken broth pale carrots, but the flavor brings me back to my childhood. This soup tastes just 1 pound of parsnips, sliced like the Venezuelan apio (not the Colombian apio, which is just celery.) Venezuelan 1-inch cube of fresh ginger root apio looks more like a potato, but tastes just like a parsnip! ½ cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste Instructions cube of ginger root. Blend with a hand mixer or blender. Stir in the cream, and slowly heat it. Do not boil. Season with salt Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry and pepper to taste, and garnish with cilantro leaves. the onion and garlic in butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Add I am delighted to be able to share not only my process of the cilantro and leeks, and fry for a couple of minutes to working with clay, but also my playful approach to food, release the flavors and set aside. which celebrates the reason I make functional ceramics. To In a separate pot, boil the water, add the chicken broth, share, to enjoy, and to enhance the simple things in life— parsnips, ginger cube, and add the buttery mixture of onions, such as the experience of cooking, eating, and recognizing garlic, cilantro, and leeks to the boiling water. the beauty of the everyday—is what keeps my passion alive. Simmer for about 15 minutes until parsnips are soft and easy to break with a fork. Remove from the heat, and take out the Buen Provecho!

32 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org VIDEOS!NEW GET THE MUST-WATCH GUIDES FOR THE K–12 CERAMICS TEACHER!

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Part 1 takes the guesswork Part 2 provides a thorough Part 3 presents an in-depth out of setting up a teaching introduction to handbuilding overview of basic wheel- studio that is both efficient techniques including pinching, throwing techniques to help and safe! coil building, slab construction, K–12 educators teach this handle making, and much more! challenging skill!

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ceramicartsnetwork.org/shopwww.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 33 BisqueAN OXIDIZED

Firing by Steve Davis

Many clay and glaze faults in ceramic wares are caused by incom- clay bodies, the bloats will be small to large pockets where gases plete burnout (oxidation) of carbon and sulfur during the bisque have gathered together. In porcelain bodies, islands of trace iron firing. These faults are observed after a glaze firing, but the prob- exist that can form pimple-sized bumps in the clay wall. lems arise during the bisque firing. These initial problems can be In low-fire ceramics, temperatures are not high enough for attributed to a kiln operator’s lack of understanding about the bloating or melting to occur, but the carbon can cause faults such chemistry that occurs during this first, critical firing. as black coring, pinholes, blisters, and poor color development in glazes and underglazes. Carbon Many materials used in ceramics contain carbonaceous matter, Time including organic carbon and inorganic carbon from clays, whit- Proper carbon burnout requires time for the oxygen to penetrate ing, dolomite, and talc. This carbon must be burned out (oxi- the ware and form carbon monoxide and dioxide gas. Much dized) during the bisque firing to ensure the best results possible thicker pieces, dense loads, and high-iron clays require substan- in glaze firings. Bloating, black coring, pinholing, blistering, and tially more firing time for proper oxidation of the carbon. Some- poor color development are all the result of incomplete carbon times the carbon content of the ware can be much higher than burnout. To achieve the complete burnout of carbon, you need normal due to changes in raw materials. the following components: oxygen, time, and temperature. Increased carbon content can cause problems that would not normally occur with established firing procedures that have been Oxygen used for years, but now have to be planned for. Oxygen is the most critical component. Without sufficient oxygen Temperature in the kiln chamber, carbon in the clay will have difficulty form- Organic carbon burns out (oxidizes) from 300–600°F (149– ing carbon monoxide and dioxide gases that allow carbon to va- 316°C). Inorganic carbon from clays and ceramic materials cate the clay. If oxygen is in short supply, carbon will take oxygen burns out (oxidizes) from 1292–1652°F (700–900°C). Sulfur in from sources including red iron oxide (Fe2O3) that comes from various forms will oxidize from 1292–2102°F (700–1150°C). ball clays, kaolins, fireclays, and particularly red clays. When car- Kilns must be well vented throughout these temperature ranges, bon atoms strip oxygen atoms from red iron oxide (Fe2O3), the especially from 1292–1652°F (700–900°C), and the firing should red iron oxide is converted into black iron oxide (FeO), which proceed slowly through this temperature range to allow oxygen is a more powerful flux than the feldspars we add to clay bod- time to oxidize all of the inorganic carbon and sulfur in the clay. ies. The chemical equation representing the transformation from

one form of iron to the other is: Fe2O3 + C g 4FeO + CO2 h. Venting Electric Kilns Starting at 1650°F (899°C), the walls of the wares become pro- Just because a kiln is powered by electric elements, doesn’t mean gressively sealed by the fluxing action of the black iron oxide. that it’s oxidizing your wares during firing. There are too many When this same clay is then fired for a second time in a glaze carbon sources coming from clays and glazes. Oxygen must be firing to maturation, the clay wall will be over-vitrified and soft supplied to the kiln through venting by one of two methods. One from the fluxing action of the black iron oxide. Gases from car- method is to install a kiln vent, which is the most effective way to bon and sulfur that are trapped in the soft, sealed clay wall will introduce oxygen. The other method is to prop the lid open to ¾ expand to form pockets (bloating). In iron-bearing and black inch and remove all of the spy hole plugs. Venting should be done

