Your Resource for Ceramic Techniques

Your Resource for Ceramic Techniques

Mar/Apr 2014

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | March/April 2014 1

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | March/April 20142

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On the Cover Deb Sigel’s Flowers, 20 in. (51 cm) in diameter, Egyptian Paste, steel armature. Photo: Brian Giniewski.

InsideMarch/April 2014 Volume 17 Number 2

Features 12 Pattern and Meaning by Shana Salaff

Adding pattern to your work is a great way to personal-ize it and explore subjects that fascinate you.

17 Bryce Brisco: The Art of Serving by Yoko Sekino-Bove

Making dinnerware requires attention to both the details that make functional pieces work, and the ones that make them a pleasure to use.

22 Push/Pull: The Art of Deborah Sigel by Mary Cloonan

Working with Egyptian paste is no easy feat, but Debo-rah Sigel has found an elegant solution.

29 Oil Bottle and Trivet: Altering in Unison by Marty Fielding

Handbuilding a bottle and tray using wheel-thrown parts allows for lots of creative possibilities.

35 Making Pots (and Food) from Scratch

by Patty OsborneOn a visit to a potters’ cooperative in Nicaragua, mem-bers of Potters for Peace learned a new firing technique.

41 Used Once and Once Again by WangLing ChouTired of having all those plastic beverage bottles go to waste? Try turning them into molds for functional vessels.

In the Studio 6 One Man’s Trash by Deanna Ranlett

8 Brick Façades by Robert Balaban

10 Building Big, Carving Deep by Barbara Stevens

Inspiration 44 In the Potter’s Kitchen Egg Separators by Sumi von Dassow

48 Pottery Illustrated Brushes by Robin Ouellette

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fired up | Commentary

Breaking Out

When it comes to setting fire to your creativity, nothing works better than breaking a few rules. Why settle for repeat-ing a tried-and-true technique when you can try something new that pushes you out of your comfort zone? Since Pottery Making Illustrated prides itself in uncovering the offbeat and

unusual, you’ll enjoy some of the techniques in store with this issue.The first thing you’ll notice is that the cover and feature article deal with Egyptian

paste, a self-glazing clay that Deb Sigel uses in a very creative way. Author Mary Cloonan describes how, after fabricating metal frames, Sigel pushes the paste into place and fires the pieces, before they dry, to cone 05. The colors, cracking, and black framework all work together for her sculptures, but think of her process as a starting point—what would you do with Egyptian paste?

If you’re looking for different decorating ideas, check out Shana Salaff ’s pattern ideas, Robert Balaban’s brick façades, or Bryce Brisco’s slip technique. For handbuilding, Mar-ty Fielding’s oil bottle process provides the basis for dozens of forms as does WangLing Chou’s plastic-bottle molded teapot. And for our continuing series, Sumi von Dassow delights us with an egg separator and a delicious recipe for lemon meringue pie, Deanna Ranlett shows the possibilities of recycling old shop glazes into beautiful new ones, while Robin Ouellette illustrates different brush types and their uses in her latest Pottery Il-lustrated segment.

All of our contributors develop their techniques after many attempts to get to the place they want to be, but in doing so, what they describe becomes established. Your challenge is to break out and build upon what they’ve learned, taking the knowledge they share to create your own path.

On another note, we’re pleased to announce a few changes to the staff here as Holly Goring transitions to Managing Editor in charge of most all editorial functions of the magazine. She’s backed up by Jessica Knapp for editing and acquisitions as well as Me-lissa Bury and Erin Pfeifer providing design and graphic production. Over the past few years, Holly and Jessica have worked diligently to bring you some of the best techniques, and I’m confident the magazine will continue to improve through their efforts.

Bill JonesEditor

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in or-der to look at things in a different way.

—Edward de Bono

Volume 17 • Number 2

Publisher Charles SpahrEditorial

Editor Bill JonesManaging Editor Holly GoringAssociate Editor Jessica KnappEditorial Support Jan MoloneyEditorial Support Linda [email protected]: (614) 895-4213Fax: (614) 891-8960

Print and Digital Design Melissa Bury

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AdvertisingNational Sales Director Mona ThielAdvertising Services Marianna [email protected]: (614) 794-5834Fax: (614) 891-8960

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One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That’s the sentiment echoed recently in our studio while re-mixing leftover shop glaz-es together. It’s a fairly common practice in large studios to make what’s called a “trash glaze” using the remaining bits of various shop glazes to avoid throwing glaze materials down the drain.

While researching online how to safely dispose of glaze mate-rials, I found a number of suggestions from firing the materials inside bisque bowls to a low temperature to sinter them to add-ing recycled clay then shaping the mixture into bricks or tiles and firing them. Many large studios also utilize hazardous materials bins that are delivered by their local waste management depart-ments. Personally I believe that the best bet is either the latter option or to reuse the materials as trash glazes.

Rescuing Trash GlazesWhen making trash glazes, the result is commonly dark gray, dark brown, or dark blue because of the various coloring ox-ides combining from all of the glazes. One technique is to mix together glazes of a similar nature, for example, mixing leftover

clear glazes together, light colors with other light colors, and blues with greens, etc. For our group studio experiment, we chose glazes at random as if you were just cleaning up or retir-ing some older unwanted glazes. Often studios are not thrilled with the resulting colors of their studio trash glazes so we de-cided to also experiment with small additions of modifiers and opacifiers to show some remedies for rescuing a trash glaze. I selected titanium dioxide, rutile, Zircopax, zinc oxide, and iron oxide as additives.

Testing for Food SafetyIt’s important to test for leaching in the resulting glazes al-though general consensus says that because of the variety of fluxes present, trash glazes are usually very stable. Performing a basic lemon or vinegar leaching test is the proper thing to do when mixing and firing any new glazes. Allow your fired glazed piece to sit for at least 24 hours with a lemon slice on it or partially submerge it in vinegar to show if color is leaching from your glazes.

in the studio | Glaze

One Man’s Trashby Deanna Ranlett

Bu

cket

B w

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5 M

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Figure 4 2% Titanium

Figure 12 2% Iron

Figure 10 2% Zinc

Figure 8 2% Zircopax

Figure 6 2% Rutile

Figure 1Bucket A Base

Figure 3 2% Titanium

Figure 5 2% Rutile

Figure 7 2% Zircopax

Figure 9 2% Zinc

Figure 11 2% Iron

Figure 2Bucket B Base

Bu

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Initial Glaze TestsBucket A was a mix of five cone-6 glazes: dark green, white, purple, dark blue, and celadon. This group of tests were done on tiles made from Helios porcelain from Highwater Clays, and fired to cone 6. This glaze fired to a translucent gray. Overall, bucket A had more variation among additives (figure 1).

Bucket B was a mix of five cone-6 glaz-es: dark brown, white, cream, black, and powder blue. This group of tests were done on tiles made from Red Rock stone-ware, also from Highwater Clays, and fired to cone 6. The glaze fired to a dark floating blue. Overall, bucket B had less dramatic results among additives (figure 2).

Adding Glaze Modifiers• 2% titanium dioxide gave a variegated

surface with bright color. In both glazes, the titanium dioxide brought out the co-balt. Bucket A, which initially was a dark gray, came out a soft floating blue that broke green (figure 3). Bucket B, which already appeared as a floating blue had more crystals and a softer color (figure 4).

•2% rutile yielded a variegated surface and brightened the color, adding more green hues. It also opacified the glaze a bit more than the titanium dioxide did. The glaze from bucket A resulted in a beautiful soft powder blue (figure 5). Bucket B had almost no change from the original tile with the addition of the rutile (figure 6).

•2% Zircopax gave the glazes a boost in brightness. This was expected because Zircopax is an opacifier used to make glazes lighter and whiter. The glaze in bucket A became a brighter, more opaque, and green gray (figure 7). The glaze from bucket B became a softer, more cobalt-hued floating blue and broke less around the textured areas (figure 8).

•2% zinc oxide gave the glazes what we called a “starry” quality. The glaze from bucket A became a pale gray with dark-er blue pools of tiny crystals (figure 9). The bucket B test had a similar starry effect and an even brighter blue where the glaze pooled (figure 10).

•2% iron oxide gave the glazes a deeper brown hue as expected. I would view adding iron as a “black out” effect if you aren’t happy with the original color of your trash glaze and just want to create a rich deep brown (figures 11–12).

ConclusionsFor trash glazes, my approach would be to first add Zircopax to lighten and brighten the color. Our bucket A made a lovely, neutral gray on its own that many studio members wanted to try. Adding titanium dioxide or rutile also made a lot of sense because you’re able to produce reduction-like effects with glazes that have variegat-ed, hares-fur type textures on their sur-faces. The addition of zinc oxide gave the most interesting variation (although dif-ficult to see in the photos.) It added more

flux, which resulted in a nice break on the texture and a star-like effect.

When working with trash glazes, I would suggest making changes in small increments and firing in between to test. Because of the variety of oxides, opaci-fiers, and ingredients, small changes and additions are all that are needed to make a large impact.

Deanna Ranlett owns Atlanta Clay (www.atlantaclay.com) and MudFire Clay-works and Gallery (www.mudfire.com). She has been a working ceramic artist for 13 years.

2011 South Town East Blvd.Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557Toll Free Fax [email protected]

“My Paragonkiln practically

fires itself,giving me moretime to makepots” —David

HendleyThe Paragon kiln was already

ancient when David and KarenHendley bought it in 1995. Sincethen David has fired about 20,000pieces of bisque in his electricParagon.

