2 Spring 2000 Clay Links—The Clay Classroom by Barbara Coultry...... 6 The Internetoffers great web sites for art teachers, but for the pottery challenged, these sites provide information, inspiration and instructions. Industrial Worker s Cups by Richard Burkett...... 9 Explore the creative possibilities of making your own extruder dies from boards. Richard Burkett explains the step-by-step process he goes through to cre­ ate his unusual cups. Unlocking the Secrets of Crystalline Glazes by George Juliano with Elizabeth Hudgins ...... 14 Fascinated by the beauty of crystalline glazes, potter George Juliano worked to understand just how to get good results and reveals his findings. Mug Handles by Sumi von Dassow...... 18 Add the right flair and finish to your mug with a pulled handle. Step-by-step photos show you the way, all you need to add is a little practice. of the Trade When you can’t find just the right for your studio needs, you canmake your own. We’ve brought together four methods for fabricatingcustom tools you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Trimming Toolsby Don Adamaitis...... 20 Adams Ribby Don Adamaitis...... 22 Profile Tools and Ribsby Lili Krakowski...... 24 Throwing Sticksby Ivor Lewis ...... 29 Lighthouses That Make Kids Shine by Craig Hinshaw ...... 33 Engage the child or children in your life with this clay project they’ll be happy to make and proud to keep. Tiles and Teens by Karen Perkins ...... 37 Teenagers in Springfield, Oregon, contribute their skill and talent to add a touch of art to a stage in their public park. Slab Mat by Sylvia Shirley ...... 40 Keep your rods in place with this handy tip. Grog Basics...... 42 PMI takes a trip to Maryland Refractories to get the nitty gritty on how grog is made. Off the Shelf—Spontaneous Combustion by Sumi von Dassow...... 46 Check out recommended books on raku and smoke-fired pottery.

Cover: Pair of Cups, 4 inches in height, soda-fired porcelain, by Richard Burkett See story on page 9.

Pottery Makingillustrated 3 Volume 3, Number 2 Editor:Bill Jones Production Manager:John Wilson Graphic Design:Debi Hampton Graphic Production:David 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] IWeb site: http://www.potterymaking.org Pottery Making Illustrated (ISSN 1096-830X) is pub­ lished 5 times a year 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:One year $18, two years $34, three years $49. Add $15 per year for subscriptions outside North America. In Canada, add GST (R123994618). All payments must be in US$ 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 with a self-addressed postcard for notification of receipt. Photocopies:For a small fee, searchable databases and document 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 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 repub­ lishing items in whole or in part in any work and in any format. Please direct republication or special copy­ ing permission requests to the Diretor 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 addi­ tional copy thereafter. For orders outside North America, add $6 ($2 for additional copies). In Canada, add 7% GST. Postmaster:Send address changes toPottery Making Illustrated, PO Box 6136,Westerville, OH 43086-6136. Form 3579 requested.

Copyright © 2000 The American Ceramic Society All rights reserved www.ceramics.org 4 Spring 2000 Pottery Makingillustrated 5 The Clay Classroom I went looking for web sites designed specifically for ceramics teach­ ers; and I imagined these sites would also cater to potters who wanted to involve their children, and to other types of teachers who wanted to add more ceramics to the curriculum. I didn’t find what I was looking for, however, I found something else. What follows are excellent educational resources, but don’t reject one of them just because it doesn’t deal specifically with clay or because its geared toward elementary education. Maybe you teach adults only, or maybe you don’t teach anyone at all, but keep tnese things in mind: Ideas can be upgraded to adult level; projects using another medium can by Barbara Coultry always be translated into clay, and creative ideas can be found everywhere.

The Language of Children’s Art www.ualberta.ca/~publicas/folio/9798/02.06/10.htm If a child says it’s a picture of a tree, but it looks like no tree you’ve ever seen, which one of you doesn’t know what a tree really looks like? You’ll find the answer within this article writ­ ten by Deborah Johnston forFolio , the University of Alberta’s newspaper. I recommend that you bookmark the page or print it out because it contains something vital to being an artist, to understanding art and, more importantly, to allowing the natur­ al artist within each child to thrive. (I also suggest you delete everything in the URL following “folio” and press the Enter key. There are excellent articles throughout.)

The @rt Room www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/@ rtroom_home.html Dr. Craig Roland of the University of Florida has built a room for all of us. From the “Doorway” go to @rtSparkers if you need to jumpstart your own or your students’ creative bat­ teries. In this room you can do such things as “Draw Like a Cat.” In the @rtrageousThinking room you’re encouraged to think like an artist, to turn things inside out and upside down. Walk down the hall to the gallery of children’s art, go to the library to find a new book or meander off (only after you’ve seen each room) down a road that’s marked with well-chosen links.

Kinderart www.kinderart.com This site is a tightly packed collection of lesson plans for all kinds of art relating to all kinds of subjects. However, it’s not just an idea factory for those of you who are teachers. When was the last time you designed a mask, made a drum, used glaze as if it was watercolor? Have you ever built a totem pole (small, of course), played for a day making magnets or taken a hammer to your rejects and turned them into a mosaic? This is definitely a place for a child or adult, teacher or not. If you happen to be an art teacher, wander on over to the forum to see what others are thinking, doing and looking for. Barbara Coultrywelcomes suggestions and comments from readers about ClayLinks. Please send your favorite sites and discoveries to her at [email protected]. While she can’t respond to each e-mail, she will check every link suggested. 6 Spring 2000 Amaco www.amaco.com/WhatsNew/index.html You can’t work with clay very long without coming to know the name Amaco, but have you thought of giving the company a virtual visit? Besides having all kinds of information on their prod­ ucts, they have a small PDF library of lesson plans that are free for downloading and printing out. These plans require no touch-up; they’re excellent as is. My personal favorite is the one dealing with prehistoric art, but find your own favorite by clicking on “Student Lesson Plans Sc Instructional Information.”

Skutt Ceramic Products www.skutt.com Besides having all kinds of information on using, maintaining and troubleshooting kilns, Skutt has additional PDF versions of Amaco’s lesson plans that are free for downloading and printing out. Polyform - “The Sculpey People!” www.sculpey.com Here’s an excellent resource of ideas for polymer clay, the interesting cousin to “real” clay. Anything you can do in polymer, you can translate into tra­ ditional ceramics. ArtsEdNet www.artsednet.getty.edu A site devoted to art teachers with plenty of interest for all, ArtsEdNet is planning a complete overhaul of the site in the near future, so return periodically to check for changes. The Incredible Art Department www.artswi re.orglken roar Ken Roher has supplied teachers with a cornu­ copia of lesson plans that also work as idea gen­ erators. United Artworks www.unitedartworks.com Click on Andrew Werby’s “Techniques of Sculpture,” then scroll down for a wonderful col­ lection for the classroom or studio. I was person­ ally taken with the recipe for plasteline clay. Kids Craft Recipe Factory hometown.aol.comlsail29571index.html This is a wonderful “cookbook” of recipes for making your own media and for just plain mak­ ing a wonderful mess. Wouldn’t your students enjoy making their own art supplies? The Craft Resource Guide www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/2714/index , htm Here’s a site that helps you fmd schools with degree programs in various crafts—including ceramics. Teaching Online: Experiences with Qay www.teachingonline.orglclay.html Don’t be put off by the elementary portion of this lesson plan. Scroll down until you come to the part about building a kiln. Sound interesting? Of course it does. About.corn’s Web Design webdesign.about.comlcomputelwebdesign I’d like to suggest that you build your own site. The web needs people like you to build ceram­ ics education sites. This is a good place to begin learning how to go about it.

