Features Creating Forms with Hump Molds—The Personalized Style of Steve Howells Low-Fire Sculptural...... Forms 9 by Harriet Gamble Creating one-of-a-kind handbuilt platters using lightweight plaster molds. Making a Lightweight Hump Mold ...... 14 by Harriet Gamble Steve Howell describes his method for creating Styrofoam and plaster molds. Throwing Long-Neck Bottles...... 16 by Annie Robbins Make tall bottles using standard techniques, a few tricks and a little practice. Combining Found Objects with Clay...... 21 by Todd Shanafelt Inspired childhood leads to mixing clay and non-clay objects. China Paint: How Low Can You Go?...... 27 by Paul Lewing Discover the bridge between painting and pottery with this china painting overview. Rolling, Rolling, Rolling ...... 30 by Andi Fasimpaur Create repeating impressed patterns. Create repeating impressed patterns. Create Life Beyond Gerstley Borate...... 34 by Sumi von Dassow It’s here, it’s gone, it’s here. Expand your glaze options with GB-free alternatives. Throwing Sticks—An Alternative ...... 38 by Harold Scroggins A simple version of Ivor Lewis’ throwing stick. Kids at Work in Clay: Little Monuments...... 41 by Craig Hinshaw Kids bring a history lesson to life by sculpting the Statue of Liberty. Kids at Work in Clay: Ceramic Dinner...... 42 By Diane Lamb- Wanucha Sculpture that looks good enough to eat. Departments ClayLinks—Search for: The Best...... 6 by Barbara Coultry Down to Business—Holiday Craft Show Primer...... 36 by Chris Campbell The Budget Potter—Dividing Web...... 44 by Sylivia Shirley Off the Shelf—Throwing Books...... 46 by Sumi von Dassow

Cover: Steve Howell forms a platter over a hump mold. See story on page 9.

Summer 2001 Pottery Makingillustrated 3 Volume 4, Number 3 Editor:Bill Jones Production Manager:John Wilson Circulation Supervisor:Cleopatra G. Eddie Graphic Design:Debi Hampton Graphic Production:Dave Houghton Advertising Manager:Steve Hecker Advertising Assistant:Debbie Plummer Customer Service:Mary Hopkins Publisher:Mark Mecklenborg Editorial, Advertising & Circulation Offices 735 Ceramic Place PO Box 6136 Westerville, OH 43086-6136 Phone: (614) 794-5890 Fax: (614) 794-5892 E-mail: [email protected] www.potterymaking.org Pottery Making Illustrated (ISSN 1096-830X) is pub­ lished 5 times a year in January, April, June, September and October in 2001, and bimonthly commencing in 2002, by The American Ceramic Society, 735 Ceramic Place, Westerville, OH 43081. Periodical postage paid at Westerville, OH, and addi­ tional mailing offices. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the editors or The American Ceramic Society. Subscription rates:6 issues (1 year) $22, 12 issues (2 years) $41, 18 issues (3 years) $58. Add $18 per year for subscriptions outside North America. In Canada, add 7% GST (R123994618). All payments must be in US$ and drawn on a US bank. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Advertising:Ad rates and ad information are available on the web site or by contacting Steve Hecker at the address above or by phone at (614) 794-5809. Change of address:Send your change of address via e-mail or to the Circulation Department. Allow six weeks advance notice. Contributors:Writing and photographic guidelines are available on request and on the web site. Mail man­ uscripts and visual materials to the editorial offices. Photocopies:For a fee, searchable databases and doc­ ument delivery are available through The American Ceramic Society’s Ceramic Information Center, PO Box 6136, Westerville, OH 43086-6136; e-mail [email protected]; or phone (614) 794-5810. Permission to photocopy for personal or internal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, ISSN 1096-830X, provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923 USA (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 republishing items in whole or in part in any work and in any format. Please direct republication or special copying permis­ sion requests to the Director of Publications, The American Ceramic Society, PO Box 6136, Westerville, OH 43086-6136. Back Issues: When available, back issues are $5 each plus $3 postage for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy thereafter. For orders outside North America, add $6 ($2 for additional copies). In Canada, add 7% GST. Postmaster: Send address changesPottery to Making Illustrated, PO Box 6136, Westerville, OH 43086-6136. Form 3579 requested.

Copyright© 2001 The American Ceramic Society All rights reserved www.ceramics.org 4 Pottery MakingILLUSTRATED Summer 2001 Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 5 We’ve had an Internet connection for a long time now, and we’re good at finding what we’re looking for. If what we seek isn’t in our bookmarks, we fire up Google, type in our search terms, and off we go. We throw a good pot and we spin a good Web. Having written this column for a little over two years, my bookmark list is fat and healthy with ceramics links. At the very tiptop are my favorites. They may be your favorites too, but if not, it’s only because you’ve yet to visit them. by Barbara Coultry

The CeramicsWeb Ceramic Arts at About.com art.sdsu.edu/ceramicsweb ceramics.about.com/arts/ceramics The CeramicsWeb was one of the first potters’ sites on the For quantity alone, this site shines. It’s a compilation of on­ Internet—and it shows. It houses an enormous glaze database,site articles plus links to clay people, clay places and clay things a plethora of hand-picked links to informational sites, articles elsewhere on the Web. Whether you’re looking for paperclay, for teachers and students, descriptions of ceramic materials and teapots, raku, suppliers, sculpture, or anything else to do with their chemical analyses, links to software specifically designed clay, you’ll find it here. Because it’s always expanding, you’ll do for potters. The site is devoid of eye candy, its simplicity awell fit­ to subscribe to the site’s newsletter, which will arrive peri­ ting design for a place meant to educate rather than entertain. odically via e-mail, announcing everything that’s new since you last visited. While writing ClayLinks, I’ve had a secret stuffed up my bookmark sleeve. The secret is page after page with nothing but links on them. It’s time I shared the best with you: A Page by Don Goodrich members.aol.com/goodrichdnlclalinks.htm This lengthy page of links is subdivided into categories to ease your search. Don’t overlook the potters list where you’ll likely land in won­ derful places you wouldn’t have found in any other way. Clay Ways—Resources www.clayways.com/r_resources.html ClayWays has put together a huge list of places to go and people to meet. Though you’ll see some of the same sites fisted here as elsewhere, you’ll also find many that are unique. Tiles On The Web www.tiles.org Sooner or later you’ll make a tile, and if you travel the Internet via Tiles ClayStation On The Web, it’ll be sooner.You’ll find links to books, how-tos, studios, www.claystation.com organizations and everything else related to those slender slabs. Andy Clift started out small, but he soon had a much largerClay Worker’s Ring notion in mind:“...to be the best navigation tool that guides www.flash.net/~gemoore/cring.htm one with ease through the world wide web of ceramics.” Andy is wellFor those who haven’t encountered a Web ring, you’re in for a treat of on his way, if not already there. Just clicking on his Technical but­leapfrogging from one ceramic site to another, perhaps getting happily ton alone will send you into a realm of articles, charts, formulas,lost as I did one day. clay bodies, handbuilding, glazing, moldmaking, firing, throwing, See our new feature, The Electronic Potter, materials...well, surely you get the idea. atwww.potterymaking.org 6 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001

