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Signing Your Work, What Is Your Method?


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I've noticed a trend in marking pottery with an extremely small stamp with no other form of signature. Do people generally do this on dishware only or on more extensive sculptural work as well?

 

I am curious how others prefer to mark their work. Do you sign with a needle tool? Use a chop or seal! Have a stamp made? What information do you try to convey?

 

Some of the stamps I've seen used are so small and simple it wouldn't lend a clue for someone who bought it to remember the maker. Do you prefer a simple mark or something more identifiable? Do you use your name, a symbol or both? I know there are as many options as answers to these questions, but I am curious and I would love to see some examples.

 

Clearly this is also somewhat pointed. I am not fully satisfied with my marking method and I am considering a custom stamp, or more immediately re-carving a soap stone signature chop I had fashioned myself for other purposes.

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I have a TERRIBLE scribble scrabble signature which is barely consistent. I prefer a small stamp. I'm still learning but I think I'll probably always prefer a stamp if anything. Some of the greats never signed their work and compromised only by signing on the decorative boxes that they sold in. It interferes with the mingei folk-art concept as I am familiar with it.

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I made a small stamp of my 3 initials, carved into the end of a coil of clay - about 6mm diameter. It took several attempts to get it right - first time I got it in reverse! Then there was one piece that kept falling out and spoiling the letters! I carved back the space around the letters, leaving them standing proud, which are then an impression, when I stamp my pots.

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Hey,

    When I sign my work,

    I use a needle tool made from a blow gun dart that Michael Hanson made me in April of 1990.

I sign my name and date backwards but put the lbs. and cone temperature on frontwards as well

as any other information.  I'm not sure what a stamped signature will mean in 20, 30, or 40 years

from now, if its only initials.  I also stain the bottom with black iron oxide to make the information visible.

Its useless if you can't make out the name and/or date. 

see you later.

Alabama

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  • 4 months later...

I sign my name with a brush and oxide on the bottom of all my pots.

TJR.

So, you mix an oxide with water, and paint it on. Or is their something else you add for so it will paint on easily? I have to sign some dark, already bisqued clay body. I'm thinking titantium ox and water. What think?  ja

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  • 2 years later...

Bumping an old thread. I am having a hard time marking some of my work. I can't stamp it because the walls are too thin and it leaves the stamp mark on the inside of the pot. I can't sign anything for crap because my handwriting looks amateur hour. I thought about just not signing my work at all. I sort of sign all my work anyways with my decoration. I leave 3 dots on all my work. It has a special meaning to me, but I don't know if my customers would ever know it. Do customers find it odd if you don't sign it? Does it devalue the piece in their eyes? I am not sure what to do about this.  

I thought about using iron oxide and a brush and just signing an F to the bottom of everything in a unique way. But I am not sure if that is any better than my signature. Meh.

Thoughts? This hasn't been a problem until now, I usually dont take the time to stamp my work because it eventually all gets hammered, but its going into the world now and I figure customers want it marked. Bleh. 

I thought about wax resist signage on the inside of my foot. Lightly sprayed it would turn into a reddish color with dots of glazes sticking over the wax. Again not sure if this is good or bad. Guess I will just have to try different techniques.

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The other day I gave a mug to my bone doc. The first thing he did was turn it over and look at he bottom. 

Many years ago, a sculptor professor looked at one of my mugs. Turned it over to look at the bottom. I had my pottery mark on it but did not sign the pot. He said always sign your pots because the average user will think it is machine made without your signature.

I sold a platter to a customer that I work with. The platter was signed and had the pottery mark. Not good enough. They were mad because I had not dated the piece.

I use the china pencils to make my signature on greenware. I do single fire glazing.

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19 minutes ago, dhPotter said:

The other day I gave a mug to my bone doc. The first thing he did was turn it over and look at he bottom. 

Many years ago, a sculptor professor looked at one of my mugs. Turned it over to look at the bottom. I had my pottery mark on it but did not sign the pot. He said always sign your pots because the average user will think it is machine made without your signature.

I sold a platter to a customer that I work with. The platter was signed and had the pottery mark. Not good enough. They were mad because I had not dated the piece.

I use the china pencils to make my signature on greenware. I do single fire glazing.

My dad is like this too. He thinks every piece should be signed, dated and kissed. I just don't understand it. I don't think people will think my work is machine made, but I guess I need to figure out this signature thing. Maybe take some slip/mortar and just slap it on there then stamp that. Could work pretty well and its visual.

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4 minutes ago, Judith B said:

@Joseph F,

can you sign using a pencil? I mean one with oxides, or something that will resist the firing? That way you don't have to leave a mark on the clay, it's only on the surface

I don't bisque, so the pencil just cuts into the side of the clay. This is my stamp, which I had made from an ink brushing I did. I could repeat this sort of each time on the pot. Of course it would look different each time, but I am not sure if that is super important or not. I still think the slip mortar might be the best thing to do.

 

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I sign with the back end of a metal needle tool.-been doing that for 40 plus years-I tried the chop but it was to much extra work to get the clay just right. When your volume of work is large ,extra steps need to make more sense and that one did not.

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