Pottery Makingillustrated 7 8 Spring 2000 THE INTERSECTION OF INDUSTRY, HARD TIMES AND CLAY by Richard Burkett

My work hovers between pottery and sculpture. Some pieces move in a sculptural direction, yet still derive some of their form Pair of Cups, 4 inches in height, from vestiges of my more functional work. soda-fired porcelain. I find this a fascinating interplay; with one body of work informing the other and mak­ ing both stronger for their interaction. Ten years as a self-supporting studio potter early in my career gave me a strong resource upon which to draw for functional pottery. Later, work in sculp­ ture and photography helped to expand my vision to include a wide variety of sources. Occasionally, aspects of my work are drawn from memories of dealing with the odd but functional farm imple­ ments and tools left to me by my grand­ father. Other elements may come from memories of chemical glassware in my fathers laboratory. Added to that is an ongoing concern for family history and, more generally, for domestic issues, shared space and responsibilities. It’s all a reaction to living in a heavily industrial­ ized, fast-paced world, which forces one to balance the mechanical with the per­ sonal, the impersonal with the poetic. Recently I have been focusing more on pottery form. An ongoing series of cups celebrates both the industrial work­ er and the ability to make do with what is at hand. I’ve long had a fascination with items fashioned from spare parts and baling wire, starting with my earliest memories of visits to my grandfathers farm. Often, such objects show both incredible ingenuity and a simple ele­ gance. Living in rural Indiana, my grand­ father survived the Great Depression by improvising with available materials. The many bits of evidence of his ingenious Cup, 3½ inches in height, porcelain. This extruded and often creative efforts were still abun­ cup has press-molded feet and Fake Avery dant when I built my first studio pottery Flashing Slip sprayed over the exterior; it was on his family farm some forty years later. fired in an anagama. Note the horizontal wavy line in the side of the cup, which is a vestige of starting and stopping the extruding process.

Pottery Makingillustrated 9 My first and only We can’t avoid living in an increas­ factory job (as a zinc ingly industrialized and high-tech mill worker the summer environment. The rapidly growing before I went to college) bureaucratic burden of a complex brought more insights and society can be taxing on the potter: respect for those workers who environmental and health restrictions spend their lives keeping our indus­cause materials to become unavailable; tries running. They have long creat­air-quality concerns affect the type of ed small objects during idlekilns and firing that can be done; polit­ moments, diversions that easedical support for the arts wavers; educa­ their grim existence within the fac­ tional opportunities for the arts in theFigure 1 tory, though these were often hid­ schools disappear. We have to adapt,Adding to the use of a computer for design den and later destroyed. plead our cause eloquently.Thereand is still the idea of laser printer image trans­ I frequently combine industriala great need to make and own objects fers (which I had already used with clay), that celebrate the human spirit. I hopeI realized I could make almost any shape processes, such as extrusion and quickly and accurately. 3-D computer wheel throwing, with soda and some of these come from me. modeling programs (I use StrataStudio anagama firing techniques, where Pro on a G-3 Power Macintosh comput­ flame-directed glazes tend to soften er) have even added the ability to visual­ the clay surface in an especially ize the extrusion before the die is cut. pleasing way. I like those contrasts. My initial frustration with the visual limitations of work made with tools like the clay extruder has been lessened by understanding how I can use an extruder to quick­ ly produce a series of hollow forms. After talking to potter Michael Sherrill about making extruder dies from inexpensive polyethylene cut­ ting boards, I was excited by the prospect of being able to produceFigure 2 Figure 3 dies much more quickly. Here are the materials to easily make Transfer the laser-printed image of the Part of my frustration with extru­dies—heavy polyethylene cutting board, die to the plastic die blank using a color­ sion is that it can often produce lifeless,laser-printed image of die that was less blender. The solvent of the pen stiff forms, and die making can be a created with a computer drawing slightly softens the laser-printer image, substantial investment of time. Havingprogram, colorless blender pen (avail­ which is then lightly burnished onto the cheap, quickly produced dies opensable at upmost art supply stores). plastic. This will leave an exact image of a world of shapes. A bonus is that these the pattern on the plastic for easy cutting. plastic dies are easily modified if they Tip: To prepare the surface to accept the don’t work well initially, or even dis­ image more easily and completely, light­ carded at litde overall cost if they don’t ly sand the plastic with fine . work out. I’ve allowed the extrusion process to suggest things, too, learning to work with extrusions that bend and move as they come out of the extruder, taking advantage of surface defects, such as slight air bubble blowouts.The result is a more gestural form which I further manipulate by adding press-molded feet attached to a slab base. I’ve been making the cups from this series in pairs, placed so that the inter­ action of the stance and posturing of the two cups often becomes an impor­Figure 4 Figure 5 The transferred image on the plastic die the plastic die blank to provide a tant quality in the work. The additionblank ready to be cut out. hole for the , then drill any of found objects as handles further round corners or details, such as open­ connects the cups with the makeshift, ings on the die that will produce round improvised quality of items made from beads on the extrusion. Finally, drill the necessity, using only the parts at hand. center hole for the extruder’s center die holder.

10 Spring 2000 Temmoku Cone 10-11 Reduction Whiting...... 13.77% Custer Feldspar ...... 47.94 Kaolin...... 11.72 Silica...... 26.57 100.00% Add: Red iron oxide ...... 8.46% Brownlblack, shiny glaze. This is a really depend­ Figure 6 Figure 7 able temmoku glaze. Black when thick, brown when thinner. Works well in salt, where it turns Accurately cut out the die using a Smooth the saw-cut edges of the die with runny yellow-green if salted heavily. saw or jeweler’s saw. Since the plastic is a . Maintain accuracy by keeping the quite soft and cuts easily, a simple V- pattern in view. the edge slightly to Yellow Salt-Soda shaped cutting support (this one was compress the clay as it comes into the Cone 10-11 Salt-Soda made from a scrap of 2x4 and clamped die. Dolomite...... 20.15% to the table) makes cutting easier. You can use a power saber saw or for Nepheline syenite ...... 60.46 large or simple die designs, but use Zircopax ...... 15.28 these tools at a slow speed so they don’t Kentucky OM-4 Ball clay ...... 4.11 melt the plastic. 100.00% Add: Red Iron Oxide ...... 0.96% Bentonite...... 3.82% Opaque light yellow glossy to matt. From Joe Molinaro at Eastern Kentucky University. This glaze is a good salt liner. Add approximately 1 or 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts dissolved in a little warm water to 5 gallons of glaze to help keep the glaze suspended. Very nice on stoneware clays. In reduction firing (with no salt or soda glaze), it goes a beautiful yellow matt with medium to slight­ ly thin application. Too thick and it goes shiny! Too thin and it will be brown. Fake Avery Flashing Slip #5 Cone 8-10 Reduction Nepheline Syenite...... 24.00% Figure 8 Figure 9 Edgar Plastic Kaolin (EPK) . .44.00 Cut the inside portion of the die with a Very carefully heat the filed edges of the Calcined Kaolin...... 30.00 band saw. This part of the die forms the die with a torch or hot-air stripper to Neuman Red Clay ...... ^2.00 hollow interior of the extrusion. Note that create a glassy smooth surface. The 100.00% the hole in the center of this part will be plastic stays hot and soft for quite awhile Opaque Red orange brown Slip or Engobe used to attach the die to the spider, sus­ after melting, so don’t touch it until it’s Apply thinly to bisqueware, slip should be pending it in the outer die opening. cool. WARNING: Be extremely careful to very thin. Dipping or spraying works well. do this quickly so as not to ignite the Dampening the bisque will aid in adhesion polyethylene plastic. Work outdoors. and in getting a thin coat C-Red clay would be a good substitute, or try your local earth­ enware clay. If possible, use clays low in magnesia and calcia. I often add more red clay to this (perhaps double the amount) for a darker flashed color in wood or soda, sometimes just mixing in some red clay terra sigilatta by eye as I thin the slip for spraying. #6 Tile Wood/Salt body Cone: 10-11 Oxidation/reduction Custer Feldspar ...... 20.00% Kaolin (EPK or Grolleg)...... 18.00 Figure 10 Figure 11 Kentucky OM-4 Ball Clay . . . .18.00 The completed die assembled with the A variety of die shapes cut from polyeth­ Neuman Red Clay...... 4.00 spider. This style of die is used in a 5- ylene kitchen cutting boards, available at #6 Tile Clay...... 21.00 inch- Bailey extruder. department stores. The die on the lower Flint ...... 5.00 right is for the small plates shown on Pyrax ...... 14.00 page 13. It features a ribbed top surface 100.00% (made by multiple small holes in Add: Water ...... 26.00% the plastic before the larger opening was Fine Grog or Molochite_10.00% sawn) and integrated feet.

