clay’s soft side · one. step one is to have a 5-gallon bucket filled 60–75% with your bone-dry...

Mar/Apr 2010

Also in This Issue . . .Pottery for the BirdsA New Line on Tiles Jump for Juice

Clay’s Soft Side

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | March/April 2010 1

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2 PotteryMaking Illustrated | March/April 2010

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table of contents

departments6} In the Mix

From Clay Body to Casting Slipby Paul Andrew Wandless

8} Tools of the TradeHandheld Extrudersby Daryl Baird

10} Supply RoomThe Phases of Porcelainby gwendolyn yoppolo

12} Tips from the ProsClay on Clay Stencilsby Hanna Lore Hombordy

41} Instructors File Creating a Mosaic Tableby Clay Cunningham

44} Off the Shelf The Art of Sculptingby Sumi von Dassow

features17} For the Birds

by Deborah

Schwartzkopf

Combining building

techniques allows the

artist to echo the forms

of her feathery muses.

22} Soft Slab Teapotby Margaret Bohls

Building with soft slabs

can give finished pots

a fabric or pillow-like

look and feel.

29} Between the Lines: Grouting for Effect

by Laura Reutter

Using grout between tiles

is old hat. Using it in tiles

as a decorative element is

something different.

35} Whole Foods, Integrated Design

by gwendolyn yoppolo

In addition to making

your own morning

O.J., how about mak-

ing the juicer, too?

48} Pottery IllustratedIznik Design MotifsIllustrated by

Robin Ouellette

On the CoverMargaret Bohls large white covered jars, 13½ in. (34 cm) in height (left), porcelain. See story on page 22.



fired upInfluence

Influence is a strange thing, mostly because it can work in many mysterious ways. When I’m driv-ing along listening to the news or a song on the

radio, it may spark something—a train of thought—that could lead in an entirely unrelated direction. If the person at the other end knew about the effect their words or melody had on me, I’m sure they’d be surprised.

So there are a lot of unknowns with influence because any one of us could be influencing any number of people at any time and either have no idea or not really give it a second thought. And we’re all aware of the huge variety of influences that impact us personally, from the intentional to accidental, the overt to subliminal, and sometimes even the serendipitous.

In this issue, our artists talk about some of their influences and, although they’re not necessarily from people, they are certainly from a variety of interesting sources. For example, Deborah Schwartzkopf designs a pitcher influenced by a pelican and a loon—two birds that live on opposite ends of a continent. And Margaret Bohls wanted to capture the soft pillowy effect of fabric (another medium) using an inherently rigid substance like porcelain (but it worked!). Laura Reutter’s grouting method for clay tiles is influenced by the stained glass work created by Tiffany studios during the Art Noveau era at the end of the 19th century.

With gwendolyn yoppolo, her entire lifestyle is about influences—from those around her to the influence she has on others. While we only have space to discuss techniques here, we think you’ll really enjoy her biography on her website (www.gwendolynyoppolo.com). From burying her dolls in mud as a child to researching indigenous pottery techniques in the jungles of Ecuador, gwendolyn is a subtle, active force with everyone she meets.

At PMI, we’ve never considered ourselves to be persons of influence but we certainly enjoy the fact that we can provide a great platform for influen-tial artists and potters to share their techniques and wisdom.

Bill JonesEditor

“You don’t have to be a ‘person of influence’ to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me. ”

—Scott Adams

Volume 13 • Number 2

Publisher Charles SpahrEditorial

Editor Bill JonesAssistant Editor Holly Goring Assistant Editor Jessica Knapp Editorial Assistant Erin [email protected]: (614) 895-4213Fax: (614) 891-8960

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in the mixFrom Clay Body to Casting Slipby Paul Andrew Wandless

A common studio challenge is trying to keep the num-ber of different clay bodies you have on hand to a minimum. Throwing, handbuilding, casting, and

surface design techniques often require different clay bodies to suit the demands of how your work is created. Some-times the clay bodies also need to be in different forms such as regular moist clay, slip or casting slip. If I’m handbuild-ing with a cone 6 clay body and want to add a slip-cast element to it, I’d be hard pressed to find a commercial cone 6 casting slip with the exact same shrinkage and absorption characteristics. A singular work made of multiple clay bod-ies can cause several problems. Disparate shrinkage rates, maturation points, iron content, etc., can all have a negative effect on the final outcome of the work when using differ-ent bodies. When possible, it’s always best to stick with the same body.

My sculptural work combines moist clay for general con-struction and casting slip for volumetric elements or for use with various image transfer techniques to address the sur-face. My solution is to use the clay body I’m working with and turn it into the different types of casting slips I need. This assures that all the parts and surface treatments shrink the same, fire to the same cone, and all the glazes work the same on all the different parts. The great thing about this approach is its simplicity. All you need is a 5-gallon bucket, a drill with a paint mixer attachment, a deflocculant, and the clay body you want to use as a casting slip.

Preparing the SlipThe process of slaking clay to make it into slip is a simple one. Step one is to have a 5-gallon bucket filled 60–75%

with your bone-dry clay then add water until it’s a few inches below the rim (figure 1). Let it slake for 24 hours then mix it by hand a little with a stick (figure 2). Once you’ve mixed the slip for about 5 minutes, use a drill with a paint mixer attachment to mix it into a smooth slurry, which should be the consistency of thick cream. Use the stirring stick to check the consistency and find any lumps of clay that didn’t slake down (figure 3). Keep mixing until the lumps are gone.

Measuring Specific GravityAt this point, I normally fill a quart container with the slip to use as a joining or brushing slip. The rest I use for cast-ing slip. You’ll need to measure the specific gravity of the slip to determine if the water to clay ratio is correct before deflocculating it with liquid sodium silicate or Darvan. To determine specific gravity, which is a comparison of the weight of 100 ml of water (which is 100 g and therefore has a specific gravity of 1) with the weight of 100 ml of whatever liquid or slip you are working with. First tare (zero out) the weight of a graduated measuring container on a scale then fill it with 100 ml of slip and see how much it weighs in grams. Once you know the weight, you divide it by the weight of an equivalent volume of water (100g). This works out, in essence, to moving the decimal point in

1 2 3


your weight measurement to the left by two places to get the specific gravity. Example: 183 g = 1.83 specific gravity.

In general, a specific gravity of 1.80 to 1.85 provides good balance of fluidity and strength for most cast-ing purposes. This number can vary, though, depending on exactly what is being cast. I’ve used it as low as 1.74 for volumetric casting and as high as 1.90 for casting flat slabs. Different clay bodies have different optimal specific gravities that are determined by good old-fashioned trial and er-ror. Specific gravity is simply a tool for you to adjust your slip to meet the needs of your particular casting project. Once you find a number that works, write it down and stick with it for that clay body. If you have a spe-cific gravity that is higher than 1.85 and you want to bring it down, add a little water (only a few drops at a time), to your slip, mix and re-test. If the specific gravity is lower than 1.80, let the slip sit 24 hours, skim the water off the top, remix, and measure the specific gravity again.

Deflocculating the Slip Once you have the correct specific gravity, you need to add a defloccu-lant to the slip to make it more fluid so it can be poured. Typically just a few small drops of liquid sodium sili-cate or Darvan is needed to achieve the appropriate fluidity. Clay bodies with high iron content will require less deflocculant than others. Use the drill to mix the deflocculant into the slip and use a ladle or pitcher to scoop some of the slip out to see how it pours. The consistency of cream is what you’re going for so be care-ful not to over-deflocculate the slip, which will cause slow uneven drying and soft spots in the finished piece. Just add a few drops at a time to achieve fluidity and remember a little goes a long way with deflocculants.

Using What WorksI’ve done this process with commer-cially bought clay and with home made clay. I’ve also had the exact same success slaking down clay that

started off as moist clay fresh out of the bag or as 3-day old bone dry clay. I keep a 5-gallon bucket around to throw all my scrap clay into and when it gets about 65–75% full, I turn it into casting slip. I also just slice up a 25-pound bag of commer-cial clay into 1-inch cubes and fill an empty bucket with them and use that to make my casting slip. I’m aware of the different opinions regard-ing initial water content of the clay and its effect on the speed of water absorption/saturation while slaking.

In my personal experience, I’ve found if you let clay in any state of moisture slake for 24 hours, it all mixes up just fine. I suggest you simply slake your clay in the state of moisture that you typically have in the past. n

Paul Andrew Wandless is a studio art-ist, workshop presenter, educator, and Vice President of the Potters Council. He authored the book Image Transfer On Clay and co-authored Alterna-tive Kilns and Firing Techniques: Raku, Saggar, Pit & Barrel. His website is www.studio3artcompany.com and he can be emailed at [email protected].

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tools of the tradeHandheld Extrudersby Daryl Baird

Ida Pauken, who was a student in the Ceramic Arts department at Richland College in Dallas, Texas, de-signed and made a handy little extruder. She created

it after a number of discussions with her instructor, Fred Sweet, about the possibility of using a caulking gun as an extruding device.

There are two basic types of tube support on caulk guns: those with sheet metal cradles and the more expensive twin-bar type. At Richland, they use the type with the sheet metal cradle most often to make extrud-ers. The cradle makes loading and unloading easier for some people, since they can put downward pressure on the PVC tube when pulling back on the plunger rod, and they can use the cradle to support the tube when insert-ing the die between the tube and the end cap/plate.

Modifying a Caulking GunThe end of the caulk gun has a slot or notch to hold the nozzle of the caulk tube. Unless you want to make only very narrow coils, you need to cut this slot open to a more round shape with a jeweler’s saw. Finish the opening with a half-round metal file to get the burrs off, both for safety and to better set the die against the end cap.

For the extruder barrel, use a medium- to thick-walled PVC pipe, chosen for its interior diameter, which should closely match the plunger plate of the caulking gun. Thin-walled tubing should work if the interior diameter agrees with the plunger plate.