“For the last 20 years I havebeen glaze-firing all my work in awood-fired kiln,” said David. “Ienjoy the excitement of the firings,and my friends and customers likethe random fire flashings and ashdeposits.

“What they don’t know is thatevery piece is first fired in my Par-agon electric kiln. While acciden-tal and chance effects can enhancea wood firing, consistency is thekey to successful bisque firings.

“For those firings, my Paragonhas delivered reliable and consis-tent results year after year. It prac-tically fires itself, giving me moretime to make more pots.”

The Paragons of today areeven better than the early ones.The digital 12-sided TnF-27-3shown at right is only 22 ¼” deepfor easier loading. Lift the lid ef-fortlessly with the spring coun-ter-balance. Enjoy the accuracy

David and Karen Hendley with their ancient ParagonA-28B. It has fired about 20,000 pieces of bisque. TheHendleys run Old Farmhouse Pottery in Maydelle, Texas.

and convenience of theOrton controller.

To learn more, call usor visit our website for afree catalog and thename of the Paragondealer near you. Sign upfor the Kiln Pointersnewsletter.

Constantly finding betterways to make kilns.

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I was commissioned to make a mug as a going-away present for an architect. Since he worked primarily on a series of brick buildings built during the 1960–1980s. I decided that a classical red-brick construction or brick façade would be an appropriate design surface for this project.

I looked for brick molds I could use to make reasonably sized sheets of brick façades. I found that the best sources for these molds were from the baking industry. The most useful molds were ones used for fondant decorating, which provided a cross-section of choices for my project. A couple of sources for these molds (and many other designs) include www.nycake.com and www.jubileesweetarts.com—they’re remarkable in variety and high quality.

The molds for bricks come in two forms, large and small rollers for impressing texture, or simple plastic sheets for press molding (figure 1). After experimenting, I found that a sturdy sheet mold for press molding worked the best, providing a reproducible pat-tern and a large enough sheet to work as a façade or as an actual slab for construction. I had difficulty getting consistent pressure with the rollers, resulting in uneven impressions.

in the studio | Surface Decoration

Brick Façadesby Robert Balaban

Finished piece with added brick façade and white stoneware clay slip.

Cake decorating rollers and panels. Apply a release agent then press into a clay slab.

Cut either uniform or irregular shapes to use as slab construction or decoration.

Score and slip the two pieces, then join together. Be sure to press out air pockets.

Clean the join. Brush on a contrasting clay slip over the façade. Be sure to fill all of the grooves.

Allow the ware to dry, then gently scrape off the white clay slip revealing the brick and mortar pattern.

Surface detail of a finished and fired brick and mortar façade.

1 2 3

3 4 5


Pressing the MoldStart by coating the mold with a releas-ing agent (silicon spray from Liquid Wrench works well), then roll out an even clay slab to about 1⁄3 inch thick for decorative façades and 2⁄3 inch thick for slabs for building walls. Generally, red or terra-cotta clay bodies with a little bit of grog look good for this project, although some stoneware clay bodies may work as well. Working on a flat absorbent surface, smooth and compress the slab with a rib, then press the mold firmly onto it. After releasing the mold, let the slab firm up a bit on a canvas-covered plaster slab to prevent deformation during application. You want the material pliable enough to bend without cracking but not easy to deform with modest finger pressure. I found that cutting irregular structures from the slab generated a more interest-ing result for a simple mug (figure 2).

Decorating with Press MoldsAttach the still moist but firm brick fa-çade to a leather-hard vessel by scoring and slipping both parts then attaching (figure 3). You may need to touch up any areas damaged during the application. It’s important that the mortar grooves are retained through this process for filling in later steps. Note: The vessel the façade is being attached to and the clay slip must have similar shrinkage to prevent the façade from separating from the vessel. If you use two different clay bodies, use extra care when attaching them to avoid cracking or separating during drying and firing.

Once the façade has firmed to leather hard on the ware, apply a white stone-ware clay slip over the entire façade to fill the mortar grooves (figure 4). Again, the white slip must match the other clay’s shrinkage rate. I let the first coat firm up, then add a second and some-times a third coat of white clay to ensure I have filled all of the mortar groves. If you can still see the brick pattern after applying the white clay, you need to add another coat.

During the drying process, small edg-es of the façade may pull away from the vessel. I find that by waiting about ten minutes for the surfaces to soften after applying a wet clay slip between the façade and vessel, I then can press the

façade back in place without additional cracks forming.

Allow the ware to dry, then gently scrape off the white clay slip, revealing the mortar grooves (figure 5). Caution: Always wear a mask when scraping dry clay and use a wet sponge to clean up the scraps. It’s important to let the ware almost reach the bone-dry state to pre-vent smearing of the red brick clay over the white clay mortar grooves. With a little practice, you can find what ex-tent of drying works best to make the

scraping easier while avoiding smear-ing, however bone dry works well even though it requires a bit more effort.

I like to keep the brick surface un-glazed so after the bisque firing, I brush wax resist over the façade to keep the exterior and liner glazes off of it. The result, after the glaze firing, is a very at-tractive surface that closely simulates a natural brick structure.

Robert Balaban is a functional potter and teaches classes in his studio in Maryland.

http://www.coyoteclay.com/


I came to brick relief carving later in my ceramic career after par-ticipating in a large-scale, public art project based on wet brick carving. I loved being able to use clay and work BIG. It was also at this time that I learned to carve sculptures that could also be used as benches. My first carved brick bench was so exciting, and I enjoyed working with 12×8×4-inch solid bricks that allowed me to apply heavy texture and have up to five inches of relief.

Planning a Large-Scale Outdoor Brick BenchStart with sketches of a bench design, use a theme or a pattern to make up the seat, back, and arms then carve a maquette. Sketch the outside ring of each brick layer, then number the layers as well as the individual bricks, which determines the exact dimen-sions of the bench and how many bricks you need. Order the unfired, wet brick from a local factory, either have them deliv-ered or pick them up yourself depending on what’s convenient

for you. Clear a large indoor space to work and cover the floor with plastic. Start by stacking the outside ring of bricks in layers to match your sketches. The center bricks are only used to form the stack so that the seat has support during this carving process. They’re not counted in the numbering process, nor are they fired. The outside ring must form a box and these bricks need to be al-ternated to form a sound structure. While stacking, alternate the direction of the bricks on each layer so that the seams alternate by one half brick, ensuring a strong and durable structure.

Deep CarvingUsing the maquette, draw your design on each side of the stack (figure 1), then start carving the deepest areas first. An easy way to remove large hunks of brick is with a wire cutter (figure 2). This is much faster than using a loop tool, which works bet-ter for detailing. Once the deep grooves are in place and the

in the studio | Carving

Building Big, Carving Deepby Barbara Stevens

Stack the wet brick to form a bench. Use the maquette to sketch on the design.

Remove large sections of wet brick with a wire cutter to quickly define the form.

Use loop tools to add texture and de-tails. Cover the brick when not carving it.

Label each brick with a number and the layer it’s in. Make notes of the labels.

Choose a mortar color to match the fired brick for a cohesive looking bench.

Barbara Stevens’ finished sunflower-themed bench.

1 2 3

4 5 6


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design starts to take shape, begin the texturing, detailing, fine-tuning, and burnishing to complete the bench sculpture (figure 3). Remember to mist the bricks with water several times while carving and before covering with two layers of plastic after each carving session to keep them wet for the duration of the project.

Label the BrickAfter the sculpture is complete, the wet brick must be num-bered and stamped as the brick layers are taken down. This is important because the bricks are handled many times from start to finish. To ensure that you can recreate the bench without too much confusion, make several drawings, take plenty of pho-tos, and make notes on the bricks themselves. Label each brick with its layer number and an individual brick number. I use a hammer and heavy metal stamps to inlay numbers on the bricks (figure 4) making them easy read after they’re fired. I also draw an arrow on each brick showing which direction the brick lies in that layer.

Drying and Firing the Brick To aid the drying process, drill holes into the back of the brick, leaving an inch of space between the holes and the carved edges. Three holes per full-sized brick is sufficient. Place the bricks on pallets with space between them for good air flow and even drying. Keep them away from any draft or lay a piece of plastic lightly over the top of each palette. The bricks may take several weeks or longer to dry completely depending on your climate.

Fire the bricks in individual layers with plenty of space be-tween the kiln shelves. Do not overcrowd the kiln and note that

the firing may take longer due to the larger masses requiring more heatwork.

Reconstructing and Installing the BenchLay the fired brick in rows according to their respective layer and number. Next, arrange the layers as they would be installed on the bench so they match the drawings and photos.

I hire a mason to install my large benches and recommend do-ing this unless you have masonry skills. Together we lay out layer A (the bottom layer) and square it on the cement base, which is laid ahead of time to support the sculpture. Next, mix the ma-sonry cement with mason dye to match the brick, and start in-stalling the first layer. From there, it’s just a matter of laying the next three layers before filling the seat cavity with cut cement block and cement to support the seat. The cavity needs to set up and dry before the seat can be installed.

To complete the bench installation, stack a few layers of the arms and the back to make sure they line up with the base (fig-ure 5). Adjustments may need to be made but as long as they’re minor they can easily be fixed with some creative mortar work.