Pottery Makingillustrated 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Dies for a Brent extruder that have per­ A larger die for the 9-inch barrel of a The underside of the large die, showing manent centers attached with U-bolts. I Bailey pneumatic-powered extruder. the extra brace plate of aluminum added modified the die holder of my extruder by Multiple braces are needed to keep the to stiffen the center of the die so that it enlarging it to allow larger-diameter center aligned and stable as the plastic is does not distort from the pressure of the extrusions. somewhat flexible. clay. Most extrusions work best with slightly softer clay, especially larger sizes like this where the soft clay flows more easily through the die.

Figure 15 Figure 16 A variety of dies with a selection of sizes A variety of porcelain extrusions and of square centers on the left. Centers of press-molded feet stiffening on top of a hollow dies can be made to fit the die slab. The slab will be used for the bot­ precisely, as in the two dies in the upper toms of these cups. By wrapping the row, or mixed and matched later, as does whole ware board of parts together in the gear die in the lower right with the plastic and allowing it to dry slowly, the square opening. moisture content of the parts will be the same and equal shrinkage will be ensured after they are joined. The top edges of the extrusions will be re-cut and shaped with a and a Surform® .

Richard Burkett is an Associate Professor of Art at Figure 17 Figure 18 San Diego State University in San Diego, A simple cutting harp made from a thin Press-molded feet for cups freshly pulled California, where he has taught ceramics for the wire (very thin piano wire or used guitar from their plaster mold. It’s easy to make past eleven years. Previously, he taught for three string) and a %-inch steel rod bent into a molds like this for simple shapes by years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. U-shape that is about 6 inches wide. throwing the initial shape on the wheel, From 1913 to 1983, he ran his own studio pot­ tery, the Wild Rose Pottery, near Bainbridge, Tools like this make cutting off an extru­ then encasing it in plaster. Once Indiana, making mostly salt-glazed functional sion much easier, leaving one hand free the mold is dry, multiple shapes can be ware. He is the author of HyperGlaze glaze soft­ to support the extrusion while cutting. made quickly by pressing plastic clay into ware for ceramics artists. He created and runs the the mold then immediately removing it. Ceramics Web web site at SDSU Once the shapes have stiffened slightly, I (http://art.sdsu.edu/ceramicsweb) and has helped attach them to the cups as feet or some­ run the ClayArt online discussion list almost from times as handlelike knobs. its inception. „ Spring 2OOO Cup, 4 inches in height, soda-fired porcelain. This cup was made from the die shown in figure 10, with extruded handle, slab bottom, and press molded feet.

This cup is one of the first extruded ones I produced in 1997, using computer-designed dies made from poly­ ethylene cutting boards. It is white stoneware with a black stain mixture sprayed very lightly on the out­ side before soda firing. The die used to produce one of the first extruded cups (right).

“Pair of Cups,” approximately 4 inches in height, porcelain, anagama fired with Fake Avery Flashing Slip.

“New Millennium Sushi Plates” (fired from December 30, 1999 to January 1, 2000), approximately 6 inches square, porcelain. These plates were extruded, coated with a flashing slip and wood-fired in an anagama where they were stacked so the marks Cups, 5 inches in height, porcelain with manganese of the wadding would show. luster glaze fired to Cone 6. These sculptural cups were made from the gear dies shown in figure 15. The tiny openings render them nonfunctional, and they are glazed with a non-food-safe glaze.

Pottery Makingillustrated 13 Unlocking the Secrets of Crystalline Glazes

by George Juliano with Elizabeth Hudgins

Crystalline glazes are striking, butmost important gift I could give books written about the process myself First of all, if I had a success, Editor's note: The crystals in crys­ don’t offer a lot of help in terms of I could replicate the process. If I had talline glazes form when alumina being able to reproduce the resultsa failure, I knew what to avoid. is eliminated as a major compo­ in color or type of crystal. So whenI soon realized that the process is nent of the glaze formula. a friend came to me asking if I never totally predictable. It’s even However; low-alumina glazes are knew how to get crystals, I set out worse than working with raku, prone to running, so crystalline on a six-month study, experimentsince with raku, at least, the results glazes flow freely, hence the need by experiment, to come up are with seen almost immediately. With to catch the glaze in a shallow crystalline glazes that would work. crystalline glazing, however, one That period of testing was the most needs to throw three pieces for each bowl. Crystalline glazes can be frustrating time I’ve had as a potter.finished piece, and the firing process developed for a variety of firing Even knowing the right formulas, takes much longer. This made ranges—low (Cone 04—1, medi­ the right temperatures and firingeach failure even more frustrating! um (Cone 4-6 and high (Cone times still leaves a lot of room for I decided that my quest was to 8-10). This article describes crys­ the surprises, both successes andreduce the failure rate and come up talline glazes fired on porcelain to failures. with a method that would present Cone 9 in an electric kiln. I discovered that keeping accu­good results nearly always and great rate notes on chemicals, tempera­ results upon occasion. I wanted few, tures and soaking times was the if any, failures.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 For a simple test “tile” for experimenting, I clearly labeled each fired tile to keep an After I throw a form that will be glazed I found that a cylinder with a broad lip, accurate record of what glaze or glazes I with crystalline glaze, I trim the bottom at when turned over, the lip forms a shallow used on the piece, along with the firing the leather-hard stage and leave a sharp bowl. When the tile is leather hard, I trim and soaking times. edge to the foot. The foot will be matched the bottom, which will become the top, so to a base, which will be removed after it is round. the firing. It must fit exactly, allowing no room for the glaze to seep into during the firing, which could make the separation of the two pieces difficult.

14 Spring 2OOO Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 After trimming the form, I measure the When the form is bone dry, I carefully Flat-bottomed bowls catch the glaze that foot and throw a 1- or 2-inch high cylin­ sand both the bottom of the pot and the flows down and off the pot. These bowls der. When the cylinder is leather hard, I top of the cylinder flush. This assures don’t need to be trimmed or finished in make certain that I have left a sharp that the two will fit perfectly when it any way, so I generally throw 10 to 15 at edge at the top. Tip: Label matching comes time to set them together for the a time. They are about 6-7 inches in bases and forms. firing. diameter.

Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 After the parts are bisque fired, mix a When the glue is thoroughly set, there I use a silicon carbide grinding stone acces­ generous amount of white glue with are imperfections in the area glued, so I sory on high speed for this work. When the kaolin and a very small amount of water use a Dremel variable speed rotary tool grinding is finished, I gently sand the joined to make a thick paste. Dip the base in the to smooth the area where the pot and the area, to smooth out any imperfections from glue mixture and quickly match it to the base are joined. The drill cost under the grinding. Since dust can cause a glaze to bottom of the pot, making certain that the $100 and is well worth the money as it crawl, wipe the surface with a damp sponge or two pieces line up exactly so that the can be used for other grinding needs, cloth, and allow the pot to dry completely glaze doesn’t run between the two in the such as drips on other types of glazes. before glazing. firing. Wipe excess glue away, and put Warning: Work in a well-ventilated area the joined piece aside for 24 hours to and wear a NIOSH-approved mask to allow the glue to set. keep from inhaling any dust.

Figure 10 Figure 11 Glaze the inside of the pot first with a Thoroughly mix the glaze, making liner glaze that will complement the crys­ certain the glaze is the consistency of talline glaze you plan for the exterior. cream, adding water when needed. I like Figure 12 Since crystalline glazes are very fluid, to mix glazes by hand so I wear a latex Hold the pot by the base and push it care­ they are not appropriate for the interior of glove, and I can feel when the glaze is fully into the container until it is submerged a form. When the glaze is dry, carefully well mixed. Pour the glaze into a contain­ to just above the joint line. Hold the pot for a apply wax resist to the inside lip to pre­ er deep enough to cover the entire pot, slow count of three, then gently pull it vent the crystalline glaze from sticking to not counting the attached base. straight out, keeping the piece upside down that area. Be careful not to get wax on until the glaze sets. I’ve found that if the the unglazed portion of the pot. glaze is too thin, few, if any, crystals will form; and that a thick glaze coat will crawl.

Pottery Makingillustrated 15 Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 Turn the pot right side up and wipe off I use a programmable electirc kiln for my Crystalline glazes run excessively due to any excess glaze that has collected on firing, since it is so easy to control and the lack of alumina. After the firing, the the inside of the lip on the area of the the firing must be exact. I carefully stand bowl is fused to the collar and pot wax resist. Set the pot aside to dry for each joined pot and base piece in a bowl because of the running glaze. 24 hours. in the kiln. Three witness cones are used so that I will be able to ascertain if the kiln fired properly.