Cut the ends of the PVC pipe squarely and sand them smooth to prevent excessive leaking between the die and the end of the barrel.

Most PVC pipe is not perfectly round or smooth in the bore. It may contain some bumps and drips. This can be rectified or refined in most cases by running the plunger back and forth in the empty barrel, scraping the flaws away. If the flaws are excessive, get a better piece.

Insert dies between the end of the PVC barrel and the modified slot at the end of the gun. Pressure seems to seal most of the leaks. If the barrel is cut squarely and sanded smooth, leaking will be minimal. Tip: If the clay blows back over the plunger plate, a small wad of dry cleaner bag placed in the barrel between the clay and the plunger plate usually solves most excessive leaking.

Unmodified fender washers of various interior diam-eters make excellent dies for this extruder. However,

A handheld extruder can be fabricated from a caulk gun found at home centers or hardware stores. A variety of dies can be made from metal, old credit cards or even clay.

using a jeweler’s saw, it’s relatively easy to adapt their original shapes. If you happen upon washers with square interior holes, perhaps intended for use with carriage bolts, they will make nice, solid square forms. If the barrel length is cut back an additional ½ inch or so, Lexan, Plexiglas, or plywood could also be used. Ida also tried using waterproof epoxy to glue other pieces of materials to the “washer” die to block part of the original opening. These additions should face back into the barrel, giving extra support to these attachments by the pressure of the moving clay. Some potters have found cookie press dies in flea markets and garage sales, which also work and are a source of non-round openings.

For cleanup, use a bottle brush for cleaning baby bottles. A dish towel threaded through the barrel works as well. Remember that WD-40 or equivalent applied to the inside of the barrel before loading the clay makes clean up easier. Occasionally lubricating the handle mechanism also makes the job easier.

Given that you’ll most likely be making small-di-ameter extrusions and that you’re relying only on the strength of your grip, this extruder works best with clay that is well wedged, fairly moist, and low in grog.

Other Sources of FunThey’re around. They don’t have “clay extruder” stamped on the side, and they may be disguised as


spoons or window screens or garlic presses. But if you dislodge your thinking a little, you may discover several extruder surrogates around the house, the garage, or down the street at the local second-hand shop or flea market. n

This article was excerpted from The Ex-truder Book by Daryl Baird and published by The American Ceramic Society.

One of the spoons in my studio has little straining holes in its bowl. It’s mostly for stirring glazes, but it makes a great twisted mass of snake-like little coils when you press a ball of clay through those holes. The spoon’s bowl is the die and your fingers (or another spoon) are the “plunger assembly.” Don’t push quite all of it through before adding another ball of clay and you can make some very long clay ropes.

Garlic presses are great for mak-ing “hair.” Look for the kind with the cleaning grid on the back of the plunger. Some makes come with a plastic cleaner (pictured).

A pastry press from a flea market has a full array of dies. Designed for using with cookie dough, you’ll have to work with soft, grog-free clay. Only a couple of the eight or nine disk dies proved usable with clay, but at just a few dollars, it’s a great find!

Marcia Selsor uses window screen and other found extruders to make masses of spaghetti-like coils. She presses these into a mold to make very unusual extruded spheres.

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supply roomThe Phases of Porcelainby gwendolyn yoppolo

Porcelain commands us to be attentive in our touch and responsive to its needs. Beyond the basic tech-nical demands that clay bodies all have in com-mon, porcelain also needs to be treated properly

to avoid warping and cracking during drying and firing. One of the most important things to remember is to watch your timing—this is best learned through experience.

Building onto a form that’s too soft causes slumping. Adding softer clay onto a form that is too dry results in cracking. Altering and/or bending a form that’s too dry or leather hard causes warpage and cracking. In general, join only pieces of similar dryness and reinforce all joints with extra clay and compress them together with a rib.

Slow and even drying is critical. Periods of rest, where the pieces are wrapped in an airtight chamber to slow drying and redistribute moisture, do help. The clay has a

chance to get used to its new form at each phase, without having one part dry too quickly for the rest of the piece. Another valuable technique is to restrict movement of the piece during the drying phase.

Here is a loose guide and time line for what to do when while working with porcelain. The phases are not distinct, but are separated out from the continuum of the entire process for the purposes of discussion. In fact, they blend together in many ways, especially the “cheese” sections. Because porcelain is thixotropic, it has a nice way of re-softening once it has reached the hard cheese stage, so you can actually go back and perform some soft cheese pro-cesses. Porcelain also rehydrates locally to some extent, so you can go back in a concentrated area. These guidelines are designed as a starting point for you to figure out your own way to achieve success. n

Phase Processes Supported Things to Remember

wet clay:forming(additive)

soft cheese:altering and building(additive)

hard cheese:trimming and refining(subtractive)

stale cheese:dry shaping(subtractive)

bone dry:erosive action(subtractive)

throwing on the wheelhand buildingmolding elements

changing the form’s shapeadding onto the formother additions (handles, knobs)texturing surface

trimmingrasping away areas of formcutting away claycarving patterns

clean surface uplighten form furthersoften edgestrimming or scraping with rib

spongingsome light carvingsanding

• pay attention to the space inside of your ves-sel—you’re shaping this receptive space first, and will make the walls around it match later

• slip and score all joinings• compress joints with a metal rib or wooden

tool to prevent cracks later• perform any bending of the walls or altering

of curves

• basic form should not be altered• perform subtractive processes to lighten the

form or add aesthetic elements

• just before the piece is bone dry, it responds very well to having its surface scraped or trimmed

• if the work has become bone dry, you can sponge it down in isolated areas to do some of the processes from this stage

• sponging the form down reduces sanding, erases unwanted marks, and softens any edges

• don’t add too much water!


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tips from the prosClay on Clay Stencilsby Hanna Lore Hombordy

Back in the days when I oc-casionally did raku, I often yearned for more predictable

results. I liked to see the accidental seeping of smoke into unexpected areas but wished for the ability to mask out specific parts of a vessel.

This led to experimentation with stencils and vessels that could be constructed together, fired to-gether, and kept together all the way through the smoking process, greatly influencing the final result.

The best material for fired sten-cils was obvious—what could be more compatible with clay than more clay? Clay stencils, with their plasticity, offer useful char-acteristics that can’t be found in other stencils. They can be custom formed and manipulated to fit the vessel. This intimate relationship works because the piece and stencil have an identical rate of shrinkage and pieces can be fired with stencils in place.

Stencils can be made with very precisely cut designs, or irregular pieces of clay can simply be rolled out and joined to form patterns. Even sturdy coils could be incorpo-rated into a pattern. The clay sten-cil can be applied to a freshly made vessel and the two can be fired together. It can also be fired flat for later use on flat surfaces, making clay stencils especially useful for identical images on multiple tiles.

Creating the Clay StencilWork with a nearly leather hard vessel that is already trimmed, otherwise the weight of the stencil may cause distor-tion of the form. Place paper between the vessel and the stencil, this provides a protective shield around the vessel when carving the stencil and also pre-vents problems with clay sticking. Try using strips of newspaper or construc-tion paper. Overly narrow or delicate parts of the stencil are likely to tear or crack, so keep this in mind as you

The stencil and pot after raku firing.

design. Do not cover the whole vessel with stencils, this makes it harder to grasp without dislodging the stencil.

In addition to working with cylinder forms, try using vessels that have slop-ing sides to provide good support for stencils slipped over the top like a col-lar or shawl (figure 1). The stencil re-mains in place for easy transfer of the whole unit both before and after firing. This technique was originally designed for use with raku firing, so make sure there is space to grasp the piece with raku tongs. An alternative for more difficult shapes is to use fireproof gloves to transport the form from the kiln to the reduction chamber. De-pending on the plasticity of your clay, you can make slabs up to ¼-inch thick that are strong, yet flexible. Roll out a shape that seems appropriate. You may need to try several sizes. The sten-cils need not be trimmed as meticu-lously as a vessel since they are serving merely as a removable mask. Work as quickly and as efficiently as you can.

After cooling, slip off the stencil to admire your results.

1 2 3A clay stencil that can be slipped over the top of a vessel like a collar.


Clay slabs or coil stencils can be shaped over round or irregular forms as well. A loose fitting stencil works best, especially if you’re using coils, which dry quickly. The stencils on round or irregular shapes can’t be as conveniently removed later, although they can be snipped apart with clippers after cooling.

Controlling Shrinkage and StickingIf your stencil starts shrinking too much, lightly spray some water on it, or temporarily cover it with a damp cloth. Your vessel may start to dry and therefore shrink before you’re able to incorporate a stencil. Although you’re using the same clay for the stencil, it’s softer and has a higher water content. If you simply made a collar and placed it on a drier vessel, the collar would shrink more and crack as it dried. To prevent this from happening, merely

Remove unwanted parts of the clay collar and clean up loose bits of clay with a sponge.

The finished piece has a clear glaze applied to the interior and exterior.

4 5

6 7

add more layers of paper strips be-tween the stencil and the vessel, giving more separation to allow more room for shrinkage. As the collar begins to firm up enough to be handled, remove the paper and set it back into position on the vessel.

The work can now be set aside to dry slowly before firing. Occasionally check to be sure the stencils aren’t getting too tight. Should there be a tight spot, the inside of the stencil can be lightly sanded to make a more comfortable fit. If the stencil fits well after both pieces are bone dry, they can safely be fired together.

Raku Firing with Your StencilsWhen you fire your piece with the clay stencil in place, use the same bisque temperature that you normally use. Then, still leaving the stencil in place, proceed with your choice of raku,

Brush on yellow underglaze in the area to be covered by the stencil, put the stencil on and spray on other colors.

