June/July/August 1998
1
2
CERAMICS MONTHLY
JunelJuly! August 1998
Volume 46
Number 6
Hirotsune Tashima
at the Clay Studio
in Philadelphia.
FEATURES
54
38 A Look at Glaze Calculation Software
with Using Glaze Programs by Rick Malmgren
Easier, faster and more informative computer aids
46 Norman Schulman by David JP Hooker
Monolithic sculpture with painterly imagery
47 The Potters of Kwarn Ar-Marn by Mick Shippen
A Thai village faces market changes
51 The Totemic Sculptures of Ted Vogel
by Kate Bonansinga
Symbolic work from the Pacific Northwest
Jars, to approximately
15 inches in height, deco­
rated with black pigment on
white slip, by Carmel Lewis
Haskaya; from “The Legacy
of Generations.”
62
The cover: “Tulip Vase,”
22 inches in height, thrown,
cast and handbuilt terra
cotta with underglazes,
glazes and lusters, by Carol
Gouthro; see page 68.
Photo: Roger Schreiber.
June/July/August 1998
54 Hirotsune Tashima by Louana M. Lackey
Self-portraits with a sense of humor
“Balancing Point,” 46 inches
57 Consuming Pots
in height, earthenware with
Listening to Mark Hewitt’s Customers by Charles Zug
terra sigillata and gold
leaf, by Ted Vogel,
62 The Legacy of Generations
Portland, Oregon.
Pottery by American Indian Women by Susan Peterson
51
68 Carol Gouthro by Nan Krutchkoff
Vibrantly glazed dinnerware and one-of-a-kind works
73 Gerstley Borate and Colemanite by JeffZamek
Properties of and substitutes for these troublesome materials
75 To Have and to Hold
Exhibition featuring vessels by 65 artists working in Texas
76 Nicholas Wood by Glen R. Brown
Exploring minute distinctions in texture and color
79 Pioneer Pottery by Lyn Kidder
The challenge of building a business in rural Montana
83 Confessions of a Closet Beautician
by Geoffrey Wheeler
Playful, seductive pots that ask to be touched
116
Niche Marketing for Beginners by Ivor Lewis
Guidelines for exploring sales opportunities
Julie Dickinson and Janet
Hero Dodge in their rural
Montana studio.
79
3
UP FRONT
14 Ceramics Annual at Scripps College
Invitational featuring work by ten artists
14 Magdalene Anyango N Odundo
Cleveland Museum of Ait acquires its first contemporary African art object
14 Juried National in Connecticut
Over 200 craftworks at Silvermine Guild Galleries
16 Visiting Potters in Nicaragua by Beverly T. Fillers
Reflections on Potters for Peace tour
18 Erna Aaltonen
Vessels on view at the Hameenlinna Art Museum in Finland
20 American Craft Council Update
Sales records broken at Baltimore show
20 Mother’s Day Sale
Annual open studio at Appalachian Center for Crafts in Tennessee
20 Aaron Lee Benson by Christopher Nadaskay
Sculpture series portraying victims of the Nazi regime
22 Dick Lehman
Wood-fired pots at Cedar Valley College Ceramics Gallery in Texas
22 Tamara Laird
Slab-built ware at Kline Campus Center Art Gallery at Bridgewater College
24 Broadway, Here We Come
Throwing advice for the latest production of The Sound of Music
24 Not Your Usual Faculty Show by Claudia Giannini
West Virginia art faculty collaborates on earthenware plates
26 Seven Points of View by Julie Miracle
Invitational exhibition at Urban Artifacts Gallery in Houston
26 Randy Brodnax and Michael Obranovich
Wheel-thrown and handbuilt vessels at Dallas Visual Arts Center
28 Sally Brogden
Abstract sculpture at Gallery One in Smithville, Tennessee
28 Scott R. Jones
Decorative pottery at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
28 Dong-Hun Chung
Residency show at Towson University Asian Arts Gallery
30 Exhibition of Danish Ceramics
Second triennial at the Trapholt Museum, Kolding, Denmark
30 David Stuempfle Receives Japan Fellowship
Six-month residency to allow study of contemporary and traditional work
30 Bennett Welsh, 1922-1998
30 Robert Sperry, 1927-1998
DEPARTMENTS
8 Letters
32 New Books
86 Call For Entries
86 International Exhibitions
86 United States Exhibitions
88 Fairs, Festivals and Sales
90 Video
92 Suggestions
94 Calendar
94 Conferences
94 Solo Exhibitions
94 Group Ceramics Exhibitions
96 Ceramics in Multimedia Exhibitions
99 Fairs, Festivals and Sales
100 Workshops
104 International Events
110 Questions
123 Classified Advertising
126 Comment: Flying Blind with Clay on My Glasses by Delia Robinson
128 Index to Advertisers
4
Editor Ruth C. Butler
Associate Editor Kim
Nagorski
Assistant Editor Connie Belcher
Assistant Editor H. Anderson Turner III
Editorial Assistant Elaine Jebsen
Production Specialist Robin Chukes
Advertising Manager Steve Hecker
Circulation Administrator Mary R. Hopkins
Circulation Administrator Mary E. May
Publisher Mark Mecklenborg
Editorial, Advertising and Circulation Offices
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Copyright © 1998
The American Ceramic Society
All rights reserved
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
5
Letters
ten what it takes to be a potter of competence
in this age. So thanks, Brad!
Paula Collins, Lakewood, Colo.
With Tongue Firmly in Cheek
Stanko Responses
I must assume that Mel Jacobson is smil­
ing ear to ear over Gary Stanko’s comment
(Letters, April 1998 CM) that his work is
“drab and formless...similar to Warren
MacKenzie...somewhat amateurish.” We
should all live to be so “amateurish.” Indeed,
I long for the day when someone condemns
me as having no better an idea of lyrical form
than Steven Hill, glazes as ordinary as Val
Cushing, as little idea underlying my work as
Stephen DeStaebler.
Dannon Rhudy, Paris, Tex.
In response to Gary Stanko’s letter about
Mel Jacobson’s pots: it takes many, many
years to get one’s work to look so effortless.
Mel has been potting for 40 years, quietly
doing his work and helping others. There are
hundreds of people who are working today
because Mel has helped or taught or picked
them up when they were ready to quit. I am
one of those people, and I stand in his very
large shadow.
My wish for you, Mr. Stanko, is that
someday you can stand in his shadow too.
Kevin Caufield, St. Paul, Minn.
I am writing this letter to express how
much my wife and I enjoy receiving Ceramics
Monthly. You see, both my wife and I are
potters. She does mostly jack-o-lanterns but
has also a pretty mean Indian head—spitting
image of Mel Brooks. She insists that this is
art, but I say I am not so sure and why don’t
you do one of them funky teapots. She says
she would but CM don’t never include the
template. So what I am saying, if the maga­
zine could include the template once in a
while, along with the formulas, firing cycle
and the little tricks I know the editors often
leave out, she would be much appreciative.
As for myself, I have noticed that there is
a lot of bickering about whether the cover
should include a picture of the potter or only
the work. I, personally, have often wondered
what potters look like in the nude. Would it
be possible, once in a while, to feature a nude
potter? I, personally, being a professional
potter, would be interested in an up-andcoming young Norwegian pottress with say, a
butter plate and a fish platter. Or no, better
yet, a jug. No, a set of jugs. That’s it! A
young Norwegian pottress with a possible set
of jugs.
One final note. I would like to put this
“art versus craft” thing to rest once and for
all. It’s really very simple. Let’s say you have a
pig. Now if you draw a picture of that pig
and nail it to your parlor wall, you might
think that that is art but it is not—it’s merely
a decorative accessory. If, however, you take
and nail the pig to the wall, well then, that
there is art. Now, if at a later date you can
take the pig off the wall and play “Scotland
the Brave” with it, well, then, that is craft.
Stu Gray, Birmingham, Mich.
I concur with Gary Stanko’s use of the
words “virtue, balance and beauty” in regards
to Brad Schwieger’s teapot sculptures in
February’s issue. However, I’m sure I’ve
misunderstood the context. I mean, we can
see that in fact, Brad’s works are quite origi­
nal. I spent a good deal of time studying the
movement, flow and glazes of his work. It
seemed as if the pots were moving to the beat
of a funky masculine rhythmic dance. Fun,
delightful, inspirational. His expression and
placement struck a chord in my heart and
Pro Gender Specific
sent me back to the studio with a refreshed
Yes, indeed, Laura Waters (Letters, May
awareness of my own love-labors.
1998). We do still need women-only art
Speaking of heart, is it really necessary to
shows—until that glorious future date (we
condemn something that you simply do not
used to say the millennium, but that’s upon
understand? Is it actually meaningful to
us) when exhibitions in museums and galler­
dictate and intellectualize a work based on
ies will become truly gender blind.
superior pretense?
Helene Bernardo, Bronx, N.Y.
What is next—politically correct pottery?
I would like to think we are seeking the
“loftier and higher” ground of mutual respect Broad-Based Information
Jeff7Zamek began his article “Is Barium
and acceptance. Or maybe Stanko has forgotCarbonate Safe?” in the September 1997
In keeping with our commitment to provide
issue of CM with the line: “Yes, provided you
an open forum for the exchange of ideas
don’t go into your studio and eat or directly
and opinions, the editors welcome letters
inhale barium carbonate.” He went on to
from all readers. All letters must be signed,
state that “knowledge of a material, especially
but names will be withheld on request. Mail
in the raw form, is vital to a potter’s health
to Ceramics Monthly, PO Box 6102,
and safety.” The body of the article is then a
Westerville, OH 43086-6102, e-mail to
comprehensive discussion of uses, alternatives
editorial@ceramicsmonthly.org or fax to
and other facts, including toxic aspects of
(614) 891-8960.
barium and safe handling in the studio.
8
What then is my point? Over the years, I
have read incomplete and alarmist reports
about dangers involved in the use of various
ceramic materials, which often are quite
irrelevant to the way potters use materials.
Some reports select limited information or
extrapolate data in an unrealistic (for potters)
way and thereby exaggerate potentially harm­
ful effects. For example, I was once errone­
ously challenged relative to the dust
generated when mixing clay. The challenge
statistics used were based on a commercial
operation in an eight-hour day, then applied
to a periodic studio-mixing operation of no
more than one hour.
Later, following publication of my article,
“Using Soluble Salts at Stoneware Tempera­
tures,” in the September 1996 CM, I was
questioned by a well-known college ceramics
instructor and told (in no uncertain terms)
that soluble chromium, copper and cobalt
compounds were hazardous materials and
produced hazardous wastes. In a related
telephone conversation with that same per­
son, after I had had discussions with a haz­
ardous-waste consultant and checked
Wisconsin DNR regulations, there was no
willingness to discuss degree, only an outand-out adamant declaration that they were
hazardous materials and should not be used.
In my mind, a closed-minded approach to
the situation. My inquiries had indicated
permissible exposure levels existed in the
concentrations I used, and the dilutions
occurring when I rinsed brushes and contain­
ers were of a safe level. My CM article had
also noted: “Basic safety precautions should
be taken whenever using soluble materials.”
Zamek warned against alarmist views and
decision making “based on incomplete facts,”
“unchallenged claims” and “generalizations”
that have more to do with “drama than
documented fact.” His article is an excellent
example of the kind of comprehensive infor­
mation upon which we should be making
our decisions in order to protect our students’
and our own health.
I recently heard someone suggest that one
should not allow children to catch snowflakes
on their tongues because of the pollutants in
the air. How many of you would immedi­
ately accept that advice? Let’s not do the
same when it comes to warnings about ce­
ramic materials. Let’s look to more broadbased information.
Zamek should also be applauded for his
fine article “The Perfect Clay Body?” that
appeared in the March 1998 issue of CM. It
was, indeed, my pleasure to read an under­
standable, thorough and convincing, as well
as reasonably technical, article by someone
who appears not to be stuck in the depths of
his own expertise. Over the years, I have read
articles that were either overly complex in the
chemistry and physics of ceramic materials,
and others with just enough ego-propelled or
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
9
Letters
incomplete information to be dangerous or
confusing to the less knowledgeable clay
enthusiast. CM should continue to print
more articles of this caliber by this knowl­
edgeable and articulate individual.
Kurt Wild, River Falls, Wis.
What a Ride
I am an architectural ceramist and a
member of the Clayart online discussion
group. I just attended my second NCECA
[National Council on Education for the
Ceramic Arts] conference, and thanks to Mel
Jacobson who rented a room for us to meet, I
met even more Clayart people than I did the
year it was held in Rochester. I believe that
one of the greatest strengths of this group is
the way it has brought people who work in
near isolation in their studios into this larger
community that is perhaps dominated more
by those with an academic affiliation. Because
I am self-taught, I do not have this affiliation.
I would have never thought of NCECA as
something to attend if it hadn’t been for
Clayart.
I had a very interesting evening on Friday
night when I went with a group of others to
Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honkytonk. It even has live bull rides. Near the bull
pen was a stuffed bull used as a photographic
prop by people willing to wear chaps for a
few minutes. Earlier in the evening, Mel
Jacobson dragged me to the dance floor with
a dance that could only be intended to get us
both tarred and feathered out of Texas. The
formalized Texas two-step was all around us
and Mel paid it no mind. That was the
leverage I needed to get him and the others
on the stuffed bull. That’s how I ended up
with this great photo of (from the left) Kevin
Caufield, Vince Pitelka, Mel Jacobson, Mark
Issenberg and David McBeth on this bull,
looking their Texas-best in hats and chaps. I
thought I would send it to CM to show
people what really goes on at NCECA.
Linda Blossom, Ithaca, N.Y.
The Name Game
I’d like to challenge all those clay educa­
tors out there to let us know those great
10
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
11
Letters
“clay” names of students in their classes. I’m
sure we have all had Potters, Wares, Glazers
and Clays, but I recently had a student I’m
sure will beat them all—a promising young
potter named Ana Gama.
Tim Ludwig, Port Orange, Fla.
Potter of the Century?
It seems like the perfect time for CM to
think about naming a Potter of the Century.
Who was the most influential studio potter
of the 20th century? Who did the most to
move the field ahead? Leach and Hamada
were certainly big influences, but very conser­
vative. My vote goes to George Ohr, who was
one of the most innovative artists this field
has ever seen.
Name withheld by request
Overreaction?
I am motivated to write regarding an
experience I had recently at a local nonjuried
exhibition that included work of various
visual artists and interior designers. Because
most of the sculptural work I did toward my
master’s degree was in clay, I’m always most
attracted to displays of ceramic work.
It was one artist’s ceramic work in an
interior designer’s display that caught my eye
and caused me disappointment. Each vessel
was accompanied by a brightly lettered card
with the word raku. This is a technique in
which I am well versed, having spent many
years producing raku vessels and sculpture,
helping to design and build raku kilns, and
even arranging to live in an isolated farmland
area that would allow me to fire outdoors
without restriction.
This person’s work was not raku. It ap­
peared to be made of porcelain or a tightbodied white clay and had never seen smoke.
The stoppers in some of the small-mouthed
vessels were a pale gray in their unglazed
areas, but not of an intensity that would
suggest heavy reduction. The copy on the
attached cards claimed these pieces had been
placed glowing into an airtight smoke cham­
ber. Any crazing of the glazes looked more
like a bad fit with the clay body, and the
cracks were all as clean as a whistle. The cards
also described raku as a glazing technique. I
wonder how many raku artists would agree
with that description.
I asked the exhibitors some questions and
pointed out some inconsistencies. They
seemed unconcerned, but did mention that I
was not the first person to complain. There
were some good examples of raku work in
their display, and they admitted that the two
artists who had produced them became angry
about the pieces I have described. But then
one of them was careful to put me in my
place by stating coldly that this was the way
the artist presented them and that was that.
In the past few years, I have seen more
and more manufacturers (I hesitate to say
artists) of raku-style work get away with poor
misrepresentations of the art. At juried
events, I have listened to exhibitors describe
work as raku that obviously was not. I was
unable to raise questions to the jurors since
the pieces were not entered as such. I think
what bothered me most about the incident
this time is that there were fine examples that
met both the technical and spiritual aspects
of raku in the same display with what I
consider frauds—overdone, predictable
(marketable) forms that obviously never
experienced the risk inherent in the firing
process and the value of their survival.
My purpose in contacting CM is to
discover others’ opinions. Should this kind of
activity be expected and ignored? Am I over­
reacting? It bugs me to think people who hire
this interior designer will display this kind of
work as raku.
Name withheld by request
Addendum
The color images of “Formation,” the tile
mural by Daleene Menning featured in the
April 1998 CM (see pages 49-51) were taken
by photographer Dan Watts.
12
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Up Front
Ceramics Annual at Scripps College
Ten clay artists—Marek Cecula, New York City; Lazio Fekete,
Budapest, Hungary; Arthur Gonzalez, Alameda, California;
Phyllis Green, Leslie Rosdol, Los Angeles; Sergei Isupov, Louis-
work in the 54th “Ceramics Annual” at Scripps College in
Claremont, California.
“The art in this exhibition embodies conflicts of the psyche,
dramas that normally play out away from view, in people’s
emotional lives,” Kolodziejski stated. “The artists’ emotive issues
and technical approaches range from intensely heated to clini­
cally cool, from twisted illustration to biting social satire.
“Much of this work breeds questions: Whose psyche are we
viewing? Are the artists exorcising their own demons in making
these works? Is their art psychologically irritating like a grain of
sand in an oyster? Psychological drama is manifested in three
ways by the artists in this exhibition. Some depict interior states
with imagery and/or words; others have made works that
provoke the viewers’ unresolved conflicts; and some create
hybrids of these two approaches.”
Magdalene Anyango N Odundo
The Cleveland Museum of Art recently acquired a ceramic
vessel by Kenya native Magdalene Anyango N Odundo. Like all
her works, this piece was coil built from terra cotta, then bur­
nished. It was fired twice, first in an oxidized atmosphere then
Leslie Rosdol’s “Untitled Clown Teapot,” 8 inches
in height, porcelain; at Ruth Chandler Williamson
Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, California.
Sergei Isupov’s “Whirlwind of Unguarded Love,”
13½ inches in height.
ville, Kentucky; Anne Kraus, Boulder, Colorado; Jean-Pierre
Larocque, Long Beach, California; Keisuke Mizuno, Tempe,
Arizona; M. Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor, San Pedro, Califor­
nia—were invited by curator Cindy Kolodziejski to exhibit
Magdalene Anyango N Odundo “Untitled,” approximately
17½ inches in height, coil-built terra cotta with burnished
slips; at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
in reduction. This is the first contemporary African object to be
added to the museum’s collection.
Juried National in Connecticut
Submissions are welcome. We would be pleased to consider
press releases, artists' statements and photoslslides in con­
junction with exhibitions or other events of interest for publi­
cation in this column. Mail to Ceramics Monthly, Post Office
Box 6102, Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102.
14
“USA Craft Today,” a juried exhibition of 207 works by 149
artists, was presented recently at Silvermine Guild Galleries in
New Canaan, Connecticut. From 739 entries, juror Kenneth
Botnick, director of the Penland School of Crafts in North
Carolina, selected works in clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal,
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
15
Up Front
There are many potters in Nicaragua. As they live without
electricity or running water, their lifestyle has changed little
from that of their ancestors. Since the burden of putting food
on the table leaves little time for experimentation, and most are
unwilling to risk a bad kiln load, techniques have not changed
much over time.
We traveled with two Nica potters, Valentin Lopez and Paula
Rodgriquez, who assisted Rivera in translating. Our journey
began in Calle Real de Tolepa, a small village where generations
of women have produced pottery, all making basically the same
style of pots and competing for sales in the same marketplace.
We were there to help Emisela Rivera build a 5-foot-tall,
beehive-shaped kiln from castable material. Emisela had been
firing at a neighbor s kiln for some time and had finally saved up
enough money to build one of her own. She had hired a local
Laura J. McLaughlin’s “Columbus Landing,” 18 inches
wide, white stoneware with slips, carved; at Silvermine
Guild Galleries, New Canaan, Connecticut.
mixed media, paper, wood and basketry. Among the ceramic
works on view were “Trois Boites” by Connecticut potter Karen
Ford and “Columbus Landing” by Pennsylvania artist Laura
Jean McLaughlin, who received the Juror s Choice award.
“The imagery that appears on my work represents the
psychological struggle, chaos and violence that occur in many of
Oval serving dish, 12 inches in length, handbuilt from
local clay, with terra sigillata, burnished, fired to
earthenware temperature, by members of the Ducuale
Women’s Cooperative in Condega, Nicaragua.
Karen Ford’s “Trois Boites,” to 4 inches in height,
wood-fired stoneware.
our lives,” McLaughlin noted. “Much of my work is very busy
with a closely packed composition. These chaotic compositions
represent the constant bombardment of information from
structures such as family, government and religion, as well as the
media. These structures influence and often form our percep­
tions of ourselves and others.”
Visiting Potters in Nicaragua
by Beverly T. Pillers
Last year, I—along with three others from the United States and
Canada—joined a group of potters traveling to Nicaragua with
Ron Rivera of Potters for Peace (PFP). Originally organized
during the Nicaraguan civil war to provide pottery cooperatives
with technical support, PFP now concentrates on helping to
make these potteries self-sufficient and to expand their markets.
16
man to build the framework, which was then covered with
straw. Stomping with our feet, we mixed a slurry (from clay
mined from a nearby mountain and horse manure). It took a
day to mix and then apply several coats of this slurry over the
straw. Holes were left for burner ports, and the exterior was
reinforced by placing large pottery shards on top. We planned
to come back a week later to see if the kiln was dry enough to
check the draft with a test fire.
We then traveled to Condega, about 1 ½ hours from the
Honduran border, to visit the Ducuale Women’s Cooperative.
The facility consists of a throwing area with four wheels, a
handbuilding board, drying room and display area, and is built
around a courtyard that includes the kiln and clay-processing
area. They are fortunate to have a small building in which to
store their freshly dug clay, unlike most Nicaraguan potters who
must leave their clay in the open, which causes its own set of
problems during the rainy season.
Dug nearby, the clay is dried, then broken up and slaked in a
small brick trough. After a day or two, it is sieved to remove
debris, then dried on briclcs in the courtyard. When the clay is
nearly dry enough for use, it is brought inside and slapped
against the brick wall to pull out a little more water until it is
just right for throwing or handbuilding.
After introductions were made, one of the local potters
demonstrated handbuilding a 12-inch round vessel, using only a
corn cob, a piece of gourd and a table knife as tools. She began
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
17
Up Front
with a thick, round tortilla-shaped slab that was draped inside
an old pot shard. She then attached a large coil, pinching with
her fingers. As she added more coils, she thinned the wall with
pressure from her hand and the corn cob.
She was incredibly fast, and worked sequentially on several
vessels, setting each aside to stiffen while going back to complete
another. After slowly necking in the opening at the top, she
would tear the rim perfectly straight with her fingers, then
smooth it with a piece of wet cloth. The completed pots ap­
peared perfectly symmetrical and could easily be mistaken for
wheel-thrown.
When the shaping was finished, she applied tawe (terra
sigillata made from a local clay and iron oxide), and put the pot
aside to slowly dry until it was strong enough to burnish. A
group of women and young girls spent their days burnishing the
pieces produced by the five or six women who form the pots.
(Young girls start their training by burnishing at the age of nine
or ten, and will probably make pottery into their seventies and
beyond.) The burnishers worked steadily, using smooth riverworn stones handed down through generations, chatting quietly
while small children ran around.
After the demonstration, we went to work ourselves. Most of
us had to make a big adjustment to the working conditions,
using unfamiliar kick wheels, and continuously reaching for
tools that weren’t there. The workshop, like most we saw, had
no electricity; the small amount of daylight that crept in under
the extended roof made it impossible to see inside the pot we
were making, limiting us strictly to touch. Soon we were busy
making our pots and trying theirs, attempting to communicate
in two different languages when our translator wasn’t around. I
learned that laughter is universal, though, when I sat at a kick
wheel that was too short for me, and my legs wouldn’t fit in the
kick space. At the end of the day, we covered our wares with
terra sigillata and lined them up to dry.
The burnished ware was low fired, then decorated with a
simple slip that would act as a resist during the smoldng process.
They were placed in a small kiln along with wood and dried
coffee husks, and smoked for about 20 minutes until chocolate
brown. After they had been pulled from the kiln and cooled, we
washed off the dried slip. The result was two-toned ware with
reduced chocolate-brown backgrounds and oxidized bright
orange designs where the slip had been.
While we were there, the women were given the news that
they had just received an order from Pier 1 Imports in the
United States for 18,000 pieces. They immediately began to
consider ways of drying clay faster during the rainy season to
meet the store’s deadline. Since arriving home, I have heard
from Rivera that, in order to fill this order, the cooperative
doubled the size of its wortapace and now employs 37 people.
The impact of this one order will change the lives of many
Nicaraguan families, perhaps allowing their children to go to
school, provide health care, or even make it possible to install
electricity in their homes.
Over the next two weeks, we bumped over remote country
roads and forded a bridgeless stream in a small pickup truck,
visiting potteries around the country. After hiking up a
mountainside, we spent one day working alongside the women
of Loma Ponda in their workshop. They had a kick wheel—
which is just being introduced in the countryside—that was
brought in on the back of a donkey A high point of our stay
18
there was hiking to see an undocumented ancient petroglyph on
an isolated mountainside. We quickly decided to leave our mark
by appropriating the petroglyph’s design for a mural on the kiln
when we returned to Calle Real de Tolapa.
On our final day out in the country, we gathered along with
many of the potters we had met over the last two weeks for a
multicultural festival at the Art and History Museum in
Condega. We demonstrated throwing techniques, decorating
and raku firing. Many potters brought their work into town in
large baskets balanced on their heads to sell at the festival.
The trip has given me a fresh perspective on pottery from the
view of these courageous and dignified people—wonderful
artists who allowed us a glimpse into their lives.
Erna Aaltonen
Stoneware vessels by Finland potter Erna Aaltonen were exhib­
ited recently at the Hameenlinna Art Museum in Hameenlinna,
Finland. “Pottery is one of the oldest technical skills of man-
Erna Aaltonen’s “Knight,” approximately 38 inches in
height, stoneware lidded jar; at the Hameenlinna Art
Museum, Hameenlinna, Finland.
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
19
Up Front
kind. Being part of and continuing this tradition is a way to
express myself,” Aaltonen remarked.
Whether handbuilding, throwing or casting her forms,
Aaltonen “focuses on glazing and the effects on the surface.”
American Craft Council Update
The American Craft Council (ACC) has reported that sales for
the “1998 ACC Craft Show Baltimore,” held February 17-22 at
the Baltimore Convention Center, were at an all-time high.
Projected totals showed an increase of over $4 million from
1997. On a per-exhibitor basis, wholesale sales were up by 17%
and retail sales by 11%. Attendance by wholesale buyers in­
creased 6% over 1997, while attendance by retail buyers re­
mained the same.
The ACC also introduced a new program at the Baltimore
show. Designed to recognize excellence in the work of exhibitors,
“The American Craft Council Award of Excellence” was (will be)
given to artists “who, in their work, display an extraordinary
vision or idea in concert with a superb competence and mastery
of a craft medium,” stated Michael Monroe, executive director of
ACC. Each recipient received a cash award of $500 and is
automatically accepted into next year’s Baltimore show. Plans are
underway to extend the program to other shows.
Mothers Day Sale
The Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee, held
its annual “Mother’s Day Open Studio” on May 9. Among the
Vince Pitelka’s “Industrial Ruin Vessel #2,” 22 inches
in height, colored-clay marquetry, $850.
clay artists featured were Clive Clintonson, Sean Gouge,
Kathleen Guss, Jeff Lee, Kirke Martin, Chris Mosey, Vince
Pitelka and Stephen Robison.
Along with the sale of work, several artists gave demonstra­
tions, including Guss, who fired a wood kiln, and Robison, who
threw pottery on the wheel.
Aaron Lee Benson
Jeff Lee bottles, to 12 inches in height, salt-fired
stoneware, $45-$50; at the Appalachian Center
for Crafts, Smithville, Tennessee.
20
by Christopher Nadaskay
“Imitators of God,” a series of sculptures by Tennessee artist
Aaron Lee Benson, portrays individuals who fell victim to the
Nazi regime during the Holocaust. Shown recently at Mary
Adams Gallery at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts,
the forms are both architectural and figurative.
Benson has long been creating large-scale clay sculpture with
an architectural theme (see the March 1997 issue of CM). His
recent research into martyrs, the reason they chose to die and
why they were killed, led him to the Holocaust and the discov­
ery of hundreds of cases where individuals died because they
had chosen to defend Jews.
The sculpture “Janusz Korczak” (shown on page 22) depicts
a man who ran an orphanage for Jewish children. When the
Nazis forced the children to go to a concentration camp,
Korczak did not have to go because he was Protestant. Ignoring
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Up Front
his own fate, he chose to accompany the children, even to the
gas chambers at Treblinka.
Each of Benson’s works takes on the likeness of the indi­
vidual it portrays, combines it with a symbol and imagery
relating to his or her life, and juxtaposes them against the
architectural framework of the traditional Christian cathedral.
The symmetry of the forms gives them an archetypal presence
that is only enhanced by Benson’s surface treatment.
He does not use traditional glaze techniques. Instead, each
piece is painted with transparent layers of varying media,
ranging from inks, paint and shoe polish to tea, coffee, mud
Dick Lehman’s “Ash-Awash,” approximately 10 inches in
height, porcelaneous stoneware with feldspathic
contaminants, ash glazed, fired for nine days with pine; at
Cedar Valley College Ceramics Gallery, Lancaster, Texas.
ing fuel consumption), length of firing and clay body choices,
and their effects upon natural-ash accumulation.”
Tamara Laird
Functional ware by Takoma Park, Maryland, potter Tamara
Laird was exhibited through April 8 at the Kline Campus
Center Art Gallery at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater,
Aaron Lee Benson’s “Janusz Korczak,” 22 inches in
height; at Mary Adams Gallery, Wheaton College in
Norton, Massachusetts.
and berry juices. He often uses as many as 30 layers to achieve
the surface effects he wants.
Dick Lehman
“Collaborative Accommodations,” an exhibition of wood-fired
ceramics by Goshen, Indiana, potter Dick Lehman, was pre­
sented recently at the Cedar Valley College Ceramics Gallery in
Lancaster, Texas. The works on view were the culmination of
experiments with eight different clay bodies fired in five woodburning lnlns.
They were “all fired in anagama-style kilns,” Lehman ex­
plained, “ranging from massive-fireboxed ‘minigamas’ to more
traditional large-scale anagamas. I am especially interested in
exploring the relationships between firebox size (and the result-
22
Tamara Laird teapot, 18 inches in height, red earthen­
ware, slab built, fired to Cone 04; at the Kline Campus
Center Art Gallery, Bridgewater (Virginia) College.
Virginia. Slab built from red earthenware, Laird’s pots are
decorated with vitreous slips, dry colorants and translucent
glazes. “Meant to be friendly, inviting and capable of producing
a smile,” her worlds “consist of a number of separate pieces
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June I July I August 1998
23
Up Front
joined together to create playful combinations of color, form
and balance,” Laird notes.
Broadway, Here We Come
When the new Broadway production of The Sound of Music
opened in March, it had a new prop—clay. Director Susan
viewed simultaneously as an everyday household item and as a
precious art object.
Their worl<s ran the gamut from decorative through func­
tional to installation art. Each one made a personal statement in
clay, and it was the individuality, and in some cases intimacy, of
these statements that made the results exciting. For instance,
Eve Faulkes, professor of art in graphic design, manipulated
still-soft plates to reflect the forms of the dried leaves, ferns and
seed pods that she attached to the finished piece. Through the
use of scratching, shaping and glazing, she achieved an exquisite
concurrence between the decoration and natural forms.
With the wide range of interpretations, it was interesting to
note that the only plates with a functional aesthetic were made
by Bob Anderson. His majolica-glazed plates brought to mind a
combination of two traditions worlds apart: the majolica ware
of the Mediterranean and the boldly painted ceramic ware of
Japan in the custom of Sotatsu and Korin.
Anderson’s were the only plates in “Division of Art Faculty:
The Plate Show” that one could actually eat from. There is
Connecticut potter Kristin Muller instructs actress Jeanne
Lehman on proper throwing techniques in preparation for
the Broadway musical The Sound of Music.
Schulman, who had researched the historical aspects of the
abbey in which Maria Von Trapp was a nun, discovered that the
nuns had produced wheel-thrown and handbuilt daywork.
For the latest production, she hired Kristin Muller, director
of ceramics at Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut, to teach
actress Jeanne Lehman, the choreographer and the property/set
manager the process of throwing and other aspects of working
with clay that “would be dramatic on stage.” One of the earlier
scenes depicts the nuns making pottery during the musical
number “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?”
“Throwing clay on the wheel relates to dancing very closely,
because there is a repetition and rhythm,” Muller noted. “You
do it over and over, yet each time is a little different because of
the human element.”
Bob Anderson plate, earthenware with majolica
and overglazes; at Paul Mesaros Gallery, West
Virginia University, Morgantown.
Not Your Usual Faculty Show
by Claudia Giannini
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Division of Art at
West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, the art faculty
collaborated with faculty artist Bob Anderson, coordinator of
the ceramics department, to create unique artistic statements
using earthenware plates as their point of departure. In the
world of academic ceramics, the university is one of only a few
that focuses on production processes and explores creative
decorating techniques, training students to be self-sufficient
potters upon graduation. The program’s emphasis on functional
ware provided the basis for the collaboration.
When artists have the opportunity to work in a medium
with which they have little experience, they are not bound by
preconceptions, and interesting things are allowed to happen.
The faculty artists visiting the ceramics department approached
this project through the rich associations brought to something
24
Eve Faulkes earthenware plate, 12½ inches in
diameter, with white slip, oxides and clear glaze,
and natural objects.
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
25
Up Front
something refreshing and direct in the idea of making objects
that are both useful and beautiful.