FIRING— Getting It Right My kiln has a controller, but firing without one would also work with practice, a pyrometer and close attention to the firing schedule. For a Cone 9 porcelain firing, I set the controller to raise the temperature quickly to 2300°F, then drop to 2012°F as quickly as possible where I allow it to soak for 2½ hours. Next, I lower the tempera­ ture by steps to 1958°F, 1872°F and 1832°F, allowing the kiln to soak for 1½ hours at each step. Figure 16 Figure 17 All temperature changes should To separate the base from the pot, gen­ Again, using a Dremel tool, the bottom is be done as quickly as the kiln will tly tap the bowl with a metal hammer. ground smooth. allow, but the peep hole should not (Tip: Many potters use a to Warning: Work in a well-ventilated area be opened or the plugs removed score a line between the base and the and wear a respirator to keep from form.) The tapping breaks the bowl off breathing the dust. Also, goggles must since that causes cold spots that along with the base, leaving the pot with be worn to prevent glass-like shards from produce an area of very small a slightly jagged and sharp edge at the injuring your eyes. crystals, ruining the general bottom because of the dripping glaze. Warning: Jagged glaze edges are appearance of a piece. This extremely sharp and can easily cut. means that one shouldn’t peek until the kiln temperature is below 450° F. I’ve learned, finally, patience about this—there’s too much work involved in this George Juliano is a full-time ceramics teacher at Elizabeth Hudgins, a retired high school English process to chance a pot’s cracking Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia. teacher, works as a traditional iconographer, and is because of an inability to wait! He is a frequent contributor to PMI, and teaches currently working on a book on iconography. She graduate school classes at Virginia Commonwealth can be contacted [email protected] or on University. Send comments or details of your ownthe Internet atwww.tidalwave.net/~ehudgins experiences to him at [email protected]

16 Spring 2OOO Steel-blue crystals on beige bottle, 4 inches in height. I discovered that “Monet Blue Vase,” 9 inches in height. smooth shapes with no texture were the “Caramel bottle,” 10 inches in height. The Throwing porcelain was a bit discourag­ best and that a narrow bottom with a caramel glaze gives very consistent ing at first, since I was used to throwing larger shoulder gave a better look. Also, results. The bottle form is an excellent stoneware. Porcelain is unforgiving and it bringing the shoulder back in before the shape for crystal formation. took nearly three months for me to be pot opening helped give a definite area comfortable with its feel and flexibility. on which the crystals could form since the crystalline glazes drip so easily and are fairly runny in the firing. The shoulder allows for a place where the glaze will flow more slowly, enabling crystals to grow more fully.

Crystalline Glaze Colorants

Zinc Oxide ...... 23.2% Gold Frit 3110 (Ferro) ...... 55.2 Red Iron Oxide ...... 5.0% Edgar Plastic Kaolin (EPK) . . .2.4 Turquoise (use Calcined) Flint ...... 19.2 Copper Carbonate ...... 1.5% 100.0% Blue (use Calcined) Mix all chemicals with water and pass Cobalt Carbonate ...... 0.5% through an 80-mesh screen. Copper Carbonate ...... 1.5% Monet Blue (use Calcined) For a 2000-gram batch, I add about 6 table­ Manganese Carbonate . .2.00% spoons of Floes (a liquid flocculant from Cobalt Oxide ...... 0.07% Axner), and 2 tablespoons liquid CMC gum Lithium Carbonate...... 0.50% (which I mix from a powder). The Floes and Copper Oxide ...... 0.50% the gum help keep the glaze in suspension Caramel and help in binding the glaze to the pot. They Manganese Dioxide . . . .4.0% also keep the glaze from hardening in the bot­ Black Iron Oxide ...... 4.0% tom of the bucket. Mauve I mix anywhere from 2000 grams to 8000 Manganese Dioxide . . . .4.0% Some of the glazes, when put on thick grams of glaze at a time, and 8000 grams fills Steel Blue w/Deep Yellow enough to form crystals, started to crack a 5-gallon bucket. I discovered that the glaze Red Iron Oxide ...... 5.0% off and leave bare places on the pot must be put on thick and I prefer to dip my Nickel Oxide (Green) . . .5.0% when drying or when being fired. By pots to get a nice even coat. I tried spraying a Steel Blue Crystals On Beige using calcined zinc oxide and calcined light coat of another color on top after dipping Manganese Dioxide . . . .4.0% kaolin instead of regular zinc oxide and and achieved interesting colors. kaolin, I was able to get a thicker mixture Nickel Oxide (Green) . . .4.0% on the pot and get better results. Midnight Blue Mazerine Stain (Mason) .6.0% Black #6600 Stain (Mason) .1.0%

Pottery Makingillustrated 17 Mug Handles... by Sumi von Dassow

Once a mug form has been trimmed, it's ready for a handle. There are several kinds of handles you can attach to a mug—pulled, extruded, coiled, cast or pressed. Making a pulled handle for a wheel- thrown mug, though, complements the piece, and there's a lot of room for creativity. Step 1 Step 2 Here's how to make a basic pulled Begin pulling a handle from a carrot­ Pulling the clay requires firmly holding handle. It takes a little practice, but shaped piece of clay using plenty of the clay in one hand while you gently water or slip. The clay should be of the squeeze and slide your other hand down once mastered, it will be a creative same consistency as throwing clay and the length of the clay. finish to your throwing. well wedged.

Step 5 Set the handle down to dry a little. Once you’ve gotten it to hold its curve, pinch off the excess clay. Step 3 Step 4 Continue pulling the clay until you When the handle is thin enough, draw achieve a long coil slightly tapered your thumb down both sides of the A potter for 20 years, Sumi von Dassow teaches toward the bottom. If the clay is not handle to flatten it. pottery at the Washington Heights Center for the plastic, it will tend to break or crack as Traditional Arts in Lakewood, Colorado. Visit her you pull. web site at http: //www.well.com/~sumi for more information. 18 Spring 2OOO Step 6 Step7 Score the upper and lower attachment points with a serrated Apply slip to the scoring, scraper or needle tool.

Step 8 Step 9 Cut the handle with a flexible metal scraper. By flexing the Attach the handle to the pot and pinch off excess clay. scraper so it curves as you slice the handle from the clay, the profile of the end of the handle will match the curve of the pot.

Step 10 Step 11 Smooth the top of the handle into the body of the pot. Finish the bottom of the handle. Drying the mug should be done slowly and evenly. Since the handle is wetter than the form, cover the finished piece with plastic to allow the moisture to equalize.

Pottery Makingillustrated 19 tools of the trade trimming tools by Don Adamaitis materials: While living and working intip: • Inexpensive . Saudi Arabia, I pursued my passionShop around a little and you can Buy the cheapest you can for creating ceramic art during myfind cheap hacksaw blades—the find, and get as large a variety leisure hours. Wanting to producecheaper they are, the easier they are of tooth count as possible. ceramic art work that was reflective to work with. If possible, get a of the desert environment, I settledvariety of different tooth counts per • Propane torch on a red-buff clay body with a highinch (coarse to fine). I found that • Leather gloves percentage of local, coarse sand. the more expensive blades have a • Safety glasses/goggles Once it was dry, I would scrape greater the tendency to shatter and • Electrical tape pot, and the coarse sand that was should not be used until you have • Container of water for dragged off the surface producedmastered a the heating and bending quenching rough, pock-marked effect. Since skill on the less expensive blades. this technique was so for tools, I found that the best material caution: to use was a coiled hacksaw blade A propane torch nozzle and hot fitted with a handle. steel can cause severe burns, so be This inexpensive trimming toolsure to wear a pair of heavy leather is easy to make, and it didn’t takegloves to protect your hands. Also, long before I recognized the many since the hardened steel used to possible variations of custom­make hacksaw blades can snap shaped trimming tools. After a little while bending, always wear safety practice, I could produce glasses any to prevent eye injury. desired shape in a few minutes. Over the years, I’ve made and used all types of trimming toolsDon Adamaitis has been an active potter since 1962. He has a degree in the physical sciences, and, Step 1 and I now have a box full of themsince retiring in 1987, has devoted his attention to Lay out your materials on a flameproof in my studio. Almost all of themglaze chemistry and the physics of kiln firing and surface. Measure and mark both ends of function very well, and I haveconstruction. my the hacksaw blade for the length of favorites for specific tasks. a handle.

