Janet H Walker on thu 25 feb 99
Hi Vince -- Saw your note about stilts and foot rims and whether a
piece should be glazed all over or not. (You like the look of an
unglazed foot ring as being something of a statement about the
handmaking process, if I can very loosely paraphrase.) This is a
question I've been musing about too and I'd be interested in what
others think.
I make some slab saucers that don't have feet on them; they just sit
flat on the table. I've been going back and forth on the question
of whether to glaze the bottoms and fire them on stilts or to leave
the bottom completely unglazed. (The fired clay body is certainly
pretty enough so that isn't a factor in the decision.)
The "standard" solution of waxing the part of the bottom that sits
on the kiln shelf just doesn't appeal to me because there is no
natural place for the glaze line to stop on these pieces, the way
there is with trimmed feet. So if I just leave an arbitrary
circular spot bare, it looks untidy/incomplete/unskilled to me.
So, given the choice between glazing all over and leaving the entire
undersurface of the piece bare, which way would you choose? I'm not
sure which way customers would go either. The all-glazed way is
comfortably familiar so maybe it would be better on pieces designed
for "low end" sales?
Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
if it doesn't hold liquids?
Jan Walker
Cambridge, MA USA
mel jacobson on fri 26 feb 99
several things come to mind:
one. commercial pottery has always had glazed bottoms..stilt marks.
so, i do not want my things to look like commercial pots.
two. if you consistently high fire...cone 10-11 stilts will melt into
the body of the piece..deformation follows......( i know, high fire bisque,
but won't)
that is how industry makes porcelain, fire the bisque to cone 10, and a low
fire glaze on top..(this is a very general statement)
three. using stilts to many has a crafty/hobby look. warren mackenzie would
shudder for a month if one of his pots was stilted.
four. the bare clay look on the bottoms of pots has historical merit.
five. i always agree with vince.
six. david is always fighting and being mean to me. (we know you and
other texans work hard and hump
throw...........but they were not doing it in texas in 1350..as the japanese
where. geez)
seven. the scraffito boys, vinny and louie are going to be at the
clayroom dance............phew. vapors*
* vapors, an expression used by southern women to denote swooning.
learned that from lori, the only women i have ever met that can say
my name in three syllables...mae e el
mel/mn
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
minnetonka, minnesota/ u.s.a.
Phyllis E. Tilton on fri 26 feb 99
Hi: A concern of mine, in making slab pieces with bare bottoms, is the
porosity of the bottoms. They can retain water when washed that could damage a
table top or whatever. Have had no complaints but wonder if it does happen.
Most of these are for snacks--tortilla,chips, cookies, etc. so are probably
not used often enough that they have the opportunity to dry out. These are not
symetrical and putting feet on them takes away something. These are fired at
^5 or 6. I throw bowls to go with them.
Should I try to stilt or just forget it?
Phyllis Tilton
Daisypet@aol.com
mf-scott@life.uiuc.edu on fri 26 feb 99
We have a child's plate - flat bottom, no foot ring - from Home Pottery
in Veedersburg, IN (are they still in business?) that is decorated and
glazed only on the top. The bottom is very smooth.
It feels great, washes well, the kids use it all the time.
Would look factory-made with a glazed bottom, I think.
Molly in Champaign IL
David Hendley on fri 26 feb 99
As the proud owner of some Jan Walker slab saucers
(Clayart mug exchange, Ft. Worth, 1998; yes, the ray guns
were not the only 'non-mug' items put in the lottery), I vote for
totally unglazed bottoms.
Mine are glazed all over, and I can't help but feel like the
bottoms are too slick, like they could slide accross the table.
You are correct that, for a shape like this, there is no natural
place for a glaze line, and the options are either completely
bare, or completely glazed and fired on stilts.
All of my thrown bowls and plates are unglazed on the
outside/bottom, so I guess I'm used to it. I'm also different
from the general public 'cause I want to see the clay.
I have had the *very* occasional customer who feels 'cheated'
that the outside of a bowl is not glazed.
My attitude is, "What do they know?" (These are beautiful
flashed and ash speckled surfaces).
Even if your clay is handsome, a nice, thin iron wash can also
be a great finish on those bottoms.
Best wishes,
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com
At 07:36 AM 2/25/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi Vince -- Saw your note about stilts and foot rims and whether a
>piece should be glazed all over or not. (You like the look of an
>unglazed foot ring as being something of a statement about the
>handmaking process, if I can very loosely paraphrase.) This is a
>question I've been musing about too and I'd be interested in what
>others think.
