Pottery Making May14 Poi0514d

May/June 2014
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PotteryMaking Illustrated | May/June 2014
Some days Im standing up, some days

Im sitting down when I throw. So being
able to adjust the height of the legs in
nuanced ways is a real advantage...
I also love the large aluminum builtin splash pan. It gives me something
very stable to lean my body into as Im
throwing. It gives me extra stability and
a little extra strength.
Steven Hill
powerful
tough
innovative
ergonomic
smooth
value
Visit skutt.com/video/hill
to see video of Steven discussing the ergonomics of throwing.
Inside
May/June 2014 Volume 17 Number 3
Features
8
14 Relating Pattern to Form by Shana Angela Salaff

Pattern can function in many different and surprising
ways, particularly when influenced by form.
17 The Print Duality by Martina Lantin

Using monoprinting and toner-resist transfer to create
surface decoration offers many layers of possibilities.
22 The Spouted Batter Bowl by Courtney Long

Make a batter bowl inspired by nature to boost creativity
in the studio and brighten up your kitchen.
29 The Oribe-Inspired Decorated Jar
17
by Ben Krupka
Reinvent a historical style to create surfaces that inspire
you and creatively engage your forms.
35 Thrown and Handbuilt All at Once

by Naomi Tsukamoto
Use a banding wheel and a combination of throwing and
handbuilding techniques to make teacups and more.
40 Turn it Upside Down by Glenn Woods

If your thrown forms are always a little bottom heavy,
flip them over and use that clay to make a taller form!
In the Studio
29
6 Purple Glazes by Deanna Ranlett

8 Fluting Neriage Bowls by Robin Hopper
10 Personal Water Pots by J. Steven Baugh
Inspiration
40
44 In the Potters Kitchen

Olive Trays by Sumi von Dassow
48 Pottery Illustrated
Ceramic Musical Forms by Robin Ouellette
44
On the Cover Ben Krupkas jar, 9 in. (23 cm) in height, porcelain, slips, glazes, fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln, 2014.
fired up | Commentary
Volume 17 Number 3
Transition
Publisher Charles Spahr

Editorial
Editor Bill Jones
Managing Editor Holly Goring
Associate Editor Jessica Knapp
Editorial Support Jan Moloney
Editorial Support Linda Stover
In three words I can sum up everything Ive learned about life:

it goes on.
Robert Frost
The time has come for a transition here at Pottery Making
Illustrated as Ive decided to retire, hang up my editors hat,
and get back into the studio. Ive had a chance to look back
and reflect on the first 95 issues of the magazine, and am
amazed at whats been covered in the world of pottery techniques. From the simple to the complex and the traditional
to the experimental, artists from around the world have generously shared their information with enthusiastic readers such as you, and their techniques have been preserved for years to come.
As with any successful venture, PMI has had lots of help from many quarters. Potters
who wanted to share, teachers who had something to teach, and readers like you who
have sent in your own discoveries. Some contributors seem to have an endless font of
knowledge like Sumi von Dassow (whos been around since the first issue!), the Gambles
(David and Tracy), Paul Wandless, and countless others who have provided hundreds of
excellent articles over the years.
Of course, no magazine is the product of any one individual, and thats where a capable and talented staff comes into play. Behind the scenes are editorial assistants Linda
Stover and Jan Moloney, graphic designer Melissa Bury who creates eye-catching layouts
from piles of images and text files, and production associate Erin Pfeifer who puts all
the pieces and parts on the page. Sandy Moening in circulation makes sure you get the
issues you ordered, while Mona Thiel and Marianna Bracht work diligently to bring you
messages from advertisers.
When it comes to the soul of the magazine, Holly Goring (managing editor) and Jessica Knapp (associate editor) have been instrumental in rounding up talent for PMI for
six(!) years now and their quality efforts are evidenced in issue after issue. Both ceramic
artists in their own right, their ability to identify techniques and pursue contributors has
firmly established PMI as the foremost ceramic techniques magazine in the world. Moving forward, Holly will be taking over the helm, and Im sure shell continue the mission
and will certainly have her own unique style.
Id like to also thank the founding publisher, Mark Mecklenborg, for his faith and
backing as PMI was getting off the ground during its early years, and to Charlie Spahr,
the current publisher, for his continued commitment to the ideals of the magazine and
the important role it plays in the ceramic arts community.
Last, but not least, Id like to extend a warm thanks to Steve Hecker, a man whos worn
many hats over the years, but who always unabashedly told me whether the articles, the
magazine, or the mission remained true to the mark. Good advice is hard to come by.
Life goes onnow its time to get to the studio.
Bill Jones
Editor
4
editorial@potterymaking.org
Telephone: (614) 895-4213
Fax: (614) 891-8960
Print and Digital Design Melissa Bury

