Low-Fire Clay Bodies by Bill Jones

July/Aug 2011 Tough Kilns for Tough Times.

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 1 the transformer package Finally a way to fire tall pots

Optimize your firing space: Artist Scott Semple loading a 75” pot at Chemeketa College in Salem, OR 81” Kiln 54” and 27” Kilns Three 27” Kilns

Purchase two or three KM1227-3PK kilns with the Transformer Upgrade Package and gain the ability to fire each kiln separately or stack them to fire taller pots and sculptures. A perfect solution for any University ceramics program.

Exclusive software allows controllers to communicate with each other so the kilns fire in perfect unison when stacked.

For more detailed information visit skutt.com/transformer We help you make great things. 2 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 table of contents

features

17} The Upside- 22} When the Negative down Bowl is Positive by Martina Lantin by Ursula Hargens Throwing a large bowl Layer pattern, starting is easy—just break all with cutouts built into the rules. your tiles and continuing through the glazing.

29} A Box Full 35} DIY Tabletop of Possibilities Slab Roller by Marty Fielding by Daryl Baird Feeling boxed in? Switch it If you’ve always wanted up! Alter wheel-thrown a slab roller, now you forms and combine them can build your own for with slab building. under $150. departments

6} In the Mix 8} Tools of the Trade 10} Supply Room 12} Tips from the Pros Pyrofoto What’s Your Low-fi re Clay Barbara Schwartz by Jessica Knapp Handle? Bodies by Jonathan Kaplan by Circa Ceramics by Bill Jones

40} Instructors File 44} Off the Shelf 48} Pottery Illustrated On the Cover Petal Bowl Sandi Pierantozzi Flower Pot Designs Ursula Hargens’ Wall- by Frank James Fisher and Nan Rothwell Illustrated by ﬂ ower (Reﬂ ection), earthenware, glaze, gold

by Sumi von Dassow Robin Ouellette luster. Photo: Peter Lee. See story on page 22.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 3 fired up

Volume 14 • Number 4

Publisher Charles Spahr Choices Editorial Editor Bill Jones Associate Editor Holly Goring Associate Editor Jessica Knapp “Every day brings new choices.” Editorial Assistant Erin Pfeifer —Martha Beck [email protected] Telephone: (614) 895-4213 Fax: (614) 891-8960 Graphic Design & Production Cyndy Griffith here are many times when I write this column Production Assistant Kevin Davison that I start by finding a quote. Now, I am a Marketing Steve Hecker quote addict and have been since high school. Ceramics Arts Daily T Managing Editor Jennifer Poellot Harnetty I remember some of my first books were collections Webmaster Scott Freshour Advertising of epigrams and proverbs, and nothing satisfied my Advertising Manager Mona Thiel short attention span like a copy of Bartlett’s Quo- Advertising Services Jan Moloney [email protected] tations. But there are also times, and this is one of Telephone: (614) 794-5834 Fax: (614) 891-8960 them, when I begin writing this column with a theme in mind and find a Subscriptions Customer Service: (800) 340-6532 quote to tie it together. [email protected] Choices are an important part of ceramics, and with so many choices to Editorial & Advertising ofﬁces 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210 make, it’s sometimes difficult to decide which way to go. Clays, glazes, form- Westerville, OH 43082 USA ing and surface techniques, kilns, and more—the field is full of options. It’s www.potterymaking.org not so much that every day brings new choices but that, to paraphrase, every technique, tip or ceramic piece provides them. To anyone in ceramics, mak- Pottery Making Illustrated (ISSN 1096-830X) is published bi- monthly by The American Ceramic Society, 600 N. Cleveland ing choices is not only the challenge, but also the reward. Ave., Suite 210, Westerville, OH 43082. Periodical postage paid at Westerville, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. In this issue, you’ll enjoy reading about some of the techniques we’ve Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not selected: a soft slab box, contoured tiles, a petal bowl, and an upside down necessarily represent those of the editors or The American Ce- ramic Society. bowl. To this mix we’ve added tips and information on working with lus- Subscription rates: 6 issues (1 yr) $24.95, 12 issues (2 yr) $39.95. In Canada: 6 issues (1 yr) $30, 12 issues (2 yr) $55. ters, building a tabletop slab roller, using earthenware clay, testing Pyrofoto, International: 6 issues (1 yr) $40, 12 issues (2 yr) US$70. All and even how to make a RAM mold for pressing 90 handles per hour. payments must be in US$ and drawn on a U.S. bank. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. As the magazine came together, I got to thinking about how every issue Change of address: Visit www.ceramicartsdaily.org to change your address, or call our Customer Service toll-free at presents choices. In this issue, I looked at Ursula Hargens’ designs for her (800) 340-6532. Allow six weeks advance notice. contoured tiles and liked the idea of working outside the square, and may Back issues: When available, back issues are $6 each, plus $3 shipping/handling; $8 for expedited shipping (UPS 2-day air); try some geometric forms myself. I also like how Martina Lantin attaches and $6 for shipping outside North America. Allow 4–6 weeks the rim for a combination handbuilt-thrown upside-down bowl. One choice for delivery. Call (800) 340-6532 to order. Contributors: Writing and photographic guidelines are avail- I’ve made already is to go out and purchase a box of red earthenware clay able on the website. Mail manuscripts and visual materials to to play around with. I’ve got underglazes, even some old low-fire glazes the editorial offices. Photocopies: Permission to photocopy for personal or inter- hanging around, and I kind of like the idea of trying out firing at a lower nal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, temperature to check out a different palette, shorten my fuel consumption a ISSN 1096-830X, provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Dr., little, and I’ll also be able to see my results faster. Danvers, MA 01923; (978) 750-8400; www.copyright.com. Pri- or to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please Sandi Pierantozzi’s DVD (see Sumi von Dassow’s review) offers great guid- contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. ance for how to go about working in the studio with her constant question: This consent does not extend to copying items for general distri- bution, for advertising or promotional purposes, or to republish- “What If?” What if you try this or what if you try that? Look through the ing items in whole or in part in any work and in any format. Please direct republication or special copying permission requests to the magazine at all the tips and techniques. Keep an open mind and look at all Ceramic Publications Company, The American Ceramic Society, the choices the artist made to attain that particular form using a particular 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210, Westerville, OH 43082. Postmaster: Send address changes to Pottery Making Illus- series of steps. What kind of project could you make using techniques from trated, PO Box 15699, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5699. Form 3579 requested. two or more of the articles? Maybe you’d like to build a Marty Fielding-type box and use Ursula’s decorating technique, or vice versa? What if . . . ? ceramic artsdaily.org Enjoy the choices.

4 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 5 in the mix Pyrofoto by Jessica Knapp

here are various processes for transferring images to Use Pyrofoto to transfer high-contrast images to glaze- clay, from photocopy transfers, silkscreening, and fired pieces. It was successful with glazes and underglazes, Tstencils to laser transfer decals and commercially applied over glossy to satin surfaces. The fired result can made decals. There is also a process that’s designed specifi- be muted, as in the example above here, or more vibrant, cally for working with glaze. Pyrofoto is a product—made depending on the amount of colorant added to the glaze. by Rockland Colloid (www.rockaloid.com), the makers of Liquid Light photographic emulsion—for use on glaze-fired pieces. It works with traditional photography concepts of exposing a surface to light through a negative, then developing, processing, and fixing the image. However, unlike traditional photography processes, no expensive equipment, chemicals or darkroom are needed. How It Works Pyrofoto is a liquid sensitizer designed to be mixed with 1 glaze and used on a piece that has already been glaze fired. Mix an equal volume of Pyrofoto with a thick glaze, and The glaze/sensitizer mix is applied to an already glaze-fired brush one coat onto the glaze-fired surface. Once it dries, surface, and exposed to direct sunlight, a work lamp, or a brush on two more coats and allow this to dry. high-wattage (250-watt) halogen lamp through a high- contrast transparency image. (Note: Normal household incandescent bulbs will not work as they do not provide the right wavelength.) Where the Pyrofoto mixture is exposed to light (in areas not blocked by the ink on the transparency), it hardens like a resin and becomes fixed to the surface. The pot is then wiped or sponged with cool water to dissolve away unexposed areas, leaving only the glazed image behind. The piece can then be fired again to set the image permanently. 2 3 Creating an Image Place a high-contrast trans- Gently wipe away unex- parency over the piece, posed areas using a damp First, choose your imagery and create a black-and-white secure it to the surface and sponge. The image will transparency using an inkjet or laser printer or copier. expose for 5–15 minutes. gradually appear. High-contrast photographs, illustrations or your own drawings will work best with this process, so avoid images with lots of mid tones, or alter the image using To create a multiple-color image, you’ll need to do one photo editing software to increase the contrast. of three things. Make a separate transparency for each Make sure your printer or photocopier is set to “best color, just like color separations are needed for screen quality” before printing the transparency. If ordering the printing, work with a contrast between the base glaze and transparency at an office supply store, ask for a high quality your Pyrofoto/glaze mixture, or selectively apply different print. This ensures that the black areas, which resist the Pyrofoto/glaze mixtures to the piece based on the colors in light and therefore result in unexposed areas, are saturated your image. and opaque. Remember that the black areas of your image don’t remain once the process is finished. Think of these Mixing & Applying Glazes areas as the negative space. If you want these areas of the Once you know the colors you wish to use, mix one part image to remain, alter your photo to create an inverse im- of the Pyrofoto sensitizer with one part of your liquid age; make the white areas black, and black areas white. glaze by volume. If you use powdered glaze, reconstitute

