Cindy Dueringer on sun 2 may 99
I'm not sure it's appropriate to introduce ourselves to the m/l members, but
here goes. Delete this now if you get bored easily.
I'm a new kid on your block.
I'm staring hard at becoming 50-something in the new millenium and have
played in "clay" most of my life.
I've worked in clay as a kid.....I lived in northern Ohio and I'd dig it out
of the creek and bring it home (and get in trouble). My mother gave me clay
to play with, that pleistocene crap that came in sticks in dull primary
colors, which was okay to mold with, until I ate it. And I've spent hours
with Play-Doh when my kids were small. I finally took a little class where
you clean and glaze premolded greenware. I irritated the heck out of my
instructor because I mixed glazes and added stuff looking for weird effects,
because I was bored with "painting someone else's work". After I made enough
dust collectors I quit for 20 years. Now I wanna play in clay
again......more as a hobby/therapy. I'm not planning on showing or selling
anything.
Hubby bought me an old kiln from a school a year ago and put new elements in
it....and I've been enjoying blowing up stuff ever since. I bought a few
books on beginning with pottery and clay and kilns and glazes , but my budget
has come to a screeching halt when hubby lost his job in Feb, so I've been
trying to find information on the net when I stumbled across the clayart
mailing list. You guys are LIGHTYEARS ahead of me and my piddly knowlege of
the artworks of clay. I'd love to take a few classes but I'm pretty much
housebound with a disability so I can't take classes or get out much or go
very far to seek out some of the bigger cities' supply houses. I read most
of your e-mails as though they were golden primers of clayworks. Thanks.
I have a few newbie questions......why do you all make your own glazes when
there are so many commercially available and consistency of homemade glazes
is so hard to keep?
You mix your own clays...why is that preferable?
If I could only buy ONE book with good definitions of terms, kiln
information, etc, what would you recommend?
My family bought me various bricks of clay in plastic bags.....how on earth
(no pun intended) do I know what they are? One fired white, one fired a pale
pinkish-tan.....one has some grit in it. I've been blowing up things right
and left, experimenting and having fun but sometimes I get frustrated, and
now I have scraps of the clays left, can I mix them? Will they blow up too?
Some people say let it dry slow, some say let it dry fast, some say dry in
humidity controlled atmospheres, some say fire slow, some say fire fast, some
have told me to fire higher than the recommendation, use cones, use
self-supporting cones, use bars, thin the glazes, thicken the glazes, use
three thin coats, you want a well insulated kiln, you want a kiln with air
circulation, fire with it open, fire with it closed, etc etc etc.....is this
ALL a matter of trial and error? I'm pulling my hair out.
Where can I find information on all these types of kilns?
I did stained glass for awhile and have about 75lbs of glass scraps and would
like to incorporate my glass with the clay, has anyone seen a book or any
information how I could do some of this? Could I say, melt a few pieces of
artglass on a plate in the kiln? Would it stick to the piece or blow up?
Hope my picking your collective brains isn't out of line here.....I could use
some help from people that REALLY know what they are doing rather than the
lady down at the slip-casting place.
Thanks for any replies or helps or tips......
KC
I has seen the enemy, and it is my kiln.
Karen Gringhuis on mon 3 may 99
Dear Cindy - Your summary of all the advice on Clayart is
WONDERFUL and dead on. Keep your sense of humor (you sure tickled mine!)
and don't tear your hair out.
first and last, WHAT you do depends on what you WANT to do and the
results YOU want to get. Only you make these decisions.
That said, your task in sorting all the advice is to keep track of
the WHY anyone does something in a particular way. Too often I
fail to ask "why?" Once you understand why, then you can chose for yourself.
To your specific qns - I mix my own glazes because that gives me the
results I want. Truthfully I've never even tried store-bought ones --
maybe I should. If they work for YOU, use them. (I could rave on
forever about glazes but that's not what you need right now.)
Same goes for mixing your own clay even more so. MANY of us use/
have used/WISH we could use store bought clay. There are lots of
good ones out there - try lots of them. Mixing one's own clay
can be a real hassle so find a store bought body that works for
you and just make stuff.
Your unlabeled bags of clay worry me test fire them before you
fire them too hot and have a melt down all over your kiln
shelves - the biggest pain in the neck there is.
One book = Hammer's Dictionary. Where to get it? E-mail
"SBranfpots@aol.com" = Steve Branfman at Potter's Shop for
excellent discounted prices and KNOWLEDGEABLE help. Before
you do that, does your library buy requested titles? Perhaps
you can talk them into it. Yes you should own it but it's
expensive so perhaps the library for now. Take a look first
thru interlibrary loan.
You can learn a lot from a good big catalog from a ceramic supplier -
and they're free. Check for web sites for Standard Ceramics,
Bailey, ART, Axner, etc.
