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Hello everyone, I am completely new in this field, my work so far has focused on plaster modeling. But soon I would like to start a new project, which requires a lot of knowledge in clay processing. I would like to make two fireplace surrounds (designed in the style of the attached plan), one for a decorative fireplace and one for a real fireplace which already has a cast iron insert whit a brick mantle. I would like to know for the first one, for the decorative one, I need to burn the tiles or not. It's about some large parts, for example 2 corbels 80x20 cm. Also I would like to know if such large parts should have any reinforcement system for example made of wire or iron. The material, the clay is good as I find it in commerce as it is or will need to be added some additives to avoid the appearance of fissures without burning. For the symmetry of the parts, I thought it would be good to carve one part and the other to copy it with a plaster coating. I look forward to any suggestions. Thank you all

Dear all, i want to carve some bricks while they are soft, then sun dry them, then fire them extra slowly, then carve the detail into the well fired brick. I've researched this and all the instructions tell me to dig up natural clay. I can't do this as i live in the city and i don't have land to dig. Would it work if i buy some terra cotta powder and silica sand, add water, and mix it thoroughly? Regards, Pete

Done with porcelain, finalizing stoneware, in the middle of frit ware: so now I need to study earthenware and terra cotta. Looking for Recipes, links to recipes: do not include your private recipes. Need to start tearing apart the basic formula limits and create a database. Thank you for the help. Nerd

Hi! I'm doing my first big craft show in a few weeks and I'm trying to figure out some aspects of my display. I've designed a pipe and drape system from old copper pipes and was thinking i could use big(ish) terra cotta vase shapes filled with concrete to house the bottoms of my legs and act as weights. Has anyone had experience filling a ceramic form with concrete? Does it crack or cause any problems? I'd also love some feedback on trade show set-up tips. Thanks, Dana

Jenny Mendes Workshop Awakening the Possibilities: Terra Cotta Jungle WS05 – Saturday & Sunday, 10-4pm, June 11 & 12 2016 Fee: $200 member/$225 non-member This hands-on, two day workshop is for anyone who wants to awaken the possibilities in their ceramic work through the imaginative use of color decoration. Jenny will demonstrate various vibrant ways to approach the surface as a painter, by means of a palette of terra sigillatas, underglaze, washes and oxides. Simple hand-built forms and tiles will serve as your canvas. She will share her “low tech method†of making terra sigillata. The emphasis will be on helping participants relax so they can play with color, texture and imagery on the surface of their work. A willingness to have fun and embrace the deliberate awkwardness of finding oneself in unknown territory is the only prerequisite! All levels welcome. Jenny Mendes earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1982, and has been a full time studio artist since 1994. Jenny is an internationally recognized ceramic artist working primarily with clay to create hand-built and decorated ceramics. She exhibits her ceramic artwork nationally at galleries and juried shows. Since completing a three-year residency at the Penland School of Crafts in 2007, she has completed additional short-term residencies in France, Slovenia, Macedonia, and the US. She currently resides in Ohio, teaches an occasional workshop, and gardens for pleasure. Artist Statement Using clay as my primary material, I have found an entry way into my subconscious. I work intuitively with a palate comprised of many things. First I create a structure which I overlay with painted patterns of emotional experience, sensory based memories, cellular formations, and other discoveries. Working within a human/animal narrative, I engage in a dialogue that witnesses and reflects an invitation into my world. WS05 – Saturday & Sunday, 10-4pm, June 11 & 12, 2016 Fee: $200 member/$225 non-member