Step 4 steP 3 Stop heating the center when the handle Step 2 Heat a wide area of the blade between bends are about 1 inch apart. Heat about ½ inch of the marked area the two handle bends, and apply a light and bend the blade about 20°, then force to bend the center section as it repeat the procedure for the other end. heats. Cool the steel by quenching it in water.

20 Spring 2000 Step 5 Compress the handle sections between your fingers, then quench the heated center section in the water to temper (harden) the steel.

Step 6 Wrap the two handle ends together with the electrical tape.

Tip: If you want a thicker handle, add thin sections of wood or plastic.

Step 7 With a little practice, you can produce any shape you need. And the hacksaw blade can give you two effects—use the toothed side for texture and the back side for a smooth trimming surface.

Pottery Makingillustrated 21 tools of the trade adam’s rib by Don Adamaitis While on a business trip to The height of the vessel was Bombay, India, quite a few yearscontrolled by the volume of clay in ago, I stopped to watch a local the ball. The diameter of the lip of potter working in a small village.the vessel was thrown to approxi­ He was producing teacups, throw­mately the width of the rib. As the ing them on a crude wheel at the rib was forced into the opening of rate of about one per minute.the vessel, it expanded the opening He wasn’t throwing them from a to a consistent diameter. Upon hump, but from a pile of small ballsreaching the bottom, the thickness of clay that had been weighed and of the base formed a natural foot. wedged. He had at his side, on Since the air temperature in drying boards, over a hundredIndia was in the high 80s(°F), the thrown cups, all exactly the sameclay firmed up as it was being height and shape. formed. With a whip of a string on Step 1 As I watched him, I was fascinat­ a stick, the formed cup was cut free To make a bisqued rib, center and open ed by a rib tool he was using to of the wheel head and slid to the a small ball of clay, then form what looks control the diameter and shape of waiting drying board. like a donut-shaped bowl with a rounded the cups.The rib looked like a piece Upon returning home, I made exterior profile. of a broken cup that had beenseveral different shapes to duplicate bisque fired. He would center andthe function of the potter’s crude throw a V-shaped vessel from a ball forming rib. After trying out the of clay, then take this crude rib outdifferent shapes, I developed the of a pot of water and “ram” it down following method for making an into the vessel. effective and versatile throwing rib:

Step 2 Cut the form from the wheel and allow it to set up. Trim the bottom so it is has a slight convex profile. Allow the rib to dry then bisque fire prior to use. Tip: I found that making a thumb depression on the side allows better control when using the rib (see step 4). Step 3 A cross-section of the rib reveals the concave side and the slightly convex bottom.

22 Spring 2OOO Step 4 Step 5 Make several ribs of differing diameters, as they are very use­ To use the rib to form cups, weigh out several equal balls of ful in forming smooth curved profiles on the inside of bowls and clay. Store the rib by your wheel in water and allow it to become the outside of the necks on bottle forms. Note the thumb saturated. From a ball of clay throw a V-shaped vessel, with the depressions for a positive grip. rim opening slightly less than the diameter of your rib. Trim the base with a wooden tool, following the angle of the sides of the vessel. After your first few cups, the diameter and height will come naturally without having to measure.

Step 6 Step 7 Insert the rib and hold for a few revolutions of the wheel to set Slowly, while the wheel is still turning, force the rib downward. the diameter of the lip.

Step 8 Step 9 Once the rib hits the bottom, hold it for a few revolutions, With a little practice, you’ll become proficient with the rib and be moving it slightly outward from the center. Gently return the rib able to produce sets of cups without the frustration of to the center position and remove it. constantly measuring and trimming.

Pottery Makingillustrated 23 tools of the trade profile tools and ribs by Lili Krakowski

Profilers, tools and ribs inside of bowls. The term “rib” materials: whose shape and design are is said to derive from actual Close-grained , such as used in the shaping of the pot,bones potters used to impartmaple, , or cherry, is are immensely useful and fun!curves. Frans Wildenhain told best a for making ribs and tools. Profilers facilitate repetition of funny tale—in which the wordA woodworker friend turns the a design on the wheel or in “Dummkopf” exploded repeat­making of ribs into a question of handbuilding, and they makeedly—of potters who “stole” barter; otherwise, you either must certain tasks, such as forming kitchen spoons to shape the obtain close-grained hardwood rims and galleries, easier for interior of bowls to ensure that from a woodworkers store or lum­ those who, like me, have lost the last bit of pea soup could beryard, be or improvise. I use discard­ agility in their fingertipsscraped out. The potters’ wivesed wooden spoons and spatulas, through injury or arthritis. protested and soon spoonwhich I take from my kitchen or Folk potters have always usedblanks were used, and then halfbuy at thrift shops. (Tip: Old, even ribs to shape pots. They haveblanks—giving us the commonscorched, wooden kitchen tools are used cross-sections of gourds, orribs shaped like segments of cit­ preferable to new, because they are properly proportioned shardsrus fruit. already “waterproofed” by satura­ from previous pots, to form the tion with fat.) Antique stores happi­ ly relinquish damaged butter pad­ dles and such like for very little. I also use very inexpensive bamboo rice paddles from Asian markets. Metal ribs can be made of any stiff metal, such as copper or brass, that will not rust. Here too, old soup or kitchen spoons can be adapted. Credit cards or any similar stiff plastic works pretty well, though not as agreeable to work with on clay as wood or metal. tools: The tools for making ribs include a , , round files, , a fret or , brace bits and wet/dry sandpaper. Surform® tools are also useful. For metal ribs, tin , files and saw blades are needed. I avoid power tools, as I have none that can do this fine work safely, and I shun blades and mat . caution: Always wear safety goggles, even a face shield, and work gloves when Photo 1 cutting, drilling, filing, etc. A selection of profile ribs: kitchen spatula bottom cut to a more acute angle, wooden “spreader,” commercial rib, bamboo rice paddle with reshaped top, antique butter paddle, paint stirrer, rice paddle, notched hard-rubber rib, broken wooden rib Lili Krakowski is a professional potter residing in (notched and carved), notched bottom of a rice paddle and a piece of notched Constableville, New York. She teaches pottery at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South and carved for a specific use. Carolina, during the winter months. 24 Spring 2OOO making ribs (see illustrations on page26)1 Making ribs requires a lot of patience and some practice.You can throw a pot that incor­ porates the shape you want, cut it out of the pot when it’s leather hard, and trace its profile PHOTOS: SUE ULRICH onto paper. Or, you can draw your general idea directly, copy it onto a credit card or similar plastic, and test at the wheel. It takes trial and error to get subtler shapes just right. The finalized design is copied onto wood, bamboo or metal, and the rib made. A rib should be big enough to hold steadily and comfortably, which is why I love spoons and paddles whose handles allow me a firm grip. Wood as thick as commercial throwing ribs is ideal—thicker wood (easier to hold) needs to be filed or sanded at the cutting edge. Some ribs work better with one side beveled, others with both sides filed down. Many need no beveling at all. I started out making fairly complex ribs with plenty of ins and outs. I’ve since found that several simpler ribs that add up to morePhoto 2 complex patterns are more versatile, easier This to sampler shows the application of different profile ribs. make, less stressful on wood and breakage is no I have used Tool 1 (see p. 26) to create a pattern for bowls in a series, big deal. Using a profile tool to form a rim or Tool 2 was made with the notched end of a paint stirrer, and the arrow on lip compresses the clay more than a chamoisTool 3 points to the rim profiled with a notched rib. does and helps the rim or lip keep its shape. A chamois, however, is used to give a final smoothing. finishing: If soaked in boiled linseed oil when new, wooden tools last longer. This soak should be repeated every few months. Tip: I keep a lid­ ded plastic gallon jar of boiled linseed oil in the studio, and alternate sets of wooden tools “vacation” there periodically. The oil is diluted with paint thinner as needed. using profilers: Learning to use ribs requires patience and practice. Wetter clay seems more responsive than stiffer clay, demanding adjustment from those who throw as dry as possible. Big-pat- terned ribs, such as those used on the inside of a form, can be used quite dry. Pressure should be applied gradually and gently, to ease the stretching of the clay, and the pot should be supported from the outside. Small-patterned ribs work best when wet, on fairly wet clay. Photo 3 Profile ribs are commonly used to make Pots made in two pieces benefit from preparation of the joint by the use banded designs, which are most effective whenof a profile tool. The same tool is used on both rims, but reversed as covered with a glaze that breaks up to high­ shown, so that the two pieces interlock, thereby creating more stability. light the pattern. Here the two rims are ridiculously thick for so small a diameter—but, of course, the tool was designed for the much larger pots one would make in two sections. The inevitable extra thickness can be removed in throw­ ing, or deliberately left for decorative purposes. Antique jars I have “felt” often preserve the inside ridge while the outside one has been removed. (See George Juliano’s article on two-part pots, Pottery Making Illustrated, Spring 1999, for a useful application of this type of tool.)

