Guangzhen Zhou on fri 29 feb 08
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Chinese Clay Art, USA
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Newsletter Vol. 64
March 2008
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in this issue
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The Clay and Tools for Yixing Teapot Making=20
YX Teapot Workshop March 16, 2008=20
Winning Teapots of the Third International Small Teapot Competition=
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The "Ceramics China" Tour Before the OlympicsAbout 2008 IAC Post Co=
nference TourChinese Clay Art in NCECA=20
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"CHINESE CLAY ART" is a=20
newsletter=20
emailed to professional artists,=20
curators, collectors, writers, experts,=20
educators and students in the ceramic=20
field, who want to know about ceramic art=20
in China and things related. This newsletter=20
will be a bridge between China and=20
Western countries for the ceramic arts.=20
Comments and suggestions are very=20
welcome.
An earlier newsletter is on the Web at:
http://www.chineseclayart.com
Chief Editor: Guangzhen "Po" Zhou
(Copyright 2008, the Chinese=20
Ceramic Art=20
Council, USA. All rights reserved.)
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The Clay and Tools for Yixing Teapot Making
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Yixing Clay
Yixing Purple Sand (Zisha in Chinese) is a type of=20
stoneware clay. The firing temperature is about 1125 -
1175 degrees centigrade. (You may fire it between=20
cone 1 & 2 as a test.) The high quality, moist clay is=20
ready to use. If you have not previously worked with=20
Yixing clay, you will be excited by its fine texture and=20
high density. This excellent material is superior to=20
others when it comes to detailed work. World=20
renowned for its ability to hold water unglazed, it has=20
been used in China for centuries. The ideal is for=20
teapot clay. Note: This clay is used primarily for hand=20
building and sculptures and is generally NOT used for=20
wheel-throwing.=20
About Yixing Handmade Clay Tools -- Water=20
Buffalo Horn Scrapers:
Artisans often think of clay tools as part of their clay=20
work, and many make their own clay tools. Yixing=20
artisans especially like to use scrapers created from=20
bamboo and water buffalo horn to smooth out their=20
teapots. Bamboo scrapers are usually used for=20
pieces that are still wet; while buffalo horn scrapers=20
are good for burnishing pieces in a leathern dry=20
condition.=20
After you have brought the buffalo horn sheet home,=20
soak it in water for a few days until the horn sheet has=20
became soft and flexible. Cut one end in a 45 to 60=20
degree angle (based on what kind of pieces you are=20
making) and use a sharp-edge glass or knife to thin=20
down this end, leave the other side as a handle. The=20
finished horn sheet should be have one side thicker=20
than the other and gradually change to paper thin with=20
semi-transparency on the other end.=20
The thin end should be able to be curved to fit the=20
round surface of your clay piece. You also need to=20
soak the horn sheet in water over night before using it=20
every time.
The List of the Yixing Clay Tools
Wood Mallet: Maple wood or rosewood. Used=20
to pound chunks of clay into slabs.=20
Rosewood Paddle: For paddling the shapes=20
of the clay body.=20
Adjustable Circle Cutter: Used to cut out=20
circular pieces.
Adjustable Parallel Cutter: Used when cutting out=20
parallel pieces such as rectangle or square shaped=20
ones.
Mini Sculpting Knife: Used for sculpting=20
details.
Arrow Head Knife: Nice for cutting out precise,=20
straight lines.
Spout Making Knife: Used for rolling out the=20
hollowed spout tubes.
Bamboo Tools: Used for sculpting.
Water Buffalo Horn Tools: Used for=20
burnishing the surface of clay works.
(Horn scraping sheets have many uses, including=20
burnishing clay surfaces. Soak the sheet overnight=20
and it will become soft and flexible; then cut it into the=20
desired shape. Then use the edge that fits your=20
needs).=20
Brass Hole Cutter: Used to cut out holes. It is=20
very easy to clean out.
Hole Smoother: Used for smoothing out=20
holes.
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Brass Dragon Scale: Utilized in order to=20
create scales as surface decorations.
Wood Egg: to smooth out circular edges,=20
such as the edge on the teapot body.
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Wood Stamp Supporter: Used to support the=20
other side of the clay when stamping.
Wood Hammer: Used for stamping.
For more information about clay, tools, and things that=20
are related, please visit our website at=20
www.ChineseClayArt.com
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Guangzhen Zhou, Chief Editor
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YX Teapot Workshop March 16, 2008
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Yong-Jun Jiang has done several teapot-making=20
demonstrations in De Anza College in Northern=20
California, as well as Saddleback College in Southern=20
California. She will come back to Northern California=20
and have another teapot workshop in the ClayGround,=20
San Jose, California on March 16th. For details,=20
please go to out website or contact Po Zhou at=20
ChineseclayArt@hotmail.com
Also, while Professor Jiang is doing the workshop in=20
California, her husband Mr. Zhang Zhen-zhong and=20
his friend Wang Hui will also be doing a teapot=20
workshop in Hood College in Maryland.