Seven Points of View
by Julie Miracle
Seven ceramists revealed seven points of view in an invitational
exhibition featured at Urban Artifacts Gallery in Houston. “I
really wanted an eclectic show to illustrate the diversity and
breadth of the medium,” commented curator Barbara
Chadwick, an artist and adjunct professor of art at North
Harris College in Houston. Along with her own work,
Chadwick selected ceramics by Margaret Bohls, Huntsville,
Texas; Nick de Vries, Houston; Kate Inskeep, Boulder, Colo­
rado; Phyllis Kloda, Athens, Ohio; Paul McCoy, Waco, Texas;
and Matt Wilt, Philadelphia.
Together, Chadwick’s selections convey a message of the
potential of clay. The art illustrates expansive, individual po­
tential guided by, and dependent upon, the medium.
Nick de Vries’ highly structured forms depict sobering
themes. Having recently returned from symposia in the
Czech Republic and Poland, his work transports us to an
Eastern Europe still scarred by war. Almost like artifacts from
a bombed-out building, his slab-built stoneware sculptures
suggest visual paradox: structure in distortion, beauty amidst
ugliness, hope despite despair.
De Vries describes his work as metaphorical—“relating
selected themes of the human condition. My fascination with
structures, be it physical or behavioral, has always been an area
of intrigue,” he explains. “I have used forms that are predictable
and not-so-predictable. Today, I am noticing the two forms
blurring at the edges and fading into each other.”
Margaret Bohls’ condiment trays interpret traditional forms;
the forms of the ewers, jars and shakers interact and contrast.
Nick J. de Vries’ “Na Hrebienka 35, No. 1,” 23 inches
in height, handbuilt stoneware; at Urban Artifacts
Gallery, Houston, Texas.
Margaret Bohls’ “Celadon Condiment Tray,” to 10 inches
in height, handbuilt porcelain.
“Besides their actual function, these forms function visually like
three-dimensional still lives,” notes Bohls. “The visual interac­
tion of each individual form against the others in the set is of
great interest to me.”
Randy Brodnax and Michael Obranovich
Barbara Chadwick’s “Allegro,” 8¾ inches in height,
porcelain, thrown and handbuilt.
26
“Two Peas Outta the Pod,” an exhibition of wheel-thrown and
handbuilt vessels by Texas artists Randy Brodnax and Michael
Obranovich, was presented through May 2 at the Dallas Visual
Arts Center. Preferring to produce pottery for everyday use,
Obranovich concentrates on forms that are “simple and comple­
mented with glazes that enhance the utility of the piece,” he
explains. “Some are used to serve food; some are a celebration of
the elements.”
For Brodnax, clay provides an “opportunity to be provoca­
tive and earthbound, yet at the same time strong and highly
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
27
Up Front
untitled to allow viewers to make their own assessments,
Brogden explains that she is “fascinated by the associations
made as we interpret the world around us. The objects that I
build reflect this fascination. It is my hope to create forms with
a broad and often ambiguous reference; forms that are perplex­
ing due to their many allusions.”
Scott R. Jones
“Many Styles,” an exhibition of ceramic wall platters, decorative
pottery and drawings by New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, artist
Scott R. Jones, was presented at the Washington County
Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland. “My work is
the culmination of many styles and media,” Jones commented.
“And this exhibit represents my desire to never stick to one
Michael Obranovich teapot, 10 inches in height, slabbuilt stoneware with copper glaze; at the Dallas Visual
Arts Center, Texas.
individual. It pulls you inward to become one with this incred­
ible, plastic material. Clay is always a bodacious experience.”
Sally Brogden
Ceramic sculpture by Knoxville, Tennessee, artist Sally Brogden
was exhibited recently at Gallery One at the Appalachian
Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee. Leaving her works
Scott R. Jones’ “Three Styles in One Plate,” 17 inches in
diameter, glazed terra cotta; at the Washington County
Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, Maryland.
medium or one way of working within a medium. It features
multiple ways to express the same subject.
“Collectibles, old magazine ads and pop art directly influ­
ence my work, as do artists such as Stuart Davis, Marsden
Hartley, Charles Burchfield and Edward Hopper. Their art, like
mine, reminds me of an expression I once read: ‘The delinea­
tion of essence.’
“I approach an object by first discerning its simplicity,” he
continued. “Pottery, my favorite medium of expression, is
unforgiving. The many unexpected things that can happen—
and inevitably do—make creating the perfect piece extremely
difficult. As much as 40% of what I produced for this show is
not represented for reasons as varied as craclcs, warping, bubbles
and bad batches of clay.
“The constant two-steps-forward-one-step-back nature of
creating pottery requires the stubborn streak seen in so many
potters,” Jones concluded. “Without the willpower to persevere
in the face of these setbacks, many artists turn to another
medium. I prefer to figure out what went wrong and to try
different approaches until I get it right.”
Dong-Hun Chung
Sally Brogden “Untitled,” 24 inches in height; at Gallery
One, Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville, Tennessee.
28
Clayworlcs created during a one-year residency by Korean artist
Dong-Hun Chung were exhibited recently at the Towson
University Asian Arts Gallery in Towson, Maryland. Combining
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Up Front
asserts that ceramics will never rise in popularity or respectabil­
ity, because it is too decorative, beautiful and sensuous. These
qualities, he maintains, are not taken seriously.
David Stuempfle Receives Japan Fellowship
Dong-Hun Chung sculpture, approximately 3 feet in
height, handbuilt, multifired; at Towson University Asian
Arts Gallery, Towson, Maryland.
size and simplicity in his sculpture, Chung creates human-size
urns, vases and figurative pieces based on the Chinese philoso­
phy of yin-yang.
“My works are quite the same as marriage,“ Chung observes.
“Two people living together, separate people, unified into one. I
create separate forms, but adjust them, bring them together to
make one art form.
“I am really representing Korea through my work,” he
concludes. “It reflects a desire to unify Korea, two separate
entities uniting into one country.”
Exhibition of Danish Ceramics
For the “Second Danish Ceramics Triennial” at the Trapholt
Museum in Kolding, Denmark, jurors Soren Thygesen and
Gunhild Aaberg (both ceramists), and Sven Jorn Andersen,
Trapholt director, chose 20 artists to present 6—8 examples of
their most recent work.
In an essay published in the accompanying catalog, Peder
Rasmussen (one of the selected artists) writes about his career as
a ceramist and the current state of ceramic arts in Denmark. He
Installation view of the “Second Danish Ceramics Triennial”; in the
foreground are two modeled stoneware sculptures by Martin Bodilsen
Kaldahl, to approximately 11 inches in height, approximately US$1065
and US$1220 (left to right); at the Trapholt Museum, Kolding, Denmark.
30
Seagrove, North Carolina, potter David Stuempfle was awarded
one of three 1998 United States/Japan Creative Artists Fellow­
ships. The program sends American artists to Japan for a sixmonth residency.
During their stay, the
fellowship artists are
encouraged to consider
how exposure to
Japan’s contemporary
or traditional cultures
can influence their
studio work.
While in Japan,
Stuempfle hopes “not
only to improve myself
as a potter by experi­
encing life and art in
Japan, but to open
communications
between Seagrove and
David Stuempfle stoneware
other pottery commubottles, 17 inches in height,
sa^ 9lazed and wood fired.
nities in Japan.”
Bennett Welsh, 1922-1998
Gresham, Oregon, potter Bennett Welsh died on April 2. One
of the first potters in the Northwest to work with high-fired
stoneware, Welsh founded and built the equipment for the
ceramics department at the Portland Art Museums school (now
called the Oregon Art Institute). He later went on to work in
the ceramics department at Tektronix, a high-tech computer
and oscilliscope company, but soon quit to buy Pacific Stone­
ware, a production company with several retail shops. In the
1970s, he sold the company and began working in a smaller
studio with just a few employees. After officially retiring from
production potting in 1984, he had concentrated on making
large sculptural pieces.
Robert Sperry, 1927-1998
Seatde, Washington, artist Robert Sperry died on April 14.
Recognized as an influential force on the development of ceramic
art in the Pacific Northwest, Sperry was known for his work with
crackled slips on large plates and wall forms (see “Abstractions in
Black and White” in the June/July/August 1990 CM). He liked
the idea of art “as an event, rather than a description.”
In fact, he credited “the accidental happenings of
which life is full” for some of his best ideas.
Although Sperry initially studied painting (at the
University of Saskatchewan and the Chicago Art
Institute), he became interested in ceramics after
meeting Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio at the Archie
Bray Foundation. Sperry then went on to earn an
M.F.A. at the University of Washington, after which
he joined the staff as a ceramics teacher.
Early in his ceramics career, he was influenced by
the Scandinavian aesthetic; he also explored salt
glazing and metallic lusters before focusing on
recording the interaction of white slip brushed,
poured or troweled over fired black glaze.
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
31
New Books
ues. “He demonstrated a wish not just to de­
velop a glaze or even a group of glazes, [but] to
develop an integrated body of work with a
unique personality. He learned to throw on the
potter’s wheel;...he found a clay body that fit
Charles Fergus Binns
his needs, and he found glazes that fit the
The Father of American Studio Ceramics
body. He did all this with a consciousness that
by Margaret Carney
every aspect of the work had to mesh with every
other aspect, for only then would it convey a
with essays by Paul Evans, Susan Strong and
sense of rightness.”
Richard Zakin
The final section of the book describes the
Published in conjunction with the exhibi­
tion of the same name, this catalog/book lookscareers of 11 of his most accomplished students,
at the life and work of potter/educator/scholarincluding Arthur Baggs, Paul Cox, Maija
Charles Fergus Binns. Included are essays fo­ Grotell, Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Adelaide
cusing on Binns’ life and career before Alfred Alsop Robineau. 254 pages, including bibliog­
University, his work at Alfred, his designation raphy and index. $50; American Ceramic Soci­
as the father of Ameri­ ety member, $45. Hudson Hills Press, Inc., 122
can studio ceramics, the East 25th Street, Floor 5, New York, New York
technical aspects of and 10010-2936. Also available from The American
the Oriental influences Ceramic Society, Post Office Box 6 136, Westerville,
Ohio 43086-6136; telephone (614) 794-5890
on his work.
or
fax (614) 794-5892.
Born in 1857 in
Worcester, England,
Binns apprenticed at Handbuilt Ceramics
the Royal Worcester by Kathy Triplett
“Today, when a potter with a wheel can turn
Porcelain Works when
he was 14; he contin­ out 50 cups in an hour and when industry can
ued to work there for 25 years, primarily as headreproduce endless, inexpensive, fiber-glass ar­
chitectural details, hand sculpting clay seems
of the sales office, but also as a lecturer. In 1897,
he resigned from the factory and moved to especially slow and laborious. Yet people con­
America. As he lectured and wrote about pot­ tinue to shape clay by hand because doing so
tery, Binns’ reputation grew, and in 1899, he provides something beyond utility or expedi­
was asked to be 1 of 25 founding members of ence,” observes the author of this nicely illus­
trated “how-to” guide. “Working with clay
the American Ceramic Society.
A year later, Binns became the director (andoffers, as do very few activities in our mechanis­
teacher) of the newly founded New York State tic world, the opportunity to participate fully in
an act of creation—to
School of Clay-Working and Ceramics (now
known as the New York State College of Ce­
simultaneously express
and fulfill a wide range
ramics at Alfred University), the first school to
of human needs.”
combine ceramic an and technology. “Its course
After an explana­
was set by the artistic and educational philoso­
tion of the tools and
phies of its first director, Charles Fergus Binns,”
equipment needed, as
notes Strong in her essay on Binns at Alfred.
well as a look at clay
It was clear to Binns, she adds, “that crafts­
and its properties,
men were not undertaking sufficiently lengthy
Triplett describes sev­
or rigorous training to produce fine wares and
eral handbuilding tech­
that the public was not sufficiently educated to
appreciate or buy them. Alfred became a leaderniques, including pinching, coiling and slab
in American ceramics because of Binns’ power­building, illustrated by “how-to” photos and
ful influence as a teacher and because he unitedexamples of works by various artists.
Surface decoration—materials used, testing
art with technology.”
When Binns began his career at Alfred in glazes and underglazes, preparing glazes from
1900, he was well respected in the ceramic powdered ingredients, techniques, application
industry, but was not yet a potter. In the next of glazes, etc.—is discussed next. “The word
few years, though, he began experimenting ‘decoration’ in a discussion of surface treat­
with stoneware clay bodies and glazes. “By ments for clay is somewhat deceptive,” notes
1905, his career as an artist-potter was begin­ Triplett. “It suggests, among other things, that
ning to gel,” states Zakin in his essay on the surface treatments are afterthoughts—colorful
technical aspects of Binns’ work. “He not only veneers applied after the fact. They shouldn’t
was thinking about the artist-potter and about be. A glaze applied with no forethought can
stoneware, he was becoming an artist-potter. overwhelm rather than complement the form
He was throwing sectioned formed pieces on of a piece. Contemplating a finish while you
the potter’s wheel, and he was beginning to design and make a piece is critical.”
After discussing kilns and firing techniques,
make his own stoneware.
“Binns adopted a wide-ranging approach to she provides step-by-step instructions for eight
the way he developed his work,” Zakin contin­ projects (stiff-slab windowsill planter, coiled
32
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
33
New Books
ter and water ratios; underglaze, engobe, kiln craftworks,” states the author of this compila­
wash, casting slip, glaze, terra-sigillataandcrack- tion of 23 tear-out business and legal forms
repair recipes; glossary; list of contributing art­ (contract of sale, invoice, commission contract,
and extruded planter, extended pinch pitcher, ists; metric conversions; list of resources; bibli­ distribution contract, rental contract, copy­
etc.); each includes a list of tools needed, de­ ography; and index. 458 color photographs. right application, etc.) for individual use. Ex­
tailed instructions, tips and variations. “These $24.95, plus $3.95 shipping and handling. planations and detailed instructions on how to
Lark Books, 50 College Street, Asheville, North use each one are pro­
projects will show you how particular tech­
vided as well.
niques can be used, and by making each one, Carolina 28801; telephone (800) 284-3388.
Crawford also ex­
you’ll learn valuable handbuilding methods.
Every one of these projects, however, could be Business and Legal Forms for Crafts plains standard provi­
sions to contracts, such
by Tad Crawford
made by using a different technique.”
as arbitration, death or
“Attaining
the
knowledge
of
good
business
The final chapters cover acquiring and work­
ing on commissions, plus various sources of practices and implementing their use is an disability, force mainspiration. 160 pages, including appendixes important step toward success for any profes­ jeure, etc.: “Under­
on safety precautions; cone-firing ranges; plas­ sional, including the professional artist creating standing the business
concepts behind the
forms is as important as using them. By know­
ing why a certain provision has been included
and what it accomplishes, the artist is able to
negotiate when faced with someone else’s busi­
ness form.” 176 pages, including index.
Softcover, $19.95 (includes a CD-ROM with
forms, for Windows or Macintosh). Allworth
Press, 10 East 23rd Street, Suite 400, New York,
New York 10010; or telephone (800) 491-2808.
The Complete Potter’s Companion
by Tony Birks
First published in 1972, this revised and
updated edition is designed to “encourage pot­
ters to experiment more widely and aim high,
not to be satisfied with adequate results, but to
relate to the increasing throng of creative artists
worldwide who make scintillating work and for
whom pottery is central to their lives.”
The processes of throwing (centering; open­
ing to a cylinder; making lids, lips, handles,
spouts; trimming; etc.) are detailed in the first
section. Here and throughout the book, “how­
to” photos and ex­
amples of works by
individual artists ac­
company the text.
The second section
looks at handbuilding
techniques. “As a tech­
nical device, the wheel
may give speed and pre­
cision while imposing
discipline, but there is no question of its elbow­
ing handmade ceramics into second place as far
as worth and beauty are concerned,” maintains
Birks. “The would-be potter without a wheel
must never for a moment feel he or she lacks the
facilities to make pots. Some trepidation is
justified, however, since, armed with a simple
technique and the simplest of tools, the begin­
ner is entering the arena from which have
emerged many of the world’s greatest pots, and
much of the best modern work.”
Glazes—their ingredients; application; reci­
pes, results, faults and remedies—are consid­
ered next, then Birks discusses the decoration of
raw, bisqued and glazed pottery, plus multicol­
ored clays. The final section describes kilns and
various firing processes, as well as the space and
34
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
35
New Books
192 pages, including glossary, list of suppli­ guide (first published in 1972) to creating
ers and publications, index, and index of pinched pottery. “Pinching has invited me to
potters’ work. 450 color photographs; 21 slow down into time, way down into the plea­
equipment needed for making pots. “There are sketches. $26.95, softcover. Bulfinch Press/Little, sure and sensuality of first a pinch, now a stroke,
hundreds of studios and cooperatives world­ Brown and Company, 1271 Avenue of the Ameri­ then another pinch and this one herelhear; one
pinch at a time.”
wide, and it is not too difficult to make contact cas, New York, New York 10020.
Of all the forming methods, pinching pots,
with the potters who run them,” he notes.
he says, is “most often given the least emphasis,
Emphasis is “either on the functionalism Finding One’s Way with Clay
despite the fact that it
and good design of a medium that started, by Paulus Berensohn
“As soon as I learned how to pinch clay, I is generally the first
and continues, to serve the table, or on the
aesthetic and emotional potential of the me­ wanted to share this process of pinching with method we are taught
dium, clay, as a means of communication. It is others. I am less passionate these days about or teach. It is difficult
only this schism that is artificial. Good pots willthe pots we make as pots than I am in the meansto make a controlled
continue to communicate their quality and whereby...we experience forming them,” com­ form by this method.
beauty when the talking is over and done.” ments Berensohn in this revised and updated The pots look crude,
they crack in our hands
and collapse.”
Yet, through pinch­
ing, Berensohn has
found a “new respect and interest...for the
touch and the color of clay, for its perishability
and its strength. I am taking more care in my
selection and making of clay bodies: allowing
them their own time to age. This lesson, that
time is needed for both clay and potter to ripen,
is a nourishing and supportive one.”
Providing detailed instructions and “how­
to” photos, the book begins with the simple
exercise of creating a small, thin-walled, sym­
metrical pinch pot; then goes on to asymmetri­
cal pots; closed, near-closed and necked forms;
and large forms. Putting pieces together, add­
ing clay to a shape, texturing and surface enrich­
ment are covered next.
“It is very easy for surface enrichment and
design to be just that: a decoration and on the
surface,” Berensohn notes. “What I try to
evolve in my work is a reason for the designs
I’m using that will deepen the surface and
enliven the form with signs of my person, my
interests, my life.”
The second section deals with colored clays—
wedging various clays together, adding oxides
to clay, etc., plus detailed information on four
clay bodies that Berensohn uses in combination
with oxides.
Information on sawdust kilns and firing is
also included. “Sawdust firing is the gentlest of
fires: a flameless fire. Pottery fired in sawdust is
extremely low-fired, just past the point where
the pot would not dissolve back into workable
clay if it were soaked. It will not hold water, nor
can it be glazed. The limitation (I should say
‘privilege’) of this palette is blackness. And yet
within this limitation is a gentle and soft range
of possibility.”
The final section includes notes, quotes and
stories from Berensohn’s journal. 165 pages,
including appendix noted “to the experienced,”
“on wedging in additives to your clay” and
“Twenty-five Years Later: Wilder ClaylSlower
Hands”; glossary and bibliography. 41 color
and 334 black-and-white photographs; 45
sketches. $26.50, plus $3.50 shipping. Trinity
Ceramic Supply, 9016 Diplomacy Row, Dallas,
Texas 75247; or telephone (214) 631-0540.
36
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
37
A Look at Glaze Calculation Software
by Rick Malmgren
asier, faster, more powerful—the last
few years have seen significant
changes in the arena of computer glaze
calculation programs (see the October
1995 CM). The earliest programs were
essentially just quick unity formula cal­
culators, but theyve come a long way
since then. All (old and new alike) are
smoother, more intuitive and filled with
many useful features. More than simply
keeping pace, some of the newer pro­
grams have raised the standards and
expectations several notches, and low­
ered prices.
Computers will never replace glaze
testing. If anything, they encourage
more testing. As the materials that make
up the glazes are better understood, the
direction for improvement becomes
clearer, and the power more enticing.
Ultimately, it comes down to your own
understanding of the materials, appli­
cation methods and firing.
All of the features of these glaze cal­
culation programs fall into three basic
categories: electronic notebook, recipe
analysis and predicting fired results. Each
of the programs discussed here offers
something in every category, but only a
few excel in all three.
Electronic notebook: First, and most
familiar to everyone, is the glaze note­
book. We have all used some system of
storing glaze recipes and tips on how to
apply and fire our glazes. For many of
us, a spiral notebook or three-ring binder
works fine. As our careers advance, we
tend to collect new recipes and new
ideas, and do some testing. Here is where
the computer programs become help­
ful—they provide an order to the mess
that most glaze notebooks become.
Computer programs are great at
searching and sorting. With an elec­
tronic notebook, you can also instantly
calculate how much of each ingredient
you would need to achieve a batch of
any given size, then print out the recipe
to use as a checklist for mixing. Prob­
ably the most common glaze-mixing
errors are miscalculating an ingredient
amount or skipping one altogether. A
checklist solves both problems.
E
38
GlazeChem 1.2 blends calculation and database functions.
Using the electronic notebook doesn’t
require any special skill or understand­
ing. It just takes an afternoon or so to
type your recipes in, and an occasional
20 minutes to update notes.
Recipe analysis: At the next level of
complexity, the programs will calculate
the precise amount of each oxide in the
finished, fired glaze. Each material brings
its own collection of chemical elements
to the glaze. In order to fully under­
stand what the glaze is, we need to get
down to this basic chemical level.
It is also at this level that we can
work backward from a target formula
to a batch recipe. This reverse calcula­
tion is essential if we want to substitute
new materials or to reformulate a glaze
recipe to solve a problem.
Predictingfired results: At the top level
of complexity is the shakiest feature—a
prediction of how the glaze will look or
react after being fired. All of the pro­
grams reviewed offer a theoretical mea­
sure of how much a given recipe will
contract on cooling. This is a useful
measurement for predicting whether a
glaze will craze or shiver. One program
even goes so far as to predict whether a
glaze will crawl.
Several of the programs also attempt
to estimate the optimal firing tempera­
ture of the glaze by comparing the analy­
sis with standard ranges for glazes at any
given temperature.
This review divides the programs into
three major groups: those that run un­
der Windows, those that have separate
versions that run under Windows or
the Macintosh, and those that run only
on a Macintosh.
Each of these programs was written
by a potter with years and, in some
cases, several decades of personal expe­
rience in the studio. Naturally, their ap­
proaches and emphases differ. The
happiest option obviously would be to
try each one out yourself—and now,
through the magic of electronic com­
munication, you can! Most can be
downloaded from Internet websites, so
that you can try them out on your own
computer and decide before you buy
whether one is right for you.
GlazeChem 1.2 (Windows)
GlazeChem 1.2 is a bright new pro­
gram, and one that I recommend highly
and without reservation. It is simple,
intuitive, flexible and powerful—a per-
CERAMICS MONTHLY
feet blend of glaze calculation and glaze one to another. These links help solve graph shows how nearly the analysis of
recipe database. Drop-down pick lists the problem of having multiple names, the recipe matches common limit for­
make glaze descriptions and recording or generic and specific names for the mulas, so it is possible to guess the likely
firing range and surface quality. To­
notes a snap. Recipes are easily entered same material.
by selecting materials from lists or typ­
It is shareware, so you can download gether, the graphs present a quick “pic­
ing in part of the materials name. You a copy of GlazeChem to try (http:// ture” of the recipe. The question with
can easily find a single recipe buried in a www.tiac.net/users/rjw/), but if you all such projections is how accurate the
pile of hundreds of tests by searching would like to use it on a regular basis, coefficients are for the qualities they
for any of a variety of criteria. All the remember to support the work in the purport to describe. Fraser Forsythe, the
standard calculations are instantaneous. program and its continued development programs author, acknowledges this in
Percent analysis, unity formula, cost per by sending the purchase price to: Rob­ his help file, but it would have been
kilogram, cost per batch, expansion and ert J. Wilt, 92 Bay State Avenue, #2, really valuable if he had gone a step
Si/Al ratios are presented on easy-to-use Somerville, Massachusetts 02144; the further to describe the process he used
tabbed cards. Calculating back from a price is US$25 when downloaded, in selecting the actual numbers in the
target formula to a recipe is greatly sim­ US$30 when shipped in the United program. Surface tension, for example,
plified, as GlazeChem makes recom­
States, or US$33 shipped overseas. For appears to be a simple rank of the ce­
mendations for the materials to use and further information, e-mail rjw@tiac.net ramic oxides and not more narrowly
focused on the precise differences among
the precise amounts to add.
Glaze Simulator (Windows)
elements. Viscosity, which is a measure
Anyone who has studied the chem­
Glaze Simulator is a program that of melting power, is cleverly structured
istry of glazes knows how useful it is to
takes the ambitious tack of projecting to recognize that different oxides have
compare one particular recipe to an­
other similar recipe. The standard ranges the final appearance of the glaze based different melting powers at different
for any given firing temperature are on the recipe. Similar to Richard Zakins temperatures. Again, one may disagree
called limit formulas. Each of the ox­ Ceramic Utilities program reviewed in with the numbers Forsythe has selected.
ides has a defined high and low limit,
and the recipe under examination can
be compared to those values. With
GlazeChem, you can compare to stan­
dard glaze limits and also generate your
own for any group of glazes in the blink
of an eye. Say you want to see why your
copper red glaze isn’t working as you
might like—perhaps its too fluid or the
color is off. If you collect a number of
copper red recipes, it is a breeze to cal­
culate the component oxides in each,
and graph your recipe against your spe­
cific target glaze limits. Previously, I had
spent hours with a spreadsheet doing
this, so I cant exaggerate how much I
value this feature.
Exporting and importing recipes and
notes to and from Insight, HyperGlaze
and the NCECA GlazeBase is also a
breeze. What an enormous time-saver
for those of us who have accumulated Glaze Simulator projects final appearance based on the recipe.
several years’ worth of research in one of
the March 1994 CM, it looks at the This is an area that invites more discus­
those programs.
GlazeChem is the most flexible of all analysis to compare the composition of sion and research.
Like all the other programs, Glaze
the programs at generating custom views the glaze to standard limit formulas and
and reports on glazes. You can decide to coefficients for the ceramic oxides to Simulator comes with a collection of
use the color additions in your calcula­ arrive at a description of the likely melt­ material analyses, and performs flawless
tions or to exclude them. Health con­ ing range, and whether the glaze might calculations of the formula or percent
analysis from a recipe. There is also a
cerns about materials are part of the craze or crawl.
materials list. A couple of other neat
Three-dimensional bar graphs are glaze database feature, which is quite
drawn of the molecular formula and workable for simple searching and se­
tricks are how it does quick substitu­
tions of materials on a single glaze or percent analysis of the recipe. A third lection of glazes.
While the program works well, a few
groups of glazes, and the way that ma­ graph shows the viscosity, thermal ex­
terials can be linked or “mapped” from pansion and surface tension. A fourth weaknesses keep it from among the top
June/July/August 1998
39
choices. Calculations from an analysis dow, it is possible to work with a num­ glazecalcl for a 60-day free trial; the
back to a recipe are difficult. Also, print­ ber of recipes and adjustments at the registration fee is US$45 or £25. There
ing an analysis of the glaze is slow and same time.
is also a version of the program for the
gives little in the way of options for
Calculations from a target formula Amiga computer. For further informa­
tailoring a glaze report.
back to the recipe allow similar gradual tion, contact Christopher Green, SeeHaving noted that, I look for strong adjustments. By “locking” the amounts green Software, PO Box 115, Westbury
developments as the program evolves. for some ingredients and allowing oth­ onTrym, Bristol BS9 3ND, United King­
Of particular interest will be the gradual ers to change, it is possible to watch the dom; e-mail: supportglz@seegreen.com
refinement of the coefficients used for results of subtle shifts on the overall
the calculations.
formula. The approach is not conven­ Glaze Calculation Workbook (Windows)
To order, send US$49.95 or tional and may take some getting used
While it is an outstanding program
Can$69.95 to Fraser Forsythe, FS to, but it is a very interesting perspec­ for looking at glaze expansion co­
Ananda Inc., PO Box 24006, Bullfrog tive on this calculation.
efficients, you will need to own a spread­
Postal Outlet, Guelph, Ontario, N1E
The streamlined database function sheet program to run Glaze Calculation
6V8, Canada. Forsythe can also be con­ searches either the recipe or the materi­ Workbook. David Hewitt has structured
tacted by e-mail fraserf@golden.net or als lists for specific chemical composi­ it to perform the standard recipe-tovia his website www.golden.net/^fraserf tions within defined limits, for key wordsformula calculations and assist in the
in the descriptions, for particular cone formula-to-recipe calculations. It re­
Glaze Calculator (Windows)
ranges and so on. It is very simple and quires Microsoft Excel, Lotus 123,
Christopher Greens Glaze Calcula­ works well. The materials list that I QuatroPro, or SuperCalc. Users of
tor is crisp and clean. Recipes are easy downloaded with the program is for Microsoft Excel versions 5 and 7 will
to build by simply dragging a material English materials, and is very short. Lists benefit from the drop-down selection
from the list and dropping it into a slot of Japanese and American material lists, and they can automate functions
on the recipe list. The drag symbol looks analyses are available at no cost. The using macro commands.
like a scoop filled with glaze material. It program also comes with a good glos­
If you are facile with spreadsheets,
is easy to play with changes in the reci­ sary of ceramic terms, which could be this program can be fun. It lets you get
pes by “nudging” ingredient amounts helpful to anyone getting started with under the hood, as it were, and see how
up or down with a click on tiny arrows. glaze calculation.
all the calculations work. You should be
Or, if you want major changes, you can
Adjusting batch size is one surpris­ cautioned, however, that this is in some
drag a sliding bar to quickly increase ingly simple calculation that the pro­
ways the most difficult of the programs.
the material amount. The results of the gram fails to perform.
If you are not familiar with spreadsheets,
A promising program, Glaze Calcu­ it may be best to turn elsewhere.
adjustments on the overall analysis are
instantly calculated. Since each recipe lator is shareware and can be down­
Price: e-mail, $12; mail, $25. To or­
and analysis is opened in a separate win­ loaded from http://www.seegreen.com/ der, write to David Hewitt at 7 Fairfield
Road, Caerleon, Newport, South Wales
NP6 1DQ, United Kingdom; by e-mail
david@dhpot.demon.co.uk or via his
website http://digitalfire.com/education/people/hewitt.htm
Matrix (Windows or Macintosh)
With Glaze Calculator, materials are dragged from a list and dropped into a recipe.
40
Matrix is a powerful and superbly
simple program—point and click all
the way. Its author, Lawrence Ewing, is
a lecturer in the ceramics section of the
Otago Polytechnic School of Art in
Dunedin, New Zealand. He developed
the program to teach students the ba­
sics of glaze chemistry, and it serves that
purpose beautifully.
Graphs of limit formulas, surface ten­
sion and thermal expansion help any­
one learning about glazes to understand
the relationship among the major ce­
ramic oxides. Recipes are converted into
underlying formulas instantly and
present on-screen comparisons with
standard formula range. Matrix also
simplifies the process of using line
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Matrix was developed to teach students basic glaze chemistry.
blends, triaxial blends and quadraxial
blends, showing the recipes, analyses
and graphs at all of the test points.
Calculations from a target formula
back to the recipe are very smooth, mak­
ing Matrix one of the best programs for
this difficult calculation. Glazes are quick
to describe and find, using the special
simple drop-down lists in the database
window. New features added to the
Windows version allow the linking of
an image file along with extensive text
notes to a recipe. It is just like having a
test tile right there on screen.
By the time this article is printed a
demo version should be available. Con­
tact Lawrence Ewing, 21 Slant St.,
Careys Bay, Dunedin, New Zealand; email lewing@clear.net.nz; telephone (03)
472 8801. The purchase price is
US$112 or NZ$199.
Ceramis (Windows or Macintosh)
You need to own FileMaker Pro 3.0
to run this program. Steve Hunter has
designed Ceramis as a structured file
that stores information about clays, in­
dividual finished pieces, glaze recipes
and tests, firings, materials and resources.
The glaze calculation section performs
both the recipe-to-formula and formulato-recipe calculations.
There is a good description of the
program on the website (http://
members.tripod.com/'-'Ceramis/), and
June/July,/August 1998
you can download the file to try it out
for free for 60 days. To register, send
US$30 to Steve Hunter, 8 Main Drive,
Brookfield, Connecticut 06804; e-mail
stevehunter@rocketmail.com
Insight (Windows and Macintosh )
Insight has been a long-time leader
in the glaze calculation software world.
Earlier versions were reviewed in Ce­
ramics Monthly, January 1992 and Oc­
tober 1995. The latest, version 5, takes
a huge step forward. The move to the
graphical point-and-click world has been
a tremendous boost. The program main­
tains the speed and simplicity of all the
earlier versions, but the Windows ver­
sion is now much easier to use.
Insight excels at reducing a recipe to
its component chemical elements, and
comparing glaze recipes. Using the in­
cremental “nudge,” it is possible to see
what minor, consistent increases or de­
creases in a material will do to the over­
all analysis. The screen is straightforward,
allowing control of recipe size, the
type of calculation, and whether it
should be calculated for an oxidation
or reduction firing.
Entering material analyses has been
vastly improved. A screen editor allows
you to see the chemical makeup of each
material, then easily make adjustments.
Notes on recipes are also easier to record
in a small box right on the same screen
with the recipe.
While Insight is a good calculation
program, the formula-to-recipe calcula­
tion is not as easy as it is in several of the
other programs reviewed. Without con­
siderable experience, it is hard to know
which materials to add first, and which
materials to use to satisfy the various
oxide needs.
The manual is excellent, with plenty
of real-life examples to get you up and
running, and to begin to learn what all
the calculations can do and what the
numbers mean. Tony Hansen, the key
developer of Insight, has also written a
Insight excels at reducing a recipe to its component chemical elements.
41
Using Glaze Programs
by Rick Malmgren
HyperGlaze offers a wide collection of features in an intuitive graphical package.
terrific book called the Magic of Fire II
that makes sense of clays and glazes and
how they work in terms of chemistry
and physics. It is a very worthwhile
companion for anyone starting to work
with a glaze calculation program. Also,
check out the new Magic of Fire Refer­
ence Edition. This 1000-page “electronic
book” is filled with analyses and knowl­
edgeable descriptions of ceramic mate­
rials and oxides.