6 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 it to a thick consistency first (at least in comparison with the rest of the The cup shown here has a shiny as thick as slip for slip trailing). glaze, will gradually dissolve. It may base and a shiny transparent pyro- Tip: For best results, use a thicker take several minutes for the image to foto/glaze. It was fired to cone 4. glaze with high colorant concentra- appear. Don’t brush or sponge aggres- Pyrofoto can be purchased directly tion. Watery glaze won’t coat well. sively as this may damage the image. from the Rockland Colloid website, If the color or pigment isn’t strong For detailed areas, use a small, cut or by phone at 503-655-4152. Many enough, the image will be faint. piece of sponge to remove the unex- of the company’s products are also Clean your already glaze-fired piece posed glaze. sold through photo supply stores. n by scrubbing with powdered laundry When all of the unexposed areas Addendum to the PMI March/April In the detergent and rinse with hot water, are removed, blot and dry the image. Mix: Bristol Glazes by Cheryl Pannabecker. then dry. Prepare test tiles as well to If you want, you can apply a second We wish to clarify that while raw zinc oxide is use as exposure test strips. color and repeat the process. When widely available from ceramic suppliers, both Richard Behrens and Cheryl Pannabecker Apply a thin coat of sensitized glaze the glaze dries, fire the piece to the recommend using calcined zinc oxide for suc- by brushing, then allow it to dry appropriate temperature. cessful application of the Bristol glazes. —Eds. (figure 1). Next, apply one or more heavier coats. Dry thoroughly at room temperature. You can use a fan or a America’s Most Trusted Glazes™ hair dryer on the cool setting, or let the pieces air dry over several hours. Note: It is much more challenging to apply Pyrofoto to three-dimensional forms. In addition to the recommended method, I also pre-heated some pieces to 200°F prior to applying the Potter’s Choice Cone 5/6 glaze to accelerate drying and avoid Albany Slip Brown PC- 32 over Blue Midnight PC-12 drips. Both methods worked, but the recommended method yielded a crisper image. Try both as your results may vary. Exposing & Developing Use your test strips to determine your exposure time. It will be between 5–15 minutes. My images required 15 minutes. If the unexposed areas don’t dissolve, the image is overex- posed (shorten the exposure time). If all of the glaze washes off during processing, the image is underexposed (increase the exposure time). Position the transparency onto your piece (figure ).2 For flat tiles, the exposure time will be straightforward and based on your test strips. If you’re working on a curved surface, the time may be different if not all areas can be exposed at the same time. Set up multiple light sources, or add the image and expose it in sections. Tracy Gamble Plainfield, IN After exposing the image, develop it by gently sponging or wiping with cool tap water (figure 3). Don’t use a lot of water as this will dissolve the image. I used a damp sponge. The unexposed areas, which look lighter Visit LayeringAmacoGlazes.com or slightly greenish-yellow in color

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 7 tools of the trade What’s Your Handle? by Andy Witt

have always loved machines and I love to operate anything that has a motor or some kind of mechani- Ical property. When I needed to start making more than 20 handles at a time, I discovered the art of pressing clay with air-release dies and a hydraulic press. Making a handle mold for use in this process takes three steps. First, a waste mold is created from a model, then a master mold is created. Finally, working dies are cast from the master mold, and handles are pressed using this die set. While this process is probably the longest route one will ever take in preparing to make a handle, the end result is a tool that takes little effort to use and produces many uniform handles in a relatively short amount of As a production pottery, Circa Ceramics makes a lot of time. Most of the techniques developed for using this pro- cups. A handle mold for a hydraulic press that can make cess were derived from the book Pressing Ceramics with up to 90 handles an hour helps them speed up the process. Air Release by Harvey Reid, which is available through Axner Pottery and Ceramic Supplies. ing clay around the model up to these parting lines. I cheat by pinning rather than gluing the boards together. When Design the Model the pins are removed and the two handle halves are sepa- The handle is first designed using an Auto CAD program rated, I glue or mount one half to a flat board with a screw allowing the object to be scaled and proportioned in re- and it’s ready for making the first half of the plaster mold; spect to the shrinkage of the clay. I’m still from the 20th no blocking with clay is required. I place one of the steel century, so I print out the designs, cut them out, and rings used for the hydraulic press over the model, which trace them onto a sheet of MDF using a Sharpie. I pin becomes the cottle, containing the poured plaster (figure 3). two MDF boards together and, using a jigsaw, cut them After securing the ring with clamps, I pour the plaster. down to the general profile (figure 1). Using traditional I like to use # 1 Pottery Plaster for the waste mold as it carving techniques, the handle emerges from the block of is soft and can be removed easily from the steel die rings. wood (figure 2). I also need to carve a gutter into one of the waste molds to hold the excess clay that’s squeezed out while making Making the Waste Mold handles (see the mold in the foreground in figure 5), and The hardest part to making a multi-part mold is determin- this can be accomplished easier in the softer plaster material ing the parting lines between the mold sections, then block- than harder cement.

1 2 Outline a handle shape onto the MDF board and cut it Saw, carve, and sand the handle until you arrive at the down to the general handle profile. final shape.

8 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 After casting, I flip over the first half of the mold and be injected into the system. When in use, the working dies remove the base board. The handle half remains embedded are soaked with water and air pushes the water out of the in the plaster. The second half can be set in place over it Hydrostone, which in turn pushes the clay out of the die. using the two original registration pins, and a little hot glue The Hydrostone needs to be made porous in order for temporarily holds the handle together. The second steel ring the air to pass from the tubing through the working die. is placed over the first waste mold and registered with the This porosity is created while the working dies are cast holes in the other ring. I fill all of the seams and holes with and is done through a process called purging. Purging a oil clay, coat the first mold surface with Perma-Flex Polyure- die is simply increasing air flow into the Hydrostone as it thane Parting Compound to seal it, then pour the plaster for hardens and the water is driven out. the second half. After the plaster sets, the two steel die rings are separated and the wooden handle model is removed. Using the Handle Die The working dies are finished and mounted into the press. Make a Master Mold and Working Dies A coil of clay is placed into the die and is pressed into the Each waste mold is soaped down with a plaster release shape of a handle under a couple thousand pounds of agent and an aluminum cottle ring is attached to make them pressure. This extra pressure not only creates a nice dense ready for cement. The master mold fits over the edge of handle but also leaves a thin amount of clay between the the steel ring and three rods are inserted into the ring to be handle and the excess clay in the gutter, which can be embedded in the cement master mold (figure 4) (the holes easily removed by hand (figure 6). With a little scoring the in the ring are visible in figure 5). These three rods align the handle is ready to be attached to the cup body. master to the ring and keep everything tight for the pouring This system, including making the coils, produces about of the working die (figure 5). Once the Ultracal 30 cement 90 handles per hour. When pressing handles by hand, I is mixed and both masters have been poured, set up, and could only make about 25 per hour (and these had a seam lifted off of the blue steel die rings, the waste molds can be line that needed to be removed with a fettling knife). n removed and the steel rings are prepped for the pouring of the working dies. A working die is made from a much Andy Witt and his wife and partner Nancy Pizarro are the people behind Circa Ceramics in Chicago, Illinois. To see their work, stronger form of plaster called Hydrostone. It also has visit their website, www.circaceramics.com or their Etsy page, special fibrous tubing embedded into it that allows air to www.etsy.com/people/CircaCeramics.

3 4 Place the steel hydraulic press ring over the model and Cast a cement master mold from the waste mold. Embed secure with clamps. rods to register it.

5 6 Complete cement master mold section, the waste mold, and Apply pressure using the jack, release then remove the casting part two of the cement master mold. pressed handle.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 9 supply room Low-fire Clay Bodies by Bill Jones

ow-fire clay bodies are seeing a resurgence in ce- the winter months because the absorbed water will ex- ramic art as more and more artists enjoy the many pand and the pressure will cause cracks, disintegrating the Lpossibilities of the aesthetic range these materials clay. If you’re making dinnerware, it’s important to realize offer. By definition, a low-fire clay body is any clay that that higher water absorption also makes most low-fire can be fired to maturity at cone 04 and has an absorp- clay bodies less durable than stoneware or porcelain. To tion rate greater than 3%. Most commercially available get around the absorption problem, you can glaze entire low-fire bodies are typically fired to a higher bisque (cone pieces to make them waterproof and stilt them in the kiln. 04) where they attain an absorption rate of 7%–8% and Durability comes with vitrification, but low-fire clays tend glazed at a lower temperature (cone 05–06). Given these to deform more when they are fired higher, and red bodies parameters, manufacturers offer a selection of clay bod- will turn a dark brown at the upper end of their firing ies to create most anything you aspire to. range. (Note: Many low-fire clays have a wide firing range (e.g., from cone 05 to cone 5) but you’ll want to test them What’s Available first at the higher range to check color and for sagging. Low-fire clay bodies are typically grouped into two main Place test samples in a shallow bisque box made from categories—white and red. The white bodies are blended high-fire clay to protect your shelf.) from white clays such as kaolin and ball clay and fluxed If you’re looking for a white clay body, you can get this with feldspars and frits to lower their maturation point. in low-fire clays but you won’t get the ‘ring’ or translu- Red clays are made from iron-bearing earthenware clay cence of porcelain. For centuries, low-fire clays were the with additions of ball clays or frits to adjust their firing only clays available and kilns were not capable of the high range and workability. Additions of sand and/or grog make temperatures needed to vitrify stoneware and porcelain. it possible to work on a larger scale for both throwing and Once higher temperatures were attainable, low-fire clays handbuilding. Once you decide on the type of work you’d were relegated more to flower pots, bricks and roofing tile like to do, the selection process is fairly straightforward. as the more durable stoneware and porcelain became the Disadvantages clay of choice for the tableware and decorative market. Because of their low maturation point and higher absorp- Advantages tion rate, low-fire clay bodies are not suitable for outdoor Fortunately for us, the stigma of low-fire clay as an work where the temperature drops below freezing during ‘inferior’ material is no longer a valid concern. The Photos: Gail Kendall Photos:

Low-fire clays provide an aesthetic not available in other The low-fire temperature range allows for a larger color firing ranges. You can opt for either red or white clay bod- palette because higher temperatures tend to burn out or ies or add white slip to a red body for contrast. dilute some of the coloring oxides and stains.