>
>I make some slab saucers that don't have feet on them; they just sit
>flat on the table. I've been going back and forth on the question
>of whether to glaze the bottoms and fire them on stilts or to leave
>the bottom completely unglazed. (The fired clay body is certainly
>pretty enough so that isn't a factor in the decision.)
>
>The "standard" solution of waxing the part of the bottom that sits
>on the kiln shelf just doesn't appeal to me because there is no
>natural place for the glaze line to stop on these pieces, the way
>there is with trimmed feet. So if I just leave an arbitrary
>circular spot bare, it looks untidy/incomplete/unskilled to me.
>
>So, given the choice between glazing all over and leaving the entire
>undersurface of the piece bare, which way would you choose? I'm not
>sure which way customers would go either. The all-glazed way is
>comfortably familiar so maybe it would be better on pieces designed
>for "low end" sales?
>
>Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
>surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
>Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
>if it doesn't hold liquids?
>
>Jan Walker
>Cambridge, MA USA
>
Cheryl L Litman on fri 26 feb 99
Jan,
What if you painted the wax resist on the bottom in a pattern other than
circular so it looks like a planned event. At Eddie Dominguez' workshop
we got to see a few of his pieces and when you turn them over and find
more beautiful carving (doesn't have to be same pattern as that on the
front) it's a nice surprise. Made me think more about bottoms.
Cheryl Litman
Somerset, NJ
email: cheryllitman@juno.com
On Thu, 25 Feb 1999 07:36:33 EST Janet H Walker
writes:
>----------------------------Original
>message----------------------------
>Hi Vince -- Saw your note about stilts and foot rims and whether a
>piece should be glazed all over or not. (You like the look of an
>unglazed foot ring as being something of a statement about the
>handmaking process, if I can very loosely paraphrase.) This is a
>question I've been musing about too and I'd be interested in what
>others think.
>
>I make some slab saucers that don't have feet on them; they just sit
>flat on the table. I've been going back and forth on the question
>of whether to glaze the bottoms and fire them on stilts or to leave
>the bottom completely unglazed. (The fired clay body is certainly
>pretty enough so that isn't a factor in the decision.)
>
>The "standard" solution of waxing the part of the bottom that sits
>on the kiln shelf just doesn't appeal to me because there is no
>natural place for the glaze line to stop on these pieces, the way
>there is with trimmed feet. So if I just leave an arbitrary
>circular spot bare, it looks untidy/incomplete/unskilled to me.
>
>So, given the choice between glazing all over and leaving the entire
>undersurface of the piece bare, which way would you choose? I'm not
>sure which way customers would go either. The all-glazed way is
>comfortably familiar so maybe it would be better on pieces designed
>for "low end" sales?
>
>Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
>surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
>Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
>if it doesn't hold liquids?
>
>Jan Walker
>Cambridge, MA USA
>
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Jon Kirkendall on fri 26 feb 99
Jan,
Interesting question! One of my mentors waxes the bottoms of her pots
with graceful flowing lines using a paintbrush, often creating flowing
lines up the side of the pot. Quite a lot of the claybody shows. The
line thus created has a certain rhythm that is echoed in the rim, and in
the way she manipulates the pot after it is thrown.
As many students do, I tried to copy her (and as many teachers do, she
encouraged me to do like she did). Alas, the feedback from the
phenomenal world was NOT encouraging. Members of the buying public
asked why I ever let so much clay body unglazed. Why didn't the glaze
come all the way down to the foot? Was it a mistake? For several years
I just got huffy and exclaimed that it was an artistic statement, yada
yada yada. Then I (I think) wised up. It occured to me that I wasn't
making the same pots that my teacher made. The public had a point. Now
I just wax the foot and enough up the side of the pot to prevent glaze
from coming too close to my shelves. It's simple, not terribly
creative, and it seems to work for my pots. I am not, however, stopping
there. Waxing the pot seems to be a certain kind of conversation with
it. As my pots change, so will the waxing and the glazing, and I will
keep trying new things.
Jonathan in DC, where it is trying very hard to snow without much
success.