For the database side of things, have
a look at Foresight 2.0. The new ver­
sion of this MS-DOS program is very
similar to the version reviewed in Ce­
ramics Monthly, October 1995. To
download a trial version of Insight or
Foresight, go to the website (http://
www.ceramicsoftware.com or http://
digitalfire.com). For the serial number
to validate the downloaded version, send
US$99 to IMC, 134 Upland Drive,
Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 3N7,
Canada. For other pricing options, con­
tact the company via e-mail at
sales@digitalfire.com; telephone (403)
527-2826; or fax (403) 527-7441.
HyperGlaze IIx (Macintosh)
HyperGlaze has been at the top of
the list for glaze calculation programs
since the first review in the January 1992
issue of Ceramics Monthly. The stron­
gest overall glaze calculation program,
it offers a wide collection of features in
an intuitive graphical package. You can
42
get some sense of how it works as an
electronic notebook by downloading the
free GlazeBase version from the
Ceramics Web (http://apple.sdsu.edu/
ceramicsweb/glazesoftware.html).
The full version of HyperGlaze of­
fers a list of features beyond that of any
other program. In addition to all the
standard calculations, it recommends
changes for raising or lowering the fir­
ing temperature of glazes, searches for
glazes that match or nearly match a
given analysis, graphs glazes relative to
standard limit formulas, and even gen­
erates limit formulas for specific collec­
tions of glazes that you define.
Brief descriptions of the likely ap­
pearance of a fired recipe are also pre­
sented—a step toward the future use of
artificial intelligence in the development
of glazes. The printed manual is excel­
lent as well, and the program comes
with an on-screen, very clear descrip­
tion of the basics of glaze chemistry,
which is a wonderful, quick way for
beginners to make sense of all the num­
bers. For the beginning student to the
most advanced potter, HyperGlaze is
an excellent choice.
To order, send $60 (includes postage
in the U.S.) to Richard Burkett, 6354
Lorca Drive, San Diego, California
92115-5509. For further information,
e-mail HyperGlaze@aol.com or check
out
the
website
at
http://
members.aol.com/hyperglaze/ ▲
Who are the real people using these glaze
calculation programs? How are they using
them? What have they learned and what
tips do they have for people just begin­
ning? Here are four different approaches:
Paul Lewing, a ceramic mural artist from
Washington, tends “to use and think about
glazes in some ways that most people do
not, mostly because I’m making murals
rather than functional ware,” he explains.
“I don’t care if my glazes are dishwasherstable, or if they leach. I don’t even care if
they won’t fit my clay, and I can use glazes
that would run right off a pot. What I do
care about is color, texture and interaction
with other glazes.”
Lewing has a Macintosh and uses both
Insight and HyperGlaze. For most of his
analysis work, he prefers Insight because of
its ability to see and adjust two glazes si­
multaneously. “I can change a recipe and
compare it to the original, or to another
recipe. I like some of the bells and whistles
on HyperGlaze, like the function that ana­
lyzes glazes for you. I also like the limits
graphing and the search capability.”
Fdr him, “Insight is by far the better
tool for the serious glaze chemist, while
HyperGlaze is better for beginners, and
has the superior recipe storage system.
“On May 18, 1980,” Lewing says, “we
in the Northwest were blessed with a huge
amount of a free glaze ingredient, Mt. St.
Helens ash. I put an analysis of it from
Science magazine into Insight, and made
three base glazes, using as little other mate­
rial as possible to develop a Cone 5 glaze. I
knew I needed some clay to keep it from
settling, and some bone ash to promote
crystal development. By adding different
fluxes, I came up with three base glazes, all
of which I knew before testing would melt
to a glossy surface and fit my clay body.”
Mt. St. Helens Ash Glaze
(Cone 5)
Bone Ash........................................ 4.42 %
Mt. St. Helens Ash........................ 66.18
Frit 3134 (Ferro)........................... 22.07
Bentonite........................................ 2.91
Edgar Plastic Kaolin..................... 4.42
100.00%
The following glaze is named after Towy,
Lewing’s Welsh Springer Spaniel, who is
white with red spots:
exactly using a barium frit, and then was make the substitution with another clay
modified from there. Not a dinnerware and keep the bodies maturing at the same
cone in the first try. That was a very real
glaze, but boy, is it pretty!”
application of this methodology.
Go-Light Green Glaze
“Comparison of glazes and clays is at
(Cone 5)
the heart of the way I work. Being able to
Gerstley Borate........................ 3.33 %
have both recipe and molecular formula of
Magnesium Carbonate........... 2.35
two glazes visible at the same time is cru­
Whiting...................................... 9.26
cial—but
[being able to see] three would
100.00% Zinc Oxide............................... 2.87
be
better.”
Add: Red Iron Oxide.............. 15.30% Custer Feldspar........................ 32.53
“I’ve spent the last three years workingFrit 3289 (Ferro)...................... 44.63
Zircopax Matt Glaze #5
on Cone 5 iron red glazes, and I’ve foundEdgar Plastic Kaolin............... 5.03
(Cone 10)
some things that work to make them red­
Talc............................................
10.00%
100.00%
der. I started by taking each ingredient, Add: Copper Carbonate......... 3.00% Whiting...................................... 15.00
cutting it down, and gradually adding it
G-200 Feldspar........................ 60.00
Canadian potter Ron Roy is a familiar Edgar Plastic Kaolin............... 15.00
back till I had double the amount in the
face to those who have attended recent
recipe. I found some adjustments that work.
100.00%
Then I tried different irons. I tried black National Council on Education for the Add: Zircopax.......................... 20.00 %
iron, yellow iron and five different reds, Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conferences, where
including Spanish Red. I found that the he has demonstrated glaze calculation, us­ “I became aware while working on
ing Insight.
redder it was before it was fired, the redder
opaque glazes that there was probably a
it would be after. The best I have found so “About 10 years ago, I realized that lowering of expansion when tin and
far has been an iron from Pfizer that is calculation software would take all that Zircopax were added to glazes. I was not
bright red-orange raw. Then I used the calculating drudgery out of the process. I all that clear in my imagination, however,
now use the molecular point of view for so I decided to add increasing amounts of
software to reformulate the glaze, trying to
lower the Si/Al ratio or make the same clays and glazes almost every day. WithoutZircopax to a glaze, hoping it would be­
formula from different ingredients, on thethis easy’ way of transposing from recipe come obvious. I have not finished the ex­
theory that if, for instance, the calcium to molecular formula, I would never haveperiment but one of the initial glazes was
gotten into the depth of understanding I quite spectacular. It reminded me of snow
were more intimately tied up with the silica,
as in wollastonite instead of whiting and have now about ceramic technology,” and I have since incorporated it into my
flint, I could get the same result and thenRoy admits.
snow plate series. On this plate, the white
“Most of the problems I deal with are glaze is mixed and sieved as any glaze is,
use less of one oxide or another.”
Lewing calls another favorite glaze Go-fit problems. Glaze durability can be as­ then I dry it out and break it up, and sieve
Light “because it is the intense green of asessed as well. Perhaps the most dramaticto get different sizes. Then it is sprinkled
traffic light. It’s a barium glaze that has use, however, comes in reformulating clayover the piece.
way more barium in it than you could bodies because a clay is no longer available. “The orange background is a Cone 10
possibly deal with using BaC03. It started I had to redo about ten clay bodies basedterra sigillata developed with calculation
to
out as a BaC03 glaze, got reformulated on Calvert clay. In most cases, I was able software
from an orange Shino (high alu­
mina/high alkaline) glaze profile as a start­
ing model.”
Towy Red Glaze
(Cone 5)
Bone Ash.................................. 2.04 %
Gerstley Borate........................ 31.63
Talc............................................ 14.28
Custer Feldspar........................ 16.33
Edgar Plastic Kaolin............... 5.11
Flint........................................... 30.61
Orange Terra Sigillata
(Cone 10)
Alumina Hydrate (fine)..... 250 grams
Nepheline Syenite............... 40
RedStone*........................... 210
500 grams
Add: Calgon (or other
deflocculant).....................3grams
*This is a Cone 6 red stoneware body available from
Plainsmen Clays, 702 Wood St., SE, Medicine Hat,
Alberta T1A7M9.
“Mt. Rainier/Trail Trivet,” 11 inches square,
glazed porcelain, by Paul Lewing, Seattle.
“Add about 2 cups water, and ball mill
for 6 hours; decant for however long it
takes to separate and save middle third. I
spray it on bisqueware.
“After I get the powdered white glaze
the way I want it, I spray it with sugar
water to hold it in place. The more water I
43
“Snow Plate,” 13 inches in diameter, with Orange Terra Sigillata
and Zircopax Matt Glaze #5, by Ron Roy, Scarborough, Ontario.
database of recipes. “It is not as though I
use this program every month, but it is my
first resort when I want to develop or
change a glaze. If I had a fit problem with a
glaze, I would go directly to the program.
The expansions are not useful as absolute
values, but they are useful for telling the
relative expansion. That is useful because if
you make a change you know whether you
have increased or decreased your expan­
sion, so you Jmow if you are dealing with
your problem or making it worse.”
For beginners, Jon points out that “both
Insight and HyperGlaze make it very clear
that you need a basic understanding of
glaze chemistry before you can be optimis­
tic about the program yielding useful re­
sults. Both of the programs give
well-written introductions to glaze chem­
istry. Beginners should start by learning
something of chemistry before they start
blindly plugging in numbers.”
spray on, the more crawling I get. I have derived from normal sources, and I
Rhodes White Glaze
now taken to spraying soda ash and watermatched those formulas up absolutely so
(Cone 9, reduction)
that they were identical, molecule to mol­
instead, and like the effect better.”
Dolomite................................... 18.73%
For those thinking of using these pro­ ecule. The resulting glaze looked nothing
Gerstley Borate........................ 6.37
grams, Roy cautions that “calculation soft­like the original. I think that happens more
Whiting...................................... 4.16
often than not, whatever the causes—the
ware is just a means of getting the molecular
K-200 Feldspar........................ 41.61
formula for a recipe. How that molecular analysis was true five years ago but not Edgar Plastic Kaolin............... 20.81
formula is interpreted is at the heart of thenow, or you got up on the wrong side of Flint............................................ 8.32
matter. Glaze calculation software is best the bed. But, I always take the results of
100.00%
for those who have to know. If you thinkthis
it sort of scientific approach with a grain
Add:
Superpax..........................
5.00%
of
salt.
There
is
no
substitute
for
testing.”
will give you the knowledge you need to
fix your glazes—think again. The real key Working with essentially the same group Bentonite........................ 2.00 %
to success is the quality of your library. of six glazes for the past couple of decades Ellenbogen and his wife have used
The two first boolcs I recommend are Thegives him little reason to build a huge Rhodes White for many years. Then they
Potters Dictionary of Materials and Tech­
niques by Frank and Janet Hamer and The
Magic of Fire by Tony Hansen.”
Jon Ellenbogen is a former rocket
scientist who, along with his wife,
Rebecca Plummber, has run Barking Spi­
der Pottery in Penland, North Carolina,
for more than 20 years. He has used
both Insight and HyperGlaze, but pre­
fers HyperGlaze. “It does absolutely ev­
erything I need, and it does it in a way
that makes it easy to use. HyperGlaze is
very intuitive— one of the best programs
I have ever used.”
As an engineer, Jon naturally wants to
know how things work, but he is quick to
note that, “Glaze chemistry is much more
of an art than a science. A quick example: I
had a glaze that used spodumene, and I
wanted to take the spodumene out be­
cause at the time that I was using it, it was
hard to come by and it was expensive. I
did a substitution for it, using lithium car­
bonate, and all the rest of the oxides I
44
Teapot, approximately 8 inches in height, stoneware with reformulated
Rhodes White, by Jon Ellenbogen, Penland, North Carolina.
CERAMICS MONTHLY
decided to try firing it at a lower tempera­glazes that would fire at lower tempera­
Leather Glaze
ture because Jon had come to the conclu­tures at about the same time. So by testing
(Cone 6, reduction)
sion that “our clay is a little overfired at in our own ldlns, swapping results via e-mail
Dolomite........................................ 21 %
Cone 10, and we wanted to get down a and occasionally mailing fired test tiles back
Gerstley Borate............................. 10
cone or two, both to make the clay per­ and forth, we were able to come up with Spodumene.................................... 9
form a little bit better, and to see whetherseveral glazes that convinced me this wasWollastonite................................... 5
there was the possibility of more color and
the direction that I wanted my work to go.
Custer Feldspar............................. 27
brighter colors, and to save wear and tear I was nervous at first, afraid I wouldn’tNepheline Syenite......................... 12
on the kiln and some time firing. The be able to come up with glazes that wouldEdgar Plastic Kaolin.................... 16
motivation was never fuel economy.” satisfy my Cone 10 mind. I had often
100%
They first tried substituting nepheline heard, “There is more difference in looks
syenite for the potash feldspar, but were between Cone 6 and Cone 10, than there This glaze started off with a recipe that
Jon Ellenbogen had worked with at Penland
is between oxidation and reduction.”
never satisfied with how the glaze handled
I have been very pleasandy surprised. Craft School. I had a couple of similar test
for application. Next, they used Pete
Pinnells suggestion of adding boron to The dolomite matt glazes I had become glazes, which I had altered, using a triaxial
bring the firing down about a cone and a accustomed to could, in fact, be consis- blend to come up with a recipe that was
more buttery in texture. By using
I
half (Pete recommends about 0.05 mo­ tendy achieved at the lower temperature. slightly
was also concerned that the lower tem­ the computer, I calculated back from the
lecular units per cone).
perature would lead to a wider tempera­ blends to a single recipe. While it is not
Using HyperGlaze, Jon recalculated the
glaze to add the boron, and was delightedture spread in my kiln. Some adjustmentsidentical to the glaze that I had used at
with the results. He is quick to note, how­to the bag wall solved that problem. My Cone 10 for so many years, I am quite
firings are actually more even now than happy with it and see no need to work at
ever, that the same trick didn’t work nearly
Cone 10 again.
as well with other glazes whose chemical they ever were at Cone 10.
formulas are nearly identical. As a former
scientist, he is keenly aware of the artistry
in the science of glaze chemistry. “It takes a
lot of testing.”
As a potter and a teacher working in
Severn, Maryland, and the author of half a
dozen articles on glaze calculation pro­
grams, I have had a chance to work with
all of them over the years. I find these
programs most useful as a teaching aid.
For describing glaze chemistry, there is
nothing as helpful as analyses of several
studio glazes. Students can quickly see how
the component elements lead to the unique
quality in every glaze.
In my own studio, I worked with mi­
nor variations on the same six Cone 10
glazes for almost 20 years. Then three years
ago, I decided to make a bold step. The
two colleges where I teach were both using
Cone 6 glazes, one in oxidation firing and
the other in reduction firing. By working
at Cone 10, I was sort of out of the loop.
None of the tests that we did at school
would benefit my work in my own studio,
and visa versa.
The other problem was that my firings
were so long I couldn’t fire during the day
and teach at night. I knew if I could lower
my firing temperature, I could fit a Cone 6
firing neatly in an eight-hour day. The
savings on gas were nothing compared with
the savings in my time and energy.
Jon Ellenbogen and I had been swap­
ping e-mail occasionally, having been in
school together in the early 1970s. We
Wheel-thrown stoneware pitcher, 13 inches in height,
with Leather Glaze, by Rick Malmgren, Lothian, Maryland.
both became interested in coming up with
June/July/August 1998
45
Untitled stele, 52 inches in height, slab built, brushed
with engobes and glazes, fired to Cone 3, by Norman
Schulman, Penland, North Carolina.
“The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife (Homage to Burllves),”
52 inches in height, Cone 3 stele with engobes and
glazes, bolted to painted plywood base.
Norman Schulman
by David JP Hooker
JL erhaps it is a reaction to the birth of not only because of their immense
floating freely over and around the other
the Technological Age. As we become weight and fragility before they are fired, form. In another sense, the form shapes
increasingly reliant on computers, and but also for the extreme care one must the imagery. Schulman uses the rela­
further remove ourselves from “hands- use during the firing, as large slabs are tionships between the planes of his forms
on” work, tactile art is becoming more susceptible to slumping or cracking (a to shape the relationships between the
important. “Daydreams and Fantasies,” condition that Schulman occasionally characters of his glaze paintings.
an exhibition of sculpture by North plays with).
The collaboration between his twoCarolina ceramics artist Norman
The surfaces are painted with all ce­ dimensional imagery and his three-diSchulman, which was recently on dis­ ramic materials, primarily engobes and mensional form is clearly an extension
play at the Elizabeth Stone Harper Gal­ simple glazes, which are visually vibrant of his work as a potter. For many years,
lery at Presbyterian College, in Clinton, and tactile. The imagery stems from Schulman has made functional pots on
South Carolina, is an example of that what Schulman says “appears in my which he has applied figural images.
type of work.
mind s eye as color shapes, patterns and Also, there is an interest in patterning
Schulmans sculpture is, in a sense, voids; elements of fantasy or metaphor.” on his sculptural work that parallels his
monolithic. He works primarily with These images generally take the shape patterning of pottery surfaces. The pat­
large slabs of clay, approximately 3 inchesof figures in a dreamlike landscape, a terns become more than just back­
thick and up to 60 inches tall; these are representation of relationships—usually grounds; they begin to take form and
stood on end, propped by one or more between a man and a woman.
interact with the figures. This interac­
usually smaller slabs. By working in this
The collaboration between the form tion in his work is an important one. It
manner, he maintains a sense of weight of the sculpture and the imagery is won­ bridges the gap between Schulman as a
(a feeling that is no doubt accurate) and derfully dynamic. In one sense, there is potter/sculptor and Schulman as a
importance.
a juxtaposition between the two—while painter. His sensitivity to these media
At the same time, working with large, the form remains heavy and earthbound, has allowed him to find a way to suc­
thick slabs is technically challenging, the imagery defies gravity altogether, cessfully combine elements of both. ▲
46
CERAMICS MONTHLY
The Potters of Kwarn Ar-Marn
by Mick Shippen
Mon people to take
Thailand is the home
refuge in Thailand.
of many small villages
They were permitted
in which almost all
to settle on Koh Kred
the people work ex­
Island, where they set
clusively as potters.
up potteries and be­
Although the type of Ulisa Chainin, the last of Kwarn Ar-Marn’s traditional water jar potters,
gan producing highware produced has still throws every day.
quality water jars.
inevitably responded
One such village is Kwarn Ar-Marn.
Ulisa Chainin, who has retained a
to rapidly changing lifestyles and the
ever-growing tourist industry, much of Located on the small island of Koh Kredyouthful spirit in defiance of her 73
Thai production still reflects the rich in the Chao Phraya River, Kwarn Ar- years, is the last of the women to make
cultural heritage and eating habits of Marn is home to a group of ethnic the Mon-style water jars. Taught the
the country’s rural inhabitants. As with Mons. Their ancestors came from Mon craft by her parents, she resumed mak­
most agricultural societies that until Country (now part of southern and ing pots 20 years ago after having
central Myanmar) at a time when stopped to raise a family. As her hands
relatively recently had poor transpor­
tation links (water buffalo never has Thonburi, not Bangkok, was the capi­ skillfully shaped the clay, she told me
been the best way to spread the news), tal of the Thai Kingdom. In 1757, how she makes pots every day, although
each village developed its own style, or Hongsawadi, the capital of the Mon the work she produces is smaller than it
specialized in the making of one par­
state, was attacked and destroyed by used to be. When a friend arrived, she
Burmese troops, forcing thousands of interrupted our conversation to address
ticular item.
June/July/August 1998
47
A small museum on the island houses an extensive collection of water jars;
some dating back over 200 years.
him in her native Mon language, then
continued telling me that she doesn’t
want their pot-making tradition to be
lost, and is prepared to teach those will­
ing to learn it. Sadly, there is little inter­
est from the Mon or Thai community—
hard work and a limited income
deterring the young. Ironically, one of
the people she currently is teaching is
from Switzerland.
The style of water jars that have been
made here for the past two centuries is
unique to this island. Made from
48
earthenware once taken from the is­
land but, with the supply long since
exhausted, now brought in from
Phathum Thani, the jars are painstak­
ingly carved by hand. Each has a dis­
tinctive pointed lid, which consciously
or otherwise clearly draws its inspira­
tion from the temples so prominent in
Buddhist society. The bulbous forms,
which have been burnished to a high
shine, sit comfortably on stands that
allow air to circulate around the pot.
The porous clay lets water gradually
seep through the pot to evaporate from
its surface. Evaporation, along with the
use of the stand, ensures a constant sup­
ply of cool, refreshing, drinking water
in the home or, as jars are often left
outside the house, for a thirsty passerby.
A ten-minute walk from where Ulisa
quietly produces her ware, one can wit­
ness a very different aspect of the island’s
pottery making. As I approached the
open-sided workshop, I was struck by
the sheer volume of flowerpots stacked
up and awaiting firing.
CERAMICS MONTHLY
A row of nine potters wheels, all
connected to a single motor, turn con­
stantly—only being switched off for a
one-hour lunch break. Behind each
wheel sits a muscular young man, throw­
ing pots at a furious pace. As each nears
the end of a pot, the flywheel is slowed
with the soles of his bare feet, and the
pot is deftly removed from a gently
turning wheel. Interestingly, only one
of these men is Mon; the others came
from Issan, the poor and barren land of
the northeast, in order to find work in
the potteries.
Two men stood by a pug mill ex­
truding large coils of clay; another sup­
plied the throwers with ready-cut pieces.
Nothing was weighed; all clay was mea­
sured using an experienced eye. In fact,
nobody had any idea how much any of
The young men throw up to 700
the balls of clay weighed.
flowerpots a day with speed and skill.
The men work an eight-hour day
and are paid per pot thrown. The cur­
rent rate is 2 Baht for a large flowerpot here makes 300 large or 700 small pots
and 1 Baht for a small one (54 Baht to a day, a large one taking just over a
US$ 1 at the time of writing). A thrower minute to produce. Most of the work­
ers also live in, or in close proximity to,
the workshop; although the money they
can earn here is good by many stan­
dards in that country, it is a hard life
and one that few wish to choose today.
I walked into an adjacent building
and found Tha-wat Senkram firing an
enormous wood-burning kiln. The boss
was sleeping soundly on a bamboo
bench, regaining his efiergy after the
night shift. Tha-wat came from the Issan
town of Si Sa Kit to work in Kwarn ArMarn 15 years ago. To begin with, he
was a general laborer, his first job being
to check the pots for damage after they
had been removed from the kiln. Now,
he is involved in all aspects of the pro­
duction, which includes the firing of
this 100-year-old kiln.
The two men will spend over 48
hours getting the kiln, which contains
in excess of 2000 pots, up to tempera­
ture. When I asked him what tempera­
ture he is firing to, he replied that he
doesn’t know. Once again, experience
was the only measure.
Stacks of flowerpots are left to dry in front of the wood-burning kiln.
June/July/August 1998
49
The firing must be slow, as the clay
is of poor quality. The fuel is scrap tim­
ber, which is fed directly into the front
firebox. Side stoking takes place dur­
ing the last 12 hours; this is done
every five minutes, using the long cen­
ter stem from the abundant coconut
palm leaf.
After the firing is completed, the kiln
is allowed to cool for two days. It is
then unloaded, immediately restacked
and a new firing begun. The pottery
has three of these kilns; each one is
fired twice a week.
Like others on the island, Tha-wat
voiced his concern about the future.
Rising costs of bringing wood and clay
to, as well as the cost of transporting the papaya salad, there is similar concern.
finished pots off Koh Kred Island, mean Many potters are the last of a long line,
that profits are smaller than they used as the younger generation finds easier
to be. Unfortunately, if they raise the work in Bangkok.
price of the flowerpots above 25 Baht,
Last year, a small museum and shop
they will not sell. In recent years, plastic were established in Kwarn Ar-Man; it
copies of these distinctive pots have sells the work of the traditional pot­
started to appear in the markets.
ters, as well as displaying a vast collec­
Tha-wat believes that in less than tion of water jars, some dating back
ten years the potters wheels will stop 200 years. Sadly, in the near future,
turning and no smoke will rise from the this may be the only reminder of the
chimneys of these kilns. He is not alone potters of Koh Kred.
with his thoughts.
At other locations on the island, The author A potter and ceramics lec­
where potters make large jars and the turer from England, Mick Shippen is
distinctive tall mortar and pestle used currently studying the Thai language
all over Thailand to make a spicy raw in Bangkok.
Some of the kilns still in use on the island are over a hundred years old.
50
CERAMICS MONTHLY
The Totem ic Sculptures
of Ted Vogel
by Kate Bonansinga
We primevalforest felling,
We the rivers stemming, vexing we and
piercing deep the mines within,
We the surface broad surveying, we the
virgin soil upheaving,
Pioneers! O pioneers!
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1855
Thus was the westward expansion de­
scribed by a mid-19th-century Ameri­
can poet. Almost a century and a half
later, visual artist Ted Vogel comments
on this same phenomenon in what he
calls “landscapes”: totemic combinations
of ceramic birds, cages, human heads,
fish and tree stumps.
Whereas Whitman observed the set­
tling of the West from Brooklyn, Phila­
delphia and Washington, D.C., Vogel
has lived his entire life within the land
he depicts. He spent his youth and un­
dergraduate years in South Dakota; re­
ceived an M.FA. from the University of
Colorado; lived in Helena, Montana,
where he was the assistant director at
the Archie Bray Foundation (19911994); and now resides in Portland,
Oregon, where he is a professor of art at
Lewis and Clark College. Vogel is
uniquely positioned (in a way that
Whitman certainly couldn’t be) to
comment upon the human impact on
the region: he has the benefit of hind­
sight combined with firsthand knowl­
edge of the complex interaction
between humans and the land of the
northwestern United States.
The stacked totems that are the cen­
terpieces of Vogel’s current body of work“Roost Stack,” 21 inches in height, earthenware with terra sigillatas
speak of his attachment to the land. For and gold leaf, stacked on steel rod.
example, “Roost Stack” consists of five
This order is deliberate, referencing
Vogel intends his artwork to be “sub­
individual earthenware elements, each
drilled vertically through its middle so the inhabitants of water, earth and sky. tly environmentalist,” and in “Roost
that it may slip over the thin, steel rod The tree stump often serves as a foun­ Stack” the stump gives the appearance
or pin that anchors it to the top of the dation to Vogel’s totemic narratives. It of having been gnawed by a beaver as
previous element. On top of the wide physically supports the other sculptural much as chopped by an axe. But many
base is a tree stump, above that a fish, elements and conceptually refers to the of his pieces include cleanly cut tree
then an upside-down, gilded human tree as the support for many life forms: stumps that might be seen as a com­
head and, finally, a bird, which has come it provides shade for streams and fish; ment on intensive logging practice. And
oxygen for mammals; homes for birds. though Vogel means for his androgy­
to be Vogel’s signature form.
June/July/August 1998
51
nous ceramic heads to be references to
“humanness” and the human as a part
of the natural world, they can also be
interpreted as decapitated, symbolic of
detachment, distant from previous rela­
tionships with the land.
In “Roost Stack,” a black bird is
perched on the head. “Many cultures
believe that the bird wards off evil, of­
fering protection from harm....We are
continuously intrigued by birds, their
ability to fly, their wildness, their free­
dom. Often we cage them, bringing a
bit of the outside inside,” Vogel writes.
One of the artists important early
aesthetic influences was his grand­
mothers collection of colorful, kitschy
ceramic birds from the 1950s. She dis­
played these in her sunroom to impart
the liveliness and freedom of the wil­
derness. But in Vogel’s sculptures, it’s
the heads, not the birds, that are caged.
People are now confined to smaller
and smaller spaces with dwindling re­
sources. In turn, we are more depen­
dent upon one another. After genera­
tions of celebrating the independence
and self-reliance of the pioneers, both
of these ideals have become almost im­
possible to maintain.
In “Cup Cage,” a hand rests on a
tree stump. It holds a cage in the form
of a cup and within this cup is a small,
gold head. If the hand suggests one
human, he or she is holding and caring
for another. He might also be taking
something that doesn’t belong to him.
The totemic form of the sculpture is
particularly appropriate to the latter in­
terpretation, as totems are often associ­
ated with native peoples who, in the
United States of Whitman’s time, were
subjected to the usurping of their land
and livelihood by the pioneers.
Vogel’s narrative landscapes began as
literal landscapes when the artist was in
graduate school in the early 1980s. His
use of the land as his subject led to his
interest in trees (in which he began to
see the form of the human figure) and
in birds. In 1992, Vogel began “River
Keepers,” his ongoing project of plac­
“Cup Cage,” 18 inches in height, earthenware
with terra sigillatas and gold leaf.
52
ing his ceramic birds in various places
in the outdoors; on tree branches or
stumps, amongst some rocks, on the
ground. He calls these places “power
sites” and each holds special meaning
for him, often related to fly fishing. An
unusual juxtaposition of public and pri­
vate art, the birds are accessible to any­
one who happens upon them, and yet
they are, for the most part, in remote
spots that few people visit.
Where Vogel’s grandmother’s collec­
tion of art brought the outdoors in,
Vogel brings art to the outdoors. He
informally solicits people’s responses to
these ceramic birds (he has placed about
100 of them) and considers these re­
sponses to be important to our under­
standing of the relationship between
humans and birds.
All of Vogel’s sculptures begin as a
sketch. For his current body of work,
these preliminary drawings are sketch­
book size, but in the past, when he had
access to a large studio, some of them
were up to 30x40 inches. He would
tack them to the wall and refer to them
as he worked on the ceramic piece.
Most of the sculptural elements are
pinched or coil built. A few are press
molded or thrown and altered. Richly
colored terra sigillata, glazes or stains
cover the surfaces, which are occasion­
ally finished with a “room-temperature
glaze,” or paint, after the final firing.
Vogel also gilds some elements by ap­
plying gold leaf in the traditional man­
ner: he sizes the surface, lets it dry until
it’s tacky, then applies squares of very
thin gold.
The use of metallic coloring is par­
ticularly appropriate, as Vogel refers to
his totemic sculptures as “trophies” that
pay homage to birds. Again, this term
encourages another interpretation; that
is, “trophy” can refer to a stuffed animal
or animal head.
These heads and birds are elements
of Vogel’s artwork that speak to the en­
tire spectrum of the human experience.
In balancing them, often seemingly pre­
cariously, with hands, cages, tree stumps
and abstract forms, he seems to be rec­
ommending that people strike a similar
balance of needs with responsibility to
one another and to the environment. ▲
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Recipes
White Sculpture Clay
(Cone 06-3)
Talc............................................. 20.0 lb
Bentonite................................... 1.0
Cedar Heights Goldart........... 15.0
Hawthorn Bond....................... 40.0
Kentucky Ball Clay (OM 4) .. 10.0
Coarse Grog............................. 12.5
Medium Grog........................... 10.5
Fine Grog.................................. 2.5
111.5 lb
Works well for raku.
Ted s Black Stain
Black Copper Oxide................. 1 part
Mason Stain 6616...................... 4
Gersdey Borate.......................... 4
9 parts
If you leave out the black copper oxide,
this recipe will produce a nice, slightly
dry black at Cone 04-01; the higher
you fire, the glossier it will be. For a
slightly iridescent black, vary the cop­
per amount.
Busch White Terra Sigillata
Borax................................... 40grams
Frit 3134 (Ferro)............... 200
Cedar Heights Goldart.... 1800
2040 grams
“Fish Cage,” 23 inches in height, earthenware, with terra sigillatas and gold leaf,
by Ted Vogel, Portland, Oregon.
Art Base Glaze
(Cone 06-04)
Barium Carbonate................. 28.65%
Lithium Carbonate................ 2.28
Whiting.................................. 9.01
Add to a mixture of 20 grams Calgon Zinc Oxide............................. 10.25
and 1 gallon water; ball-mill for 24 Custer Feldspar..................... 34.35
hours, then decant. For color variations, Flint....................................... 15.46
add 5%—10% stain or 0.5%-1.0% ox­
100.00%
ide; for a smoother finish, ball-mill the Add: Copper Carbonate......... 2.85%
colored terra sigillata again, but do not
Nickel Oxide............... 0.47 %
decant again.
Rutile............................ 2.85 %
Weiser Terra Sigillata
Cedar Heights Goldart.... 4990 grams
Yellow Ocher
or Yellow Iron.............. 200
5190 grams
Semitransparent matt green; for use on
sculpture only.
BM-3 Glaze
(Cone 06-04)
Barium Carbonate....................... 40%
Nepheline Syenite............ .......... 45
Spodumene................................... 10
Flint................................................_5
100%
Add: Copper Oxide.................... 4%
Dry blue to deep purple; for use on
sculpture only.
Soda Blue Glaze
(Cone 06-04)
Gerstley Borate................ 3500 grams
Soda Ash........................... 500
Frit 3110 (Ferro).............. 3500
Kaolin................................ 250
Flint.................................... 500
8250 grams
Add: Copper Carbonate .. 150grams
Forbes Green Glaze
(Cone 06-04)
Frit 3124 (Ferro)........................ 45%
Frit 3304 (Ferro)........................ 45
Add to a mixture of 25 grams soda ash
Kaolin......................................... 10
and 50 grams Calgon in 3.2 pounds
100%
water. Produces a nice orange brown at
Add:
Copper
Carbonate.........................
5%Produces a beautiful translucent water
the Cone 06-04 range; yields a darker
blue; also works well as a raku glaze.
Nice translucent green.
finish, when fired higher.
Hirotsune Tashima working on a self-portrait at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia.
Hirotsune Tashima
by Louana M. Lackey
Visiting Hirotsune Tashima at the Clay
Studio in Philadelphia is likely to elicit
an eerie feeling—one is not alone with
the artist, one is surrounded by the art­
ist. Most of the life-sized, lifelike stone­
ware figures crowding this young
Japanese sculptors space are self-por­
traits. Some smaller pieces depict the
artist as babies, birds, animals and even
a gargoyle.
Hiro, as he prefers to be called, ex­
plains that “self-portraits are not tradi­
tional in Japanese art. In making them,
I am trying to explore my inner self,
my thoughts, my feelings, my emo­
tions and ideas.”