Keep in touch and stay calm. You can do it. Karen Gringhuis
CNW on mon 3 may 99
Hi New Kid-- you didn't mention where you live and that could help us know
what resources might be available in your area. I personally recommend Kathy
Triplett's book on hand building. It has a lot of information on basic
things and offers understandable information.
As for your kiln firing; it depends on what you are making how you fire.
Handbuilt thick pieces fire slowly after an overnight pre-heat. They must be
very dry and slowly is best. Wheel thrown pieces can be dried and fired more
rapidly.
If you would like to e-mail me I would be glad to answer as many questions
as I can. I started out on my own too and things blowing up can be
frustrating.
Celia in NC, just waiting for school to let out and fearing those workshops
that I agreed to do.........................
Joshua Lynch on mon 3 may 99
Cindy,
To answer one of your questions, Cathy Triplett does some very interesting
things with glass. She coats the clay with kiln wash, lays a peice of
glass on the clay and gets it just hot enough for the glass to conform to
the shape of the clay. Then she'll glue the glass to her work. (This
avoids the glass attaching itself to the clay when its hot -- so it won't
break in cooling)
Experimentation is your friend! Keep in mind what you would do if no one
was telling you the "right" way to approach clay. You'd find your own path
and make beautiful work anyway. Read anything you can get your hands on
and get advice from everyone, but in the end experience is what is true.
Josh in North Carolina, where exams are almost over, and the summer is
near.
Bill Williams on mon 3 may 99
Hi. I am not an authority and that's for sure, but I have been throwing for
about 3 years so have recently been in your shoes, so to speak. I was a
little bit better prepared to go into pottery because my husband is a
professional artist and so had several hours training and had taught wheel
work. Anyway, I still had to find out a lot of things for myself, because
he had not taught pottery for several years and had lost glaze recipes and
forgotten clay formulas. I will just tell you my experience and then you
can take it for what it's worth. I started by buying pre-mixed (that's in a
bag) earthenware clay. This is the kind of clay that is used to make the
ceramics that you buy in a ceramics greenware shop. I learned to throw
using it. I bought commercial glazes, and glazed and fired my pieces. This
clay is fired first to bisque and then glazed and fired again. Well, I
didn't like the way my stuff looked compared to other pottery I looked at.
I kept trying and practicing. Still not happy. I decided to try to mix my
own clay. Why not, my husband already had a pug mill. Well, I spent lots
of hours and lots of money trying to come up with a clay that would work for
me. Still no good. boo hoo. My back was hurting and I was getting
discouraged. I read books, I talked to potters. Finally I found a potter
in Missouri who was very helpful and gave me lots of tips and showed me his
little secrets. At that time I switched to stoneware clay that is fired to
cone 6. It is considered mid-fire clay. I have settled on a cone 6 buff
clay that works well for me. I buy it from a supplier already mixed and
ready to go. After I throw a piece, I put it in a box and let it dry real
slow. You absolutely can't rush clay. It will blow up on you if it is too
thick, or if it has not dried enough. I usually wait about 3-4 weeks before
I bisque fire it to cone 02. This firing is the first fire. You can then
glaze to piece and as soon as the glaze is dry, you can fire it to cone 6.
Now, the reason I mix my own stoneware glazes is because I make a lot of
pots now and commercial glaze is too expensive and I like to experiment with
the stuff. It is a lot of fun and you can get some of you own colors and
styles that way. Stick with the basics first and get that down so you
understand what you are doing and why and then try the fancy stuff. Don't
put glass in your clay, it will cut your hands. I have had a lot of trial
and error, but have found that the one book I turn to over and over is
Chappells book on glazes. It is a little expensive, but it is worth every
penny. His glazes are usually good and he explains a lot of whys and
wherefores. If you can't buy it, get it at you local library and take lots
of notes out of it. Good luck. I am always happy to share, but like I said
there are a lot of very professional people in this newsgroup and they know
what they are talking about. I don't usually say much, because I just don't
know it all yet. Hope I have helped you a little.
Connie
billwms@fn.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Cindy Dueringer
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Sunday, May 02, 1999 6:46 PM
Subject: New Kid
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>I'm not sure it's appropriate to introduce ourselves to the m/l members,
but
>here goes. Delete this now if you get bored easily.
>
>I'm a new kid on your block.
>
>I'm staring hard at becoming 50-something in the new millenium and have
>played in "clay" most of my life.