To make a stencil, first place a pro-tective collar of construction paper around the jar.

pit or barrel firing. After cooling, remove the stencil to admire your results (figures 2 and 3). If you often work with the same shape you may be able to salvage your clay stencil and use it again.

Using Stencils in Various FiringsClay stencils can be used in regular firings, either oxidation or reduc-tion, and at any temperature. The jar and lid illustrated here were thrown, then trimmed. A protective collar of construction paper placed around the jar serves to separate the stencil from the form and to prevent scratch marks from the needle tool (figure 4).

Roll out a collar of clay and place it over the paper and around the form. Here, a freehand wavy line was cut into the clay stencil. After making the shape you want, remove unwanted parts of the stencil and clean up loose bits of clay with a sponge (figure 5). Do not lift off the stencil until it firms up enough to move without danger of distortion.

After removing the stencil as well as the paper barrier, you might have noticed that an outline of your stencil shape was left on the pot’s surface by the imprint of the needle. This can serve as a guide for applying color. If the outline is faint, wait until the clay is nearly bone dry, replace the clay stencil, and trace it with a pencil.

Guided by the outlines, brush on two thick coats of yellow underglaze (figure 6). There’s no need to be precise, the next step is to replace the


The stencils block the sprayed under-glaze colors, just as in regular smoked ware that has areas masked off.

Lift the stencil and get an idea of how you’re doing at any time during the process.

Finished vessel with airbrush pattern mimicking smoke or raku firing.

Tip: Fresh slabs of clay can come in handy as tempo-rary stencils on a bisque ware piece. Airbrush underglazes of one or more colors onto the vessel then, once the underglaze has dried to the touch, the damp stencil can be removed, rinsed off, and then recycled or reused after drying to leather hard.

8

9

10

stencil and begin airbrushing over it with a green color. Most opaque underglazes can be layered over each oth-er so you may prefer to ignore lines and merely layer the colors. In the example shown here, blue is airbrushed on last. Spray each color on the lid as you go along to save time in rinsing out the airbrush between colors.

Dry the piece slowly with the stencil in place. Check it now and then to be sure shrinkage isn’t causing the stencil to fit too tightly. Bisque fire the stencil along with the vessel so you can reuse it.

After the bisque firing, you have three choices. First, fire the piece unglazed to a higher temperature to make it stronger. Second, glaze the inside of the piece and leave the outside as is. Finally, as in this example, the clay vessel was glazed inside and out with a cone 5 semi-clear matte glaze. This softens the colors consider-ably but affects greens more than any other color. If brighter and clearer colors are preferred, use a bright clear glaze (figure 7).

Using Underglaze for the Smoked LookSurface decoration of another kind offers a big advantage for ceramists confined to indoor work spaces or those who would like to duplicate the smoked look of raku and pit firing but would like the vessels and surfaces to be more durable and water tight.

Using a bisqued pot and stencil, spray smoky colors and patterns with underglazes onto your piece, using actual smoked samples as reference material. Use colors commonly seen in smoked ware such as black, grays, browns, ochre, and so on. The areas with stencils block the color, just as in regular smoked ware (figure 8). You can lift the stencil and get an idea of how you’re doing at any time during the process (figure 9).

In addition to making this surface possible without smoke firing, this process has added benefits. You can achieve the low fired look but fire to a higher tem-perature, making the piece much stronger and more durable. The outer surface can be glazed with a satin glaze so you have the smoked look with a durable surface, and the inside can also be glazed to make the vessel waterproof.

The vessel with the hanging lines was one my first “artificially” smoked vessels. I referred to an older raku piece and airbrushed similar colors and mim-icked the patterns (figure 10).

This admittedly won’t provide anyone with the excitement and drama of the actual raku or smoking process, but the other advantages of the method might outweigh the disadvantages.

As for the stencils, you’ll only need them for the bisque firing but you can wash them off and recycle them for possible use in other projects. n


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David Snyder began repairing kilns atage 15 in his parents’ ceramic shop. Helives in Charlotte, North Carolina and ser-vices kilns in an eight-state area.

“Paragon is by far the most solid-built,virtually repair-free kiln made,” said David.“I can honestly say it’s the best kiln made inNorth America.

“Over the years Paragon has led the in-dustry in innovation,” David said. “I’ve al-ways found that everything Paragon didwas followed by other kiln companies twoor three years later.

“As a professional repair person, I pre-fer selling a top quality kiln and then neverhaving to worry about a warranty issuerather than selling a kiln of lesser qualityand having to worry that I will have to makea trip for warranty service repair.

“I like the balance of firing in a Paragonkiln, and quality of construction,” he said.“Their control boxes are heavy duty. Thefall away easy access switch box is reallynice. One thing I love about Paragon is theclear wiring diagrams for every kiln theymake. Elements are pre-stretched withpre-bent corners, so there’s no worry aboutthe element fitting or not. New elementconnectors come with every element.

David Snyder of All Fired Up said, “Everything Paragon does is normally agrade above what is the standard for the industry.”

2011 South Town East Blvd.,Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557Toll Free Fax [email protected]

“Paragon is by far the most solid-builtkiln made” —David Snyder

“The switch boxes are made of thicksteel. They don't use cheap wire mesh ontheir switch boxes. The wire mesh isspot-welded and fails after a few years.Stands are heavy duty. The galvanized steelbase plate is a great feature especially forsetting up a new kiln when you have to shiftthe kiln on the stand. For kilns without asteel base plate, you have to lift the kilncompletely off the stand to adjust the kilneven a quarter of an inch. Otherwise thestand will dig into the bare brick bottom.

“Another factor is element design. Oneproduction potter I know does literally dayin, day out cone 6 firings in his Paragon Vi-king-28. He had his kiln for right at threeyears before needing new elements. The el-ement replacement in that kiln could nothave been simpler.”

Call or email for a colorful free catalogor to find a dealer near you.

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by Deborah Schwartzkopf

irds are a great starting place to study form. They’re full of

life, vary greatly in shape, and have distinctive personalities. In Alaska, I studied loons and found them

graceful in the water and sophisti-cated in form with an ethereal persona.

Florida offered the pelican, which is a bit quirky in form, but no less elegant when gliding among the waves. These two birds were the inspiration for a new piece I’ve been working on.

I wanted a tall pitcher form, with a long full neck and a horizontal body that would be a rest-ing place for the handle. Much like the pelican’s silhouette when it’s standing on a pier, the long beak aligned with its neck, and smallish body protruding horizontally. These proportions feel a bit awkward and playful. From the loon, I wanted the sleek sophistication and grace, to add a bit of mystery.

With these ideas of form in mind, I started with drawings of pots based to varying de-grees on these birds. For this pitcher form, I wanted a shape that would be difficult for me to get with a thrown and altered part. So I coiled the shape I wanted, bisque fired it and used it as a mold for a slab of clay.

Overall ProcessI assemble wheel thrown and altered por-celain parts and slabs that have been shaped over bisqued clay hump molds. In general I work as wet as I can—as soon as the clay does not show finger-prints when touched lightly—and with all the parts of a similar dryness. After the bisque, I apply different underglazes with a small tipped applica-tor bottle or airbrush. I then paint and wax small swatches of color, wax the insides after glazing, and begin to layer glazes through dipping and

Pitcher, wheelthrown and hand-built porcelain, mul-tiple glazes, fired to cone 10 in oxidation.


Patterns and MoldsWhen I began handbuilding, I used

patterns before I started using

molds. Because I wanted a certain

volume that was hard to stretch the

clay into, I began pressing the slabs

against things like the corner on my

counter. And when I wanted curves,

I then started building molds with

the curves and lines I wanted. Now

I’m at a point in the process where

I can better imagine the shapes that

will come from the molds I make and

how I’ll use those shapes in my work.

The process now feeds itself—I start

with a drawing and build a mold

to capture a certain shape, then I

use several patterns for each mold.

Sometimes I build molds just to

explore a shape, not knowing what

it will yield, and at other times I’ll

have a more specific idea and build

toward that.

In conjunction with the molds, I use paper patterns made out of watercolor (or a heavy stock) paper (figure 2). These patterns give consistency and guide the clay shapes that I lay over the molds. These are used for cups, butter dishes, bowls, teapots, and other vessels. Each patterned piece, when laid on the molds in different ways, yields a totally different building block to play with. If I want to make several of the same form, I use a permanent marker to draw a line on the mold itself where the patterned slab started and stopped so I can put another slab on in the same place.

Making the NeckTo begin making the neck of the pitcher, throw a bot-tomless cylinder. I throw on bats to avoid denting the form as I lift it off the wheelhead. Center and open the clay through to the bat, draw outward until the clay starts to build a wall then compress down, flattening the wall. Repeat until the clay has moved out to the desired diameter. Here, I opened the centered clay to about 3 inches in diameter then raised the walls to about 6–7

spraying on the outside surface. Glazing is not a fast process for me and I enjoy spending time at this stage of the process as well. I fire in an oxidation or neutral atmosphere (gas or electric) to a hard cone 10. On some pieces I airbrush china paint and fire a second time to cone 019. And at the end of the process, I want my work to be taken home and lived with, used during a meal, washed up at the sink, and when not in use, roosting in the cupboard.

Making Molds and PatternsTo make molds, I simply coil build non-round shapes, focus-ing on bisymmetrical angles and planes. These molds can be made out of most clays since they are only taken to bisque temperature. At times I build not knowing what the mold will be used for, and explore new finished shapes this way. Sometimes I have a specific drawing or picture in my mind and work from that to build a mold that gives me a particu-lar form. I’ve learned that these molds can be used for many forms by laying different patterned slabs over them in differ-ent configurations (figure 1).

Bisque molds made by coil building. I drape clay slabs that have been cut into patterns over these molds to con-struct some of the parts for my pots.