My finished bench looks great outside my studio and will hopefully inspire more brick sculptures (figure 6).

Thank you to my ceramic professor Darrell McGinnis, St. Louis ceramic artist Catharine Magel, and Seattle brick carver Mara Smith for their training and inspiration in teaching both ceramics and brick carving.

Barbara Stevens works and lives in Concordia, Kansas. To see more of her brick carving, check out http://ccccartstars.blogspot.com/2011/10/sunflow-er-bench-fall-2011.html.

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Patterns have embellished ceramic objects since our Neolithic past. Early clay vessels often imitated woven baskets. Our fas-cination with pattern and decoration dates back even further. We take pleasure from our environment when it’s enhanced with decoration.

Theorist Ellen Dissanayake states that the evolutionary origin of art making is connected to our early development as a species. Then, as now, the intimate connection a baby has with its parents is crucial to language and behavior development. Sustaining this depth of feeling later in life is at the root of our drive to elabo-rate upon our material world. Dissanayake coined the phrase “making special” to describe the human impulse to change one’s natural surroundings or built environment through any form of artmaking. When present-day potters decorate their work, they are joyful participants in this making special. Pattern is a great way to achieve this.

The What and Why of PatternPattern divides a visual surface into regular intervals with the rep-etition of individual elements. While these elements can be any-thing, the organizing principle of repetition brings unity to the design. What do we see when we look at pattern? In an abstract pattern, we see a rhythmic arrangement of lines, shapes, and movements. When patterns contain representational elements, this adds another layer of meaning. For example, a floral pattern evokes natural beauty, while other imagery causes us to call up as-sociations with things we have seen before. When beautiful line quality, surface variation, and color are brought into the mix, a pattern becomes much more than just a way to organize space.

Patterns also have historical resonances (derived from our own culture or that of others), which many ceramic artists use to their advantage. Using a pattern inspired by historical ceramics on the surface of a contemporary piece adds a layer to the visual experi-ence. In the finished piece, this layer can then be compared with the form it sits upon, made either within the same historical refer-

ence or in contrast to it. Using patterns from another culture or time period is acceptable, as long as you treat both the culture and the pattern with respect in an attempt to find your authentic voice. Using copyright-free patterns is the safest way to do this.

Pattern SourcesI often decorate my work with components of patterns pulled from various historical sources. Most of the patterns I use on a regular basis come from the library’s visual art section. I choose a specific pattern for the aesthetic pleasure I find in it, as well as how easily I can transform it into a fresh decorative surface. I also look for flowing lines, a pattern that moves well across the surface, and lovely, small floral or leafy elements. I find Victorian wallpaper patterns easy to use because of the plant and flower designs (figure 1). I have adapted Chinese patterns derived from rugs with the same quality (figure 2). For line work, I prefer patterns that have a movement across space like a swooping line or draped arrangements of leaves on a stalk. I will shuffle through my extensive collection of patterns when considering a new form or new material. However, I am usually drawn to the same two or three.

I’m working with pattern as a tool, using it as a framework for beautiful line quality and color variation, and applying a paint-erly filter. There is a difference between a pattern created to fit a specific form (such as around the rim of a plate) and pattern used as a surface decoration on a form more like paint on canvas. I am not imitating the pattern but using it as a framework and vehicle for self-expression. The historical reference hovers in the background waiting to be recognized. This is my own way of us-ing pattern to make special.

Transferring a Pattern I copy patterns onto acetate and project them onto my work with an old overhead projector. I first started using one because I mis-trusted my ability to draw freehand. Now, using a projector allows

by Shana Salaff


me to concentrate on line quality and spacing because I don’t have

to worry about getting it right. For a pattern from a book, this in-

volves scanning the page onto my computer, sizing it, tiling it (cre-

ating a repeating pattern), then printing it onto transparency film

(use the kind appropriate for your printer or have it done for you

at an office supply store). Another option is to trace onto acetate

directly from a visual source such as a printed textile. You might

have to scan this in order to shrink the image for projection. You

can find old overhead projectors in thrift shops or online: look for

ones that contain working bulbs, as these are the most expensive

items to replace. Projectors that connect directly to a computer

also work but are more expensive. If you prefer not to use a pro-

jector, take time to practice drawing your pattern with pen and

paper so you can have the same fluency with your hand as you

would tracing a projection. There are also many ways to transfer a

paper pattern onto clay. Search for “image transfer techniques” on

ceramicartsdaily.org for more information.

Developing a Personal VocabularyGive yourself the following assignment for developing a per-

sonal vocabulary with pattern: Experiment with a few patterns

and a large number of materials. Create a large number of simple

tumbler shapes—they make a simple canvas to work with—that

need little or no trimming, or that can be easily handbuilt. Alter

into thirds or square off the form if you like (figure 3). Choose

or create two or three patterns to play with. Assemble all your

decorating equipment and materials and get ready to play with

variations. Commit to making each surface different.

Use an X-Acto knife to carve patterns onto about one-third to

one-half of your cups (figure 4). Experiment with different por-

tions of the pattern, proportions of the surface, and any other

variable that you can think of. Use the uncarved cups for un-

derglaze application before or after bisque, as well as glaze ap-

plication (figure 5). Try every combination of materials you have

access to, as well as every decorating technique you can think

of: sgraffito, underglaze- or glaze-trailing, brushing, waxing

and wiping away, inlaying slip or underglaze into carved sur-

faces when leather hard or over bisque, adding layers of glaze,

glaze pencil, or overglaze. Invent your own techniques, and play

with color, texture, value, type of line, etc. Layer techniques and,

whenever possible, contrast one pattern with another (figure 6).

Experiment with ways to work with the negative space around

the pattern as much as the pattern itself (figures 7 and 8).

Wheel-thrown and altered cup with incised elements of a Wil-liam Morris wallpaper pattern layered with a diamond pattern.

Wheel-thrown and altered cup with a carved and glazed lotus pattern over a glazed diamond pattern.

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Investigating FurtherOther ideas for making your own pattern are to go out and draw trees or flowers, walk around your neighborhood, find decoration you love, look in your closet for patterned fabric, photograph it, tile it on your computer, etc. If you’re like me, obsessed with his-torical patterns and wallpaper, find copyright-free examples. Ask yourself: how do you want to use pattern? Where do you find, or how do you create, your pattern? How do you want to make your work special? Playing with the answers to these questions will help you create your own voice when using pattern in your work.

Great resources for pattern ideas include Owen Jones’ texts The Grammar of Ornament, and The Complete “Chinese Ornament.” In these, Jones illustrates precise and beautifully rendered examples of ornament and pattern from around the world and across cen-turies. Jones was one of the mid-19th century thinkers who par-ticipated in the intense cataloguing of both the natural and human world in the search for underlying theories and rules.

I prefer to ignore strict pronouncements about what is “correct” or even “best” and proceed on the basis of intuition. Use your in-

tuition to guide you toward self-expression. Ultimately, this will grow out of continued exploration into what moves you as a per-son as well as an artist.

Shana Salaff lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she teaches at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, and Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado. She earned an MFA in ceramics from California State University, Fullerton. She has also written for Ceramics Monthly magazine. To see more of her writing and her artwork, visit www.shanasalaff.com.

Suggested Reading Dissanayake, Ellen. 2000. Art and Intimacy: How the Arts Began. Seattle: University of Washington Press.Dissanayake, Ellen. 2002. What is Art For? Seattle: University of Washington Press.Owen Jones; foreword by Jean-Paul Midant, L’Aventurine. ca. 2006. The Grammar of Ornament: Illustrated by Examples from Various Styles of Ornament. Owen Jones (1809-1874). 1990. The Complete “Chinese Orna-ment”: All 100 Color Plates. New York: Dover.

Alter a cylinder to create different planes or sections (either vertical or horizontal) to start to organize your design.

Brush on glaze to create a second pat-tern. Use a resist on the first pattern if you wish to keep the glazes separate.

Project a pattern onto the cup, arrange the composition, and carve or trace around the edges of the projected shapes.

A Chinese cloud pattern created using glaze. The negative space becomes an active part of this composition.

Apply underglaze or glaze with a slip trailer or a brush using the projected im-age as a guide.

The same cloud pattern, carved into the surface, glazed, then overlaid onto a dia-mond pattern for a different visual effect.

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process | Pattern and Meaning | Shana Salaff


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Bryce Brisco is a ceramic artist currently working and teaching as an artist-in-residence at the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, Tennessee. His functional wood-fired tableware, like the shallow bowl he demonstrates decorating here, is adorned with simple (yet elegant) slip patterns, resist elements, and incised texturing. Just like Bryce himself, his work is sincere, durable, and inviting.

Bryce uses a light gray, smooth stoneware clay body of his own cre-ation that’s comprised of local clays he digs up in the area around Smithville. By using local materials, he’s able to establish a relation-ship with the region’s people and give the pots an identity based on the area’s culture. He enjoys the unpredictable beauty of these local clays when wood fired in a salt atmosphere.

by Yoko Sekino-Bové

Bryce Brisco

The ArT ofServing


Throwing a Shallow BowlBryce throws his pieces using minimal tools. After using three pounds of clay to create a 10-inch-diameter bowl with a smooth inside curve and a rim that’s about two inches wide, he cleans the sur-face with a rib before applying any sur-face decoration (figure 1). He does not cut the clay from the bat immediately after throwing, leaving it attached keeps it centered for the decorating stages.

