bernard on fri 2 jan 98
I have been trying to get " black on black" a la Maria Martinez in a steel
garbage can pit firing. Can someone please tell me if just burnishing one
part and not another is enough. Should I use slip on one part and terra-sig
on another? I read somewhere to add sugar where I want it shiny--other
places say use one clay over another to make the sig and slip. Has anyone
out there done this successfully and would they kindly share their method
with a very frustrated potter? Thanking you in advance.
Bernie potdoc@planet.net
Rhoda and Bernie Weintraub P.O. Box 608 Flanders N.J. 07836
Vince Pitelka on sat 3 jan 98
At 12:38 PM 1/2/98 -0500, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I have been trying to get " black on black" a la Maria Martinez in a steel
>garbage can pit firing. Can someone please tell me if just burnishing one
>part and not another is enough. Should I use slip on one part and terra-sig
>on another? I read somewhere to add sugar where I want it shiny--other
>places say use one clay over another to make the sig and slip. Has anyone
>out there done this successfully and would they kindly share their method
>with a very frustrated potter? Thanking you in advance.
Bernie -
The San Idelfonso Black-on-Black is achieved by slipping and burnishing the
entire pot, and then painting a design on over the burnished surface with a
thin version of the same slip, possibliy with a binder added. In a
blackware bonfiring, the overpainted design comes out flat black,
contrasting with the gloss black of the burnished surface. I do not know
what the Native Americans use for a binder. We always do it with pure slip
and it works fine. By the way, for burnishing and for black-on-black
painting we always use redart or ball-clay terra sig - properly prepared
terra sig burnishes far better than any other slip I have tried.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Bob Hanlin on sat 3 jan 98
Bernie:
Burnish the entire pot with terra sig, then use the same terra-sig to brush on
whatever design you want. In the looooooow fire the unburnished terra-sig
will
stay a mat black while the burnished areas will be shiney and black.
At 12:38 PM 1/2/98 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I have been trying to get " black on black" a la Maria Martinez in a steel
>garbage can pit firing. Can someone please tell me if just burnishing one
>part and not another is enough. Should I use slip on one part and terra-sig
>on another? I read somewhere to add sugar where I want it shiny--other
>places say use one clay over another to make the sig and slip. Has anyone
>out there done this successfully and would they kindly share their method
>with a very frustrated potter? Thanking you in advance.
>Bernie potdoc@planet.net
>Rhoda and Bernie Weintraub P.O. Box 608 Flanders N.J. 07836
>
>
Bob Hanlin
bhanlin@ionet.net
Oklahoma City, OK
Malone & Dean McRaine on sat 3 jan 98
I thought Martina's pots were done by painting slip over a burnished
surface. Slip=flat black burnished=sheen. I think digging her own clay and
praying to Mother Earth also had something to do with it.
Dean
Bob Hanlin on sun 4 jan 98
For a good (for firing, not working) claybody try 50% RedArt and 50% Pumice
(volcanic ash).
At 11:23 AM 1/3/98 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I thought Martina's pots were done by painting slip over a burnished
>surface. Slip=flat black burnished=sheen. I think digging her own clay and
>praying to Mother Earth also had something to do with it.
>Dean
>
>
Bob Hanlin
bhanlin@ionet.net
Oklahoma City, OK
Azclockdoc on sun 4 jan 98
In a message dated 98-01-03 11:26:25 EST, vpitelka@Dekalb.Net writes:
<< Bernie -
The San Idelfonso Black-on-Black is achieved by slipping and burnishing the
entire pot, and then painting a design on over the burnished surface with a
thin version of the same slip, possibliy with a binder added. In a
blackware bonfiring, the overpainted design comes out flat black,
contrasting with the gloss black of the burnished surface. I do not know
what the Native Americans use for a binder. We always do it with pure slip
and it works fine. By the way, for burnishing and for black-on-black
painting we always use redart or ball-clay terra sig - properly prepared
terra sig burnishes far better than any other slip I have tried.
- Vince >>
Vince's description of the Pueblo Potters black-on-black is exactly how they
do it. With the clay-slip paint, a binder is not used. they only use a binder
when painting with a mineral paint. The clay in the clay-slip acts as its own
binder when it fires into the surface of the pot.
John Guerin
Tucson, AZ
Ernesto Burciaga on mon 5 jan 98
Bandelier National Monument's book store has a video on Maria from San
Ildefonoso (sp). They would probably be happy to sell and ship it. I
have seen it and it is quite good and intresting.