Production Associate Erin Pfeifer
Marketing Steve Hecker
Circulation Manager Sandy Moening
Ceramics Arts Daily
Managing Editor Jennifer Poellot Harnetty
Webmaster Scott Freshour
Advertising
Advertising Manager Mona Thiel
Advertising Services Marianna Bracht
advertising@potterymaking.org
Telephone: (614) 794-5826
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in the studio | Glaze Testing
Purple Glazes
by Deanna Ranlett
Purple is a non-spectral color, meaning that it isnt included in the

rainbow as conceived by viewing from a prism on a sun-filled rainy
day, but it should definitely be in your glaze palette! To me, purple
says extravagant, special, and definitely unusualthink royalty or
even better, Prince, (or should I say the artist formally known as...)
You can get purple in a glaze in a variety of ways:

Chrome plus tin. You can get a raspberry hue by mixing chrome
oxide and tin oxide. These formulas have been published and
featured prominently for oxidation red or burgundy at cone
6typically 5% tin oxide and 0.2% chrome oxide.

Cobalt.
Add .25% cobalt oxide incrementally, up 1% to increase the purple hue from lavender to eggplant.

Manganese. Our studio limits manganese usage so we dont
use it to make our purples, but a lot of recipes using manganese as a colorant are available.

Barium. Barium is classified as toxic and we dont use barium in
our studio, but there are some amazing barium purple recipes
available for use on sculptures. These glazes arent food safe.

Commercial stains. These colorants provide an opportunity
to use a product formulated to give consistent color results.
11
5
10
4
9
3
8
2
7
1
6
Stacked bowls with cone 04 test glazes. 1 Icing Glaze with 5%

MS #6088 Red + 5% MS #6363 Sky Blue. 2 Icing Glaze with 6%
MS #6304 Chrome Tin Violet. 3 Gloss Base with 6% MS #6319
Lavender. 4 Hirsch Satin REV with 6% MS #6304 Chrome Tin
Violet. 5 Hirsch Satin REV with 6% MS #6385 Pansy Purple.
(MS = Mason stain)
6
Stacked bowls with cone 6 test glazes. 6 Amys Base with 6% MS

#6304 Chrome Tin Violet + .25% cobalt carbonate. 7 Amys Base
with 6% MS #6304 Chrome Tin Violet. 8 Sherman Matte with 5%
MS #6374 Turquoise + 5% MS #6088 Dark Red. 9 Sherman Matte
with 5% MS #6319 Lavender. 10 George Bowes Base with 5% MS
#6088 Dark Red + 5% MS #6363 Sky Blue. 11 George Bowes Base
with 3% MS #6319 Lavender + 3% MS #6385 Pansy Purple.
Working With Stains

Sieve
For our focus here, we used primarily stains to highlight

their vast possibilities in both low- and high-fire recipes. Stains come in a lot of color varieties and are available from many different manufacturersincluding Mason
Color Works, Inc. (www.masoncolor.com) and US Pigment
(www.uspigment.com). Most pottery suppliers carry commercial stains.
Stains have ingredients such as chrome oxide, cobalt carbonate, and tin oxide that have been fired and ground to make a
consistently colored pigment that is easy to use. Its sometimes
possible to mix stains to get a new color, but not all stains are
compatible in this way, so testing is required.
We discovered through our testing that you can successfully
mix red and blue stains to make a purple of your very own. You
can use a stain containing cobalt such as Mason stain #6363 Sky
Blue, or you can use smaller amounts of cobalt carbonatea
milder form of cobalt oxide. For a red stain, try Mason stain
#6088 Dark Red. You can vary amounts to make the purple
hues cooler (blue) or warmer (red.) You can also use any number of a variety of chrome-tin-violet stains like Mason stain
#6304, which is a purple with a more reddish hue.
Tips When Using Stains

Start
small, experiment, and take good notes.

Use a gram scale capable of mixing small measurements.
Check your scales calibration by measuring the weight of a
nickelit should weigh 5 grams.
your glaze and dont mix them too thin. The stains can,
and will end up on the bottom of your container if you do.