Paper patterns cut from watercolor or heavy stock paper make the clay shapes that are draped over the molds more consistent.

Pull the walls of the pitcher’s neck tall, and use a rib to curve the profile.

1 2

3Cut darts out of the front and back of the cylinder to alter the shape.

4

Proc

ess

phot

os: D

anie

l Ter

an.


inches in height. A slight swell adds to the volume even after altering the cylinder later on. Ribbing the cylinder takes off all the slip and shapes the profile into a tight strong curve (figure 3). Set the cylinder aside to dry to leather hard. Once it’s leather hard, cut out the darts on the front and back (figure 4). These darts are cut on a bevel, so that the clay meets on a roughly 45° angle rather than a 90° angle. This makes for a stronger seam that’s easier to com-press. The altered cylinder now has movement and volume (figure 5).

Patterned & Molded BottomNext, use a bisque mold, paper pattern, and rolled out slab of clay (figure 6) to create the bottom portion. Creating the bisque molds provides the opportunity to make very unique pieces (see sidebar on page 18). To transfer the paper pattern onto the slab, simply run your finger along the edge of the pattern, pressing down lightly. The edge of the paper creates a slight line on the clay, which you can follow to cut out the pattern. However, only cut out the edges, leaving the darts to

cut out after the slab is secured around the mold. In one sure movement, pick up the wet slab, wrap it around the bisque mold (figure 7) and slip and score together the beveled seam in the back (figure 8). If the slab is too dry, cracks can form as you bend the slab, and blending the seams together is more difficult. The support of the bisque mold under the clay allows you to press the clay strongly, blending the seams and defining different planes and lines on the form.

After the slab is secured around the mold, cut out darts that allow the clay to fit snugly against the mold (figure 9). When cutting the clay to take out darts, I use an X-Acto knife instead of a needle tool or a fettling knife. I find that using a thinner blade pulls less on the clay and makes for a cleaner cut. The blade is dull (I’ve been using the same one for years), which also ensures that you do not cut through the canvas, interfacing or other table coverings under your slab.

A good way to avoid that pesky canvas texture is to use interfacing—a non-weave synthetic fabric used in sewing to strengthen cuffs and collars. It can be found at fabric and craft shops and is quite inexpensive. Slip and score the edges

Lay a paper pattern for the bottom portion of the pitcher onto a slab. Run a finger along the edge to create an outline on the clay.

6

Right after cutting the shape, wrap the cut slab around the bisque mold.

7Compress the seams and define edges and lines using a rubber rib.

8

The darted and altered cylinder has a totally different posture that inte-grates well in combination with hand-built elements.

5


Some seams give clues to the process, and accent different parts of the form.

To prevent distortion, cut the bottom form before taking it off the mold.

the mold over and clam shell off the bottom, stretching the piece as little as possible as you widen it out away from the bisque mold enough to clear the sides of the mold and lift it off. It’s necessary to flip the mold over to remove the bot-tom on this particular form, because it tapers and becomes narrower towards the foot and would need to be stretched too wide to clear the top of the form if removed right side up. Next, now that the form is free from the mold, slip and score it all back together and smooth and compress the seams inside and out.

Combining PartsTo join the two parts together, the bottom form must be quite dry, otherwise it will sag under the weight of the top piece. The foot of the top cylinder must be trimmed in or-der for it to meet the curve of the bottom. Hold the top over the bottom to gauge where the cut should happen, trim it, and then hold it over the top again to see if it fits. Cut off more if needed. When the seam is flush, trace along the joint as a guide for cutting a hole. Cut just inside this line and remove the circle, then slip and score the segments

and press them together. These dart seams should be fur-ther compressed from the inside once the clay is removed from the mold. Note: If too much slip is used on the seams, it causes the clay to stick to the mold and makes it hard to remove. After all the darts are cut and tucked, trim the upper edge and cut out the patterned top piece from a slab. Gently place it on top of the mold and slip and score it into place (figure 10). Some seams can be blended away and others de-veloped, depending on where you want the glaze to break or the eye to be led along the form (figure 11).The clay stiffens quickly as the mold draws water out of the clay. If it is left on too long it will begin to crack. There is a small window of time where the clay is dry enough to support itself without the mold but not yet prone to cracking off the mold.

Finishing the BottomOnce you’ve finished defining the body, set it aside. When the bottom is a soft leather hard, cut along the back verti-cally and then along the top horizontally to release it from the mold (figure 12). This allows you to remove the clay without damaging the shape. First take off the top, then flip

11 12

Cut out, then gently press the darts together to make the clay fit snugly against the bottom of the mold.

9Trim the top of the slab, cut, slip and score a second slab into place to cover the top of the mold.

10


together (figure 13). Press up from the inside of the bottom form to compress and smooth the seam. If you press down from the top, it can compromise the strength of the bot-tom. After this, place the pitcher body on a small slab, trace around the foot, cut out a closing bottom slab and slip and score this into place.

FinishingPull a thin strap handle from a lug or coil of clay. This can be pulled thinly because a clay slab is added later, and creates volume and visual weight. After the handle has dried a bit, cut it at one inch from the top at a roughly 45° angle. Attach the short section you just cut off to the neck of the pitcher. Face the cut angle away from the neck (with the bevel facing down) so that it will align with the longer section. Attach the remaining portion of your strap handle to the shorter piece, with the two cut faces meeting to create an acute angle on the inside of the handle, and a point on the outside edge of the seam.

After the attached handle parts are drier and won’t warp when touched, add a curved slab to the inside

face of the longer section and coils inside the seam and shorter part of the handle to create visual weight and physical thickness that makes the handle comfortable to hold (figure 14). If this slab is too wet and the handle too dry there is a high risk of cracking. Pierce the pocket of air made by adding the slab with a pin or needle tool, so that it doesn’t stress the seam as the shrinking clay compresses the air inside or cause a blowout in the kiln. Cut and form a spout from a slab and hold it against the rim of the pitcher to see where to cut it. Trim the pitcher body and slip and score the spout into place. Blend in coils to form a smoother transition between the thrown rim and the cut slab edge (figure 15).

After the pitcher is assembled, compress the seams, add bits of clay to the uneven parts, and smooth out the rough areas with a wet sponge, rib and allow to dry. The finished greenware pitcher is ready for bisque firing (figure 16). n

Deborah Schwartzkopf is currently working at Pottery North-west, in Seattle, Washington, making pots and teaching commu-nity classes. To see more of her work, and for contact informa-tion, visit her website at www.debspottery.com.

Slip and score the pitcher neck onto the bottom. Reach inside and press up into the top to compress the seam.

Add a slab to the pulled handle. The re-sulting handle is both lightweight and visually and functionally substantial.

Cut the rim to fit the shape of the spout, attach it and smooth the transition.

Add coils to smooth out any of the uneven parts and transitions.

13 14

15 16

http://www.debspottery.com


by Margaret Bohls

rocess is a primary source of inspiration for me. A sense of inventive play while folding, cutting, and assembling clay slabs provides a stream of new information with which to work. My

soft slab work is made simply and assembled relatively quickly, giving it a soft, casual simplicity. For me, each pot is like a three-dimensional gesture drawing. Each form is defined by the edges of the slabs from which it was created. These edges or lines create a drawing in space that defines each form. When making each piece, I’m conscious of the quality of each of these lines defined by its weight and direction. The form language is simple, and soft, satin and matte glazes allow one to see and feel the quiet nuances of shape and shadow.

Prepping the SlabsI use porcelain slabs rolled out using a slab roller. Rather than canvas, I use SlabMat (www.slabmat.com), a dense smooth paper that doesn’t leave a texture. I sandwich my

clay between two pieces cut to fit my slab roller, one for above and one for below the clay.

After rolling the slabs and compressing them with a large plastic rib to align the clay particles, I allow most of them to stiffen slightly, flipping them occasionally, un-til they are about halfway between wet and leather hard. I save one wet slab for making the handle and spout. The slabs range from about 1/8–3/16 of an inch—thicker for the main volume and thinner for the spout and handle.

Building the Teapot BodyBegin by creating the main body of the pot, which con-sists of a darted cylinder and a bottom slab. First, cut a rectangular shape from the thicker slab. The length of the rectangle will be the circumference of the body; the width will be the height. Since the edges of the slabs are an important visual element of the finished piece, care-fully smooth and compress each edge with your finger, thinning it slightly and softening it.

Building with soft slabs and accentuating seams gives this body of work by Margaret Bohls a fabric or pillow-like feel and a casual elegance.

http://www.slabmat.com


Rather than beveling edges, use the small end of a pony roller to further thin the edges to be joined. They will overlap so that the edge of the slab will remain vis-ible. Score and slip the edges to be joined and assemble the cylinder, carefully pressing the edges together first with your finger from the outside, and then with a small curved rib on the inside of the seam. To create a sense of volume and to soften the silhouette of the shape, roll the bottom edge of the cylinder on the tabletop (figure 1), pushing the bottom edge in and under, and then gently drop or tap the form onto the table once or twice, mak-ing it slouch a little.

To close the top, cut four darts (figure 2). Rather than measuring, simply cut out one dart and use it as a pattern for the other three. The depth and width of the darts can vary; however, the resulting opening should be roughly the size needed for the neck of the pot. The edges of these darts are also thinned and smoothed, then scored and slipped, overlapped and pressed together (figure 3).

Cut the bottom from a slab that is just a little thicker than the slab used for the walls. Loosely trace the bot-tom, cutting a soft rectangular shape to wrap up over the bottom of the cylinder, softening and thinning the edges as with the first slab. Wait a bit to join these two parts.

Creating the SpoutThe pattern for the spout resembles a whale tail (figure 4). This shape creates a spout that has a bulb at the bot-tom and a soft outward curve. The spout is cut from a fresh, soft slab, thinner than that used for the main cyl-inder. Once the spout is cut out, thin the narrow end of it further using a pony roller, so that the slab is thicker where it will attach to the body of the pot and thinner where the liquid will pour out.