Depending on his studio schedule, he either leaves the bowl for a day to natu-rally dry the surface, or he uses a torch to remove the moisture quickly. When the surface has lost its sheen, the bowl is ready to be decorated.

Applying StickersBryce works with both slip and resist surface techniques. He cuts several cir-cles out of contact paper with scissors before starting to work on the clay. The contact paper is water-proof and resis-tant to slip. He wants to keep these cir-cles hand-cut. “I know we can buy circle stickers, but mechanical perfection does not work on handmade pots. People can tell the difference.”

When the bowl dries to soft leather hard, he places the bat back on the wheel and paints on a series of circular lines as guides using food coloring. Because the food coloring burns out at a very low temperature without leaving residue, these guidelines don’t affect the final result (figure 2).

The next step is to mark three, evenly divided lines for three of his circle stickers. To do this, Bryce uses a guide made by marking a clear compact disc with dividing lines (the disc shown has marks for dividing a surface into three or five segments). He holds the disc above the circular lines, positions it as close to the center of the bowl as he can, and marks where his lines will go using food coloring (figure 3). Using this method, he can measure the spots for the stickers very evenly.

After removing the blank disc, he paints in the guidelines for the stickers and re-checks the distance between them by eye (figure 4), then, following the guidelines, he applies three contact paper stickers (figure 5).

Pouring White Slip and Finger SwipingBryce keeps a big bucket of white slip on hand to decorate multiple larger forms. He removes the pot (still attached to the bat) from the wheel, and pours a generous amount of the slip into his bowl (figure 6). He swishes it around the interior to make

Materials n Circle templatesn Shelf liner contact papern Long, skinny brush dedicated for food-color paintingn Circles hand cut from contact papern Food colorn A clear, CD-shaped plastic disc (when you buy a CD pack, this plastic disc protects the actual CDs), with permanent-marker guidelines added to it to indicate angles.

Making, then refining the rim of a shal-low bowl with a rubber rib.

Drawing a circular guideline with food coloring on the soft, leather-hard bowl.

Applying marks for three dividing lines using the homemade measuring tool.

Completing the guidelines after remov-ing the dividing tool.

process | Bryce Brisco: The Art of Serving | Yoko Sekino-Bové

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sure it covers the entire inside curved area, then pours it out, back into the bucket.

Placing the pot back on the wheel, Bryce cleans up the rim with a rib and removes any splashes created by the slip immediately af-ter pouring the slip out, before the clay gets soggy (figure 7).

Now he uses his finger to swipe at the surface to create a loose, thick line (figure 8). The secret is to relax, stop thinking too much, and enjoy the process, stopping when the pattern or composition of lines looks complete.

Decoration on the RimBryce’s incised texture pattern on the rim was inspired by Tat-suzo Shimaoka, the respected Japanese potter who used a piece of rope to create incised patterns. But as always, Bryce found his own way to create a similar effect with a handmade tool sourced from a hand-cranked/manual pencil sharpener. For this texturing, he uses the part of the pencil sharpener that ac-tually spins and grinds the pencil.

While turning the pot slowly on a wheel, Bryce gently presses the texturing tool against the rim to incise the pattern. At this point, the clay is still soft enough to be carved, but firm enough to support itself. He doesn’t need to support the underside of the rim while creating the pattern (figure 9).

Once the decoration is completed, the contact paper dots are removed (figure 10), then the pot is trimmed and dried prior to being prepared for glazing.

Prepping for FiringBryce does not bisque fire his work. The white, slip-covered area of the pot is glazed with a clear glaze when the pots are bone-dry, leaving the areas that were covered by the stickers unglazed so he can place seashells and clay/alumina wads there. These wads create a decorative surface effect, while also al-lowing him to place one more piece on top of the wads, so he can fit more work into a kiln (figure 11). He fires the pots in a wood-burning salt kiln up to cone 11 (figure 12).

Applying water-proof circles, centered over the dividing lines and between the concentric circular guides.

Pouring slip into the bowl, over the resist circles, then swishing it around to coat the interior, then pouring out the excess.

Wiping and cleaning the rim using a rubber rib before the added slip softens the bowl too much.

Drawing a sgraffito finger swipe through the slip that interacts with the resist circles.

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Yoko Sekino-Bové is an artist and teacher living in Washington, Pennsylvania. To see more of her work, visit yokosekinobove.com.

Applying a texture to the rim using part of a manual pencil sharpener.

Using a sharp needle tool or X-Acto knife, lift up and remove the contact-paper circles.

Placing alumina and clay-stuffed shells onto the circled spots on the dry greenware bowl and stacking an additional piece on the shells before firing.

Completed plate showing the wad marks from the alumina-filled seashells, and the effects of the salt-firing on the piece, including the sheen on the rim.

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process | Bryce Brisco: The Art of Serving | Yoko Sekino-Bové

BryCe’S white SLip reCipe Cone 11

Tile 6 Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 %Add: Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 %

Bryce adjusts the base recipe by adding varying amounts (between 2 and 10%) of Zircopax, Grolleg, feldspar, and/or silica to the bucket to change the opacity, whiteness, melt, and fit of the slip, respectively . This is a loose recipe for a big portion, just like a home cooking recipe .

BryCe’S wADDing SeASheLLSCone 11

Alumina Hydrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 % EPK Kaolin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 %

Mix the alumina and EPK kaolin with water until workable, then stuff the wadding inside each seashell prior to placing the shells onto the pot .


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by Mary Cloonan

Push/PullThe Art of Deborah Sigel

Detail of Burst, 26 in. (66 cm) in height, Egyptian paste and steel. Photo: Brian Giniewski.


process | Push/Pull: The Art of Deborah Sigel | Mary Cloonan

There is a discordant beauty inherent in Deborah Sigel’s work. The black steel framing the deep cracks in the Egyptian paste seem at odds with the bright colors and botanical forms. It’s this dichotomy; order and chaos, stoic and friendly, that en-tices and intrigues. Viewing her work poses questions about the nature of beauty in imperfection, the clash of industrial with organic elements, as well as how the pieces were made. Sigel pushes the rules and limits of the materials she uses while pull-ing the viewer in to investigate the resulting textures and colors.

Currently a professor at Millersville University of Pennsyl-vania, Sigel began her explorations into Egyptian paste while at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan,

where, in addition to studying ceramics, she spent a lot of time in the metals studio and interacted with other students in both areas. Egyptian paste, or faience, is a low-fire mixture of ceram-ic materials containing clay, sand, colorants, frits, and soluble salts. These salts effloresce to the surface along with water as the paste slowly dries, forming crystals, which create a self-glazing clay-glaze hybrid once fired. As the name implies, it was origi-nally developed in Egypt and was used to mimic semi-precious stones such as turquoise or lapis lazuli.

Intrigued by the property of the glassy paste and the oppor-tunity to build sculpturally with color she explored its charac-teristics. Initially, she experimented, creating steel cages to hold

Welded ¼-inch steel rods form the frame-works for the sculptures. The Egyptian paste is added to the finished framework.

Refining the forms further using a soft rib to smooth the Egyptian paste and refine the shape.

Pressing thick Egyptian paste into the voids within the framework. Wear gloves when working with this caustic material.

Using a fettling knife to smooth the surface of the Egyptian paste be-tween the metal supports and clean excess paste from the supports.

Using a soft rib to compress the Egyp-tian paste and remove excess to reveal the steel supports.

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the paste with the hope it would flow and drip. Instead, when she fired the pieces, the Egyptian paste held its shape, crack-ing within the confines of the frame. As she continued her investigations and ex-ploration, she became more enamored with the steel frames as a line drawing combined with the ceramic material and set upon her creative course. The work feels simultaneously ancient and modern.

Sigel finds inspiration in the beauty of nature and rational mathematics, and the pattern and order found there. The objects are distillations of plant forms pared to a stoic geometry and joyful palette; playful, candy-hued constructs whose fissures are constrained by black-ened steel drawings.

Sigel creates work meant to be dis-played on a wall, not just for conve-nience, but as a carefully orchestrated maneuver. The wall allows her to ma-nipulate the space and interaction be-tween the objects, and to let the shad-ows play a part in the composition. It also emphasizes the patterns created by the grouping, allowing one to view the whole while investigating the individual, implement-like objects.

In many pieces, flowers bloom in a tight grid across the wall, an arrange-ment that implies a matching game, or other game of skill. The grid also im-parts a careful taxonomy of a botanist’s organization, allowing for infinite pos-sible arrays. Six petals radiate from a central metal circle that also serves as a way to display the work. Rods are bolted to the wall, and the central metal ring is placed on this rod, allowing the flowers to cast shadows and spin or pivot gently, a random settling that makes the pattern slightly askance, softening the grid.

Both the Wisps and Bursts series have hanging loops, presenting them as an im-plement for use, offering easy access for the viewer to imagine its intended pur-pose. Shadows imply pendulums or for-est canopies. In Bursts, symmetrical crys-talline forms grow from a central stalk, an enigmatic implement from another civi-lization. The Wisps possess a more deli-cate presence, sinewy stems with alternat-ing buds sprouting along the curves.

Building the FormsSigel welds the frameworks for her sculptures from ¼-inch steel rod, which can with-stand the heat of a low-temperature firing (figure 1). Fabricating her frames in this way gives her the ability to sculpt with strong, bold lines. She sees the forms as a three-dimensional drawing for the Egyptian paste to inhabit.