Visit the manufacturers website to make sure youre using
stains and colorants that are compatible with your glaze ingredients. You need to pay attention to the calcium and zinc
content in your recipe when using stains because they can
have a negative impact/effect on the colorant. Each manufacturer will provide you with that information. To get that
color, you may need to experiment with different base glazes.

Some stains are more refractory (have a higher-melting point
due to their composition) than others and you may need to
make changes in your base glaze to compensate for this.

Some stains might require the addition of an opacifier such
as Zircopax to create the color and intensity you desire.
Future Testing
Based on the success I had mixing stains, I would recommend
tests blending a variety of red and blue stains in incremental
amounts. I also suggest mixing red stain with cobalt carbonate in incremental amounts. Layering purple glazes with each
other could be fun too. The Sherman Matte Glaze has a beautiful buttery surface and layering it with a glossier version like
George Bowes or Amys Base could have some lovely results.
Thank you to Amy Roberson for help in testing the purple glazes for this
article. Amy Roberson is currently a resident artist at MudFire.
Deanna Ranlett has worked in clay for 14 years and currently owns Atlanta
Clay in Atlanta, Georgia (www.atlantaclay.com) and MudFire in Decatur,
Georgia (www.mudfire.com).
Amys Base
Cone 6
Wollastonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ferro Frit 3134. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Soda Feldspar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EPK Kaolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.0 %
25.0
15.0
25.0
25.0
100.0 %
Add: Zircopax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5 %

Dips and pours more successfully than it brushes.
Ever Popular
Sherman Matte
Cone 6
Dolomite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Talc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ferro Frit 3124. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nepheline Syenite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EPK Kaolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brushes and dips well.
10 %
15
10
35
15
15
100 %
George Bowes Base Glaze
Gloss Base
Cone 6
Cone 04
Gerstley Borate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Whiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Custer Feldspar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EPK Kaolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18 %
16
40
10
16
100 %
75 %
15
10
100 %
Hirsch Satin REV

Cone 04
Icing Glaze
Cone 04
Whiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ferro Frit 3124. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EPK Kaolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ferro Frit 3124. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EPK Kaolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 %
65
15
10
100 %
Gerstley Borate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lithium Carbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Whiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EPK Kaolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32 %
9
17
4
9
29
100 %
Glossy where thin, matte where it pools, and a

bit runny.
in the studio | Throwing and Altering
Fluting Neriage Bowls

by Robin Hopper
In the widest sense, all clays are colored. When fired, natural
clays can vary from almost white to almost black and almost
any yellowish, pinkish, grayish, reddish or brownish tone between black and white. Most of these tones develop naturally
from contamination with iron oxide in one of its forms or
combinations. In its earliest state, where coarse clay is the result of geologic degradation or the breakdown of feldspathic
rock to kaolinite, it usually is light ivory or cream in color. It
achieves its other naturally darkening tones during its journey
down rivers and into lake beds, when it becomes contaminated
by contact with other minerals, such as iron, calcium, titanium, and manganese. The further it travels from the mother
rock, the more contamination it acquires, and the darker it
likely will be when fired. It usually becomes more plastic and
malleable, too.
1
Laminating colored clay for thrown
agateware or neriage bowls.
4
Flute the outside of a thrown neriage/
agateware bowl.
8
As it settles into lake beds, it forms layers of sediment, and over

eons of time, layers build on other layers, creating a natural and
variable lamination. If you were to shovel down through several layers, you would see a variety of differently toned strata.
Ceramic artists interested in these color variations either use
naturally colored clays or add colorants to light-colored base
clays or porcelain.
Laminating Clay Bodies

Depending on the desired result, you can use stains, oxides,
or carbonates, either singly or mixed together, to add color to
clays. Because of the opaque nature of clays, most colors will
develop an opaque pastel-like quality, and the development of
pure color is extremely difficult. Commercially prepared body
stains are available to make richer colors.
2
Allow mixed colored clay bodies to set
up before throwing with them.
3
Use a Surform to facet a leather-hard
bowl thrown from stacked colored clay.
5
Fluting the inside rim of a thrown
neriage/agateware bowl.
Three different fired examples of fluting

on neriage/agateware thrown forms.
The amount of colorant needed to get

a particular result will have to be determined through testing, as many colorants
have quite different staining strengths
when mixed into clay than when mixed
into glazes. The type of clay will also have
a profound effect on the colorwhite
firing clays give purer colors and darker
colored clays give more muted tones. In
general, additions of .5% to 10% will produce a wide range.
Combinations of naturally colored
clays can also be laminated together (figure 1) but these mixes should be tested
before being used. Testing ensures that
the clay bodies will hold together without
cracking during the firing.
Freshly made colored clay blocks are
best left for a period of time for amelioration, where differences in the softness
or hardness of the various clays can be
equalized to one homogeneous mass (figure 2). Caution: Always wear a dust mask
and gloves when mixing clays and working with stains and oxides.
metal tools with cutout sections and/or