Thin and smooth the edges, score and slip them, then gently curve the spout into a cylinder (figure 5) and tack together the larger end. Hold the spout upside down and run your thumb down the inside along the length of it. This helps to empha-size the outward curve of the finished spout.

Set the spout down on the table and gently overlap and join the edges, starting at the bottom and working your way up to the top. Use your thumb again to push out the bottom end of the spout from the inside, making it fuller and more bulbous. Using your fingers, pinch the bottom edge inward, and then gently tap the bottom of the spout on the table as you did with the main volume, making it soften and slouch slightly.

Rolling a Slab HandleMake the handle from a rolled up slab that’s then flat-tened on one side. Begin with a very soft slab cut into a trapezoid (figure 6). Thin and soften the edges. Be care-ful to rib the outer surface well to help prevent cracking. Coat the inside surface with a thin layer of slip and fold the very edge over with your fingertips making sure not to trap air, then roll it up the rest of the way using the flats of your fingers in one smooth motion. Once you have this round roll, flatten it on one side and stretch it out by slapping it on the table (figure 7), pulling it toward yourself as it comes down, in the way one would stretch a slab. Bevel the wide end and cut the handle to the appropriate length. Bend the handle into shape and set it aside (figure 8).

Making the Neck and LidThe lid of this teapot is a cap type lid that sits down over a neck that projects up from the mouth of the teapot body. This is a very snug lid, since you can make the neck and the flange of the lid at the same time. To ensure that the lid fits well, keep the two parts together as much as possible throughout the drying and firing process.

For aesthetic reasons, the neck is made similarly to the handle. Cut a long soft rectangle of clay, soften the edges, rib the outer surface, and slip the inner surface. The strip is rolled up lengthways and flattened. This time, hold both ends of the piece while you slap it onto the table. This ensures that the piece remains consistently thick rather than becoming tapered. Curve this flattened strip into a ring that’s the same size, or slightly larger than the opening at the top of the teapot body. Then bevel the ends of the strip and score and slip them together.

Cut the flange of the lid from a slightly stiffer slab. When made into a ring, the flange should be slightly

taller than the neck of the pot. Smooth the bottom edge and wrap the flange strip around the neck ring. The two should fit snugly together. Note: Make the inner ring from slightly softer clay, so it shrinks a little more than the outer ring. The ends of the flange strip are thinned and soft-ened, scored and slipped to-gether. Make sure that the two rings still fit together.

Finally, make the top of the lid from four overlapping triangles. This creates a visual continuity between the darted shoulder of the teapot and the lid that sits on top of it. To make the four triangles, first cut a rounded rectangle of clay,

Espresso set, 7½ in. (19 cm) in length (teapot), porce-lain, flat matte black glaze.


Roll the bottom edge of the cylinder on the table top to create volume.

Cut darts out of the cylinder to close in the top.

Join the dart seams by slipping, scor-ing, and overlapping.

Cut the shape from a slab, address the edges, then join the spout’s seam.

The template used to make the spout, shown with a finished spout.

Cut a tapered slab for the handle and smooth the surface with a rib.

Flatten one side of the handle and stretch it out as you would thin a slab.

Bend the handle into shape after bev-eling the wide end.

Cut a rounded rectangle for the lid (shown with rim and flange rings).

1 2 3

54 6

7 8 9


PoRCELAIn CLAy BodyCone 10

Grolleg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 %Tile 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26F-4 Feldspar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Pyrotrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Total 100 %

Add: Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 %

WhITE SATIn MATTE Cone 10

Custer Feldspar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 %Gertsley Borate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Dolomite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Talc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Kaolin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Total 100 %

FLAT MATTE BLACkCone 10

Cornwall Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 %Dolomite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Whiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10EPK Kaolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Total 100 %

Add: Yellow Ochre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 %Cobalt Carbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 %Chrome Oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 %

ST. John’S BLACk (ShIny)Cone 10

Alberta Slip Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 %Nepheline Syenite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Total 100 %

Add: Cobalt Oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 %

These pots are fired in an electric kiln to cone 10.

Cut the rectangle diagonally into two X patterns to create even darts.

Assemble the top of the lid by over-lapping the four triangles.

Make a print with slip on the slab for the bottom of the pot.

Attach the handle to the opposite side. Add a coil if needed.

Compress the seam on the lid. Add a coil if necessary.

Trim the spout, creating a sharp edge to prevent drips.

10 11

12 13

14 15


slightly larger than the flange you have already made (figure 9). Cut the rectangle from corner to corner in an X, making four triangles. Then turn the rectangle slightly and cut a second X, removing the clay between each triangle (figure 10).

Smooth and thin the edges of the triangles, then score and slip them together, with each triangle slightly overlap-ping the one before it (figure 11). Once those seams have been allowed to cure a little, dome the top of the lid slightly by pushing out from the inside with your fingers or a small, curved plastic rib.

AssemblingTeapot body. Now that all of the separate parts have been made, they’re ready to be assembled. It’s best if all of the parts are at a soft leather hard stage. Note: Especially when us-ing porcelain, avoid join-ing soft clay to stiff clay.

Begin by attaching the bottom slab to the cylin-der. Score and slip the bottom edge of the darted cylinder to make a print on the bottom slab (figure 12). This mark tells you where to score, and helps to avoid creating su-perfluous score marks.

Score the slab just on the “printed” slip ring, then apply slip. Press the darted cylinder firmly onto the slab. Lifting the piece in one hand, use the thumb of your other hand to press and smooth the edge of the slab up over the bot-tom edge of the cylinder. The edge of the bottom slab is stretched and thinned slightly in this process. Go over this seam with a damp sponge to ensure that it’s truly joined all the way around. Use your fingers or a damp sponge to press the seam together on the inside of the pot as well.

To add the neck, first trim a small amount off the edge of the top opening and score and slip that flat edge and the bottom of the neck-ring. The two are pushed firmly together and the seam is smoothed slightly on the outside using a sponge. Join the seam more thoroughly on the inside using a round wooden tool to smooth around the inside of the joint. Spout and handle. First score and slip the bottom edge of the spout and press it against the pot to make a print. Cut a hole just inside the “printed” slip ring. Smooth and thin the edge of the hole, score and slip, and press the spout around the hole. Now score and slip the handle onto the other side of the pot (figure 13). To score critical areas like the handle joint, I use a scoring tool that creates deeper scoring than the serrated rib.

Lid. To join the two parts of the lid, first place the flange ring over the neck ring, already joined to the pot. Dust the surface of the neck ring with corn starch first so that the two parts do not stick together. The top edge of the flange ring should stick up higher than the neck. Slightly bevel the outer edge at the same time so that it is flush with the slanting angle of the inside of the lid. Score and slip the inside top of the lid and press it down onto the

flange. Lift the entire lid off of the pot. This pro-cess helps to ensure that the flange does not warp and the lid fits snugly.

Compress the seams of the lid inside and out us-ing a round wooden tool (figure 14), then clean them up. Thin, smooth, and shape the edges of the lid. Sometimes it’s neces-sary to smooth a soft, thin coil into the joint between the flange and the top of the lid on the inside. After dusting both the neck of the pot and the inside of the lid with corn starch,

place the lid back onto the pot and gently re-shape it to exactly fit the neck.

Finishing TouchesAs a handle for the lid, make another tiny, rolled, flattened slab, then bend and attach it to the peak of the lid.

For the spout to pour well, it needs to have a sharp edge. Once the end of the spout is quite hard, but not yet bone dry, trim off the very end of the spout at an appropriate length and angle. Use a sponge to smooth and soften the outside of the spout tip, then ream out the inside of it with a very sharp knife, being sure to leave a sharp interior edge, which will help prevent drips (figure 15).

Wrap the finished pot in plastic and allow it to sit overnight before allowing it to dry completely. Lift the lid once or twice during the drying process to make certain it isn’t sticking. n

Margaret Bohls is a studio potter and educator living and work-ing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has been teaching ceramics at the University of Minnesota since 1998, during which time she has also been visiting faculty at Ohio University, Penn State University, and NSCAD University in Halifax. Bohls has also taught many community classes and workshops at art centers and universities across the country. In her studio, Margaret makes hand-built porcelain pottery, which she shows and sells both locally and nationally. See more of her work on her web-site www.margaretbohls.com.

“This body of work is made simply and assembled relatively quickly, giving it a soft,

casual simplicity.”

http://www.margaretbohls.com


http://www.peterpugger.com/

http://www.bigceramicstore.com/

http://ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore/

http://www.bigceramicstore.com/


http://www.clayartcenter.net/

http://www.refractories.saint-gobain.com/

http://www.kilnshelf.com/


Between the Lines Grouting for Effect

by Laura Reutter

Adding grout to tiles, mosaics, and tile installations can enhance a design,

strengthen linear elements, and even create a stained-glass effect. Furthermore, grout can impart a patina to glazed tiles, producing an aged or weath-ered appearance. Grouting for effect isn’t a new idea—sever-al tile companies around the turn of the last century used grout in decorative as well as functional ways, including Moravian Tile Works and the Hartford Faience Company.

GroutGrout is a mixture of cement, sand, and colorant to which water is added. Like mortar, grout hardens slowly over a period of time. In convention-al tile installations, grout fills the spaces between ceramic pieces, creating a smooth du-rable surface that prevents the penetration of moisture and dirt. Grout is available in a wide range of premixed colors, making it easy for artists to pick and choose the appropriate hue for their project.

To achieve a decorative effect, tiles require recessed areas in their surface that will hold grout. These recessed areas may be linear elements such as grooves or negative shapes carved into the tile. Grout is applied to the tile after the glaze firing. Gaps between whole tiles and tile mosaics also create grout lines. Depending on the width of the grout line, the ef-fect can range from subtle to dramatic.

