mel jacobson on thu 13 sep 07
i think everyone should re/read john's hesselbreth's post on clay
posted today,
and print it in big font....and paste in your studio.
one of the most common mistakes made in the
world of studio ceramics is:
all clay is the same. it is just clay.
as john points out, over and over, and ron roy points
out, over and over. every clay body will accept glaze
in a new and interesting way. if you change clay...the
glaze is no longer the same. if the company that supplies
your clay...changes the formula...you glaze is not the same.
often you do not even know. if the mine is moved a hundred
yards...your clay changes. you may not know.
many of you have no idea about your own clay that
you use every day. you just buy it...use it. it may be the wrong
clay for your work. many of you have never used a quality
throwing clay. you do not know good from bad. you just get
used to what you have. you may be throwing a great sculpture clay.
and others are using a great throwing body for slab work.
clay understanding is ten times more critical than glaze research.
if folks would spend a bit of time on their clay...and find a good
glaze that works with that clay....your life would improve 100 percent.
why do folks like richard aerni, david hendley and hank murrow have great pots?
it is not by accident. they know their clay, they know what
glazes work on that clay. there is consistency.
that is why i am very hesitant to have people use rhodes 32....if you
do not have a iron content in your clay...the glaze is puke white. then they
come back at me....`i hate rhodes 32, what secret did you leave out
of the recipe?` my clay body.
mel
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Elizabeth Priddy on thu 13 sep 07
One of the seminal pieces of information at the
glaze workshop was my test tiles.
I have four large slabs with little one inch by one
inch indentions on them.
One for each glaze I keep around.
They are glazed in the same glazes on four bodies
easy to compare and contrast.
They got it. But I had to explain it several times.
You need test tiles for each clay body that you have
and all of the glaze preps you apply.
When customers in the studio ask, "Can you do a
blue like..." I point to the tiles mounted on the wall.
"If you see a texture of glaze you like on one of these,
I can tell you if I make that form in that glaze. If it is not
up there, I can do some samples for you."
I never trust a verbal description of a color. Even sky blue
changed from day to day.
I also know from the sample clays if the form they are
asking for can be made in the clay look they want. Two tiles
are very similar and I use them to indicate range of color
and normal variance within one clay body.
very useful tiles. In an advanced clay class, I would insist that
the students make tiles for all glazes they intend to use and all
the clays they intend to use before they get to make anything else.
A student asked me a the end of the glaze workshop, " So you
have to start thinking about how you want the piece to look in the
end before you even open your bag of clay?"
A real lightbulb moment. I was really happy to hear that question.
E
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
Natural Instincts Conference Information:
http://downtothepottershouse.com/NaturalInstincts.html
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7973282@N03/
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