sharpened edges. If the clay is too soft,
it may deform the object being fluted; if
its too hard, it may crack the surface or
edges of the object. Fluting generally is
done in a dragging motion, pulling down
toward you in a clean, sweeping motion.
The clay will cut cleanly and evenly at
this stage if your tools are sharp. If the clay
has started to change color or the surface
is starting to dry, the tool is more likely to
slide uncontrollably than cut easily.
Cutting across the grain of laminated
clays exposes an infinite variety of ran-
dom patterns. The type of pattern can

be controlled both by the thickness of
the layers and by how the laminations
are placed when thrown on the wheel. If
they are vertical to the wheelhead, they
likely will produce fine, lacy patterns. If
they are placed horizontally, much bolder patterns can be expected. If placed
diagonally, a combination of both bold
and lacy patterns might be expected.
Excerpted
from
the
book,
Making
Marks by Robin Hopper, which is available at the Ceramic Arts Daily bookstore,
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore.
Neriage and Agateware

A number of different names have been
given to laminated colored clay processes,
depending on where the process developed. In England they usually are referred
to as agateware after the decorative, patterned gemstone. In Italy the use of colored clay often is referred to as millefiori,
from a decorative glass-forming process
meaning a thousand flowers. In Japan
the word neriage refers to throwing with
colored clays.
Neriage, or agateware, is done by laminating different colored clays together
and throwing them on a wheel to develop
a swirling and spiraling blend of the clays.
A thrown neriage bowl can be dried to
leather hard then trimmed and faceted
using a knife, a wire cutter, or a Surform
to shave clay off in sections (figure 3).
Fluting
Objects made with laminated clays can be
left with the swirl pattern, or altered by
various surface cutting techniques such
as fluting, once the bowl has reached the
leather-hard state (figures 45).
Fluting is the process of cutting decorative grooves into a clay surface. It is
best done on leather-hard clay with wireended modeling tools of various shapes,
bamboo tools with sharpened edges or
in the studio | Throwing and Assembling
Personal Water Pots

by J. Steven Baugh
Potters are well known for making their own toolsor anything else we need to help us make pots. But we rarely make the
best pots for ourselves, so I designed a best pot for myself that
is also a tool I use every day when I throw pots. These are water
pots and they show the best of my skills, assist in my day-today throwing, and generally are a topic of conversation when
friends visit my studio.
Throwing Parts: Crock, Cup, and Bowl

Start by throwing a medium-sized crock (figure 1). I throw fairly thin and do very little trimming, so I used about 2 pounds
of clay to throw a pot that, after firing is about 5 inches tall and
6 inches wide. The mouth of the crock should be wide enough
for you to easily plunge your hand into it with a sponge. Throw
the side of the pot fairly straight to make assembling the water
pot simpler.
Next, throw a cup that is shorter than the crock and wide
enough to push a round sponge into it for cleaning (see figure 1).
I used 78 of a pound of clay to throw a cup 3 inches high by 3
inches wide after 12% shrinkage. This cup will become a pocket
to hold your throwing tools.
Finally, throw a shallow bowl to serve as a tray for your sponges or for holding excess slip. Since I wedge on the wheel, which
produces extra slip, I scrape the slip onto the tray so I dont have
to change the water in the middle of a throwing session. For this
tray, I used 1 pounds of clay to throw a shallow bowl that, when
fired, was 6 inches wide by 1 inches high (see figure 1).
Trimming and Assembling