10 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 manufacturer produces at least four sampling different brands from your White Slip bodies: two low-fire white bodies and local supplier. One common tech- Cone 06-10 two low-fire red bodies suitable for nique is to use a red earthenware Feldspar ...... 25 .0 % handbuilding, throwing, pressing or clay which contains approximately Ball Clay ...... 25 .0 tile work. 6% to 8% red iron oxide and coat Kaolin ...... 25 .0 it with a white slip. This gives you a Silica ...... 25 .0 100 % Using Low-fire Clays white base to enhance colors along There are no secrets to using low- with the contrast of the natural Gerstley Borate Base Glaze fire clay and you’ll face some of the uncoated red clay body. If you don’t Cone 03 same challenges that you faced with have any low-fire glazes, you can Gerstley borate ...... 55 .0 % mid- and high-fire clays. Decide begin with using any of your slips or EPK Kaolin ...... 30 .0 on the color you want to work underglazes and applying a low-fire Silica ...... 15 .0 with —red or white—and begin by clear glaze over them. n 100 % Blue Cobalt Oxide ...... 0 .2 % Rich Green Copper Carbonate ...... 6 . 0–8 .0 % Rich Yellow Rutile ...... 6 . 0–8 .0 % Apply glaze on white low-fire clay or over a white slip for best results . For variations, mix glazes together in different proportions and test . Mere Kari Clear Glaze Cone 03 Frit 3124 ...... 59 .0 % Pemco Frit 626 ...... 14 .0 Nepheline Syenite ...... 11 .0 Silica ...... 10 .0 EPK Kaolin ...... 6 .0 Total 100 % Add: Veegum T ...... 1 .6% CMC Gum ...... 0 .6% Mason Stains ...... 7 0–15. .0% Meredith Brickell and Kari Radasch revised this glaze, which was known as SWO, and originally came from the Val Cushing Glaze Book . aesthetic of using low-fire clays has witnessed a renaissance for several reasons. First of all, low-fire clay bodies save wear and tear on the kiln while consuming less energy to fire; and as heating and cooling cycles are shorter, it’s possible to turn a kiln around faster—something that may suit the production potter or the busy classroom. But even more im- portantly, another major advantage to using low-fire clays is the wide color palette available, due in part to the heavy demand for low-fire glazes during the past few decades in the hobby ceramic market. As a result of its popularity, every major clay

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 11 tips from the pros The Lustrous Surfaces of Barbara Schwartz by Jonathan Kaplan

eramic artist Barbara Davis Schwartz is an expert in using ceramic lusters over glazed surfaces. CLusters for ceramics have been associated with one of the final finishing steps that you would see with commercial dinnerware, often as bands of gold, silver or platinum applied on the rims of plates. Barbara uses combinations of luster preparations. Altered Vessel #24, Over many years of testing and researching, she has de- 10½ in. (27 cm) in veloped a multi-layering and multi-firing approach. height, porcelain fired to cone 6 in A Luster Primer oxidation, hand- What are lusters? You’ve probably seen small bottles of painted, multi- lusters at your ceramic supplier, usually stored behind the layered and multi- fired lusters. counter. Lusters come in small glass bottles ranging from 5–100 grams. They have names such as “Liquid Bright Gold,” “Mother of Pearl,” “Opal Luster,” or “Carmine making sure that her studio is spotlessly clean. Any dust Luster,” just to mention a few. These materials are com- that falls onto a freshly lustered piece can cause a defect binations of metals, some of them precious, suspended in in the fired surface. She cleans and re-covers her work- resins and binders that are applied over a glazed surface. table, mops the floor, and clears the clutter from the They’re fired at a very low temperature, usually in the table. Her brushes are stored vertically in jars with their range of cone 022–017, and result in a thin film of metal handles pointing down, separated by type. Her small that reflects and refracts light waves differently. bottles of lusters are also well organized. The color of the glaze and the type glaze surface they Barbara follows several important rules when working rest on top of also affect how the luster appears. For with lusters in her studio to protect herself and her work: instance, an application of Mother of Pearl luster leaves adequate ventilation, cleanliness, no food, no hand lo- a very thin coating of metal, usually tin, that resembles tion, and no putting the brush in her mouth. an oil slick—a colorful rainbow of color. If used over a clear glaze on a porcelain clay body, that clear glaze then Preparing the Work resembles a multi-hued spectrum of colors. On a matte Barbara cleans her pieces with denatured alcohol and a glaze, the luster surface will be dull. These colors will be clean cotton cloth. Denatured alcohol leaves no residue different from each viewing angle and change depend- on the piece and removes any trace of oils from your ing on the type of light in the room. If a layer of Liquid skin. After cleaning the surface, the used cloths are dis- Bright Gold or Platinum is used, there will be a thin layer carded into a flame proof container designed for disposal of that precious metal fused or bonded onto the glazed of flammable materials. surface beneath it. Note: Lusters are not glazes and are She then uses a felt marker to delineate the sections therefore not durable. They should never be used on the of the piece where the gold luster will be applied. It’s interior of any vessel intended for food or beverage. possible to use an airbrush to apply ceramic luster but she prefers to brush the surface in order to control the A Clean Studio quantity of luster used. Spraying consumes more mate- After creating and glaze firing her porcelain pieces, rial and the precious metals are too expensive to waste Barbara prepares her studio to use luster. She begins by if oversprayed.

12 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 Safety Issues 1. Lusters and solvents are very flammable. Never use any of these materials close to sparks or open flames.

2. Dispose of any solvent rags in specially designed flameproof containers. These can be purchased from any industrial supplier.

3. Always wear a respirator when the luster bottles are open, when using lusters, when firing lusters, and when cleaning brushes. 1 4. Wear rubber gloves when working with lusters. Apply the luster in single non-overlapping strokes. Applying Lusters Barbara pours out a small quantity of gold luster into a reusable porcelain palette or tray. Dipping her brush into the luster, she begins to apply it onto the glaze-fired piece with even brush strokes. She works methodically, mov- ing the brush in only one direction and doesn’t go over any previous brush strokes in an attempt to even out the layer of luster—it does so on its own as it dries (figure 1). Using the same brush, she then returns the unused luster from the palette back into the bottle. With the first step completed, she waits about an hour before the applying the marbleizing liquid. Brush Cleaning and Maintenance Luster essence is used to clean and condition the brushes (figure 2). Barbara has three bottles of Luster Essence 2 she uses to remove the material from the brushes. The majority of the luster is removed in the first bottle. Af- Use Luster Essence to clean brushes with luster residue. ter drying the brush with a cotton cloth, she then cleans the brush again in the second bottle, repeating the drying and final cleaning in the last bottle. The liquid in the last bottle shows no sign of any metallic pigment residue (figure 3). Marbleizing Application Marbleizing Liquid is a low-strength solvent that’s used to break up the surface tension of unfired gold luster into a network of fine multi-colored webbing. The degree of webbing and color depends on when it is applied over the first layer of Liquid Bright Gold. As you can see from her many test tiles (figure 4), there are many different resulting surfaces that can be achieved with the Marbleizing Liquid. Light is reflected differently over a marbleized surface and there is no set result. Everything about the final surface depends on the glaze and the glaze color. Generally, a dull or matte glaze 3 will produce a dull luster surface. Conversely, a gloss Detail of the three bottles of Essence used for cleaning.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 13 glaze will yield a shiny luster. If the luster is applied over a black glaze, the light will refl ect differently than it would if the luster was applied over a light colored or white surface. Lustering is all about refl ection and re- fraction, and using Marbleizing Liquid adds yet another dimension to this play of light. Barbara applies the Marbleizing Liquid with a fl at brush and a very light touch so that the liquid does not drag the earlier applied gold luster (fi gure 5). After applying an even coat, she lets the piece dry. Drying time can also affect the degree of webbing and patterning that the fi nal fi ring will produce. 4 Firing Test tiles of luster layering and marbleizing. Fire the pieces in a well-ventilated kiln between cone 022–cone 018. When fi ring lusters, open the kiln door or prop the lid slightly as air is necessary to complete the burning out of organic matter at approximately 800°F. Temperature has a profound effect on the fi nished surface and Barbara has seen many different results so experiment to see which temperature works best for you. n

Test Results Much like testing glazes to understand their application, properties and fi red results, it’s also necessary to test lusters. Barbara has tested hundreds of combinations of metallic pigments (fi gure 6) and has some suggestions that might 5 be useful: Apply the Marbleizing Liquid in broad strokes with a ﬂ at brush in a single layer. 1. Liquid Bright Gold, Platinum, and Palladium lusters are generally solid colors and work best as a fi rst coat.

2. Wait until the initial coat of these metals dries before applying a second coat of transparent or translucent lusters such as Mother of Pearl or any of the colored lusters.

3. When using Marbleizing Liquid, experiment with timing the application of this material over the base layer.

4. Apply lusters over any glazed surface. Trans- parent or translucent lusters will have a different 6 appearance whether over matte or glossy glazes. Individual luster tests on a commercial plate.

