QotW: What process do you use with the clay you use, including glazing and firing range?

[Pres 1,908]

Since there was no recent QotW in the question pool, I will once again pose a question:  What process do you use with the clay you use, including glazing and firing range?

I have used several different clays over the last several decades, starting with a wide firing range clay that I fired to ^6, didn't work out too well as it never seemed to be mature. Then I went to a clay similar to the one I used in the HS, a ^5-6 clay that was quite nice, very throwable, good for handbuilding, and speckled, however mine did not speckle.  This was so that I could not be accused of using school clay(watch your back). After I retired, I did use the speckled version, but stopped using it as I became concerned of the manganese in mortars, and I was getting a little bored with the clay. Next I started using a hazelnut  brown and a white that both were ^5-6. I found the hazelnut great to throw with, but glazes turned out darker. Then started to glaze both with a white glaze before spraying on colored glazes over top. I find that this has allowed me to get the color to accent the textures I stamp/incise into the pot before shaping. It still seems to be a learning process as now I believe the white glazes underneath leaches color out of the sprays on top, last batch I use the white glaze only on the inside and down an inch of the white clay pieces . 

Added as an edit: Whooops, guess I do need to say that most of what I do is wheel thrown, with some going to slab construction with wheel thrown components. Most of the ware is functional, unless it gets big enough to be considered super functional. Stoneware clay is what I use, as I prefer the feel over the buttery feel of porcelain, but that too may change. The step in that direction would be to find a porcelain at ^6 that I can like.

Asking one more time. .. . . .  What process do you use with the clay you use, including glazing and firing range?

 

 

best,

Pres

[Mark C. 3,699]

I'll bite

Cone 10 porcelain mostly Daves from Laguna -fired in treduction atmosphere to soft cone 11. All homeamde glazes  dipped and some brushing. Aslo  use a bit of 50/50 porcelain and some Babu both from Laguna clay company. down to 6-8 tons per year now.95% thrown forms with minor slab work.I fire in two gas kilns-a small 12 cubic footer (fired my 18th laod yesrterday for the year in that kiln and my car kiln. (35 cubic feet) fired my 17th load yesterday for the year in that kiln.

I like porcelain as it tougher and shows the glazes off better than stoneware and chips less as well.

[Denice 588]

My studio is full of clay right now,  I have a off white speckled, Speckled buff. Standard red,   Death Valley red and yellow.   These are my clay's used for coiling ,  the  coils are smoothed and Indian designs usually Mimbres or Anazai  are applied using stains or glazes.   At least half of the pot is not glazed  so the color  of the clay and texture is important.  I also have a buff throwing clay that I have been using to improve my throwing skills.    I recycle my clay,  it is part of my process.   I went to college during the hippie era and was taught that all of mother earths offerings such as clay are precious and need to be recycled.   I was also taught to evaluate a piece before you fire it,  think about someone finding that pot hundreds of years from now.   Is it worthy of being around that long,  because it is fired it won't disintegrate and return to the earth.    Denice

[Pres 1,908]

Denice, I also recycle my clay. First because I live in the city, and would not know or want to dump clay anywhere. Second because I believe it is a resource, and try to use it.  Happy to know someone out there has the patience for coil pottery, and uses colored clays to enhance it.

 

best,

Pres

[Denice 588]

Working with a coarser clay makes the smooth process  a little slower,  I got into coiling when I was in college.   I took a archeology class that was in a competition with other colleges to replicate  Anazai pottery.  It was held in the pottery studio and I was the only clay person in the class.  The professor taught the class how he thought they made the coiled pots,  I told him he was wrong  that the pots would crack and fall apart.   At the end of the semester we fired them in a trench firing,  my work come out fine the rest was broken shards.     I had a dozen pieces come out of the firing most of them quite large and thin walled.    The professor admitted I was right,  the archeology department  won the competition  with my work.   Denice

[Marcia Selsor 1,783]

I have been working with Coleman Porcelain to use in Obvara as well as sagger and soluble salts. This is not fired to maturity. Porousity is needed for the absorption in the lower temperature.I have been testing numerous ^6 porcelains to use in this process also. I have Linsay Porcelain ^6 from Archie Bray  Photo#1  and a ^6 Plainsman Translucent porcelain for actually firing to ^6. #2 was fired yesterday using soluble salts.I fire soluble salts from 1250F to 1700 depending on the colors I am trying to get.

 

[Pres 1,908]

Marcia, the amount of depth in number one is amazing along with the ever so significant use of the leaf motif with the blue green. . . very stunning!  Number 2 continues to emphasize the great body of knowledge you have amassed with fuming and soluble salts. . . . when does the book come out?

 

 

best,

Pres

[Marcia Selsor 1,783]

My Botanist friend took a group on a nature hike  along Fox Creek and up a mountain. Most of the group had a good background in Botany. I was along for the wildlife observance and new material for patterns of leaves and plants. My old Faux celadon is at a good stage. I had made my friend a watercolor brush holder and glazed it with my old bucket of glaze which seemed to be at a perfect consistency. I carved that vase before my Obvara class in July. I am going to carve some mugs for NCECA and elsewhere.

Thanks for the compliment. I'm enjoying my time back in Montana. 

Best wishes to you Pres.

Marcia

[Marcia Selsor 1,783]

Here is the faux celadon recipe posted in my gallery in the discussion topics. It is ^6 oxidation. It is a little thicker on the vase above.