8 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2OO1 THE PERSONALIZED CREATING FORMS STYLE OF STEVE HOWELL'S LOW-FIRE WITH HUMP MOLDS SCULPTURAL FORMS

by Harriet Gamble Florida ceramist Steve Howell creates beautifully colored, low-fire sculptural vessels. He has developed

a personal style and unique artistic PHOTOS: APRYL HOWELL techniques that are quite different from the traditional, functional high-fire ceramics he learned dur­ ing the sixties and seventies. Steve first went to college to become an engineer, but after four years in the Air Force, he knew what he really wanted to do with his life. He had discovered pottery and was hooked immediately. After the service, he earned a BFA in ceramics from the University of Texas in Austin, an MFA from Wichita State University and studied at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina during the Majolica-glazed platter, 16 inches intervening summers. in length, made over lightweight The ceramics programs he stud­ hump mold. ied were wheel-oriented, and the emphasis was on functional, high- fired work. Steve spent most of his first ten years in clay working withBowl, 17 inches in width. Steve stoneware and porcelain and exper­ paints directly on the bisqued form imenting with salt glazing, raku, and with colored glazes creating a soft pit firing before he discovered low-saturated surface and brush work fire and colored slips and under- that is abstract and visible. glazes. He remembers that the very first pottery shop he ever worked in while still in the service was mainly a slip-casting hobby shop with a few wheels in the back. Now, he’s come full circle—after years of wheels, Cone 10 and scorning low- fire, he now does only low-fire and handbuilds his pieces using molds. continued

Summer 2001 Pottery Making illustrated 9 HANDBUILDING AN OVAL PLATTER

Steve’s work continues to evolve. Recently, he has begun experimenting with majolica. His majolica pieces have a soft surface, and the images are looser than the hard-edged, shiny surfaces of his other work. Steve paints directly on the bisqued form with colored glazes creating a soft saturated surface and brush work that’s abstract and visible. Steve continues to stretch his talent creating new forms with more elaborate and intricate designs. His slab-built forms are created using lightweight hump molds he makes himself. His pieces are manipulated and embellished to create the sculptural forms that are his trademark. Sometimes, Steve explains, a new form or design doesn’t necessarily come from the depths of one’s creativity, but from necessity. “I never made Step oval 1 dishes or platters. We have an annual potters’ dinner to Using a slab roller, Steve rolls out a %-inch-thick slab of clay which all the potters bring a dish to share, served onthat is at least 3 inches longer and wider than the hump mold one of their handmade dishes. My wife wanted to take he is using.Tip: If using a rolling pin, prevent the clay from a poached salmon and needed a platter to put it on. warping by rolling both sides of the slab to ensure that the clay When I told her I didn’t have platters of that shape, she is evenly compressed. Drape the slab over the plaster hump. told me to go make one. I’ve been making them ever since.”

Step 2 Roll the slab using a wooden brayer or rolling pin so that it con­ forms to the shape of the mold.Note: Clay has memory, and because the slab only has a memory of being flat, it must be given a new memory of the shape of the hump mold. If the slab is not rolled again, it will try to return to the flat position during Tools needed include a cutting wire, large scoring tool, firingfettling and is likely to warp. knife, small scoring tool, lace tools, needle tool, Surform and This article is derived from “Hump Molds,” the seventh in a series of 14 basic brayer or rolling pin (not shown). ceramic posters developed by David L. Gamble, American Art Clay Co., Inc., and Crystal Productions.

10 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Step 3 Once the slab is draped and rolled, the excess clay around thetoo sharp and may gouge or otherwise damage the edge of the edge of the mold is trimmed away. Note: While the photo hump mold, so he suggests using a needle tool instead. shows Steve using a fettling knife, he suggests that a knife is

Step 4 Add the foot. Steve suggests two possibilities. To create a sim­measurement and divides it by three to get the diameter of the ple foot, he lightly marks the outside shape of the foot withcollar a he needs to throw. As soon as the collar is thrown, Steve pencil or stick tool, then scores over that line with a serrated cuts rib. it off the wheel, shapes it into an oval, and immediately He then covers the rib marks with slip or vinegar and affixes attachesa it to the bottom of the platter using the same tech­ simple coil about ½ to ¾ inches thick, smoothing the coilnique to the described above. He uses a sponge to smooth the joint bottom of the pot with a sponge. A more complicated and footstraightens out any imperfections in the collar. When the involves throwing a collar about 2 inches high. Using the lightcollar is leather hard, he cuts away parts of it to make different­ mark drawn on the bottom of the platter, Steve roughly mea­shaped feet. sures the distance all the way around the mark. He takes this

Step 5 Once the coil or the feet on the carved foot are a firm leather strap handles at each end. He sees handles as very powerful hard, and the platter has dried enough to hold its shape, Steve tools beyond their functional value since they provide a point of removes the platter from the mold and finishes the rim of thefocus and help define the lines of the pot. He encourages pot­ pot. This finishing can be done by simply smoothing theters rim to or experiment with different rims and handles. When the by adding a coil and small strap (about 11¾/2 inchesto wide) platter is complete, it’s covered in plastic and dried slowly so all to the rim. Steve prefers adding to the rim because it makes the of these added parts can equalize, which minimizes warping pot look stronger and more substantial. He also addsand small prevents cracking.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 11 THE PERSONALIZED BOWLS AND PLATTERS OF STEVE HOWELL

Bowl, 12 inches in length. Steve Howell creates his hump mold pieces using a red earthenware clay, color-saturated glazes, and AMACO GDC Majolica glazes.

Platter, 18 inches in length. Steve makes all his pieces using lightweight molds (see page 14).

Steve prefers the addition of a rim to many of his pieces to make the pot look stronger and more substantial.

Platter, 18 inches in length. Recently, Steve has begun experi­ menting with majolica. His majolica pieces have a soft surface and the images are looser than the hard-edged, shiny surfaces of his other work. Bowl, 12 inches in width. After years of firing to Cone 10 and scorning low-fire work, Steve now works exclusively in earth­ enware and constructs all his pieces using molds.

12 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001

MAKING A LIGHTWEIGHT HUMP MOLD

Steve Howell states that the ben­ efits of making lightweight hump molds are: • You can make any shape you want very quickly and easily. • The molds are very light—a similar shape of solid plaster would weigh much more. • The thin shell of plaster allows the clay to release easily. Step 1 Step 2 Purchase 2-inch-thick slabs of Styrofoam With the amount and thickness of the • The molds do not hold a lot of from a craft store. For thicker molds, foam ready, make a paper pattern of the water so they dry out quickly stack slabs of foam and glue them with ashape of the hump. Lay the pattern on and can be reused. little bit of liquid plaster.Note: Steve rec­ top of the foam and, with a permanent ommends using plaster for glue because marker, draw the pattern on the foam. regular glue leaves hard spots that make carving difficult.

Step 3 Step 5 Draw lines that divide the foam in half Shape the roughly cut block of foam along the length and width of the block. using the Surform. The bisecting marks help you keep track of the middle of the Step 4 block in both directions. Cut away the excess on the outside of the foam block.

Step 7 Place the oval-shaped hump of foam on a brick. Mix up a small portion of plaster (2¾ pounds of plaster and 1 quart of water are usually enough). Mix the plas­ ter and, just as it starts to thicken, pour it over the entire foam hump.Tip: Never try to smooth out the ripples of plaster with Step 6 your fingers, just simply pick up the foam Continue shaping until you achievehump a and tap it lightly against the brick. soft, smooth curve. The Surform allows you to create a smooth, curved oval hump in a short amount of time.

14 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2OO1 Step 8 In a few minutes, when the plaster has set but is not rock hard, gently smooth out any imperfections in the surface of the mold with a flexible metal rib. Repeat the pouring process so you can get two good coats of plaster over the foam.

Step 9 When the top side of the hump mold is complete, pour a puddle of plaster on a piece of heavy paper, then set the unfinished side of the mold in that puddle. Just as the pud­ dle sets up, cut around the edge of the hump mold with a knife. Once the plaster is really set, pick up the mold, peal away the paper and smooth the bottom. It is important to finish the bottom of the hump in plaster so that it is not top heavy. The foam is now entirely encased in plaster. When the plaster covering process is complete, use a metal rib to smooth the plaster. Dip the rib in water and gently scrape and smooth the surface.