Jonathan Kaplan is a potter, designer, and gallerist living in Denver, Barbara Schwartz is a ceramic artist living in West Palm Beach, Colorado. Visit http://plinthgallery.com. Florida. To see more, go to www.barbaradschwartz.com.

14 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 Visit us at ceramic artsdaily.org

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 15 America’s Most Trusted Glazes™ Potter’s Choice Cone 5/6

Ironstone PC-36 over Blue Midnight PC-12 Tracy Gamble Plainfield, IN Visit LayeringAmacoGlazes.com

16 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 the Upside-down bowl by Martina Lantin

Leaf Bowl, 13 in. (33 cm) in diameter, thrown and altered earthenware, cone 03, 2010.

lay naturally wants to move centrifugally so making large bowls can be challenging because it is difficult to keep the form on center. I make them from wheel-thrown parts that are assembled when leather hard. Capitalizing on the physics of working on the wheel, I throw the bases for the bowls upside down. By working the clay up cand in from a centered ring, I’m able to form the base of a large bowl working from the rim to the foot without having to follow up with trimming. Unique asymmetrical bowls are made possible through this method of throwing and altering. When cutting this section from the wheel,

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 17 hold the wire tight to the wheel head as you only pull it through one edge of the piece. Then allow the spin of the wheelhead to cut the piece off completely. This help prevent any distortion in the shape of bottomless forms. When in doubt, you can always wait Lakshmi Luthra Process photos: until the piece has begun to firm up. Making the Parts The bowl shown is made from three parts—base, bottom, and top. The base, a thrown slab, is added last; and the bottom is a basic bowl that’s thrown upside down. The top is an open ring, and is the finished rim. 1 Begin throwing the bottom by making a Make a bottomless ring, throw upward and inward to create a bottomless centered ring. Throw upward pleasing curve. and inward to create a pleasing curve (figure 1). Define the rim, keeping in mind that it will serve as the foot. Rib both the interior and exterior to create a graceful arc (figure 2). Cut this section from the wheel holding the wire tight to the wheel head. Throw the top section right-side up from a centered ring. Explore a variety of rim profiles, being conscious of the edges and the shadows different shapes may promote. In this process it’s especially important to remember to leave a bit of a ‘foot’ on the

2 Rib the interior and exterior to create a graceful arc.

3 Leave a bit of a foot on the rim section to help it stay attached to the wheelhead during throwing

18 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 4 Use a cheese slicer to refine and prepare the raw edge of the bottom for attaching the rim.

rim section to help the wall stay attached to the bat while pulling up the clay (figure 3). Wait to cut the rim from the bat until you’re ready to attach it. Waiting helps keep the rim from warping. Altering the Forms 5 Once the bottom has reached a firm leather-hard stage, turn it over and use Cut the rim into two pieces and score the bottom edge of each one. a cheese slicer to refine and trim excess clay from the raw edge for attaching the top section (figure ).4 The asymmetry of the bowl begins to reveal itself at this stage. Remain conscious of creating a sense of fluidity and generosity as you work. Next, cut the rim or top section into two pieces (figure 5) and attach using the traditional score and slip technique followed by compressing the clay on both sides with a rib. (figure 6). Attach the base last. Measure the bottom opening with calipers and cut and shape the base slab accordingly (figure 7). Score and slip the base (figure 8) and add an additional coil inside the foot ring to reinforce the seam. Using a wet, point- 6 ed brush, clean and compressing the join. Score, slip, and attach the sections to the bottom piece, then com- While I strive for crisp visible seams and press the clay on both sides with a rib. joins, these steps may also be applied to

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 19 7 8 Measure the bottom aperture with calipers and shape the Score and slip the base and add an additional supporting base slab accordingly. coil inside the foot ring. creating a seamless “upside down bowl” where the transi- Before dipping the bowls, I spend time considering how tions blend together. the motion of the dip will affect the fl ow of the slip and serve to emphasize the construction of the piece. I also Decorating the Surface make sure I am able to have a fi rm and comfortable grasp Once the bowls have reached the stiff leather-hard stage, on the piece. The bowls are dipped in one continuous mo- they’re ready to be coated in defl occulated slip. Because tion and hung on their sides as the slip continues to sheet of the low water content, defl occulated slip can be used off (fi gure 9). Once done, the bowl is placed on newspaper on drier clay without the risk of over-saturating the piece (easier for cleaning up both the table top and the foot ring). or having the slip crack off due to excessive shrinkage as After the bisque fi ring, I continue decorating the sur- the piece dries. I start with a batch of slip that’s the con- face. When decorating bowls, I see it as a game between sistency of thick glaze. the interior and exterior of the form. Holding the piece a little below eye level, I imagine the bowl as a centerpiece, decorated in a way that offers a varied perspective depending on where you are at the table. ■

Martina Lantin, a potter and professor at Marlboro College, lives in Brattleboro, Vermont. To see more of her work, visit www.mlceramics.com or www.lantinceramics.blogspot.com.

White Slip for Earthenware Cone 06–02 Nepheline Syenite ...... 15 % Talc ...... 15 Ferro Frit 3124...... 10 Ball Clay ...... 40 EPK Kaolin...... 20 100 % Can add 7.5% zircopax to opacify or titanium dioxide to warm and opacify the slip.

The deﬂ occulant, Darvan 7, is diluted with water (1 part Darvan 7 to 4 parts water) and slowly added to the clay slurry by the capful until the desired consistency is reached. 9 Dip the bowl into deﬂ occulated white slip and hold it upside down to let the excess slip run off.

20 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC From Mud to Music By Barry Hall Hardcover | 260 Pages | 500+ Photos ORDER TODAY! Only $59.95 Free shipping when you order online (US only) www.ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore or call 866-672-6993

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 21 When the Negative is Positive

s the decoration on my thrown work has become more detailed and elaborate, I’ve begun looking to extend my decoration Aover larger surfaces. I chose wall tiles as a way to create large-scale compositions, treating the ceramic surface as a single canvas. In designing my tiles, I set out to create standardized units that could be configured in multiple ways. My goal was to make tiles that were manage- able but could be combined to create larger compositions. Al- tering the shape of a traditional square tile by manipulating the silhouette allowed me to create pat- terns with the tile forms themselves. I could use the same molds to make different shaped surfaces, giving me the ability to modify the overall size or ori- entation of a piece. In my Wallflower series, I use two tile molds to create arrangements that re- flect different compositional approach- es—a repeating pattern and a single decorative pattern that spans the sur- Wallflower (Reflection), 56 in. (1.4 m) in height, earthenware, glaze, fired to cone 05, gold luster, fired to cone 018. Photo by Peter Lee. face of the tiles. The cutouts in the tile provide an added challenge, requiring the surface decoration to respond to the empty spaces, corners, and edges cre- the edges of the MDF model. Then, secure the model so it ated by the irregular shapes. won’t move when the plaster is poured around it, coat it and the surrounding surfaces with Murphy’s Oil Soap, and Making the Template pour in enough plaster to cover the mold by at least one and Mold inch. Once the plaster has set, remove the cottles, clean up To make the tile mold, begin by cutting the edges of the mold with a rasp, and dry it for several days a positive model out of medium density (figure 1). fiberboard (MDF) using a table saw and jigsaw. Sand the model to create a Pressing a Tile slight angle so you can remove it after To make a tile, roll a slab of clay ½-inch thick, and cut it in the the plaster sets up, and apply several shape of your tile. Use the MDF model as a guide or make a coats of polyurethane to seal it. Make flexible template from cardboard or tarpaper (figure 2). Gen- a tile press mold by setting up wooden tly lay the slab into the mold and press the clay down, paying cottles in a square, clamping them, and attention to the corners and edges as those are the areas often filling the seams with clay coils. The missed. Next, cut strips of clay to press into the sides of the cottles should be at least one inch from mold and reinforce the seams with coils (figure ).3

22 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 When the Negative is Positive by Ursula Hargens

can also affect the way the slip lays on the surface through the wetness of the brush; a wet brush gives you a lighter, more fluid application and a dry brush pulls on the surface leaving a denser, slightly textured slip layer. Allow the slip to dry until the sheen is gone and it becomes firm to the touch. Using Paper Resist Now apply any secondary slip designs using paper resist techniques. I make colored slips by adding 10–20% stain to a white slip base, but any commercial underglaze or slip will work. Draw an image or shape onto newspaper. If you’re going to repeat a design, make a master template out of heavier cardstock that you can trace if you need addi-

Editor’s Tip: Although Ursula uses a French cleat system to hang her multiple-tile installa- tions, we suggest this system when hanging a single tile. Form two clay gussets to be used as hanging brackets. Attach them while the tile is in the mold. Score, slip, and then place them approximately a third of the way down from the top. Trim them to match the height of the walls. Pierce a hole in each gusset to later at- Cover the tile with plastic and leave it overnight so that it tach a hanging wire. This allows you to attach sets up to leather hard. The next day, place a board across a wire and hang the tile after firing. the mold opening and flip it over as you would flip a cake, so that the tile rests on the board. You may need to tap the mold with your fist to make the tile pop out. Clean up any rough edges with a rib. Applying Slip Coat the tile with a first layer of slip (figure ).4 A white slip produces a light ground and brightens glaze colors, but any slip color can be used. Pay special attention to the consistency of the slip and the wetness of the brush. If the slip is thin (like skim milk) and applied in quick, single strokes, it appears translucent in places with the red clay showing beneath. If the slip is thicker (like cream) and applied in Photo and tip courtesy of David Gamble. multiple strokes, it creates an opaque, white surface. You

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 23 The Expanding Surface

1 2 The MDF positive next to the finished plaster Use a tarpaper template to cut a slab to fit into press mold. the mold.