Once the frame is fabricated and cleaned up, Sigel dons gloves to protect her hands from the caustic soluble salts and to minimize her exposure to colorants, then packs the forms completely with Egyptian paste (figure 2). Her recipe consists of glass frit, soluble salts, nepheline syenite, clay, and a small quantity of sand to help control shrinkage. She has re-duced the amount of soluble salts, substituting in nepheline syenite, to combat the scum-ming on the surface that’s common with Egyptian paste. Occasionally a small amount of lithium carbonate is added if a slight sheen is desired, so that after the firing, the surface still looks like it did when freshly modeled. Colorants are added at 6–8% in the form of

After the firing, the metal has serpentine curves due to the action of the heat and weight of the pods.

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Completed Wisp forms, to 39 in. (99 cm) in height, showing a variety of Egyptian paste colors and the way the steel curves as a result of the firing. Photo: Brian Giniewski.

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Loading the 42-inch tall hanging Wisp structure into the kiln, supported by hard bricks and a black steel pipe.

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process | Push/Pull: The Art of Deborah Sigel | Mary Cloonan


Mason stains, or 2% for metallic oxide colorants. Sigel started her investigations into Egyptian paste with two recipes (see page 26). As time went on she began to favor Mark Johnson’s Matte Egyp-tian Paste recipe and made a few modifications including firing higher and lowering the amount of soluble salts. The new recipe (see page 26) may not conform to the standard idea of an Egyptian paste recipe, but the modifications work well for Sigel’s sculptures.

The dry ingredients are mixed with just enough water to cre-ate a thick, moldable paste. Sigel then carefully hones the surface, using the spine of the rod as a guide, meticulously smoothing the paste with a soft red Mudtools rib (figures 3 and 4) and a fettling knife (figure 5).

Once the frames are filled and refined, she loads them wet into the kiln and fires them slowly to cone 05 with the kiln lid or door propped open for the moisture to escape. This is a counter-intui-tive process for anyone accustomed to the usual firing techniques for Egyptian paste, where it’s dried slowly to allow for the soluble salts to come to the surface creating the self-glazing layer, but it works for producing the surfaces Sigel prefers.

Still, she does find it fascinating that the pieces stay together de-spite being fired wet, “Why don’t they explode? It baffles me!” Per-haps it’s the openness of the paste body, which contains little clay. Perhaps the cracks form early on in the drying process and allow the steam to escape in a less destructive manner. The combination of firing damp with the incompatible coefficients of expansion between the steel and ceramic materials promotes the cracking and fissures she is seeking, a randomness within the set pattern. Note: You can fire wet. Pots explode in a kiln when the outside dries and traps water inside. As the water turns to steam and ex-pands, it has no way to dissipate, and the resulting pressure causes the pot to break. When firing wet work, heat the kiln slowly.

Four Bursts, to 26 in. (66 cm) in height, in a completed installation. Photo: Brian Giniewski.

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Loading the kiln also influences the final work. Flowers are fired flat on a bed of sand, this supports all the petals while sup-plying a release in case of over fluxing. Wisps and Bursts are hung in the kiln, in the same position they will be displayed after the firing (figure 6). Sigel builds brick towers in the kiln with a sup-port rod made of black steel pipe, the kind used for gas lines, that the top loop of the steel armature hangs from. An interesting al-teration occurs in the kiln. The Bursts, being a single, centralized point or weight, remain straight. The Wisps start off straight, but the offset placement of the pods distribute the weight and heat differently creating serpentine curves (figure 7).

As individual pieces or as a whole installation, there is a quiet elegance and rhythm to their geometry (figure 8). They’re stoic, but there’s also a strong sense of humor; playful colors imply toys and their display cause one to invent games with the quirky implements (figure 9).

For Sigel, the materials are more than just a curious aesthetic result; they become a metaphor for the effects of time. It’s about embracing chance and revelling in the precarious balance of chaos and order. The kiln is an important partner in her creative process, it alters with heat and time, transforms the steel and Egyptian paste, recording history, and endurance. In her work, Egyptian paste and steel are integral and integrated elements, a symbiotic relationship creating controlled serendipity.

Deborah Sigel is a full professor at Millersville University of Pennsylvania in Millersville, Pennsylvania where she teaches ceramics. To see more of her work, visit http://deborahsigel.com.

Mary Cloonan is an artist, instructor, independent curator, and the exhi-bitions director at Baltimore Clayworks in Baltimore, Maryland.

If you’d like to try using Egyptian paste but don’t want to mix your own, check out prepared versions at www.amaco.com and www.lagunaclay.com.—Eds.


Deborah Sigel’S egyptian paSte

(Modified from Mark Johnson’s Matte egyptian paste)

Cone 05Ferro Frit 3134 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 .60 %Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 .25 Sodium Bicarbonate . . . . . . . . . 0 .50 Nepheline Syenite . . . . . . . . . . . 2 .60 Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 .05 100 .00 %

Add: Silica Sand . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–8 .00 %Add: (for sheen)Lithium Carbonate . . . . . . . . 0 .125– .25 %For Cobalt BlueAdd: Cobalt Carbonate . . . . . . . . 2 .00 %For Yellow Add: Degussa/Cerdec Bright Yellow . . 6–8 .00 %For Pink Add:Mason Stain Rose Pink* . . . . . 6–8 .00 %For Orange Add: US Pigment Tangerine Inclusion Stain . . . . . 6–8 .00 %For Green Add: Imported Green Stain* . . . . . . . 6–8 .00 %For Purple/Lavender Add: Mason Stain Amethyst . . . . . . . 6–8 .00 %For Black Add:Mason Stain Chrome Free Black . . 6–8 .00 %

Mixing: Start with 33% water as each colorant takes a different amount of water, cobalt carbon-ate needing a good bit more than the others . Add more water in smaller increments as the paste can quickly become over hydrated and sticky . Paste tends to stiffen up by the next day or two and will need to be re-wedged to become pliable again .

*Rose Pink Mason Stain is no longer available, and the green stain that Sigel uses is imported from Taiwan . Substitutions will require individual testing .

Mark JohnSon’S Matte egyptian paSte

Cone 08Sodium Bicarbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 %Ferro Frit 3134 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 100 %

JUanita’S paSteCone 08–06

Nepheline Syenite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 %Soda Ash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Sodium Bicarbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Ball Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Fire Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 100 %

Add: Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 %

Deborah Sigel started her investigations into Egyp-tian paste using both Mark Johnson’s Matte Egyp-tian Paste and Juanita’s Paste recipes before modify-ing Mark Johnson’s Matte Egyptian Paste recipe to better fit her needs .

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As potters, we commonly receive a certain wise suggestion in our early years of making pots that goes something like, “You should make the pieces that you want to use.” To decipher the advice fur-ther, we should make pots that align with our interests, use them frequently, and in the process learn more about how to finesse the nuances to improve their design and function.

The oil bottle has been one of these forms in my studio and kitchen. I love to cook and I love pots and, basically, as soon as I made my first oil bottles, one found its place on my stove top, supplying me with olive oil every day. Through getting to know several oil bottles over the years, the functional details I find cru-cial in a ewer are a narrow opening in the spout that decants a slow steady stream of oil and a saucer to catch the inevitable drips of the viscous liquid. My aesthetic choice of abstracting a bottle set up an exciting challenge of designing a saucer to fit an

out-of-round shape. The set demonstrated here is an elongated diamond with a slab-built spout and hollow lid. Think of these directions as a guide for your own explorations.

Making The BottleStart by throwing a bottomless cone that tapers slightly inward from the bottom to the top. While the cone is still round, plan where the four corners will be by making small marks on the rim with a finger or tool. Remove the cone from the wheel head or bat and place it on a dry, porous board. Now, place the finger pads of your hands on the adjacent sides of one of the corners. Slightly lift the cone off of the board for more flexibility and press your hands toward each other to establish an acute angle. Repeat this action for the opposite corner. Continue altering the remaining corners to es-tablish a diamond shape. You can sharpen the edges by supporting

by Marty FieldingAltering in UnisonOil Bottle and Trivet

Marty Fielding’s oil bottle and trivet, 4 in. (10 cm) in width, wheel-thrown and altered earthenware, terra sigillata, glaze, fired to cone 03 with renewable electricity, 2012.

29PotteryMaking Illustrated | March/April 2014


Alter a wheel-thrown bottomless cone and define the corners with a metal rib.

Use a paper template to create the spout. Place it onto a soft slab, and cut around the template using a fettling knife.

Make an impression of the top opening of the vessel onto the slab cut for the base of the lid. Use this as a guide to size the lid.

Cut out a triangular dart from the two wide angles of the diamond and reattach.

Insert a slab through the bottom of the body, then score, apply slip, and attach.

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them with a finger inside and pulling a flexible metal rib up both

sides of the corner several times (figure 1).

Darting the central obtuse angles is the second step in the alter-

ing the cone. In this case, I cut an isosceles triangle that’s ¾ inch

wide and 1 inch tall. Make parallel 45°-angled cuts so there will be

an overlap in the joint. Score, slip, and attach (figure 2). You can

treat this new seam with a metal rib to continue the edge below it.

This darting process changes the line of the form, creating more

complexity in the shape and narrowing the top opening.