Mixing Plaster Steve Howell uses No.1 Pottery Plaster. This plaster is made for the ceramics industry for molds and is available from any ceramics supply house. For hump molds, use 1 gallon of water to 11 pounds of plaster. This amount can be reduced in direct proportion, e.g., ½ gallon (2 qt.) of water to 5½ pounds of plaster. Sprinkle the measured plaster into the water and let the mixture sit for three min­ utes to allow the plaster to soak up the water and for trapped air to be released. Gently stir the plaster until it begins to thicken and your fingers leave a slight mark in it as you trail through it. CAUTION: Keep a bucket of fresh water nearby and rinse tools, bucket and hands immediately. If your skin is sensitive to plaster, wear rubber gloves to protect them. Never pour excess plaster into the sink as it will clog it. Put excess in an empty box and discard of properly.

Harriet Gamble is a freelance writer and the author of more than 70 published articles on art, artists and art education.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 15 Bottles have always been a favorite form for Annie Robbins of Seattle. She prefers the grace of a long slender neck, the contrast and challenge of a delicate or bold lip. Although it’s considered a difficult form to achieve, some instruction and a lit­ tle practice are all that’s needed.

by Annie Robbins

he process I use for mak­Some Tips for Success • Trim tall bottles when they’re ing bottles is partly a When I started throwing, my stuck to the bat—I prefer to T taste far surpassed my talents, so I make aesthetic choices without result of my throwingfound ways to achieve my forms having by to imagine what a piece 1 will look like right side up. technique. I throw very ;dry using using a few unconventional tricks. • I don’t worry about the thickness• Sometimes I trim at the nape of firm plastic clay, with little or no of a piece when I’m throwing. the neck to create a more pleas­ Since most of my pieces are tall ing curve. grog. Often I wet my hands, orand narrow, these shapes will sur­ • I do not remove my piece from use a damp sponge, instead vive of longer and will be less likely the bat with a wire, I wait until it to tip over if they’re a little thick­ pops off the next day, then I flip applying water directly to theer at the base. The thick base also it over and hand carve the under­ piece. And I continually practice provides more options for trim­ side of the base. ming the foot. • Depending on the length of the what I refer to as the seven C’s of• Thick walls also support the neck, I sometimes insert a dowel ceramics (for throwing)—collar itbottle’s shoulders and neck and for the piece to set up. This is can always be trimmed later. important for two reasons—it in, clean it up, cut it off, compress,With practice your walls will get keeps the neck from falling over compress, compress, and last butthinner, but for now, your piecesand sometimes my pieces tend to will look better. lean toward the heat or light not least, cheat (I mean, • of The form looks thin or thick overnight. Make sure you use a course, doing whatever it takes). depending on the thickness of narrower dowel for setup to the lip. allow for shrinkage.

16 Pottery Making illustrated Summer 2OO1 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Begin by centering clay. For a larger piece, add additional balls ofWhen opening, use a soft round curve at clay. I never torture myself with a large the base to allow for more options while ball and sometimes use up to eight ballstrimming the foot and also to add for one piece. strength to the tall walls.

Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Keep the cylinder fairly thick at the base Collar in the top portion of the form.Continually Take clean excess water and slip as you begin to throw. both hands, surround the piece aboutfrom 4 the piece with a metal rib, especial­ inches from the top, compress and bringly at the shoulder where you cannot them up. Don’t rush. The compression afford at any weakness.Tip: When I clean the shoulder will make it stronger. the piece, I hold a metal rib against clay at the three o’clock position while the wheel is moving counterclockwise and firmly pull the rib clockwise toward me while compressing.

Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Using a needle tool, trim any uneven­Wet your fingers, then insert the middle Remove excess water and slip and com­ ness from the lip. Do not push and the index fingers and pull up the neckpress in the shoulder as before. Cut off any unevenness of the lip back into the piece.the traditional way while compressing. unevenness at the top.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 17 Step 10 Step 11 Step 12 Repeat collaring process at neck whileClean and compress the shoulder afterInsert a large, wet, wooden spoon han­ gradually compressing. every pass and cut off unevenness dleat the(or dowel) down the neck. Drip water top. in to wet the inside of the neck.

Step 13 Step 14 Step 15 Holding the dowel with your left hand, With the dowel still inserted, clean the Clean the neck with the metal rib, trim carefully compress the base of the neck shoulder while compressing with thethe lip, then slowly remove the dowel. with your wet right hand. Make sure the metal rib. Note:This step is very impor­ neck remains wet and slippery inside. tant because the shoulder needs to be strong, clean and compressed to support the weight of the neck.

Step 16 Step 17 Step 18 This is a good time to form the lip, since Once you’ve made a few bottles, try this:Now for the hard part, where you need further work on the neck makes it more Insert a narrower spoon handle orto dowel coordinate your hand speed with your difficult to form it later. Start with a simple (I have four sizes), and repeat the earlier foot-pedal speed. Place your thumb and firm lip. motions until the neck looks pleasing forefinger to from both hands on either side you. Remove the dowel. of the neck. Gently compress, collar and pull up quickly. If your hands are too slow, the neck will spin out of control, and if this happens, pull up faster. Stop your Annie Robbins is a potter living in Seattle, where she discovered the one disadvantage to throwing hands such at the base of the lip and hold the tall bottles was that they did not remain on the shelves during the recent earthquake that struck the lip area. up for a few rotations. Stop your wheel For questions or comments concerning this article, contact [email protected] at . and gently remove your hands.

18 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 19 by Todd Shanafelt As a graduate student, my current body of work combines slabs, thrown objects, number and letter stamps, stainless steel rods and var­ ious metal found objects, such as chains or lids. The objects that I’m most intrigued with are oil cans, grease guns and other types of auto­ motive tools, but I also like to combine forms in clay that are remi­ niscent of kitchen and household appliances, such as irons, blenders and teapots, that suggest some utilitarian purpose. My fascination with tools came early since my brothers and I were very close to my father, a master mechanic and woodworker by trade. We were constantly surrounded by hand and power tools, automo­ bile parts, and of course, a garage filled with equipment. As an under­ graduate in ceramics, I was interested in combining found objects with clay, but didn’t know exactly how to do it. During my second year as a graduate student, I recommenced the investigation and“Lubrication Device,” 17 inches in height, developed a successful technique. Cone 4 stoneware. Thrown and handbuilt Combining found objects and stainless steel rods with clay has construction with stainless steel rod, wire uncovered a new world of possibilities, and there is now little chance mesh, wire, acrylic paint and stamped of any of my work leaving the studio without a found objectdecoration or piece (see story). of stainless steel rod attached. With this technique, I create pieces that allow the viewers to use their imagination, wondering how, where and what they could be used for; but most importantly, my work is a true reflection of my childhood environment with roots leading back to my father’s garage. PROCESS PHOTOS: REBECCA SHANAFELT

Step 1 Step 2 Textures I start with a wheel-thrown piece that’s Next I choose a textured surface thatTextured surfaces can be made from a firm enough to handle without bruising I have it. taken a plaster mold of (this is avariety of things, such as this selection of Since my work is seldom functional, plaster mold of an old lampshade). metal surfaces. Most are scrap metal I don’t leave a bottom on the form, whichI throw a thin slab onto the textured sur­from welding shops, recycling warehous­ also allows me to manipulate the formface then gently pull the slab away and es or junkyards. more freely. roll it into a spout form.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 21 Wire I found that stainless steel brazing rod works very well with a stoneware clay body, and I purchase it in 4-foot lengths at a local welding supply store. They sell it to me in bulk, so it roughly comes out to be about $8.00 per pound. The rod comes in various gauges, so experiment with different sizes. Always test the rod at the temperature you’re working at. I bisque to Cone 06 and glaze fire to Cone 2-4, and the rod holds up well. The rod will, however, turn black and shed a thin film off of its surface, but will not melt onto the kiln shelf or onto the piece. I also use black craft wire typically found at any craft store, but this is used only AFTER the piece is fired to fasten the Step 3 Step 4 found object securely to the form. There Next, I score and slip the joining surfaces Before proceeding, I study the various is also some scrap wire mesh that I use and push the parts together. The remain­objects that I’ve collected from thrift with my work after it is fired. Regular ing spout that I am finishing is simply stores, junkyards, recycling warehouses metal wire mesh CANNOT be fired in the a solid coil that was rolled once overor antique stores that may work well withkiln, as it will simply fall completely apart. texture similar to the molded lampshade the thrown form. This can is an old gasTo attach wire mesh to a piece, try using surface. I continue using the textured lantern or burner, and when I turncraft wire it first, but if that isn’t secure surfaces and coils of clay together toupside down, it fits nicely in the opening enough, use a small amount of epoxy. make additional spouts, handles,in the top of the thrown form. drainage pipes or other forms.