3 4 Add clay strips to form the sides of tile and attach Apply a white slip with a soft, wide brush. Ap- them to the bottom slab with a reinforcing coil. ply one or more coats as desired.

5 6 Apply colored slip over the clay and paper resist Apply additional layers of slip design on top of design working from the outside edge inward. the first design layer.

24 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 The Expanding Surface

7 8 Poke holes through a design drawn on paper Make a pouncing sack by pouring graphite into (laying on foam) to create a pouncing template. a cloth circle, then gather and tie it off.

9 10 Lay the paper template over the bisqued tile Apply a glaze outline with a ball syringe, fol- and pounce the design through the holes. lowing the design pounced onto the tile.

11 12 Fill in the outlines with colored glazes using a Pour clear glaze over the surface. Remove glaze ball syringe or a brush. from the waxed areas using a damp sponge.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 25 tional shapes. Use several pieces of newspaper so you’re The glaze line produced from the applicator creates a cutting multiple sheets at once. With scissors or a matte raised line, making a little wall of glaze (fi gure 10). The knife, cut an outline of the pattern. Try to keep both the second step in glazing is to fi ll in the walled-off areas with positive and negative image intact so that you have the colored glazes (fi gure 11). The glazes for this step should option of using both the original shape and the outline in be a cream-like consistency so they fl ow into the walled-in your design. reservoir and create an evenly glazed surface. If the glaze Lay the paper cutout on the surface and spray with a light mist of water to adhere it. Try not to use too much water as it can cause the white slip ground to moisten Homemade Glaze Trailer and smudge. Using your fi ngers, press the edge of the pa- To apply my glazes, I use a homemade per to the surface so there are no buckles or gaps around tool created from a nasal aspirator used the edge of the design for slip to seep underneath. Af- for infants, a ball infl ating needle, and a ter all excess water from spraying has evaporated, apply piece of masking tape. Clip off the end colored slip, brushing from the perimeter inward (fi gure (approximately ½ inch) of the nasal aspirator so that you can just squeeze the 5). Once the paper has been tacked to the surface by the infl ating needle snugly in the opening. slip, you can go back over it to create lines or texture Infl ating needles have a second small with your brush. Wait for the slip to lose its sheen, and hole on the side; a small piece of mask- use a pin tool to lift up the paper from the surface, re- ing tape wrapped around the end of the vealing the resist pattern (fi gure 6). This process can be needle adequately blocks this hole. I like repeated multiple times to extend a pattern or create a these homemade applicators because they are inexpensive, it is easy to replace layered surface. the needle if it gets clogged, and I prefer Dry the tiles slowly between layers of sheetrock (dry- the way the bulb feels—as if it’s an ex- wall) boards and put something heavy (the press mold tension of my hand. itself works fi ne) on top to prevent warping. I bisque my tiles to cone 03 in an electric kiln. accidentally extends outside the desired area, it can be Apply a Repeated Pattern scraped off with a pin tool or small knife when dry. In order to repeat a glaze pattern multiple times, I use the Once all the areas are fi lled in with glaze and the surface Renaissance technique of pouncing. Trace the outline of is dry to the touch, brush liquid wax resist over the glazed the tile and pencil in a design for that tile shape. Then, areas. This keeps the glazes true to their original color and perforate the paper by poking holes along the lines of the texture after the next step and prevents the design from design with a pin tool (fi gure 7). This step is tedious, but running and blurring. After applying the wax, allow the once it’s made, your outline can be used over and over pieces to stand overnight so that the wax resist dries fully again. When fi nished, lay the paper on top of a bisqued and there’s less clean-up. tile and rub a charcoal stick over the holes. I’ve found I The fi nal glazing step is to dip, pour, or brush clear glaze get a darker outline using a pouncing sack that I make by over the surface (fi gure 12). This fi lls in background ar- pouring powdered graphite (available at most art supply eas not covered by the colored glazes. I mix this glaze to stores) onto a small, cloth circle that is gathered and tied a skim-milk consistency so it repels easily from the waxed off with a string or twist tie to create a small bag (fi gure areas. If it does cling to the waxed parts, remove it by dab- 8). Pat the sack over the pin-pricked design to release the bing with a damp sponge. powder through the holes (fi gure 9). Once the pattern is pounced on the tile, trace the outline Firing and Hanging with a pencil to connect the dots and secure the pattern After glazing, fi re to cone 05 in an electric kiln. I bisque since the tile is often heavily handled in the glazing pro- higher than I glaze fi re to minimize pinholing and other cess and the pounced pattern can be easily blown away. glaze defects. After this fi ring, I frequently apply gold luster in small areas and re-fi re the tile to cone 018. Applying Glaze These wall tiles enable me to exploit the rich color, depth, The fi rst step to glazing is outlining the pattern. I use a black and luminosity of slip and glaze while experimenting with pat- glaze that I mix in small batches at a thicker than normal tern and imagery within a two-dimensional composition. ■ consistency. You can also let a glaze stand for a few days with its lid off to thicken it through evaporation. The glaze is then put into squeeze bottles with needle tips and applied Ursula Hargens is a ceramist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She as a drawn line. You can buy squeeze bottles at ceramic sup- received her MFA from the New York State College of Ceram- ics at Alfred University and studied ceramics at Nova Sco- ply stores or make your own. I recommend using a 16 or 18 tia College of Art & Design. To see more of her work, visit gauge nozzle. www.ursulahargens.com.

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 27 A Box Full

of Possibilities

28 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 A Box Full

by Marty Fielding of Possibilities

Triangular box, 7½ in. (19 cm) in width, thrown and altered earthenware, terra sigillata and glaze, fired to cone 04, 2010.

he box is synonymous with freedom. Because measures differently. Similarly there are two sides of equal the specific function of the box is ambiguous, length and a third of different length. To simplify some of we are free to make any shape that we can imag- the explanation in non-technical terms, when I refer to the T ine as long as we can make the lid fit properly. rear corners, I mean the two congruent angles. The nose Boxes have been an ongoing investigation of mine for refers to the third angle that connects the two equal sides. the last ten years. While some of them have likely landed in kitchens, I think of them as residing in another room Throw and Alter in the house. I have a small collection of ceramic boxes Start the process by throwing a bottomless tapered cyl- made by other potters and their contents range from a inder. Make the wall ¼- to 3/8-inches thick and slightly sentimental coin collection to guitar picks. I like to think bevel the rim (figure 1). Cut, lift, and place the piece on of the boxes that I make as personal reliquaries for hold- a dry board. Immediately alter the form into an isosceles ing something intimate and special. triangle by lifting and pressing on either side of each an- The box demonstrated here is an isosceles trapezoid, gle. Now, use a flexible metal rib to define and sharpen although these techniques can be applied to nearly any the edges of the box. First, support one of the rear cor- shape. Technically, an isosceles triangle has two angles ners from the inside. Next, select one side of this corner that are the same size, or congruent, and a third angle that and slide the rib upward from the base to the rim using

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 29 1 2 Throw a bottomless cylinder and bevel the rim. Define corners with a metal rib.

3 4 Apply pressure with a rib to attach the bottom slab. Seal exterior joint by rolling edge of slab up the wall.

5 6 Trim excess clay from the top with a utility knife. Paddle to establish edges on the lid.

gentle pressure (figure 2). Then, switch to the adjacent and trace a line around the bottom that is ¼ inch wider side of this corner and repeat. Make several alternating than the base of the wall. Cut out the shape, then score passes with the metal rib until this corner is finished. Re- and slip both parts and press gently downward to attach peat these steps at the other rear corner of the triangle. the two together. Turn the piece upside down and use a The nose of the box is flat and ¾ inches wide. Follow metal rib to press the slab onto the wall (figure 3). Rein- the directions above to define a corner on either side force the joint by pressing the overhanging clay up into of the nose. Remove any fingerprints by smoothing the the wall with a fingertip (figure ).4 walls with the metal rib. Set the piece aside and monitor The top of the form is convex. To make this curved fea- the drying. ture, cut the top slab an inch wider than the rim. Drape the slab upside down in the rim so the deepest point of Top and Bottom the resulting curve sags an inch below the level of the rim. When the piece reaches a soft leather-hard stage, roll a When the slab reaches soft leather hard, score and slip the ¼-inch-thick slab large enough to create a top and bot- top edge of the pot and the corresponding section of the tom for the piece. Set the body of the box onto the slab slab. Flip the slab right-side up. Align the body and the

30 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 Process shots by Fred Lower Process shots by Fred

7 8 Designate a raised band by pressing into the lid with the Draw a line for the lid around the form with a compass to tip of a fettling knife. guide the cut.

9 10 Separate the lid and the body in a single pass with a util- Stages for creating tabs for registering the lid (right to ity knife. left): “football”, flattened, and divided lengthwise.