34 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org from the start of the firing and continue until the inside of the kiln chamber has achieved 1700°F (927°C). A good prop for the lid is a 2½-inch deep × 12-inch wide × 1-inch thick piece of ceramic fiber blanket. It will compress to ¾ inch. If placed on the rim of the kiln wall next to the control box, it will shield the control box Proper placement from excessive heat (see image, right). Be sure to not place the of the ceramic fiber lid prop over the air gap between the kiln wall and the control blanket lid prop on an electric kiln shields the box. This needs to be clear so cool air can flow upward (convec- control box from exces- tion) between the kiln wall and controller. When 1700°F (927°C) sive heat while venting is achieved, use a pair of leather gloves to carefully remove the lid combustion gases. prop and place it in a location where it will cause no bodily harm or become a fire hazard while it cools. Keep the lid closed for the Firing Atmospheres—by Hal Frenzel remainder of the firing. The spy holes should remain open. Loading Electric Kilns It’s your job to make it easy for this process to work. You should load the kiln in a manner that allows for enough space between the wares for the exchange of gases throughout the clay wall. Another C + O CO + heat consideration is the space between the kiln shelves. There needs 2 2 to be enough shelf height above the wares to allow the elements Neutral: When exactly two C + 2O2 CO2 + O2 + heat oxygen atoms are pres- to emit radiation (electromagnetic wavelength of light) onto the ent for each carbon atom; wares. Having an element visible below the shelf so that the radia- Oxidation: When excess neutral combustion occurs, tion can emanate down on the pieces is ideal. oxygen is present in the creating carbon dioxide and Due to the static movement of air throughout electric kilns, heat kiln; it plays no part in heat. This assumes complete combustion. However, it turbulence and circulation in has a tendency to rise to the top of the kiln via convection, resulting does absorb heat energy the kiln so that every atom in wares at the top of the kiln being fired to a higher temperature that would otherwise finds a partner. This is dif- than wares in the bottom of the kiln. It’s best to load tall and loose help fire your ware. In ficult, even in efficient kilns, at the bottom of the kiln, and short and dense from the middle to this way, it does contrib- so some excess oxygen is ute to fuel consumption. needed to avoid reduction. top of the kiln so as to balance out the heat throughout the kiln. Bisque Firing with a Gas Kiln In a gas kiln, oxygen supply is a little trickier. Gas-fired kilns are basically a box where air and fuel are mixed and ignited. The air:fuel ratio is the focus. In natural-draft kilns, fuel comes through the body of the natural-draft burner under pressure. This flow of gas entrains around 50% of the air requirement 2C + O 2CO + heat, and later, 2CO + O 2CO + heat (primary air) through the burner. Air and fuel are mixed in the 2 2 2 burner and the kiln chamber. The other 50% of the required air Reduction: When an excess of carbon (fuel) or a short- comes through the burner ports (secondary air). The damper on age of oxygen (air) is introduced, incomplete combustion both updraft and downdraft kilns controls this secondary air and takes place. Carbon monoxide (as opposed to carbon dioxide) is produced along with heat, though not as much the atmosphere of the kiln. as would be produced during complete combustion. The To achieve a reliable, oxidized bisque firing with a gas kiln, carbon monoxide then looks for more oxygen, which it a kiln chart (see below) that lists the gas pressure and corre- takes from oxides in the clay and glaze in the kiln. This is sponding damper settings must be employed. As the kiln tem- also the reason yellow flames shoot out through spy holes when a kiln is in reduction—the carbon-rich fuel is follow- perature increases, combustion gases will expand throughout ing the oxygen supply. the kiln chamber. The air:fuel ratio will change toward a re-

Gas Kiln Bisque Firing Chart Time Temp Gas Damper/Air Comments

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 35 duced atmosphere (reduction of oxygen), due to the greater pressure of the fuel verses the pressure of the air. Complete Firing Controls—by Hal Frenzel

combustion—total conversion of carbon to CO2—is what we are seeking in oxidized bisque firings. Creating the Firing Chart In order to guarantee that there is always ample oxygen sup- plied to the wares, a firing chart should be established at a temperature equal to, or above the bisque temperature. It’s critical to use repeatable methods of measuring the gas pres- A forced-air burner propels air sure and damper settings. through the burner tube. The turbu- 1. Clean out the kiln, burner ports, and burners. Check the lence created by that force mixes the gas with the air. Gas is controlled orifices for spider nests, and inspect the flue area for ob- gas with a pressure valve, and air is structions. Debris in the burner port can cause an area of air controlled through either a rheostatic local reduction within the kiln that may not be noticed speed control on the motor or a manual inlet cover flap that blocks during a firing. the air from entering the blower. 2. If the kiln doesn’t have one already, install a gas gauge between the burners and the gas control valve. 3. Mark the damper indicating the location of the damper openings of inch or half-inch increments. 4. Fire the kiln empty up to cone 04 and make notations on a kiln chart that include time, temperature, gas pressure, damper setting, and comments. 5. Create a chart that shows the ideal damper setting and gas pressure for different stages of the firing using the An atmospheric burner operates according to the following steps. gas force of gas through a narrow throat in the burner 6. At cone 04, note the maximum amount of gas pressure air body. This creates low pressure behind the open- ing and draws air into the burner with the gas. As used. Push the damper in until a flame is visible in the the gas is increased, more air is drawn into the damper area. If the damper area is not visible, observe burner, and the appropriate ratio of gas and air for the flame coming out of the spy hole. combustion is maintained. Gas is controlled with a 7. Now, incrementally back out the damper until the flame pressure gauge, and air is controlled by a plate at the back of the burner. disappears. It may take a minute for the kiln atmosphere to adjust. 8. Once the kiln is in an oxidizing mode (lack of flame), make a note of the damper setting that corresponds with the gas pressure reading. This combination of damper oxidation setting and gas pressure should be used in the latter stage of the firing to reach cone 04. damper blade 9. From here, the ideal settings to produce an oxidizing at- reduction mosphere at lower temperatures can also be determined. 10. Lower the gas pressure by ½ inch, and repeat the same damper adjustments as listed above. This allows you to establish the corresponding damper settings to achieve an oxidizing atmosphere for lower gas pressure readings. 11. Continue this process until you’re down to 1 inch of flue gases gas pressure. This chart is created at a temperature (cone 04) that guar- antees your kiln atmosphere will be oxidizing at lower tem- peratures. Tip: It’s best to make the kiln chart at night when A damper is usually a piece of refractory material, often a kiln shelf, that is placed in the path of the flue the flame is more visible. gases as they travel up through the chimney stack of Once this chart is established, it should be easy to achieve the kiln. By moving it in and out, the pressure inside a well oxidized bisque. the kiln is controlled. Increased pressure decreases Remember that oxygen, time, and temperature must be airflow, and decreasing pressure increases airflow. taken into account when bisque firing.

