Kelly Savino on fri 3 jun 11
Today I was offered a teaching gig, of sorts. Two days a week, I'll be work=
ing in a downtown gallery studio with a productive and highly successful gr=
oup of mentally retarded and developmentally disabled adult artists.
They have filled the high-ceilinged, historic storefront gallery with paint=
ings, sculptures, glass mosaics, weavings and jewelry, and sell thousands o=
f dollars worth of work at summer art fairs, under the guidance of a very s=
killed artist who divides projects by skill and ability and puts their tale=
nted hands to work. LOTT Industries puts many hands to work, in industry an=
d assembly jobs, to earn paychecks and support themselves, and these artist=
ically inclined clients have found a very profitable income!
The retail gallery out front has white walls and the artwork is an explosio=
n of color.
http://shop.lottindustries.com/shared_shop.html
No, really, click the link. Amazing work. I just dropped $40 for Linda Rich=
ards' coffee cup clock, and it wasn't just because she said I was very pret=
ty. lol
So: They want me to introduce some clay projects. I have lots of ideas for =
things that can be produced in numbers and sold, while still allowing the e=
xpression of individual artists to shine through... but I keep thinking abo=
ut the white walls and bright colors, and I suspect that some low fired, ma=
jolica forms would make a good canvas for the painterly approaches so popul=
ar (and marketable!) here.
There is a perfectly serviceable evenheat kiln just installed, with a brand=
new vent system, and I am ordering both ^6 and terra cotta clays. The stud=
io manager does not want me to mix glazes, and has a budget for packaged co=
mmercial glazes, about which I know NOTHING.
I suspect I will purchase mason stains and mix up a palette of color choice=
s in my own studio for use there... but I'm hoping clayarters can offer rec=
ommendations for a reliable, affordable, and especially SAFE white base for=
majolica effects. Or alternatives that might produce that kind of color...=
overglazes, underglazes?
And some bright ^5s as well...
I hope this doesn't sound like yet another "I need a cone six blue, do my h=
omework for me" request... but time is of the essence, here, testing option=
s impractical, and money is allotted for premixed glazes unless I can convi=
nce them otherwise. If anyone who makes commercial glazes wants to email me=
a sales pitch, here's the chance.
Again: safe glazes. Not just "safe when fired to bla bla bla" glazes... saf=
e for the potters using them as well, even if they are not fastidious and t=
idy workers.
Any and all opinions welcomed!
Yours
Kelly in Ohio
where it appears to be raining jobs
http://www.primalpotter.com
Lee on sat 4 jun 11
On Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 11:12 PM, Kelly Savino
wrote:
> I suspect I will purchase mason stains and mix up a palette of color choi=
=3D
ces in my own studio for use there... but I'm hoping clayarters can offer r=
=3D
ecommendations for a reliable, affordable, and especially SAFE white base f=
=3D
or majolica effects. Or alternatives that might produce that kind of color.=
=3D
.. overglazes, underglazes?
I am happy to do your homework for you:
Linda's handout is the best. The clear amber and green are pretty nice t=
=3D
oo.
http://lindaarbuckle.com/handouts/majolica_handout2007.pdf
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Snail Scott on sat 4 jun 11
On Jun 3, 2011, at 11:12 PM, Kelly Savino wrote:
> ... majolica forms would make a good canvas for the painterly =3D
approaches so popular (and marketable!) here.
> ...The studio manager does not want me to mix glazes, and has a budget =
=3D
for packaged commercial glazes...
Amaco makes a majolica line, including the base glaze=3D20
and the on-glaze colors. Not as cheap as do-it-yourself,=3D20
of course, but clearly the program doesn't mind. It's a=3D20
decent range of colors, easy to use, and pretty much=3D20
WYSIWYG in terms of appearance during application,=3D20
which seems important for this purpose. And, they have=3D20
those nice official-looking product labels so beloved of=3D20
administrative types everywhere.
Keep it simple!