11 12 Score, slip, and attach tabs in each corner of the lid. Brush on three coats of terra sigillata.

slab and press firmly enough to tack them together. Next, apply more pressure with the metal rib to seal the two Open the Box parts together. Trim the excess clay with a knife (figure At the medium-hard to leather-hard stage, determine the 5) and smooth the seam with the rib. Use a paddle and a height relationship between the lid and the box. Often 1 1 rib to define edges radiating from the center to each of the the lid height is between /4 and /3 of the entire form, but rear corners (figure 6). if the shape is long and narrow, the lid height may be as 1 From the same central point to the nose of the box, flat- much as /2 of the height. Use a compass (or even a bent ten a ¾-inch band with the metal rib. Finally, delineate piece of coat hanger wire) to draw a guideline (figure 8). the band further by sliding the tip of a fettling knife along Step back and evaluate whether the line creates a divi- both sides (figure ).7 Before setting the piece aside for fur- sion with the proportions you want. If the lid section ther drying, use a needle tool to punch a temporary vent looks too heavy or too flimsy and insubstantial, smooth in the wall to allow air to exit as the box shrinks. Once over the line, make new measurements, and draw a the lid is cut apart from the rest of the box, the vent can new line. Follow that line with a knife, separating the be filled with soft clay. two parts in a single pass (figure 9). Because the wall is

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 31 13 14 Paint wax onto alternating stripes to resist the glaze. Brush on two coats of opaque glaze.

thrown thicker than normal, the rim of each part will be clay. After allowing the box to dry for an hour or more, structurally and visually sturdy. apply another layer of the black and the red terra sigs to After smoothing the cut edges and any remaining slip achieve the desired thickness. and scoring marks from the inside, roll a ¾-inch coil. Cut Bisque fire to cone 04. Wax the rims as well as V-shapes a pair of one-inch lengths from the coil to make the tabs in the corners of the container to match the tabs on the lid. that will secure the lid. First, taper the ends of each sec- Outline broad vertical stripes in pencil and apply wax to al- tion, making them into football shapes. Next, flatten these ternating stripes (figure 13). When the wax dries, glaze the with a brayer and cut them in half lengthwise (figure 10). inside of the box by pouring glaze in, swirling it to coat the Discard one tab and attach the remaining three in the in- interior, and pouring it out. Use the wax stripes as a bound- side corners of the lid (figure 11). With the rounded sides ary for brushing two layers of yogurt-thick opaque glaze on up, angle the tabs slightly inward and overlap the rim by the outside (figure 14). Leave the top of the lid unglazed. roughly a millimeter. Fire to cone 04. Any warping can jeopardize the fit of the Next, gently check the fit between the lid tabs and the lid, so dry and fire the piece with the lid on. body of the box. At first, the tabs may stop the lid from closing entirely. If the space between the box and lid is Eco-Firing more than a centimeter high, continue angling them in- During the firing and cooling, I feel the usual keen antici- ward and check for extra overlap on the rim of the lid. pation to see a group of newly fired boxes emerge from When the space between the lid and container narrows to the kiln. Another exciting thing about switching on the a centimeter wide, carefully push the lid down. The tabs elements in my kiln is that since early 2009 all of the elec- are still soft at this point so a small amount of clay will be trical supply in my studio has been renewable. Central pressed between the two rims like flashing in a mold. This Vermont Public Service, my power company, operates is a sign of a tight fit. Now, take the lid off and scrape the a program called Cow Power that generates electricity pressed clay away with the tip of a fettling knife. Put the from methane gas collected from dairy farms. Enrolling lid back on and let the two parts dry together to retain in the program is beneficial to the environment in two their matching shape. ways; by collecting and burning methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and by decreasing Adding a layered Surface the demand for energy generated from fossil fuel. The vast potential for color interaction that’s available in With the knowledge of a growing movement toward the low-temperature range is a strong motivation in my sustainability in ceramics, I am optimistic that, with op- work. I choose to add color primarily in the form of terra tions like Cow Power and the lower energy needs of sigillata and glaze. When the box is bone dry, apply terra earthenware, we’ll be able to investigate the possibilities sig to the exterior. Start by brushing two layers of black of all sorts of forms, including the box, for many years sig onto the band that runs across the lid to the nose of to come. n the triangle. Next, cover the rest of the surface, including Marty Fielding lives and works in Middlebury, Vermont. the rims and the bottom, with two layers of a red terra To see more of his work or for contact information, visit sig (figure 12). The recipe I use is made using Red Art www.martyfielding.com.

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34 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 DIY Tabletop Slab Roller by Daryl Baird

wanted to build my own slab roller so I searched online for plans, and found a site that referred to George and Nancy Wettlaufer’s book, Getting Into Pots: A Basic 1 Pottery Manual, published in 1975. George designed Ithe type of slab roller I wanted to build; it’s simple and uses common tools and materials. I studied his plans and made Layout of base with caster locations. (Drawing not to scale.) modifications that would make it easier for me build with readily available parts and the tools I had on hand. The slab roller shown here costs under $150 and took about six hours (not counting the three trips to the home center). Step 1: Construct the Base 1. Take one of the 2×4 foot pieces of ¾-inch plywood and mark the locations of the casters (figure 1). 2. Attach the 10 casters with #8×3/8-inch panhead screws. Note: All the caster axles must be perpendicular to the sides of the base to ensure the top board glides smoothly over them. Optional: If the base is warped, you can add 2×2-inch wood rails to the underside to stabilize the plywood. 2 Step 2: Construct the Cradle 1. The roller is mounted to a cradle. To make the cradle, cut a 34-inch long section and two 5½-inch pieces from the 1×6. Detail of cradle end with roller clamp. Cut the 5½-inch pieces down to 3 inch wide to create two 3×5½- and two 1×5½-inch pieces. 2. Attach the 3×5½-inch pieces to the ends of the 1×6 with 3 #8×2-inch flathead wood screws on each end (figure 2). 3. Glue and clamp the 1-inch blocks into the inside corners to strengthen the joints (see figure 9). 4. Attach the cradle to the center of the base with eight evenly spaced #8×1¼-inch flathead wood screws. Hold the cradle in place with clamps as you drill pilot holes and attach with screws. 3 Drilling plan for aluminum angle.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 35 Step 3: Make the Glide Board Step 4: Build the Roller 1. Cut two 27 inch lengths of ¾-inch aluminum angle. Use a flat file 1. Cut one 27-inch long piece of 3-inch di- or grinder to remove any burrs. ameter ABS pipe, and two 3½-inch long 2. Draw a line at the mid-point of each angle piece and drill 11/64- pieces of 2-inch diameter ABS pipe (fig- inch holes in each piece for the screws and two 3/16-inch holes for ure 4). Sand rough edges. Note: The cuts the eyebolts (figure 3). must be 90° so using a miter box or mi- 3. Attach the angle aluminum to each end of the 2×4-foot plywood ter saw is recommended. glide board using #8×5/8-inch panhead screws. 2. Prepare the reducers by removing any 4. Loosely attach the eye bolts to each end of the aluminum angles raised mold ridges with a Dremel-type with the eye of each bolt pointing inward. tool or small grinder to create a smooth surface. Use a rubber mallet to tap the reducers onto each end of the 3-inch pipe. 3. Tap the 2-inch diameter ABS pieces into the reducers. 4. Tap only one 2-inch end cap on one end. Make sure all pieces are fully seated. Note: PVC pipe adhesive is not used in this assembly. DO NOT install the other end cap at this point. Step 5: Make the Crank 1. Mark the center line of the other 2-inch ABS cap and drill a 1/4-inch hole 3/4 inches on either side of this line. 2. Use a hacksaw to cut a 24-inch long 4 piece of flat iron bar. Measure in an ABS plastic parts for roller assembly. inch from one end of the handle and drill a ¼-inch-diameter hole using a metal cutting drill bit. For the mounting holes, drill two ¼-inch holes one on the other end using the ABS end cap from the previous step as a guide for drilling the holes (figure 5). 3. Attach the end cap to the bar using two ¼-20×¾-inch machine screws (figure 5 6). Use flat washers on the outside of Layout of hole locations for handle crank. the cap and lock washers on the inside. Note: It’s important that these attach- ments stay tight for the life of the roller. As an added precaution, apply Loctite threadlock adhesive before tightening. 4. Make the wooden handle from a 5-inch long piece of closet pole. Drill a pilot hole through the center on one end and attach the handle to the crank with a ¼×2½-inch roundhead wood screw and

6 Crank and end cap detail.

Completed handle assembly. 7

36 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 washer under the head of each (figure 9). The roller should turn smoothly under the anchors without extra effort. Do not overtighten the screws. Tip Before attaching the cables, place the glide board on top of the casters then turn the hand crank and check the gap between the glide board and the bottom of the roller in several locations. The gap should be the same at each stopping point across the full length of the roller. If it isn’t, the thickness of the slab will vary. If necessary, remove the roller assembly and use the mallet 8 to square up the reducer and other roller components. Reinstall the roller assembly and check the gap. When Filling roller with sand for ballast. the gap is right, continue with installing the cables. Step 8: Attach the Cables 1. Fold the 9-foot cables in half to find the midpoint, being careful not to crimp them, and mark this point. 2. Lay a cable across the open jaws of a bench vise and, using a hammer, drive a small nail through the strands of the cable (figure 10). Take care to get an even number of strands on either side of the nail. Before removing the small nail, tap a larger nail into the opening and remove the small nail. Work the large nail back and forth to widen the opening in 9 the cable. Mounting detail for roller end.