>
>I've worked in clay as a kid.....I lived in northern Ohio and I'd dig it
out
>of the creek and bring it home (and get in trouble). My mother gave me
clay
>to play with, that pleistocene crap that came in sticks in dull primary
>colors, which was okay to mold with, until I ate it. And I've spent hours
>with Play-Doh when my kids were small. I finally took a little class where
>you clean and glaze premolded greenware. I irritated the heck out of my
>instructor because I mixed glazes and added stuff looking for weird
effects,
>because I was bored with "painting someone else's work". After I made
enough
>dust collectors I quit for 20 years. Now I wanna play in clay
>again......more as a hobby/therapy. I'm not planning on showing or selling
>anything.
>
>Hubby bought me an old kiln from a school a year ago and put new elements
in
>it....and I've been enjoying blowing up stuff ever since. I bought a few
>books on beginning with pottery and clay and kilns and glazes , but my
budget
>has come to a screeching halt when hubby lost his job in Feb, so I've been
>trying to find information on the net when I stumbled across the clayart
>mailing list. You guys are LIGHTYEARS ahead of me and my piddly knowlege
of
>the artworks of clay. I'd love to take a few classes but I'm pretty much
>housebound with a disability so I can't take classes or get out much or go
>very far to seek out some of the bigger cities' supply houses. I read most
>of your e-mails as though they were golden primers of clayworks. Thanks.
>
>I have a few newbie questions......why do you all make your own glazes when
>there are so many commercially available and consistency of homemade glazes
>is so hard to keep?
>
>You mix your own clays...why is that preferable?
>
>If I could only buy ONE book with good definitions of terms, kiln
>information, etc, what would you recommend?
>
>My family bought me various bricks of clay in plastic bags.....how on earth
>(no pun intended) do I know what they are? One fired white, one fired a
pale
>pinkish-tan.....one has some grit in it. I've been blowing up things right
>and left, experimenting and having fun but sometimes I get frustrated, and
>now I have scraps of the clays left, can I mix them? Will they blow up
too?
>
>Some people say let it dry slow, some say let it dry fast, some say dry in
>humidity controlled atmospheres, some say fire slow, some say fire fast,
some
>have told me to fire higher than the recommendation, use cones, use
>self-supporting cones, use bars, thin the glazes, thicken the glazes, use
>three thin coats, you want a well insulated kiln, you want a kiln with air
>circulation, fire with it open, fire with it closed, etc etc etc.....is
this
>ALL a matter of trial and error? I'm pulling my hair out.
>
>Where can I find information on all these types of kilns?
>
>I did stained glass for awhile and have about 75lbs of glass scraps and
would
>like to incorporate my glass with the clay, has anyone seen a book or any
>information how I could do some of this? Could I say, melt a few pieces of
>artglass on a plate in the kiln? Would it stick to the piece or blow up?
>
>Hope my picking your collective brains isn't out of line here.....I could
use
>some help from people that REALLY know what they are doing rather than the
>lady down at the slip-casting place.
>
>Thanks for any replies or helps or tips......
>
>KC
>I has seen the enemy, and it is my kiln.
>
Richard Ramirez on tue 4 may 99
KC,
Welcome. You've made the prerequisite for being able to join Clayart. Of
course you know what that is, don't you? The love of clay, no matter how far
or how close you get to it, the main point, is YOU want to know more.
Here, you'll find all levels, interests, job related, clay gurus,
students, and hobbyist and even those that just lurk and don't say anything.
All one big family. And with all big families, we have our spats with each
other at times, we kiss and make up and we start out again on that ever
enlightening road of discovering clay. So KC, you've made the grade, now it's
time to buckle your seat belt, keep the mouse at close at hand, and keep your
eyes from blinking or you'll miss something on the screen.
Again, WELCOME! to Clayart. Richard Ramirez "The Clay Stalker"
Vivianne Escolar on tue 4 may 99
Cindy, I have used used stained glass laid on top of a transparent
glaze and have had some great results. Interesting stuff. If you lay
diferent colour glass, the colours run into each other and it gives a
marbling like effect. I have just thrown it in the middle. The glaze I
used was a transparent shiny 01 glaze. Hope this helps. And keep going.
the longer you pot the more you love it! And it all starts to make sense
in no time.
Vivi, where the heat is on but the rains have come!!!
Joy Holdread on tue 4 may 99
In a message dated 5/3/99 8:06:54 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
KCCindy@AOL.COM writes:
> I did stained glass for a while and have about 75lbs of glass scraps and
would
> like to incorporate my glass with the clay, has anyone seen a book or any
> information how I could do some of this? Could I say, melt a few pieces of
> artglass on a plate in the kiln? Would it stick to the piece or blow up?
>
I've used stained glass on non food surfaces, the blues & greens survived
past cone 6 the reds & oranges didn't.
Joy in Tucson
Pat logue on wed 5 may 99
Cindy
Your questions about clay and glaze I think I can answer easily.It's a
fraction of the cost to make your own.Personally speaking I couldntfind
a clay that would do what I wanted(tile clay)so I had to make my
own.I'm about to give my formula to the local clay supplier and have
them mix it for me.It still works out cheaper.