The eyes looking out from these selfportraits also reveal the artists innate
sense of humor—but is he laughing
with us or at us?
Because self-portraits are not part of
the Japanese tradition, Hiro has looked
to European and American precedents.
54
His favorite artist is Rembrandt. “When
I was young I didn’t realize that he did a
lot of self-portraits. When I was a child,
my mother used to take me to the mu­
seum in Kyoto in the morning; in the
“I Still Miss My Ex,” 21 inches in
diameter, slip- and luster-decorated
stoneware, with darts.
afternoon we would go to the zoo, as
they were right next to each other.”
As an adult, Hiro spent a year in
Baltimore at the Maryland Institute,
College of Art, where he received a B.F.A.
He then returned to the United States
for graduate school, earning an M.F.A.
from Alfred University, where he stud­
ied with Val Cushing and Wayne Higby.
“Benjamin Franklin” is among the
pieces Hiro made while working in
Philadelphia as the recipient of the Clay
Studio’s Evelyn Shapiro Fellowship. In
“Gargoil,” he assumes the guise of one
of the many city parking enforcement
officers who have given him tickets.
Other ideas have sprung from ob­
jects he has discovered elsewhere—a
child’s toy, a birdhouse, even darts. He
is lazily pedaling an old exercise bicycle
while reading a Chinese vegetarian res­
taurant menu in “Going Nowhere.”
A very coarse clay body is needed for
CERAMICS MONTHLY
these life-sized figures. Hiro mixes a ra­
tio of about 70% stoneware to 30%
medium grog. For added strength, or if
he needs to dry a piece more quickly, he
might add up to 5% or more of a coarser
grog. “Going Nowhere,” for example,
was heavily tempered with chicken grit.
The figures—hollow with no inter­
nal supports—are built from the feet up
by overlapping narrow slabs of clay, cut
into 1- to 3-inch-wide strips, depending
on the size and curvature of the section
he is working on. Hiro explains that
“overlapping the slabs makes a stronger
join than placing them edge to edge.”
With one hand on the inside for
support, he attaches the slab by pound­
ing, paddling and scraping, an action
he refers to as “smushing.” To ensure
that the construction will support the
weight of another slab, each addition is
allowed to dry until it is leather hard
before he continues.
His work is loaded into the kiln al­
most as soon as it is finished. Firing is
not a problem with the busts and smaller
pieces, but the life-sized figures must be
made in parts in order to fit into the kiln.
Connecting pieces are placed together
on the same kiln shelf, so they will be
fired at the same temperature and un­
dergo the same shrinkage. Because the
figures are loaded when they are leather
hard, they are heated very slowly. The
kiln door is left open while the tempera­
ture is raised gradually over the course of
“Gargoil,” 15 inches in height, slip- and
glaze-brushed stoneware.
June/July/August 1998
“Spinning My Wheels,” 43 inches in height, slip- and glaze-brushed
stoneware, with vinyl strip and baby carriage.
“Self-Portrait as Benjamin Franklin,” 33 inches in length, handbuilt stoneware
with slips and glazes, and toy four-wheeler.
a day, or a day and a half. After quartz
It is not surprising that Hiro gets
inversion, the door is closed and the firingtired. He works in the studio 16 or 17
completed at a normal rate.
hours a day, 5 to 7 days a week. He
Some pieces are then glazed and approaches ceramics as he approached
refired; others are simply painted with motocross racing in Japan—intensely.
acrylics. For low-fired underglazes, he He watched other racers, and listened
sometimes does multiple firings. On to their comments and suggestions. “I
occasion, he uses traditional Japanese used to think that if he could jump the
stoneware glazes.
hill, I could jump the hill, too. I prac­
When Hiro first came to the United ticed and practiced until I became faster
States, he made only traditional wares and better.” He feels he can perfect his
(teabowls, vases, etc.); he felt it was^ex-* ceramic skills in much the same way,
pected of him because he is Japanese. “I learning from comments and criticism.
still make pots—that’s how I started in
The reflection of such feedback in
Japan. When I sit at the wheel, I calm Hiro’s work is only part of the complex
down; making pieces at the wheel makes compound of influences: his Japanese
me relax. I don’t feel tired anymore.”
heritage, his American training, history
and current events, etc. It is a running
commentary on a new “floating world,”
a new culture—our own. He likes to
take this commentary as far as he can.
Anthropologists report on their obser­
vations of customs and cultures that are
foreign to them in long ethnographies
that are more often boring than not.
Hiro examines American customs, cul­
ture and lifestyles in the context of his
own thoughts, feelings and ideas. The
result is a body of work that is anything
but boring.
The author Louana Lackey is a research
scholar in ceramics at the Maryland Insti­
tute, College of Art, in Baltimore.
“Going Nowhere,” 66 inches in height, wood-fired stoneware,
with stationary bicycle, by Hirotsune Tashima.
56
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Honey pot, iced tea tumbler and mug, to 7 inches in height, wood-fired, salt-glazed stoneware.
^Xane Kibbe and her family moved to
“I was just stunned by the numbers almost inevitable that he would end up
Carrboro from south Texas about five and the way people were scooping thingshere as an integral part of the North
years ago. An avid pottery collector since up and making piles. And I realized Carolina pottery tradition.
her college days, Diane arrived in North very quickly that this was bigger, this
Mark has admitted that “the tradi­
Carolina without any knowledge of lo­ was more than what I had thought. tional pots of North Carolina have many
cal ware. “When I got here,” she recalls, And from that moment on, I don’t think of the same qualities as pots that I
“I was looking for a house. And I came I’ve missed a kiln opening.”
admire....I am drawn to pots that are
into the house where I’m actually living
Diane’s shock—first at encounter­ generic and universal. I like the simple
now, and the first thing I saw was one ing one of Mark’s behemoth pots, then folk pots made in large quantities, using
of Mark Hewitt’s large pots.... I had never in experiencing the vigorous competi­ local materials that have been fired in
seen a stoneware pot that large. I’d seen tion of a kiln opening—has been shared wood kilns.”
large Mexican pots, but they’re soft clay. by many others who have become regu­
It is quite easy to see the strong con­
They’re different. So she [the owner] lar customers. During their 14 years in nection between his work and that of
said, “Well, there’s this young potter...in North Carolina [see “The Making of a North Carolina potters from Seagrove
Pittsboro who has a kiln opening three Potter” in the April 1991 CM], Carol and the Catawba Valley. In fact, Mark’s
times a year.”
and Mark Hewitt have developed a huge warm appraisal of the qualities of folk
Perhaps because she admired the big clientele. To announce each opening, pots constitutes an excellent self-deplanter so much, Diane quickly pur­
they now send out more than 3000 scription. Ultimately, however, Mark’s
chased her new home. “The pot didn’t postcards. This raises the question: Just success has come from his customers
go with the house,” she laments. But how has an English potter managed to who rise at dawn on a Saturday morn­
when it was time for the next kiln open­ thrive in a state already renowned for its ing several times a year to attend his
ing, she headed south to Pittsboro. “It pottery traditions?
kiln openings.
was a spring opening, and I thought,
Perhaps Mark was “preadapted” to
For some, there is the thrill of the
‘Well, I’ll get there around ten to nine; settle in North Carolina—that is, his chase. “It’s just about as much excite­
surely that’ll be enough time.’
earlier training and attitudes made it ment as I can get on a Saturday morn­
June/July/August 1998
57
Fish platter, 29 inches in length, wood-fired stoneware, with heavy salt glaze
and blue glass pool over chrysanthemum stamps.
ing,” declares Ken Davidson, who drives in cupboards or set on shelves or man­ piece of tuna and some tomato sauce
over in the darkness from Asheboro.
tels, where they are admired but rarely on top. And they were really pretty, and
For others, it is the opportunity to handled. Mark’s great achievement has they looked really neat on those trays.”
socialize with fellow pottery aficiona­
been to create a limited range of com­
Horticultural wares, such as flower­
dos. At a recent opening, Tanya Froeber mon forms—plates, mugs, pitchers, pots and wall pockets, are also an old
observed people with “folding chairs and bowls, teapots, jars, planters—that we part of the folk potter’s repertory; in
fact, the former often turn up in ar­
tables. And they had their thermoses appreciate using.
As Connie Burwell explains, “I en­ chaeological excavations of 17th-cen­
of coffee—they were sharing pastries
joy cooking and doing things much tury Virginia sites. Mark’s forms are, by
and coffee.”
Marks customers, according to Diane more when what I’m doing it with is comparison, much larger, but they are
Kibbe, “love the setting and the oppor­ not just something stamped and rolled also used in and around people’s homes
tunity to share in a different way of off an assembly line....If I’m going to to provide natural beauty.
put my all into it and it’s going to have
Tanya Froeber has a collection of the
being consumers.”
Although the process of consump­ feeling, then I like to do it with things large planters. “I use them in the gar­
den, and I use them as planters in the
tion is undeniably attractive—many also that are made that way.”
Like the folk pottery of North Caro­ house for some of my large trees.” This
enjoy the rural excursion to Mark and
Carols “farm”—the pots themselves are lina, Mark’s forms have an intimate as­ past summer she had a “water garden”
the draw. To understand their appeal, I sociation with foods. However, where on her porch, with terra-cotta pots and
interviewed seven of Mark’s regular cus­ the old jars, jugs, milk crocks and churns “other pieces that I’ve collected.” In the
tomers, chosen from a larger list that he were primarily intended for storage, the center of this grouping she placed one
provided. All were very articulate and contemporary forms are designed for large planter. “And it was just lovely; it
showed remarkable agreement on the food preparation and consumption. And was kind of like the centerpiece.”
they are made to be seen and admired
Two oft-cited qualities related to the
qualities that they admired.
Without exception, Marks custom­ while they are used.
usefulness of Mark’s pots are their size
Beth Cushman uses a small pitcher and durability. Diane Kibbe, a profes­
ers praise his work precisely because it
unites beauty and utility. Amy Tornquist, “every single day [to] pour cream in, or sional landscape and garden designer, is
owner of the Sage and Swift catering maple syrup. And I just love looking at drawn to pots “that are either a
company, characterizes Marks wares as it sitting on my kitchen table....It just magnificent size and scale or very small.
“a meeting of form and function. They rehas a really clean line to it and pours And so the size of Mark’s pots is very
magnetic to me. But I think I under­
beautiful. They make the food look very well.”
Amy Tornquist has taken to one of stand enough about pottery just to be
pretty because of the colors. When
they’re by themselves, they look great. Mark’s newest forms, his fish platters— overwhelmed by the skill that he has in
And then they don’t break.”
flat, highly textured slabs on small feet achieving that size.”
Mark’s work ranges in size from di­
Somehow, I suspect that most pot­ that she likens to “skateboards. I put
tery made today is either useful or artis­ little canapes on them....I put a little minutive sugars and creamers to plant­
tic. We use inexpensive, often mass- green base, some sort of dill or fennel or ers and covered jars weighing well over
produced forms as part of our daily life, something on the bottom. And then I 100 pounds. It does require enormous
then purchase “art” wares to adorn our made these tuna Ni^oise canapes with a skill to produce even, rounded forms
homes. These are usually tucked away new potato on the bottom, a grilled and thin walls at either end of this scale.
58
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Planter, 24 inches in height, wheel-thrown stoneware, with black slip stripes,
celadon dots and blue glass runs, salt glazed, wood fired.
June/July/August 1998
59
Two-gallon jar, 14 inches in height, wood-fired stoneware, with dark salt glaze,
ember charring and blue glass runs.
Granted, it might take an Amazon use outdoors,” explains Diane Kibbe, ferred “perfect” pots, Connie Burwell
to hoist one of Marks 2-gallon pitchers “because they’re not very durable.” But has come to love “the way the kiln
full of iced tea. So Tanya Froeber fills she has devised a way to line Mark’s does—the imperfections, the drips, the
hers with fresh-cut flowers. But for ca­ planters “with Styrofoam to create an ashes, just what happens to the clay
terer Amy Tornquist, the bigger the bet­ expansion joint. And I’ve used them in itself.” Above all, “the form is classic. It’s
ter. “I did a luncheon for 260 people. protected areas...and so far we haven’t not full of frills. It’s just very honest and
And we used the bowls. They do about had any losses.”
very simple and very functional.”
70; you know, fruit salad for 70 in one
For all their usefulness, it is the es­
Color, texture, form—these are the
bowl, because they’re huge.”
sential beauty of Mark’s pots that en­
facets of Mark’s pottery most commonly
All of Mark’s pots are made of stone­ tices many customers. Sally Whitmore cited, and they are linked by a common
ware and fired for two days in his mas­ has a “huge collection of bowls—no­ aesthetic of simplicity and restraint. “We
sive wood kiln until they reach maturity body needs this many bowls. But they’re get a lot of compliments,” allows Amy
at around 2400°F. No one knows the just such lovely shapes and have nice Tornquist. “I think it says a lot about
extent of their durability more than Amy colors and patterns. And you just say, the kind of caterer I am, that this is the
Tornquist. “We’ve used commercial plat­ ‘Oh, I’ve got to have another; I need kind of pottery I use. It’s pretty and it’s
ters, [but] they chip like mad. I mean, that bowl.’”
functional, and it’s not prissy....There’s
how many doilies can you put on a
Without exception, Mark’s colors are something about it that’s almost humble.
platter before you have to throw it out?” subdued and earthy—streaky browns, It’s lovely, but there’s something kind of
Mark’s pots, on the other hand, “are matt blacks and mottled grays—and simple and honest.”
quality and they don’t readily break.”
the muted textures are often modified
Not everyone, however, finds these
A similar concern applies to the hor­ by unpredictable flashings and flows qualities appealing. Diane Kibbe recalls
ticulture wares. “Pots are really hard to through the kiln. Where she once pre­ a visitor who “came to my house and
60
CERAMICS MONTHLY
“Ho, Ho, Ho” planter, 30 inches in height, wood-fired stoneware, with alkaline glaze
and blue glass runs, by Mark Hewitt, Pittsboro, North Carolina.
saw these pots and she said, ‘Oh, they’re In a lengthy essay on the nature of North Carolinians have chosen, like
so crude.’ I was really taken aback by folk art, Indiana University folklorist Connie Burwell and her family, to “use
that because I’d never thought of them Henry Glassie writes that “pure form Mark’s pottery as a yardstick. We’ll be
as crude....I think, for her, crude was perhaps most purely embodies beauty. looking at a piece, and if it’s trying to do
the lack of overornamentation or the The gaudy, tawdry painted chest clam­ too much or it’s too busy, my hus­
band... will say, ‘You know, it doesn’t
ors for attention. The plain and per­
subtlety of the glazes.”
Even Amy Tornquist finds times fectly proportioned chest waits serenely look like Mark’s!’ We’d rather have a
when she can’t cater with her mega- to stun the subtler eye with its radiance piece of Mark’s. And so we’ll just kind
of sit back and go, ‘Yeah, I think we’ll
bowls and fish platters. “We use some and coherence.”
Substitute planter or bowl for chest, wait and get a piece of Mark’s.’”
silver trays because some of our clients
are a little too...country club for Mark’s and Glassies dictum illuminates Mark’s
pots. See, in Chapel Hill, that’s not the aesthetic. His graceful forms, enhanced Excerpted from the essay of the same title
case, but if you’ve ever been to Durham, by natural colors and textures, represent published in the exhibition catalog “Mark
Hope Valley doesn’t do anything that’s a subtle combination of beauty and Hewitt: Potter ’ by the Visual Arts Center
at North Carolina State University.
functionality. Not surprisingly, many
not silver.”
June/July/August 1998
61
The Legacy of Generations
Pottery by American Indian Women
PHOTOS: ROB ORR, CRAIG SMITH, LEE STALSWORTH
by Susan Peterson
“Tse-ping,” to 31 inches in height, by Roxanne Swentzell, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.
Primarily a womans art, American In­ tices rather than modern methods to who are deemed to have made the larg­
dian pottery reflects a heritage of pow­ excavate the clay, make the pots and fire. est contribution in the field of pottery,
erful social, religious and aesthetic values.This adherence to tradition preserves the by their own people and by the world:
A recent exhibition presented at the Na­ Indian way, which, as a culture, remains Nampeyo of Hano, Maria Martinez,
tional Museum of Women in the Arts simple and often regimented according Lucy Martin Lewis, Margaret Tafoya,
in Washington, D.C., then at the Heard to the seasons, feast days or the politics ofHelen Cordero and Blue Corn. Their
Museum in Phoenix, celebrated the tribal councils.
work is the foundation of the Indian
achievements of 28 potters who have
At the same time, todays society has pottery tradition as we know it today,
preserved this important ancestral tra­ had its effect on Indian culture. For mostso it is only fitting that it was also the
dition while advancing the art form Indian communities, the economy has foundation of this exhibition.
through their innovative ideas and mas­ been unstable for many years because of These six master craftswomen raised
terful craftsmanship. Together, these droughts, lack of good farmland, unfor­ their families into an understanding of
women represent over 100 years in the tunate social conditions and truly lamen­ the craft, and many of their children
tradition of Indian pottery making. In­ table governance from Washington, D.C.became well-known potters themselves.
dividually, their approaches to their work No longer can most tribal groups be self-The twelve included in the exhibition
symbolize the gradual diversification of sustaining; however, economically speak­ are well-known and professionally ac­
Indian culture in the United States.
ing, pottery is an affirmed asset.
complished offspring or close relatives
Many carry on the traditions of their
The core group of potters featured of the parent six. That there are still
ancestors, choosing to use age-old prac­ in the exhibition are the six matriarchs many others, generally younger women
62
CERAMICS MONTHLY
from these families, beginning to gain foot-wedged her wet clay on the floor,
fame, is impressive. That there are many stomping on it in her brown oxfords.
more Indian women in the Southwest Dolores Lewis, as well as many other
and in other parts of the country who Indian potters, wedges her clay mixture
are nearly equal in stature to potters in with her bare feet.
Throughout the ages, various inert
this exhibition is also impressive.
For aesthetic contrast, the exhibition materials such as sand, dirt, grass, vol­
also included works by ten avant-garde canic ash, basaltic rock, ground pottery
Indian women potters who exemplify shards and pulverized bones, have been
nontraditional trends in Indian-style added to the clay to make it more resis­
daywork; however, they still live the tant to thermal shock. The added mate­
Indian life and work basically in or from rial, called “temper,” also increases the
the traditional indigenous processes. Al­ archaeologist’s ability to distinguish
though the majority of Indian clay art­ where and when a piece was made. At
ists in this country come from the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico,
Southwest—the 20 pueblos in New the age-old practice of mixing equal
Mexico and Arizona, and the Navajo parts local clay with volcanic ash found
nation—important Indian pottery tra­ on the pueblo renders pottery in outditions from all areas of North America
should not be ignored.
Most American Indians use the com­
mon surface clays, as the geologists call
them, of the land they live upon. These
natural clays generally fire gray, buff,
red or brown.
Some Indian groups, notably the
Anasazi and Mimbres of yesterday and
the Acoma of today, have found a secret
source of a grayish kaolin-type clay that
fires nearly white. It is more difficult to
work, and more vulnerable in fabrica­
tion and firing than darker clays, but
those who know where to find it have
been attached to it for generations.
If clay is found on the surface of the
ground, it may need only sieving to
remove sticks and stones. Occasionally,
two or three clays, found close to each
other, are mixed together to take advan­
tage of their peculiar properties. The
secret white clay of the Acoma region in
New Mexico is supposedly mined deep
in the earth, comes in hard-rock form
and is ground to a fine powder on a
metate or in an appropriated machine,
such as a coffee grinder. Dry clay is
mixed with water to a plastic, workable
state, and is used more or less immedi­
ately. Some potters prepare only enough
clay for the size of the piece to be built.
On the other hand, if the natural
clay is full of impurities, it will probably
be mixed with water into a slurry so
that unwanted particles can be screened
out easily. This may be accomplished
by pouring the liquid clay through an
old curtain or a fine-meshed sieve, then
drying it on newspapers to a workable Tiles, each 6 inches square, with brushed
condition. The late Lucy Martin Lewis by Fannie Nampeyo, First Mesa, Arizona.
June/July/August 1998
Jar with bear-paw imprint, 29 inches in
height, blackware, by Margaret Tafoya,
Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.
pigments,
63
door bonfirings almost immune to
“blow ups.”
All nonindustrial cultures fabricate
clay by hand in similar ways. Indian
cooking pots with round bottoms to sit
in the rocks of a fire, storage vessels with
narrow feet to rest in the sand, and ollas
with indented bases for carrying on the
head are often begun with a flat slab of
clay or a rosette of coiled clay laid into a
potsherd in the desired form—called a
puki in the Tewa language and a huditzi Jar, 10 inches in height, black-on-black,
in Keresan.
by Santana Martinez, San lldefonso
When the base of the pot has been Pueblo, New Mexico.
formed, clay coils are added one by one,
successively making the vessel taller and
wider by the positioning of one coil face. The process of making the form
against the previous one—laid toward can take several days or many weeks,
the outside to widen the pot, toward depending on the size and complexity
the inside to curve it in, and straight up of the shape. The finished pot is then
to ascend vertically.
set aside to dry. Santana Martinez tells
As the pot grows, the potter will of a time she made pots and set them
pinch with her fingers to make the wall outside in the sun to dry, when a sud­
thinner, and use a tool cut and con­
den rainstorm arose and reduced her
toured from a gourd to refine the sur- work to mud.
“Pearlene,” 38 inches in height,
by Nora Naranjo-Morse, Santa
Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.
64
In traditional ware, a smooth exte­
rior is usually desirable, especially if is
to be painted. These pots are carefully
scraped with a sharp tool, such as a tincan lid, then sanded smooth and, in
some cultures, water-polished with a
wet stone. Ancient cooking pots,
though, were often left with the mark
of a tool as a decorative texture.
It is a mystery why the native potters
on this side of the world, from Canada
to Argentina, have never used the potter s
wheel. Modeling clay on a platform of
several stones that were hand-turned, or
turning the pot manually on its base,
was as close as they came to what Anglos
know as the technique of “throwing”
clay on a fast-moving potters wheel.
Those thousands of years of daywork
without a wheel show strict attention to
tradition and resistance to change,
affirming the importance of ritual in
the methods employed by historically
anonymous craftspeople.
By the same token and with only a
few exceptions, glaze has not been used
on American Indian pottery. Ancient
cooking wares were generally left with­
out any embellishment. Polishing or
burnishing with a river-smoothed stone
became accepted practice, as pottery be­
came more useful in ceremonies and
Jar with avanyu imprint, 8½ inches in
height, by Lu Ann Tafoya, Santa Clara
Pueblo, New Mexico.
CERAMICS MONTHLY
then for the tourist market. Compress­
ing the surface clay through arduous
rubbing causes the pots to be more wa­
terproof, and the sheen remains after
the low-temperature firing. Some cul­
tures applied a slip made from another
clay for a better shine or a different fired
color. All this is the result of centuries of
testing natural materials. Even so, natu­
ral materials will vary in their composi­ “Melon Bowl,” 6¾ inches in height,
tion and therefore in their color and blackware, by Nancy Youngblood Lugo,
quality; contemporary Indians still never Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.
know if they have made the correct
choices until after the firing.
Pigments for traditional decoration only as a suspension agent to hold their
vary from plant materials to metallic- black metallic pigments.
Natural clays make up most of the
oxide-containing rocks to colored clays.
Many of the southwestern pueblos use color palette for polychrome wares of
the Rocky Mountain bee plant, a wild the northern pueblos. Raw clays can be
spinach, for black painting. Huge piles yellow, buff, gray and varying shades of
of spinach are boiled down to a sticky red, but it is hard to tell before firing
black residue called guaco, poured onto what the resulting hue will be. To re­
a cornhusk, allowed to harden, and peat colors, Indians need to keep track
stored. For brushwork, the mixture is of the exact source for each pigment.
moistened with water in the same way The southern pueblos like Acoma and
Japanese sumi paint is made. Some Laguna use hard rocks and rocky sludge
pueblos traditionally use this same guaco found locally; these contain black iron
oxide, red iron oxide, manganese diox­
ide, titanium, uranium and combina­
tions of these. The rocks are painstakingly ground on stone metates, then
painted on burnished surfaces.
Brushes for decorating have been
fashioned for centuries from yucca
fronds in desert areas, or from other
plant types found elsewhere in the coun­
try. The spine of a leaf or frond, or a
supple twig, will be chewed for several
days, then cut with a knife into the
length (usually 2 to 4 inches) and the
width that the potter needs for particu­
lar strokes. Several different brushes of
this type are always on hand. It is hard
to imagine that this stiff, unwieldy brush
has been used to make some of the
extraordinarily complicated designs seen
on traditional Indian vessels. Sometimes
the artist uses a commercial watercolor
brush to fill in the outlines that were
drawn, using the yucca frond and a
very steady hand.
Techniques of firing pottery in the
open air vary with almost every Indian
group. To keep the natural color of the
Polychrome jar, 6½ inches in height, by Blue Corn, San lldefonso Pueblo, New Mexico.
June/July/August 1998
65
mesquite or pine; others use animal
dung from cows, deer and squirrels.
Where wood is the primary fuel,
dried cow chips may be piled over the
ware to form an insulating enclosure—
in effect, a kiln. In this case, pots are set
on a metal grill elevated over wood
placed directly on the ground, under
the first layer of pottery and over the
entire mound; a few wood sticks are
inserted at the base of the pile to get the
Jar with heart-line deer design, 6 inches
fire going, or the whole stack may be
in height, by Emma Lewis Mitchell,
doused with kerosene and ignited.
Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico.
Indian pottery fires are very short
compared with Anglo firings of earth­ Jar with carved avanyu design and
turquoise inlay, 10% inches in height,
clay and pigments of the decorations, a enware, stoneware or porcelain in gas by Dora Tse-pe, San lldefonso Pueblo,
fire with an excess of oxygen in the or electric furnaces. An open fire, or New Mexico.
atmosphere is essential. For smudged, bonfire, will never achieve more than
smoked or completely blackened wares, 1300°F, the lowest temperature at which
a reducing fire in which all oxygen is clay can become somewhat resistant to fired or the size of the work. Large ves­
eliminated is required. Choice of fuel breakage. Most Indian bonfirings last sels or sculptures are often fired alone
also varies among the Indian groups. from 45 minutes to a few hours, de­
and require a longer, slower burn.
Some potters use wood, usually juniper, pending on the number of pots being
At Acoma Pueblo, the Lewises—who
Jar, 9 inches in height, burnished redware,
by Alice Cling, Black Mesa, Arizona.
66
CERAMICS MONTHLY
work with white clay and black or poly­ or fire according to simpler, more mod­ even other nontraditional techniques.
chrome designs—allow the cow chips ern methods? The importance of pro­ In response to a changing world, they
to smolder until they become black­
cess versus result is also debated. Some will employ whichever methods best fa­
ened and disintegrate to ash. The pots of the avant-garde potters in the exhibi­ cilitate their quest to make beautiful
cool slowly as the chips shrink and the tion fire in a variety of ways for the pure and remarkable pottery.
ashes fall away. At San Ildefonso or Santajoy of changing their techniques and
Clara Pueblos, where polished pottery for the differences that result. Some fire Excerpted from Pottery by American
may be blackened by smothering the slowly in gas or electric kilns because of Indian Women, the catalog/book by
flaming mound of pots with dried horse the complexity or the extraordinary size exhibition curator Susan Peterson; pubmanure at just the right time during the of their work. These artists are likely to lished by Abbeville Press, 488 Madison
firing, the pots must be extracted from continue using both traditional and Avenue, New York, New York 10022;
the ashes as soon as possible, or the modern firing methods, and perhaps (800) 278-2665.
shiny surface will dull. Huge pots fired
one at a time must cool slowly, but not
too slowly, or the clay surface and even
the color might change.
Outdoor firing of pottery tests the
potters experience and skill. Among In­
dian groups, firing is a special ritual and is
usually a communal activity because the
process is so arduous. The size and kind of
wood are important to the way the fire
will burn, and Indians may travel many
miles for the right fuel. Cow chips or
other dung, used either as fuel or as a
covering insulation, must also be the
proper size and shape, and dried a certain
way for a certain length of time. Manure
used to smother the fire for blackware
must come from horses that have eaten
grass instead of hay, so that it will have a
high enough carbon content to ensure the
pots turn from iron red to black.
Among Indian artists, the choice of
firing technique is a question of heri­
tage versus practicality: should they hold
on to traditional firing methods, which
are usually complicated and inefficient,
Jar with yei design, 34 inches high,
by Lorraine Williams, Cortez, Colorado.
June/July/August 1998
Lidded jar with dog motif, 24 inches in height, micaceous clay,
by Jody Folwell, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.
67
Place setting, slip-cast terra cotta, with brushed underglazes and glazes, plate $80, deep bowl $60,
dessert or salad plate $45, tumbler $40 and cup $60.
Carol Gouthro
by Nan Krutchkoff
Life for Seattle artist Carol Gouthro is a
balancing act. She is constantly balanc­
ing the time spent on the three different
types of work that she produces (dinnerware, teapots and one-of-a-kind ves­
sels) with the demands of her teaching
jobs and home life. Sometimes it is dif­
ficult to get it all in.
For her solo show at Foster White
Gallery in Kirkland, Washington,
Gouthro worked exclusively for three
months on just eight pieces. “Some
people think I’m crazy, but I use a show
as an opportunity to explore new ideas
and experiment with new techniques
and glazes. Its what keeps me alive.”
She had decided to create a series of
volumetric vessels combining thrown,
slab-built and cast parts. She has always
worked primarily in low fire, but had
not thrown large forms for ten years.
68
Soon, she was rediscovering the possi­
bilities of throwing after years of handbuilding and mold making.
Constructing these large vessels was
a balancing act as well. Gouthro first
made all the sections, then arranged
and rearranged them to conform with
her vision of some type of an abstracted
natural form, such as a flower. She
started at the bottom with a thrown
section on a slab-built or cast base. The
middle sections, made of thrown or cast
pieces, were inspired by natural forms
such as flower calyxes, seed pods, nuts
and leaves. She spent hours contem­
plating the various components and try­
ing different combinations until all of
the parts worked well together.
An important element in Gouthro’s
work is her use of found objects for
mold making. She loves combing
through thrift shops, looking for dif­
ferent shapes and figuring out how to
incorporate them into her work. Many
of her castings come from gelatin
molds. She has even made molds from
an old-fashioned Christmas-tree stand
and various machine parts. The trick
is to totally transform the shape so it
is not immediately recognizable, which
she accomplishes by using only small
parts of each or by slicing and reas­
sembling the castings. Her goblets,
which are built entirely of found
object parts, are a good example of
this rearranging.
For surface treatment, she uses com­
binations of slips, underglazes, terra
sigillatas and glazes. Equally important
is her use of lusters, which are applied
discriminantly so that the luster will
not overpower the eye. “Even when I
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Terra-cotta vase, 22 inches in height, wheel thrown, cast and handbuilt,
brushed with slips, glazes and lusters, low fired, $1200.
use them on large areas, I make certain
there is another area that has just as
much visual appeal, so the eye wont
just go to the gold.”
Most often she uses transparent col­
ored lusters on top of colored glazes to
provide luminosity and allow the glaze
to still be seen. She especially likes to
use them on her carved branches, as
they help to bring out the shape.
Occasionally, she applies lusters in
conjunction with an etching process.
June/July/August 1998
Following the glaze firing, she paints combining complex forms with com­
the entire surface with a glass etch. This plicated surfaces,” she explains. “I enjoy
is left on for 30 minutes, then hosed the sensibility of an undulating line, as
off. Refiring with metallic lusters gives a in a leaf form, contrasted with a handvery pleasing stonelike effect.
carved, repetitive background or the
Gouthro likes contrasts, frequently depth of a rich, glossy transparent glaze
using bold, heavily saturated colors placed next to the opaque flatness of an
against black and white. Similarly, she underglaze or slip.”
contrasts geometric designs with organic
Craftsmanship and attention to de­
shapes. Stripes and spirals are set against tail are cornerstones of Gouthro s work.
a leaf or bark motif. “I am interested in When she decided to do dinnerware,
embellishment and the challenge of she had to learn mold making and slip
69
Carol Gouthro assembling a large vase in her Seattle studio.
casting. It took nearly three years to get
the shape, weight, design and glazes per­
fected. She throws all the originals, then
makes multiple molds of each shape.
Her slip-cast terra-cotta dinnerware line
includes a dinner plate, salad/dessert
plate, shallow soup bowl, deep bowl,
cup and tumbler. She offers two designs
in each shape and 12 color choices, all
of which are designed to work well to­
gether on the table.
Gouthro believes there should be as
much interest on the inside as there is
on the outside or even the bottom of
her vessels, and spends hours making
sure that every detail works. A typical
dinner plate will take two hours to un­
derglaze and glaze. To keep the feet from
scratching when stacked, she glazes the
Teapot, 9 inches in height, slip-cast and handbuilt terra cotta,
with underglazes, glazes and lusters, low fired, $800.
70
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Vase, 22 inches in height, wheel-thrown, slip-cast and handbuilt
terra cotta, with brushed slips, glazes and lusters, $1200.
June/July/August 1998
71
entire bottom of her plates and fires
them on stilts.
Fine-tuning her firing techniques also
takes some time. She offers these words
of advice for the low-fire potter: Make
sure to do a Cone 04 bisque firing. The
witness cone should be completely
down. This ensures strong bodies and
helps keep the glaze from crazing. To
prevent pinholing and craters, downfire the kiln for one-half hour after
the cone drops.
Although Gouthro uses a kiln sitter,
she never leaves the kiln unattended.
She uses a Cone 05 in the sitter, and
waits for it to turn the kiln off. She then
promptly turns the kiln back on and
carefully watches all of the witness cone
pads at the top, middle and bottom
until all the 05 cones are down. A soak
on medium for half an hour helps
smooth out the glaze.