The following examples focus on using charcoal black grout applied to the surface of glazed stoneware tiles that have been fired to cone 6.

Narrow LinesThe swan tile (see page 30) is a simple 4×8-inch tile based on an Art Nouveau period design. First roll out a ½-inch thick slab of clay that’s large enough to accommodate the design. Make the paper pat-tern slightly larger than the fi-nal tile size to allow for shrink-age during drying and firing. Transfer the image to the clay slab by tracing over the paper pattern with a pencil, pressing firmly to ensure the design is inscribed into the clay.

Cut the slab to its desired size and allow it to stiffen overnight. Once the clay is almost leather hard, incise narrow lines—approximately 1/16-inch wide and 1/8-inch deep —around the primary shapes on the clay tile. Use a

combination of wooden and metal clay modeling tools and bamboo skewers to create the lines. Add additional linear details to the swan tile, such as feathers and ripples in the water, if desired. Keep in mind that the wider and deeper the incised line, the more grout it will hold and the more promi-nent the grout line becomes. Extremely shallow details will not retain the grout.

Reverie, after grouting. 17 in. (43 cm) in height, press-molded stoneware, glaze, black grout, fired to cone 6.

TipTo make multiple copies, create a simple plaster press mold from the tile. Keep the tile fairly damp for mold-making. If the tile is to be a unique piece, dry it slowly on a wire rack and bisque fire once it’s completely dry. See page 32 for more on tile making.


Brush, pour or dip glazes onto the tile, taking care not to fill the grooves. After glazing but before firing, any glaze drips that have settled into the grooves must be removed using a needle tool or pointed wooden stick (figure 1). Grout won’t stick in a shallow groove that’s partially filled with glaze. Once the tile has been glaze fired, it’s ready to accept grout.

Note: Colored grout stains everything it touches! Protect your work area with plastic sheeting or newsprint and wear gloves. In addition to the grout, available in home centers and flooring stores, you’ll also need a sponge, container of water, container for grout, stirring stick, and a flexible squee-gee for application (figure 2). Mix the grout as instructed by the manufacturer and apply to the surface of the tile.

I like to use a flexible rubber pottery rib to push the grout firmly in all directions over the tile (figure 3). Make sure the grout penetrates into the bottom of every groove. The sur-face and sides of the tile should be completely covered with grout so that any color changes are consistent overall.

Once the lines are filled, the grout should be left undis-turbed in order to set up. After 30 minutes or so, sponge off any excess grout. Use a slightly damp sponge and be careful not to lift grout out of the grooves (figure 4). If you do ac-cidentally remove too much grout, you can add a little where needed at this time.

There will probably be some alteration of glaze colors during grouting. Light glazes and matte glazes are especially prone to picking up colors from grout. Test a sample of your glaze with some grout first if you want to avoid unexpected color shifts. Areas that are sensitive to staining may be coated with a resist such as paste wax or varnish prior to applying grout. Again, testing is recommended.

I found that the white glaze on the swan’s body was readi-ly stained by the black grout, but I wanted the grayish muted effect that resulted and did not mask this color (figure 5).

Moderate Lines My Idyll tile was designed specifically to utilize black grout lines that would strengthen the composition, enhancing an already linear Arts and Crafts-style image.

The first step is to establish a basic pattern on paper. Use a wide-tipped permanent marker over a pre-existing draw-ing to give an idea of how the final grout lines will look. Trace the pattern using a stylus, transferring the design to a stiffened clay slab. Once the design is established on the slab, carve grooves to a width and depth of at least 1/8 inch (figure 6). The grout requires a groove deep enough to anchor it, en-suring it will stay in place during application and sponging.

As described above, apply grout liberally and use firm pressure in all directions. Sponging off the grout reveals dra-matic changes in the appearance of the tile.

The finished tile will probably appear darker and/or more muted than the original due to coloration from the grout. This is normal and part of the charm of the process. The addition of black grout lines strengthens this com-

Remove excess glaze with a pointed tool from all areas that will receive grout.

Necessary tools: plastic drop cloth, gloves, containers, water, sponge, stir stick, grout, and squeegee.

Apply grout to the tile surface with a flexible tool. Wear protective gloves.

Carefully sponge off excess grout after it has set up.

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position greatly. Compare the photograph of Idyll before and after grouting.

Wide LinesMy goal in designing Reverie (see page 29) was to produce an effect similar to a stained glass window. Strong grout lines form an integral part of the composition much like lead lines do in stained glass.

Reverie is a multi-part tile assemblage measuring 12 × 17 × ½ inch. Its four press-molded sections have grooves approximately ¼-inch wide and ¼-inch deep to accept grout. The 20 border pieces are made separately from stiff clay slabs cut to size. I used a decorative stamp to impress a rose motif at the corners.

In this example, grout fills the grooves in the tiles, gaps between molded sections, details in the face and hair, as well as filling in the letters of Reverie—producing positive letters from a carved negative space.

For a multi-part project, all the glazed pieces must be adhered to a support before grouting. Suitable supports

include plywood, mold resistant drywall, cement board, brick, and concrete. Depending on the support chosen, prep work may be involved, such as sanding painted sur-faces. There are tile adhesives available for every need. Check your home center and follow the instructions pro-vided with the adhesive. I prefer to use water-based ad-hesives, which give off less odor and are easier to clean up. Spacing between sections is an important consider-ation; it should be consistent and pleasing to the eye. Remember that gaps become dark filled in lines and play a big role in the final appearance of your project. Tile ad-hesive doesn’t set up instantly so you have time to adjust the placement of individual pieces if you don’t like the initial placement.

I’ve enjoyed experimenting with the possibilities of grouted tiles and look forward to further explorations. n

Tile artist Laura Reutter has been designing and making tiles since 1998. Her business, Ravenstone Tiles, is located in Port Townsend, Washington. Visit her website at www.ravenstonetiles.com for more information.

Swan tile after grouting, showing altered glaze colors. Carve grout lines deep enough to provide plenty of ‘grab’.

The cone 6 glaze-fired stoneware Idyll tile (10x8 in.), before adding grout to the incised lines.

Idyll after grouting. The black grout defines the different ele-ments of the landscape.

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http://www.ravenstonetiles.com


Keeping tiles flat while drying and firing has often been a source of frustration for clay artists. I’ve read a lot about sand-wiching wet tiles between drywall, flipping them and stacking them endlessly until they are dry. This is inefficient and not cost-effective for tile makers. Here’s a technique that greatly minimizes the amount of handling needed and is almost fool-proof for making flat tiles.

To begin, roll out a 1- to 2-inch-thick slab of clay. Using a heavily grogged clay formulated for sculpture or tile—not a plastic throwing clay. Choose a dry, stiff clay, as too much water makes the tile dry slowly and promotes warping.

Work the clay slab into the mold, pressing the clay by hand (figure A). Roll firmly over the back of the mold with a rolling pin, pushing the clay into all the recesses. Trim the excess clay from the back of the mold with a wire tool (figure B). Allow it to dry for one to two hours. Remove it from the mold by turning the mold over, holding it above a sheet of drywall, and gently tapping on the bottom (figure C). Avoid over handling the tile at this point. If you do move the tile, the clay’s “plastic memory” will kick in and it may warp during drying and firing. After trim-ming any excess clay from the top and sides of the tile, it is very important to allow the wet tile to sit on the drywall for 8 to 12 hours (overnight is usually good). Drywall sucks a lot of water

out of the clay and the tile will really stiffen up. By the next day the tile should be pretty close to leather hard and stiff enough to handle without flexing. Now trim and smooth the edges.

There’s no need to score the backs of tiles unless you want to. Scoring has nothing to do with the warping or drying process, but it helps the tile adhesive cling to the tile and hold it to the wall or floor during installation.

Once the tile is trimmed, place it directly onto a drying rack (figure D). The bars of the rack need to be fairly close together to support your tiles fully, yet still allow air to circulate be-tween them. Because air circulates on all sides of the tile, it dries very evenly and no warping occurs. No flipping, covering, weighting or stacking is needed. While your tile dries, avoid di-rect sources of warm or flowing air onto the tile, again to avoid warping. Keep the tiles on the rack until they are completely dry and ready to bisque. The tile, depending on you room environment, may take up to a week to completely dry without warping. Again, avoid over handling of the tile.

Fire the completely dry tile flat on the kiln shelf both for bisque and glaze firing. During the bisque, tiles can be stacked two deep. You might be able to stack them three deep if your tiles are on the thin side. Don’t make stacks that are higher than 1 inch.

Pressmolding and Drying Tile

A

C D

B


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Whole Foods, Integrated Design by gwendolyn yoppolo

he design of food preparation tools involves more than ergonomics. The pieces we create shape our full physical and metaphysical interac-

tion with the world, and are embed-ded within a larger cultural system of

values. My vision for our future with food in-volves people working with whole foods in a di-rect way to craft their own nourishment, so I’ve been developing a line of kitchen tools with that goal. These include mortars and pestles, sieves, spooning utensils, graters, and juicers.

Design ConsiderationsIn designing a juicer form, you’ve got a few decisions to consider. The first is the specific purpose of the juicer—will it juice small citrus (lemons and limes) or larger citrus (oranges and grapefruits)?

With the juicer and bowl form described here, the juicer form, which is the site of

T

Expand your concept of whole foods to include aesthetic nourishment, as in this two part juicer by gwendolyn yoppolo made from thrown and hand-built porcelain with microcrystalline glazes, and fired to cone 10 in an electric kiln.

reaming action, hangs over a receiving bowl that’s also a pouring form. The three purpos-es—reaming, catching, and offering—must be integrated into an overall form that’s stable during the juicing but not too heavy during the pouring.