As for the rest of your questions,A minimal amount of research( and your
submission to clayart)should give you the answers in short order
Pat
Cindy Dueringer wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> I'm not sure it's appropriate to introduce ourselves to the m/l members, but
> here goes. Delete this now if you get bored easily.
>
> I'm a new kid on your block.
>
> I'm staring hard at becoming 50-something in the new millenium and have
> played in "clay" most of my life.
>
> I've worked in clay as a kid.....I lived in northern Ohio and I'd dig it out
> of the creek and bring it home (and get in trouble). My mother gave me clay
> to play with, that pleistocene crap that came in sticks in dull primary
> colors, which was okay to mold with, until I ate it. And I've spent hours
> with Play-Doh when my kids were small. I finally took a little class where
> you clean and glaze premolded greenware. I irritated the heck out of my
> instructor because I mixed glazes and added stuff looking for weird effects,
> because I was bored with "painting someone else's work". After I made enough
> dust collectors I quit for 20 years. Now I wanna play in clay
> again......more as a hobby/therapy. I'm not planning on showing or selling
> anything.
>
> Hubby bought me an old kiln from a school a year ago and put new elements in
> it....and I've been enjoying blowing up stuff ever since. I bought a few
> books on beginning with pottery and clay and kilns and glazes , but my budget
> has come to a screeching halt when hubby lost his job in Feb, so I've been
> trying to find information on the net when I stumbled across the clayart
> mailing list. You guys are LIGHTYEARS ahead of me and my piddly knowlege of
> the artworks of clay. I'd love to take a few classes but I'm pretty much
> housebound with a disability so I can't take classes or get out much or go
> very far to seek out some of the bigger cities' supply houses. I read most
> of your e-mails as though they were golden primers of clayworks. Thanks.
>
> I have a few newbie questions......why do you all make your own glazes when
> there are so many commercially available and consistency of homemade glazes
> is so hard to keep?
>
> You mix your own clays...why is that preferable?
>
> If I could only buy ONE book with good definitions of terms, kiln
> information, etc, what would you recommend?
>
> My family bought me various bricks of clay in plastic bags.....how on earth
> (no pun intended) do I know what they are? One fired white, one fired a pale
> pinkish-tan.....one has some grit in it. I've been blowing up things right
> and left, experimenting and having fun but sometimes I get frustrated, and
> now I have scraps of the clays left, can I mix them? Will they blow up too?
>
> Some people say let it dry slow, some say let it dry fast, some say dry in
> humidity controlled atmospheres, some say fire slow, some say fire fast, some
> have told me to fire higher than the recommendation, use cones, use
> self-supporting cones, use bars, thin the glazes, thicken the glazes, use
> three thin coats, you want a well insulated kiln, you want a kiln with air
> circulation, fire with it open, fire with it closed, etc etc etc.....is this
> ALL a matter of trial and error? I'm pulling my hair out.
>
> Where can I find information on all these types of kilns?
>
> I did stained glass for awhile and have about 75lbs of glass scraps and would
> like to incorporate my glass with the clay, has anyone seen a book or any
> information how I could do some of this? Could I say, melt a few pieces of
> artglass on a plate in the kiln? Would it stick to the piece or blow up?
>
> Hope my picking your collective brains isn't out of line here.....I could use
> some help from people that REALLY know what they are doing rather than the
> lady down at the slip-casting place.
>
> Thanks for any replies or helps or tips......
>
> KC
> I has seen the enemy, and it is my kiln.
Joanne Van Bezooyen on wed 5 may 99
Hi Joy, I've tried it and it didn't flow.....not hot enough? (>04)....need a
flux?...need to put it over a glaze to get it to go?
Joy Holdread wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> In a message dated 5/3/99 8:06:54 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
> KCCindy@AOL.COM writes:
>
> > I did stained glass for a while and have about 75lbs of glass scraps and
> would
> > like to incorporate my glass with the clay, has anyone seen a book or any
> > information how I could do some of this? Could I say, melt a few pieces of
> > artglass on a plate in the kiln? Would it stick to the piece or blow up?
> >
>
> I've used stained glass on non food surfaces, the blues & greens survived
> past cone 6 the reds & oranges didn't.
> Joy in Tucson
Debra Wills on thu 6 may 99
Hi KC i'm new to the list too, but, you can fire stained glass in bowls etc,
it's tricky, fire it to cone 2...lots of practice.& tests will pay off ~good
luck~ Debra
I did stained glass for awhile and have about 75lbs of glass scraps and
would
like to incorporate my glass with the clay, has anyone seen a book or any
information how I could do some of this? Could I say, melt a few pieces of
artglass on a plate in the kiln? Would it stick to the piece or blow up?
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