505 672-3861 ext 515
Ernesto Burciaga
eburciag@rt66.com
kurt wild on wed 7 jan 98
bernard wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I have been trying to get " black on black" a la Maria Martinez in a steel
> garbage can pit firing. Can someone please tell me if just burnishing one
> part and not another is enough. Should I use slip on one part and terra-sig
> on another? I read somewhere to add sugar where I want it shiny--other
> places say use one clay over another to make the sig and slip. Has anyone
> out there done this successfully and would they kindly share their method
> with a very frustrated potter? Thanking you in advance.
> Bernie potdoc@planet.net
> Rhoda and Bernie Weintraub P.O. Box 608 Flanders N.J. 07
Bernie: First of all I would recommend that you look at Leon Nigrosh's
book LOW FIRE and check the material in it that refers to my work and
method (based on about 20 years of blackware firing). Other than that I
would suggest the followeing:
1. Burnish pots in a rather hard leather hard stage.
2. Let the pot completely dry.
3. Apply terra sigilatta (about 3 to 5 coats). When applying the TS
apply each succesive coat just as soon as the watery wet look
disappears. DO NO WAIT UNTIL IT DRIES - JUST WAIT UNTIL THE VERY WET
LOOK GOES AWAY THEN APPLY ANOTHER COAT.
4. After the last coat and while the piece STILL has the leather hard
damp look, buff with a soft cloth or chamios. The result should be a
highly polished pot.
5. In order to get the dull black I apply (brush on) a clay slip which
when fired remains dull. (The recipe is in Nigrosh's book - I can't
give it to you now because I'm not at home where my refereences are.) I
have heard that using sugar water would work but I have not tried it.
Sugar water will not give a shiny surface - I wonder where you read
that. The sugar burns out and leaves a carbon deposit. I do know that
if it starts to rain and water drips get on the pots thay can produce
dull spots - so the sugar mix might work. Otherwise I have also used a
mixture of half ball clay and half fireclay (sieved through a 60 mesh
sieve). You could, as you suggest burniush parts and leave other parts
unburnished but that sounds hard to me, especially if you are trying to
produce a dull decoration.
Another method to produce a polished pot Mata Ortiz fashion is to sand
the pot with progressively finer grades of sand paper going from 200 to
300to 400 and each time after sanding rub the pot with cooking
(vegetable) oil and then a damp cloth. After the last sanding and
oiling you should be able to burnish the pot with out using terra
sigilatta. Then apply your decoration with a clay slip.
For the Mata Ortiz information I suggest you check out the following web
site:
Can't think of any more to add right now but if you have further
questions don't hesitate to email me.
Richard Gralnik on thu 8 jan 98
I stopped in San Ildefonso for a short visit a couple years ago
(an unexpected surprise on the way to Los Alamos, as in "Why does
that name sound so familiar?), and one of the potters I met there
was kind enough to show me how she got the shiny and matt surfaces
on the same piece. It's surprisingly simple.
The piece is burnished when leather hard using whatever tool you
like. The potters I met used two "tricks" that surprised me.
First they lubricate the clay surface for burnishing with Crisco
shortening. I kid you not. Crisco shortening (NOT OIL). Second,
once they start burnishing, they don't touch the pot with their
bare hands. The oil in your skin messes up the finish and will
leave fingerprints in the fired surface (might be an interesting
decorating technique).
To get the matt designs on the burnished clay, the design is
painted on the burnished pot with a slip made of the same clay as
the pot and left alone. That's it. No special techniques, just
the unburnished clay. Of course, the people I met are skilled
painters and get those amazing elaborate designs right the first
time, but if you mess up you can burnish it in and try again
since it's just more of the original clay.
The black-on-black is a result of smothering the cow dung fueled
fire so the smoke blackens the pot. If it's left to burn clean
the clay comes out of the firing its original brick red color.
The entire firing takes a few hours.
I hope this helps.
Richard
Elizabeth A. Ringus on fri 9 jan 98
To the potter who wanted black on black technique. Did you see the how to
article on Keyy Goodman's pottery in the Nov./Dec. 1997 issue of "Clay
Times"? He also wanted to do black on black like Maria Martinez's pottery
and has developed a way to do it with raku process.
Liz (the sun is still not out in SC)
Richard Gralnik wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I stopped in San Ildefonso for a short visit a couple years ago
> (an unexpected surprise on the way to Los Alamos, as in "Why does
> that name sound so familiar?), and one of the potters I met there
> was kind enough to show me how she got the shiny and matt surfaces
> on the same piece. It's surprisingly simple.
>
> The piece is burnished when leather hard using whatever tool you
> like. The potters I met used two "tricks" that surprised me.
> First they lubricate the clay surface for burnishing with Crisco
> shortening. I kid you not. Crisco shortening (NOT OIL). Second,
> once they start burnishing, they don't touch the pot with their
> bare hands. The oil in your skin messes up the finish and will
> leave fingerprints in the fired surface (might be an interesting
> decorating technique).