When the diamond is just firm enough to handle without dis-

torting the shape, it’s time to attach the top and bottom of the

bottle. Roll out a ¼-inch-thick slab that is roughly a square foot

in area. This will be large enough to cut out the shapes for the

top, bottom, spout, and lid. To measure for the top slab, place the

diamond upside down on the slab and use the rim to make an im-

pression. Cut along the outside edge of the impression. I find that

closing the top from the inside adds the visual interest of a planar

change and retains the thrown quality of the rim. Score and slip

the inside of the rim as well as the diamond-shaped slab. From the

underside, carefully set the slab in place and apply pressure around

the edge of the slab with a finger or thumb (figure 3). Watch what is happening on the outside as you work to keep the top even.

Now, place the bottle back on the slab right side up and trace around the bottom. Make your cut ¼ inch outside the traced line. Score and slip both parts and set the bottle in place on the slab. Press down enough for the slab to stick and flip the piece over to apply pressure from the bottom with a rib or brayer. Return the piece to a board and trim any unevenness from the slab before rolling the edge of the slab up the side with a finger (see figure 5). Set the piece aside so the top and bottom can reach leather hard and cover the unused slab for later use.

The Slab SpoutThe spout is built using a slab and a paper template. The template is roughly pentagonal and is made by folding a piece of heavy pa-per in half and cutting a profile. Cut a section of the slab that is big enough for your template and stretch it slightly to 1⁄8 inch thick. Lay the template on the slab and cut around it (figure 4). Smooth the shortest side gently to prepare it to be finished as the pouring edge later. Bevel the adjacent sides of the pouring edge by cutting parallel 45° angles. Score, apply slip, and join the edges. Keeping in

process | Oil Bottle and Trivet: Altering in Unison | Marty Fielding


Cut around the impression on the base of the lid, then smooth the edges.

Assemble the lid flange, attaching it to the flat slab that forms the bottom of the lid.

To construct the trivet, start with a bottomless cylinder altered into a diamond shape. Use insulating foam for support.

Define a ridge for the top of the lid. Lay a slab over a dowel and smooth the sides.

Make an opening in the top of the bottle where the lid will sit.

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mind that the seam will be on the top of the spout, gently flatten the cone so it becomes more of an oval to fit the narrow end of the diamond. Place the spout on the body and decide exactly where it should be attached. Holding it in place, trace a line around base of the spout. Next, cut a hole in the body leaving ¼ inch of clay inside your traced line for the attachment. Score, slip, and attach (see fig-ure 5). One last detail for the shaping of the spout is to very softly hold the end of the spout and pull it downward a bit. This gives a beak-like curve across the top and a relaxed appearance. Finally, finish the pouring edge by wetting the end of a narrow wooden tool. Insert the tool into the spout and move it from side to side to sharpen the edge for a nice pour. Also take a moment to check the size of the opening. A quarter inch would be a good width to try.

The Hollow LidOnce the spout is finished, you’re ready to make the lid. First, place a triangular slab on the back half of the bottle and roll the top firmly enough with a brayer to make an impression of the rim (fig-ure 5). This slab will become the bottom of the lid, and you’ll use the impression both to cut the slab to shape and to determine the placement of the flange that will help to register and seat the lid on

the body once an opening is made. While this lid-bottom slab is

setting up to leather hard, cut a second triangular slab that’s about

the same size for the top of the hollow lid. Lay it over a round tool

handle or a dowel. Define a ridge by ribbing on both sides of the

dowel (figure 6). This will make a roof line for the lid. When both

parts have reached leather hard, follow the impression on the un-

derside of the base slab with your knife and cut the excess clay away

(figure 7). Bevel the topside of the base slab to prepare for attaching

the roof line. Score and slip the parts and join the two. Carefully

cut any overhanging clay from the top slab and close the open end

of the lid (short side of the triangle) with another small slab.

Going back to the bottle, trace the front end of the lid across

the top of the bottle. Leave ¼ inch of clay behind the traced line as

you begin to cut into the top to create an opening. Cut along the

seam where the wall and top come together and remove the slab

(figure 8). Take this opportunity to clean and smooth the inside

around the opening.

Now that there is an opening in the bottle, the flange can be built

on the lid. Start with three, ¾-inch wide slab strips that roughly

correspond to the lengths of each side of the lid. Attach these to the


Attach a slab to the top of the cylinder, then press the bottle into the slab so that it rests on the foam to define the trivet interior.

Flip the trivet over and seal the interior seam using a wooden tool. If necessary, add soft coils of clay to reinforce the join.

11 12

Shape the top of the trivet with a flexible metal rib to define the flat base, angled sides, and flat rim, then clean up the seam.

Marty Fielding’s oil bottle and trivet, 7 in. (18 cm) in width, wheel-thrown and altered earthenware, terra sigillata, glaze, fired to cone 03 with renewable electricity, 2012.

13

bottom of the lid one at a time, and insert the flange into the open-ing after each addition to check the fit. Adjust as needed. Taper the narrow back end of the flange to fit properly (figure 9).

The TrivetAt any point after the bottom slab of the bottle reaches leather hard, the trivet building can commence. Start with a bottomless thrown cylinder between 1–1½ inches tall and roughly 10 inches in diameter. It’s a good idea to have extra length here that can be cut away. Cut the wall vertically and begin wrapping it around the bottle while shaping it into a diamond. When the wall is the appro-priate shape and size, cut any extra clay away at parallel 45° angles and join the ends together. Let the wall dry to soft leather hard.

The bottom of the bottle is used to make a seat for itself in the top of the trivet. In order to keep the seat flat, place a piece of insulat-ing foam board inside for support and counter pressure (figure 10).

Place the cut side of the trivet down on the slab and cut a sec-tion that is an inch wider than the wall in all directions. Return the trivet wall to your work surface with the thrown rim down and the foam support in place. From this point on the thrown rim will be

the foot. Drape the slab across the top. Gently coax the slab inside by lifting from the outside edge and pushing toward the center. Once it’s hanging inside, use the bottle to apply more pressure and define the interior shape (figure 11). Remove the bottle and widen the bottle’s impression using a wooden knife (it typically shrinks more than the bottle and becomes too tight). Loosely cut the ex-cess slab away, place another board on top and flip the trivet over. Remove the wall from the slab so the two can be scored, slipped, and joined properly (figure 12). Seal the seam and clean the edges. Flip it over again and leave the foam underneath for support until the medium leather-hard stage. Define the base, angled sides, and flat rim using a metal rib, then address the seam (figure 13).

Monitor the fit between the bottle and trivet as they dry and trim with a rasp or sharp knife if the fit becomes too tight. Use your favorite surfacing and firing techniques and fill with your fa-vorite cooking oil, soy sauce, or vinegar.

Marty Fielding lives and works in Gainesville, Florida, where he is cur-rently a candidate in the University of Florida MFA ceramics program. To see more of his work, visit martyfielding.com.

process | Oil Bottle and Trivet: Altering in Unison | Marty Fielding


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Cooperativa San Expedicto is a pottery cooperative located near Jinotega in the coffee-growing hills of northern Nicaragua. The potters of San Expedicto, who are all women, produce both decorative and functional ware known for its shiny black finish.

Sourcing ClayTo dig their clay, the potters hike for about three hours up a mountain to a site where the earthenware clay is about two feet below the surface (figure 1). They take turns using a pole with a metal blade on the end of it to dig the dry clay and they fill an assortment of bags to about 80 pounds each, which they then carry back down the trail on their shoulders (figure 2).

To process the clay, they soak it in water until it’s soft, then screen out rocks and organics using a household plastic strainer. The clay is dried out on a slab of concrete or a board until it can be wedged and it’s used soon after that.

by Patty Osborne

From ScratchMaking Pots (and Food)

The potters of Cooperativa San Expedicto make wheel-thrown and handbuilt work from hand-dug local clay that’s then burnished and once fired to produce a beautiful black sheen.


Building and Firing ProcessesUp until the last couple of years, the potters of San Expedic-to were handbuilders, but they were interested in streamlin-ing their production techniques so they approached Potters for Peace who supplied them with a few wooden kick wheels and some training sessions. Now, much of their work is wheel thrown, and all of their work is highly burnished then fired once in a wood-fired kiln.

On a recent visit to Cooperativa San Expedito by members of Potters for Peace, the women of the cooperativa demon-

strated the firing method they use to achieve a solid black fin-

ish on their work, and then ended the demo with a delicious

surprise cooked right in the cooling kiln.

The dried, burnished pots are put into a cold kiln. They’re

pushed into place with a well-used tree branch (figure 3). Us-

ing wood that they have gathered from the surrounding hills,

the potters build a fire around and on top of the pots (figure 4).

The pots stay in the fire for about an hour and during this time

a sawdust bed is prepared on the ledge beside the kiln. Using

sticks and a homemade fork-like lifter, the pots are removed

Digging local clay using a pole with a metal blade on the end of it to loosen the dry clay and fill 80-pound bags.

The dried, burnished pots are put into a cold kiln and are pushed into place with a well-used tree branch.

Carrying the clay bags down from the mountainside back to the studio.

Building a fire around and on top of the pots.

process | Making Pots (and Food) From Scratch | Patty Osborne

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from the kiln and placed in the sawdust bed (figure 5). More

sawdust is thrown on top of them and as the sawdust catches

fire, the clay on the surface of the pot is reduced and turns

black. The pots are rolled around gently in the flames until all

sides are a solid black (figure 6).

