Hanne Bjorklund on tue 27 apr 99
Brigitte asks:
I'm new to pottery, and am wondering what kinds of clay I could use
that do not need to be fired.
Dear Brigitte,
All clays must be fired if the object that has been made from it, is to be
used.
The only exception I know of, would be if you make sculptural work.
I once attended a workshop with a lady who made beautiful life size
sculptures of people. She dried them slowly, and then, because she did not
have access to a kiln, sprayed them with polyurethane or acrylic paint, and
kept them inside her house.
I have not seen the finished pieces, she was from out of town, but I
strongly recommend to you, that you look for a kiln you can use. Perhaps
enrol at a school that teaches pottery. Or look into pit firing, which
others can tell you more about than I. But to achieve the greatest amount
of joy from clay, it really needs to be fired at least once, and I do not
believe that there is any exemption to this.
Don't let this put you off pottery, where there is a will there is a way,
and wonderful experiences await you on the Path of Clay.
HANNE
bjorklund@clear.net.nz
Judy Frederick on thu 29 apr 99
Our local craft store (Michael's) has no-fire clay that can be used for
sculpting, etc. There are a few on the market. The new child's pottery
wheel (toy department) uses air-dry clay. I've seen it in terra cotta,
Mexican red and white. It can be painted with acrylics and maybe even sealed
with polyurethane for non-food items, like flower pots and bowls to put stuff
in like pencils, etc.
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