>
> To get the matt designs on the burnished clay, the design is
> painted on the burnished pot with a slip made of the same clay as
> the pot and left alone. That's it. No special techniques, just
> the unburnished clay. Of course, the people I met are skilled
> painters and get those amazing elaborate designs right the first
> time, but if you mess up you can burnish it in and try again
> since it's just more of the original clay.
>
> The black-on-black is a result of smothering the cow dung fueled
> fire so the smoke blackens the pot. If it's left to burn clean
> the clay comes out of the firing its original brick red color.
> The entire firing takes a few hours.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Richard
Azclockdoc on fri 9 jan 98
In a message dated 98-01-08 11:50:34 EST, you write:
<< I stopped in San Ildefonso for a short visit a couple years ago
(an unexpected surprise on the way to Los Alamos, as in "Why does
that name sound so familiar?), and one of the potters I met there
was kind enough to show me how she got the shiny and matt surfaces
on the same piece. It's surprisingly simple.
The piece is burnished when leather hard using whatever tool you
like. The potters I met used two "tricks" that surprised me.
First they lubricate the clay surface for burnishing with Crisco
shortening. I kid you not. Crisco shortening (NOT OIL). Second,
once they start burnishing, they don't touch the pot with their
bare hands. The oil in your skin messes up the finish and will
leave fingerprints in the fired surface (might be an interesting
decorating technique). >>
Actually, if the pot is truly "leather Hard", it still has about half of the
original moisture still in the clay and no oil or crisco needs to be added.
Acoma potters usually burnish at the "leather hard' stage and the original
moisture left in the clay is sufficient to provide lubrication for the
burnishing step. Most other southwestern cultures, including the San Ildefonso
potters, let the pot go "bone dry" at this point and that is why the oil or
crisco must be applied so that the burnishing stone will not scratch the
surface during the burnishing step. When I was studying with Blue Corn, she
told us that the white grease they gave us to use was Bear Grease. However I
recognized it as crisco because the Maricopa potters gave me the same "grease"
to use the year before, and they admitted it was crisco. I didn't say anything
at the time about the "Bear Grease", because Bear Grease sounds better than
Crisco when you sre studying Indian Pottery. In fact, just about any oil or
grease will do. The Mata Ortiz potters use cooking oil or olive oil and they
get a beautiful mirror-hard finish on their burnishing step.
John Guerin
Tucson, AZ
RAKUIYQ on thu 15 jan 98
I also learned some TRICKS about the firing of Indian pots. You mentioned
dung being used as fuel. Well I was told that cow dung causes the pot to be
one color and horse dung causes the pot to be another. One red and the other
black. Can't remember which.
Also made an arrangement with Mr. J. T. ( will only use his initials ) that we
would swap pots. When I got home I sent him one of mine. I am still waiting
for mine.
I think he used Bear Grease too.(Crisco) Not bitter, just more aware.
Azclockdoc on thu 15 jan 98
In a message dated 98-01-15 07:53:15 EST, you write:
<< You mentioned
dung being used as fuel. Well I was told that cow dung causes the pot to be
one color and horse dung causes the pot to be another. One red and the other
black. Can't remember which. >>
The pots are created with a red slip and then polished. Whether they remain
red or turn black in the firing is determined entirely by whether they are
fired in an Oxidation firing ar a Reduction firing. An Oxidation firing will
leave the pots a red color, while the Reduction firing (if done correctly)
will turn the pots black. Both firings usually use cow dung as a fuel. The
Pueblo potters have discovered that smothering the Reduction fire with
powdered horse dung works better than smothering it with other material like
leaves or grass. This is because of the high carbon content of the horse
manure. By the way, both the cow and horse manure should come from grass fed
animals I believe this is true for two reasons. The grass fed cow dung clumps
together and burns hotter, and the grass fed manure has a higher carbon
content also. Even the Red slip server a specific purpuse. In theory, any
color pot will turn black in a Reduction firing. It is also the higher carbon
content of the red clay that gives them the darkest black in the Reduction
firing.
John Guerin
Tucson, AZ
UNI_ POTTER on tue 20 jan 98
The book Santa Clara Pottery Today
mentions that San Ildefonso and Santa
Clara black burnished wares are made
from a red clay body and matching slip.
My earlier post about black hematite
was incorrect. That is used in Acoma
polychromes. The binder that is some-
times used in the slip comes from
"beeweed". I know I read somewhere
what beeweed is, but right now I
can't remember where. Black on black
is fired using a rich mixture of
bark, kerosene, horse and cow manure,
to achieve the deep black color.
Free web-based email, Forever, From anywhere!
http://www.mailexcite.com
GURUSHAKTI on wed 21 jan 98
Beeweed is also know as Cleome.
Regards,
June
| |
|