Pottery Makingillustrated 25 profile tools and ribs illustrations:

Tool 1 Tool 2 A broken commercial wooden rib has been A wooden butter paddle (outlined) shapes the notched using a round file. Notches A and B inside of a bowl. The shaded part indicates the shape the rim of bowls while C is used for the shape that might be cut out of a broken paddle outside of the lip. or formed from a piece of hardwood.

Tool 3 An off-center notch can be used to form an interlocking ridge. Used one direction to form a ridge on one section, it can be reversed and used on another section to form an interlocking ridge (see photo 3 on page 25).

Tool 4 Tool 5 A wooden disk with a hole in the middle serves The bottom of a wooden paint stirrer has been as a rib for shaping small bowls. Ice-cream cut at the desired angle, and a notch filed at the container lids or other plastic lids also work desired height. The angle imparted by the rib well, but should be used with the outside of the can be helpful in forming a consistent angle for lid facing you. It’s important that the rib be stacking bowls. Note: Dotted line indicates smaller than the diameter of the inside of the where pot has been undercut before the rib is bowl, or suction will develop and the rib will applied—again to prevent the tool from sticking. stick.

26 Spring 2OOO Pottery Makingillustrated 27

tools of the trade throwing sticks by Ivor Lewis At demonstrations and work­ The appropriate tools for throw­ shops, I’ve been asked many ques­ing bulbous forms are called tions relating to ways of achieving“throwing sticks.” The idea of using rotund jars that have narrow necksa throwing stick as an aid is not when a hand cannot be put insideunique to any particular potting the pot. People are intrigued by culture—the the Japanese, for example, improbability of making suchcall this tool an egote, a tool well- shapes and styles.The simple answerknown throughout the world. Clay is that bulbous spherical forms areartists who become proficient with the result of clay knowledge, well- a throwing stick find they can practiced skills and access to the design and create rotund, even appropriate tools. contoured spherical forms that have broad expansive surfaces.

Throwing Sticks 1 and 2 These commercial hardwood throwing sticks are imported from Taiwan. Sharp edges along the handle make them uncomfortable to hold. They lack versatility because when using them, I found their straight shafts prevented access under shoulders of pots with narrow necks.

Throwing Sticks 3 and 4 The first throwing sticks I made were from scrap wood. I sanded the corner edges of the shafts for comfort, and the strong curve allowed me to reach under the shoulder when the neck was narrow. However, I found that such a small head was not really practical for my needs. Even though they allowed access through a very small opening, the ori­ entation of the head to the shaft was not quite right and the sticks needed more of a hook. The tight curve of the tip is not as practical as contours that imitate those of your fin­ gertips or top joint of the thumb.

Throwing Sticks 5 and 6 My latest throwing sticks evolved from sticks made by John Dermer, an Australian master potter known for his large globular pots. The sticks are made from western red cedar, they are light and do not impose a strain on my wrist. Their large bulbous heads have curves that are of similar propor­ tions to the ends of my finger or thumb. I rounded and sand­ ed the corners of the shafts to make the stick more com­ fortable to hold. One head of the stick is smaller than the other to allow me to work on small and large pots. The heads also function as handles, allowing a better grip on the tool when it is wet.

Ivor Lewis maintains a studio at his home in Redhill, South Australia, where he continues his research and writing about a variety of ceramic themes. He can be contacted by e-mail at ian- dol@pirie. mtx. net. au

Pottery Makingillustrated 29 throwing stick templates:

Step 1 Enlarge or reduce the pattern as desired on a photocopier. Transfer the pattern to a piece of ¾-inch thick close-grained wood, such as maple, birch, cherry or mahogany. (Note: For my tools, I use western red cedar because of its light weight.) Cut out the parts using a band- saw, jigsaw or coping saw.

throwing stick assembly schemes:

Step 2 Attach the parts as shown with a waterproof glue and hold in position with C- clamps until the glue is set.

Step 3 Shape the contours with a Surform® rasp then rough sand all edges smooth. Check knob ends to assure they are neatly rounded. Finish sand with at least a 220-grit sandpaper. Coat the stick with polyurethane or a marine diluted with a paint thinner. Allow the finish to soak in, wipe off the excess, allow to dry, then use a very fine sandpaper to remove any raised grain. Repeat two or three times.

30 Spring 2OOO Pottery Makingillustrated 31 32 Spring 2000 Details were added to the lighthouses after they were constructed. A bent paper clip served as an adequate tool for scoring lines. by Craig Hinshaw ith over 3100 miles of shoreline and bordering four of the five Great Lakes, it should be no surprise that Michigan has morew lighthouses than any other state. Most of its 106 lighthouses were built between 1825 and 1900, and although they are no longer manned, they still provide the important function of guiding ships through the often treacherous waters of the Great Lakes. They have also become popular tourist destinations. Two years ago, at the Michigan Art Education Association Conference, art teacher Nancy Douglas presented a workshop on making small clay lighthous­ es. Her method provided simple, sequential steps that I found all students could successfully complete. This method allows enough latitude for creative and Older students did research on the individual interpretations of a lighthouse. Older stu­ Internet and created specific dents have adapted the method to create specific Michigan lighthouses. Michigan lighthouses as well. These introductory lessons have readied students for working in clay by helping them to see the shape, color and patterns used on lighthouses.

Some students added water, rocks and a lightkeeper’s house as seen in this second grader’s version. Once the lighthouses were bisque fired, the students applied underglazes, then brushed on a clear glaze.

Pottery Makingillustrated 33 MATERIALS & TOOLS • A 6 x 6-inch piece of stiff paper to use as a work surface • Paper clip • Craft stick • 1 to 2 pounds of low-fire clay per student • Low-fire underglazes • Low-fire clear glaze

PROCEDURES

Step 1 Flatten a piece of clay to about finger thickness for the base.

Step 2 To form the main body of the lighthouse, squeeze clay into a “carrot” shape, then roll it gently on a desk or table to smooth the surface. (Note: If the lighthouse is more than 1½ inches in diameter, it needs to be hollowed by either pushing a finger or a pencil into the clay.) Cut the top and bottom of the shape level with an opened paper clip. Make a hole through the base to allow moisture to escape dur­ ing drying and firing.

Step 3 Attach the main body of the lighthouse to Before the lighthouse construc­ At last year’s Michigan Art the base by scoring (with the paper clip) tion is begun, it is helpful for theEducation Conference, I shared then moistening the surfaces with slip or students to have some backgroundwith Nancy how much I had water. Note: Follow this same procedure information. Second-grade teach­ appreciated the workshop she had for connecting all parts. ers have read Beacons of Light presented the previous year, and Lighthouses by Gail Gibbons with I exhibited some of my students’ Step 4 their students, while fourth-gradelighthouses at the conference. Make the catwalk from a small ball and students investigated MichiganOne of the nicest compliments press it into a disk shape. lighthouses via the Internet. Some I received was from another art Step5 classes have painted watercolorteacher, who said she liked the Make the light by rolling out a short coil pictures of lighthouses. way the lighthouses were accurate to form a cylinder. The light should look When making the lighthouses, while still retaining the childlike like a section of a Tootsie Roll. I first demonstrate the procedure.handling of the clay. Having Next, I pass out pictures cuttaught from this lesson to hundreds of Step 6 To form the roof, pinch a ball of clay to a calendars and magazines for stu­students, I’ve noticed no two point then cut off the bottom. (Nancy dents to refer to while working. lighthouses are identical. Each has instructed us to make the shape of a Then, handing each student aboutits own personality and is as candy kiss.) a pound of clay, I work throughunique as its maker. the steps again, this time with Step 7 them. After the pieces are dried For finishing details, students can use a craft stick to create waves, and a tooth­ and bisqued fired, they’re ready to pick to scratch in a door and windows. glaze. Again I pass out the light­ Adding small clay rocks, shingles on the house pictures for reference, and roof, an adjoining house, walkways, and suggest colors and patterns that bushes give the lighthouse character. would be appropriate. Using small brushes, students brush on low-fire Step 8 underglazes, which are coveredCraig Hinshaw is an elementary art specialist Bisque the lighthouse, then use low-fire in the Lamphere School District in Madison underglazes with a brushed-on coat of with a clear glaze and fired to Heights, Michigan. Email comments to Craig at Cone 04. craighinshaw@hotmail. com low-fire clear, then fire to Cone 04.