For the past seven years, Gouthro
has also been teaching classes in low-fire
handbuilding at Seward Park Art Stu­
dio, a ceramics cooperative in Seattle,
and at the Kirkland Arts Center in
Kirkland. One of her students actually
gave her the idea for a successful mar­
keting plan for her dinnerware. Lack­
ing the money to buy an entire place
setting, her student asked if she could
purchase a plate every month. The “Plate
of the Month Club” started three years
ago with an initial mailing to 25 stu­
dents and long-time customers. It has
been self-sustaining since then by word
of mouth. “Even people who could af­
ford a complete set of dishes enjoy it,
because they get a surprise in the mail Goblet, 6 inches in height, slip-cast and handbuilt terra cotta, with underglazes,
glazes and lusters, low fired, $225, by Carol Gouthro, Seattle.
every month,” Gouthro says.
The plate-of-the-month concept al­
lows her to keep the price of her dinnerware down by dealing directly with fairs in favor of entering juried compe­ She has to leave time for gardening and
customers, as well as maintain a steady titions and acquiring gallery representa­ teaching, as these are important sources
work flow and income. She also whole­ tion across the United States. For many of inspiration for her. She also wants to
sales dinnerware to a few galleries across years, she preferred to work as a house continue making pots that people can
cleaner and furniture finisher to supple­ use, as well as the one-of-a-kind pots
the country.
ment her income, rather than do pro­ that require time for development. At
Since graduating from the Univer­
this point, she spends about half her
sity of Manitoba School of Art in 1976, duction pottery.
Now that everything is selling as fast time making dinnerware and still has
Gouthro has known that she wanted to
be able to spend as much time as pos­ as she can make it, she knows she has to trouble keeping up with the demand.
sible on each piece. She has avoided make some more important decisions. The balancing act continues. ▲
72
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Gerstley Borate and Colemanite
byJefFZamek
The raw materials used in clay bodies and on to other potters without a criti­ dium calcium borate) seven million years
and glazes can change slightly in chemi­ cal evaluation of the raw materials used. ago, according to U.S. Borax explora­
cal composition and/or particle size over The first point to be made in their tion manager Robert Kistler. A distinc­
time. Under normal circumstances, such favor is that Gerstley borate and cole­ tive characteristic of Gerstley borate is
minor variations do not influence the manite do work well in many glazes. the volcanic glass mixed into the clay
outcome. For example, most feldspars Obviously, if the recipes had failed all during this formative period. The re­
used by potters do fluctuate in their the time or most of the time, they would sulting ore contains high amounts of
sodium, potassium, lithium, alumina not have been passed along to other
calcium and silica. It is the only borate
and silica contents; however,
deposit in that region that has
the feldspar mining compa­
a glassy volcanic component.
The variation that can and often does
nies monitor and adjust the
Jacob Mu of U.S. Borax
given amounts of each oxide
identifies the predominant bo­
occur (sometimes from one bag
contained within the feldspar
rate mineral found in Gerstley
to close tolerance. The incen­
borate as ulexite (Na20 2CaO
to the next) can be the cause
tive for such high-quality con­
5B203 16H20) with small
of several glaze defects.
trol is the large industrial users’
amounts of colemanite
need for a consistent product.
(2CaO 3B203
5H20),
Gerstley borate does not enjoy such potters. Nevertheless, eventually they probertite (Na20 2CaO 5B20310H20)
economic clout, as its market (potters will cause defects—just not consistently, and gangue (pronounced “gang”).
and the roofing tile producers) is rela­ so many potters don’t realize these vari­ Gangue is composed of bentonitic clay
tively small. The same is true of a simi­ able raw materials are the cause. Com­ and other insoluble or “tramp” materi­
lar material used by potters—coleman­ pounding the problem is the fact that als. This bentonitic clay gangue con­
ite. Despite the fact that potters’ glazes the types of glaze defects—the pinholes tains mostly calcium and silica; in
frequently include Gerstley borate or (small holes with a rounded edge in the addition, there are small amounts of
colemanite, this use represents a mar­ fired glaze), blisters (craters with sharp sandstone and basalt, which are revealed
ginal market for the mines; therefore, it edges in the fired glaze), crawling (the as brown/black “pepper” specks in the
is not cost effective to improve quality glaze rolling back on itself during firing, off-white Gerstley borate powder.
control. The variation that can and of­ exposing the clay body beneath), peel­
Gerstley borate is considered a raw,
ten does occur (sometimes from one ing (unfired dry glaze lifting off the unprocessed ore and gangue is a natural
bag to the next) can be the cause of surface in sheets), and dry surface (fired rock component found with the mate­
several glaze defects.
glaze with a sandpaper texture)—caused rial. It is not economically desirable but
by Gerstley borate or colemanite can be cannot be avoided in the mining pro­
The History of Studio Use
produced by many other factors.
cess. Due to its variable mineral consis­
Gerstley borate and colemanite are
tency and gangue components, Gerstley
Gerstley Borate
naturally occurring ores that have been
borate has no single chemical notation.
used in low-, medium-, and high-tem­
Gerstley borate is mined by U.S.
Chemical inconsistency, high
perature glaze recipes for many years. In Borax Inc. Senior technical representa­ amounts of carbonates and solubility all
the past, the minimum amount ofTurk- tive Tom Wilhelm notes that the com­ contribute to the problem potential of
ish colemanite that could be purchased pany produces more than a million tons this popular glaze material. When in­
was 500 tons. When the supply was of borate minerals per year; however, troduced into water, Gersdey borate will
delayed in the 1970s, ceramics indus­
less than 1000 tons of Gerstley borate dissociate into sodium or calcium bo­
tries began looking for a substitute. are mined annually—most of which is rates and can be classified as “sparingly
Many formulas were recalculated to ac­ used in studio pottery glazes. The mine soluble.” Thus, pouring off some excess
cept Gerstley borate. Both minerals sup­ is near the small town of Shoshone, water in a Gerstley borate glaze or water
ply the fluxing action that will bring the California, about 50 miles (by road) evaporation in glaze storage can change
other glaze materials into a complete from Death Valley. Soon after James the fired glaze result. Often a Gerstley
melt. Also, both contain high amounts Mack Gerstley found this deposit of borate glaze batch is initially fine, but
of B203, which can enhance colors and calcium borate in 1923, local people after storage the fired glaze can exhibit
promote mottled, semiopacity in glazes. began referring to it as Gerstley’s borate. pinholes and blisters.
Why are Gerstley borate and cole­
Since the partially dissolved Gerstley
U.S. Borax Inc. now just calls it the
manite used in glaze recipes if they cause Gerstley mine.
borate travels in the water system of a
defects? Many of these recipes were de­
Gerstley borate was formed from clay glaze, it can also collect in greater con­
veloped in the 1950s and 1960s, and on the edge of a lake into which a centrations on the lips and higher edges
were passed from teacher to student spring flowed, depositing ulexite (a so­ of pottery as the glaze water is evaporat­
June/July/August 1998
73
Colemanite is thought to form from for-one basis; however, there are several
ing off the pot. These affected areas can
also produce pinholes, blisters and dry the alteration or leaching of ulexite. So­ important characteristics of each to keep
dium contained in the borate is very in mind. Colemanite contains approxi­
surfaces in the fired glaze.
Gerstley borate can be made into a soluble and is slowly dissolved into wa­ mately 40% boron as compared to ap­
frit (a material fired to a molten state, ter, leaving the calcium borate behind. proximately 28% in Gerstley borate. In
quenched and ground into a powder), Once the water leaves the lake, the re­ glazes that rely on a specific level of
B203 for a multihued surface appear­
which would decrease its solubility; how­ maining layers of relatively pure cal­
ever, the major frit manufacturers find cium borate (colemanite) can be mined. ance or color devejopment, a direct sub­
While colemanite is available to large stitution might not produce an exact
it too costly and time consuming to
produce a Gerstley borate-based frit for industries, potters might not see it regu­ match in color or surface mottling.
larly stocked on their ceramics suppli­ Gerstley borate glazes are more likely to
the small pottery market.
The exact melting point of Gerstley ers shelves, as importers only sell it by have mottled irregular surface textures.
Gerstley borate also yields a slightly
borate is difficult to define, as the two container loads (44,000 pounds). Most
minerals contained within Gerstley bo­ suppliers cannot tie up the capital it lighter color in glazes, but due to its
rate do not melt at the same tempera­ would take to purchase such a large higher level of carbonates, it can cause
ture (ulexite melts at 1535°F and quantity, then sell it in increments of a more pinholes and blisters in the fired
glaze surface.
colemanite at 1652°F). The result can few pounds. When colemanite is ob­
Both Gerstley borate and coleman­
be a semiopaque motded glaze surface. tainable, always note the source; there
When used in Cone 6 (2232°F)* can be variations in the material due to ite contain calcium, which can cause
flocculation in the liquid glaze. Particles
and above glazes, Gerstley borate can the country of origin.
partially volatilize, causing an overfluxed While it is stated that colemanite is in the glaze are attracted to each other
pinholed or blistered glaze surface. The insoluble, it does appear to partially dis­ and aggregate into larger clumps. The
glaze often appears thick and
same set of defects can occur
lumpy, like oatmeal. It also
due to the high amount of car­
When used in Cone 6 and above
does not flow or pour well,
bonates, which release carbon
which makes it exceedingly
dioxide gas. The gas bubbles
glazes, Gerstley borate can partially difficult to spray, dip or
travel through the glaze layer
volatilize causing an overfluxed
brush. Increasing the amount
with some being trapped
of water only causes exces­
within the layer and others
pinholed or blistered glaze surface.
sive shrinkage and cracking
breaking open on the fired glaze
as the glaze dries. Adding any
surface. Overfluxed glazes can
also run or drip off vertical ceramic solve into the water system of glazes in one of the most common deflocculants
surfaces on the pot, or a pool of glaze storage, much the same as Gerstley bo­ (0.05% to 0.10% soda ash, 0.25% to
rate. On the other hand, colemanite does 0.50% Darvan #7, or 0.25% to 0.50%
can collect in horizontal areas.
not produce the amount of outgassing sodium silicate, based on the dry weight
Colemanite
that Gerstley borate does; however, pin­ of the glaze) will repel particles sus­
Unlike Gerstley borate, colemanite holes or blistering can still occur. This is pended in liquid and correct the “thick”
is a mineral with a set formula (Ca2 primarily due to colemanite being a low- consistency of the glaze.
Both Gerstley borate and coleman­
B6On 5 H20); however, it is still an temperature flux. Using too much in a
unprocessed ore and the gangue com­ high-temperature recipe will result in a ite have small amounts of free water or
ponent can change with geologic con­ “boiling off” or overfluxing of the glaze. pore water, which is driven off by heat­
ditions. It also contains some clays, marl, Colemanite can produce opacity in ing to approximately 248°F; however,
limestone, sandstone and volcanic tuff, Cone 06 (1830°F) glazes and is a strong both also have large amounts of bound
but in much lower concentrations than flux above Cone 6 (2232°F). Boric ox­ water, which is classified as the water of
crystallization. This type of water is con­
Gerstley borate. Colemanite is used pri­ ide and calcia contained within cole­
marily in the fiber-glass and metallurgy manite do not melt at the same tained within the crystal structure and
flux industries. Deposits exist in the temperatures and the delay in complete is not driven off until 1112°F, or when
amalgamation can cause the glaze sur­ approximately dull red heat (approxi­
United States, Argentina and Turkey.
mately 950°F) in the kiln is reached.
In the past, Turkish colemanite was face to appear mottled.
The large quantity of bound water
Colemanite can also cause glaze
the only one imported to the United
States. It comes from open-pit and un­ crawling (a glaze defect that looks like associated with each mineral can cause
derground mines located in several dif­ water on a glass tabletop) due to the high-shrinkage rates as the water is
ferent basins with different geologic large amount of water contained in its driven off during the firing. If the kiln
conditions, resulting in slightly differ­ crystal structure and its subsequent high- is heated too fast from start-up to dull
red heat, Gerstley borate and coleman­
ent chemical compositions. Even so, its shrinkage rate when heated.
ite glazes can crawl, peel, crack or jump
chemical composition is much less vari­
Gerstley Borate vs. Colemanite
off the pots to the shelves below. This is
able than Gerstley borate.
due to excessive shrinkage or steam creIn
most
glaze
recipes,
either
material
*A11 temperature references are based on large Orton
Please turn to page 118
can be used interchangeably on a onepyrometric cones heated at 270°F per hour.
74
CERAMICS MONTHLY
To Have and to Hold
“No other object seems to embody con­
tinuity and the human presence as the
vessel. The hand of the artisan has with
love and skill and necessity, thrown,
shaped and molded what we, as well as
generations after us, can hold, use and
admire,” noted Marcie J. Inman, direc­
tor of the Irving Arts Center and cura­
tor of the exhibition “To Have and to
Hold.” On view at the center through
April 26, the show featured ceramic ves­
sels by 65 artists working in Texas.
Ranging from “very functional to
objects of art that are about Vessel-ness
as much as anything,” the exhibition
included “containers for food, teapots,
ewers, condiment trays, vases for flow­
ers, boats as literal vessels and boatlike
vessels,” Inman observed.
There were also “forms that relate
to the idea of the vessel as a repository
of knowledge, history, dreams and fan­
tasies—a veritable celebration of hu­
manness and the joy to be found in
making objects, contemplating those “Jack of Diamonds,” 22Va inches high,
objects and integrating them into our earthenware with underglazes and glaze,
daily lives.” A
$450, by Beverly Crist, Dallas.
Raku teapot, 15 inches in height, $300,
by James C. Watkins, Lubbock.
“The Green Man Tureen,” 17½ inches in height, earthenware with majolica glaze,
$400, by Sally M. Campbell, Dallas.
June/July/August 1998
“Shift #4,” 20 inches in height, terra cotta with slips and glaze, and wood.
Nicholas Wood
by Glen R. Brown
From a distance, there is a deceptive precision, acting as portals to intimate,
inaccessibility to the wall sculpture of half-lit spaces where the eye finds mo­
Nicholas Wood, associate professor of mentary refuge.
Nevertheless, Woods interest is not
ceramics at the University of Texas at
Arlington. These reliefs appear masklike, in points of rest but rather in an infinite
Egyptian in their austere planes, as if exploration. If the eye is caught for an
concealing secret inner spirits behind instant, it is just as quickly released and
impenetrable walls. However, like the compelled to move on. The forms are
read rather than simply viewed. And it
great pyramids, Woods sculptures di­
minish in formidable blankness as the is not incidental that Wood was once
viewer approaches. Subtle shifts in color interested in archaeology; the blank
and slight textures (tiny fissures where terra-cotta surfaces punctuated with oc­
the sawdust in the clay body has burned casional slits generate vague intimations
out) are discernible. In some works, of ancient tablets inscribed with cunei­
niches have been cut with architectural form writing.
76
A native of California, Wood at­
tended San Francisco State University
in the early 1970s, studying for three
years toward a degree in sociology,
then discovering art as a senior.
Though initially drawn to painting,
he found that the art majors required
courses in three-dimensional media
were influencing his sense of design.
“I took ceramics with Peter Vandenberge,” he remembers, “and Stephen
DeStaebler was teaching sculpture. I
found my paintings getting more di­
mensional, coming off the wall and
onto the floor.”
CERAMICS MONTHLY
“Sampler #4,” 46 inches in width, colored clays, resins, glues and wood.
The subject matter of those early frames. The press-molded tablets, nearly So concerned is Wood with the quali­
works was influenced by West Coast 4 inches thick, have precise edges and ties of actual light and shadow that he
funk art—still a strong current in the perfect 90° corners.
has set up spotlights in his studio to
Bay Area at that time—and Woods
Precision is important to Wood, who simulate a gallery environment and af­
sculptures from the early 1970s explored,often finds inspiration for his sculptures ford him the opportunity to test each
with an Arnesonlike wit, a variety of in the regularity of architectural design. piece at various stages of its completion.
themes derived from the quintessential “Many of my pieces are about memo­ “I’m always thinking of the ideal light,”
California pastime, surfing.
ries of particular places where there was he says. “I prefer one light per section of
For graduate studies, Wood headed something interesting about the archi­ a piece and straight-drop shadows.”
east to the New York State College of tecture. There was a window up high or
Under these conditions, Wood can
Ceramics at Alfred University, where he a shadow came out of a doorway.”
be assured that the varying depths of
worked principally with Tony Hepburn.
Works like “Shift 4” are concerned the niches produce the proper range in
The curriculum in the mid 1970s was with the experience of three-dimensional densities of darkness and that the per­
strongly technical in orientation and, as space, and in particular the psychologi­ ception of tonal gradations in his work
a consequence, Woods work changed cal states that are elicited by certain are simultaneously an experience of real
dramatically, becoming increasingly ab­ relationships between surfaces and space and enveloping structures. Wood’s
stract and architectural. In addition, the niches. “I’m interested,” Wood explains, commitment to architectural design is
size of his pieces grew in relation to his “in the way in which different open­
most salient in this respect; although
advancing technical abilities. By the time ings or entries are inviting, mysteri­
his sculptures are not made to human
he received an M.FA. in 1977, the ous or secretive. I want to capture a scale, they relate to basic expectations
groundwork had been laid for two certain intimate quality. The dark sec­ for shelter.
complementary directions in his sculp­ tions draw the viewer in—not because
Some of Wood’s sculptures, in fact,
ture: the “Tablet Series,” consisting of I’m offering anything there; I don’t are quite literally shelters—or at least
solid, tactile reliefs hung in groups; and put images in the recesses—but there are fashioned from them. While clean­
the “Lattice Series” of open, gridlike is something inviting about the quali­
ing out his garage one day, Wood came
forms filled with color.
ties of darkness.”
across some nests built by mud daub­
Although the “Lattice Series,” which
From a psychoanalytical perspective, ers—small wasps that create intricate,
provided a useful counterpoint to the appeal of dark niches might be tracedmultichambered structures out of clay.
Woods experiments with flat mono­
back to archetypes relating to birth and After carefully removing the nests, Wood
chromatic surfaces, was abandoned in the security of the womb. On the other found that he could alter the forms by
the early 1980s, the “Tablet Series” has hand, the tonal qualities in Wood’s work cutting and sanding, adding slip and
essentially continued to the present un­ can be viewed from a purely formal drilling additional holes through them.
der several new titles. The “Shift Se­
perspective. “I’ve always been interested Moreover, they could be placed in the
ries,” for example, consists of vertical in light and the play of shadows,” he kiln along with Wood’s other terra-cotta
terra-cotta tablets supported by care­
explains. “Shadows end up creating pieces, although due to their high sand
fully crafted cedar shelves or partial other colors and shapes.”
content, they fired best at Cone 02.
June/July/August 1998
77
The “Sanctuary Series,” begun in the
early 1990s, consists of altered mud
dauber nests hung as relief forms in
rows along the wall. Each nest is rather
small, the largest measuring only 8
inches across, but they are displayed in
lines of a half-dozen or more. The rep­
etition is fundamental to the minimalist
aesthetic that Wood loosely adheres to
in all his work, but this series in particu­
lar reveals his equally important con­
cern for the uniqueness of every
component within a larger group.
Woods intent seems not to reduce
objects to an infinitely repeatable ge­
stalt, but rather to connect each unique
experience of space with another in an
unending succession that parallels the
eye’s exploration of the world at large.
“Working in multiples,” he explains,
“keeps the work open. It keeps me
from having to consider any final reso­
lution, and it leaves the work as an
open-ended experience.”
The idea that art-making, like other
forms of knowledge, is an infinite pro­
cess, an ongoing exploration or experi­ with the unique effects achieved in each
mentation, led Wood to another relief component of a series, his tendency is
series called “Sampler.” The series con­ to value uniqueness as a reciprocal term
sists of groups of press-molded tablets in a dialogue that equally engages the
fashioned from unfired clay that is concept of repetition. Every unique ex­
mixed with varying combinations of perience is defined in part through its
relation to those that have come before,
resins and glues.
In these pieces, color has returned, and it, in turn, provides the basis for
and textures have become more asser­ subsequent experiences of uniqueness.
tive, partly in response to observation In this process, even minute distinc­
of the varied surfaces of historical archi­ tions of texture and clay color are ex­
tecture in Paris, where Wood now spendsceedingly important; at the same time,
his summers. At the same time, they are the unique object can be understood as
motivated by the ceramist’s general only a moment in an infinite unfolding
of being. That this process takes place
affinity for technical research.
within a fundamentally human space is
“The ‘Sampler Series’ is about ex­
periments in texture and color,” Wood the assertion that moves Wood’s sculp­
explains. “Ceramics artists are always tures out of the realm of pure abstrac­
trying out new materials and combina­ tion and gives them their unexpected
tions of materials. I was inspired by the but compelling air of familiarity.
rows of glaze tests and texture tests that
you can see hanging on the wall in any The author A frequent contributor to
CM (see his article on Gary Molitor in
ceramist’s studio.”
In a certain sense, all of Wood’s work the September 1997issue), Glen R Brown
has something in common with the test is an assistant professor of art at Kansas
tile. While he is undoubtedly concerned State University.
“Sanctuary #3,” 14 inches in height, glazed terra cotta and local clays,
by Nicholas Wood, Arlington, Texas.
78
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Pioneer Pottery
by Lyn Kidder
Making a living in rural Montana can be a challenge; however, Julie Dickinson and
Janet Dodge manage to sell most of their work to people visiting their studio.
gravel road leads off the main street The kick wheel design is a modification rect influence on the two potters’ work.
of Roscoe, Montana, population 60. of those used at Marguerite Wildenhain’s “We recognize the natural, the beauti­
The sign on the gate says “Pioneer Pot­ Pond Farm Pottery [see “The Legacy of ful and the mystical qualities of the
tery.” The road winds through a wooded Marguerite Wildenhain” in the June/ earth—the animals, plants and forma­
area and follows the banks of East Rose­ July/August 1997 CM], where Dickinson tions of creation,” Dodge explains. “We
bud Creek. A handpainted board fas­
and Dodge studied for several years. use clay, the most basic of all materials,
tened to a small aspen warns drivers to “And those wheels were modifications to convey the sense of wonder we feel in
watch for “hikers, bikers and animals.” of the ones that Marguerite used in this place.”
As if on cue, a white-tailed deer and Germany,” Dodge says.
The women met as students at
fawn cross the road. They stop briefly
An old bakery mixer that sits in one Carleton College in Minnesota. Dickin­
to stare at the vehicle before vanishing corner is used to wet-mix clay. A lean-to son was a senior majoring in art when
in the undergrowth.
built off the main room houses kilns she discovered Dodge, a freshman then
The road ends at a cluster of rustic and shelves for storing finished work. majoring in biology, making sketches
buildings at either end of a wooden Glazes are dry-mixed in the former hay­ of dogs. “She coaxed me over to the art
bridge that spans the creek. The studio loft above.
building,” Dodge recalls. “Then I coaxed
of Julie Dickinson and Janet Hero
What was once a tractor garage at her into working with clay.”
Dodge is a converted stable on what the other end of the workshop is now a
The college had no pottery class, but
was originally the homestead of Nancy gallery. The walls and shelves are rough, Dodge worked with the wheel and kiln
Morris, an early pioneer who named weathered boards; pieces of pottery sharesupplied for “student recreation.” Between
the town of Roscoe after her horse.
the space with elk and deer skulls and her junior and senior year, she spent a
The main room of the studio holds arrangements of dried plant material.
summer in Japan, working with a pot­
one electric wheel and two kick wheels.
The surrounding landscape has a di­ ter and studying Japanese aesthetics.
June/July/August 1998
79
rently working in what she
Dickinson went on to* earn
sees as two directions. Draw­
a graduate degree in art edu­
ing from her background in
cation at the University of
sculpture, she handbuilds
Wisconsin, and began to
semifunctional and purely
teach. After graduating with
sculptural forms, the charac­
a degree in art history, Dodge
ter of which is influenced by
was accepted as a student at
nature. Currently, she is ex­
Pond Farm Pottery and per­
perimenting
with smooth
suaded Dickinson to come
shapes
reminiscent
of river
with her.
rocks, on which she carves
“The training was rigor­
the pattern of flowing water.
ous,” Dickinson recalls, “and
Her thrown functional
it only covered throwing and
forms are decorated with in­
handbuilding with clay.”
tricate carved geometric pat­
“But more importantly,”
terns, inspired by the art of
Dodge adds, “Marguerite
the Celts and of Native North
taught discipline, goal-set­
and South American cultures,
ting, self-critique for growth,
and colored slips trailed
integrity and a way of life.
from a bulb used to fuel
She was hardest on her
Pine Cone Vase,” 7 inches in height, stoneware with incised
pattern and trailed colored slips, $360, by Julie Dickinson.
model airplanes.
women students because she
Dodge creates large vases
knew survival as a potter
In 1972, Dodge moved to Roscoe, carved with images of Montana wild­
would be harder for a woman in the
and the two potters worked together life. “My animal pots are inspired by
male-dominated craft.”
Dickinson returned to Pond Farm for ten years. During her daughter’s the creatures I’ve encountered while liv­
for four summers and Dodge for five. high-school years, Dickinson moved to ing here,” she says. “These chance en­
One summer, Dodge lived in her Billings, Montana’s largest city, but re­ counters are among life’s most magical
moments for me. We’ve had wild tur­
Volkswagen bug—that’s bug, not bus. turned to Pioneer Pottery in 1993.
Over the years, each has pursued an keys strutting and fighting in the front
“A lot of people lived in tents, but I
couldn’t even afford to stay in the camp­ individual style. At the same time, they yard, sandhill cranes performing mat­
ground,” Dodge says. “We were just have developed a line of production ing dances in the fields behind the shop,
and a cougar on the front porch. The
ware made by both.
out in the woods.”
“We’re always trying to explore and animal pots convey their movement,
Wildenhain was a demanding
variation in gesture and a balance of
teacher. Dodge remembers once when expand,” Dickinson says. She is curlight and dark.”
she had worked all week on teapots. “I
Dodge photographs many of her sub­
had a whole plank of them, all differ­
jects, then develops a series of drawings
ent. Marguerite looked them over and
that capture the birds or animals in
said, ‘Good. Now make some really nice
motion. The decoration is carved on
ones.’ So I did!
the leather-hard surface and brushed
“She taught you to back up from a
with terra sigillata.
piece, look at it and learn from it. We
Their production ware includes
threw and threw, then we broke them
mugs, bowls, pitchers, casseroles and
up. We threw hundreds of pots, but the
special orders for sets of dishes. While
first summer I didn’t fire a thing.”
these provide a steady source of income,
While Dickinson pursued a teach­
their production serves another func­
ing career in Montana, Dodge studied
tion: “If you’re a dancer, you do a cer­
glaze calculation and firing techniques
tain amount of dancing every day,”
in graduate school at Mankato State
Julie Dickinson decorates her ware
Dodge observes. “That’s your rehearsal
University in Minnesota.
with carved patterns.
80
CERAMICS MONTHLY
that keeps you in
Dodge does
shape and makes
much of the tech­
you aware of what
nical work—test­
you’re capable of
ing new glazes and
doing. For us, it’s
techniques, as well
the daily throw­
as most of the kiln
ing. Then there
work, while Dick­
are your perfor­
inson handles the
mances—those
scheduling and pa­
are our individual
perwork.
works. When your
Making a living
ideas form, you
in rural Montana
want your skills to
can be a challenge.
be there.”
“We chose the end
Holding a cof­
of the road and
fee mug decorated
the business grew
‘Grizzly Bear Vase” and “Mountain Goat Vase,” stoneware, wheel thrown and incised,
with a carved pat­
up around us,”
brushed with terra sigillata, $185 each, by Janet Dodge.
tern of seeds on a
Dodge says.
stem, Dickinson
When they first
adds, “I make hundreds of these, but then begins throwing or glazing. They opened the studio, most of their sales
each one is a little different. We have work together for several hours in the were through shops and galleries. They
dozens of glazes and patterns, so we can middle of the day, a time when they tried selling at shows and fairs in Mon­
have a lot of combinations.”
share ideas and complete larger tasks tana, but found that to be difficult. “It’s
They work with a stoneware body like clay or glaze mixing. Dodge stays a lot of work and it’s a lot of risk,”
that is 3 parts A. P. Green fireclay, 3 late in the day, loading the kilns and Dodge warns. “The weather can come
parts Cedar Heights Redart clay, 2 parts beginning the firing.
up and blow your stuff over, or the
Kentucky ball clay (OM 4) and ¾ part
whole event can get rained out. Then it
fine grog.
takes a day to pack everything up, drive
They use a system of wooden bats
to the place, set it all up, then it takes
(designed by Dodge’s husband, a furni­
another day to come home and unpack
ture maker) that are keyed to the wheel
what’s left.”
head, making it easier to move large
While they have continued to sell
pieces. They’ve also built raised bats that
some of their work through galleries in
attach to the wheel head; these lift the
Minnesota, Mississippi and Montana,
pots to eye level for decorating.
most of their sales come from people
“Most potters end up with terrible
visiting the studio. The nearby town of
back problems if they don’t make some
Red Lodge is one of the ways to enter
changes in their work habits,” Dodge
Yellowstone Park, and tourists have dis­
notes. “We try to break up the day so
covered the spectacular scenery of the
that we’re constantly doing different
Beartooth Highway.
things, working in different positions
Once a tour bus nearly overwhelmed
and at different heights.”
them. “The driver only gave the group
This approach also makes it possible
a short time and they just swarmed in
for both of them to work in tight quar­
here,” Dickinson recalls. “The bus was
ters. “It’s really a small space for two
so big, we had to send him down to a
Janet Dodge throwing a vase; she
working potters, so the work flow has
field to get turned around.”
thinks of throwing production ware
to be organized,” Dodge says.
A bit of local marketing involves a
daily as a kind of “rehearsal that keeps
Dickinson arrives early, turns up the
display
of their work in the window of
you in shape and makes you aware of
kiln if they are in the process of firing,
Red Lodge’s City Bakery. The popular
what you’re capable of doing.”
June/July/August 1998
81
Dickinson and Dodge prefer using a system of wooden bats keyed to the
wheel head; they are lighter, smaller and easier to store than plaster bats.
Then there was the time the new
coffee shop commissioned a set of per­ other person’s goals, and if you are, you
can work out a way that you can both driver on the propane truck didn’t real­
sonalized mugs for their regular cus­
tomers. The shop does not sell any work,get where you’re going. You end up ize that he needed to run a hose across
the bridge to fill their tank, and tried to
but quite a few visitors at the gallery say enhancing each other’s creativity.
“We’ve had conflicts over the years,” drive over the small wooden bridge. The
they’ve seen the display and accompa­
truck crashed through the bridge and
Dickinson admits. “But if we get re­
nying map there.
Pioneer Pottery also takes care of a ally mad, we go home and write about into the creek, leaving just the two sup­
stretch of highway outside Roscoe un­ it in our journals. Then when we have port beams intact. It was shortly before
der the Adopt a Highway program. In cooled off, we decide if it was just silly Christmas, and to fill orders, Dodge
addition to being a good community or if it was something that needs to be and Dickinson were obliged to carry
pots in backpacks across a beam.
service, “it’s another way to get our nametalked about.”
Two summers ago, a huge fire de­
They believe that the fact they stud­
on the highway,” Dodge says.
Last August, they held their 25th ied with Marguerite Wildenhain acts as stroyed nearly 15,000 acres in nearby
annual open house at the studio. The a kind of glue to their working relation­ East Rosebud Canyon. High winds
two realize that 25 years is a long time ship. In addition to Wildenhain’s sense swept the fire to within 4 miles of
to work together. “A lot of creative part­ of craftsmanship, each absorbed her phi­ Roscoe, and the entire town was evacu­
ated for two days.
nerships break up because you each are losophy of work and self-discipline.
But the close, daily association the
Of course, maintaining a studio in
independent, have your own priorities
and you end up going your own way,” rural Montana can introduce a whole two potters have with nature makes the
experience well worth the difficulties.
set of unique problems:
Dodge remarks.
“Sometimes I have to ski or snow- They remember what their mentor,
To succeed, “you need to help each
other out,” Dickinson advises. “You haveshoe to get to work,” says Dodge, who Marguerite Wildenhain, once said: “Ob­
to mutually respect each other’s style. lives about a mile away. “Once when I serve how nature solves its many prob­
You have to be aware of what the other was pushing my way through the deep lems and you will learn more about
person is wanting to do. It’s like a mar­ snow, I discovered that I had broken pottery, more about form than I can
ever teach you.” A
riage. You have to be conscious of the trail for some wandering bison.”
82
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Confessions of a Closet Beautician
by Geoffrey Wheeler
^Beauty is a term that my academic
training has made me embarrassed to
admit I strive for. Words like strong,
powerful and challenging—active mas­
culine terms—have been the ideals.
Beauty is associated with the feminine,
with soft and gentle qualities, qualities
not necessarily desirable for a man in
the contemporary world.
As I wandered through art museums
as an adolescent, it seemed to me that
art was about truth, beauty and
God. When I entered art
school, I found that art was
about controversy, pushing the
limits and taking risks. So what
if its beautiful? Is it art?
Certainly one of the factors
that drew me to making pot­
tery was that it was “safe” to
make objects of simple beauty.
Of course, the best work was
daring and vigorous (this was
an art school, not a beauty
school after all), but pottery in
the 1970s was strongly influ­
enced by Asian aesthetics and
quiet beauty was given a place
of respect.
I now realize how naive I was. Things Real beauty, as I see it, is not so
are not so black and white. Art can be much about physical or formal rela­
strong and risky and beautiful. It can be tionships. It resides in the heart of the
far from pretty, yet still be beautiful. work. I believe the focused intention of
Beauty is found in many different guises. the maker becomes apparent in the
The tension between opposing forces piece, that this creates a form of beauty
can give birth to beauty, not as in a fight (that old cliche, inner beauty) that comes
but as in balance—masculine and femi­ through in the work.
nine aspects, spiritual and intellectual
I recently came across a Japanese
aspects, combining with each other to phrase that speaks of something I have
create a whole.
always sensed but have been unable to
verbalize. Mono no aware o
shiru. It translates as “to un­
derstand and indulge in the
emotional appeal of objects to
the human heart.” This does
not refer to the lust we have
for objects of value and pres­
tige, but to “the world of sen­
timents, which is discovered
in the harmony between the
heart (mind) and the form of
objects.” Truly beautiful ob­
jects have a presence that goes
beyond the sum of their physi­
cal/visual elements.