When the pots have cooled, they are brushed off and then a

design is usually scratched through the black surface to reveal

the light-colored clay beneath it (figure 7).

On this visit, the potters made an instant broom by tying

green leaves around the end of a tree branch (figure 8). They

used the broom to sweep the ashes out of the still-hot kiln and

onto the wide sill at the front of the kiln opening.

Using a long, narrow, flat board, metal baking tins filled with

freshly-made rosquillas were placed inside the freshly cleaned

kiln (figure 9). Ten minutes later, the rosquillas were ready to

eat, and they were delicious (figure 10)!

The pots we brought back from San Expedito will always

remind us of the warmth and enthusiasm of these potters, not

to mention the melt-in-your-mouth taste of their fresh, kiln-

baked rosquillas.

Removing the pots from the kiln with a handmade pitchfork-like tool and placing them on the sawdust bed.

Scratching a design through the reduction on the surface of a cooled pot with a metal tool, revealing the lighter clay below.

Covering the pots with sawdust, and shifting them so that the smoke turns the entire surface black.

Making a single-use broom from fresh leaves to sweep the ashes out of the still-hot kiln.

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Wood-Fired roSquillaS Rosquillas can be cooked in a wood-fired oven, or traditional oven if that’s all you have access to.

Rosquillas 3 pounds queso seco or Mexican Cotija cheese

3 pounds masa harina (a dough flour made from specially treated corn)

4 tablespoons butter4 tablespoons lard from beef2 tablespoons lard from pork2 eggsbrown sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350°FGrate the cheese finely and then mix it with the masa harina.

Add eggs, butter, and lard, then mix until combined.

Shape into small donuts, about 1 to 1¼ inches in diameter. Push the shape together so there is no hole and sprinkle brown sugar where the hole would have been.

Place on cookie sheets.

Bake until they get a little color.

Yield: 100 rosquillas

Placing freshly made rosquillas into the newly cleaned kiln and using the re-sidual heat to cook them.

In 10 minutes time, the rosquillas are cooked and ready to eat.

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For more information about the potters of Nicaragua and/or Potters for Peace, visit www.pottersforpeace.org.

Patty Osborne is a potter and a pottery teacher who lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is also a board member of Potters for Peace. You can read her pottery blog at themudroom.ca.


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The inspiration for a recent series of teapots comes from want-ing to reuse and recycle materials, a practice rooted in my expe-riences as an international student. During that time, I traveled light, carrying all my possessions in just two suitcases. These circumstances forced me to get extraordinary use out of lim-ited materials. I would use objects multiple times and in some instances, find new uses for a particular object.

Now, my past manifests itself as I take used plastic bottles and give them a new life, saving them from an otherwise quick trip to the landfill. The commercial design of the bottles serves as a mold to provide the basic form of each piece, to which I add my own cre-ative touch. Ultimately, I seek to highlight the original industrial design by retaining its form, yet through my human touch, give each work its own unique character.

Preparing the Plastic MoldCollect any interesting forms of plastic to be used for potential molds such as soda bottles and food containers. Clean and rinse the plastic with soapy water. Next, use a utility knife or saw to cut out the portion you want to use for the mold.

Coat the inside of the plastic mold with a very thin layer of WD-40 and spread it evenly then wipe out the form with a cham-

by WangLing Chou

Used OnceOnce Again&

The Brood Tea Set, 12 in. (30 cm), press-molded and handbuilt stone-ware, fired to cone 6 in oxidation.


ois. Avoid using excess WD-40, as it will make the surface of the mold overly slippery and will penetrate the slab.

Drill a small hole in the bottom of the plastic bottle to allow air to escape when the slab is pressed inside the mold. Roll out a slab of clay and cut it into shapes to cover the inside of the mold (figure 1). Several sections of slabs will need to be connected together when pressing the inside of a curved plastic bottle and the number of sections will vary according to the size and shape of the form. Press the slab against the mold evenly and then smooth the inside as much as possible before removing it from the mold.

Forming a Zoomorphic TeapotWait until the pressed clay is stiff enough to hold its shape, then use a utility knife to carefully cut the soft part of the plastic bottle allowing the form to release from the mold (figure 2).

Smooth out the seams and remove any unwanted texture. Dur-ing the leather-hard stage, you may model the form further by

pushing out the curves, squeezing the excess clay or cutting and reconnecting some sections to alter or even exaggerate the pro-file. You can use coils or thin slabs to extend the vessel or alter the proportional balance and overall form for the teapot to a desired shape (figure 3).

Use the top portion of another plastic bottle as a mold for the top of the teapot (figure 4). This gives the form a more gradual rounded top as opposed to an abrupt flat one. Make the press mold for the top just as you did for the bottom.

Before adjusting and refining the size of the top hole (figure 5), clean the interior while there’s still a big enough hole to access the inside of the teapot. This ensures the joined pieces are well attached and the seam is smoothed.

Making the Spout and HandleTo create the basic spout form, use a tapered dowel, either short or long depending on the size spout you need. Roll a clay slab around the dowel and use it to shape the spout. To give the spout

Cut plastic bottles, apply a mold resist, then fill the inside of the mold with slabs.

Cut away the plastic mold carefully, avoiding any damage to the clay wall.

Use coils or slabs to add height. Score both parts then blend the seams.

Use the top portion of the plastic bottle as a mold for the top of the vessel. Con-nect the two halves together.

Adjust the size of the hole at the top of the pot and make a short spout. Shape it to fit the form, then attach it.

Draw a pattern for the tail on paper and cut it out. Use the pattern to cut out both sides of the tail.

process | Used Once and Once Again | WangLing Chou

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more of an organic feeling of an actual chicken beak, try to pull it into a slight curve, then cut the spout to size and attach it to the teapot (figure 5).

The construction of the tail, or handle, involves two mirrored parts formed together to give the impression of an inflated bal-loon. Cut out the two abstract forms similar to a chicken tail using a pattern to ensure the proportions of each side are the same (figure 6). Next, curl the edges inward in order to achieve the puffy appearance, then connect them, making sure to leave a hole for the air to escape (figure 7).

Finally, attach the tail in an appropriate place that gives the impression of tail feathers (figure 8). This tail not only serves as part of the chicken but also suggests a teapot’s handle.

Applying Decoration and GlazeTo decorate the vessel’s surface, start by staining the form with a thin layer of Amaco Velvet Jet Black Underglaze. Next, use a

damp sponge to remove the underglaze from the highest spots (figure 9).

Use a pencil to sketch the basic outline of a chicken drawing over the stained base glaze. The design of the figure should flow well with the shape of the vessel. In order to achieve this, distort some of the proportions and exaggerate the gesture of the chick-en in order to create a composition that compliments that shape.

Paint the chicken using black underglaze. To highlight the tail and comb, use Amaco Velvet Bright Red Underglaze (figure 10).

Finally, fill the vessel with a food-safe, opaque white glaze, I use Counts White Matte, to line the interior then pour out the excess. After the interior dries, use a spray gun to glaze the out-side of the teapot with the same opaque glaze.

WangLing Chou is a native of Taiwan. She obtained her MFA from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She is currently an assistant professor of art at Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana.

Curl the two sides inward and connect them to create an in-flated appearance.

Attach the handle in a position where it will resemble tail feath-ers. Score and slip both parts before attaching.

Use underglazes for additional decora-tions then apply a coat of Counts White Matte glaze to the interior and exterior.

7 8

Stain the bisque ware with a thin coat of black underglaze then use a damp sponge to remove the excess.

9 10

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process | Used Once and Once Again | WangLing Chou


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An egg separator is one of those pots you would never think you need but turns out to be surprisingly useful. After all, you can always crack your egg on the rim of the mixing bowl and use the edge of the shell to separate the white albumen from the yellow yolk. However, with the egg separator you don’t have to look for a bowl to put the yolk into until you’re ready to use it. This also helps to avoid the hassle when a shell doesn’t split into neat halves and you end up breaking the yolk on the jagged edge. If you bake, you’ve been there. If you have an egg separator, you can crack your egg and dump the entire egg into the separator, then pour out the white through a crescent-shaped opening that’s too small for the yolk to go through. The process can be repeated, keeping the yolks in the separator until you’re ready to pour them out.

Throwing the Right ShapeThe egg separator is also a good project for beginners. Start with 12 to 16 ounces of clay. Throw a small vase form with a wide, prominent shoulder, a constricted neck, and a flaring lip. Re-member, the neck needs to be big enough for an egg yolk to pass through easily. There is no need for this form to have a trimmed foot, so when you open up the clay, try to leave only ¼ inch across the bottom. Note: When you make a pot that you don’t intend to trim, be careful to make the bottom of the pot flat and not too narrow inside. Between 1½–2 inches across the bottom is about right to make sure the pot is stable and won’t easily tip over. It doesn’t matter how tall the egg separator is, as long as it’s the right shape and you don’t leave too much clay at the bottom. Use a wood tool or a triangular-bladed tool to remove excess clay from above the foot, but don’t wire under the pot yet.