Carol Jackaway on fri 26 feb 99
I am a handbuilder. I make both coil and slab formed funcitional and non-
funcitional peices. I use underglaze, glaze and luster on alot of my work. I
underglaze the whole bottom of every peice, then wax the flat bottom or foot
before glazing. After firing every bottom is sanded with every fine sand
paper. Many customers have commented on how smooth they are. They never feel
"cheated"
Carol
zahidi on sat 27 feb 99
Yeah, this issue has bothered me for a long time, too! I use a stilt and
glaze the bottoms of vases. It's just more practical. I have resorted to
some nonceramic materials to compromise on other things, though.
I too, love the look of the nude clay, but there are those people who value
the gloss finish on their furniture. Once a customer gave me flack about my
"bare bottom" decorative "high end" platter, (only the interior was glazed)
so I put a couple of coats of matte Varathane (acrylic spray paint) on the
darn thing and she was happy. For some things, depends on the foot, I place
little wads of clear silicone on the base and let it dry a couple days
before turning it upright. I have a piece ten years old, used constantly,
(planter) and the silicone is still firmly attached. It raises the rounded
base off the table surface some. Little round clay "toes" are nice on
rounded bottoms that have no delineation. Just wax the toes and glaze the
rest. I'm not doing production anymore, so I can do these things on an
individual basis.
I use the colored deck silicones to attach certain fountain and sculpture
pieces, especially to wood, glass or shells. The tube says it's good for 50
years outdoors, so I figure it oughta be okay forever indoors. It will last
longer than me, unless I'm another Beatrice "longevity" Wood.
Well, all you wonderful Purists out there can just NOT lecture me, I've
already sold my soul to the devil of technology. Go for it, Jan. The foot is
just as important as the lip.
Zahidi@gs.verio.net
Another sunny day on the bayou. "Weeds" springing up all over the garden.
-----Original Message-----
From: Janet H Walker
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Thursday, February 25, 1999 6:36 AM
Subject: bare bottoms
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Hi Vince -- Saw your note about stilts and foot rims and whether a
piece should be glazed all over or not. (You like the look of an
unglazed foot ring as being something of a statement about the
handmaking process, if I can very loosely paraphrase.) This is a
question I've been musing about too and I'd be interested in what
others think.
I make some slab saucers that don't have feet on them; they just sit
flat on the table. I've been going back and forth on the question
of whether to glaze the bottoms and fire them on stilts or to leave
the bottom completely unglazed. (The fired clay body is certainly
pretty enough so that isn't a factor in the decision.)
The "standard" solution of waxing the part of the bottom that sits
on the kiln shelf just doesn't appeal to me because there is no
natural place for the glaze line to stop on these pieces, the way
there is with trimmed feet. So if I just leave an arbitrary
circular spot bare, it looks untidy/incomplete/unskilled to me.
So, given the choice between glazing all over and leaving the entire
undersurface of the piece bare, which way would you choose? I'm not
sure which way customers would go either. The all-glazed way is
comfortably familiar so maybe it would be better on pieces designed
for "low end" sales?
Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
if it doesn't hold liquids?
Jan Walker
Cambridge, MA USA
Vince Pitelka on sat 27 feb 99
>So, given the choice between glazing all over and leaving the entire
>undersurface of the piece bare, which way would you choose? I'm not
>sure which way customers would go either. The all-glazed way is
>comfortably familiar so maybe it would be better on pieces designed
>for "low end" sales?
Jan -
I certainly am not implying that there is no place for pieces glazed all
over and fired on stilts. But I still think that the above is not
necessarily a place for that, especially if the rest of your work is
unglazed on the bottom. Personally, I do not have any problem at all with a
slightly asymmetrical and inexact unglazed area on the bottom of a slumped
slab plate. I would not glaze and stilt them, and I would not leave them
completely unglazed. I would come up with a solution which works with the
rest of my pots.
Good luck -
- 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
Bill Williams on sat 27 feb 99
If you glazed the pieces all over, how would you fire them? I really think
people like the look of the unglazed bottoms. They expect it don't they, on
pottery? Sometimes when I look at a piece that I have glazed before I fire
it, I think that it is going to look pretty bad where there is no glaze, but
after the piece is fired, it takes on a whole different character to me as
unique and individual as if it had its own personality. That sounds pretty
mushy, I know, but that's the way I feel about the things I make. I think
you just have to do what is pleasing to you. You are the artist and I think
your pieces should be your creative expression, no one else's. Connie
-----Original Message-----
From: Janet H Walker
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Thursday, February 25, 1999 6:36 AM
Subject: bare bottoms
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Hi Vince -- Saw your note about stilts and foot rims and whether a
piece should be glazed all over or not. (You like the look of an
unglazed foot ring as being something of a statement about the
handmaking process, if I can very loosely paraphrase.) This is a
question I've been musing about too and I'd be interested in what
others think.