Trim the three pots when theyre leather hard and keep them
evenly moist. Thrown pieces tend to want to unwind when
fired to vitrification, so uneven dryness, which can cause
warping and adhesion problems, may contribute to cracking
between joined pieces. The cup, being smaller and having a
1
Throw a pot, a cup, and a shallow bowl,
trim them when theyre leather hard,
and round the bottom of the cup.
10
The finished pot, glazed using an iron-stained wax-resist pattern

with a contrasting glaze band.
narrower base, may dry faster, so after trimming it, round the
bottom rather than giving it a foot, then wrap it up tight until
you have trimmed the other two pieces and are ready to assemble your water pot.
Cut the cup in half then trim and bevel the cut edge to fit tight
against the side of the crock. Set the cup against the crock where
it will be assembled and mark a line, then flatten the pot inside
the marked line with a paddle where the cup will be installed.
Flattening this part of the pot gives more room for your tools and
makes cleaning the tool pocket easier.
Score and slip the joint lines and attach the pocket to the side
of the pot (figure 2). Fill any gaps between the cup and the pot
with slip, then put a coil around the joint on both the interior
2
Cut the cup in half, trim it for fit, flatten
the crock inside the mark, and attach the
cup to the crock.
3
Place the foot of the crock on the bottom
and slightly to the side of the bowl and
mark a line. Cut the bowl to fit the crock.
and exterior of the cup, pushing the coil

deep into any gaps with a wooden modeling tool. Use a thicker coil on the inside
to round out the joint. Coils help to reinforce and strengthen joints, reducing the
likelihood that the pieces will twist apart.
Smooth the joint with your fingers and
then with a sponge to eliminate rough
edges that could crack.
Next, turn the shallow bowl upside
down and gently rest the foot of the crock
on the bowl. The edge of the crock should
be in the approximate middle of the
bowl. Mark a line onto the bottom of the
bowl following the curve of the crocks
foot (figure 3). Set the crock aside then
cut along the marked line and fit this cut
edge as tight as you can to the crock. Adjust or bevel the cut to best fit the crock
if needed.
Score the crock and the bowl only
at the areas of attachment, then score
and slip the joint and attach the tray to
the pot (figure 4). Both the pot and the
bowl (now a tray) should be resting on
a flat surface as you fit them together to
ensure the water pot remains level. Make
sure your tool pocket is off to the side in
a position where it will be convenient for
accessing your tools, but isnt in the way
when using the tray.
Brush slip into any gaps, then put a
coil of clay along the joint inside of the
tray to fill in any gaps and secure the attachment. Turn the pot over and repeat
the joining process on the bottom. Take
care to avoid making bumps on the foot
where the joint is and make sure the pot
and tray still sit flat. As an extra refining
step, smooth the joints and the foot of the
water pot with a polished rock to smooth
the surfaces (figure 5).
Drying and Firing

Cover the water pot tightly with plastic
until the moisture is even throughout,
then gradually uncover the pot to dry it
slowly and evenly. Bisque fire it.
Finally, finish it with your favorite glaze
then fire it too temperature. Thoroughly
clean the pot each time you use it. A clean
studio with clean tools is a low-dust studio, and you may just want to spend even
more time at the wheel.
J. Steven Baugh has been a perpetual student
of ceramics since 1988. He built his current
studio, The Pottery at Muddy Creek, with Ben
Stockwell in 1994 in rural Montana.
Make sure to have a tight fit then score

and slip the attachment. Add a coil to
both sides of the joint for reinforcement.
Use a polished stone or similar shiny

object to smooth all the joints and the
foot of your water pot.
My Paragon
kiln practically
fires itself,
giving me more
time to make
pots David
Hendley
The Paragon kiln was already
ancient when David and Karen
Hendley bought it in 1995. Since
then David has fired about 20,000
pieces of bisque in his electric
Paragon.
For the last 20 years I have
been glaze-firing all my work in a
wood-fired kiln, said David. I
enjoy the excitement of the firings,
and my friends and customers like
the random fire flashings and ash
deposits.
What they dont know is that
every piece is first fired in my Paragon electric kiln. While accidental and chance effects can enhance
a wood firing, consistency is the
key to successful bisque firings.
For those firings, my Paragon
has delivered reliable and consistent results year after year. It practically fires itself, giving me more
time to make more pots.
The Paragons of today are
even better than the early ones.
The digital 12-sided TnF-27-3
shown at right is only 22 deep
for easier loading. Lift the lid effortlessly with the spring counter-balance. Enjoy the accuracy
David and Karen Hendley with their ancient Paragon

A-28B. It has fired about 20,000 pieces of bisque. The
Hendleys run Old Farmhouse Pottery in Maydelle, Texas.
and convenience of the