34 Spring 2OOO Pottery Makingillustrated 35 36 Spring 2000 by Karen Perkins An 80-foot-long tile facade (above) is now installed on the Community Stage at Island Park in Springfield, Oregon. The When the city of Springfield (Oregon) wanted to build mural a features 12-inch press-molded relief tiles with under­ stage at Island Park to provide a focal point for performingglaze colors and a Cone 5 clear over the top. The sculptural events in the downtown area, a partnership between tiles two are surrounded by 6-inch handmade tiles, airbrushed with different community arts entities presented itself The longcommercial stains. Detail of two tiles (below) shows creativity. low concrete structure that would be the stage for the com­ munity bands lent itself to some artistic treatment. Karen Perkins, an arts/ceramics teacher at Springfield High School proposed a ceramic-tile strip, 80feet long and IVi feet high; and she felt confident that her students, through their team­ work and her guidance, could effect a permanent impact upon the communityHere is her story...

Teen Teamwork

MURAL PHOTOS: DAVID SIMONE, LIGHTWORKS PHOTOGRAPHY Relief slabs, pouring plaster, testing and more test­ ing. Trial and error elicited groans and cheers from a group of teens united in the creation of a mural for theThe students stretched the images by stroking local park by the river. Students at Springfield behind High parts of the embossed slab, raising them to School became involved in the creation of 12-inchhigher reliefs (see figure 3).They responded creatively detailed images, as well as hundreds of surrounding totiles the embossed images, knowing that another tile for the mural. Over 60 students participated in design­master could be made easily in the event of a mishap. ing and creating clay models, moldmaking, productionAfter the modeling of each tile master was completed, and the final glazing and firing of tile. This project pro­it was trimmed to a uniform size and placed into a vided an excellent opportunity for students wooden to become frame so a plaster mold could be poured. involved in a tangible, permanent project that graces their community—a project to interface the needs of the community with the bounty achieved, as teens Making Tiles become invested and empowered to make a difference in their surroundings. The final forming required a great deal of attention to strategies that prevent warping. We ran a slab through the slab roller between canvas sheets. The C reating a Master Mold mold was placed on top of the slab, students grasped the slab tight against it with the canvas, then flipped To effectively produce the quantity of tiles the needed entire unit over. The slab was then gently worked to span 80 feet, we decided to use an open-face press-down into the mold, first with the heel of the palm mold technique for the main tiles and a flat-tile(see figure 4), then with a damp sponge. Extra clay was process for the borders and edges. Art students weretrimmed away, then the entire slab was scraped level asked to design individual tiles using a river-life by theme drawing a guide stick across it. The following day with a circular format to create a visual unity. Theythe molded tile was flipped onto a piece of plaster­ decided to create low-relief impressions on the clayboard and the edges trimmed (see figure 6), then with stencils, so designs were transferred to a heavy,allowed to dry for a few days with weights on the cor­ flexible rubberized product (the type used toners. cover We completed the drying process on racks. Using drafting tables). Cutting the images with X-acto® Lagunas “Xtra White with Sand,” we created 12-inch knives (see figure 1) resulted in sore knuckles, buttiles the with almost no warping, and a fairly quick drying payoff arrived when they rolled the stencils throughtime (approximately 1 week). the slab roller onto the clay (see figure 2).The image Tiles were bisqued fired, decorated with under- was now immediately embossed in low relief, ready glazes to then dipped face down into a Cone 6 clear bring to life in a more three-dimensional form. glaze.

Pottery Makingillustrated 37 Finishing Touches The Process in Pictures This process allows many people to work on a unified image. The stenciling and press molding pro­ vides a sense of safety. Students gradually recognize that it is appro­ priate to experiment and risk mak­ ing mistakes, knowing the process for creating new tiles is readily accessible. Providing many different student-designed images allows those seeking a creative project

plenty of room for creative design. PROCESS PHOTOS: CRAIG BOTTORF, KAREN PERKINS Other students have technical inter­ est and desire to be involved in the group project, yet are intimidatedFigure or 1 Figure 2 uninterested in creating originalDesigns are transferred to a durable and The stencil is placed on top of the slab of images. These students may becomeflexible material (such as that used to clay on its last pass through the slab involved in cutting stencils, creatingcover drafting boards), and the stencil is roller, then carefully removed. models, making molds, press mold­ cut with an X-acto blade. ing, and glazing. Gradually, as these students develop a sense of owner­ ship and confidence, they make changes within individual tiles as they’re released from the pressmolds. The forming process of these tiles has allowed for creative flexi­ bility, yet permits steps that are easy to replicate. Some students involved themselves for a few weeks at a time. Others committed themselves to the long haul, choosing to enroll in ceramics a second semester, specifically to see the project through. The lure to be involved in a project larger than themselves Figure 3 Figure 4 continued to draw in new students,The clay master is pushed, pulled, After the mold is made, a slab of clay is as they recognized an opportunitymanipulated, modeled and trimmed. pressed into the mold, first with the heel to be involved in a project of sub­Undercuts are removed. of the palm then with a wet sponge to stantial community importance. assure the clay picks up all the detail. This created a constant demand for students teaching students. The opportunity to share the techniques with “new blood” maintained a high degree of ownership and pride for those in leadership roles. The unity that has grown as a result of their drive to create a quality mural for the stage is possibly the most important gift to the community.

Figure 5 Figure 6 Karen Perkins is an Art/Ceramics teacher at Springfield High School in Springfield, Oregon. Excess clay is removed from the tile with The tile is allowed to set up for about a For more information or comments, contact Karena knife, then the mold is struck flush with day, then the mold is flipped over and the at [email protected] a rigid stick. tile released.

38 Spring 2OOO Pottery Makingillustrated 39

What is grog? Grog Basics Grog is a sand-like grit made from fired refractory material. An important additive to a clay body, Clay for throwing requires grog provides strength to the clay some rough material. during the forming process, and Adding 10% to 20% grog reduces shrinking and cracking to a throwing body adds associated with drying and firing. “tooth” or “bite” to the On a recent trip to Maryland clay, which increases worka­ Refractories Company (MRC) in bility and makes it easier to Northeastern Ohio, PMI found out throw taller, wider and just how grog makes its way from more stable forms. A higher the “mine” to your studio. content is suitable for raku There are two ways of making bodies or doing large sculp­ grog—firing raw clay or by grind­ tures. ing up new or used refractory materials. To make grog from raw A blend of medium to fine clay, the clay is typically mined thengrog (30 to 80 mesh) is best fired to remove most of its chemi­ for a throwing body. cally combined volatile matter (e.g., Very fine grog (smaller than H O, CO ) without fusing the par­ 80 mesh) has an adverse ticles.2 2 effect on plasticity—it lacks Grinding refractory materials tooth, making the clay too gained popularity in the 1970s, dur­smooth and therefore ing the fuel crisis. Since a fired unsuitable for making large brick represents the consumption of shapes.Very fine grog also fuel and materials, researchers allows the clay body to determined that adding 10% of absorb water too quickly, fired rejects to clay bodies required decreasing workability and 10% less energy during the firing strength of the body. stage. This discovery drove the growth of the grog industry and Coarse grog is suitable for rejects or high-quality used bricks sculpture and large pieces. and other refractories were recycled Grog helps clay dry more instead of heading to the landfill. evenly, which reduces dry­ In addition to Maryland ing cracks. Refractories, other major manufac­ Because grog has already turers of grog in the US include CE been fired, it helps stabilize Minerals, Christy Refractories, clay during heating and Resco Inc., and Harbison Walker cooling, which helps in Refractories (formerly AP Green). reducing firing cracks. While steel manufacturing accounts for 70% of all grog consumption, Grog lies below the surface Maryland Refractories is the largest of the clay in throwing or supplier to the pottery industry,casting and is revealed dur­ where it is added to prepared clays ing trimming. for the studio. Grog served in an English pub is made with rum, water (or tea), sugar and lemon.

