Turner, Joann on wed 19 mar 97
Greetings to all on the Clayart List,
I've been lurking on and off for a while, and decided to send a message
earlier. Since I'm in message mode, I thought I'd let you know I exist,
and what I'm up to here in the currently very cold and wet Okanagan
Valley of BC (normally the sunny Okanagan. I'm going to demand a
refund!).
I've been potting, mostly as a hobby, for 20 years since I took it at art
school. I actually don't "pot", since I don't throw. But I am making
quite a bit of functional and primarily decorative-functional ware: fruit
bowls and small bowls for treasures and goodies, as well as small boxes.
I also do figurative pieces.
When I get on a roll, I can produce quite a bit, considering that I'm not
throwing. I use slump moulds and drape moulds, and have been pressing
leaves into the clay, then using stains to get different effects. This is
very popular anytime I show it. I have passed the point of being a
hobbyist and I really MUST start selling on a regular basis. Currently, I
manage to pay for my materials over the course of a year, but that isn't
relieving the backlog of pottery in boxes stored in my basement. Getting
up the gumption to get out a flog the stuff is my problem ("You wouldn't
want to sell my pottery, would you?")(I know a few self-assured artists
who do well at promotion, but not many).
People also LOVE my figures, but I simply cannot find the right price
range for them. Or else I'm not selling them in the right market. Any
advice on this?
In another vein, I'm also exploring medeival European pottery. I've been
focussing on early Anglo-Saxon pottery, partly because of my British
heritage, and largely because these potters were hand-building as often
as they were throwing. In addition, while most of their work was very
utilitarian and plain, some was totally wild. One potter's work in
particular is just insanely creative, with lugs and lunatic incised
decoration. If you tried to sell these pots today, most galleries and
stores would tell you it was too wild and crazy, and the public would
never accept it. Let alone believe you that the stuff is over 1000 years
old (all of those people in the olden days were much more conservative
back then than we are today. Myths we like to live by...).
So far, I've mainly worked on the aesthetics and the style of the pieces,
trying to recreate them, or do work in the same vein. A friend and I are
making plans to build at least one kiln of the same type the Anglo-Saxon
potters would have used. One is a pit kiln with draft channels dug
beneath the fire pit. We're negotiating about the other one we'll build.
He's plumping for a Glostrup style kiln, which takes 100 person-hours to
build, and which can only be fired on days when the wind is coming from
the right direction and blowing pretty hard. I'm in favour of the
Hasseris style kiln, which is a style that was used in Denmark for 2000
years, so it must have worked reasonably well.
The fascinating aspect of this kiln is that it's built of wattle, woven
branches, that are then covered with daub, a mixture of clay and sand.
You would think this would be a recipe for disaster, but in fact, once
the clay has dried thoroughly, wattle and daub is relatively fire proof,
or at least resistant. And in this case, you also fire the kiln itself to
cure the clay.
We currently ahve rotten weather, so we won't be working on these
projects right away. The pit kiln will be happening this summer, I hope,
and won't be on my property, but at a site we go to every year with a
group. Since it won't be fired frequently, or have someone on-site to
repair damage, I felt a simpler, low-tech kiln was called-for.
But for the other kiln on my own property, we can be a bit more
ambitious. And being able to fire more often will allow us to make
adjustments as needed, and to become familiar with the kiln's
idiosyncrasies.
Now if only I can find some Anglo-Saxon clay.....
I'll let you know how this project is progressing.
All the best,
JoAnn Turner
Oliver, BC, Canada
Claudia O Driscoll on thu 20 mar 97
Joann,
Sounds like you are doing some fascinating work. I would love to hear
more about the Anglo-Saxon kiln...keep us posted.
But Joann! What do you mean..."I actually don't 'pot' since I don't throw'?"
Hey!!!!!! Do we hand builders not 'pot'??
claudia claudiao@clackamas.cc.or.us
George Mackie on thu 20 mar 97
JoAnn- I too feel the lure of medieval pottery and have spent years
digging my own earthenware clay from beside cuttings in the trans-canada
highway. The tragedy of it all however is that however well you capture
the spirit of the pots, their form, their bold, strong slip trailed and
sgrafito decoration etc, without lead glazes theres no way of getting the
rich iron colours which are so much part of that ware ( at any rate in the
English slipware tradition you refer to). It is like making a hollandaise
sauce with battery acid instead of lemon juice. Before the crazy,
lemming-like rush to condemn lead in all its forms, I was a happier
potter. I made those rich golden glazes and they passed the tests for
lead release set by the government , as it then was ( the test, not the
government!). Now we hear snotty toxicology experts sounding forth with
messianic confidence and getting everyone worried about barium, or
whatever the current no-no is. I am not a heretic and I dont like them
coming on like Savonarola at me. And I resent not being able to make
medieval pots any more. George
Gregory Stapleton on fri 21 mar 97
Please forgive me if this is really dumb, but I'm rather new to all of
this and may not understand some basic limitations. If they did it in
period, why can't we make our own lead glazes for uses such as this? I
mean, if they could do it back then, surely we can do it now. I know
for a fact you can still get a tremendous amount of pottery out of
Mexico that is covered in lead glaze. I don't eat off of it without
testing it first and it often comes back lead.