36 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org Bisque Program for an Automatic Kiln Controller Bisque Firing Program for Controller Display Input Press Comments Automatic Kiln Controllers (see left) This resets the kiln so you can program “STOP or IDLE” STOP the kiln. • Electric kilns with automatic controllers break firings down into ramps or segments RAMP/ This puts you into a custom program “STOP” HOLD mode. These can be saved and reused. of heat increase (or decrease), and the read- out has abbreviations that correspond to Select a numerical program such as “PROG” 1 Enter User Program 1. different factors controlling the tempera- ture rise per hour, top temperature in each You’ll enter 6 segment entries for ramp, “SEGS” 6 Enter temperature, and hold. segment, and thus the amount of time each ramp will take. A segment (SEGS) includes This is ramp 1, increasing 60°/hour up “RA1” 60 Enter to 180°F, then held there for 12 hours. a rate (RA), a temperature (F), and a hold (HLD) setting. Water forms steam at 212°F so 180°F is “F1” 180 Enter a safe temperature to remove water. • Alarm and Delay can be set after you input a program. Read your manual for details. The amount of hold time at this tem- 12.00 • The rate (RA) is the rate of temperature “HLD1” Enter perature varies depending on water (hours) content and thickness of the ware. climb per hour. • The (F or C) is the temperature that a seg- This is ramp 2, increasing 200°/hour up “RA2” 200 Enter to 600°F. ment will fire to. • The hold (HLD) is how long the tempera- Organic carbon burns out from “F2” 600 Enter 300–600°F. ture will be held for that segment. Note: These same principles can be applied to “HLD2” 0 Enter No hold time is necessary for ramp 2. manual kilns to some degree. This is ramp 3, increasing 240°/hour up “RA3” 240 Enter Heat Transfer to 1300°F. Radiation: When electromagnetic waves travel 1292°F is start of inorganic carbon through space, they transfer heat to objects “F3” 1300 Enter burnout, which is why the ramp ends at 1300°F. they come into contact with. The sun and kiln elements produce these waves. Radiation is the “HLD3” 0 Enter No hold time is necessary for ramp 3. primary source of heat in electric and gas kilns. Conduction: The transfer of heat between This is ramp 4, (60°/hour up to 1650°F). substances that are in direct contact with “RA4” 60 Enter The slow ramp ensures removal of inor- ganic carbon at this critical stage. each other. Convection: Heat transfer caused by the up- Inorganic carbon burns out from 1292– “F4” 1650 Enter 1652°F, so the ramp ends at 1650°F. and-down movement of gases and liquids. Flue gases moving up a kiln chimney are an “HLD4” 0 Enter No hold time is necessary for ramp 4. example of convection. Pyrometric Cones measure heat work, not a This is ramp 5, increasing 360°/hour up “RA5” 360 Enter to 1850°F. set temperature. If you fire to cone 04 at a rate of 108°F an hour, cone 04 will drop at around The kiln can gain temperature quickly “F5” 1850 Enter through this phase up to 1850°F. 1922°F (1050°C). If you fire to cone 04 at a rate of 270°F per hour, cone 04 will drop at a high- “HLD5” 0 Enter No hold time is necessary for ramp 5. er temperature of 1940°F (1060°C). You may This is ramp 6, increasing 108°/hour up wonder why a rate of 108°F an hour has been “RA6” 108 Enter to 1922°F (cone 04). chosen. It’s the equivalent of 100°C an hour Approaching the final temperature and is a slow down period at the end of the “F6” 1922 Enter more slowly ensures all wares reach firing to allow for more complete bonding of the desired bisque firing maturation. the clay wall and the glaze.