Tools Here are the tools I use when handling rods, clay and found objects. Needle- nose pliers, regular pliers and wire cutters are necessary for handling the rod and craft wire. A rivet gun (shown Step 5 here with various rivet sizes) works well I attach the stainless steel brazing rod wherever I think it fits best. I would like to when fastening wire mesh together. Use think that the wire is actually protecting the spouts, handles and other protruding metal shears or tin snips when cutting pieces connected to the form, so I usually have the wire wrapped around them as large pieces of metal into smaller sizes. shown here. In addition to these tools, I use letter CAUTION:and Wire can cut or puncture your skin, so use tight-fitting leather gloves number stamps, various wooden while clay working with potentially sharp materials. It may take an extra minute to put tools, and other found objects togloves press on, but you avoid having to wait for cuts to heal before throwing on the wheel into the clay. or working with clay again.

22 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Step 8 I decide to attach another textured coil to the form to serve as an arm for some stainless steel rod to come out of then go back into a hole.Note: When connecting two clay pieces with a stainless steel rod, you have to account for shrinkage. If two Step 6 Step 7 small pieces of clay are connected to To attach the can onto the top, I makeNow I use several of my stamps thateach other with the rod, they may shrink four small “staples” and push them intoI’ve collected, and press them into theaway from the wire and break. Here I’ve the clay around the neck of the form clayto surface, creating technical-lookingplaced the other end of the stainless serve as attaching points. “mechanisms” or interesting connecting steel rod through a hole but did not points. pierce the clay.

Step 11 With the work completed, I can take time Step 9 to critique it and make adjustments as needed. After critiquing this piece, I I bisque fire the piece to Cone 06, then decided to repaint the can with chalk­ brush a thin wash of black copper oxide board black spray paint, drew on it with onto the surfaces, making sure the oxideStep 10 colored pencils and scratched into the is well applied in areas where I want toI punch holes in the can using a hammer paint with an etching tool. I also reconfig­ enhance the textures. I spray a clear and nail set. This allows a way for me toured the stainless steel rod by sliding a glaze then fire in oxidation to Cone pass2-4. craft wire through and attach it tolong piece of a metal door spring to one After the piece is glaze fired, I attach the the staples on each side of the neck. Iside and a shorter piece on the other can securely to the top of the form. use needle-nose pliers to tightly wrap side.the craft wire around the staple, making sure to keep the loose ends of the wire neatly cut so that the wire wraps as evenly as possible around itself. I continue the same process of feeding the craft wire through the holes and fastening them to the staples.

Summer 2001 Pottery Makingillustrated 23 “Lubrication Device with Hook,” 14 inches in height. “I am com­“2L #1,” 8 inches in height, thrown and handbuilt stoneware fortable saying that my work is a true reflection of my childhood fired to Cone 4. “The objects that I am most intrigued with are environment and roots that lead back to my father’s garage.”oil cans, grease guns and other types of automotive tools.”

“Pour, Blend, Manipulate,” to 9½ inches in height, thrown and handbuilt “Cupstoneware 4L,” 10 inches in height. “My work fired to Cone 4. “I like to combine forms in clay that are reminiscent of kitchencombines and slabs, thrown objects, number household appliances such as irons, blenders and teapots, to create piecesand that letter sug­ stamps, stainless steel rods, gest some type of utilitarian purpose.” and various metal found objects, such as chains or lids.”

Todd Shanafelt is a graduate student at Kansas State University working toward an MFA in 2002. He has exhibited his work both nationally and internationally. E-mail any questions or comments con­ cerning Todd's work or his [email protected] to .

24 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 25 26 Pottery Making illustrated Summer 2OO1 by Paul Lewing There are four temperature ranges clay artists typ­Traditionally, these color groups ically fire to: high fire (Cone 8-12), mid-range are fired to different temperatures. (Cone 4-6), low-fire (Cone 06-04), and chinaThe gold group is usually fired first, paint (Cone 018-015). Of these, china paint to is the Cone 015, then the everything- else group to Cone 017 or 016, and least used by studio clay artists, and that’s toothe bad cadmium group last, to Cone since it’s more like painting than any other ceramic018. Often colors are applied in lay­ medium. For clay artists like me, who came to clayers, in multiple firings at each tem­ from painting, however, it’s a real treat. perature, to build up intensity. Sometimes you can fire a color from one group then add a color from another group in a subsequent You can think of china paint as firing, but it depends on which essentially a very thin, very low-color is first. temperature glaze that’s almost China paints are traditionally always applied over a fired glazed applied using a mineral oil medium. surface. In fact, it’s so thin that it They can be bought already mixed takes on the surface characteristics with oil, or as a dry powder. Amaco of the glaze it’s put over; for exam­also makes an overglaze enamel ple, applied on a glossy glaze, it will called Versacolor, which is available be shinier than over a matte glaze. as either oil- or water-based. Some people make a distinction between china paint and overglaze enamel, stating that china paints are I never had any lessons in china transparent while overglaze enamels painting, or read any books on it, so are opaque. But they’re basicallyI thejust made it up, and I do a number same things and are both fired at the of things that would horrify a tradi­ same temperatures. tional china painter. For one thing, One of the advantages of china I use water as a medium. This paint is that the colors are the same would be a problem if I worked on before firing as after, unlike manyvertical surfaces, but since I only glazes. But it ain’t paint. The biggest paint tile, I can pile on a much difference is that there are three thicker coat without it running. “Wallace Falls,” 3 ft. by 6 ft., 1994. groups of china paint colors, and I fire all the colors to Cone 016. they’re not intermix-This seems to work fine, and I just able. The three groups can’t think about firing all the pur­ are the cadmium reds, ples in a mural in one firing and the oranges, and some ofreds in another. And I don’t have the yellows; the gold,time to do the dozens of firings on China paints are often available pre­ purples, pinks and each piece that a traditionalist mixed or in small quantities from hobbylavenders; and all the would do. On a typical tile mural, I ceramic shops. I usually get mine in larg­ other colors. If youdo try three firings. The first establishes er quantities from either Willoughby’sto mix, for instance, athe background colors, the second cadmium red with a adds intensity and shading, and the Color & Supply (phone 530-677-1071) non-cadmium yellow,third adds black outlines. Some or Rynne China Co. (800-468-1987). you won’t get orange.people do the outlines first, but I You get a bubbly uglythink it makes crisper outlines to do brown. them last.

