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impressing thrown pieces

updated tue 23 sep 03

 

Zoe Paddy Johnson CIRT CSOS on wed 17 sep 03


How does one get an imprint of a plant leaf or flower onto a thrown piece
like a mug? I have great fun smashing flowers into slabs destined to be a
variety of objects with the slab roller, but i really mess up my newby
type thrown pots whenever I try to put them threw the slab roller.
zoej, bored, far away from clay and a library in Indio

Pamela Watkins on thu 18 sep 03


Zoe,

You might want to try a small brayer, or a pastry roller on stiffened, not quite leather hard clay - or using a wood rib (support the inside with a smooth stone or the hand) to smooth the impression. Also, try covering the botanics with a small piece of canvas before rolling or smoothing. Experiment with different drying stages to find the best result. Carefully peel away the botanical or depending on how you fire you could leave it on to burn off. Good luck!

Pamela
jaq

Zoe Paddy Johnson CIRT CSOS wrote:
How does one get an imprint of a plant leaf or flower onto a thrown piece
like a mug? I have great fun smashing flowers into slabs destined to be a
variety of objects with the slab roller, but i really mess up my newby
type thrown pots whenever I try to put them threw the slab roller.
zoej, bored, far away from clay and a library in Indio

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May Davies on thu 18 sep 03


Zoe,

brush an engobe or slip onto the flower and apply the wet side to your piece.
Then when it sets up a little bit, peel the flower or leaf off and you may be
able to use it again for multiple impressions depending on the strength of
the flora in question. I used this technique on a 3 ft high table (fashioned
after a sculpture stand).

May

Donald G. Goldsobel on fri 19 sep 03


The inside of the pot needs to be supported. I have a few river rocks of
various sizes that are flat. It is best to do it when the pot has sarted to
set up because otherwise the clay sticks and its a mess. Try wrapping the
stone anvil (flat smooth river stone) in cloth. Hold it on the inside of the
pot opposite the place to be imprinted and presto- the inside is
supported-the impression is clean and the stone didn't stick.

Good luckkkkkkk!

Donald
----- Original Message -----
From: "Zoe Paddy Johnson CIRT CSOS"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 3:26 PM
Subject: impressing thrown pieces


> How does one get an imprint of a plant leaf or flower onto a thrown piece
> like a mug? I have great fun smashing flowers into slabs destined to be a
> variety of objects with the slab roller, but i really mess up my newby
> type thrown pots whenever I try to put them threw the slab roller.
> zoej, bored, far away from clay and a library in Indio
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

Alex Robinson on sat 20 sep 03


I've discovered the use of balloons for this very thing. Get a bag of those
"water balloons" from the drugstore (small balloons, a lot in a bag for a
little price) and use those. I blow one up a little bit and close it off
(size of the blowing up depends on the size of the piece) and then put some
masking tape on it somewhere. Then you can hold it against the inside of
where you're pressing and you will have a flexible support that shouldn't
push the pot out of shape from the inside. Then prick the masking tape to
deflate without exploding and pull it out.

Balloons work especially well when you're working on the outside of
something that has a small neck. Just stick the balloon in and blow it up
keeping the blow hole on the outside and you have a custom made inside
support for that particular pot.

Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald G. Goldsobel"
To:
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 9:36 PM
Subject: Re: impressing thrown pieces


> The inside of the pot needs to be supported. I have a few river rocks of
> various sizes that are flat. It is best to do it when the pot has sarted
to
> set up because otherwise the clay sticks and its a mess. Try wrapping the
> stone anvil (flat smooth river stone) in cloth. Hold it on the inside of
the
> pot opposite the place to be imprinted and presto- the inside is
> supported-the impression is clean and the stone didn't stick.

Elzbieta Sekula on sat 20 sep 03


What a great tip!

In a message dated 9/20/03 10:53:58 AM Central Daylight Time,
alex@IWANTMYXTV.COM writes:

> I've discovered the use of balloons for this very thing. Get a bag of
> those
> "water balloons" from the drugstore (small balloons, a lot in a bag for a
> little price) and use those. I blow one up a little bit and close it off
> (size of the blowing up depends on the size of the piece) and then put some
> masking tape on it somewhere. Then you can hold it against the inside of
> where you're pressing and you will have a flexible support that shouldn't
> push the pot out of shape from the inside. Then prick the masking tape to
> deflate without exploding and pull it out.
>
> Balloons work especially well when you're working on the outside of
> something that has a small neck. Just stick the balloon in and blow it up
> keeping the blow hole on the outside and you have a custom made inside
> support for that particular pot.
>
> Alex
>

John Niehaus on sun 21 sep 03


I too have been trying to come up with a way to support
a piece from the inside for the purpose of making impressions.
I wanted to offer an idea that I came up with but have yet to
try.

When the piece is leather hard, what about filling it with
BB's? Or possibly lead shot? Lead may perhaps be a bit too
heavy. I think this method might offer firmer support.

Another method I have used with limited success is to 'inflate'
the piece. I made a plate to block the opening that is fitted with
a tire inflation valve. After laying the articles to be impressed
around the piece I wrapped everything in shrink wrap. Then I
connected a bicycle pump and pumped 'er up. A balloon was
used to 'seal' the inside of the pot. Without the balloon the piece
experienced 'blowouts'. This method works OK, but it distorts
the piece due to the flexibility of the shrink wrap. I think it would
work much better if the containment method were rigid, perhaps
a plaster mold of the desired shape. I have purchased plaster for
this purpose, but have not yet had the time to try it. Been too busy
with the pottery wheel project.

Wishing you all good impressions!

Lee Love on mon 22 sep 03


----- Original Message -----
From: "John Niehaus"
To:
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 10:26 AM
Subject: impressing thrown pieces


> I too have been trying to come up with a way to support
> a piece from the inside for the purpose of making impressions.
> I wanted to offer an idea that I came up with but have yet to
> try.

I do both impressing and cutting with a twisted wire, loop tools and
fluting tools, for my zogan inlay. From my studies, I feel it is important
to have your hand on the inside of the ware to feel what the impression is
doing to the clay. It helps you judge the amount of pressure to use.

The key is to catch the clay when it is "not to hard and not too
soft." This is a little softer than leather hard. If your work is a
little too hard, you can either spray it or bush water on the surface.

With the rope impressions, the rope is dipped in water and you try
to keep your rope clean.

You probably will deform the form a little. Put it on a wheel and
spin it, shape it and make it symmetrical again.

For impressing things like platters, the trick is to do the
impression before the trim the platter and make sure you throw the platter
with plenty of excess clay on the bottom . It gives the rim support. At
the workshop, platters were trimmed right up to the lip.

--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan Lee@Mashiko.org

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pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on mon 22 sep 03


Or fill a 'Baloon' with fine dry Sand...(a maybe somewhat
stretched out Baloon as is in the Vase or Pot or whatever it
is...or if not a Baloon, then some light weight
cellophane-like 'bag'...)


Phil