“HLD6” 0 Enter No hold time is necessary for ramp 6. Much of the carbon sourcing information for this 9999°F is a default temperature. You can article comes from: The Potter’s Dictionary of “ALRM” 9999 Enter set the kiln alarm to any temperature. Materials & Techniques by Frank and Janet Hamer. Now the program is set, and you can Steve Davis has been the production manager at “IDLE” START start the kiln. This firing schedule takes Aardvark Clay & Supplies for 23 years and is the 26 hours to complete. inventor of the Kazegama.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 37 Using Wood Ash in

GLAZES by Robin Hopper

Wood ash or, more correctly, ash from organic vegetation, has been used as an ingredient for the development of glazes for at least 2000 years. Glazes utilizing wood ash are firmly rooted in Asian ceramic traditions and have been described in many publications dealing with glazes from that region. Organic ashes come from the burnt remains of trees, bushes, grasses, and even fruits and vegetables. Since their cellular structure gets its mineral sustenance from the soil, it is logical to assume that the residue or ash from the burnt matter also contains those minerals. Different plants absorb different amounts of minerals, and even ashes from the same type of plant taken from different sites or at different times of the year will vary considerably in their chemi- cal content. With these variables in mind, organic ash is likely to contain mineral oxides in the following amounts:

Silica 30% to 70% Alumina 10% to 30% Calcium up to 30% Potassium up to 15% Phosphorous up to 13% Magnesia up to 10% Iron up to 5%

There would almost certainly be various trace elements of other mineral oxides present. These mineral oxides are all ma- terials fundamental to glazes. In fact, all organic ashes will turn to glaze at a temperature between cone 6 and cone 10. Perhaps the simplest form of ash glaze, other than the nat- ural deposits of ash that occur in a wood-fired kiln, is created by spraying pots with wood ash or painting a pot with glue and rolling it in sieved ash, shaking off the excess and firing to cone 9. At this temperature, the ash will easily melt and the result, to the non-purist, is almost indistinguishable from pottery fired in a wood-firing kiln. I remember visiting a well- known pottery in Japan renowned for its wood-fired pots and seeing a woman swathed in indigo cloth spraying wood ash in a fairly thick coating onto the pots. The pots, I subsequently found out, were going to be fired in an electric kiln!

Ellen Shankin’s flattened bottle, stoneware, thrown, paddled and honed to form with a Surform, glazed with red satin matte and fake-ash glaze, oxide washes. Photo: Tim Barnwell.

38 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 1 2 3 Gather wood ash from a wood stove or Once the ash is cold, sieve and discard Use a garden or kitchen sieve to remove fireplace. Use a galvanized bucket for any debris. Collect the ash in a plastic any debris and break down the ash. Use a safety in case there are still hot embers. bucket for rinsing with water. finer sieve to reduce the ash to a powder.

4 5 6 Rinse the sieved ash, pour off the water, Once the ash has dried, it needs final Top: Ash applied to parts of the raw then repeat 3–4 times. Let the ash settle screening through a sieve—80 mesh glazed surface. Bottom: Final effect after from the water for a few days. works best for use in and on glazes. glaze firing to cone 10–11 in reduction.