Summer 2001 Pottery Makingillustrated 27 Painting on a slick surface is quite different from WARNING: Since china paints melt at such a low painting on absorbent bisque or raw glaze, but one bigtemperature, there is much less silica and alumina in advantage is that you can wipe it off and start over. themYou than in low-fire glazes. This means that harmful can use wipe-out tools of foam, rubber or woodthings tolike cadmium and lead are less bound up in the remove color in selected areas. glaze, so china paints are definitely not for food-contact I use all the brushes and techniques I learned forsurfaces. All the precautions for ventilation and dust are watercolor to apply china paint. I start by dumpingdoubly important, and they are not for children. There some dry powder onto a palette and mixing in water are a lead-free china paints available, but most do contain drop at a time with a rubber bulb. I can make thin lead. Some even contain arsenic. washes or a thick paste. If I decide I don’t want the Under heavy daily use, china paints will wear off, as brush marks, I blot with a stencil brush or a small piecethey have on your grandmother’s everyday china, but of foam rubber. Traditional china painters use a wad offor decorative objects and tile, even in showers, the cotton in a piece of silk. Another technique, calleddurability is fine. If you want faster, cheaper firings, pouncing (used to get intense, even color), is donebrighter by colors, and more painterly effects than even coating the area to be painted with a sticky oil, and low-fire glazes or underglazes produce, go as low as you dumping dry powder on with a shaker or mop brush.can go—try china paints. The excess is then knocked or blown off

Sometimes I need to spray china paint for a large even color area. With a water-based medium on a slick surface, this is a problem. So I first spray the area with a fairly thick solution of cornstarch and water, then dry it with a hair dryer. When a solution of color and water is sprayed over this, it stays without beading up. I also silk-screen china paint.You can silk-screen any substance that will go through your screen if you can mix it to a consistency similar to mayonnaise that will not dry quickly.You can’t print one color over another without firing in between, but you can print colors next to each other. To do this, you will need a medium that will dry fairly hard in a reasonable time, but will still wash out of your screen when it’s dry. Potterycraft used to make a product in a tube that was perfect for this, and I’ve tried many other substances as a substi­ tute. For single colors, ethylene glycol works well, but it never dries, so you can’t put a screen down on it“Dinner,” for 22 inches high by 58 inches long, 2000. a second color. I’m now using a mixture of water and gum arabic, about half-and-half, and then I mix in dry powder to get the right consistency. Silk-screening must be done on a flat surface, but printing on tile is just like printing on paper, except for the substance you put through the screen. Take a class or buy a kit to learn how For printing on non-flat sur­ faces, you need to make decals. Commercial ceramic decals are made using china paints. I use a process for making screens that’s manufac­ tured by Hun-Speedball, and available in art supply stores. It’s a light-based system, but doesn’t require a darkroom or careful control of water temperatures. Instructions come with the chemicals, and it makes screens that are usable with either water or oil. I use 12XX mesh screen, which is a medium mesh size. “Hopi Pattern,” 6-inch-square tiles, silk screen printed china painted for tub surround.

28 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Figure 1 Figure 2 Here is the first coat on a tile mural project. Care has beenOne of the advantages of china paints is that the colors are the taken to keep colors from overlapping since most chinasame paintsbefore firing as after. are not intermixable.

Figure 3 Colors are often applied in layers. Here the mural has had more china paints applied to add intensity and shading then Figurefired a 4 second time. “Reef,” Humuhumu detail.

Figure 5 Paul Lewing has been a clay artist since 1965, work­ ing exclusively on tile since 1986. In addition to china “Reef,” 6½ feet in height by 14 feet in length. China-painted tile, paint, he also works at Cone 4 in oxidation, and fre­ 1992. quently teaches tile and glaze workshops.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 29 Rolling, Rolling, Rolling by Andi Fasimpaur ... My first experience with rolling texture stamps Procedure was in a potters co-op right after I graduated from high school. As is often the case in facilities where children’s Plan your design on graph paper and draw several classes are offered, the quality of the public-domain repetitions to form a short band. texture tools left something to be desired. At the time, Draw a grid over what you consider the design I had no idea what to call these, and simply referred to cell, that is, a single repetition of the design motif them as “rollers,” but later learned they are called with the midpoints marked. Note: Since most of “roulettes.” Early attempts to copy the chipped and my designs are organic or geometric patterns and, battered roulettes failed, but the ability to incorporate as a result, quite flexible, I don’t worry about trans­ continuous bands of repeated texture and pattern ferring the design too exactly from paper to cylin­ remained a desired element of my clay work. der of clay (often making revisions on-the-fly), but In studying art history in college, I found that in allyou can be more precise if you wish. the history of art, the works of Paleolithic and Bronze Map the design to the cylinder. If the design cell is Age peoples grabbed my attention and held my heart. tall and narrow, use a tall, thin cylinder, and if the My first glimpse of an ancient Near Eastern cylinder design is short and wide, use a shorter, thicker seal renewed my interest in repeated motifs, and the cylinder. Mark off the cylinder into quarters by narrative qualities of many of those seals also opened drawing a a “+” on the top then draw lines from new vista. Not only could a roulette add texture those to a marks on the top down the sides to the bot­ pot, it could also add an element of story telling, and it tom. Next, mark the midpoints on those quarter could be a strong graphical element. Now all I had to lines. Add more guidelines later if you need them. do was figure out how to translate a desired design To get the design from paper to the cylinder, use onto a useful tool. watercolor pencils. On the wet clay, sketch the Everything came together for me while teaching a design using the guidelines you’ve just made. The class at a summer art camp years later. I was trying to pigment in the watercolor pencils transfers to the explain to a group of students how to make stamps forclay, leaving an easy-to-read line. Once the rough texturing slabs and I wanted them to include a symbol sketch is done, smooth the surface to remove any or a design that they felt represented themselves. To pencil gouges, then refine the design with another show them that the design on the stamp had to be the pencil of a second color. reverse of the design they wanted on the clay, I drew a picture in heavy water color pencil, then pressed very wet clay onto the drawing. I then laid the clay with the transferred picture on the table next to the original drawing, revealing the mirror image transferred to the clay. “Now,” I told the students, “if you carve along the lines left by the pencil, you will make a stamp that will leave that mark on the clay.” Suddenly I thought I knew a way to make my roulettes, and to incorporate the more complicated motifs of the cylinder seals at the same time. Drawing the design on paper then rolling the clay across it wasn’t very successful, but I was still sure I was on the right track. Very few of the designs that I was interest­ ed in were intended to be read in only one direction, so I didn’t need to worry about reversing my original drawing. I just needed to find a way to go from the flat drawing to the cylinder. The system I devised, in Figure 1 the end, was very simple. While all my finished seals are To illustrate how I go from concept to made of bisqued clay, the same principles hold true if finished roulette, here is a page from my you prefer to use plaster or wood. sketchbook showing a border design inspired by a late-night nature special on bees.

30 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Once the design is mapped out in colored pencil, begin carving the design into the slightly soft clay. My favorite tool for carving fine lines in clay is a large porcupine quill, but you can experiment with different tools for different line qualities. When the design is carved, set the cylinder aside and allow it to dry to leather hard. At this stage, smooth the surface, remove any finger marks or other blemishes that might detract from the fin­ ished impression, and go over the carving again to refme it. This is also the stage at which you might want to drill a hole for a handle, if you choose to use one. At the bone-dry stage, again clean and refme the carving, removing any clay crumbs from the carved lines, by following the carving with a fine paint­ brush dipped in water. When the seals are at this stage, you can safely test them by rolling them in soft clay. Some changes can still be made at this Figure 4 point if you aren’t happy.CAUTION: Carving Ideas come from many sources. Here is a page from my bone-dry clay generates quite a bit of dust. Brushsketchbook showing designs inspired by Paleolithic pottery the areas you want to refine with water before(top three designs) and the carved door from a Hindu temple carving so that you don’t create as much dust.(bottom two designs). When the seal is finished, fire it as you would any bisque stamp and care for it in the same way. Using Figure 5 these steps it is possible to build a diverse library of A set of three roulettes: map approximately ¾- patterns and textures. inch dia. x 1½ inches long;avine3 /4-inchdia. x 1 ½ inches long; geomet­ ric design ½-inch dia. x ½ inches.