42 Spring 2OOO Figure 1 Figure 2 Faced with rising landfill costs and A front loader places refractory materials on a conveyor to a primary crusher referred stringent EPA rules, factories and mills to at MRC as “Big Bertha.” have adopted more recycling measures. Shown here are factory rejects and high- quality used refractory materials, such as firebrick, stockpiled at Maryland Refractories Co. (MRC) and awaiting a new life as grog. MRC sits on the site of an abandoned fireclay factory where thousands of tons of virgin, calcined fire­ clay brick rejects were dumped over a period of 80 years and now wait to be “mined.”

Figure 4 Figure 5 Crushed materials travel up a conveyor Grog is conveyed from the storage bins to a rotary dryer where surface water is past an electromagnet and into the bag­ removed. Refractories have a very low ger. Though potters are used to seeing absorption rate, usually around 1%, so grog in 50-lb bags or less, here a 3000- the water being removed is mostly from lb bulk bag for a commercial customer being stored outside. After drying, the awaits removal to the warehouse. refractory moves to a secondary crusher then past screens of various meshes, which separate it according to particle Editor’s note: Thanks to Robert Oxnard, president size. Any grog that is too large to pass of Maryland Refractories Co. and 2000-2001 Figure 3 President of the American Ceramic Society for his through the largest mesh is transported assistance in preparing this article. For more infor­ The broken pieces of refractory are back up to the crusher for further pro­ mation about grog, you can contact the Maryland transported to a hopper that feeds into cessing. Refractories Company on their web site at another crusher that turns the fist-sized http: / / www. mrcgrog. com pieces into smaller pieces.

. How to Make Your Own Grog

Though time-consuming, making Take thoroughly dried scraps of then screen through 30-mesh sieve for your own grog opens up many cre­ clay and pulverize them. (Note: Using fine grog or a 20-mesh screen for ative possibilities. You can produce a powdered clay straight from a bag medium. If you want a coarse grog, grog from any clay—low-fire, earthen­ would produce a material that’s too take the material that’s left behind on a ware, porcelain, etc.—and screen it to fine, since anything that passes 20-mesh screen and pass it through the particle size you want. Examples through a 80-mesh screen is dust and an 8-mesh screen. include making a coarse red-clay grog not suitable as grog.) Place the pul­ and blending it into a white clay body, verized material in an unglazed bowl or making grog from your regular clay and fire it to about 1200°F. Once it’s WARNING: and using it in your clay mix. Industry fired, double screen the material, as Always wear a NIOSH-approved res­ does the latter on a regular basis to follows: discard any material that pirator when dust could be present. reduce drying and firing cracks. passes through a 80-mesh screen,

Pottery Makingillustrated 43 Materials • Two dowel rods, of whatever size you choose. • Two strips of duct tape. • One piece of an old shower curtain, or other heavy weight plastic. Cut it about 3 inches wider than your rolling pin, and about the length of the .

• Place a dowel on the sticky side of the tape, and roll one edge of the tape around the dowel. • Position taped dowels on the plastic sheet so that the rolling pin will ride across them, controlling the thickness of the slab.

Tips • Use another piece of plastic between the clay and the slab guide to keep it clean. • Make several guides, using different size dowel rods. Roll guides up for storage.

44 Spring 2OOO Pottery Makingillustrated 45 Spontaneous combustion The magic of pottery is in the fire; it is the firing process that massive effort required to fill and fire a wood-burning anaga­ translates earth and water into stone. Unfortunately, for many ma to smoking pots in the open with whatever combustible potters the most accessible means of firing their ware—in an fuel is on hand. Allowing the fire to touch and alter the pots electric kiln—is also the most boring. Even a gas kiln, though can add an element of the unexpected—the “spontaneity of a little more exacting, offers a fairly controllable and pre­ combustion”—to potterymaking. Following are books cover­ dictable result. This is necessary for the production potter with ing several relatively quick and easy low-temperature ways to wholesale orders to fill. For those who are attracted to the play with fire. excitement of the open flame, the options range from the

Tim A ndrews— STEVE BRANFMAN ------Raku: A review of Raku: A practical C ontemporary Work A pproach Krause Publications, lola, WS, 1994 Krause Publications, lola, WS, 1991 Of all the methods of using fire and smoke as This book is specifically written for anyone an active partner in the pottery process, raku is with basic pottery-forming skills and an interest probably the best known. Though modern raku in raku. Whether you’re about to take your first is a recently developed technique, the flashiness raku class, or wish to take the plunge and build a and immediacy of the results have made it very raku kiln, you’ll find this book helpful. Branfinan popular.This book is more than a “review of contemporary work,”limits cov­ photographs of finished work to a few black-and-white images at ering the history of raku and its origins in the Japanese tea ceremonyappropriate in points in the text and two sections of color plates, but there the first chapter. The basic process, including materials, techniquesare and many photos of processes and equipment. With this book as a guide, types of kilns, is covered in the second chapter.The rest of the book experimentingcon­ with raku could be a very good way to gain an under­ sists of articles detailing the individual approaches of several dozenstanding pot­ of glaze chemistry and what happens inside a kiln, with a rela­ ters around the world who work with the raku process, or some varia­tively small investment either in money or time. The firing provides tion thereof.There are many variations on the raku theme, for the authorquick results, the glazes are simple, and since the temperature is low and points out that raku can best be summed up as “drawing potseasy hot from to achieve, raku Jdlns tend to be small and uncomplicated to build. a kiln and then doing something to them” As this definition implies,Branfinan provides complete instructions for building several types of raku is potentially a hazardous undertaking, and the author doeskilns, not glaze recipes with suggestions for alterations, and step-by-step ­ ignore the issue of safety. Generously illustrated with beautifuling color and pho­ postfiring instructions with an emphasis on safety. He anticipates tographs, this book is best suited for potters with some raku experiencepotential problems and answers questions you didn’t know you had. who are looking for new ideas. Branfinan s writing style is chatty, easy-to-read and informative; this well- organized book is sure to be useful.

KARIN HESSENBERG------Jane Perryman— Sawdust Firing Smoke-fired Pottery University of Pennsylvania Press, Gentle Breeze Publishing, Oviedo, FL, 1995 Philadelphia, 1994 There’s quite a bit of overlap between this book This book, in the Complete Potter series, and both Hessenberg’s and Andrews’ works. The is relatively short and constrained to a very subject is limited to potters who “use the element narrow subject. The limited space is well of smoke as an integral part of the surface decora­ used, however, and this is a very informative book. Though Hessenberg tion” instead of using glaze. The emphasis of the refers to many of the same artists as Andrews and Perryman, this book is book is on low-tech, low-temperature techniques, easier to use as a reference because it is divided into chapters focusingwith a chapter on on the use of these techniques by educational organiza­ specific subjects, such as resist techniques, the use of saggars, fuming,tions. Except etc., for one chapter about the firing techniques of native with reference to appropriate contemporary artists. In each chapter,Nigerian sev­ and American Indian potters, the bulk of the book consists of eral different artists’ techniques are discussed and illustrated withbrief line articles about the work of contemporary potters beginning with drawings and photographs. Instead of detailing each artists techniquesthose using in the simplest methods (smoke firing in the open) and pro­ a magazine-ardcle format, as Andrews and Perryman do, Hessenberggressing to those who use saggars and kilns. This makes it easy for the may refer to different aspects of one artist s work in two or three chap­reader to find a firing method suitable for his or her particular circum­ ters. Thus the reader can quickly look up those techniques thatstance. are of It takes a little more page-flipping to find out about other tech­ interest without too much flipping of pages. Though anybody niquesspecifi­ that may be of interest, such as burnishing or terra sigillata. As a cally interested in using sawdust for firing will benefit from this book,comprehensive exposition of the subject, liberally illustrated with color many of the techniques discussed have broader applications asphotographs well. of finished work and black-and-white process photos, this is a book well worth reading. 46 Winter 2OOO Pottery Makingillustrated 47 48 Spring 2000