Making Wood Ash Glazes 2. Burning the Raw Material There are very simple ways to make glazes using wood ash alone, The material should be burnt on a dry, clear, windless day, on an or ash can be a major or minor ingredient in a recipe. While ash area such as a cement slab or cement blocks where there will be will melt readily at higher temperatures, at low-fire it can only be as little contamination as possible from other sources. Material used as a minor material to give special qualities in conjunction burnt in iron grates or garbage bins is likely to become contami- with low-temperature fluxes. Many people have spent a great nated with, and subsequently colored by, iron scale from the rust deal of time studying ash glazes and the processes of collection, invariably present. Light the fire and allow it to burn completely, burning, analyzing, washing, and using ash. Depending on your raking unburnt material to the center of the fire so that as much personal reasons for making ash glazes, whether for research, re- ember turns to fine gray ash as possible. Collect the fine ash as finement, general use, or to develop a surface similar to that of soon as it’s cool. If it looks as though it might rain before the ash wood-fired ware, you may be either very careful or very lax in the is collected, cover the ash with something non-combustible, as collecting and processing. But there are a number of steps that rain will leach some of the minerals from the ash. should be followed to make ash a usable glaze ingredient. 3. Sieving the Dry Collected Ash 1. Collecting the Raw Material for Burning In order to remove the charcoal and other heavy, partially burnt Material should be collected in a large volume to ensure that material from the ash (1, 2), it’s best to first screen it through an there is enough residual ash to be of use. It takes quite a lot ordinary garden sieve of approximately half-inch mesh (3). Af- of combustible material to get enough residual ash for even a ter this it can be screened through a finer-mesh sieve, until only fairly modest amount of prepared ash. If you want to be able to a fairly fine powder remains.Caution: A dust mask and eye duplicate your results, make a note of the type of material, site, protection should be worn when dry sieving ash; it is a caustic and date of collection. material that can easily damage eyes and lung tissue.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 39 4. Washing the Ash texture, may be all that’s needed for the production of subtle and There are two differing views on whether or not ash should interesting glazes. be washed. When it’s washed, various soluble alkaline materi- It’s quite simple to develop glazes using ash as a major ingredi- als are removed in solution with the washing water, and many ent by line blend, triaxial, and quadraxial methods. Because of feel that they’re throwing away precious trace ingredients and its infinite variation, ash is always an exciting material to use and fluxes. The reasons for removing these materials are that they responds to glaze coloration in interesting ways. Here are a few might enter the pores of the clay body and create various prob- possible mixtures for ash glazes that will give a wide variety of lems when they melt, and that they’re caustic. However, this is a surfaces and color potential at the higher temperature ranges. personal choice generally best made from the experience of do- ing it both ways. Personally, I prefer to use unwashed ash with the soluble materials intact. Ash Glaze Development, Cone 8–10 Whether washing ash or using unwashed ash (4), it’s important 1. Ash and any clay—line blend to wear rubber gloves. Ash materials can easily cause skin problems 2. Ash and feldspar—line blend from even short contact. When I was new to making ash glazes, I 3. Ash and nepheline syenite—line blend worked at sieving a large amount of ash in water with no protec- 4. Ash and Cornwall stone—line blend 5. Ash, feldspar, and clay—triaxial blend tion. After an hour or so, my hands started to itch and a little while 6. Ash, feldspar, and calcium carbonate—triaxial blend later blood started to seep from the pores on the back of my hands. 7. Ash, feldspar, and dolomite—triaxial blend The net result was an inability to work for three weeks while they 8. Ash, feldspar, and barium—triaxial blend healed. So adequate precautions are extremely important! 9. Ash 2 parts, feldspar 2 parts, clay 1 part 10. Ash 2 parts, feldspar, 2 parts; calcium carbonate, 1 part The usual method of washing ash is to put it into a plastic 11. Ash, 2 parts; feldspar 2 parts, dolomite 1 part container and cover it with water. After a day, remove floating 12. Ash 2 parts; feldspar 2 parts, barium 1 part particles and discard them. Let the ash soak for a week, then pour off and replace the water and soak for another week. Re- peat this process until the water is clear and has lost any soapy For glazes in the low-fire range, the use of ash is more limited feeling. By this time there should be little or no soluble caustic due to its lack of fusion at lower temperatures. However, it can material left, so there should be no risk from them. be used with great success in glazes where there is a good deal of 5. Drying the Ash other fluxing material, and can provide a very interesting subject for study and use. Here are a few suggestions for glazes devel- After washing is complete, siphon off the water and dry out oped with ash at low-fire range. the remaining sludge in bisque-fired bowls or plaster drying bowls. When dry, sieve it through a 60- or 80-mesh screen (5) and store it for use. Ash Glaze Development, Cone 04–6 Using Ash as a Glaze Ingredient 1. Ash and any frit—line blend The process of washing, drying, and sieving is generally done 2. Ash and calcium borate—line blend 3. Ash and borax—line blend by people who are being very careful in the preparation of the 4. Ash and white lead—line blend ash they use. However, it’s not strictly necessary if the ash is 5. Ash, frit, and calcium borate—triaxial blend not going to be washed for the removal of soluble alkalies. In 6. Ash, frit, and red clay—triaxial blend this case, the collected ash, from whatever source, can be merely 7. Ash, calcium borate, and lead—triaxial blend 8. Ash 1 part, frit 2 parts, calcium borate 1 part sieved through a 30-mesh screen and used directly. Ash used 9. Ash 1 part, frit 2 parts, red clay 1 part in this way will probably be somewhat gritty but it usually 10. Ash 1 part, frit 2 parts, any flux 1 part smooths out in the firing and creates different textures from ash that is finely prepared. It’s important to remember to wear rubber gloves when using glazes containing unwashed ash. Much of the quality of ash glazes lies in their rather individual Remember that ash is a highly variable material, so collect and changeable nature, fluid quality, and intriguing effects on enough at one time for a reasonable future supply. It can be color and surface, mainly from the all-important trace elements, frustrating when you have developed a really nice glaze and the particularly phosphorous. Exciting surface effects can also be de- source of the ash disappears. For several years, I used a glaze I veloped using the natural fusion, at high temperatures, of organ- made with equal parts ball clay and ash from the fireplace of a ic materials applied directly to the surface of the clay. Techniques local pub, consisting mainly of the ash from the sawdust used to of wrapping pots in brine-soaked straw have long been used soak up the spilled beer and whatever other sundry material was by the Bizen potters of Japan. The combination of salt and ash swept up. I moved away from that location and never did find leaves calligraphic markings on the clay. Most organic materials another comparable supply. The beautiful pale gray-green glaze, will leave enough ash to fuse and make flashings of color and with yellow-green fluid markings, was never the same again. glaze. They don’t need to be soaked in salt to fuse. Similar fuming Since ash is a complex material, which, on its own is capable effects can be obtained by placing pieces of bone on the unglazed of producing very interesting effects, it follows that simple addi- ware and firing to cone 8–10. The bones will shrink considerably, tions of other materials, to add to the melting or to add color and usually leaving tracings and fumings from their calcination.