-Snail=3D
John Post on sat 4 jun 11
Hi Kelly,
I have three different Majolica glazes that I fire to cone 1-2 in
electric kilns with elementary age school kids. The links to each
glaze recipe and analysis are on this page...
http://www.johnpost.us/Pottery%20Links/Glaze%20Recipes/Cone-6-Glaze-Recipes=
.html
I have used Amaco LG glazes and Amaco Velvet underglazes over this
white base glaze fired to cone 1. My current favorite glazes to use
over the majolica base are glazes from Sax art supply. They are less
expensive than Amaco glazes and fire just as bright. Even though the
Amaco and Sax glazes are low fire glazes for cones 05-06, they do not
run when fired to cone 1.
I wax the bottom of each kid's piece, then either I or they dip into a
5 gallon bucket of the white majolica base. It dries right before
their eyes, and then they go around the room and paint the colored
glazes on top. We don't worry about applying two or three coats of
the glaze, as one brushstroke works fine.
The clay we use is Rovin's RO-82, a terra cotta with grog in it. At
cone 1 this clay is quite dense and hard. As an experiment, I have
fired this clay all the way up to cone 6 with the majolica base on it,
and the glaze did not run and the clay did not bloat.
On this page you can see examples of the glazes on art works made by
students as young as 5 years old.
http://www.johnpost.us/index.html
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher
On Jun 4, 2011, at 12:12 AM, Kelly Savino wrote:
> Today I was offered a teaching gig, of sorts. Two days a week, I'll
> be working in a downtown gallery studio with a productive and highly
> successful group of mentally retarded and developmentally disabled
> adult artists.
Kelly Savino on sat 4 jun 11
Thanks so much for this, Virginia! I'm forwarding to clayart for everyone's=
use!
Yours
Kelly
http://www.primalpotter.com
--- Virginia.Pates@yc.edu wrote:
From: "Pates, Virginia"
To: "ksavino@BUCKEYE-EXPRESS.COM"
Subject: Re: So I got another job... (need advice)
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2011 08:50:00 -0700
Hi Kelly,
(I am writing to you privately, but I'm not saying anything private - I jus=
t can't get the Clayart posting system to work for me. If you want to post =
this, I don't mind at all.)
Why don't you try slip painting? It is so easy, so beautiful, and any skill=
level, or developmental ability can handle the technical aspects.
You've ordered terra cotta? Now find a white earthenware that matches the s=
hrinkage of the terra cotta (and your clay supplier should be able to recom=
mend one).
Make a slip of the white earthenware by mixing it with water in a big conta=
iner (20 gallon trash can on wheels?), using a drill with a paint mixing at=
tachment. Mix it until it is like heavy cream. Students can thin it later t=
o taste as they use it.
Now you will need some color. I recommend U. S. Pigments (uspigments.com). =
They have thousands of colors at a variety of prices.
I mix my slips in a very loose way (opposite of how I make my glazes!!) I g=
enerally use a pint of slip to about 4 tablespoons of pigment, but you can =
obviously vary this by taste.
Slips are painted on greenware, and they hold their texture and brushmarks =
- unlike most glazes - which suits painters and non-ceramic artists well.
Then, all you do is bisque, then cover with a simple clear glaze and fire.
So easy, so non-toxic (if you are careful with your pigment choices), so ch=
eap, and can be awesomely beautiful.
You can do slip painting, slip trailing, scrafitto, masking, etc. My studen=
ts (10 years in three colleges in two countries and two American states) ha=
ve all loved the technique.
Best wishes, and please ask if you have any questions,
Virginia Pates
virginiapates.com
Patty Kaliher on sat 4 jun 11
Duncan. Used by kids in schools and summer camps. Safe. Lowfire. =3D
Check out Duncan on line the variety is very colorful. There are =3D
lowfire white clays, decorate with Duncan underglazes and coat with =3D
clear. Most of those "paint your own pot" places are using lowfire slip =
=3D
cast bisqueware and Duncan underglazes and clear. Can look very much =3D
like majolica.
Even though I am firing to cone 6 I still have a gallon jug of Duncan =3D
Diamond Clear on hand. Can use it for an overglaze gloss.
Patty Kaliher =3D20
Lis Allison on sat 4 jun 11
On June 4, 2011, Patty Kaliher wrote:
>
> Even though I am firing to cone 6 I still have a gallon jug of Duncan
> Diamond Clear on hand. Can use it for an overglaze gloss.
>
Just for general info: that glaze will fire to Cone 6 beautifully. On a
Cone 6 porcelain-type clay, fired to Cone 06-04, it gives a nice shiny
glaze that crazes and looks very antique. Great for wall plaques or
sculptures.