a flat washer on each side of the crank (figure 7). Tighten the screw all the way down then loosen it just enough to allow the grip to turn smoothly. Step 6: Assemble the Roller 1. Fill the roller with playground sand, plaster, or concrete (figure 8). When using sand, tap the pipe to compact the sand. 2. When the roller is completely filled, tap 10 the hand crank onto the open end. Inserting nail into cable to separate wires. Step 7: Attach the Roller 1. Lay the roller onto the cradle and place a U-shaped 2-inch conduit clamp over each of roller end. While holding an anchor in place, drill two pilot holes in the cradle. Repeat for the other end of the cradle. 2. To help the roller turn freely under the anchors, place two flat washers under each of the mounting holes to act as shims. Se- cure the conduit anchors using #10×2½- inch roundhead wood screws with a flat 11 Inserting screw into cable.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 37 3. 3. Before you remove the large nail, insert a #8×3/8- inch screw into the opening then remove the nail (figure 11). Leave the screw in place. Repeat this for the other cable. 4. Turn the roller so the handle is pointing straight down then drill a 1/8-inch pilot hole in the center of the large end of the reducer. Attach a cable with a #8×3/8-inch screw into place. Repeat this for the other cable. 5. If it isn’t already in place on top of the casters, slide the glide board under the roller to the right, leaving about 2 inches of the board exposed on the left of the roller. Stand at the crank side of the roller and 12 slide the left end of the cable under the roller to the right. Thread this end of the cable through the Cable to aluminum angle assembly detail. eye bolt then loop it over onto itself and hold it in place, loosely, with a cable clamp (figure 12). Move around to the other side of the roller and attach the other cable to the same end of the glide board. Tip: Before attaching the other ends of the cables, have two 5-inch lengths of duct tape at the ready. When each cable is wound around the roller, use the duct tape to hold the windings in place while attaching the cable to the eye bolt (figure 13). 6. Move back to the crank side of the roller and wrap the right side of the cable around the roller three times and have it come out under the roller to the left. Thread this end of the cable through the eye bolt, loop it onto itself and secure, loosely, with a cable clamp. Repeat this for the other cable. All four ends of the cables should now be attached to the eye bolts in the glide board. 13 Step 9: Adjust the Cables 1. At this point the cables are very loose and likely to Duct tape securing cable windings. slide off the roller if the hand crank is turned. Care- fully turn the crank so the middle of the glide board is under the roller. Take care to keep the cable wraps from unwinding. Reapply the duct tape if needed. 2. Turn the nut on each eye bolt so only a few threads are showing past the end of the nut. This allows for maximum adjustment travel. 3. Loosen a cable clamp so the slack can be pulled out of one side of a cable. Keep the edges of the glide board squared up with the edges of the base board during all of the adjustments. As the slack is drawn out, tighten the clamp using a wrench. Repeat this for the other three cable ends. At this stage, most of the slack is out of the cables but fine adjustment may still be necessary. 4. Turn the hand crank and observe the movement of the glide board. Use a wrench to turn the nuts on the eyebolts and tighten the cables. If the glide board 14 drifts to one side, try tightening the cable on the other side. By trial, the tension in the cables will reach Set screw detail on roller end.

38 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 the point where the cable windings on the roller stay flat and the glide board remains square as it moves Materials & Hardware Base & Cradle under the roller. 1 ¾×24×48 in. exterior plywood 5. Leave two inches of cable past the end of the clamp 10 1½ in. rubber rigid casters and cut off the excess. Cable cutters are ideal for 20 #8×3/8 in. panhead screws this but a Dremel-type tool equipped with a cutting 1 1×6×48 in. pine board disk serves the purpose as well. Tape the end of the 8 #8×1¼ in. flathead wood screws cable to prevent snagging. 6 #8×2 flathead wood screws Guide board Step 10: Using the Slab Roller 1 ¾×24×48 in. exterior plywood 1. Make two shim boards from a sheet of 3/16-inch tem- 2 ¾×27 in. aluminum angle pered hardboard (Masonite). As designed, this slab 10 #8×5/8 in. panhead screws roller has a ¾-inch gap between the bottom of the 4 ³/16×1½ in. eyebolts with nuts roller and the top of the glide board. This is a light- Roller Assembly duty slab roller so a thin slab of clay is developed 1 3 in. × 27 in. ABS pipe by rolling the clay several times and adding shim 2 2 in. × 3½ in. ABS pipe boards with each pass to narrow the gap. Rolling 2 3 in. × 2 in. ABS reducing coupling a large, stiff mass of clay with both shim boards in 2 2 in. ABS cap place at once is likely to damage the roller. 6 #8×3/8 in. panhead screws 2. For the first pass, place the clay directly on the glide 4 ¼×2½ in. round head wood screws board. Since clay will stick to the ABS roller, cover 8 ¼ in. flat washers the clay with a piece of canvas or bed sheet. When 2 1/8 in. × 9 ft. steel cables satisfied that the slab roller is operating satisfacto- 4 cable clamps rily, install #8×3/8-inch screws in the narrow ends 2 2 in. PVC conduit clamps of the reducers and in the end caps. The set screws Hand Crank Assembly will help keep the roller components in place. 1 1/8×1×24 in. steel bar 1 13/8×5 in. dowel (from closet rod) Thanks to George Wettlaufer. Your design and plans 2 ¼-20×¾ in. round head bolts offered excellent guidance. n 1 ¼×2½ in. round head wood screw Ed. note: George and Nancy Wettlaufer’s plans were reprinted 4 ¼ in. flat washers in the February 1977 issue of Ceramics Monthly magazine 2 ¼ in. lock washers and are available at www.PotteryMaking.org. Go to this issue, 2 ¼-20 nuts then click on the link below the description for this feature to download a PDF version.

Daryl Baird, the author of The Extruder Book, has just completed the manuscript for a new book From a Slab of Clay to be published in 2012 by The American Ceramic Society. Stay tuned for ordering information.

The finished slab roller.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 39 instructors file Petal Bowl by Frank James Fisher

he majority of functional ceramics are used in the kitchen and Tdining room. So it’s nice when a functional ceramic piece migrates beyond those rooms. The petal bowl has evolved into one of those items. In the past, an assortment of rings, earrings, and jewelry were scattered around our sinks and countertops. Now, the petal bowl collects these into one tidy and secure place. By raising the bowl up on a stem and embellishing it with a stylized flower motif, the petal bowl is both decorative and functional. The nub in the center of the flower mimics a flower’s stamen and serves both to hold a ring and to prevent jewelry items from piling up in the center. Jewelry baubles are forced to occupy the perimeter and are much easier to identify and pick up. Throwing Two Parts The petal bowl is assembled from two pieces: the petal bowl and the pedestal stem. To begin, wedge two pounds of clay Petal bowl, 5 in. (13 cm) wide, white stoneware, thrown and altered, and separate it into two balls. Throw the cone 6, 2009. petal bowl first. Open to a shallow bowl, but leave a small nub of clay in the center floor of the bowl. Pull the bowl sides up and out, thinning clay wall will split. Repeat the process at each of the three the wall thickness. Create decorative grooves on the bowl’s remaining rim marks in order to simulate a flower with floor with a carving tool. Consider varying the width of petals (figure ).2 Undercut the base with a wood tool to the grooves to add a little variety to the design. Smooth assist in guiding the cutting wire. Cut the petal bowl from the walls and the center nub with a chamois and refine the the bat with a wire and set aside. curve of the bowl’s wall to a 45° angle from the base. To make the pedestal stem, center the remaining one- To create the petals, lightly mark four evenly spaced pound ball of clay. Throw the base upside down. Open increments on the edge of the rim. Using a wet, narrow- the clay to create a small cylinder and pull the wall up shafted wood tool, align the wet tool vertically against to form a tube. Choke the center into a gentle arc and the mark on the bowl’s rim and press the rim toward the flair the rim out. The rim will become the foot of the bowl’s center. With the tool held steady in one hand, place base when it is flipped over and attached to the petal a wet index finger from the other hand on the clay rim bowl. Smooth the rim with a chamois and cut into the along the left side of the tool. Gently pull down and drag base near the bat to form a right-angled notch with a your finger outward from the bowl’s center (figure 1). wooden rib (figure 3). Add decorative spiraling with a Now pull the wood tool upward and slightly in to create wood tool if desired. Mark a groove with a pin tool for a sharp crease. Be careful not to cut too deeply or the the cut-off.

40 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 1 2 Place a tool against the bowl’s rim and press it inward The four flower petal details are placed evenly around the while pulling the other side outward. bowl’s rim.

3 4 Throw a short, thick-walled cylinder, pull the walls into a A trimming disc helps hold the bowl in place while trim- tube with a flared rim. Notch a right-angled into the base. ming a rounded bottom on the bowl.

5 6

Cut the leather-hard upside-down stem from the bat using Score both the bowl and the stem and apply slip to both an X-Acto knife. areas, attach the two parts and smooth the joint.

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 41 Trimming and Finishing When both the bowl and stem are leather hard, trim and attach the two parts. To trim the petal bowl, secure a jar to the wheel and invert the bowl over the jar opening. Use a trimming disk to hold the bowl tight to the jar (figure 4) and trim the bottom of the bowl into a rounded base. The bowl will be mounted to the pedestal stem, so a standard foot is not needed. To trim the pedestal stem, use an X-Acto knife to cut the base from the bat. Slice the clay by following the groove made with the pin tool, (figure 5). With the bowl still inverted on the jar, score the base of the bowl. Next, score the base of the stem and apply a liberal coat of slip to both pieces. Carefully position and align the stem in place and press to attach (figure 6). Clean and smooth the joint (figure 7). The combined parts may be unstable perched on the jar, so hold the piece secure while trimming and cleaning. The petal bowl is now assembled and complete. Set the piece aside to dry, then bisque and glaze as desired. n 7 Frank James Fisher is a ceramic artist and author living in Mil- Carefully align the parts before pressing together gently ford, Michigan where he teaches, presents workshops, and but firmly. Clean up the seam and seal the joint using a maintains a studio. He can be reached through his website: damp brush. www.frankjamesfisher.com.