Figure 6 A roulette, approximately Figure 2 ½-inch dia. x 11/4 inches long, and the repeating Next, I draw a rough grid to aid in copying the design to a clay design it produces when cylinder. rolled in soft clay.

Figure 3 Figure 7 The result is the Pairing roulettes creates roulette shown here a variety of complex at the leather-hard designs. Here I paired stage with an impres­ three simple roulettes—a sion made by careful­ zodiac motif, a celestial ly rolling it in very soft design and a geometric clay. The roulette is border—in various com­ approximately 1½ binations to create inter­ inches long byVa esting patterns. inches in diameter.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 31 Conclusion Now that I can quickly and reliably make roulettes,proportions of that one, making a long narrow design I’ve found that creating and discovering the repeatingcell into a short fat one? If you end up carving and patterns the new roulettes make is addictive. Once youfiring designs that you’re not completely happy with, start looking for them, bands of repeating patterns are you could always donate them to a local school’s art everywhere. My sketchbook is filled with designsdepartment or your community art center, where a copied from buildings seen while walking, fabrics seen new generation of potters can discover the possibilities while shopping, and sets seen while watching films or of bands of repeating patterns on vessels, tiles and television. sculptures. Whether you call them roller stamps, Modifying the designs you discover or imagineroulettes, adds cylinder seals or simply “rollers” as I did all another layer of enjoyment to the process. If youthose like yearsa ago, these tools can bring a sense of history design, experiment with it. What would happen if and the influence of other cultures to your work while you added a series of dots to this one, or changedadding the volumes to your texture vocabulary. Tipsfor Success For more detailed designs, carve roulettes in a fine­ grained clay, such as porcelain or earthenware. To achieve a continuous line as part of your design, make sure that the end of the line precisely meets the beginning when you come around the seal. Divide the cylinder into a rough grid and sketch your complete design before you begin to carve. There is nothing more frustrating than carving three-fourths of a design only to discover that you don’t have the needed space on the rest of the seal Bonsai pots, handbuilt stoneware, fired to Cone 6, measuringto finish. 4½ inches square and up to 2½ inches deep. Combine several small designs to create a wide vari­ ety of more complex motifs. Try looking at large African textiles, which are made by joining narrow strips of woven fabric, to see the possibilities of plac­ ing one geometric design next to another. Keep notes about where your design sketches came from, so you can return to the source in case you want to study it further. Don’t forget to carve in reverse (mirror image) so the design will be correct when rolled into the clay. Try drawing the design on paper in permanent marker so it bleeds through to the back, then turn the paper over to reveal the mirror-image pattern. Tea cups, handbuilt stone­ When using roulettes on wheel-thrown pieces, ware, fired to Cone 6, up to mount the roulette on a handle and soak them in 4½ inches in height. Design on left inspired by African water so they don’t stick and distort your finished fabric, center cup features form. a sun/moon motif with a When handbuilding, if your seal becomes too wet spiral and stars border, and and begins to stick to your clay, try brushing it with the cup on the right fea­ cornstarch or talc. tures the symbols of the zodiac with the same bor­ der of swirls and stars as the center cup. Audi Fasimpaur studied art and art history at Wright State University in Teapot, handbuilt stone­ Ohio and has been working exclusively in clay for the last seven years. She has ware, 4¾ inches high, fired taught workshops, classes and summer art camp at The Dayton Art Institute. to Cone 6. She may be reached via [email protected] at .

32 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2OO1

by Sumi von Dassow

These days, when two potters get In some cases, there is no flint to Floating Blue together, sooner or later one of themremove. In the following simple (James Chappell & Sumi’s pretty says to the other, “So, what are yourecipe, a one-to-one substitution of good revised recipe) doing about Gerstley borate?”the frit for the Gerstley worked Anybody mixing glazes in the tem­fine. perature range from raku up to Phoenix II Cone 6 has probably relied on this (originally from Richard Zakin) useful material. We all know there are many reasons we shouldn't (only one of which is the potentially unre­ liable supply)—but there are just so many good glazes that rely upon it that without some strong stimulus to change we stick with it anyway A beautiful translucent honey brown. In some glazes, the quantity ot despite its flaws. Though Laguna is Some recipes required a little Gerstley borate called for is so huge now offering Gerstley borate again,more tinkering. In the followingthat my basic approach is unwork­ the recent 18-month mining hiatus recipe, my basic approach worked able, due to the extra fluxes con­ threw a scare into us all and stimu­ pretty well, though testing with var­tained in the frit but not in lated a search for alternatives. ious amounts of flint indicated thatGerstley, and also due to the appli­ When it was first announced that reducing the flint by another 5% cation and suspension problems of a the Gerstley borate mine wouldgave the best color. However, glaze the that contains large amounts of close, I reformulated all my Coneresulting 6 glaze didn’t flow quite asfrit. In the case of the following oxidation glazes, three-quarters well of as the original and the large recipe, I found it more rewarding to which called for Gerstley borate. It’s quantity of frit caused the glaze look to for an alternative base glaze been quite a journey of discovery,settle badly. Thus, I added a bit of that would yield similar results. with some pleasant surprises alonglithium carbonate to improve the Emerald the way, but also a lot of frustration. (from Paul Maeding) I preferred to work with standard flow and bentonite and pearl ash to materials, readily available from mysuspend the glaze. Pearl ash, usually local supplier, rather than look faravoided because of its solubility in and wide for a perfect one-to-one water, adds a little more flux as well substitute. as suspending the glaze. Basically, my approach was to Speckled Blue-Gray substitute Ferro frit 3134 for the (Emmanuel Cooper, #210) Gerstley borate, and alter the recipe as required to adjust for its differ­ The very simple base glaze used for the ences in composition. For many Emerald is similar to a popular formula using glazes not calling for large quanti­ volcanic ash (pumice) and Gerstley borate in ties of Gerstley, it worked well to the same proportions. I used Cornwall Stone instead because it settles less than volcanic substitute equal parts of the frit for ash. Adding 20% Superpax results in a the Gerstley, and to reduce the flint glossy white. I haven’t tested this base exten­ by half the amount (of the frit) to sively, but it seems promising. compensate for the large quantity Here’s a variation of a clear base of silica in the frit. This approach glaze I developed, replacing the worked for the following recipe: Gerstley borate with Ferro frit 3134 Margo’s Green and reducing the flint. (originally from Paul Maeding) Another glaze which required a Sumi’s Clear little tinkering is the widely pub­ lished Floating Blue. This glaze, beautiful when it works but poten­ tially very frustrating to use, has long been a very popular one and has become the “gold standard” for Gerstley borate substitutes. The fol­ lowing revision still doesn’t look exactly like the original, but it’sTry this base with your favorite colorant. You pretty close. may discover new glazes to take the place of old favorites.