Many of the Duncan underglazes will hold their colour at Cone 6 as well,
but test, test, test and test some more. They are consistent, but not
necessarily the same exact colour as they are at low temps. Some are, some
aren't.
Lis
--
Elisabeth Allison
Pine Ridge Studio
website: www.pine-ridge.ca
Pottery blog: www.studio-on-the-ridge.blogspot.com
Garden blog: www.garden-on-the-ridge.blogspot.com
June on sat 4 jun 11
Kelly,
What would give your students another decorating element with the white sli=
p is to use some firm upholstery foam, using an exacto blade to cut out var=
ious designs. The foam can be dipped in the slip and pressed on the raw cla=
y to create a white patten, or they can apply slip all over and use the foa=
m pieces to remove the slip which will create a red design with the white b=
ackground.
Hair dye bottles could be used to trail the slip too.
I used to use stamps like this with slips and oxide washes on my rutile blu=
e, celadon, temmoku and saturated iron glazes in the 70's and early 80's. I=
still have most of those stamps and keep forgetting to try them in my soda=
firings.
Warmest regards,
June
http://wwww.shambhalapottery.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sodasaltfiring/
http://www.shambhalapottery.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Kelly Savino
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:02:52 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: So I got another job... (need advice)
Thanks so much for this, Virginia! I'm forwarding to clayart for everyone's=
use!
Yours
Kelly
http://www.primalpotter.com
--- Virginia.Pates@yc.edu wrote:
From: "Pates, Virginia"
To: "ksavino@BUCKEYE-EXPRESS.COM"
Subject: Re: So I got another job... (need advice)
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2011 08:50:00 -0700
Hi Kelly,
(I am writing to you privately, but I'm not saying anything private - I jus=
t can't get the Clayart posting system to work for me. If you want to post =
this, I don't mind at all.)
Why don't you try slip painting? It is so easy, so beautiful, and any skill=
level, or developmental ability can handle the technical aspects.
You've ordered terra cotta? Now find a white earthenware that matches the s=
hrinkage of the terra cotta (and your clay supplier should be able to recom=
mend one).
Make a slip of the white earthenware by mixing it with water in a big conta=
iner (20 gallon trash can on wheels?), using a drill with a paint mixing at=
tachment. Mix it until it is like heavy cream. Students can thin it later t=
o taste as they use it.
Now you will need some color. I recommend U. S. Pigments (uspigments.com). =
They have thousands of colors at a variety of prices.
I mix my slips in a very loose way (opposite of how I make my glazes!!) I g=
enerally use a pint of slip to about 4 tablespoons of pigment, but you can =
obviously vary this by taste.
Slips are painted on greenware, and they hold their texture and brushmarks =
- unlike most glazes - which suits painters and non-ceramic artists well.
Then, all you do is bisque, then cover with a simple clear glaze and fire.
So easy, so non-toxic (if you are careful with your pigment choices), so ch=
eap, and can be awesomely beautiful.
You can do slip painting, slip trailing, scrafitto, masking, etc. My studen=
ts (10 years in three colleges in two countries and two American states) ha=
ve all loved the technique.
Best wishes, and please ask if you have any questions,
Virginia Pates
virginiapates.com
Stephani Stephenson on mon 6 jun 11
Kelly
to guarantee safey in classroom such as this ,look for the Art & Crea=3D
tive
Materials Institute (ACMI) approved stamp on the product. lots of Amaco
products carry it, check for others.
i have used the Laguna premixed majolica base and i like it a lot. it has=
=3D
a
bit of a purple cast to it, which helps you see it against a white clay
body. also it has a good gum or hardener in it so that it is durable in t=
=3D
he
prefired state, so when you add your painted color, you don't disturb the=
=3D
base coat. it ha been very reliable and i like the surface quality. also
comes in big jars or gallons.=3D20
they also have a line of lowfire colors , creatix or something like that=
=3D
,
that are pretty easy to mix as in you can mix colors like you mix
paint....what you see when you paint it is what you see post firing...or =
=3D
at
least noreso than with most glazes.=3D20
i use to but craft brushed in bulk from catalog art supply place.
this sounds like a wonderful place.
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