Another consideration involves the straining of the pulp and/or seeds from the juice. You’ll have to decide how much pulp you want in your juice, and design a straining mechanism that catches the seeds but allows the desired amount of pulp through. A final consideration might also be how the form could serve to store leftover juice, if you decide that’s important. Start your process with a strong idea for how to answer these design issues, then sketch profile and cut-away views of the form, inside and out. For the purposes here, when I refer to the bowl I am talking about the lower receiving bowl; when I refer to the juicer I am talking about the hanging reamer section.


Wet Forming PhaseFirst, in the wet forming phase, throw a bowl and measure the inside rim (figure 1). The juicer hangs inside this rim, so the inside diameter is the important measurement.

Next, throw the juicer. It’s shaped like a shallow bowl or low plate (figure 2), depending on how you would like it to curve over or into the bowl. When throwing the juicer, re-member that the outer edge of the juicer rim will be trimmed down to an oval shape to match the hand-built handle added to the bowl, so be sure to be generous with the amount of clay you leave for the overhang. Be sure to leave enough width between the rim and center of the juicer for the fingers and orange to rotate around the reaming area.

As you’ll see below, I have a separate mold that I use to make the reamer, which I make later. I estimate the diameter of the juicer based on this mold.

Soft Altering and BuildingWhen the parts are set up just enough (soft leather hard), you can trim the juicer on the wheel (figure 3). You’ll trim and shape the bowl using a rasp later, so that you can create an oval foot. Since the juicer is designed to fit inside of the round rim of the bowl, the bottom can be trimmed on the wheel so that it registers properly when placed on the bowl. The juicer rim will be reshaped later to fit the curve of the bowl’s rim, so after trimming, moisten the edge and wrap it in a strip of plastic several times.

Shape the spout and handle for the bowl. The handle can be built from slabs, coils, or a solid form that’s hollowed out later. I prefer the solid form technique, because it allows the handle to be shaped into a unified form with the bowl once finished (figure 4). Pinch the handle into a rough shape, then let it stiff-en to a soft cheese consistency before hollowing it out.

While the handle dries, work on the spout. Use a quick pa-per pattern to estimate the shape of the slab needed to attach to the front of the bowl (figure 5). Reshape the slab slightly to give it a more generous pouring throat, then attach it to the front of the bowl, working the joint together with metal ribs so that the spout and bowl form flow together. You might want to add a coil on the inside of the spout to round the edge and guard against cracking.

When the bowl handle has stiffened, hollow it out from the inside so the walls are an even thickness, then attach it to the bowl using a basic slip and score method and pressure from a metal rib (figure 6). Shape the rib to achieve an upward move-ment that continues the curve of the bowl. Be sure to create a hole in an inconspicuous place on the handle so that air can escape as it expands during the firing, otherwise the piece may explode. At this point, cut or drill perforations in the wall of the bowl leading to the spout, or cut this part of the wall out completely (figure 7). Even if you decide not to have a perfo-rated wall in this part of the bowl, it’s good to leave the upper rim whole, since the juicer will hang there and could use the support. Allow the bowl to set up slowly while you work on the juicer.

Measuring inside diameter of the rim of the freshly thrown bowl.

Measuring the diameter of the juicer to ensure proper fit.

Compressing the clay after trimming the juicer bottom.

Forming the handle for the bowl.

Use a paper pattern to determine the size and shape of the spout.

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Now mold the reamer cone using a plaster or bisqued slump or hump mold. The reamer mold can be made from a commercial juicer or your own design. Drape a slab into or over the mold, using a sponge to work it into the crevices and over the protrusions. After sponging the form, I sharpen the edges with a rubber rib. The slab dries quickly and can be separated from the mold within a few minutes (figure 8).

Before joining the reamer cone to the juicer, reshape the juicer to fit to the rim of the bowl. If you need to wrap the reamer until the juicer is ready, do so. The two parts should be of similar dryness when joined.

Uniting the PartsPlace the juicer on the bowl, working it gradually onto the bowl’s curved rim with a sponge. The spout and the handle additions have created a flowing curve for the juicer to follow. Work the edges of the juicer so that they hang over the rim of the bowl, this will keep the juicer from sliding around too much during use. After sponging the rim to get the contour, use a metal or rubber rib on that area to compress, form, or shape the clay.

Attach the reamer to the juicer, adding a small coil of clay around the base to guard against cracking. Remove the part of the juicer bottom underneath the reamer to expose the in-terior. Make sure the juicer is not bending as you work. Also, don’t worry too much now about clarifying the lines under there—it’s better to wait until the juicer has set up to a harder cheese consistency to clean it up. If you’d rather leave the bot-tom of the juicer intact, that’s fine, but remember to poke a small air hole in the bottom like the one made in the handle.

Place the juicer on the rim of the bowl after wrapping the bowl rim in plastic to keep the two separate. Attach clay on the handle end of the juicer so that it matches the bowl’s han-dle and provides the person juicing with a good grip on both of them (figure 9).

This is a good time to wrap any part that seems to be dry-ing too fast (like the rim of the bowl) with plastic, then wrap the entire pot in plastic and let it sit, at least overnight. Such periods of rest within an airtight environment allow for even moisture redistribution within the piece.

Remove, Reduce, RefineFor the next phase, which involves trimming the bowl and perforating the juicer, the piece should be leather hard. To trim the foot on the bowl, use a rasp to remove clay, creat-ing an oval form for the foot of the bowl that responds to the oval form created by the spout and handle. After rasping away the clay on the outside of the foot, remove the clay from the interior of the foot using a small loop tool. This can be left as an open foot ring, but I like to cover the foot ring with a slab of clay, creating another hollow area on the bowl (figure 10). This requires an air hole on the bottom of the pot like the one made in the handle.

Reassemble the juicer and bowl, and use the rasp to re-move excess clay on the juicer rim. Sharpen and clean up the edge on the underside of the juicer around the inverted

Compressing the clay while attaching the handle to the bowl.

Perforations cut into the wall of the bowl leading into the spout.

The reamer freshly popped off of the mold.

Adding a handle to the juicer.

Attaching the foot to a slab to create a hollow foot.

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reamer. Next, carve out perforations that will allow juice and pulp to fall into the bowl, while catching seeds. Drill small holes encircling the base of the reamer, following its contour and slightly larger holes toward the rim of the juicer (figure 11). Use a utility knife to join the holes, cutting slots that encircle the reamer (figure 12). Again, at this stage, wrap the pot and allow it to rest.

The next phase is one of refinement and reduction. When the pot is almost bone dry, gently scrape away un-wanted marks and excess clay using metal ribs and loop tools. The purpose of this almost-dry trimming might be to lighten the bowl, to remove unwanted rasp marks, to cut a sharper foot ring, to clarify a curve, or to soften an edge. Sharp curved tools or small loop tools are handy for trimming the edges of the perforations in the spout wall (figure 13). I like those edges to be soft to corre-spond to the manner of the other edges in the piece. The holes in the juicer can be refined using a pin tool. Now the forms can be air-dried, with perhaps a light covering of plastic if your room isn’t very humid.

Finally, when the pot is bone dry, use a sponge to erode away any unwanted marks or slight inconsistencies. A

cosmetic sponge or a paintbrush works well to soften the edges of the perforated slots. Sponging a bone dry form is also nice because it reduces the amount of sanding that needs to be done before or after bisque firing.

Glazing ConsiderationsWhen glazing this form, remember that these two forms need to be fired together to ensure a proper fit after the firing. This means that the entire top surface of the bowl’s rim will be unglazed, as will the underside of the juicer rim. You can use a coil of wadding to separate the parts during the firing if you’re worried about them fus-ing together at all. I use a liner glaze inside the bowl and inside the juicer, and matt microcrystalline glazes on the exterior of the bowl and on the rim of the juicer. Once the pot is fired, I use wet silicon carbide sandpaper to polish any areas of raw porcelain. This leaves all areas of the pot feeling very soft to the touch. n

gwendolyn yoppolo is currently a studio artist in residency at the Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana. More work can be seen at www.gwendolynyoppolo.com, and she can be reached at [email protected].

Using drills to mark off areas to re-move for seed-catching slots.

Cutting the seed-catching slots using a utility knife.

Using a loop tool to soften the edges of the perforations in the spout area.

The juicer in action: gwendolyn yoppolo thinks a lot about whole foods and the pots she designs to make preparing these foods a part of people’s everyday lives.

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http://www.gwendolynyoppolo.com



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The hANDbuILDING conference will bring together a diverse group of ceramic artists to demonstrate, share and answer any questions you have. Each presentation will involve all steps of the process, from the type of clay, to forming, finishing and firing. This conference will help you build upon your existing skills and learn new techniques that will take your work to the next level.

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instructors fileCreating a Mosaic Tableby Clay Cunningham

I recently returned from a vacation to discover that a spring storm had destroyed the glass top of my patio table. I was faced with two options—order a new

manufactured tabletop or put my talents to work by design-ing and building a new one out of clay. With my summer schedule open, my wife and I started our mosaic table. This is a great project for use in any outdoor setting.

Creating the DesignBegin by purchasing a 5/8-inch thick sheet of exterior ply-wood. Cut the plywood to the shape of the table frame with a hand-held jigsaw. You can also use a hole saw to cut a hole in the middle for an umbrella to fit through. Once the plywood is ready, start designing the mosaic.

Lay the plywood on the floor, cover it with large sheets of drawing paper (24 × 36) and lightly tape them together to hold their position. Cut the paper to the shape of the tabletop and sketch a design in pencil (figure 1). We decided on an image of aspen trees with beauti-ful red and yellow fall leaves, but any image is possible with this technique. There are a few considerations when designing a mosaic. First, large clay tiles tend to warp, which leads to an uneven top, so keep individual pieces small—less than eight inches on a tile’s longest dimen-sion. Second, the tiles fit together like a puzzle, but an excess of undulations causes trouble. It's best not to have pieces lock into one another. Finally, including a border will not only visually ‘frame’ your design, but also ensure a nice, even edge to the entire table.

