For Larry Paul and everyone else too!

Craft in America on PBS
Click here for full episode of Episode XIII: Service
Documenting craft and the military and the power of the handmade to inspire and heal. Featuring papermaker Pam DeLuco, saddler Eugene Burks Jr., and ceramic artists Ehren Tool, Judas Recendez and Peter Voulkos.

For Adrianna and all!

Post by Molly Hatch.

Tip Toland sculpting a bust

Beginning Students:
Remember while you are not hollowing out, you must release any trapped air with a pinhole. Leather hard is the best stage to carve details and while you want to keep your head from drying out do not over hydrate. If you see water on the surface or moisture building it's too wet and may weaken or collapse the form. A damp paper towel (wring out all water) or just wrapping in enough plastic usually works well. Remember to only use 04 Lowfire Slip and Engobe.
Get started on details and have fun!

Handbuilding with coils- in class project

Pottery-tips/Making-a-clay-coiled-pot-Lakeside-Pottery-Tutorial

More inspiration at the Rosenfield Collection

Glazing a Mug Using Mutiple Glazes with Hsin-Chuen Lin

Make sure to write down glazes and techniques you use for your work in your journals. This video is especially for Janet, Adrianna, Jane, Ashley and Jenan. Beginning students shuld stick to one dip and/or pour of 1 to 2 glazes. If you use 2 or more glazes consult with Nathan, Jane, Janet or I which ones work and do not work well together.

HAve a smashing Weekend!

Glaze Application tips for Bisqueware

Application is a very important factor in determining the fired surface quality.
 Thickness and method of the application can drastically affect results. Experiment with sponging, brushing, pouring, dripping, scratching into surface, layering- to list just a few possibilities.
Before you start some basic rules for all types of glazing techniques:
NEVER add water to a glaze, slip , oxide or any materials in the studio. If it looks too thick or thin tell the professor or Nathan asap.

Always sponge off your bisqueware to remove dust and oils that may have collected and will prevent  glaze from working correctly. Let bisque dry thoroughly before glazing.

Have your sketchbook ready to record what you do. You will NOT remember and I will ask you "How did you do that?

Wipe off the bottom of all work as glaze melts and will stick your work to the shelves. Leave 1/4 inch from the bottom for room for glazes that might run as you are learning.

WAYS TO GLAZE:
Painting: Even applications are best. • Use soft brushes- sumi Japanese brushes work best as they load up liquid and flow smooth and evenly)
• Apply in short, loaded strokes • It is usually necessary to apply 2- coats to be sure all parts are evenly coated. I suggest painting in one direction. Letting that dry and then painting in the opposite direction to cover more surface.
 • Let dry completely between each coat to prevent pulling off layers*
Advantages: • Requires only a small amount • May be best method for small scale work • Easy, low tech
 Disadvantages:• Even though 2 coats are applied, painted glazes often appear splotchy after firing due to uneven coating • When the 2nd coats are applied, the brush tends • to pick up patches of glaze, causing thin spots*
 
Dipping:

I'll be passing out a I'll be passing out a handout and giving a demo but this post is important to read and reread for help. Always stir bucket well. Glaze tends to settle. 

Make sure to let glaze dry before you dip again especially if it is another glaze.

Look at the test tiles on the wall to see what type of glaze you are using. Matte glazes tend to stay put while glossy glazes tend to run. Never dip more than twice and be aware if it is a Matte or glossy glass so you can predict how high your second dip should be... grinding glaze off of kiln shelves is never fun a and it will be your job if it is your fault.

Always wipe off the bottom and 1/4" up the side of your piece when finished. Again because glaze will fuse to kiln shelves.

Spraying: Advantage is it's great for a even coats and covering larger forms. Disadvantages are set-up, clean-up and it takes many more coats... 5 or so... ask Janet as she is the spray booth expert!

Another disadvantage is that it can be hard to do sections or smaller areas. You can tape off or wax... I'll talk about this next Tuesday.

Yasuhisa Kohyama

No Fear Monday! Attach well, mash-compress-slip and score- clay and you can do anything.

Lucille Ball -Pottery Inspirational Wednesdays!

Decorating with Slip

Slip is a versatile and wonderful part of ceramics. A slip is a suspension in water of clay and/or other materials used in the production of ceramic ware. We made slip for attaching clay parts to each other aka slipping and scoring in class last week. This slip is not used for decorating. Decorating with slip that has colorants and/or other materials to make it flow and form to your pieces is a great way to paint your surface and get color and drawings on you forms. It can be used to create contrasting imagery or designs on your surface.

Here is a video from ceramic arts daily.
Remember a variety of brushes will give you more line variation. Best when applied to leatherhard ware. Building layers of color and scraping back or etching through drawings works well too! Stamps and stencils can give you more ideas to work with as well.

Here are some examples on Pinterest. More info during my demo in class.

Beginning Pinch Advice and Inspiration.

When attaching pinch forms together you have to score with your fork and slip and score some more then press together firmly. Once attached roll a small coil of clay to fill in gap between sides then smooth out with your metal rib tool. Remember closed forms must have a hole to let the air out!

For class Tuesday Sept 2nd:

- Look up a minimum of 5 cups on The Rosenfeild Collection site. Print out and put into sketchbook. Write who the artist is and why you choose that pot. http://rosenfieldcollection.com/?cat=16

-Finished 6" pinch cup form. No handles but have fun making it creative and yours. Attach all added parts the same way you did the 2 half moon- slip and score all attachments.

For your Pinch cups have fun with modeling on designs, carving and making an interesting and stable drinking vessel. Think about the foot and lip of the cup. Also how you will hold your cup? But no handles, this is not a mug, focus on the cup as a form and the surface. Make it at least 6" as clay the clay shrinks when it comes out of the kiln. Can't wait to see what you do! Keep cup and sphere covered in plastic. Do not let it dry out completely. Leatherhard is what we want.

Dierdre Daw

Todd Hayes

Welcome!

Eastfield  students welcome to Handbuilding Ceramics Fall 2014!
Missing class and not looking at this blog is one way to fall behind so bookmark and check in often for inspiration, assignments info, calendar updates, important news, technical info and artist research.

I hope your ready to learn a few new things and challenge your ideas and expectations about contemporary clay in the world. That said, let's begin:

Lesson 1: Ming Dynasty Fu Dog 1968 AD = Traditional, historic and gorgeous glazed terracotta
or fabulous contemporary functional ware like Margaret Bohls

 Lesson 2: Kristen Morgin= unfired life-like sculpture 

or  Jeanne Quinn's sculptural installations = Unexpected, informative and sometimes even unfired!

Lesson 3: Ai WeiWei's installation of millions of ceramic sunflower seeds = Clay can reference the past and have a contemporary language full of consequence and power.

  "It is a work of great simplicity and complexity. Sunflower Seeds refers to everyday life, to hunger (the seeds were a reliable staple during the Cultural Revolution), to collective work, and to an enduring Chinese industry."-   Adrian Searle's  review for the Guardian

Lesson 4: Form follows Function. Beauty must not overshadow functionality...

Lauren Meaden

Former student: Intermediate "Why Unfired Clay" Project: Tracy