Gregory Stapleton
> -----Original Message-----
> From: George Mackie [SMTP:mackie@uvic.ca]
> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 1997 8:25 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
> Subject: Re: Bronze Age Kilns and Medieval Pottery
>
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> JoAnn- I too feel the lure of medieval pottery and have spent years
> digging my own earthenware clay from beside cuttings in the
> trans-canada
> highway. The tragedy of it all however is that however well you
> capture
> the spirit of the pots, their form, their bold, strong slip trailed
> and
> sgrafito decoration etc, without lead glazes theres no way of getting
> the
> rich iron colours which are so much part of that ware ( at any rate in
> the
> English slipware tradition you refer to). It is like making a
> hollandaise
> sauce with battery acid instead of lemon juice. Before the crazy,
> lemming-like rush to condemn lead in all its forms, I was a happier
> potter. I made those rich golden glazes and they passed the tests for
> lead release set by the government , as it then was ( the test, not
> the
> government!). Now we hear snotty toxicology experts sounding forth
> with
> messianic confidence and getting everyone worried about barium, or
> whatever the current no-no is. I am not a heretic and I dont like them
> coming on like Savonarola at me. And I resent not being able to make
> medieval pots any more. George
Ric Swenson on sat 22 mar 97
First, I am a potter...30 years now BFA and MFA experience in industry and
teaching at all levels..had my own studio, etc...BUT I am NOT an EXPERT in
Chemistry.....It is my opinion...that...
Certainly you CAN use lead...I don't think I would reccommend it...you can
use safer materials...frits and compounds that are safer for YOU and for
your customers....you can't control how they might use/abuse the dish or
cup.....even if you tell them not to eat acidic foods/liquids from the
dish..they might give it to someone else later that doesn't get the word.
The FDA has put TIGHT restrictions on lead containing dinnerware...You must
send it to be tested....Mexican wares must display "FOR DECORATION
ONLY>>>NOT FOR FOOD CONTAINMENT.....
..Lead is VERY dangerous
...especially for children...but even in adults...lead poisoning causes mild
to severe brain damage and other kinds of health problems too numerous to
go into now. Yes it is possible to use lead...but you can get similar
results using much safer materials. Before you use any lead....do a lot of
reading up on the dangers...and safegueards needed. PPE (personal
Protective Equipment...masks, etc.
Keep following the BARIUM thread...Barium...also a heavy metal has
interesting story developing...
Regards,
Safe Potting.
Ric Swenson, Bennington, VT
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Please forgive me if this is really dumb, but I'm rather new to all of
>this and may not understand some basic limitations. If they did it in
>period, why can't we make our own lead glazes for uses such as this? I
>mean, if they could do it back then, surely we can do it now. I know
>for a fact you can still get a tremendous amount of pottery out of
>Mexico that is covered in lead glaze. I don't eat off of it without
>testing it first and it often comes back lead.
>
>Gregory Stapleton
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: George Mackie [SMTP:mackie@uvic.ca]
>> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 1997 8:25 AM
>> To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
>> Subject: Re: Bronze Age Kilns and Medieval Pottery
>>
>> ----------------------------Original
>> message----------------------------
>> JoAnn- I too feel the lure of medieval pottery and have spent years
>> digging my own earthenware clay from beside cuttings in the
>> trans-canada
>> highway. The tragedy of it all however is that however well you
>> capture
>> the spirit of the pots, their form, their bold, strong slip trailed
>> and
>> sgrafito decoration etc, without lead glazes theres no way of getting
>> the
>> rich iron colours which are so much part of that ware ( at any rate in
>> the
>> English slipware tradition you refer to). It is like making a
>> hollandaise
>> sauce with battery acid instead of lemon juice. Before the crazy,
>> lemming-like rush to condemn lead in all its forms, I was a happier
>> potter. I made those rich golden glazes and they passed the tests for
>> lead release set by the government , as it then was ( the test, not
>> the
>> government!). Now we hear snotty toxicology experts sounding forth
>> with
>> messianic confidence and getting everyone worried about barium, or
>> whatever the current no-no is. I am not a heretic and I dont like them
>> coming on like Savonarola at me. And I resent not being able to make
>> medieval pots any more. George
Rodjans on tue 25 mar 97
Hi my name is Jeri and I am so tired of hearing that there was no pottery
in Scotland or Ireland!!! I do Historic reenactments of highlanders in
the 1630s I'm looking for info on native materials and glazing techniques
but I can use any related info. If you trip over anything please get in
touch
WoosBlue@aol.com on fri 28 mar 97
In a message dated 97-03-25 07:11:55 EST, you write:
<< I'm looking for info on native materials and glazing techniques
but I can use any related info. If you trip over anything please get in
touch >>
You might want to check and see if your local library has a book called
"English and Scottish Earthenware, 1660 - 1860" by G. Bernard Hughes
published in 1961. It has some wonderful information and black and white
photos of plates, platters, tea pots and other things that you might find of
interest. There's a lot of historical interest items pertaining to
salt-glazed stoneware, variegated earthenwares,transfer-printed earthenware
and more. Chapter Thirteen is dedicated to Scottish Pottery, so I hope this
helps a little.
Crystal Larson
woosblue@aol.com
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