40 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org Fake or Simulated Wood-Ash Glazes What makes a good starting point for once-firing glazes? Ba- From the list of minerals that make up an ash it’s easy enough sically, any glaze that has a clay content of 20% or more will to see that a basic glaze can be developed with much of the same probably work quite well as a once-firing glaze. Many naturally physical qualities as a natural-ash glaze. The fluid linear mark- occurring clays such as Albany and surface clays found close ings, rivulets, and islands of calcium raised above a flat, some- to streams and rivers can be used with few or no additions as times matte and sometimes shiny and crackled lower area, are once-firing clays at high temperatures. Many of the glaze bases typical of ash glazes. The key components for making simulated suggested throughout this book that contain a fairly high per- ash glazes are high concentrations of calcium and other alkaline centage of clay work well when used in single firing. earths mixed with fusible clays such as Alberta slip clay or ball Problems arise with the handling of the object when wet, and clays along with some feldspar. They are generally fired in reduc- with the clay of the object itself, which may not be particularly tion between cones 6 and 10. Simulated ash glazes respond well amenable to absorbing fairly large amounts of water. It will be to being over-sprayed with colorants. Since they usually have at necessary to find a clay with enough green strength to neither least 20% clay, they can be used for once-fired glazes. crack nor distort when it is coated with glaze. Some clays are The following bases give starting points for developing simu- best glazed when bone dry and others when the ware is in a lated ash glazes: leather-hard condition. The only way to find the solution to all these questions is by trial and error. The best pointers to the successful development of once- Ash Glaze Development, Cone 8–10 fired glazes, for use at any temperature, are: 1. Calcium carbonate 40, ball clay 30, feldspar 30 1. Use a clay body that hasn’t been opened with more than 10% 2. Calcium carbonate 30, calcium borate 10, grog and preferably contains at least 20% ball clay. ball clay 40, feldspar 20 2. Use a glaze base that contains at least 20% clay. 3. Calcium carbonate 40, calcium borate 20, ball clay 40 3. Mix the glazes with as little water as possible, even to the 4. Barium carbonate 35, dolomite 20, Ohio red art clay 45 5. Dolomite 35, calcium borate 30, ball clay 35 point of adding a small amount of deflocculant such as so- 6. Dolomite 40, Alberta slip clay 20, calcium borate 20, dium silicate (1% maximum of the overall weight or 0.2% of feldspar 20 the clay content—more may cause a gel to develop). 7. Dolomite 25, calcium carbonate 35, ball clay 30, barium carbonate 10 4. Don’t apply too thickly. The glaze might flake off, leaving 8. Calcium carbonate 30, Alberta slip clay 50, ball clay 20 bald patches on the work and glaze on the kiln shelf. 9. Calcium carbonate 25, Alberta slip clay 25, This text was excerpted from Robin Hopper’s book The Ceramic dolomite 25, barium 25 Spectrum, which is available online at the Ceramic Arts Network Shop 10. Dolomite 40, fusible red clay 20, ball clay 20, barium carbonate 20 https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/shop.

Glazes for Once Firing Glazes for once-firing, or raw-glazing as it’s sometimes called, can provide the ceramic artist with certain economical advantages in both fuel costs and in the time spent in handling the wares. Most important, it can be done without detrimental effect to either the aesthetic or functional quality of the ware. There are two reasons why once-firing is not all that common. One is that the work has not previ- ously been bisque fired, so certain difficulties in the handling process become evident. The other is that in order to be sure the glaze adheres satisfactorily to the body and will shrink at the same rate as the body, the glaze normally has to have a fairly large amount of clay in it. Although the high clay content undoubtedly has the effect of limiting some of the glaze palette, once-fired glazes may be colored in all the usual ways. There are many who prefer the once-firing process because of its immediacy. The work is fresh in the maker’s mind, so a more spontaneous result develops. For others, many surface decoration techniques such as carving, sgraffito, some slipware techniques, and glaze trailing seem to work particularly well with it. Once- fired glazes are also good in conjunction with the vapor glazing Tom Coleman’s vase, 10½ in. (27 cm) in height, porcelain, processes of salt and soda firing. yellow crystal matte glaze, ash, fired to cone 10, 2000.

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 41 in the potter’s kitchen | food and clay Easy and Elegant Butter Dish by Ann Ruel

Butter is an essential ingredient in cooking and having it ready available and stiffened enough for use requires a good butter dish. This butter dish is long and wide enough for ½ cup (one stick) of Elgin-style butter. Forming the Dish Similar to the way I make my salt and pepper shakers (see PMI July/August 2017), to create at template for the lid, cut two Styro- foam balls to have flat surfaces measuring 2½ inches in diameter. to form an oval shape that is ½ inch larger than the silhouette Rub the flat section with coarse sandpaper to refine the surface of the Styrofoam balls. Mark and cut out the wood or foam if needed. template. The total measurement from end to end should be For the butter dish base construction, make a template. Place 7½ inches. The total measurement from side to side should be the flat parts of the Styrofoam balls side by side on top of a 3½ inches. I added a small handle to my template, but this is sturdy surface such as foam insulation from your local home- optional (1). 3 store or scrap plywood, so that there is a 1-inch gap between the Next, roll out a clay slab about ⁄8-inch thick and rib it smooth two balls. Add ½ inch around the outline of the two ball halves on both sides. Place your base template over the slab and measure

1 2 The cutout should measure 7½ in. across and 3½ in. wide. Place the 2 in. piece of foam on a sturdy surface. Place the cut Place the 2½ in. Styrofoam balls on top to give reference. slab on the foam. Push down on the to impress the slab.

3 4 Stretch the slab over the Styrofoam balls to naturally form an Turn the lid over and take out the Styrofoam balls. Then gently oval shape. Cut the excess clay away. peel the plastic wrap away from the interior.

42 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org 5 6 Put the slightly stiffened top onto the base. Create a knob for Print an image on paper and cut the excess paper from around the top and attach it. Put some plastic on and let it dry slowly. the image.