I make some slab saucers that don't have feet on them; they just sit
flat on the table. I've been going back and forth on the question
of whether to glaze the bottoms and fire them on stilts or to leave
the bottom completely unglazed. (The fired clay body is certainly
pretty enough so that isn't a factor in the decision.)
The "standard" solution of waxing the part of the bottom that sits
on the kiln shelf just doesn't appeal to me because there is no
natural place for the glaze line to stop on these pieces, the way
there is with trimmed feet. So if I just leave an arbitrary
circular spot bare, it looks untidy/incomplete/unskilled to me.
So, given the choice between glazing all over and leaving the entire
undersurface of the piece bare, which way would you choose? I'm not
sure which way customers would go either. The all-glazed way is
comfortably familiar so maybe it would be better on pieces designed
for "low end" sales?
Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
if it doesn't hold liquids?
Jan Walker
Cambridge, MA USA
Dave Finkelnburg on sat 27 feb 99
I am posting this reply to the list, rather than Phyllis directly,
because I would like some feedback on this also. Does anyone have
suggestions on what I should do to improve on the process below, considering
the concern Phyllis voices? TIA for considering this!
I am firing Laguna Calico to Cone 5, frequently making flower pots with
attached trays. Therefor, in use the pots are always damp to wet. IF I do
not glaze the inside, the pot will weep moisture through the bottom.(not
condensation underneath, which is a separate problem).
I deal with this by now glazing the insides of these pots. I add 3
buttons of cork or felt on the unglazed bottom to get enough airspace
underneath to control condensation/allow evaporation of the condensed
moisture.
I have felt this is enough to deal with the problem you are concerned
about, Phyllis, and have done this same thing with vases. Pitchers also,
but without the buttons.
I have also trimmed bottoms on vases, which would permit glazing all but
the foot rim on the bottom, but don't go to the trouble. I do usually on
mugs, because I feel it makes them easier to wash, and they, I hope, get
used a lot and washed frequently!
Dave in wet windy winter-spring Idaho
-----Original Message-----
From: Phyllis E. Tilton
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 1:42 PM
Subject: Re: bare bottoms
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi: A concern of mine, in making slab pieces with bare bottoms, is the
>porosity of the bottoms. They can retain water when washed that could
damage a
>table top or whatever. Have had no complaints but wonder if it does happen.
>Most of these are for snacks--tortilla,chips, cookies, etc. so are probably
>not used often enough that they have the opportunity to dry out. These are
not
>symetrical and putting feet on them takes away something. These are fired
at
>^5 or 6. I throw bowls to go with them.
>Should I try to stilt or just forget it?
>
>Phyllis Tilton
>Daisypet@aol.com
>
Jan Adams on sat 27 feb 99
I have been playing with majolica lately and would like to know if I need to
glaze the ^04 bottoms of vases, etc. It's fun, but I'm about ready to get
back to stoneware. I'd like to know exactly what the correct pronunciation
of your name is, Mel, as I've always pronounced it just like Lori. By the
way, sipping on iced ground ivy tea is excellent for the vapors, should that
be a problem. Further South, I hear they use mint.
Jan
The Buchanans on sun 28 feb 99
If your bare bottom contributes to the artistic effect in clothing or =
pottery
great=21=21=21 If not cover it up=21=21=21 If you think it makes it =
look
more=22handmade'' it doesn't speak very well of your creativity, if that =
is the
only mark of distinction. Why try to make cone 6 electric pass for cone=
10
reduction? Isn't it worthy of respect on its on?
From a practical point of view , most clays ( even when advertized as =
=5E4-6) are
not really vitrified and using functional ware that has absorbed water can =
give
some unpleasant surprises.
If you must have a bare bottom , please burnish or grind it. A lovely pot
that scratches the furniture isn't loved for long.
Judi B. Firing cone 6 stilted except when the design calls for waxing or =
when
I'm very lazy.
Jeff Lawrence on sun 28 feb 99
Janet Walker wrote:
>Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
>surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
>Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
>if it doesn't hold liquids?