This relationship between
people and objects—the fact
that we can have such strong
Cup, 4 inches in height, wheel-thrown and slab-built
porcelain, soda fired, $30.
Bowl, 4 inches in height, soda-fired porcelain, wheel thrown and altered,
with handbuilt feet and handles, $60.
June/July/August 1998
83
PHOTOS: PETER LEE
connections to and be affected by in­
animate “things”—fascinates me. We
make choices about what we surround
ourselves with. However, the produc­
tion of most utilitarian objects in our
society revolves around manufacturing
ease and profit. These objects are usu­
ally so stripped of aesthetic consider­
ations that they become dead to us on
any kind of a personal level. Neverthe­
less, they affect the way we identify our­
selves and the way we interact with each
other. By surrounding ourselves with
things that are devoid of beauty, we
deaden a part of ourselves.
Warren Fredrick, in his article “An
Aesthetic of Function,” states: “Art func­
tions through sensory impacts that af­
fect us physically, emotionally and
conceptually. Artists choose the par­
ticular means most suitable to convey
their intended meaning. Physical func­
tion is one more vehicle for express­
ing artistic content.”
In my own work, this idea of art Teapot, 8 inches in height, oxidation-fired porcelain,
functioning through sensory impact is wheel thrown and altered, with slab-built additions, $200,
integral. My pots are seductive, they ask
to be touched. I want my pieces not
only to inform and intrigue visually,
but to entice the viewer into physical
contact with them. It is through touch,
the most intimate of senses, that I want
my work to be explored. On a very
subtle level, the pots I make, my visions
of beauty, can affect the behavior and
perceptions of others.
My work comes from many differ­
ent parts of me. It draws on my intel­
lect and my playfulness, my sense of
humor and my sense of spirituality,
both my masculine and my feminine
qualities, my physicality, my intuition
and my sexuality. My quirks and confu­
sions, interests and questions are trans­
formed into solid objects. Yet my sense
of beauty remains the overriding theme.
As playful or sexual as my work be­
Soda-fired teapot, 9 inches in height,
comes, the objects I make are inevitably
wheel-thrown
and handbuilt porcelain,
concerned with elegance and classic
$200, by Geoffrey Wheeler; having
beauty. And occasionally, I make an ob­
completed an M.F.A. at the University
ject that sings with real beauty. I may
of Minnesota this spring, Wheeler will
not be a great artist, yet, but I am get­ “Vase with Flowers,” 32 inches in height,
begin teaching at Hope College in
Michigan this fall.
ting to be a pretty good beautician. ▲ soda-fired porcelain and copper, $300.
84
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
85
Call for Entries
1733 N.W. 79th Ave., Miami, FL 33126; or fax
Igneri Talleres, (809) 531-2600. Or telephone
Nouveau Art Foundation (809) 689-6869, fax
(809) 412-7144.
telephone Cynthia McAlpine (27) 768-5341, fax
(27) 768-5342.
August 1 entry deadline
Application Deadline for Exhibitions,
Faenza, Italy “51st International Competition
Fairs, Festivals and Sales
for Contemporary Ceramic Art” (May-October,
July 17 entry deadline
Sandton, South Africa “1998 Ceramics 1999), open to artists under 40 years old. Juried
Biennale” (September 18-October 10), now openfrom 3 slides per entry (up to 3 entries), plus
to artists around the world. Juried from 3 slides. resume, official certification of age and critical
International Exhibitions
Awards: first place, R10,000 (approximately dossiers. Awards: Premio Faenza, 20,000,000 lira
July 15 entry deadline
US$2024); Altech Sculpture Award, R5000 (ap­ (approximately US$10,000) plus a 5,000,000 lira
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic “Elit- proximately US$1012); 5 merit awards, R1000 (approximately US$2600) study grant with a twoTile ’98,” first international ceramic tile triennial (approximately US$200) each; best New Signa­ month stay in Faenza and an exhibition at the
(October), open to works not exceeding 6x6 ture, R1000; best handwork, R500 (approximatelyFaenza International Museum of Ceramics. For
inches. Juried from 2 slides per entry, plus resume
US$100); best thrown piece, R500. For further application, contact the Museo Internazionale
and technical data; up to 2 entries. Fee: US$20. information, contact the Association of Potters ofdelle Ceramiche, Via Campidori 2, Faenza; tele­
Works cannot be priced at more than US$100. Southern Africa, 1998 Ceramics Biennale, PO phone (39) 546-21240, telephone!fax (39) 546Commission: 35%. Contact Thimo Pimentel MDBox 184, Florida Hills 1716, Gauteng, R. S. A.; or 20125 or fax 546-27141.
“Elit Tile 98,” Acromax Dominicana CPS 198, telephone!fax Gail de Klerk, (27) 673-3748 or August 28 entry deadline
Zanesville, Ohio “1998 International Ceram­
ists Invitational Biennial” (October 25-November 29). Juried from slides. For prospectus, send
business-size SASE to Zanesville Art Center, 620
Military Rd., Zanesville 43701.
September 30 entry deadline
Columbus, Ohio “Ceramics Monthly Interna­
tional Competition” (March 15-21, 1999), open
to utilitarian and sculptural ceramics. Location:
Columbus Convention Center, in conjunction
with the National Council on Education for the
Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 1999 conference. No en­
try fee. Juried from slides; limited to one entry per
artist. Awards: best of show, functional, $5000;
best of show, sculpture, $5000; people’s choice,
$2000; plus purchase awards. Full-color catalog.
For prospectus, contact CM International Com­
petition, PO Box 6102, Westerville, OH 430866102; fax (614) 891-8960; or download from
www.ceramicsmonthly.org
United States Exhibitions
June 12 entry deadline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin “Constant Cravings: A
Juried Exhibit” (August 9-September 19), open
to works reflecting the cravings andlor obsessions
people have for food. Juried from slides. Fee: $25
for up to 3 entries. Contact Constance Lindholm
Fine Art, (414) 964-6220.
June 15 entry deadline
New Haven, Connecticut “The Celebration of
American Crafts” (November 6-December 24).
Juried from slides. For prospectus, send SASE to
The Celebration, Creative Arts Workshop, 80
Audubon St., New Haven 06510.
Helena, Montana “ANA 27” (August 28-October 27). Juried from slides. Juror: Peter Frank.
Cash awards. For prospectus, send SASE to Holter
Museum of Art, 12 E. Lawrence, Helena 59601.
June 30 entry deadline
Brooklyn, New York “Liberty Enlightening
the World” (September 12-October 10), open to
works in any medium depicting the Statue of
Liberty. Juried from up to 3 slides (with SASE).
Entry fee: $20. Awards: first place, $ 1000; second,
$500; third, $250. For prospectus, contact Wa­
terfront Museum, Liberty Project, 290 Conover
St., Brooklyn 11231; telephone (718) 624-4719.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Exhibition of func­
tional works (April 1999), open to professional
artists making utilitarian work who have never
shown at the Clay Studio and who rarely show in
the Philadelphia area. Juried from up to 12 slides
with description sheet, and resume (with SASE).
Contact K. E. Narrow, The Clay Studio, 139 N.
Second St., Philadelphia 19106.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “Tiles” (October).
Juried from slides. No entry fee. For application,
send SASE to the Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St.,
86
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
87
$15. For prospectus, send SASE to Angels Gate Hoyt National Art Show” (October 4-November
Cultural Center, PO Box 1471, San Pedro 90733; 7), open to artists over 17 years old working in any
medium. Juried from slides. For prospectus, send
or telephone (310) 519-0936.
Lindsborg, Kansas “Aesthetics ’98” (October- SASE to Hoyt National, 124 E. Leasure Ave., New
Philadelphia 19106 or download from website November), open to all media. Juried from slides.
Castle 16101.
wwwJibertynet.org/^claystdo; or, for informa­ Awards. Location: Sandzen Memorial Art Gal­ August 12 entry deadline
tion only, telephone (215) 925-3453.
Thibodaux, Louisiana “First Annual National
lery. For application, send business-size SASE to
July 1 entry deadline
Aesthetics, 300 N. Main, McPherson, KS 67460. Juried Religious Art Competition” (October 26San Pedro, California “Vessels for the Journey” July 3 entry deadline
November 13). Juried from slides (with SASE).
(September 18-November 1), open to all media.
Layton, New Jersey “Wild Things” (October Juror: Greg Elliot, head of sculpture department,
Juried from up to 4 slides plus 2 detail. Fee: $15. 17-January 10, 1999), open to artworks based on Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge campus.
For prospectus, send SASE to Angels Gate Culturalanimal imagery. Juried from 5 slides. For applica­
Entry fee: $20. Awards: $1000 in prizes; over
Center, PO Box 1471, San Pedro 90733; or tion, send SASE to Wild Things, Peters Valley $2000 in purchase awards. To receive a prospec­
telephone (310) 519-0936.
Store and Gallery, 19 Kuhn Rd., Layton 07851; tus, please send SASE to Father Jay L. Baker,
San Pedro, California “You Are What You Eat or telephone (973) 948-5202.
Nicholls State University, PO Box 2051,
With” (November 6-December 17), open to all July 22 entry deadline
Thibodaux 70310; telephone (504) 446-6201 or
media. Juried from up to 4 slides plus 2 detail. Fee: New Castle, Pennsylvania “The 17th Annual
fax (504) 449-0710.
September 26 entry deadline
Eugene, Oregon “LePetite VI” (NovemberDecember), open to two- and three-dimensional
small-format works. Juried from slides. Fee: $7
each slide; $20 for 3. For prospectus, send SASE
to Alder Gallery, 55 W. Broadway, Eugene
97401; telephone (541) 342-6411 or website
alderart@efn.org
October 17 entry deadline
Wayne, Pennsylvania “Craft Forms ’98” (De­
cember 4-January 22, 1999). Juried from slides.
Jurors: William Daley and Richard H. Reinhardt.
Fee: $20 for up to 3 entries. Awards: over $3000.
For an application, send SASE to Wayne Art Cen­
ter, 413 Maplewood Ave., Wayne 19087; tele­
phone (610) 688-3553 or fax (610) 995-0478.
November 18 entry deadline
Florence, Alabama “The Kennedy-Douglass
Center for the Arts Monarch National Ceramic
Competition” (February-March 1999). Juried
from slides. For further information, contact Ce­
ramic Competition, 217 E. Tuscaloosa St., Flo­
rence 35630.
Call for Entries
Fairs, Festivals and Sales
July 24 entry deadline
Gainesville, Florida “17th Annual Downtown
Festival and Art Show” (November 7-8). Juried
from slides. Entry fee: $10. For further informa­
tion, contact Linda Piper, Downtown Festival
and Arts Show Sta. 30, PO Box 490, Gainesville
32602; telephone (352) 334-5064, e-mail
culture@atlantic.com
August 17 entry deadline
Zanesville, Ohio “Zanesville Art Center Out­
door Festival” (September 19). Juried from slides.
Entry fee: $10. Exhibitor’s fee: $25. No commis­
sion. Awards. For prospectus, send a business-size
SASE to Zanesville Art Center Festival Committee,
620 Military Rd., Zanesville 43701.
November 2 entry deadline
Mt. Dora, Florida “24th Annual Mount Dora
Arts Festival” (February 6-7, 1999). Juried from
4 slides of work plus 1 of booth. For further
information, contact Mount Dora Center for the
Arts, 138 E. Fifth Ave., Mt. Dora 32757; or
telephone (352) 383-0880.
For a free listing, please submit informa­
tion on juried exhibitions, fairs, festivals
and sales at least four months before the
event’s entry deadline (add one month for
listings in July and two months for those in
August). Regional exhibitions must be
open to more than one state. Mail to Call
for Entries, Ceramics Monthly, PO Box
6102, Westerville, OH 43086-6102, e-mail
to editorial@ceramicsmonthly.org or fax to
(614) 891-8960.
88
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Video
Beginning to Glaze and Fire
From the “Getting Started with Clay
Series,” this “how-to” video with Canadian
potter Graham Sheehan focuses on the basics
of glazing and firing in an electric kiln. After
discussing kiln selection and operation,
Sheehan demonstrates brushed slip decora­
tion on functional ware, using a kick wheel to
apply bands of slip. He then loads the ware
into a bisque kiln, explaining that it is okay for
pots to touch each other during a bisque
firing, but that it is important to stack or nest
the ware sequentially so that the weight is
distributed appropriately.
To glaze, the first step is to wipe any dust
from the bisqueware, using a damp sponge.
The next step is to ensure the bottom of the
piece will remain free of glaze. Although
Sheehan says that you can buy commercial
wax emulsions for use as resist, he prefers to
use paraffin melted in an electric frying pan,
either dipping the bottoms of pots into the
paraffin or applying it with a brush. Any drips
are removed with a propane torch.
Sheehan then goes on to demonstrate the
steps for mixing glazes—measuring water,
weighing ingredients and adding them to the
water, stirring the glaze, then screening it to
eliminate any lumps. “Glazes are a wide and
complex topic. Once you’ve got access to a
kiln,...the world of experimentation is open
to you,” he says, adding that “the essence of
good experimentation is to change one thing
at a time so that you can test the effect of what
you’re doing and to keep really good records. ”
After the glaze is mixed, it is applied to the
slip-decorated and bisqued pots by pouring
and dipping. Sheehan also demonstrates
onglaze decoration, brushing colored oxides
onto a glazed bowl.
Prior to loading the glaze kiln, he protects
the shelves from glaze runs with a dusting of
silica powder (flint) rather than kiln wash,
but cautions that a respirator should be worn
to avoid inhalation of silica particles. He then
begins positioning ware, explaining that there
should be about ¾ inch of space between the
pots, posts and walls. The last shelf includes
several test tiles; “every time you fire,” says
Sheehan, “make sure that there is some ex­
periment in it, so that you can further your
knowledge and experience.” 62 minutes.
Available as VHS videocassette (with printed
slip and glaze recipes). US$39.95; US$ 149.95
for the five-program series. Tara Productions,
Box231, Gabriola, British Columbia, Canada
VOR1X0; in the UnitedStates, 4922Northeast
Going, Portland, Oregon 97218; telephone
(800) 668-8040, e-mail tara@island.net or
website www. island, net!- tar a!
90
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
91
Suggestions
A pricey wood that is more domestic in
nature is walnut. It worlds well for potter’s
From Readers
tools, especially if taken from the heart or
center of a tree. But, there are several other
types of domestic woods that are more afford
able. For the most part, I use hard or “rock”
Plate Dip-Glazing Container
Mixing up a large quantity of glaze for maple, alder and birch. These are relatively
dipping platters or plates is not necessary. common, inexpensive woods.
From any rigid material (e.g., plywood), sim­ I would like to add that tools are only as
good as the care taken in making and using
ply construct a rectangular container slightly
larger than the pot to be glazed, gluing or them. Keep in mind that wooden tools shoul
never be made extremely thin. Thin tools are
nailing the sides together so they will hold the
weight of the liquid glaze. For a 12-inch- prone to warpage and drying unevenly.
diameter plate, the container should be Wooden tools should be oiled on a fairly
basis. Danish Oil is a good product
14x 14x3 inches; it will hold approximatelyregular
9
for oiling tools, as it penetrates the wood and
quarts of glaze.
seals from within. Lastly, wood tools should
be cleaned and dried thoroughly after usage
to prevent warpage. If a wooden tool is left
wet on a nonabsorbent surface, it will surely
curl up and dry that way.
If you have wooden ribs that are thin and
have a tendency to curl regardless of what yo
do, try standing them on edge, leaning them
up against something, so that they will dry
evenly. The other option is to dry wooden
tools on a flat, absorbent surface. I have som
ribs that are 15 to 20 years old and still going
strong. Care and respect for your wooden
tools will make them last a lifetime.—Dwain
Naragon, Westfield, III.
Dust Problem
As a public-school pottery teacher, I have
dealt with dust problems for over 25 years. It
seems the cheapest and best solution is to bu
the biggest and best wet/dry vacuum cleaner
Next, place two plastic garbage bags (one
available. On a weekly basis, the students
inside the other) in the container, folding the
edges down the sides to hold them in place.swab the floor with a wet mop, then vacuum
The weight of the glaze will push the bags the liquid up with the wet vac. In extreme
against die container walls. Plates can then cases
be they even hose down the floor, let it
soak,
then vacuum.
dip glazed in one pass.
When finished, the liner bag can simply The vacuumed clay particles are in sus­
be closed with a twist tie and left in the pension and do not pass through the air filter
thus there is no dust in the air Just remember
container, or removed to allow the container
to be used for another glaze.—JejfZamek, to dump out the suspended clay to keep the
dust and water from molding.—P. Fleming,
Southampton, Mass.
Kennewick, Wash.
Wood for Tools
Over the years, I have made many toolsTrimming-Tool Sharpener
from wood. The search for the right woods toTired of sharpening your trimming tools
use has had me experimenting with a wide with an old rusty file? Try using a V-shaped
knife sharpener. It will put an edge on your
variety. I have settled on a number of differ­
tools in seconds.—-John Britt, Dallas
ent types that work extremely well.
The first thing one should look for is a
wood with a relatively tight grain. Obviously,Share your ideas with others. Ceramics
hard woods work best. Expense is another Monthly will pay $10 for each one published.
mitigating factor. If you want a material to Suggestions are welcome individually or in
render an excellent product and money is noquantity. Include a drawing or photograph to
obstacle, then rosewood, ebony, purpleheartillustrate your idea and we will add $10 to the
and Coccolaba are for you. These are very payment. Mail to Ceramics Monthly, PO Box
dense “self-oiling” tropical woods. They are,6102, Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102, e-mail
however, tough on the equipment used to to editorial@ceramicsmonthly.org or fax to
make the tools because of their hardness. (614) 891-8960.
92
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Calendar
Louisiana, New Orleans through August 2 “Picasso
Ceramics from New Orleans Collections”; at the
New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park, 1 Collins
Events to Attend—Conferences,
Diboll Circle.
Exhibitions, Workshops, Fairs
Maryland, Baltimore August 1-29 Ray Chen; at
Baltimore Clayworks, 5706 Smith Ave.
Michigan, Charlevoix July 3-13 Bonnie Staffel
retrospective; at Bier Art Gallery.
Michigan, Detroit through June 6 Alec Karros; at
Conferences
Pewabic Pottery, Stratton Gallery (upstairs), 10125
Maryland, Baltimore September 18-20 “Craft E. Jefferson Ave.
Business Institute” will include presentations Michigan, Petoskey July 16—August 3 Bonnie
on marketing/publicity, sales, the Internet, pric­Staffel retrospective; at Virginia McCune Commu­
ing work, slides and the jurying process, whole­ nity Arts Center.
saling/retailing, etc. Fee: $299, includes meals. Michigan, Saugatuck July 11—19 Katheryn
Early registration deadline: July 31. For further Trenshaw, ceramics and watercolors; at Water Street
information, contact the Rosen Group, 3000 Gallery, 546 Butler St.
Chestnut Ave., Ste. 300, Baltimore 21211; tele­ Minnesota, Collegeville June 1—August 14 Judith
phone (410) 889-2933, fax (410) 889-1320 or Nicolaidis, “Feminine Song,” figural clay sculpture;
e-mail michelem@rosengrp.com
at Saint John’s University.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia October 13—17 Montana, Helena June 22-July 17 Rosalie Wyn“Tiles: A Living History,” 7th annual Tile Heri­ koop, majolica ceramics; at Holter Museum of Art,
tage Foundation symposium, will include tile- 12 E. Lawrence St.
making workshops and demonstrations, slide New Jersey, Clinton August 2—October 11 Toshiko
lectures by Cleota Reed, Farley Tobin, Susan Takaezu, “At Home”; at the Hunterdon Museum of
Tunick and Isaiah Zagar, plus tile auction, Art, 7 Lower Center St.
antique and contemporary tile sale, and tours. New Jersey, East Brunswick through November 8
For registration form, contact Tile Heritage, Sara Lee D’Alessandro ceramic sculpture; at Qui­
PO Box 1850, Healdsburg, CA 95448; or tele­ etude Garden Gallery.
phone (707) 431-8453 or fax (707) 431-8455. New York, Alfred through July 23 “The Stonewares
England, Preston September 4—6 “International of Charles Fergus Binns: The Father of American
Studio Ceramics”; at the International Museum of
Festival of Ceramics: Fired Print” will include dem­
Ceramic Art at Alfred, Alfred University.
onstrations, lectures and workshops by Greg Bell,
Neil Brownsword, Maria Geszler, Juliette God­ New York, Larchmont through June 14 Grace
dard, Jefford Horrigan, Mo Jupp, Les Lawrence,Powers Fraioli ceramics and watercolors, “Path of
Patrick King, Philomena Pretzell and Helen Tal­Life”; at Mamaroneck Artist Guild Gallery, 2120
bot. For further information, contact Caroline Boston Post Rd.
Till, 21 Hamilton Way, Acomb, York, Y02 4LE, New York, New York through June 6 Robert
Hudson, painterly ceramic sculpture; at Nancy
United Kingdom.
Lithuania, Panevezys July 26—31 “Panevezys In­Margolis Gallery, 560 Broadway, Ste. 302.
ternational Symposium 10th Anniversary Con­ through June 6Bodil Manz. Claudi Casanovas. Matt
ference” will include demonstrations and slide Nolen. June 9-July 3 Phillip Maberry. Eric Van
lectures by Romualdas Aleliunas, Vilija Balciu- Eimeren; at Garth Clark Gallery, 24 W. 57th St.
niene, Eugenijus Cibinskas, Nerute Ciuksiene, through June 20 Mary Roehm. Judy Moonelis; at
John Elder Gallery, 529 W. 20th St., 7th FI.
Philip Cornelius, Greg Daly, Luisa Figini, Makoto
Hatori, Nina Hole, Yih-Wen Kuo, Juozas New York, Piermont June 25-July 12 Rosemary
Aiello, “Creations from Fire 111”; at Piermont Fine
Lebednykas, Peteris Martinsons, Hans Meeuwsen,
Fred Olsen, Thomas Orr, Egidijus Radvenskas, Arts Gallery, 218 Ash St.
Giancario Scapin, Mitsuo Shoji and Rimas North Carolina, Asheville through June 23 Scott
VisGirda. Also includes exhibitions. Contact Rayl; at the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382, Blue
Jolanta Lebednykiene, Director, Panevezys CivicRidge Pkwy.
Gallery, Respublikos 3, 5319 Panevezys; or fax North Carolina, Seagrove June 1-30 Debbie
Howell, copper luster and white crackle raku
(370) 542-4721.
Netherlands, Amsterdam July 13-17> 1999“ Ce­ forms. August 1—31 Sara O’Neill, decorative stone­
ramic Millennium,” the 8th international ceram­ware accessories; at Blue Moon Gallery, 1387
ics symposium of the Ceramic Arts Foundation, Hwy. 705, S.
will include over 50 papers presented by educa­ Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh through June 24 Helga
Johannesdottir, “Iceland Clay—A Fairy Tale in
tors, artists, critics, writers and historians; ceram­
America”; at the Clay Place, 5416 Walnut St.
ics resources fair, film festival and exhibitions. Fee
(before December 15): US$295/Dfl 540; after Texas, Lancaster through July 11 Paul McCoy,
December 15: US$395/Dfl 720. For further in­ “Work from the Human/Nature Series”; at the
formation, contact the Ceramic Arts Foundation,Cedar Valley College Ceramics Gallery.
666 Fifth Ave., Ste. 309, New York, NY 10103; Vermont, Waterbury July 1-31 Vera Vivante,
“Dancing Gowns”; at Vermont Clay Studio.
fax (212) 489-5168 or e-mail caf@ceramicmill.com
Solo Exhibitions
Group Ceramics Exhibitions
California, San Francisco through June 27 Jun California, Laguna Beach through June 30 Ce­
Kaneko; at Dorothy Weiss Gallery, 256 Sutter St. ramics from the Igal and Diane Silber collection;
California, Santa Monica through June 3 Ron at the Laguna Beach Museum of Art, 307 Cliff Dr.
Nagle. Anne Hirondelle. June 6-July 3 Goro California, Lincoln through June 7 “Feats of Clay
Suzuki; at Frank Lloyd Gallery, 2525 Michigan XI”; at Gladding McBean terra-cotta factory.
Reservations required; telephone (916) 645-9713.
Ave., B5b.
Florida, Coral Gables August 6-September 6 Chris­ California, San Francisco August 15—October 11
tine Federighi; at the Lowe Art Museum, 1301 “Invitational Tea Bowl Exhibition”; at the San
Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum, Building
Stanford Dr.
Kentucky, Berea July 11-September 30 Gwen A, Fort Mason.
Florida, Coral Gables July 10-31 The “48th
Heffner, “25 Years in Clay”; at Contemporary Arti­
Annual Ceramic League of Miami Members’ Exfacts Gallery, 202 N. Broadway.
94
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
95
New York, Woodstock through June 7 “Plates,”
Jolyon Hofsted and Yiannes collaboration; at
Maverick Art Center, 163 Maverick Rd.
North Carolina, Asheville June 1—20 “Asheville’s
hibition”; at New Gallery, University of Miami, River District Artists.” July 6-31 Exhibition of
1300 Campo Sano.
ceramics by Malcolm Davis, Pete Pinnell, Gay
Illinois, Chicago through June 21 “Unaffected: Smith and Kathy Triplett; at Odyssey Gallery,
The New Naturalism of Four Emerging Women242 Clingman Ave.
Ceramists,” works by Tanya Behrbass-Schulze, North Carolina, Charlotte throughJune21 “Imari:
Jessica Bohus, Adelaide Paul and Angelica Pozo;Japanese Porcelain for European Palaces.” through
August 23 “The Knouff Collection of Asian Ce­
at Gallery 1021: Lill Street, 1021 W. Lill.
through August 2 “Meissen and Beyond: Eigh­ ramics”; at the Mint Museum of Art, 2730
teenth-century European Porcelain from the Randolph Rd.
Grober Collection”; at the Art Institute of Chi­ North Carolina, Seagrove July 1-31 Exhibition
cago, Gallery 141, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
of art for the garden; at Blue Moon Gallery, 1387
June 1-28 “Painted, Printed, Earth: ceramic wall Hwy. 705, S.
hangings by David L. Gamble and Scott Rench; Ohio,
at
Chagrin Falls through June 7^“Raku Festival
the P.EA.C.E. Gallery, 1823 S. Halsted.
and Exhibit”; at Valley Art Center, 155 Bell St.
Louisiana, New Orleans through August 2 “Sing­ Ohio, Cleveland through July 5“ Gifts of the Nile:
ing the Clay: Pueblo Pottery of the Southwest Ancient Egyptian Faience”; at the Cleveland
Yesterday and Today”; at the New Orleans Mu­ Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd.
seum of Art, City Park, 1 Collins Diboll Circle. Ohio, Middletown June 26—July 23 “The Miami
Maine, Naples June 25—September 7 “Second Valley Annual Cross Roads in Clay Exhibition”;
Annual Clayarters’ Gallery.” “101 Clayart Mugs”;at the Middletown Fine Arts Center.
at Pottery by Celia, Rte. 114.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia through June 28 “Con­
Maryland, Baltimore June 14-21 “Student Show.”temporary Puerto Rican Ceramics,” works by 22
June 27-July 25 “The Penn State Tradition,” artists./uly 3—26^ Exhibition of ceramics by about
ceramics by alumni, instructors and current stu­ 25 artists working in the collective studio. August
dents; at Baltimore Clayworks, 5706 Smith Ave. 7-22 “Claymobile.” “Student Show”; at the Clay
Massachusetts, Boston through June 26 “Emerg­ Studio, 139 N. Second St.
ing Artists»Functional Clay”; at Society of Arts Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh through July 15 “Clay
and Crafts, 101 Arch St.
for Collectors: Work by Artists in the Carnegie
through June 28 “Functional Clay,” works by 12 Museum of Art Permanent Collection”; at the
Ceramists; at the Society of Arts and Crafts, 175 Clay Place, 5416 Walnut St.
Tennessee, Smithville June 1—August 16“Put a
Newbury St.
July 1—31 Exhibition of ceramics by Josh DeWeese,
Lid on It—A Show of Containers”; at Gallery
Woody Hughes and Lisa Naples; at Infinity Gal­Two, Appalachian Center for Crafts, 1560 Craft
Center Dr.
lery, 645 Tremont St.
Massachusetts, Ipswich through June 30 “Garden Texas, San Antonio June 12—July 6 “The San
Adornments.” July 1—September 30 “Studio Pot­ Antonio Potters’ Guild Fifth Annual Exhibition”;
tery”; at the Ocmulgee Pottery and Gallery, 317 at the Center for Spirituality and the Arts, 4704
High St. (Rte. 1A).
Broadway.
Massachusetts, Northampton June 6-July 26 Vermont, Manchester/une 3-29 “Home Thrown,”
“Contemporary Teapots: A National Survey,” works by past and present resident potters; at Frog
works by 40 artists; at Ferrin Gallery, 179 Main. Hollow Vermont State Craft Center.
Michigan, Detroit through June 6 Sally B. Brog- Vermont, Montpelier June 1-30 “Clay in the Gar­
den and Joyce Robins; at Pewabic Pottery, 10125den, Home and Greenhouse”; at Vermont Clay
E. Jefferson Ave.
Studio, 24 Main St.
June 5—July 4 “From the Fire,” ceramics by KarenVirginia, Alexandria through June 27 “Guards
Benson, Eva Cushing, Connie Flechsig and Diana
and Guardians,” works by Pam Eisenmann and
Gamerman; at Swann Gallery, 1250 Library St. Claire Hasselbeck; at the Gallery at Potters’ Row,
Minnesota, Minneapolis through June 13 “Refer­ 5704D General Washington Dr.
ences,” works by John Chalke, Kim Dickey, Ericthrough June 28 “Lottsa Clay,” juried exhibition of
Van Eimeren, Eva Kwong and Steve Welch; at the
works by Kiln Club members; at Scope Gallery,
Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave., E. Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St.
Missouri, Kansas City June 13—July 4 “Prairie Washington, Seattle through June 28 “Wash­
Fire,” works by Bede Clarke, Keith Ekstam, Kevin
ington Potters Association Annual Exhibition”;
Hughes, Jeff Johnston, Howard Koerth, Malcolmat the Northwest Crafts Center, Seattle Center,
Kucharski, Lisa Lockman and Marcia Polenberg;305 Harrison.
at the Source Fine Arts, 4137 Pennsylvania Ave. Wisconsin, Milwaukee July 17-31 “Let’s Play
New Mexico, Santa Fe August 20—September 6 House,” ceramics by Jill Engel and Younghae
“The Ortiz Family at the Circus,” figural potteryPaeng; at Murray Hill Pottery Works, 2458 N.
of Cochiti Pueblo; at Robert F. Nichols Gallery, Murray Ave.
Wyoming, Cheyenne July 8-August 28 “New
419 Canyon Rd.
New York, Alfred through September 18 “The York Ceramics,” works by Bob Barry and Eliza­
Students of Binns”; at the Ceramic Corridor In­ beth Levine; at Laramie County Community
College Fine Arts Gallery, 1400 E. College Dr.
novation Center, Rte. 244, 200 N. Main St.
New York, New York through June 14 “Art and
Industry: 20th-Century Porcelain from Sevres,”
Ceramics in
featuring almost 200 one-of-a-kind and limited
Multimedia
Exhibitions
production works, plus artists’ original drawings
and designs; at the American Craft Museum, 40 Arizona, Mesa June 9—July 11 “Facultease II”; at
Mesa Arts Center, 155 N. Center St.
W. 53rd St.
Arizona, Tempe through July 26“ American Iden­
through June 20 “Functional Ceramics Invita­
tional,” works by Rob Barnard, Matthew Metz, tity: A Celebration of Diversity and Difference,”
Mark Pharis, Sandy Simon and Byron Temple; atexhibition of crafts and sculpture; at Gallery 1020,
John Elder Gallery, 529 W. 20th St., 7th FI.
The Mat Corner, 1020 S. Mill Ave.
July 7—August 7 “The Porcelain Show”; at Garth Arkansas, Little Rock through June 14 “Pure
Clark Gallery, 24 W. 57th St.
Vision: American Bead Artists.” June 21—July 19
Calendar
96
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
97
Calendar
bronze, steel, clay, wood and glass by ceramics Colorado, Denver through August 2 “Searching
artists; at the LEF Foundation, 1095 Lodi Ln. for Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture and Arti­
California, San Francisco through July 28 “Art facts”; at the Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th
from Around the Bay: Recent Acquisitions”; at Ave. Pkwy.
“To Hold or Not to Hold: The Issue of Vessels and
the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Colorado, Durango June 30-July 18 “Three Di­
Containers”; at Arkansas Arts Center, MacArthurThird St.
mensions of Color,” including bas-relief ceramics
Park, Ninth and Commerce.
August 15-October 11 “Ware for the Japanese Tea by Karlene Voepel; at Durango Arts Center, 802
California, Fresno through August 9 “A Taste for Ceremony”; at the San Francisco Craft and Folk E. Second Ave.
Splendor: Russian Imperial and European Trea­Art Museum, Building A, Fort Mason.
D.C., Washington through July 5 “Inspiring Re­
sures from the Hillwood Museum”; at the FresnoCalifornia, Santa Barbara July 18-October 18 form: Boston’s Arts and Crafts Movement”; at
Metropolitan Museum, 1555 Van Ness Ave.
“Eternal China: Splendors from the First Dynas­the National Museum of American Art, Smith­
California, La Jolla July 11-August 30 “Teapot ties”; at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 sonian Institution.
IX”; at Gallery Alexander, 7850 Girard Ave.
State St.
Florida, DeLand through August 30 “45th Florida
California, Oceanside through June 28 “Current Colorado, Boulder June 1-September 8 “Celestial Craftsmen Exhibition”; at the DeLand Museum
Clay and Fiber”; at the Oceanside Museum of Art,
Seasonings: A Loose Interpretation III,” juried of Art, 600 N. Woodland Blvd.
704 Pier View Way.
exhibition of teapots in various media by 25 Florida, St. Petersburg through June 19 “Young
California, St. Helena through June 14 “Sculpture artists; at Celestial Seasonings headquarters, 4600
Floridians.” July 3—24 Dual exhibition with ce­
Perspectives for the New Millennium,” works in Sleepytime Dr.
ramics and cloisonne by Bob Hodgell and Mary
Klein. August 7—28 Three-person exhibition with
ceramics by Yasuko Nakamura and Vince Sansone
at Florida Craftsmen Gallery, 501 Central Ave.