7 8 Use a graphite pencil to blacken the back of the paper that the Position the image to the clay and use a pen to trace over the image is printed on. lines so the graphite transfers to the clay. about a ½ inch oval outline beyond the template. Cut the clay out are dry enough so that the clay is not sticky, place the top down on along that line. Soften and round the edges. the base, add a knob to the top if desired, and dry slowly (5). Place the cut clay slab on top of a large piece of soft foam. Decorating Process Position the thick rigid insulating foam template in the center I begin to decorate my butter dish when the clay is a stiff leather of the slab. Use both hands to press firmly down on top of the hard to bone dry. Before any decorating is done on my pottery, I template (2). The pressure will be enough to cause the excess clay begin by planning my designs as much as possible in advance. I to curl up around the template. start by dividing up the space into grid patterns. Then I design im- To make the top of the butter dish, roll out a ¼-inch thick slab agery into those open spaces. You can choose to sketch out draw- and rib it smooth. ings, freehand abstract line work, or even use found images to be Place the two Styrofoam balls side by side with a 1-inch transferred onto your piece. gap between them. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top Some images work better for this technique than others. I sug- of them. Gently drape the slab over the plastic-wrapped Sty- gest that if you’re a beginner, choose blocky images with little rofoam balls. Work the clay around the form. Remember to detail such as silhouettes and outlined images like ones found in work the clay up against the rim of the form, trying not to children’s coloring books. As you progress and get better at making stretch it too thin. Now carefully cut around the rim, leaving thin, clean lines, more detailed images can be used. a little extra clay around at the bottom in case the clay has become thin (3). Transferring Images Let the clay dry so that it stiffens up a bit, then turn the but- If you choose to draw imagery yourself, you can transfer the im- ter dish top over and remove the foam balls (4). Smooth the in- age to the dry clay using a print out. To do so, choose your image side. Compress the rim for strength, remove any excess clay, and and print it out onto a sheet of paper (6). Use a sharp #2 pencil soften the rim. to blacken the back of the paper so that you have a heavy layer Place the butter dish on top of the rigid insulating foam template of graphite (7). Position the paper on the clay piece, graphite-side and adjust the edges so that it fits snugly. Once the top and the base down. Hold the paper in place with your fingers. Before doing any

www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 43 9 10 Results of the graphite image transference on the clay surface. Brush on underglaze over the hand-drawn images.

11 12 Use different sizes of brushes to apply various colors of Apply glaze to the background, working around the foreground im- glazes to the images. agery. Create patterns by layering glazes on the ends of the dish.

tracing, be mindful that you don’t want to press down too hard. rect consistency. You want them to be wet enough to not drip from Now take either a sharp pencil or a rolling ball point pen and gen- the brush or they will drip down your pot. If they are too stiff tly but firmly trace over the lines of your design (8, 9). when you’re brushing them onto the pot, they will dry so fast that you’re dipping your brush into your underglaze every half stroke. Freehand Drawing If they’re too soupy, leave the jar open to dry up a bit. If the under- If you choose to draw your designs directly onto the clay, use a sharp glaze or slip is too dry, add a little water and try again. pencil to make your lines. Make your first pass with your pencil very Use a watercolor liner paint brush (size 0 round) with a nice light so that if you change your mind, you can easily rub the pencil sharp point on the end for best results. I’ve also found that a sharp- marks from the leather-hard clay. Once you are sure of your design, pointed fingernail painting brush from the drug store also works you can make stronger pencil lines into the clay. Be careful not to great for this process. Begin the process of tracing over all your push down too hard with your pencil tip. This will gouge into the design lines (10). With practice, it becomes easier to go right over clay, causing unwanted deep slits and burrs. The idea is to make your lines without much problem. You’ll find that at times, you’ll shallow indented lines so that underglaze will flow easier into the make mistakes or the underglaze will overflow on a line. At the crevices. Then, when you glaze the piece, the indented lines create a greenware stage, it’s easy to scrape off any excess, either with the barrier for the glaze so it won’t drip from its intended area. side of a needle tool or a small carving tool. Adding Color After decorating, dry the lid and base slowly with a piece of a For the underglaze, I get the best results using Amaco Velvet Jet paper separating them and then bisque fire them together. Black underglaze, but I suggest experimenting with underglazes To glaze the piece, use the White Liner Glaze recipe (page 45) or and slips to determine your own preference. Before brushing on any glaze that doesn’t run when fired and works well with added your underglaze or slip, make sure that they are mixed to the cor- colorants for making colored glazes. I have a wonderfully forgiving