34 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 35 H oliday C raft Show Primer by Chris Campbell Holiday craft shows offer a low-key, low-stress sales experience. The jurying process is kept simple. You can share your sales area with friends. Many sites have tables, chairs and tablecloths for rent at very reasonable prices.Visitors to the show are prepared to buy gifts.You get 100% of your sales dollars with very low expenses. You may even meet some gallery owners looking for new artists. Set Your Plan in Motion Today If you’re not aware of any seasonal craft shows, inquire at local church­ es, charities, service groups, schools and recreation centers. Talk to other artists in your area. Someone will be able to guide you to one. When calling for an application form, also ask about the fees, commis­ sions on sales and deadlines. Take note of the space sizes and show layout. Will you be able to rent accessories? Will you need a power supply near­ by? If you’re planning on sharing the space, be sure to get all other artists’ work approved by the organizers. Plan Your Attack! Select only your best work and price it beforehand. If pricing is a mys­ tery, take the time to browse a local gallery for hints. Design hangtags with all your contact information including an e-mail address. Add a removable price sticker so the tags can be used as a gift enclosure. Buy two-part sales books so you have a permanent sales record and your customer has a receipt. When sharing the booth with other artists, you should agree to code your price tags so you can separate sales figures easilyd of atthe the day. en You’ll need several pens, a calculator, a stapler, scissors, scotch tape, mea­ suring tape, wrapping material, bags, a cash box with about $50 in change, bottled water, aspirin and easy-to-eat snacks. Set up will take longer than you expect. Liven up your display with accents such as flowers or lace. A bowl of candy lures customers very well. Show some items in a way that suggests possible use, for example, pencils in a pencil holder, flowers in a vase.

Group Booth.Members of the Triangle Potters Guild of Raleigh, North Carolina, often unite to sell their work in a group booth.

36 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Single Booth.Jenifer Thoem of Woodstock, Georgia, demon­ strates that you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a pleas­ ant, imaginative booth display. If you’re ready the night before, bring an old bed sheet to protect your wares from dust. Make sure the building is secure if you are leaving your work overnight. It’s Show Time! Arrive early. Tour the show before customers arrive. Take notice of other presentations and price ranges. Don’t panic and run back to your booth to change your prices. What should you do in your sales area while cus­ tomers are browsing? Try to look friendly and busy. Rearrange a few things, make an effort to be pleasant but don’t block access to your work. Don’t eat in your sales area. Don’t bring a book to read. Don’t chat on your cell phone. Force yourself to start talking about yourself and your work. Expect these questions: “Do you really make all these things?” “How long does it take you to make them?” “Do you bake these in your oven?” Rehearse answers that begin with “Thanks for asking.” If this is a holiday show, avoid special orders to be completed before Christmas. You’H regret accepting them. It’s much saner to deliver work in the New Year. Always stay until the end of the show. Don’t start packing up or counting your money while customers are still strolling. Taking Stock While it’s definitely more pleasant if your work sells, the most important lesson lies in whether or not you enjoyed the experience. Were you able to talk about your work with strangers? How did you handle compliments and critiques? How about answering the same questions over and over again? After the work of setting up and breaking down was done, did you feel it was worth it? Would you do it again? What would you do differently? Your answers are important guides to your next goal.

Chris Campbell is a full-time studio potter residing in Raleigh, North Carolina. E-mail comments to [email protected] at

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 37 Throwing Sticks -An Alternative-

by Harold Scroggins When Ivor Lewis wrote about throwing sticks (PMI Spring and Summer 2000), one stick in particular attracted my attention—a curved stick with ball ends, designed to work broad-shouldered pots where the opening is too small to use hands or straight sticks. I made several of these sticks, using different woods to find the right combination of strength, weight and ease of construction. Being of only average skill in woodworking, I found that cutting, laminating and sanding was a formidable task. Using the sticks required a couple of false starts, but after mastering the knack of manipulating the sticks, they have worked well.

The two sticks shown here are a 9-inch long model for medium to large pots and a 5-inch version for small cylinders, vases, etc. There is plenty of room for experimentation, such as differ­ ent curves, lengths and materials. Many potters don’t have the time or the wood­ working experience to make these sticks. Since I knew the problem was one of manufacture, I looked at the material (wood) and realized that only the ball ends needed to be wood. In looking around, I found that woodworking specialty stores (and catalogs) as well as some craft supply stores, sell wooden balls in sizes from ½ to 2 inches in diameter. The handle can be formed from ½-inch metal rod hammered into shape. A ½-inch hole is drilled into each ball to receive the rod. (WARNING: When drilling, the ball should be clamped securely, not held by hand.) Epoxy glue secures the rod and the ball ends are given three coats of polyurethane with a light sanding between coats.

38 Pottery Making illustrated Summer 2001 Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 39 40 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Kids at Work in day

Little Monuments by Craig Hinshaw Hiller Elementary fourth-gradeSketching teacher Katie Edwards asked if her Before working with students could make small monu­clay, students sketched the ments using clay. They were studyingclothed model. I provided the Washington Monument and the 6x18 inch drawing paper, Statue of Liberty and I believed thatemphasizing the statue’s the Statue of Liberty suggested elongated a shape. I pointed wealth of ideas. out the statue’s basic Almost half the students at Hiller pose—right hand high are of diverse ethnic origins and above the head and left come from over twenty differentelbow bent cradling a countries. While I doubt few, if any,tablet. Each student took a arrived by boat and were greeted byturn posing as the statue, the Statue of Liberty, as were immi­wrapping each other in the grants from past generations, this sheet, positioning arms and icon still represents the ideals of freedom and opportu­adjusting the size of the nity to the rest of the world. crown to fit. Shortly after finishing the Statue of Liberty lesson, I was in New York City attending the National Art Modeling in Clay Education Association Conference. Before flying backI demonstrated how to squeeze a lump of clay to to Michigan, I visited the Statue of Liberty. She wasbegin forming the torso of the statue, then pressed my beautiful, standing magnificently against a blue sky andfinger into it to create a hollow form, which aids dry­ white clouds. I purchased postcards and a small replica ing and prevents breaking during the bisque firing. A for the fourth graders to see and handle back at Hiller. coil of clay attached near the top of the torso becomes Perhaps this lesson will do for the students what itthe extended right arm, a small ball of clay becomes the did for me—create an interest and an appreciation of head and a second coil forms the bent left arm. the most recognized statue in the world. Perhaps they Wood tools were used to draw folds in the gown and too will want to make the effort now to see her model “in facial features. Small details were added last— person,” as I did. I hope so. the points on the crown and the torch. Most students attached a clay base, giving more stability to their Living Sculptures statue. The lesson began by asking for a girl to volun­ teer to become a living sculpture. I draped her in a sheet, somewhat resem­ bling the Statue’s attire. She held a flashlight in her upraised right hand, a book in her left hand, and a crown on her head made from green construction paper and a stapler.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 41 Kids at Work in Clay

Glazing Ceramic Dinner After bisque firing the pieces, we painted them with an Irish green underglaze. The students knew the stat­ by Diane Lamb-Wanucha ue, which is made of sheets of hammered copper, has Food is a great motivator, even oxidized to a green patina.The flame was glazed orange when eating isn’t your prime objec­ in imitation of the actual flame, which is gold-plated tive. The very familiar things we eat copper lit by reflection, the sculptor’s original intent. every day are loaded with visual Gray underglaze, representing concrete, was used on excitement such as texture, form, the base, then we brushed on a clear overglaze and line and color. A dinner plate is full refired the pieces to Cone 04. of opportunities for using composi­ tional elements like balance, rhythm Display and variety. The finished pieces were wonderful, each standing Beginning ceramics students erect yet somewhat animated. I lined them up on a dis­ looked at pop art and related their play shelf in the school office with a label explaining food sculptures to this movement what the students were studying. The row of 3-inch from the 1960s. Pop artists like Claes statues seemed to serve the same function as the origi­ Oldenburg shock our perceptions nal 151-foot statue—greeting all who entered intoand confuse our responses to scale, qualities of hardness Hiller School, including many immigrant parentsand softness, color and context. enrolling their children. To start this lesson, students brought in three magazine photos of various foods they thought would make an appetizing dinner. Using colored pencils, they created a full-color sketch showing good composition in a circular format, effective color mixing and atten­ tion to realistic color and scale. I told students not to create their composition with the regularity of the face of a clock, but to use overlapping, irregular spacing and interesting juxtapositions to get an eye-catching composition. Students used the slab technique and a heavy paper plate as a drape mold. While the slab plate was still plas­ tic, students created clay food using a variety of clay forming techniques. Students knew that they would be assessed on how well all the pieces were attached, so scoring, slipping and sealing seams were stressed. The students were enthusiastic and brought in textured objects and things to cast. An ear of corn, a spoon and a pile of blueberries were cast in plaster to create press molds that everyone shared. Things like terrycloth and lace pressed in clay made great-looking lettuce, a potato masher made a disc of clay look like a waffle, and students loved how easy it was to get peas and carrots to look realistic by just rolling tiny spheres or rolling a variety of coil shapes. Of course, a lot of students wanted to make hamburgers and pizza, but after encouragement to go for variety, they successfully created fried chicken, spaghetti, apple pie and T-bone steak. Craig Hinshaw is an elementary art specialist in the Lamphere School district in Madison Heights, Michigan. Craig was honored during the 2000 NAEA Conference as being Michigan's Art Teacher of the Year. E-mail comments to Craig [email protected] .