>
Hi Jan,
My Wife's all-time favorite piece of my pottery is a serving bowl that is
glazed only on the inside. I sprayed the glaze inside and feathered it out
to nothing on the outside over the top inch or so.
It's a local earthenware, so the unglazed part absorbs, which bothered me a
lot at first. The glaze crazed, too, which also troubled me. Over time,
though, Her enthusiastic response has won me over.
This is a matter of taste which may require only the proper marketing spin,
"feel the texture of the very clay itself" etc. Bare those bottoms proudly,
with compassionate pity for those whose pots need the crutch of all-over
glazing.
Jeff
Jeff Lawrence
Sun Dagger Design
Route 3 Box 220
Espanola, NM 87532
phone: 505-753-5913
fax: 505-753-8074
website: http://www.sundagger.com
David Woodin on sun 28 feb 99
When this happened to me I contacted the people that made the clay and the
solution is to fire hotter, in my case I went from cone 5 to cone 7 and the
problem was solved.
David
gari whelon on sun 28 feb 99
Hi Jan and all:
I agree that you are the best judge of what you want from your work. What
works for one may not appeal to others.
Theres all kinds of options out there and I don't think any are right or wrong.
One option or compromise would be to use wax resist in a design on the
bottem, and glaze over that. This would allow for a controlled non glazed
area on the bottom which is enhancing the overall design of the piece and
avoids the randomness of the glaze / clay border.
Gari Whelon
Nanaimo B.C.
muddpie on sun 28 feb 99
Jan,
I too prefer my pots with unglazed bottoms... even when I have a foot ring...
I have to leave a bit more for runny glazes... and I dip so mine are usually in
just roundy patterns... as I also like the variation you get from the different
thickness' of the glaze's I use.
and I would like to point out... Mel... Vince did say it was ok ... so you
are safe with your answer #5...
JuliE
on a rainy, dreary, first day of March
Vince Pitelka wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >So, given the choice between glazing all over and leaving the entire
> >undersurface of the piece bare, which way would you choose? I'm not
> >sure which way customers would go either. The all-glazed way is
> >comfortably familiar so maybe it would be better on pieces designed
> >for "low end" sales?
>
> Jan -
> I certainly am not implying that there is no place for pieces glazed all
> over and fired on stilts. But I still think that the above is not
> necessarily a place for that, especially if the rest of your work is
> unglazed on the bottom. Personally, I do not have any problem at all with a
> slightly asymmetrical and inexact unglazed area on the bottom of a slumped
> slab plate. I would not glaze and stilt them, and I would not leave them
> completely unglazed. I would come up with a solution which works with the
> rest of my pots.
> Good luck -
> - 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
Janet H Walker on mon 1 mar 99
...What if you painted the wax resist on the bottom in a pattern...
Cheryl, Yes! And thanks. Several other people mentioned this
approach to me privately. And one suggested incising a waxing line
into the bottom to contain the pattern (thanks Laura). This idea
really appeals to me.
I happen to like the bare smooth clay especially when it is a
wonderful rich red. But porcelain seems to demand something
different as a bottom treatment. David Hendley's oxide wash
suggestion might be the thing for porcelain assuming one could
either get it to go on dead even OR could apply it in an interesting
pattern itself.
Lots to think about. Thanks to ClayArters who shared their
thoughts. My husband, the perfect test customer because he prefers
glass to clay, is ambivalent about unglazed bottoms but finds them
"mostly OK". So we'll take that as a pretty ringing endorsement if
the customer is a person who likes clay in the first place.
Best,
Jan Walker
Cambrdige MA USA
Kelley Webb Randel on mon 1 mar 99
I almost deleted these as I thought they were porn spam!
But, as an artist/potter, my favorite bowl in the entire world is a medium
sized, bare outside with incised design, glazed inside with a dreamy blue,
stoneware vessel. I've had it about six years and it goes through the
dishwasher regularly, used almost daily, and doesn't match anything else in my
kitchen, which is just the way I like it!
Just my . 02!
Kelley Webb Randel
Rakugddss@aol.com
Andi Cody on tue 2 mar 99
We found that at the last sale we participated in, many people came up to
our table because they had seen the "earthy, textured" pieces that were not
glazed on the outside and commented that they liked the rougher look of the
unglazed clay more than some of our glazed pieces.