Florida, Tampa through June 10 “Artful Toys.”
June 26—August 1 “Annual National Open”; at
Artists Unlimited, 223 N. 12th St.
Georgia, Athens through June /^“Master of Fine
Arts Degree Candidates’ Exhibition”; at the Geor­
gia Museum of Art, University of Georgia.
Georgia, Savannah through June 1 “Arts on the
River Festival 19th Annual Juried Fine Arts Com­
petition”; at the West Bank Gallery, 322 Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Hawaii, Makawao through July 11 “Juried Mem­
bers Exhibit”; at Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center,
2841 Baldwin Ave.
Illinois, Chicago June 5-July 11 Two-person ex­
hibition including ceramic sculpture by John Ma­
son; at Perimeter Gallery, 210 W. Superior St.
Louisiana, West Monroe July 1—31 “Coloring
Our Towns—Artistic Interpretations of Wellknown Regional Points of Interest,” including
clayworks by Arlene Cason, Mary Harbour, Marga­
ret Sewell and Mary Ella Yamashita; at the Ouachit
River Art Gallery, 102 Thomas Rd., Ste. 611.
Massachusetts, Wellesley through June 7“Memory:
Luba Art and the Making of History”; at the Davis
Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College,
106 Central St.
Massachusetts, Worcester through June 6 “Vi­
sions ’98 School for Professional Crafts Exhibi­
tion.” June 12—July 20 “The Adult School Stu­
dent Show”; at the Worcester Center for Crafts, 25
Sagamore Rd.
Michigan, Detroit July 10-August8 “Small Works
Show,” including ceramics by Karen Benson, Eva
Cushing, Connie Flechsig and Diana Gamerman;
at Swann Gallery, 1250 Library St.
Michigan, Ferndale June 6—July 25 “Summer
Group Exhibition”; at Revolution, 23257 Wood­
ward Ave.
Michigan, Onekama July 1—September 7 Exhibi­
tion including ceramics by Carol Vaughan; at the
Old Farm Store, 8011 First St.
Michigan, Pontiac June 5—27“New Generation:
The Sixth Annual Graduate Student Exhibition”;
at Shaw Guido Gallery, 7 N. Saginaw St.
Montana, Helena through July 12 Dual exhibi­
tion including ceramics by Josh DeWeese. August
28-October27“ANk 27”; at the Holter Museum
of Art, 12 E. Lawrence St.
New Jersey, Layton through June 28 “Reflec­
tions,” including ceramics by Dorreen Baskin,
Valerie Bunnell, Susan Garson and Tom Parker,
James Jansma, Harris Nathan and Nicolas
Zaytceva; at Sally D. Francisco Gallery, Peters
Valley Craft Center, 19 Kuhn Rd.
New York, New York through June 28 “Finnish
Modernism in Design: Utopian Ideals and Every­
day Realities, 1930-1997”; at Bard Graduate
Center, 18 W. 86th St.
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CERAMICS MONTHLY
through August 16 “More than Meets the Eye:
Colorado, Denver July 3-5 “Cherry Creek Arts
Fairs, Festivals and Sales
Festival”; at Cherry Creek North.
Japanese Art in the Asia Society Collection”; at the
California, Laguna Beach July 8-August 30 “Fes­ Colorado, Evergreen August 22-23 “The 32nd
Asia Society, 725 Park Ave.
June 25-September ^“Objects of Our Time”; at tival of Arts 1998/Pageant of the Masters”; at 650Annual Evergreen Arts Festival”; at Heritage Grove
Laguna Canyon Rd.
the American Craft Museum, 40 W. 53rd St.
Park.
New York, Stony Brook June 12—August 1 “LongCalifornia, Palo Alto July 11-12 “Palo Alto Clay Colorado, Manitou Springs June 13 “8th Annual
Island Artists: Focus on Materials,” including and Glass Festival”; at the Palo Alto Cultural Clayfest and Mud Ball”; along Canon Ave.
ceramic sculpture by Sara Lee D’Alessandro; at Center, 1313 Newell Rd.
Colorado, Vail July 11-12 “Vail Arts Festival”;
University Art Gallery, Staller Center, SUNY at California, San Diego June 13—14“ 15th Annual at Lionshead.
Indian Fair”; at the San Diego Museum of Man, Connecticut, Avon June 13—14 “Clay Days”; at
Stony Brook.
1350 El Prado, Balboa Park.
New York, White Plains June 3-July 31 Dual
Farmington Valley Arts Center, 25 Art Center Ln.
exhibition including functional pottery by Leah California, San Francisco August 7-9“ACC Craft Connecticut, Guilford July 16-18 “Guilford
Leitson; at Westchester Gallery, Westchester Show San Francisco”; at Fort Mason Center.
Handcraft Exposition”; at the Guilford Handcraft
California, Santa Monica June 19-21 “Contem­ Center, 411 Church St.
County Center.
North Carolina, Asheville through June 23Two- porary Crafts Market”; at Santa Monica Civic D.C., Washington June 24-28 and July 1-5
person exhibition including ceramics by Scott Auditorium, 1855 Main St. (at Pico Blvd.)
“Smithsonian Folklife Festival”; on the National
Rayl. August 8—November 8 “Annual Members’ Colorado, Beaver Creek A ugust 8-9“Beaver CreekMall, between 7th and 14th sts.
Exhibition: The Cubic Foot: An Exhibition of Arts Festival”; at Beaver Creek Resort.
Illinois, Chicago August 13-15 “Chicago’s New
Miniatures”; at the Folk Art Center, Milepost
382, Blue Ridge Pkwy.
North Carolina, Chapel Hill June 21—August 7
“Art for the Garden,” including ceramic sculpture
by Sara Lee D’Alessandro; at Somerhill Gallery.
North Carolina, Southport July 1—August 1 Twoand three-dimensional work; at Associated Artists
of Southport, Franklin Square Gallery.
North Carolina, Winston-Salem through June 6
“Imprints and Implications: Messages of Mother­
hood,” including clayworks by Cynthia Aldrich,
Christine Colombarini, Mary Lou Deal, Debra
Fritts, Becky Gray, Susan Harmon, Diane Peck,
Karen Allen Reed, LisaTevia-Clark, Mia Tyson and
Candone Wharton; at the Piedmont Craftsmen
Gallery, 1204 Reynolda Rd.
Ohio, Columbus through June 28 “The Best of
1998,” juried exhibition of Ohio crafts; at the
Ohio Craft Museum, 1665 W. Fifth Ave.
July 12-August 2 “Cultural Arts Center Faculty
Show,” including ceramic wall forms by Denise
Romecki; at the Cultural Arts Center, 139 W.
Main St.
Pennsylvania, Allentown June 5-July 5 “Mayfair
Festival of the Arts’ National Juried Craft Exhi­
bition”; at the Allentown Art Museum, Fifth and
Court sts.
Pennsylvania, Greensburg July 2-5 “Westmore­
land Art Nationals”; at Westmoreland Arts and
Heritage Festival, Twin Lakes Park.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia June 1—30 Dual ex­
hibition with ceramics by Bennett Bean; at the
Works Gallery, 303 Cherry St.
June3—21 Exhibition including ceramic sculpture
by Etta Winigrad; at Artforms Gallery/Manayunk,
106 Levering St.
Pennsylvania, Youngwood through June 14
“Westmoreland Art Nationals”; at Westmoreland
County Community College.
Tennessee, Chattanooga June 6—May 1999
“1998-99 Sculpture Garden Exhibit.” July 1-30
Dual exhibition with ceramics by Mary Lynn
Portera; at River Gallery, 400 E. Second St.
Tennessee, Gatlinburg August 13-October 24
“Spotlight ’98,” juried crafts regional; at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway.
Washington, Bellingham July lO-October 10
“ 18th Annual Northwest International Art Com­
petition”; at the Whatcom Museum of History
and Art, ARCO Gallery, 121 Prospect St.
Washington, Ilwaco August 2-September 13
“Hands at the Mouth,” regional crafts invita­
tional; at the Martquilly Gallery, Ilwaco Heritage
Museum, 115 S. E. Lake St.
Wisconsin, Milwaukee through June 26“ Messing
About in Boats.” August 9—September 19 “Con­
stant Cravings: A Juried Exhibit”; at Constance
Lindholm Fine Art, 3955 N. Prospect.
Wyoming, Buffalo June 12-August 15 “Three
Women,” with wood-fired stoneware by Peg Malloy;
at Margo’s Pottery and Fine Crafts, 26 N. Main.
June/July/August 1998
99
Texas, Fredericksburg June 6-7 “Fredericksburg
Artists Invitational Art Show and Sale”; at Marktplat
Texas, Lubbock June 13—14 “Llano Estacado
Winery Wine and Clay Festival”; at Llano Estacado
East Side ArtWorks,” sale of art and craft; at Winery, on FM 1585.
Michigan Ave. and Lake St.
Vermont, Manchester July 31—August 2 “The
Illinois, Evanston August 28-30 “14th Annual
19th Annual Southern Vermont Art and Fine
American Craft Exposition”; at the Henry CrownCraft Fair”; at Hildene Meadows.
Sports Pavilion, Northwestern University, Lin­ Vermont, Stowe August 14-16“T\iz First Annual
coln St. at the Lakefront.
Stowe Summer Art and Fine Craft Festival”; at
Iowa, Clinton June 20-21 “Art in the Park”; at Topnotch Field.
Riverview Park.
Washington, Bellevue July 24-26“ 1998 Pacific
Iowa, Mason City August 23 “MacNider Mu­
Northwest Arts Fair”; at the Bellevue Art Mu­
seum Outdoor Art Market of Fine Arts and Cre­ seum, 301 Bellevue Sq.
ative Crafts”; at Charles H. MacNider Museum, West Virginia, near Weston September 4-7
303 Second St., SE.
“Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubi­
Kansas, Salina June 13-15 “Smoky Hill River lee”; at Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Conference Cen­
Festival”; at Oakdale Park.
ter, approximately 7 miles off Interstate 79.
Maryland, Baltimore June 5 “Spice It Up!” an­ Wisconsin, Cambridge June 13-14 “6th Annual
nual festival. June 5—6 “Seconds Sale”; at Balti­ Cambridge Pottery Festival”; at West Side Park.
more Clayworks, 5706 Smith Ave.
Wisconsin, Madison July 11-12 “1998 Art Fair
Maryland, Frederick June 6— 7“ Frederick Festival
on the Square”; around the State Capitol building.
of the Arts”; at Carrol Creek Linnear Park, S. Wisconsin, Sheboygan July 18—19“ 28th Annual
Market St.
Outdoor Arts Festival”; at John Michael Kohler
Maryland, Kensington July 3-5 “Mid-Summer Arts Center, 608 New York Ave.
Fun”; at the Garden of Earthly Delights, 10111
Frederick Ave.
Workshops
Massachusetts, West Springfield June 12—14
“ACC Craft Show West Springfield”; at Eastern California, Alturas September 2—6 “Raku at the
States Exposition.
Ranch” with Dick Mackey and Mark S. Bollwinkel,
Michigan, Hancock June 22-26“Suomi College throwing, handbuilding and the raku process. Be­
Summer Arts Festival”; Suomi College campus. ginning to advanced skill levels. Fee: $400 or $90 pe
Michigan, Midland June 6-7 “Arts Midland day, includes campsite and meals. Off-site housing
Summer Art Fair”; at the Midland Center for theand meals: $50 per day. For further information,
Arts, 1801 W. St. Andrews.
contact Canyon Creek Pottery, (510) 522-1301, eMichigan, Pontiac June 13-14 uAn Pontiac”; at mail BMDMBoll@aol.com
Phoenix Center Plaza.
California, Napa July20-27“Forms from the Past,
Missouri, Mexico June 20—21 “Clay Day USA”; Function in the Present” with Kathy Kearns, throw­
at the Central Administration School Grounds, ing, handbuilding, glazing, loading and firing a sod
corner of S. Jefferson and Boulevard.
wood kiln. Fee: $225, includes materials, firing and
New Hampshire, Hampton August 1 “Rocking­ camping facilities. All skill levels. Contact Richard
ham Craftsmen Fair”; at Tuck Field.
Carter Studio, 901 A Eighth St., Napa 94559; or
New Jersey, Cranford June 6-7 “Spring Noma- telephone (707) 224-1951.
hegan Park Fine Art and Crafts Show”; at California, Santa Maria July 18 “Throwing Plus,”
Nomahegan Park.
throwing an extruded form, throwing from a
New Jersey, Montclair June 20-21 “Spring mold, throwing inlaid colored clays, inverted
Brookdale Park Fine Art and Crafts Show”; at forms, altering thrown pieces, etc. July 19 “Ex­
Brookdale Park.
truding,” designing and cutting original dies, al­
New York, Cazenovia August 15-16 “Syracuse tering shapes after forming, combining extruded
Ceramic Guild’s 18th Annual Pottery Fair”; at pieces with slab or thrown forms, etc. Instructor:
Stone Quarry Art Park, Rte. 30.
William Shinn. Fee: $30 per day. Contact Will­
New York, Chautauqua July 10—12 and August iam Shinn, 3999 Loch Lomond Dr., Santa Maria
7-9 “Crafts Festivals ’98”; at Bestor Plaza, 93455; or telephone (805) 937-1424.
Chautauqua Institution.
Colorado, Carbondale July 27—August 7 o w ­
New York, Corning July 25—26 “A Festival of ing and glazing high-fire porcelain with Charity
Art”; along Market St., downtown.
Davis; fee: $365. August 10—14 Pressed/carved
New York, Saratoga Springs June 27-28 “The tile making with Ro Mead and Natalie Atherton;
Newport Jazz Festival”; at the Saratoga Perform­fee $275. Intermediate and advanced skill levels.
ing Arts Center.
Contact the Carbondale Clay Center, 135 Main
Ohio, Columbus June 4—7“37th Annual Colum­ St., Carbondale 81623; telephone (970) 963bus Arts Festival”; downtown.
2529 or fax (970) 963-4492.
Ohio, Dublin July 31-August 2 The “1998 Dub­ Colorado, Manitou Springs June 12 Functional
lin Irish Festival”; at Coffman Park, 5200 Emer­ pottery workshop with Patrick Veercamp. Con­
ald Pkwy.
tact Clayfest, 20 Ruxton Ave., Manitou Springs
Ohio, Findlay June 6-7“Findlay Area Arts Festi­ 80829; or telephone (719) 685-5795.
val”; at Riverside Park.
Colorado, Snowmass Village September 7-25
Oregon, Bend July 11—12 “8th Annual Bend “Range of Possibilities: Pottery Studio Intensive”
Summer Festival”; downtown.
with Eddie Dominguez, Sam Harvey and Doug
Oregon, Portland June 19-21 “1998 Portland Casebeer. Fee: $740. Contact Anderson Ranch
Arts Festival”; downtown.
Arts Center, PO Box 5598, Snowmass Village
September 5—7 “Art in the Pearl”; along Park, in 81615; telephone (970) 923-3181, fax (970) 923the historic district.
3871 or e-mail artranch@rof.net
Oregon, Salem July 17—19 “Salem Art Fair and Colorado, Steamboat Springs September 9—22
Festival”; at Bush’s Pasture Park.
“Overcoming the Fear of Plaster,” plaster work for
Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh August 7—9 “28th the studio potter, including molds, models, mold
Shadyside Summer Arts Festival”; along Ellsworth
making, plaster turning and slip casting, with
Ave., commercial district.
Jonathan Kaplan. Fee: $1100, includes most ma­
Tennessee, Chattanooga July 4 “July 4th Cel­
terials, firing, lodging and meals. Registration fee:
ebration”; at River Gallery, 400 E. Second St.
$100. For further information, contact Judith
Calendar
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CERAMICS MONTHLY
Calendar
with Malcolm Davis. Fee: $125; members, $115. tute of Arts, 314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo 49007; or
July 11 “The Electric Kiln: Maintenance, Repair telephone (616) 349-7775.
and Troubleshooting” with Mary Giametteo. Fee:
Montana, Helena September 11-13 “Low-fire
$60; members, $50./ul)/2^-2^“The Glaze Doc­ Low-tech: Handbuilt Earthenware Pottery” with
Carol Day, Laloba Ranch Clay Center, PO Box tor” with Pete Pinnell. Fee: $ 170; members, $ 160.
Gail Kendall. Contact Archie Bray Foundation
770226, Steamboat Springs 80477; telephone
Contact Baltimore Clayworks, 5706 Smith Ave., for the Ceramic Arts, (406) 443-3502, e-mail
(970) 870-6423 or 870-6603, fax (970) 870Baltimore 21209; or telephone (410) 578-1919. archiebray@archiebray.org or see the website at
6452 or e-mail LalobaRanch@compuserve.com Maryland, Columbia June 27 “Surface Decora­ www.archiebray.org
Connecticut, Avon June 14“Ceramics Marketing tion for Leather-hard Pots” with Richard Lafean.New Jersey, Layton September 4-6 “Functional
Forum” will include presentations by a potter, a Fee: $36, residents; $45, nonresidents. Registra­ Teapots” with David G. Wright. Beginning
gallery owner, marketing consultant, and photog­tion deadline: June 22. Contact Columbia Art through advanced. Fee: $249, includes lab and
raphers. Fee: $ 10. Contact the Farmington ValleyCenter, 6100 Foreland Garth, Long Reach Vil­ application fees. September 11-14 “Pinch Pots
Arts Center, (860) 678-1867.
lage, Columbia 21045; telephone (410) 730-0075. and Pit Firing: Ancient Methods for Modern
Connecticut, Brookfield June 13-14 “Soda Fir­ Massachusetts, Plymouth September 25-27 Times” with Jimmy Clark. Beginning through
ing” with JeffZamek./uly25-2£r“Low-fire Deco­ Hands-on workshop with Irma Starr, 17th- advanced. Fee: $312, includes firing, lab and
rative Techniques” with Walt Hyla. August 8 century English slipware techniques. Contact application fees. Contact Jennifer Brooks, Peters
“Altering Glazes and Clay Bodies” with Jeff Zamek.
Plimoth Plantation, (508) 746-1622, ext. 356, Valley Craft Education Center, 19 Kuhn Rd.,
Contact Brookfield Craft Center, PO Box 122, Rte.
or (781) 837-4263.
Layton 07851; telephone (973) 948-5200, fax
25, Brookfield 06804; telephone (203) 775-4526. Massachusetts, Somerville June 7 “For the (973) 948-0011 or e-mail pv@warwick.net
D. C., Washington September 19—^Demonstra­ Garden,” a parent and child workshop with New York, Highland Lake August 23-28 “Get­
tion, slide presentation and lecture with Gay Jennifer Thayer. Fee: $30. June 20-21 “Tea ting Fired Up III” with Bill Shillalies, firing
Smith. Fee: $100. For further information, con­ Party Workshop” with Carole Ann Fer. Fee: anagama, plus raku and pit. Fee: $512, includes
tact Hinckley Pottery, 1707 Kalorama Rd., NW, $100; members, $50. June 22 “Saggar-firing lodging (double room) and meals; $602 for single
Washington, D. C. 20009; telephone (202) 745- Workshop” with David Orser. Fee: $ 100; mem­ room; $308, includes camping facilities; or $270
7055 or e-mail wordpots@nicom.com
bers, $50. July 6-9 A session with Liz Lurie for community living. Contact Bill Shillalies, (516)
Idaho, Ketchum June 15—20, July 27-31 or Au­ (slide lecture on July 7; no fee). For further 796-4498.
gust 14-19“Children’s Clay Camp.” July 6-9 “Big­ information, contact Mudflat, 149 Broadway, New York, New York June 18—19 Demonstrager Is Better,” large vessels with Susan Ward. JulySomerville 02145; or telephone (617) 628-0589. tion/hands-on workshop on pinching, sculptural
13-16 “Production Techniques for the Studio Massachusetts, Stockbridge July 11 “Raw Ma­ form with Wesley Anderegg. July 9—10 “Recon­
Potter” with Gordon Webster. August 3-6 “De­ terials for Clay Bodies and Glazes” with Jeff figuring the Vessel,” large construction with An­
tail, Detail, Detail” with Elmer Taylor, focusing Zamek. July 25—2<^“Painting with Clay: Imagedrea Gill. Contact the 92nd Street Y, Ceramics
on rims, lids, feet and handles. August 10—13 Making with Colored Slips” with Frank Bosco. Studio Art Center, 1395 Lexington Ave., New
“Porcelain or How to Throw with Toothpaste” Contact the Interlaken School of Art, (413) York 10128; or telephone (212) 415-5565.
with Michael Corney. Contact Boulder Moun­ 298-5252.
New York, Oakdale June 20-21 Slab-building
tain Clayworks, PO Box 3725, Ketchum 83340; Michigan, Kalamazoo June 27—28 Demonstration
workshop with Bruce Winn. Fee: $100; current
telephone (208) 726-4484 or fax (208) 726-7183. and slide lecture with Paul Soldner, combining slabs
students, $52.50; includes clay. August 7-9
Maryland, Baltimore June 12-14 “The Porcelain and thrown elements. Fee: $100; members, $92; Handbuilding and throwing narrative forms with
Teapot: A Struggle with Form and Function” sustaining members, $80. Contact Kalamazoo Insti­
Elyse Saperstein. Fee: $150; current students,
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CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
103
Calendar
September 11—13 “Smokeless Raku/Reduction
Stenciling” with Jerry Caplan; fee: $150, includes
materials. September 18-20 or 25-27 “Touchstoneware” with Jeff Diehl. October 2—5 “Wood$77.50; includes clay. Preregistration required. fired Workshop” with Kevin Crowe; fee: $95,
Location: Dowling College. Contact Islip Art includes materials. Fee (unless noted above): $140,
Museum, Brookwood Hall, 50 Irish Ln., East includes materials. Contact Touchstone Center
Islip, NY 11730-2098; telephone (516) 224-5402. for Crafts, RD #1, Box 60, Farmington 15437;
New York, Rosendale September26-27“Faceting, telephone (724) 329-1370.
Fluting and Altering Forms” with Gay Smith. South Carolina, Charleston September 19—20
October 3—4 “Slab Construction and Surface De­Porcelain workshop with Tom Coleman. Limited
velopment” with Danielle Leventhal and Anita registration. Fee (before August 20): $115. Late
Wetzel. October 24-25 “A Weekend Tea Party” fee: $130. Contact Marsh and Clayworks, PO
with Nora Brodnicki. Lab fee/session: $20. Con­Box 20951, Charleston 29413; or telephone Su­
tact Women’s Studio Workshop, PO Box 489, san Filley, (803) 971-9934.
Rosendale 12472; or telephone (914) 658-9133. Texas, Ingram June 15-17, 22 and26“Ceramics
New York, White Plains June 3 “Throwing: Al­ for Beginning Adults and High-school Students”
tered and Combined Forms” with Leah Leitson.with J’Nil Jackson; fee: $1 \5. June 15-19“ Sculpt­
Contact SUNY/Westchester Community College,
ing with Clay” with Ann Armstrong; fee: $235,
Westchester Art Workshop, Westchester County includes materials. July 6-10 “Portrait—Clay
Center, 196 Central Ave., White Plains 10606; or Busts” with Patty Rucker; fee: $185, includes
telephone (914) 684-0094.
materials. July 13-17 “Making Pots, Studio In­
New York, Woodstock September 11-14 or 25- tensive” with Stan Irvin; fee: $215. July 27-31
28 “Soda in September” with Chris Baskin and “Handmade Tiles and Mosaics” with Gary HunRich Conti; participants should bring bisqued toon; fee: $215. August 17—21 “Ceramics Master
pots to fill a 12x24x9-inch area. All skill levels. Class” with Paul Soldner; fee: $280, includes
Fee: $200, includes materials, firing and lodging.materials. Contact Hill Country Arts Founda­
For further information, contact Rich Conti or tion, Duncan-McAshan Visual Arts Center, PO
Chris Baskin, Woodstock Guild, 34 Tinker St., Box 1169, Ingram 78025; telephone (800) 459Woodstock 12498; telephone (914) 679-4475, HCAF or (830) 362-5120.
fax (914) 679-4529 or e-mail wguild@ulster.net Vermont, Bristol September 11-14 or 18-21 “Ex­
North Carolina, Brasstown September 6—12 periencing the Fire” with Robert Compton, firing
“Throwing Altered and Combined Forms” with salt, raku, sawdust, pit and climbing multicham­
Leah Leitson. September 13—19 “Handbuilding bered wood kilns. Intermediate skill levels. Fee:
and Slab Construction” with Judy Robkin. Sep­ $495, includes materials, firing and meals. Con­
tember 20-26 “Working with Porcelain” with tact Robert Compton Pottery, 3600 Rte. 116,
Marcia Bugg. September 27-October 2 “Porce­
Bristol 05443; telephone (802) 453-3778, e-mail
lain—The White Canvas” with Gwen Heffner; Robert@RobertComptonPottery.com or website
fee: $232. October 4-10 “Pottery Decoration” www.RobertComptonPottery.com
with Barbara Joiner. October 18-24“Clay Basics” Virginia, Alexandria June 13 “Techniques and
with Bob Owens. Fee (unless noted above): $258.Concerns of Tile Making” with Margaret Boozer;
For further information, contact Registrar’s Office,
fee: $60, includes lunch./une7^“One-Day Raku”
John C. Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School with Phyllis Roderer; fee: $65. Contact George
Rd., Brasstown 28902; telephone (800) FOLK- Brown, Creative Clay Studios, 5704D General
SCH, fax (704) 837-8637, see website at Washington Dr., Alexandria 22312; or telephone
www.grove.net/-jccfs ore-mailjenjccfs@grove.net(703) 750-9480.
North Carolina, Columbia June 5-6“ Saggar and June 27 “A Tea Party Workshop” with Dan
Pit Firing” with Charles Riggs. Fee: $50. For Finnegan. Fee: $50. Contact the Art League
further information, contact Pocosin Arts, PO School, Ceramics Dept., 105 N. Union St., Alex­
Box 690, Columbia 27925; or telephone (252)
andria 22314; or telephone (703) 683-2323.
796-2787, e-mail pocosinarts@hotmail.com
Virginia, Gainesville September26“Body Casting
North Carolina, Penland June21-July3“Double and the Clay Figure” with Winnie Owens-Hart.
Vision” with Linda Arbuckle and Bill Brouillard;Fee: $50. Location: ILE AMO Research Center.
“Form and Surface in Handbuilding” with MaryContact W. R. Owens-Hart, PO Box 361,
Barringer; “Containment” with Suze Lindsay; orGainesville 20156; telephone (703) 754-1307 or
“What’s Behind the Mask” with Sammie Nicely.e-mail wowens-hart@JUNO.com
July 5-17 “Wheel-thrown Teapots” with Mary Wisconsin, McNaughton September 18—20“ FastLaw; or “Handbuilding Ceramic Metaphysical fired Wood-fueled Workshop” with Joan SlackPossibilities” with W. Steve Rucker. July 19— DeBrock. All skill levels. Fee: $150, includes
August ^“Clay” with Ben Owen III; or “Ceramic materials, firing and meals. Contact Joan SlackConstruction and Painting” with James L. Tan­ DeBrock, River Run Pottery, PO Box 95,
ner. August 9-21 “Isn’t That Precious!” with McNaughton 54543; telephone (715) 277-2773
George Bowes and Matt Nolen; or “Ethics and the
or e-mail riverrun@newnorth.net
Art of the Bowl” with Lisa Blackburn, John Hartom
Wyoming, Jackson Hole July 16-20 “Hot Pur­
and Gerry Williams. August 23-29 “Interpreta­ suit” with Harvey Sadow, focusing on personal
tions from Nature” with Jeff Shapiro; or “The improvement and forming strategies that allow
Power of Clay” with Clara “Kitty” Couch and participants to actualize what they visualize. Par­
Gilda M. Edwards. Contact Penland School of ticipants must bring own tools and brushes, and
Crafts, PO Box 37, Penland 28765; telephone are encouraged to bring bisqued ware to be raku
(704) 765-2359, fax (704) 765-7389, e-mail fired. Fee: $590. Limited enrollment. Contact the
office@penland.org or website www.penland.orgArt Association, (307) 733-6379.
Ohio, Middletown July 18 Constructing largescale wall-relief panels, emphasizing slip and glaze
International Events
applications, and resists, with Joe Zajac. Fee: $45.
Preregistration required. Contact Middletown Brazil, Rio de Janeiro July 15-August 2 Claudia
Fine Arts Center, 130 N. Verity Pkwy., Eugenia Matarazzo, “Geometros,” earthenware
Middletown 45042; or telephone (888) 844-4246. vessels and sculpture panels; at Casa de Cultura
Pennsylvania, Farmington September 4-6 “Be­
Laura Alvim, Ave. Vieira Souto, 176 Ipanema.
ginning Work with Clay” with Linda Honsperger.
Canada, Alberta, Red Deer June 29—July 31 Five-
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Calendar
day workshops with Katrina Chaytor-Rozman,
Jim Etzkorn, Rosette Gault, Marilyn Levine, Paul
Rozman, Diane Sullivan, Yasua Terada, Trudy
Golley and Evelyn Grant. Fee: Can$245 (ap­
proximately US$163). Living accommodations:
Can$ 19.50 (approximately US$13). For further
information, contact Anne Brodie, Red Deer Col­
lege, (888) 886-2787 or see the website at
www. rdc. ab. ca / series/
Canada, British Columbia, Prince Rupert August
19-September 11 “Something from Nothing—
Totally Eclectic!” three-person exhibition includ­
ing ceramics by Dorothy Spencer; at the Art
Gallery of the Museum of Northern British Co­
lumbia, 100 First, W.
Canada, British Columbia, Wells August 4-7
“Tile Making” with Zeljko Kujundzic. Fee:
Can$205 (approximately US$136), includes ma­
terials. For further information, contact Island
Mountain Arts, Box 65, Wells V0K2R0; telephone
(800) 442-2787 or (250) 994-3466, fax (250) 9943433, e-mail ima@goldcity.net or see website at
www.imarts.com
Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax June 20—August 23
Alexandra McCurdy, “SOS: Sources of Support”; at
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 1741 Hollis St.
Canada, Ontario, Belleville July 2—31 “Color of
Summer,” two-person exhibition with ceramic
vessels by Peta Hall; at Belleville Library, 223
Pinnacle St.
Canada, Ontario, Mississauga July 30-September
13 “The Maverick Spirit,” exhibition of ceramics
by John Chalke and Ann Mortimer; at the Art
Gallery of Mississauga, 300 City Centre Dr.
Canada, Ontario, Toronto through August 24
“Inside Out,” ceramic installations by Arina
Ailincai, Sadashi Inuzuka, Jean-Pierre Larocque
and Garry Williams; at George R. Gardiner Mu­
seum of Ceramic Art, 111 Queen’s Park.
June 21—September 13 “A Grand Design: The Art
of the Victoria and Albert Museum”; at the Royal
Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park.
August25-September26“Salt and Peppers,” exhi­
bition by gallery artists. Exhibition of porcelain by
Harlan House; at Prime Gallery, 52 McCaul St.
Canada, Quebec, Trois-Rivieres June 20-September 13 “Espace terre,” the 8th national bien­
nial of ceramics; at the Galerie d’art du Parc.
England, Chichester June 7—11 “Raku Ceram­
ics—A Fresh Approach” with John Dunn. June
26—28 “Throwing and Turning in Porcelain”
with Alison Sandeman. “Mosaic—Further Tech­
niques in Marble, Glass and Ceramic” with Emma
Biggs. July 12—17 “Mosaics in Glass and Ce­
ramic” with Rob Turner. September 18-20“Ceramic Decoration Using Slip and Majolica”
with John Hinchcliffe. October 2-4 “Pottery
for Beginners” with Alison Sandeman. October
11—16 “Handbuilding and Throwing” with
Alison Sandeman. For further information,
contact the College Office, West Dean College,
West Dean, Chichester, West Sussex PO 18 0QZ;
or telephone (243) 811301.
England, Hatfield August 7-9 “Art in Clay—The
Fourth National Pottery and Ceramics Festival
1998”; at Hatfield House.
England, London through June 26 Ceramics and
glass by Bernard Dejonghe; at Galerie Besson, 15
Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond St.
through June 28 Three-person exhibition featur­
ing ceramics by Walter Keeler and Janice
Tchalenko. “Handmade in India,” exhibition of
contemporary Indian crafts; at the Crafts Council
Gallery Shop, 44a Pentonville Rd., Islington.
June 10-28 “Designer Crafts of Israel”; at the
106
CERAMICS MONTHLY
Calendar
Rousseau, Claude Varlan, Camille Virot and Betty
Netherlands, Oosterwolde (Fochteloo) Septem­
Woodman; at Villa Aurelienne, 325, ruejean Jaures.
ber 7—11 “Stoneware and Porcelain Workshop”
France, Sens through July 5 “Potters and Ceram­ with Kees Hoogendam. Fee: fl 550 (approxi­
ists of Sens”; at the Cathedrale a Sens.
mately US$280), includes materials, lodging and
Sternberg Centre for Judaism, the Manor House,France, Sevres June .9 “La faience fine anglaise demeals. Contact Kees Hoogendam, de Knolle 3A,
80 E. End Rd.
1740 a 1800,” lecture with Diana Edwards. Con­ 8431 RJ Oosterwolde (Fochteloo); or telephone
June 11-20 “The Grosyenor House Art and An­ tact the Societe des Amis du Musee National de (51) 658-8238.
tiques Fair”; at Grosvenor House, Park Ln.
Ceramique, Place de la Manufacture, Sevres 92310;
New Zealand, Auckland through June 2“Fletcher
August 13-l6“Th.t Great Antiques Fair”; at Earls or telephone (41) 14 04 20.
Challenge Ceramics Award”; at the Auckland
Court 2.
France, Vallauris June 21—September 27“ BiennaleMuseum.
England, Oxford July 6-August 5 Rupert Spira; de Ceramique”; at Musee Magnelli, Musee de laNorway, Gressvik July 19—August 25 Exhibition of
at Oxford Gallery, 23 High St.