Adding Essential DetailsAfter the vase form has stiffened enough to be handled but is still malleable, cut an opening into the shoulder using a sharp blade

such as an X-Acto knife (figure 1). Leather-hard is too dry—the pot should be damp and flexible, but not sticky, and the rim should be stiff enough to hold its shape while you cut into it. Hold the blade to the top of the shoulder, about halfway between the widest and the narrowest point, then use the other hand to turn the wheel so you can mark the clay with the blade. Make the mark about two inches wide, then go back and cut on this mark. Now make a second cut, shaped like the bottom lip of a smiling mouth, from one end of the first cut to the other. Remove the narrow crescent of clay.

Next, with a finger and a damp sponge, push out the lower cut edge to widen the opening and create a little pour spout (figure 2). Don’t make it wide enough for an egg yolk to slip out—this is the opening you will pour the egg white out of, and it has to hold the yolk back (figure 3). Make sure the cut edges are smooth inside and out, as a sharp edge may break a yolk.

Once you’ve cut and formed the opening, you can wire under the pot and trim a little bit more if you need to. Dry the pot slowly, glaze it with a food-safe glaze, and fire it to the appropri-ate temperature for the clay and the glaze.

Putting the Egg Separator to UseMarch is when chickens start laying lots of eggs again after the cold, short days of winter. So March is a good month to make an egg separator, and to make a dessert like lemon meringue pie. Lemons are a winter fruit in Florida and California, so they are still plentiful and not too expensive in the spring.

Sumi von Dassow is an artist, instructor, and regular contributor to Pottery Making Illustrated. She lives in Golden, Colorado.

in the potter’s kitchen | Food and Clay

Which Came First, the Egg or the Separator?by Sumi von Dassow

Cut and remove a narrow crescent shape from the shoulder.

Push out the edge of the lower cut to form a lip. Smooth out any sharp edges.

Crack an egg into the separator. Pour out the white, trapping the yolk inside.

Opposite page: Sumi von Dassow’s glazed egg separators and her recipe for lemon meringue pie.

1 2 3


In a saucepan, mix 1 cup of sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil. Separate the yolks from the whites (see figure 3). Put yolks in a small bowl and gradu-ally stir in ½ cup of hot lemon mixture. Pour egg yolk mixture back into the lemon mixture. Bring to a boil again and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about one minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour filling into baked pie crust. To make the meringue, beat egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Gradually add 6 table-spoons sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over filling, sealing the edge at the crust. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden.

1 cup white sugar2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch¼ teaspoon salt 1½ cups water Zest and juice of 2 lemons2 tablespoons butter 4 eggs, separated6 tablespoons white sugar1 9-inch pie crust, baked (in a hand-made, stoneware pie dish, of course)

Lemon Meringue Pie

Rec

ipe

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John Britt has been a potter and educator for more than 26 years. He has worked and taught at

universities, colleges, and craft centers across the United States. John is the author of the The Com-

plete Guide to High-Fire Glaze; Glazing & Firing at Cone 10, which was published by Lark Books in

2004. He has written numerous articles for ceramics publications including Ceramics Monthly, Ce-

ramic Review, Studio Potter, and more. Currently, John teaches glaze chemistry, throwing, glazing,

and firing workshops at his Bakersville, North Carolina, studio. To learn more about John, please

visit his website: www.johnbrittpottery.com.

Jennifer Poellot Harnetty

Editor, CeramicArtsDaily.org

Program Manager, Ceramic Arts Daily Presents Video Series

ceramic artsdaily.org

ceramic arts daily video library

Und

erstand

ing G

lazes: H

ow to Test, Tw

eak, & Perfect Your G

lazes with Jo

hn B

ritt

Glazed and confused? You’ve come to the right place. In this installment of the Ceramic

Arts Daily Presents video series, John Britt lets you tap into his encyclopedic knowledge

of ceramic glazes to build your own understanding of this complex topic. Starting with

glaze testing—because testing is key to understanding raw materials and ceramic pro-

cesses—John explains various testing methods that will help you get great results quickly.

On disc two, John geeks out on materials, diving into the three basic components of a

glaze—fluxes, glass formers, and refractories—and how various ceramic materials fit into

those categories and work together to produce myriad outcomes. With this video, you’ll

be able to deepen your understanding of glaze chemistry and improve your glazes at

your own pace.

ceramic arts daily video library

Copyright 2013 The American Ceramic SocietyTotal Running Time: Approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes

presentsceramicartsdaily

glazes understanding

How to test, tweak,

& perfect your glazes

witH joHn britt

CompleteGlaze

The

Course

Softcover • 144 Pages $29.95

In this book, you’ll discover an easy way to test glazes,

tips for glazing, and insights into key glaze materials such as frits, feldspars,

iron, commercial stains, and more. Develop a

personal palette for your ceramic work that you

can call your own.

Glazed and confused? help is on the way—John’s approach to teaching glazes is simple and straightforward as he guides you step-by-step through the process of glaze testing. From this DVD, you will be able to deepen your understanding of glaze chemistry and improve your glazes at your own pace.

2 Discs • 2 Hours 15 Min $69.95

Cone 5–6 Glazes

Understanding Glazes with John Britt

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T RU RO C E N T E R F O R T H E A R T S

Castle HillSummer & Fal l Clay 2014

Faculty Include:Mary BarringerJames BrunelleDavid CohenChandra DeBuseLinda ChristiansonTrevor DunnTyler GuldenWarren MatherJudy MotzkinDan MurphyHannah NiswongerMark ShapiroBrian TaylorSam TaylorGuy Wolff

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Great New Handbuilding Templates! De-veloped by Sandi Pierantozzi. A set of 24 du-rable, flexible, laminated templates to create Circular and Conical Forms. Perfect for Pot-ters or Teachers! www.CircleMatic.com.

1-Bedroom Furnished Cottage on Wash-ington Coast with Studio Space. $400 monthly, minimum 6 months. Contact Rebecca: [email protected]; (208) 333-0868.

Custom Ceramic Molds—For nearly 20 years, Petro Mold Company has been designing molds for some of the world’s most renowned ceramic artists and pot-ters. Our innovative molds will help you improve productivity with your popu-lar designs. We set the highest American quality standards with our sculpting, mold manufacturing and design services. Visit us today at www.custommolds.net or (800) 404-5521.

Series Summer Arts School, July 7–August 1, 2014—Red Deer, AB, Canada. Series offers ceramics courses featuring world-renowned instructors: Vincent Massey, James Watkins, Sarah Jaeger, Jim Etzkorn, Rebecca Hutchinson, Shirley Rimer, Carol Gouthro and more. Additional courses in: painting, drawing, fibre arts, photography, sculpture, jewelry, metals and woodwork-ing. All skill levels welcome. Catalogs available online at www.rdc.ab.ca/series. Visit the website or call (403) 356-4900 for more information.

Strong Arm Centering and Opening Tool—Make more pots, save your joints, use it to center and open 1–30 pounds of clay in seconds easily! This is the greatest tool for production potters, schools and studio potters. Create those big pots you have always imagined! Watch the video at www.marcspotterytools.com or call (585) 223-1930.

Expressive Figures in Clay, Janis Mars Wunderlich at Cultural Arts Center, Co-lumbus, Ohio; $350 includes materials and open studio; June 23–27; information and register: [email protected] or www.culturalartscenteronline.org

Workshops at Baltimore Clayworks. Adam Field, Sat–Sun May 3–4, 2014, Sat–Sun August 16–17, 2014; Adrian Arleo, Sat–Sun October 25–26, 2014. Please visit www.baltimoreclayworks.org or call (410) 578-1919 x10.

Sustainable Ceramicsby Robert Harrison

More and more, artists are inter-ested in producing work that’s not only beautifully designed and pro-duced, but also environmentally friendly and socially responsible. In Sustainable Ceramics, pioneer Robert Harrison draws on more than forty years of working in clay to present practical possibilities for ceramic artists.softcover • 144 pages • $29.95

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brushesmop

soft stipple

long shader flatSumi

fan

filbert

thick watercolor

multi-stem hake

haboku

sable

short shader

pointed sable

dagger(line work, pinstriping)

(texturing, stenciling)

hard stipple(texturing, stenciling)

(thick coverage to narrow lines)

(wide, flat strokes)

(narrow, flat strokes)(overglazes, lusters,

line work)

(banding, broad coverage)

(expressive strokes)

(dry-brushwork, blending, stippling)(general purpose)

(color carrying, durable)

(expressive strokes)

(majolica)

(majolica)

tapered watercolor

Cone 5-6 Layering

To learn more:

ww

w.layeringpcs.info

PC-1 Saturation M

etallic over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-20 Blue Rutile over PC-31 Oatm

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PC-23 Indigo Float over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-29 Deep Olive Speckle over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-32 Albany Slip Brown over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-33 Iron Lustre over PC-31 Oatm

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PC-41 Vert Lustre over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-48 Art Deco Green over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-52 Deep Sienna Speckle over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-55 Chun Plum

over PC-31 Oatm

eal

PC-59 Deep Firebrick over PC-31 Oatm

ealPC-31

PC-31 Layering Notes: A

pply two

layers of base coat. Apply tw

o layers of top coat. (Let dry betw

een coats.)

over

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12-Key DynaTrol with Dynamic Zone Control • 3” brick • Quad element system (four rows of super heavy gauge elements

per 9” high section) • Extra power with branch fusing for high production work • Type K 8 gauge thermocouples with ceramic protection tubes • Full support 14 gauge aluminized steel stand • Solid peephole plugs with full 1” view (no tapering) • Hard ceramic element holders • Proprietary reflective brick coating that

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