At 01:22 PM 2/28/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Janet Walker wrote:
>>Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
>>surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
>>Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
>>if it doesn't hold liquids?
>>
>Hi Jan,
>
>My Wife's all-time favorite piece of my pottery is a serving bowl that is
>glazed only on the inside. I sprayed the glaze inside and feathered it out
>to nothing on the outside over the top inch or so.
>
>It's a local earthenware, so the unglazed part absorbs, which bothered me a
>lot at first. The glaze crazed, too, which also troubled me. Over time,
>though, Her enthusiastic response has won me over.
>
>This is a matter of taste which may require only the proper marketing spin,
>"feel the texture of the very clay itself" etc. Bare those bottoms proudly,
>with compassionate pity for those whose pots need the crutch of all-over
>glazing.
>
>Jeff
>Jeff Lawrence
>Sun Dagger Design
>Route 3 Box 220
>Espanola, NM 87532
>phone: 505-753-5913
>fax: 505-753-8074
>website: http://www.sundagger.com
>
thanks,
Andi
email: mailto:acody@ucsd.edu
Andi Cody on tue 2 mar 99
We found that at the last sale we participated in, many people came up to
our table because they had seen the "earthy, textured" pieces that were not
glazed on the outside and commented that they liked the rougher look of the
unglazed clay more than some of our glazed pieces.
At 01:22 PM 2/28/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Janet Walker wrote:
>>Just curious how people think they would respond to a bare smooth
>>surface on a functional piece. Cheated, because there is no glaze?
>>Confused, because pottery is always glazed? Worried, because what
>>if it doesn't hold liquids?
>>
>Hi Jan,
>
>My Wife's all-time favorite piece of my pottery is a serving bowl that is
>glazed only on the inside. I sprayed the glaze inside and feathered it out
>to nothing on the outside over the top inch or so.
>
>It's a local earthenware, so the unglazed part absorbs, which bothered me a
>lot at first. The glaze crazed, too, which also troubled me. Over time,
>though, Her enthusiastic response has won me over.
>
>This is a matter of taste which may require only the proper marketing spin,
>"feel the texture of the very clay itself" etc. Bare those bottoms proudly,
>with compassionate pity for those whose pots need the crutch of all-over
>glazing.
>
>Jeff
>Jeff Lawrence
>Sun Dagger Design
>Route 3 Box 220
>Espanola, NM 87532
>phone: 505-753-5913
>fax: 505-753-8074
>website: http://www.sundagger.com
>
thanks,
Andi
email: mailto:acody@ucsd.edu
Sharon Pollock-De Luzio on tue 2 mar 99
> Jan Adams wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > I have been playing with majolica lately and would like to know if I need to
> > glaze the ^04 bottoms of vases, etc.
> >
> > I use terra sig on the bottoms. Not perfect but it helps. Have you tried
> > the boiled milk trick? I tried it once. It seemed to work.
>
> -Sharon in rainy RI
Sharon Pollock-De Luzio on tue 2 mar 99
> Jan Adams wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > I have been playing with majolica lately and would like to know if I need to
> > glaze the ^04 bottoms of vases, etc.
> >
> > I use terra sig on the bottoms. Not perfect but it helps. Have you tried
> > the boiled milk trick? I tried it once. It seemed to work.
>
> -Sharon in rainy RI
paul on tue 2 mar 99
Jan,
If your majolica glaze fits without crazing then you probably do not have to
worry about water seeping through. If you find that it does seep some then
you might consider using terra sig on the bottom instead of glazing. The sig
will seal off the bottom pretty well but it is not as tight as glaze.
Paul Wilmoth
earthenware, and wood/salt stoneware
pwearthenware@email.msn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Adams
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Saturday, February 27, 1999 11:46 PM
Subject: Re: bare bottoms
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I have been playing with majolica lately and would like to know if I need
to
>glaze the ^04 bottoms of vases, etc. It's fun, but I'm about ready to get
>back to stoneware. I'd like to know exactly what the correct pronunciation
>of your name is, Mel, as I've always pronounced it just like Lori. By the
>way, sipping on iced ground ivy tea is excellent for the vapors, should
that
>be a problem. Further South, I hear they use mint.
>
>Jan
paul on tue 2 mar 99
Jan,
If your majolica glaze fits without crazing then you probably do not have to
worry about water seeping through. If you find that it does seep some then
you might consider using terra sig on the bottom instead of glazing. The sig
will seal off the bottom pretty well but it is not as tight as glaze.