Ceramique, Place de la Liberation.
raku and saggar-fired vessels by Charles and Linda
England, Waterperry July 16-19“Art in Action”; Italy, Faenza September 7—13Workshop on throw­Riggs; at Atelier Skaara Galleriet, Gressvik Torg,
at Waterperry House.
ing, slip casting, glazing, contemporary sculpture,
1621 Gressvik.
England, nr. Winchester throughJune30“}Aosx\y kiln design and raku with Emidio Galassi and Scotland, Edinburgh August 19-23 “Artisan: The
Teapots,” exhibition of ceramics by John Berry; at
Josune Ruiz de Infante. Contact Emidio Galassi,Edinburgh Festival of Contemporary Craft”; at the
Arlesford Gallery.
Arte Aperto, V. Castellina 4, Faenza 48018; or Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
France, Aubais June 19—August 9 Exhibition of telephone/fax (54) 668-0398.
Spain, Argentona (Barcelona) August 2-6 “Inter­
ceramics by Daphne Corregan; at Galerie H. D. Mexico, Monterrey August 5-September 20 “Sec­ national Ceramic and Pottery Fair”; along the
Nick, BP 21.
ond Biennial of Art in Ceramics”; at the Centro main streets.
France, Burgundy June 1-5 or 1-12 “A Korean Cultural Alfa, San Pedro Garza Garcia, N. L.
Switzerland, Geneva through June 20 Exhibition
and Japanese Approach to Ceramics: Throwing Netherlands, Amsterdam through June 10 of sculpture by Daphne Corregan; at Galerie d’Art
and Decoration Workshops” (1-, 2- or 3-week “Kunstenaars V. D. Galerie.” June23—2#Ceram- Couleurs du Temps, 24, rue de la Cite.
sessions). July 6-10 “Handbuilding, Throwing ics by Bernard Dejonghe and Ken Eastman; at Switzerland, Meyrin through June 20 Sculpture
and Decoration.” July 13-19“Handbuilding and Galerie de Witte Voet, Kerkstraat 135.
by Gilles Suffren; at Forum Meyrin, Place des
Firing” with Jehangir Bownagary. July 23—AugustNetherlands, Delft through June ^Exhibition of Cinq Continents 1, CP 250.
1 “Ten Days of Throwing, Decoration and Glaz­stoneware wall plates/slabs by Cathy Fleckstein.Switzerland, Nyon June 12-October 11 “Inter­
ing.” August 5-5^ “Raku.” August 16-20 “OrientalAugust 22— October 3 Exhibition of stoneware bowlnational Triennial of Contemporary Porcelain”;
Techniques.” August 22-24 “Glazes” with Jean- objects by Tjok Dessauvage; at Terra Keramiek, at the Castle of Nyon.
Marie Foubert. Instructor (unless noted above): Nieuwstraat 7.
Taiwan January 4-19> 1999 “Arts and Crafts
Dauphine Scalbert. Contact Terres est-Ouest, LeNetherlands, Deventer through June 20 Exhi­
Perspectives of Taiwan,” study of ancient Chinese
Manoir, 89560 Lain, France; telephone (86) 45 bition of ceramics by Anne Floche, Ulla Hansen forms (bronze, jade, stone sculptures, with an
and Inger Rokkjaer. August 1—23 “Boek and emphasis on ceramics), plus hands-on clay work­
27 74 or fax (86) 45 27 65.
France, Frejus through June 14 “Art Tendance Steunen,” international exhibition of ceramic book
shop and anagama firing. Application deadline:
Sud,” ceramics by Daphne Corregan, Jacky Co- ends; at Loes and Reinier, Korte Assenstraat 15. October 16. Contact Patrick Crabb, Santa Ana
ville, Bernard Dejonghe, Jean-Nicolas Gerard, Netherlands, Landsmeer through June 7 “Global College, 1530 W. 17th St., Santa Ana 92706; or
Philippe Godderidge, Brigitte Penicaud, Herve Ceramics”; at Babel, Van Beeksstraat 272.
telephone (714) 564-5613.
108
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
109
Questions
suppliers should be willing to help you out or at
least put you in touch with the suppliers they
Answered by the CM Technical Staff
deal with.
My first choice would be to choose the frit
that supplies the strontium at the most reason­
able cost. I am guessing that would be either
Fusion frit F-38 or Pemco frit P-930 because
Q I now have read several mentions ofstrontium- they have the most SrO. My supplier carries
containingfrits, yet none of my catalogs list one. Do Ferro frit 3292; the cost per 50-pound bag is
currently about $ 100 Canadian.
you have any sources?—L.K.
Ron Roy
Some may surmise from the above question
Ceramic
Consultant
that there is a standard strontium frit; however,
Scarborough, Ontario
as you can see from the chart below, there are
many possibilities. In order to make a successful
substitution, we need the number and maker ofQ Is it possible to fire a wood ash glaze in an
the original frit, plus the analysis (that is, if we electric kiln without any negative effects on its
elements?—G.Z.
want the glazes to look the same).
The simple answer to your question is yes.
Strontium is one of those middle-temperature fluxes and has similarities to barium, cal­ Wood ash glazes will not affect the elements in
cium and zinc. It is not an overly used flux your kiln any more than other ceramic materi­
because it is expensive, especially when calciumals. Wood ashes are predominantly aluminum
will do just fine in many situations. Neverthe­ silicates along with a variety of phosphorous
less, there are good reasons to use it in small and calcium compounds. In her book, Out of
amounts with functional glazes: it helps make the Earth and Into the Fire, published by the
glazes more durable, and contributes to their American Ceramic Society, Mimi Obstler says,
“Soft wood ashes may be substituted for whit­
hardness and smooth surfaces.
Because strontium carbonate disassociates ing or wollastonite in some glazes with interest­
into SrO and C02 later than the other carbon­ ing results.”
ates, it will not be of much use (as a flux) in low- As an unrefined substance, ashes offer dis­
fired glazes. However, it will contribute to tinct textural and color variations in glazes. In
fluxing if it is in frit form. The carbonate form many respects, wood ash is a natural variable
will be better, economically, above 1100°C alternative to more refined glaze materials. I
prefer fireplace ash because it provides a less
(2000°F).
In choosing a frit to use in a glaze, we must predictable surface than more pure or cleaner
limit that choice to those frits for which the charcoal ash from an outdoor grill.
analysis is available. Using that criterion, I have Processing wood ash is a time-consuming
chosen several from my lists, disregarding thoseand often messy task, though. I start by placing
with less than 4% strontium, as well as those the cool ash in a large plastic tub, then add
that include barium or lead. I have also noted enough water to cover with about 6 inches.
when one frit can be substituted for another. After the ash has soaked for about a day, I decant
the dirty water and replace it with an equal
The first step is to find out which frits are still
available from the manufacturers. Your local amount of fresh water. This process removes
110
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
111
Questions
be required but the potential results might be
worth the effort.
W. Lowell Baker
The University of Alabama
much of the soluble contents from the ash. The
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
first few washings produce a moderately caustic
solution (capable of removing paint from
wooden surfaces or burning you), which meansQ I need to create “boxes” to fire my large clay
you should take precautions before handling it. sculpture in. Do you know if there are systems of
I do not believe the caustic material in the woodinterlocking bricks or kiln shelves designed for
ash has any significant effect on the glaze out­ building saggars of varying dimensions? If so,
come, but it will attack your skin. If you choosewhere can I find them? Or do you have a suggestion
for a better solution?—P.].
to clean the ash well, repeat the washing process
You may want to consider using ceramic
until the water is no longer yellow in color.
Once the ash is washed to your liking, fiberboard. It typically comes as 2x3-foot rect­
decant the water and discard it. Then decant theangles (in a variety of thicknesses) and can be
top half or two-thirds of the remaining liquid, easily cut to size with a sharp knife. I would
depending on the coarseness of the ash. Pour suggest using the 1-inch-thick fiberboard. Cut
this liquid into a colander lined with two layers to fit around the work and secure with 12-gauge
of cotton jersey fabric. Allow the water to drip Nichrome wire. If you want holes in the saggar,
through the fabric until the ash becomes a moist
simply cut the fiberboard as desired.
Another product that I have used for saggar
lump. Crumble the lump of ash on a clean
board or plaster slab and let it dry completely. construction is the ceramic-fiber cylinder or
Once the ash is dry, it can be stored like sleeve. It can be special-ordered in any size
other glaze materials. If you have carefully configuration. Off the shelf, it is typically avail­
decanted the ash, you will have a finely selectedable with a 1-inch-thick wall, 2 to 30 inches in
material; however, depending on the desired diameter and 12 inches in length. Two or more
results, you may wish to screen the dry ash to can be stacked, and a 1-inch-thick board used
yield a specific consistency.
for a lid.
It is important for longevity and reuse to
There are a few cautions that should be
observed while you are trying to process wood lightly spray the inside, the edges and the out­
side with a zirconium refractory coating. The
ash. The first is to never use the ash from treated
wood (like the kind you would buy for an coating will also seal the surface, eliminating the
outdoor patio). The materials used to treat the hazard associated with ceramic fiber.
Nils Lou
wood can be toxic and the ash may contain high
Linfield College
levels of potentially dangerous metallic com­
pounds. The second is to treat unwashed ash as
McMinnville, Oregon
a caustic material, and all ash as a potential
Q I am seeking information on air quality in
source of free silica dust.
I like the following ash glaze in reduction the studio. I have several employees who have
firing in the wood kiln. I think you will find it recently asked questions about airborne dust
satisfactory in an electric kiln at Cone 6 as well:from glaze and the potential health risks. Can
you steer me in the direction of useful informa­
Wood Ash Glaze
tion that would allow me to tell what are and
(Cone 6)
are not safe practices? All of our glazes are
Gerstley Borate.................................... 13.6%
brushed onto the bisqueware and are leadfree.
Lithium Carbonate.............................. 4.5
There is no spraying involved.—D.M.
Pine Ash............................................... 18.2
Ceramic materials that become airborne as
Whiting................................................. 18.2
fine
particulate dust do indeed pose potential
Albany Slip*......................................... 36.4
health
concerns in the studio, as both nuisance
Kaolin................................................... 9.1
and toxic dusts. Healthwise studio manage­
100.0% ment practice for potters is essential.
*You might try an Albany slip substitute or replace it
First, look at air movement in the studio.
with Redart and omit kaolin.
Proper ventilation can be as simple as opening
a window on one side of the studio and a door
You can also achieve some very interesting on the other, allowing for fresh outside air to
results by sifting a mixture of unwashed ash andenter as stale inside air is removed. It is impor­
soda ash on the shoulder of your glazed pieces tant to always have fresh outside air entering the
before you fire them. The ratio of soda ash to studio, especially in kiln areas and clay-mixing
wood ash will be determined by your firing areas. More sophisticated systems for proper air
temperature and the glaze formulation. I wouldchange per minute can include roof- or wallstart with a simple mixture of 10% soda ash to mounted ventilation with shutters and louvers,
90% wood ash. Increase the soda ash by 10% or a commercial air cleaner, rated by volume of
with each glaze test. Some experimentation willair and cubic feet of interior room space. There
112
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
113
Questions
are specific volumes of air change per hour
recommended for both residential and indus­
trial applications.
Floors and other horizontal surfaces need to
be kept free of ceramic dusts. Wet sponging
tabletops, shelves, etc., on a periodic basis and
after mixing glazes is essential. To clean floors,
try using a sweeping compound to keep the
dust from becoming airborne. There are com­
mercial vacuums, such as those available from
Beam and Nilfisk, that are designed to filter out
very fine particulate from the exhaust air while
holding very fine dusts in their internal collec­
tion bags. HEPA (high efficiency particulate)
filtration systems are also available. Some mod­
els feature remote mounting of the vacuum
unit. Wet mopping of the floor is also an
encouraged practice.
Personal safety measures are also an essential
part of keeping the studio air safe and clean.
Wearing an approved dust mask when mixing
clay or glaze is encouraged; disposable gloves in
some applications may be needed. Keeping
studio clothing and footwear separate is essen­
tial in keeping ceramic dusts out of the home
environment. Washing studio clothing sepa­
rately from others is preferred.
Understanding health and safety issues in
the studio is one thing. Implementing them is
another; both are a matter of common sense as
well as dedicating specific time and responsibil­
ity on a daily and weekly basis. Fora detailed list
of publications relating to health and safety
issues for studio artists, contact Arts, Crafts and
Theater Safety (ACTS) at 181 Thompson Street
#21, New York, New York 10012; telephone
(212) 777-0062. Also, the National Council on
Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) has a
publication entitled Keeping Clay Work Safe
and Legal, which is available to members for
$10 and to nonmembers for $15, plus mailing
costs; contact NCECA at 33-25 147th Street,
Flushing, New York, 11354-3149; or tele­
phone (800) 99-NCECA. The book Artist
Beware: The Hazards in Working with All Art
and Craft Materials and the Precautions Every
Artist and Photographer Should Take written by
Michael McCann is also a good source.
Jonathan Kaplan
Ceramic Design Group
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Have a problem? Subscribers’ questions
are welcome, and those of interest to the
ceramics community in general will be an­
swered in this column. Due to volume,
letters may not be answered personally.
Mail to Ceramics Monthly, PO Box 6102,
Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102, e-mail to
editorial@ceramicsmonthly.org or fax to
(614) 891-8960.
114
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/'July/August 1998
115
Niche Marketing for Beginners
by Ivor Lewis
When contemplating the marketplace, building stock, upgrading the facility, have almost eliminated consignment
emerging ceramists must wonder if there covering research and development, and sales from the account books. Reflection
already is an overabundance of stock making a small profit. This situation on this experience has led to some guide­
from which buyers may choose. Much continued for a while, but then I began lines about exploiting niche markets:
pottery is regularly imported and sold to manufacture more than this market
1. Develop a high degree of compe­
at low prices, and full- and part-time could absorb. First, sales leveled out, tency in the range of practical, technical
potters have to compete against this then the returns declined. An analysis and commercial abilities that meet the
commercial pressure in order to make a of the situation indicated that without needs of your intended client or their
living. Often their first response to gain investment in promotion or a change customers.
a larger share of the market may be to in philosophy, profits would decline.
In conversation with a bank teller, a 2. Acquire mastery of those processes
lower wholesale prices. But is this an
required to manufacture the product.
serendipitous
remark directed my at­
appropriate way to increase earnings
when selling prices are related to costs, tention to her need for bonsai planters. This includes artistic and design skills,
expenses and taxes, which cannot be Healthy skepticism and a nose for an as well as production techniques.
reduced? Alternative commercial solu­ extra dollar soon had me researching
3. Access reliable suppliers of raw ma­
tions could lead to increased turnover the subject. Perusal of the Yellow Pages terials to ensure an adequate stockpile
gave access to contacts. A visit to a ma­ for standardized production.
and, eventually, higher profitability.
Most of us are aware that certain jor metropolitan area allowed me to
items are consistent sellers. This is one assess sales potential and collect design 4. Make a range of samples that dem­
reason why potters make so many cof­ information. It did not take long to onstrate your abilities, your materials
fee mugs, even though supermarket realize that the market was awash with and the quality you can maintain in
shelves are always well stocked with ser­ imported, low-priced, good-quality, everyday production. Show consistency
viceable industrial products. Do not be well-designed bonsai pots. There seemed as well as virtuosity.
misled into believing they are from low- to be no potential for a small-time pot­ 5. Develop an adequate inventory as
labor-cost, Third World countries. Many ter. To compete would have involved a cushion against changes in commod­
are made, at astronomical rates, on com­ using jigger and jolley, hydraulic press ity prices. This ensures stability of your
puter-controlled, robot-equipped pro­ or casting processes—all required a market price.
duction lines. Sack-to-pack times of two financial investment I was not prepared 6. Establish a continuous inspection
hours are not so far away in the future. to make. However, the proprietor of procedure. This makes you aware of the
Yet, the very weight of this mass pro­ one bonsai shop was very helpful and places where your attention may wan­
duction opens up markets for goods of allowed me to browse and sketch as I der during manufacture. Be rigorous
high quality, good design, appropriate gathered information. She informed me and severe in discarding all defective
decoration and originality. Success of her wish to sell locally made pots, but products.
comes from an ability to make a rapid no one had managed to make what she
response, manufacturing short runs of needed to match the standards and qual­ 7. Stay within the specifications. Re­
products that customers need. In other ity of the imported product, the best member that quality is often defined by
and most expensive of which came from things that are not found—the absence
words, exploiting niche marketing.
of blemishes and defects.
Tokoname,
Japan.
Finding alternative solutions for mar­
I returned home to make samples
ket penetration and exploitation is not
8. Show willingness to compromise
an easy task. Five years ago, I retired for my friendly bank teller and forgot during negotiations with the client. The
from classroom teaching to expand about this contact until she telephoned, old adage of adopt, adapt, alter and test
weekend pot production into a whole- asking to see samples and suggesting is good advice.
life experience. Among the consequencesthat I might consider a contract to make
9. Become fully aware of your own
of this change was a need to re-examine a style of pot that was in demand but
abilities
and capabilities. Flexibility
expensive to import. When we met
the marketplace and my own market­
within
your
operation allows you to
again, she took samples on consign­
ing practices.
make
rapid
responses.
Over a period of 10 years, I had ment and stated she would pay for the
10. Keep detailed records of all meet­
established good relationships with prototypes on delivery.
From that meeting, our commercial ings. Prepare sketches showing sizes, di­
about 20 retail outlets that carried stock
on consignment. Many were shoestring relationship and my profits have grown. mensional tolerances, numbers, colors
operations and undercapitalized. They I now supply special designs or unusual and shapes. Note prices and delivery
were working as commission agents, but sizes to meet individual customer needs dates that may be specified during hand­
my figures showed I was meeting costs, at competitive prices. Since that time, I shake agreements. Read these details
116
CERAMICS MONTHLY
back to your client or provide con­
firmation in writing.
11. Research your intended market and
record factors that might influence the
development of a design, the choice of
materials, the volume of business or the
establishment of a price.
12. If your client tries to impose
changes, refrain from making an imme­
diate emotional response. Instead, as­
sess the situation and make a reasoned
analysis to inform your judgment. You
can ask for time to go away and think
or prepare designs.
13. Niche markets may be fickle,
ephemeral, seasonal or cyclical, so plan­
ning and progress control are essential
management processes. Carry out regu­
lar SWOT analyses; that is, examine ev­
ery situation for strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats.
14. Monitor the whole marketplace.
Compare and contrast what you ob­
serve with your own abilities, needs and
resources, then give some thought to
the potential of those situations.
15. Look after your own professional
development. Identify and define weak­
nesses in your training. Take steps to
correct deficiencies. This increases your
ability to respond to market changes.
Making fewer of those things that
please you but do not sell frequently or
rapidly helps focus effort. Profitability
is enhanced as less capital is locked away
in unsold stock. A decision to become a
niche marketeer opens new avenues
when exploitable fields are identified.
I believe potters can accrue income
and gain commercial strength by filling
the gaps that occur in every market­
place. Under normal circumstances, the
delay time between receiving an order
and dispatching goods is reduced and
turnover is enhanced. It may become
unnecessary to carry a larger inventory
of standard items, but niche marketing
(which can include making to order) is
a cost-cutting measure that enhances
profitability. More importantly, it gives
a rapid return on invested capital. ▲
June/July/August 1998
117
Gerstley Borate and Colemanite
Continued from page 74
ated by the bound water being driven off but our clay body and glaze recipes often
too fast.
require materials that are not used by
Since both glaze materials are essen­ large industries.
tially low-temperature fluxes, using large
In the past, Gerstley borate had a
amounts of either in a high-fire recipe higher level of contaminants. These have
can cause part of the glaze to vaporize in been decreased by screening the ore to a
the kiln. This effect is most noticeable 3x mesh size at the mine. In addition,
when a metallic oxide or stain is coloring Hammill & Gillespie on the East Coast
the glaze. Often, small particles are sprayedand Laguna Clay Company on the West
on a lighter or white glaze nearby during Coast are performing a critical service for
the firing or the colored vapor lands on potters. They are the only ceramics sup­
the kiln shelf under the pot. When pliers who buy Gerstley borate from U.S.
Gerstley borate or colemanite is used in Borax by the truckload, then pay to have
overglaze washes (a mixture of coloring it ground to a 200x mesh powder and
oxide or stain with Gerstley borate or packaged in 50-pound bags. Each ship­
colemanite painted over a dry raw glaze), ment of the processed Gerstley borate
volatilization can spit little dots of color (approximately 25 tons) is also assigned a
on adjoining light or white glaze areas. batch number.
Glaze or overglaze wash volatilization can
How to Work With or Without It
even occur at low temperatures, but is
most frequent at high temperatures (above If the glaze requires Gerstley borate or
colemanite for a specific color response
Cone 6).
or a mottled surface texture, always try to
Economic Reality
purchase it in large quantities, as either
can change in chemical composition from
The law of supply and demand im­
pacts potters most when they try to pur­ one batch to the next. At least that would
chase high-quality, consistent raw eliminate glaze inconsistency caused by a
materials. Because potters represent less different batch of material. Because each
than a tenth of a percent of the raw 50-pound bag is marked with a batch
number, request
material markets in
that reorders be
the United States,
Often when the amount
filled with the
the choice and
same batch num­
availability of ma­
of Gerstley borate
terials are limited.
ber if possible.
We do not consti­
Always store
or colemanite is below
tute a large enough
the
powdered
5% of the recipe, it can
Gerstley borate
market for proces­
sors or importers of
and colemanite in
be removed without
materials to con­
air-tight contain­
noticeably affecting
sider supplying. As
ers, and mix up
one importer told
only enough glaze
the fired glaze.
for one glazing
me, “You cant
session. Gerstley
make any money
from people who buy colemanite by the borate and colemanite do not store well
pound. We only deal with people who when mixed in a liquid glaze.
When mixing the glaze, do not pour
want truckloads.”
The majority of potters materials that off excess glaze water, as this might change
are on the market today are there because the actual formula.
Often when the amount of Gerstley
large industries need a specific ball clay,
kaolin, talc, flint, dolomite, feldspar, etc. borate or colemanite is below 5% of the
Consistency in chemical composition and recipe, it can be removed without notice­
particle size is determined by the require­ ably affecting the fired glaze. In such in­
ments of the large industries that order stances, another flux material in the glaze
these materials. Potters can take advan­ formula is contributing to the melting
tage of these “guaranteed” raw materials, process and the Gerstley borate or cole118
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
119
Gerstley Borate and Colemanite
manite will not be missed. At the same carefully, as it will provide guidelines for
time, 5% of Gerstley borate or coleman­ safe handling and storage.
ite in any glaze is less likely to cause a
Gerstley borate and colemanite present
defect than greater amounts.
little or no hazard to humans, and have
low dermal and oral toxicities. Neither is
Substitutions
irritating, nor absorbable through the skin.
In glaze recipes that do not require the Inhalation treatment is not necessary, since
color and surface mottling effects pro­
neither is likely to be hazardous, but pro­
duced by Gerstley borate and coleman­ longed exposure to dust levels should be
ite, a substitute flux should be considered. avoided. As with any dry material used in
Whenever possible, choose materials that the studio, always wear a dust mask when
are insoluble and chemically consistent. handling the powder. Neither has proven
In low-fire glazes, a possible substitute for harmful if the fired glaze is slightly soluble.
Gerstley borate or colemanite would be
Summary
Ferro frit 3195 or Ferro frit 3134. In
While Gerstley borate and colemanite
glazes above Cone 6, use Ferro frit 3195,
a sodium-based feldspar (nepheline syen­ can be used as a substitute for each other
ite, Kona F-4 feldspar) or a potassium- in many glaze recipes, they are in fact
based feldspar (Custer feldspar, G-200 different minerals. It is probably because
feldspar), depending on the required firing both function as fluxes of almost equal
strength that many potters once thought
temperature, texture and color.
Start by testing a one-for-one replace­ they were the same material. What makes
ment with the chosen substitute on a Gerstley borate unique is its high level of
vertical test tile. Fire the test piece in a gangue minerals that have not been pro­
regular production kiln, as small test kilns cessed out of the ore.
The variable quality of Gerstley bo­
may not give accurate glaze results. Using
rate
and colemanite can offer subtle dif­
an old kiln shelf under the test pieces is
ferences
in the fired glaze; however, neither
standard procedure when first trying to
material
should
be used if you are look­
adjust glaze recipes. If the fired glaze is
underfired (looks too dry), add 5 parts ing for long-term consistent glaze results.
additional substitute material to the glaze. Where inconsistency and variability of
The glaze should first be calculated to a glaze results are considered desirable, as
100% batch weight so additions of 5 in raku glazes, either is an ideal material.
Colemanite, whatever its country of
parts substitute material will yield 105
batch weights. If the fired glaze runs off origin, is a cleaner ore than Gerstley bo­
the tile, it has too much flux, so take out rate. It also is a slightly stronger flux.
5 parts of substitute glaze material. If the However, economic considerations will
fired glaze color is not satisfactory, choose keep this material in limited and spo­
radic supply to potters.
another substitute material.
Both colemanite and Gerstley borate
Material Safety
will cause the wet glaze to flocculate or
Any material used in clay and glaze become thick and lumpy. The mineral
recipes must be handled with common content of the glaze water can marginally
sense and care. A clean studio with mate­ aggravate or decrease glaze flocculation,
rials stored in properly labeled containers but the general rule is, if the water is fit to
is an important first step in developing a drink, its probably not affecting the glaze
safe studio environment. When ordering by either flocculation or deflocculation.
raw materials, be sure to ask the ceramics
Many studio potters are using one or
supplier to furnish a Material Safety Data both of these materials in their glazes and
Sheet (MSDS) for each one. The MSDS have not had any problems; however, the
sheet will identify the mine/manufacturer, history of Gerstley borate and coleman­
chemical composition of the material, ite suggests that they will eventually cause
health hazards, first aid measures, toxico- glaze defects. The trick to using them is
logical information and other safety con­ knowing what they can and cannot do at
siderations. Read this information any given time. A
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June/July/August 1998
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Comment
Flying Blind with Clay
on My Glasses
by Delia Robinson
When I was four years old, a sharp
businessman double my age persuaded
me it would be to my advantage to
trade a dime for a nickel, since my
dime was so much smaller than his
nickel. That should have been the last
126
time an unscrupulous person got the
best of me, but alas, that was not to
be. At least he gave me a real nickel.
Since then, many a wooden nickel has
ended up in my purse, yet I continue
to plug along, financially incompetent,
but still in business.
No doubt, some people with busi­
ness and accounting skills will wonder
why I even bother. I am the sort of
bookkeeper who can add a column of
figures three times and get three wildly
diverse answers.
So why am I in business? Because I
have no choice. I was born with a clay
compulsion, and when a piece is made,
it requires selling.
I didn’t mean to do it, but I am
continuing a craft learned from my
mother. At 84, she still makes little
bird whistles, and her love of clay has
been passed on to several of her chil­
dren. All aspects of production were
taught to me, except business.
Here, possibly, my mother is even
worse than I. When selling her work
at fairs, she pushes her money drawer
forward and makes the customers
scrabble for their own change.
I keep the change drawer on my
side of the table, but invite customers
to check my math and to count their
change. I consider this an improve­
ment over my mother’s method—at
least my hands are on the money—
but my lack of sensible records, hap­
hazard marketing and uninformed
pricing all conspire against me.
The notion that artists—and here I
daringly include clayworkers, both
fancy and utility-grade—are finan­
cially incapable and easily taken ad­
vantage of is a tired old saw. I wish I
could personally disprove it, but I can’t.
There are exceptions, of course, but a
surprising number of the artistic types
in my acquaintance function at a pretty
low business level.
A cartoon in a recent Art Calendar
shows an apologetic artist gesturing to
an immense painting and saying to
the client, “Is $300 too much?...In­
cluding the frame?”
Transpose that painting into a set
of handmade tableware and the joke,
not in the least funny to me, spot­
lights one of our most common busi­
ness errors. At a gallery, the price may
seem laughably high (after all, they
want their 50%), but when the artist
is functioning independently, the com­
mon result is a wildly underpriced,
beautiful object.
Though there are formulas for fac­
toring in materials costs, overhead and
labor to arrive at a fair price, I know
from long, sorry experience that when
the work is finished, all such informa­
tive advice flies away. A heavy fog of
embarrassment and confusion chokes
my mind, and the work is usually sold
at cut-rate prices.
Continued
CERAMICS MONTHLY
June/July/August 1998
127
ders, for I give them untold hours and
then charge relatively little, but they
are fun. Perhaps I should sell my work
only through an agent, and he or she
I can never seem to remember that
should set the price. Though that
my daywork is unique, that it is the
might result in a more respectable in­
culmination of years of experience, that
come, I would lose the human inter­
it is difficult to produce, and that
action of direct sales that is very
people desire it. Sometimes, I sourly
pleasant, even if I do rob
grumble that I have in­
myself. What to do?
vented a new form of
After all these years, business transactions
In truth, I will do
social work, where one
nothing.
I wish I could
supplies people with all
can still tie me in knots, especially when it comes
give the problem the at­
their holiday gifts for
to defending my right to be paid, asserting selftention it deserves, but
practically nothing.
I am too busy trying to
In addition, I believe
interest, saying no to spongers (and who isnt
steal more creative time
that the problems of
organizing a silent auction requiring a donation?)
from all my other obli­
combining
creativity
gations. Luckily, my
and business are com­
or holding my own in any talk about money.
shocking business in-?
pounded for many
eptitude really has mini­
women. The “nice girl”
to reveal what I really want financially, mal impact on what I do and why I do
codes of a mid-20th-century Ameri­
can upbringing render taboo any what really goes into each piece I make, it. It makes me mutter and curse, but
what I really spend on materials. when I get my hands in clay, all is
pointed discussions of money.
forgotten. The process of creating is
I can give someone else excellent Should I get a ledger and write every­
business advice, but when it is time to thing down? Set a standard and stick what makes my world go round.
personally act on it, I am at a serious to it? Set a minimum price and never
disadvantage. I was too genteelly raised. vary from it? Who has the time, the The author A frequent contributor to
CM, Delia Robinson maintains a studio
rigidity, or the memory to do so?
After all these years, business transac­
in Montpelier; Vermont.
Perhaps I should refuse special or­
tions can still tie me in knots, espe­
Comment
cially when it comes to defending my
right to be paid, asserting self-interest,
saying no to spongers (and who isn’t
organizing a silent auction requiring a
donation?) or holding my own in any
talk about money.
Any subject, even sex, is easier to
discuss than money. I am embarrassed
Index to Advertisers
A.R.T. Studio..........................15
Aardvark............................................... 113
Aegean................................................... 114
Aftosa ...................................................... 21
Amaco .................................................... 19
ACerS..................... 91,95,97, 117, 127
American Craft....................................... 27
Amherst Potters.................................. 112
Anderson Ranch................................. 121
Arrowmont.......................................... 103
Artworks............................................... 106
Axner........................................................29
Bailey..................................... 1,6, 7, 23, 93
Bennett’s....................................................5
Bisque USA.......................................... 100
Bluebird................................................ 113
Bluebonnet........................................... 114
Bracker Ceramics ............................... 124
Brent...........................................................9
Brickyard................................................. 96
Brown Tool ........................................... 94
California Pot-Tools.......................... Ill
Ceramic Arts Library......................... 100
Ceramics Monthly.................... 126, 127
Clark...................................................... 106
Classified.............................................. 123
Clay Art Center...................................... 90
Clay Factory......................................... 120
Clay Times...............................................98
Clayworks Supplies ............................ 106
Contact.................................................. 103
128
Contemporary Artifacts.................... 110
Contemporary Kiln............................ 114
Continental Clay................................... 12
Corey..................................................... 104
Cornell.................................................. 114
Creative Industries......................99, 125
Davens.................................................. 115
Dedell.................................................... 114
Del Val.................................................. 120
Derek Marshall .................................. 122
Dolan ................................................... 125
Donner Ranch..................................... 114
Duralite................................................. 106
Euclid’s................................................. 106
Falcon................................................... 114
Flourish ............................................... 106
Geil........................................................ 101
Georgies............................................... 112
Giffin....................................................... 25
Great Lakes Clay................................. 119
Hammiil & Gillespie.......................... 109
HBD .................................................... 118
Highwater Clays.....................................34
Hood..................................................... 114
ITC.......................................................... 10
Jahn........................................................ 110
Jepson.......................... 11, 13, 35, 37, 87
Kickwheel..................................................2
Krause Publications........................... 122
Krueger.................................................... 90
L&L.......................................................... 85
Laguna Clay..................................Cover 3
Laloba Ranch.......................................... 92
Leslie..................................................... 121
Lockerbie............................................. 119
Max........................................................ 125
Metchosin School............................... 114
Miami Clay...............................................88
Mile Hi..................................................... 32
Minnesota Clay USA............................ 17
Miracle Underglazes........................... 125
Modern Postcard................................ 105
National Artcraft................................ 106
New Mexico Clay............................... 120
North Star.................................. 107, 115
Olsen..................................................... 109
Olympic................................................ 119
Palissy.................................................... 118
Paragon............... ................................. 114
Peter Pugger........................................ 120
Philadelphia Pottery........................... 106
Potters Shop........................................ 124
Pottery Making Illustrated................ 108
Pure & Simple..................................... 122
Ram....................................................... Ill
Randall.................................................. 102
Rosen........................................................89
Runyan.................................................. 127
Sapir...................................... 109
Scott Creek........................... 105
Seattle Pottery....................... 113
Sheffield................................ 117
Shimpo...........................Cover 2
Sierra Nevada College.......... 124
Skutt...............................Cover 4
Snyder ..................................... 94
Southern Pottery................... 118
Spectrum ................................ 86
Standard................................ 121
Studio Potter......................... 104
Summit................................. 114
Tara......................................... 31
Thomas-Stuart...................... 115
Trinity..................................... 10
Tucker’s................................... 36
U.S. Pigment........................ 103
University of Pennsylvania Press..........
Venco.......................................33
Ward........................................ 90
West Coast Kilns................... 118
Westerwald.............................. 96
Whistle Press........................ 120
Wise...................................... 125
Wolfe..................................... 124
Worcester Center.................. 105
Zen Arts Retreat................... 118
CERAMICS MONTHLY