42 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2001 Students were challenged to find creative and unique ways to make realistic looking food. One girl made a plas­ ter cast of blueberries to add to her dessert tray.

“Dinner Plate” ceramic sculptures, mid-range stoneware, commercial underglazes and low-fire clear glaze fired to Cone 04.

To construct plates, most students used heavy paper plates as drape molds while a student resourcefully made a plaster cast of a lunch tray.

When the plates were leather hard, underglaze colors were brushed on. After the bisque, a low-fire clear glaze was applied, and some students chose to add bright red accents with a special low-fire red glaze. The finished plates were displayed in our school display case, each with a menu composed by the student artist and typed by the special students in my class. Students and teachers responded enthusiastically to this assignment and the hamburgers and pizzas were the hit of the exhibit.

Diane Lamb- Wanucha studied ceramics and received an MSAEDfrom Massachusetts College of Art. She currently teaches ceramics, sculpture and photography at Groton-Dunstable Regional High School in Groton, MA.You can contact her by [email protected] at

Summer 2001 Pottery MakingILLUSTRATED 43 Dividing Web by Sylvia Shirley

Making the Web Use a photocopier to enlarge this wheel to the desired size. Attach it to a wheel head­Sylvia Shirley is a freelance drafter, technical illus­ sized circle of cardboard. Cover with plastic wrap or have it laminated at an officetrator and part-time potter. She can be reached at supply store. wshirley 1 @kscable. com.

44 Pottery Making illustrated Summer 2OO1 The Pointer The pointer helps you transfer marks from the dividing web to the pot. Make sure the bottom of the pointer is square and the front side is perpendicular.

Using the Dividing Web Center a pot on the wheel. Draw circles on the pot using a red felt-tip pen. Align the pointer with the selected line and position the Popsicle sticks to touch the lines on the pot. Tighten the wing nuts. Make a tic mark at the end of the Popsicle stick using the red felt pen. Move the pointer to the next position and repeat.

Ideas to Get Started Accurately marking off divisions on your form opens up a world of potential design work. Once the desired number of marks are made, decorate as desired, using sgrafitto, trailed slip, brushed oxides, etc.

Summer 2OO1 Pottery Makingillustrated 45 Throwing B ooks As any pottery teacher knows, most people who take takingpottery classes, a good book can reinforce your hands-on lessons. classes are primarily interested in learning to throw. Though Justcoil, be aware that every potter develops his or her own tech­ slab and extruder work offer endless possibilities, mastery ofniques, the and don’t get confused if the book and your teacher offer potter’s wheel is the ultimate goal for the majority of pottery twostu­ very different methods! The books listed here all cover the dents. This column has covered books on many topics, same including basic ground—clay preparation, centering and throwing a sculpture, handbuilding and firing. Now it’s time to discuss variety books of forms—but each offers different guidelines for success. that address the central mystery of the potter’s art. More than with other aspects of pottery, learning to throw is a mat­ When it comes to learning how to throw, a book is noter substitute of finding what works for you. Whether you’re a beginner or an for an experienced teacher. However, if you have access toexperienced a potter, each of these books will have something to wheel but can’t take classes, a book can get you started. If you’reoffer. You may find yourself wanting to read all of them. D on D avis Richard Phethean Wheel-Thrown The Complete Ceramics Potter: Throwing Lark Books, Asheville, NC, 1998 University of Pennsylvania Press, Like all Lark ceramics books, this is full- Philadelphia, PA, 1993 sized and illustrated with lots of color pho­ This book, like Davis’s, is intended to tos. It begins with an overview of toolsteach and beginners how to throw The descriptions of wedging, equipment, clay and kilns, then coverscentering and throwing are generally concise and thorough, wedging, centering and the basics of throw­ and illustrated with step-by-step black-and-white photos. ing. The rest of the book, the “projects” sec­Phethean describes centering particularly well, in a way that tion, introduces progressively more advanced techniquesdoesn’t for require the learner to rely on brute force. After intro­ throwing forms such as bowls, plates and teapots, and for trim­ducing each new technique, there’s a helpful discussion of com­ ming and altering thrown forms in various ways. Some moremon faults and their remedies. This is a smaller book than unusual forms are included as well, such as a double-walledDavis’ so it includes fewer photos of finished work, and fewer bowl. All processes are presented with a minimum of text andadvanced techniques. However, Phethean actually covers basic many photos. Where necessary, as with wedging and centering,techniques such as lid- and handle-making more thoroughly. Davis is very good at verbally describing the process. A The deter­ author also addresses two questions that are always of inter­ mined beginner could probably learn to throw from this book,est to students—“how do you make sets of pots that match” and the projects and many photos will make it of interest toand “how much clay does it take to make a mug, bowl, plate, advanced students as well. Just be aware that it may take years ofetc.” In answering the second question, the English author lists practice to be able to complete some of the projects in this book! only metric weights and measures, so Americans will have to translate. Readers should also be aware that English potters use Phil Rogers different words for some tools and techniques, such as “turn­ Throwing Pots ing” instead of “trimming,” but for most readers, the British University of Pennsylvania accent Press, will just make the book all the more fun. Philadelphia, PA, 2000 This is another small book by another English potter. The author begins by point­ Clary Illian ing out that “Trying to learn to throw pots A P otter’s from a book is a little like reading the ABC Workbook of Brain Surgery,” and urges the reader to University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, I A, 1999 use the book in conjunction with a hands- Of the books listed here, this is the only on course. He even offers suggestions for evaluating teachers. one that doesn’t teach a beginner how to Rogers covers basic how-to information adequately—though throw. Illian teaches students and experi­ some of his methods are perhaps not the easiest for beginners, enced potters how to go beyond the tech­ such as trimming while the pot is still quite damp. However, in niques of throwing and start thinking addition to teaching how-to techniques, Rogers is concerned about form and function. This book con­ with imparting some aesthetic guidelines. For this reason, thesists of a series of exercises designed to make the potter con­ book is perhaps most suited to a more intermediate studentscious of every aspect of the pot—the space within, its profile, who is ready to move beyond merely learning to controlthe shape the and thickness of its lip and foot, the types of lids, clay. This book will appeal to the reader who is ready to makespouts, knobs and handles, and how all these parts work togeth­ bottles, lidded jars, and teapots and needs to know not just how er both from a functional and an aesthetic point of view. Illian to throw them, but also how to make them functional and aes­offers no particular “right” way to make all these parts—only thetically pleasing. This author clearly recognizes that some ofsuggestions his to help you figure out what is right for your pots readers will be American, and discusses the differences he per­ and to develop a personal style. ceives between English and American techniques, as well as con­ You can read all Sumi von Dassow’s past book reviews, organized by verting metric weights and measures into pounds and inches. topic, on our website www.potterymaking.orgat .

46 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2OO1

48 Pottery Makingillustrated Summer 2OO1