Paul Wilmoth
earthenware, and wood/salt stoneware
pwearthenware@email.msn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Adams
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Saturday, February 27, 1999 11:46 PM
Subject: Re: bare bottoms
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I have been playing with majolica lately and would like to know if I need
to
>glaze the ^04 bottoms of vases, etc. It's fun, but I'm about ready to get
>back to stoneware. I'd like to know exactly what the correct pronunciation
>of your name is, Mel, as I've always pronounced it just like Lori. By the
>way, sipping on iced ground ivy tea is excellent for the vapors, should
that
>be a problem. Further South, I hear they use mint.
>
>Jan
Ron and Mary Ernst on wed 3 mar 99
David mentioned an iron wash for the bottom of pots. How does one make this
wash? Iron oxide and frit? Iron oxide and GB? Stain and frit? Help=21 I =
spoke with
Lili, who is not on clayart at present, and she mentioned a black wash that =
was
published in a book by Adeline Robineau, but she did not know the recipe. =
Does
this sound familiar to anyone? I'd like to try it on a few pots. Thanks in
advance.
Mary Ernst
Charleston, SC
Randall Moody on sat 6 mar 99
>> > ----------------------------Original
message----------------------------
>> > I have been playing with majolica lately and would like to know if I
need to
>> > glaze the ^04 bottoms of vases, etc.
>> >
>> > I use terra sig on the bottoms. Not perfect but it helps. Have you
tried
>> > the boiled milk trick? I tried it once. It seemed to work.
Okay, I'll bite... just what is the "boiled milk trick?"
clennell on fri 31 oct 03
It is because potters always pick and look at a pots bottom that one should
glaze the underneath of a footring. this is the perfect hiding place for a
surprise. To leave this bare is miss a chance at totally blowing the viewer
away. We trim aggresively in soft clay leaving a broad sweeping mark we
call a "whoppee". Our shino glaze where it doesn't get atmosphere is a dry
surface which is a nice feel for the customers fingers and a contrast to the
carbon trapped surface. If I did brush work the foot would hold a surprise .
Nice place for a small sprig, some slip trailing, maybe hakeme, a happy face
or do a Dick Aerni and use a different coloured glaze altogether.
Do the twistd wire thing and add a Hendley thrown footring and you have a
great surface for a breaking temmoku glaze to work some magic.
You're not a teenager anymore, so cover your bottoms.
cheers,
Tony
Tony and Sheila Clennell
Sour Cherry Pottery
4545 King Street
Beamsville, Ontario
CANADA L0R 1B1
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
clennell@vaxxine.com
Carol Tripp on sat 1 nov 03
A bit of what Tony C wrote:
>You're not a teenager anymore, so cover your bottoms.>
Now THAT is the best line I have seen in a long time. It deserves a t-shirt.
(And anyone else with a 15 year old daughter can laugh too. I'd be rich
is I had a dime for every time I've said 'pull up your trousers'.)
But back to clay, I realized after having asked about this
to-glaze-or-not-inside-footrings, it stems from my experience with lots of
beginning students. I find myself encouraging them to wax the entire bottom
even if there is a footring. Better safe than stuck to the kiln shelf. I
don't get to see much pottery other than my own and the students' rather
unattractive bottoms so I automatically mistakenly associate unglazed
bottoms with less than ideal pots. Ah-ha. As in so much with pottery,
there are many ways to do things right. I really must get out more often;-)
And I did. We went out to a new Japanese restaurant the other night and I
had a field day with the wide variety of plates and bowls. The waiting
staff kept trying to remove plates we had finshed with but I was hanging on
so I could study the bottoms. I wish the light had been better. After my
daughter recovered from mistakenly putting an entire blob of wasabi paste in
her mouth (poor kid), she happily emptied her rice bowl out on to another
plate so I could see both inside and underneath without spills.
Best regards,
Carol
Dubai, UAE
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Vince Pitelka on sat 1 nov 03
> Now THAT is the best line I have seen in a long time. It deserves a
t-shirt.
> (And anyone else with a 15 year old daughter can laugh too. I'd be rich
> is I had a dime for every time I've said 'pull up your trousers'.)
Reminds me of the joke:
"I'll bet Bill Gates wishes he had a nickel for every time Microsoft crashes
. . . . Oh wait . . . . he does."
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
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