44 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org liner glaze recipe that results in a nice satin To begin the decoration process on the outside of the piece, start with White Liner Glaze surface that I use for detailed glazing. People mixed to a consistency that is thicker than a typical dipping glaze—thinner than yogurt often ask if I wax the bisque-fired underglaze but thicker than cream. If the project requires the use of any colored glazes, I work from outlines before applying glazes—I don’t be- the lightest to the darkest. The glaze is strategically brushed onto the piece, again like you cause I find that it’s a step that just makes the were coloring in a coloring book (11). It’s important to make sure the glaze is not too stiff, process longer, plus if the wax goes outside resulting in a more lumpy surface, or too runny as it will run over your outlines. Fortu- of its boundaries, it’s very difficult and time nately this particular glaze is friendly to brushing, but care must still be taken to achieve consuming to clean up. With practice, I find the smoothest surface possible. To do this, I use a bigger brush first and dab a generous that I work better without any wax applied. amount of glaze in the largest areas using the least amount of brush marks possible. The Always glaze the inside of the piece first. key is to dab the glaze as opposed to brushing and to get enough glaze applied without Use either the White Liner Glaze recipe be- having to brush over it numerous times. The more you brush over glaze that’s drying, the low or a creamy white, food-safe glaze to rougher and bumpier the glaze surface will be. add more warmth to the inside of the piece. I then use a series of smaller brushes, dabbing a generous amount of glaze until the glaze spreads up to your incised lines. If the glaze goes over the lines where it’s not intended, use Glaze Recipes a moist sponge and gently wipe away the glaze. At times, I like to add accents using colored glazes that I can’t make in my studio. I also WHITE LINER GLAZE like to experiment with the look of a glossy commercial glaze to add variety to the satin Cone 5 Oxidation white and bits of unglazed clay (12). I use the same dabbing brush technique described Spodumene...... 3 .30 % above to apply the glaze. This results in a glossier look to that area and results in much Talc ...... 9 .91 more variety around the piece. Whiting...... 11 .79 I don’t glaze over my already bisque-fired lines and carved surfaces, they remain naked. Gerstley Borate...... 15 .09 I like the touch of the piece as a result of pairing glazed unglazed areas all around the sur- Custer Feldspar...... 22 .64 face. When you’re satisfied with the glaze, sponge the excess glaze off of the bottom, then Ferro Frit 3124...... 4 .72 fire the top and bottom of the butter dish separately to the specified glaze temperature. Kaolin ...... 13 .21 Silica ...... 19 .34 Ann Ruel owns and operates Little Street Pottery in Suffolk, Virginia. She is a frequent contributor to 100 .00 % Pottery Making Illustrated. She teaches handbuilding and wheel-throwing classes and workshops. Her work has been exhibited and sold locally and around the country. Add: Bentonite...... 1 .89 % Zircopax...... 7 .55 This recipe can be poured or brushed on with great results and can be used as a base to make different colored glazes: Compound Butter Recipe For Yellow Compound butter is butter that has been flavored by various ingredients to produce Add: Praseodymium both savory or sweet tastes. It can be used on all sorts of foods including biscuits, Mason Stain #6450...... 3–6% pancakes, vegetables (including grilled corn), or even chicken. For Blue Depending on your taste, it’s your choice whether to begin with a softened stick of Add Sky Blue Mason Stain #6363. . . . 5% salted or unsalted butter. Slice the butter into small pieces and place into a small food processor. Mix in ingredients ranging from jams, marmalades, or even honey. For Pink: All of these butters should be mixed to your own tastes. Here are a few of my favorites. Add Rose Pink Mason Stain # 6002. . .. 5% Fig butter: Use a ¼ cup of fig preserves to ½ cup of butter. For Orange Blueberry butter: Use ¼ cup of blueberry jam to ½ cup of butter. Add: Light Rutile...... 6% Peach butter: Use ¼ cup of peach preserves to ½ cup of butter. Honey butter, use honey ¼ cup of honey to ½ cup of butter. For Lavender Note: 1 stick of butter equals ½ cup. Add: Lavender Mason Stain #6319. . . . 10% Once the butter is thoroughly mixed, it will need to reharden. Roll the butter into a log on a piece of wax paper, twisting the ends of the roll and tying SEAFOAM GLAZE them off. Place the log in the refrigerator until it’s cold enough Cone 5 Oxidation to keep it’s shape. You can also push the butter into small Whiting...... 15 .79 % cookie cutters or molds to create decorative shapes. Zinc Oxide ...... 12 .63 For gifts, slice the butter logs into sections. Rearrange Soda Feldspar...... 43 .16 the slices so that there are at least one or two of the slices from each flavor to create a Silica ...... 28 .42 butter sampler. Wrap them all in wax 100 .00 % paper with small pieces of wax sep- This recipe can be brushed on with great results . arating each piece. Twist the ends For green coloring, I prefer using Spectrum Ma- closed with ribbon and wrap the jolica Cone 06–5 #319 Chamois as a base glaze . middle with a tag describing I then sparingly dab this Seafoam Glaze on the the flavors. Enjoy. top . (Caution: Seafoam is VERY runny . I do not use a lot of it) . From Helen MacKersie .

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www.potterymaking.org | July/August 2018 47 Insert a piece of hacksaw blade or discarded saber- saw blade into a slot cut Bend strapping steel into in a piece of broomstick shape with pliers, then Bend strapping steel into a with a saw. Epoxy the bind it together with adhe- loop and attach it to a ½ × blade into place then bind sive or cloth tape. 2-inch piece of hardwood it with wire or fishing line. about 8 inches long using brass screws. Cut the bottom Bend strapping steel to fit edge of the wood at a 45° around a piece of flat scrap angle—perfect for undercut- wood and tape it in place. ting pots on the wheel.

Remove the foam and plastic from an old foam paintbrush, cut a piece of strapping steel in half, secure it in place with fishing line, then epoxy it. This a great tool for smaller, Use metal-cutting shears finer work. to cut banding and strapping steel.

Cut a piece of strapping steel lengthwise to ½ inch wide. Bend and fit it into a narrow copper pipe, then hammer or pinch the pipe shut. The dotted line indicates how deep the strap is fitted into the pipe. Hammer the bottom of the pipe shut, or file it All text excerpted from Lili down to smooth it out. Krakowski’s article, which origi- nally appeared in the Summer 1998 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated. Drawings adapted handmade tools by Robin Ouellette.

48 July/August 2018 | www.potterymaking.org www.spectrumglazes.com

1137 1159 Teal Blue Green Stone

1159 1132 Green Stone Purple

The two glazes beside each bowl were combined to create these wonderful layered effects. Two coats of the bottom glaze was brushed on first over the entire piece, then one to two coats of the top color was painted over roughly the top half—thick to thin vertically—of the piece and fired to Cone 6

1140 1148 Kiwi Fruit Chowder

1116 1145 Mirror Autumn

For more layering combinations, like us on facebook.

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