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Winning Teapots of the Third International Small Teapot Competition
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Contact:
Tony Huntley, Ph.D. Professor
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, CA 92692 USA
thuntley@saddleback.edu
949-582-4401
Mission Viejo, CA, 24 FEB 2008 =20
From February 25 through March 27, 2006, the=20
Saddleback College Art Gallery will sponsor the Third=20
International Small Teapot Competition. Over 350=20
pots were entered into the competition representing=20
ten countries including China, France, Israel, Canada,=20
Australia, Turkey and the United States. 116 pots were=20
selected to be exhibited in the show. One entry, "Tea=20
Amigo," was selected as the best of show. Its creator,=20
Serina Nakazawa of Glendale, California will receive=20
the grand prize: a fifteen-day tour of ceramics sites in=20
China in summer 2008. All winning artists are listed=20
below:
GRAND PRIZE
Serina Nakazawa, Glendale, CA, US
FIRST PRIZE
Fanny Liberek, Sion, Valais, SWITZERLAND
SECOND PRIZE
Carol Tripp Martens, Laguna Niguel, CA, USA
THIRD PRIZE
Annette Reed, Mission Viejo, CA, USA
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Clive Tucker, Port Moody, BC, CANADA
Kathryn McBride, Soquel, CA, USA
Steve Garcia, San Diego, CA, USA
Meryl Ruth, Portland, ME, USA
Lingwu Kong, Dingshan, Yixing, Jiansu, CHINA
Paul Frehe, Asheville, NC, USA
For more information please visit =20
gallery.saddleback.edu
Letter from the juror Guangzhen Zhou
The grand prize was given to a piece entitled "Tea=20
Amigo," by a Japanese-born female artist, Serina=20
Nakazawa from Glendale, California. The piece=20
consists of three teapots in various sizes. Each teapot=20
consists of four circular shapes in large and small=20
sizes, and in negative and positive; and when the=20
three pieces are displayed together, the twelve circles=20
in the group play like the rhythm of the music with=20
rainbow colors. I chose this piece because I enjoy art=20
work that has original visual power and the ability to=20
shock the viewer.=20
This is strongest teapot show I ever seen. It was=20
extremely painful to select only a limited number of=20
works for the prizes among these many powerful=20
pieces. I felt sorry for many of the artists who created=20
strong pieces, but whose artworks were not selected.=20
At the same time, I would like to say thanks to=20
everyone who submitted their art works, thanks to the=20
many faculty and students from the Saddleback=20
College Art Gallery who contributed so much time and=20
effort to make this show possible, and thanks to the=20
professor Tony Huntley and Ms. Gloria Gimbrone who=20
have given me the chance to get to know such fine=20
works of art!
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The "Ceramics China" Tour Before the Olympics
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Everyone knows that while the Olympics are being=20
held in China, a large crowd will gather and all of the=20
prices will be going up. The visa application fee right=20
now is $130.=20
We are going to lead a 15-day tour starting on May 28,=20
before the Olympics begin in August. During late=20
spring, the hotels' prices and other travel costs in=20
China will not have risen to their heights. Most of the=20
airports, train stations and other sites have just been=20
completed. Therefore, it is the best time in the year to=20
visit China. For details regarding this tour, please visit=20
www.ChineseClayArt.com
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About 2008 IAC Post Conference Tour
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Many artists asked about the post-tours of IAC in=20
China. I have been leading the tours of "Ceramics=20
China" since 1999. So, for those of you who are=20
visiting China for the first time, the best route should=20
be Route G (New), which covers both Jingdezhen and=20
Yixing. For the details, please visit=20
www.2008iac.cn/tours.
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Read on...
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Chinese Clay Art in NCECA
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The Chinese Clay Art Corp Booth Number is 713-
715
China Reunion:
Just like what we have been doing during the past=20
years, Chinese Clay Art is going to host the China=20
Reunion Dinner Party on 6:30pm, Friday, March 21,=20
2008. Everyone is welcome! Please email me if you=20
wish to make a reservation. Prices will be $10 for=20
each person. (Chinese Clay Art will pay the balance.)
Due to many choices of the restaurants, I can't choice=20
which restaurant (Usually will be walking distance=20
from the conference hall) we will go until I arrived in=20
the town on Tuesday. Please come to our booth to=20
pick up the restaurant information on Wednesday at=20
our both No. 713-715.
New Products:=20
In the conference of this year, we will bring some new=20
products as following:
Plastic stamps of 12 zodiac animals, round edger,=20
Chinese Clay Art T-shirt, ceramic beads, textured=20
lacquer-ware bracelets (can be used for stamping=20
your pots) and much more; For details, please visit=20
our website at=20
www.ChineseClayArt.com.=20
Free Gifts in NCECA:
Just like very time before, we are going to bring some=20
products to give away,
Here is the list; Stainless Steel Fettling Knife with=20
Chinese Clay Art web address,=20
Denim tool bags, Two different Posters in small and=20
large sizes ("100 Chinese Historical Ceramic Art"=20
and "100 Contemporary Teapots of=20
Yixing").
Free catalog of 2008:=20
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new catalogs have just arrived. If you would not be in=20
NCECA this time, please send us your mailing=20
address through email at=20
ChineseClayArt@hotmail.com.
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email:
chineseclayart@hotmail.com
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phone:
1-800-689-2529
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web:
http://www.chineseclayart.com
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