Finalize the image in pen and remove the tape carefully. Number the individual sheets to help keep track of their position. Also indicate the four quadrants of the plywood sheet as well.

Get Out the ClayRoll out a large ¼-inch thick slab of clay (we used white earthenware). This will be thick enough for strength yet not so thick that it makes the tabletop excessively heavy. Now lay one quadrant of the paper out onto the clay and cut the edges to match the drawing. To ‘trace’ the image onto the clay, use a needle tool to do what I call the dot-to-dot technique. Simply follow along the drawing, lightly pierc-ing through the paper with the needle tool until the entire drawing is perforated (figure 2). It's important not to press down on the needle tool too hard. If you do, you'll stab into the clay, which distorts the drawing and makes for rough, gouged edges. Remove the paper to reveal the dot-to-dot drawing on the clay. Continue this same technique with the other three quadrants.

Allow the clay to dry to an early leather-hard state then cut along the dotted lines with a fettling knife (figure 3). Check the cut pieces with the original paper design for overall consistency. After drying a bit more, smooth the tiles out along the edges and round off any sharp points. If the edges and points are not smoothed, they may turn into sharp areas poking out on your tabletop.

To prevent warping in the tiles, carefully flip and gen-tly compressed each one numerous times over the course

Drawing PaperPlywood Table Top RespiratorJiffy MixerGroutTile AdhesiveTrowelScraperBucketsWet spongeGlovesNeedle Tool and Stiff Flexible Rib

Supplies

The author and his wife, Breanne, at their mosaic table.


of a few days or dry them on an open wire rack (see page 32). While the tiles are upside down, incise small grooves into the back of the tiles with an old pen. This groove allows the tile glue to grip and hold onto the tile. Do not use a needle tool to create the grooves as it will make a line that is too thin to allow the glue to fill the groove. When flipping the tiles, keep the them close together and in their correct position.

Glazing and FiringMeticulous note taking is important when moving the tiles to the kiln shelf. Make detailed drawings of which clay quadrants are on which shelves and where the shelves are placed in the kiln. Without these notes, it's easy to get con-fused. Space the tiles out a bit to allow enough room to add underglaze to them without accidentally getting the wrong color on a tile. Though you could add the underglaze to the tiles before placing them on the kiln shelf, placing them first avoids over handling of the underglazed pieces. With a wide hakeme brush, apply underglazes in a thick, opaque coat onto the tiles (figure 4). After the underglaze is completely dry, apply a thin coat of a clear glaze and load them into

the kiln. You can bisque fire the tiles before glazing them if you wish, but I wanted to eliminate as many unnecessary steps as possible. Fire them slowly to the appropriate cone.

Prepping and Setting the TableBrush three coats of weatherproofing water sealant onto the plywood tabletop to ensure its longevity. Gather the tile glue, grout, and trowels for creating your mosaic. All of these supplies came to less than $50 (including the ply-wood) and can be purchased at your local home center.

Now it's time to construct your mosaic. Begin by laying the tiles out onto the plywood, allowing an even amount of space between each tile. Because the clay has a shrinkage rate of around 10%, the mosaic will perfectly fit your tabletop and allow just enough room between the tiles for the grout. Once the tiles are situated, they're ready to be glued down. Flip each tile over, coat with a liberal dollop of tile glue (figure 5), and immediately place into position, paying careful attention to retain an equal amount of space between all of the tiles. Continue this process until every tile is glued and placed. I recommend going back over each

As you move the tiles onto the kiln shelves, coat each tile with underglaze. I use Amaco Velvet Underglazes.

Once the entire image has been traced, begin cutting the tiles.

Use the “dot-to-dot” technique to trace the image onto the clay slab. Gently press the needle tool through the paper so it leaves an impression in the clay.

Lay large sheets of drawing paper onto the table top and cut to fit.

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tile and giving it a little wiggle to ensure that none are missed. Trust me, you’ll find one.

Allow the glue to dry overnight and add the grout the next morning. The grout does two things—first, it adds a stained-glass effect with all of the tiles separated by a single, unifying color and second, it keeps water and other materials from getting between the tiles and rotting the wood underneath. Note: If any water freezes between the tiles, it will expand and break the mosaic.

Grout comes in an unending variety of colors so choose the best color for your design. A black grout helps colorful tiles ‘pop’ out at the viewer. Mix the grout per the instructions on the package to a

The completed mosaic ready to be placed onto the table frame.

Scrape away all the grout that's not in the gaps between the tiles.

Pack the grout down between the tiles and spread it to fill each gap.

Smooth the glue to a thickness of 1/8 inch on the back of each tile.

smooth, thick concrete consistency and immediately trowel directly onto the mosaic. It's important to get the grout down into every nook and cranny between the tiles (figure 6). With one motion, press the grout down into the empty spaces. With the next motion, scrape it off of the top surface. Continue until the entire tabletop is coated with grout, including the edge of the table where the tile and plywood meet.

Though the table will look like a mess, cleaning it off is a snap. As the grout begins to dull in color, use a soft rubber rib to scrape it away from the top (figure 7). The scraping removes all but a fine film on top of the tiles which can be easily wiped away. Remember, it's always im-portant to wear a respirator or dust mask whenever handing dry materi-als. Last, a light sponging with a

thoroughly rung out damp sponge brightens all of the colors and a dry towel removes any remaining film. The entire grouting process can be completed in less than an hour.

The only thing left to do is secure the tabletop to the table frame. Cut out small blocks of wood and insert wood screws into them. These serve as the brackets that lock the tabletop into place, yet allow it to be removed if needed. From under the table, place each bracket a few millimeters away from the table frame, one in each quadrant, and screw them into the underside of the tabletop. And with that, the table is complete. n

Clay Cunningham is a ceramic artist and instructor, currently teaching at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. To see more of his work, or for contact information, visit www.claycunningham.org.

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ing Portraiture, is fascinating and is based in part on his experience with forensic sculpture. He goes into more detail about how to capture a likeness, including the draw-backs of sculpting from a photograph, how to take mea-surements with calipers, and checking the work in prog-ress; gender comparisons; and hair and drapery. There is a great deal more information about expression including how to avoid incomplete or contradictory expressions.

As comprehensive as the books are, to really understand the material it helps to see the process in real-time, which is what the The Art of Sculpting DVDs are good for. In Volume One, he sculpts a child, illustrating his basic method straight through, explaining anatomical terms, and demonstrating the tools and materials he uses. If you are not especially interested in sculpting a child, you might start with Volume Two. Again, he shows you his basic method and explains some of the anatomical terms he refers to, this time beginning with an adolescent girl. He then demonstrates modeling facial ex-pressions and ethnic differences and finishes with the process of hollowing and firing the finished piece. Volume Three is really pretty advanced; you’d better know what the “zy-gomatic arch” and other anatomical terms

refer to. This DVD focuses on men and includes exercises in gender and ethnic comparisons, aging, and weight gain.

Obviously this series is for people with a serious interest in sculpting—or teachers like myself who would like to give meaningful, educated advice to pottery students who succumb to the common natural urge to sculpt a head. If you’re curious, start with Book One and/or the first or second DVD. If you’re committed, take the plunge and get the whole series. n

The Art of Sculpting

off the shelf

by Sumi von Dassow

Philippe Faraut's DVDs are available at cerami-cartsdaily.org/bookstore. His books are available at philippefaraut.com.

Master portrait sculptor Philippe Faraut has pro-duced a series of two books, Portrait Sculpting and Mastering Portraiture, and three DVDs,

The Art of Sculpting, covering basic and advanced tech-niques of portrait sculpture, and after reading and viewing all of them all I can say is WOW! I’m impressed. Faraut is a skilled sculptor, but more to the point, this series demonstrates a clear, concise, and straightforward method of sculpting that I guarantee will improve anybody’s work. I'm a potter and pottery teacher who has made the occasional figurative sculpture, but now I understand principles I was only guessing at before. I played the first DVD for a couple of my students who make figurative sculptures, and their work improved markedly.

All of these materials focus on sculpting the face and head, with some instruction in rendering drapery and hair. Faraut’s method is much more than a step-by-step approach; while he follows a specific series of steps in sculpting a head, he emphasizes the importance of under-standing the underlying anatomy before working on individual facial features. In the first book, Portrait Sculpting, Faraut actually models a skull, then the muscles of the face as the first exercise, and he advises that a thorough study of the skull and facial musculature will help you to convincingly model emotion and expres-sion. Throughout this series he repeat-edly refers to the muscles and bones and explains which muscles are involved in a smile, a frown, and other expressions. In other more advanced exercises, he dem-onstrates gender and ethnic variations in the skull and face. Another theme he visits is the process of aging, as he explains the way the proportions of the skull changes with age, and the effect of aging on the skin and facial features.

Book one, Portrait Sculpting, also covers materials and tools, anatomy, modeling individual features, and his method of working in planes and volumes. He addresses common mistakes (very helpful!), facial expression, and finishing techniques. Book one will be quite enough instruction for most artists, but book two, Master-

Philippe Faraut's book and DVDs provide a com-plete course on sculpting portrait busts.


LOW-FIRING & BURNISHINGBY SUmI vON DaSSOWThis book covers techniques of firing and finishing at low temperature eliminating the need for costly kilns or lengthy waits between making and finishing your work. Low-firing and Burnishing provides step-by-step practical information focusing on various approaches to low firing and methods of natural finishes.

Only $24.95www.ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore

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clay’s soft side · one. step one is to have a 5-gallon bucket filled 60–75% with your bone-dry...

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