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 43 off the shelf Instructional DVDs by Nan Rothwell & Sandi Pierantozzi by Sumi von Dassow

eaders may be familiar with the Ceramic Arts Daily website (http://ceramicartsdaily.org), What If? Explorations with Texture and Soft Slabs with

where you can watch interesting short pottery Wheel Throwing In this Ceramic Arts Daily Presents video, Nan Rothwell guides you through the skills necessary to improve the pots you make. With step-by- Inceramic this installment of the Ceramic arts Artsdail Daily Presents video series, Sandi R step demonstrations, she covers simple cylinders and bowls then moves Pierantozzi skillfully demonstrates her soft slab yhandbuilding techniques, ceramic artsdail y videos, and preview snippets of DVDs. intoNow more complex projects. CAD Nan’s low-key, friendly tone and practical which she has perfected over the past 25 years. Sandi guides you advice make this two-disc DVD feel like an extended one-on-one tutorial. through a variety of herpresents signature processes and demonstrates how a presents As she demonstrates the specifics of throwing, Nan discusses the mul- wide variety of forms can be created from the same beginning. By show-

tiple visual decisions along the way that improve the form and function with Nan Rothwell ing a vast array of possibilities for form, Sandi engages2-Disc the Set!viewer in the has begun producing full-length instructionalof each pot. You’ll learn toDVDs alter thrown forms into ovals and squares, creative process, encouraging the question of “What if I try this...?” A 2-Disc Set! plus some fun ways to texture your work using wiggle wires. By the time seasoned workshop presenter, Sandi clearly and concisely covers topics you finish watching these lessons, you’ll have learned many specific tips such as working with circular and rectangular templates, altering forms for improving your thrown pots. Plus, you’ll come away with great new with darting, making good handles, and much more. This is one DVD What If? for sale. Two of the offerings in this newideas for expandingseries your repertoire cover on the wheel. Wheelyou’ll want to watch over Throwing and over again. – Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, Managing Editor, ceramicartsdaily.org with Nan Rothwell Explorations with – Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, Managing Editor, ceramicartsdaily.org Texture and Soft Slabs wheel throwing and hand-building, a logical starting with Sandi Pierantozzi

place. The quality of both two-disc sets bodes well Sandi Pierantozzi for the series as a whole—they are well-produced and Nan Rothwell has been making functional stoneware and salt-glazed pots in Virginia since 1973. Originally trained in England, Nan has melded the British studio pottery tradition with influences of American functional interesting. They are aimed at beginning to intermesalt ware to create a -body of straightforward func- Sandi Pierantozzi maintains the “Neighborhood Pot-

tional pots. She has taught classes and workshops in daily video library ceramic arts a variety of settings for the past several decades, and ters” studio with her husband Neil Patterson in Phil- this DVD set reflects her easygoing teaching style. Visit adelphia, and has been a potter for more than 25 daily video library ceramic arts nanrothwellpottery.com for a gallery of work, years. She has presented numerous workshops across diate potters, but even the most experienced potterNan’s teaching schedule, and resource materials about the country, and has exhibited her work nationally glazing and firing. and abroad. Her work has been featured in Ceramics Monthly and more than a dozen books on the ceramic arts. To learn more about Sandi and see images Total Running Time: 2 hours 32 minutes of her work, please visit sandiandneil.com. can learn from both of them. Both DVD sets featureFront cover photos by Kathy Plunket Versluys Total Running Time: 3 hours ceramic artsdail .org ceramic arts daily video library y g ceramic artsdaily.org Copyright 2011 The American Ceramic Society a highly-skilled potter demonstrating a few projects, Copyright 2011 The American Ceramic Society g ceramic arts daily video library both starting with something basic and building up to more and more advanced projects. Wheel Throwing What If? Nan Rothwell’s Wheel-Throwing begins with cylin- with Nan Rothwell Explorations with Ceramic Arts Publications Texture and Soft Slabs ders, bowls, vases, and jars on disc one, which sounds Westerville, Ohio, 2010 with Sandi Pierantozzi very basic indeed, but Rothwell offers a lot of advice www.ceramicartsdaily.org Ceramic Arts Publications as she works and even a relatively experienced potter Westerville, Ohio, 2010 may pick up a tip or two worth remembering—just www.ceramicartsdaily.org watching someone else center and open up a ball of clay can be educational. It certainly helped me think about how I teach these processes, and I now have a few more suggestions to offer my students when they have trouble centering and pulling up. Disc two covers a wide range of differently-shaped pots. She discusses fun projects such as altering forms, throwing large, making and using texture tools and designing tem- and using a wiggle wire, along with constant and valu- plates, as well as how to make the pots. Throughout able commentary about the process of throwing and the DVD, she urges the viewer to ask “What if?” as making pots. you work on a project—“what if I take a dart, or two Sandi Pierantozzi is a master handbuilder, special- darts, or three darts out of the rim of this form?” izing in textured slab work. Since I am primarily a “What if I add a spout, or a handle?” I will certainly wheel thrower who works with slabs only for a few try out some of her projects and I’m quite sure my tex- specific items (and when teaching beginners) this pair tured slab work will be more interesting in the future, of DVD’s was quite fascinating to me. Everything Pier- and more fun for my students as well. antozzi does is entirely logical, and when she demon- I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend both Rothwell’s strates how a pot takes shape, it seems so obvious and and Pierantozzi’s DVD sets to any pottery student, easy, yet I never thought of doing so many of the little and I would especially advise any teacher to get their things she does to her forms! On each disc, Pierantozzi hands on them. Whatever your forte is, you’ll certainly begins with a basic template—a rectangle on one, a learn from one or the other, if not both, of these sets. section of a circle in the other—and explores how to Your throwing and handbuilding will benefit from use these two simple forms as starting points to create them—and so will your teaching. n

44 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 45 An owners manual for your studio Electric Kiln Ceramics

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46 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 index to adverTisers Aardvark Clay & Supplies . . . . . 45 AccuAngle ...... 27 ACerS Books . . . . 21, 27, 28, 33, 34, 46 Amaco and Brent . . . . Cover 2, 7, 16 Bailey Pottery ...... 1 Bamboo Tools ...... 47 Bennett Pottery ...... 5 Bracker’s Good Earth Clays . . . . 21 Pottery Studio and Gallery For Sale. Established, turn-key opportunity. 3480 total sq.ft. Furnished Carolina Clay ...... 47 with all equipment & materials, including custom designed wood kiln. Perfect for workshops and CeramicArtsDaily .org ...... 15 classes. Located 20 miles from Madison in Colum- bus, Wisconsin. For a complete prospectus email Chinese Clay Art ...... 46 [email protected] or call Joel at (920) 623-3406. Classifieds ...... 47 PotteryVideos.com – DVD’s with Robin Hop- Clay Art Center/Scott Creek . . . . 16 per, Gordon Hutchens and Graham Sheehan. Video Workshops for Potters at all levels of ex- Continental Clay ...... 43 perience. Choose from 21 titles. (800) 668-8040; [email protected]. Coyote Clay & Color ...... 21 Custom Mold Making—Increase your productivity Dolan Tools ...... 47 and profits with quality slip-casting molds of your popular designs! Petro Mold Co. offers a complete range of mold-making services, including sculpting Evenheat Kiln ...... 45 and 3-D models, master and case molds, and production mold manufacturing to thousands of satis- Georgies Ceramic & Clay . . . . . 43 fied customers. Visit www.custommolds.net; or call (800) 404-5521 to get started. Great Lakes Clay ...... 45

Custom engraved metal stamps for Ceramic artists, Herring Designs/SlabMat . . . . . 47 Polymer clay artists, PMC artists, Tile makers. Sig- natures, custom commission stamps. See us on line Highwater Clays ...... 46 at Claystamps.com. Kentucky Mudworks ...... 47 For Sale: Autofire Plus Kiln, 200+ Duncan un- opened paints, glazes, etc., and 200+ molds Kiln Doctor ...... 47 from various manufacturers; best offer. For more information and pictures please contact L & L Kiln Mfg ...... Cover 4 [email protected] or call (727) 541- 0750. Larkin Refractory Solutions . . . . . 46 Craving inspiration? Summer Workshops at Saw- Master Kiln Builders ...... 47 mill Pottery: Sculptural Vessels: Kate Oggel, July 30- 31. Large Scale Handbuilding for the Garden: Larry Mayco ...... 11 Elardo, August 13-14. Wheelthrowing 101, July 9 and August 11. www.sawmillpottery.com; Putnam, CT; (860) 963-7807. Mudtools ...... 43 Olympic Kilns ...... 34 For Sale. Incredible Hilltop Chapel three cu.ft. studio kiln. Reaches cone 10 in < 2 hours. Perfect for fast turnaround, one of a kind, testing. Please call Paragon Industries ...... 27 (218) 845-0194 or email [email protected]. Peter Pugger Mfg ...... 34 Potters Council ...... 42 Sheffield Pottery ...... 45 Skutt ...... 2 Smith-Sharpe Fire Brick ...... 28 Socwell ...... 33 Spectrum Glazes ...... 33 Speedball Art Products . . . . . Cover 3 Sterling Publishing-Lark Crafts . . . 43 Xiem Gallery ...... 27

PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011 47 flower pot designs

48 PotteryMaking Illustrated | July/August 2011

Tough Kilns for Tough Times.

➌ Shop for an L&L Kiln and save money.

1) Google “L&L Kilns”!

2) Call 877-468-5456 and ask for a recommended Distributor.

3) Visit hotkilns.com/distributors for a complete listing of L&L Distributors.

L&L Kiln’s patented hard ceramic element holders protect your kiln. 505 Sharptown Rd, Swedesboro NJ 08085 Toll Free: 877.468.5456 Fax: 856.294.0070 [email protected]