Orton controller.
To learn more, call us
or visit our website for a
free catalog and the
name of the Paragon
dealer near you. Sign up
for the Kiln Pointers
newsletter.
Join the Clayart pottery forum here:

lists.clayartworld.com
Constantly finding better

ways to make kilns.
2011 South Town East Blvd.
Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122
800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557
Toll Free Fax 888-222-6450
www.paragonweb.com
info@paragonweb.com
11
Velvets
@ Cone 5/6
V-308
Yellow
V-391
Intense Yellow
V-304
Straw
V-309
Deep Yellow
V-384
Real Orange
V-389
Flame Orange
V-303
Terra Cotta
V-316
Light Pink
V-374
Royal Peach
V-315
Peach
V-323
Salmon
V-383
Light Red
V-388
Radiant Red
V-382
Red
V-387
Bright Red
V-385
Cinnamon
V-375
Maroon
V-321
Lilac
V-381
Amethyst
V-322
Purple
V-328
Iceberg Blue
V-325
Baby Blue
V-327
Turquoise Blue
V-341
Blue Green
V-332
Teal Blue
V-336
Royal Blue
V-334
Flaxen
V-372
Mint Green
V-343
Chartreuse
V-345
Light Green
V-354
Leaf Green
V-353
Dark Green
V-355
Shadow Green
V-368
Antique Ivory
V-301
Ivory Beige
V-369
Fawn
V-302
Beige
V-310
Tan
V-373
Medium Brown
V-314
Chocolate Brown
V-360
White
V-367
Mist Gray
V-356
Pearl Gray
V-357
Dark Gray
V-370
Velour Black
V-361
Jet Black
Layer
12
Mixable
Dinnerware Safe*
*To make dinnerware safe and to intensify the colors for

Cone 5/6 firings, cover with AMACO HF-9 Zinc-Free
Clear, HF-10 Clear or HF-12 Satin Clear glazes.
V-350
Orange
V-390
Bright Orange
V-371
Rosy Mauve
V-318
Rose
V-320
Lavender
V-380
Violet
V-326
Medium Blue
V-386
Electric Blue
Velvets
brush smoothly
onto both
greenware and
bisque, they allow
me to paint with
fine detail and
subtle color
variations
Heesoo Lee
Helena, MT
Aspen Vase
Porcelain Cone 6
V-376
Hunter Green
V-333
Avocado
Velvet Underglazes
Intense Yellow
Deep Yellow
Bright Orange
Flame Orange
Radiant Red
Bright Red
Lilac
Iceberg Blue
Chocolate Brown
White
Velour Black
Jet Black
V-366
Teddy Bear Brown
V-313
Red Brown
HF-12 Clear Satin

HF-9 Zinc-Free Clear
Use on wet clay,

greenware and bisque.
velvets.info
AP seal certifies this
product to be safe
for use by all ages.
Americas Most Trusted Underglazes

13
Relating
Pattern to Form
by Shana Angela Salaff
How does a surface pattern relate to form? How can you use
pattern to alter or enhance your visual experience of a form?
What tactics do contemporary artists employ?
In nature, the generation of a form often creates a pattern.
We see this in the growth patterns of a nautilus shell forming a
beautiful spiral (figure 1). Leaves and flower petals often grow
in the same kind of pattern (figure 2). Similarly, a thrown pot
contains a spiral of throwing lines. Patterns created through
purpose serve a useful function as well as an aesthetic one.
Many patterns in our urban life are like this. Consider the
utility hole cover; made of metal for longevity, and with a
somewhat uneven surface so as not to be slippery. It also needs
to be readily visible on the sidewalk or road. What Nara, Japan,
and Fort Collins, Colorado, have designed transcends basic
utility (figures 34). The unevenness of surface requirement is
3
14
satisfied by the use of raised metal areas. In these two examples,

a virtue is made out of a necessity by considering the sidewalk
as a decorative surface.
In the last issue of Pottery Making Illustrated, I discussed Ellen
Dissanayakes use of the term making special to describe one of
the roles art plays in our lives. Dissanayake also speaks about the
human need to exert a certain amount of control over our environment to help us to conquer the very real fear of the unknown.
Visual pattern is a way that we create ordered visual spaces. In the
utility-hole cover examples, pattern transforms utilitarian round
surfaces into lovely objects that make an urban area special.
Surface-Form Relationship
My design teacher at Sheridan College was a gruff, didactic, and
brilliant Austrian named Gernot Dick. One day, he surprised the
class by displaying close-up images of his terrier as a slide lecture.

It wasnt until he pointed out the various ways that the growth
patterns of the dogs hair responded to different parts of the body
that I realized how closely nature observes the concept of surfaceform relationship. Transitions between the dogs ears and the
neck were especially interesting, with straight hair growing forward on the side of the ear flowing toward a spiraling transition
area then to straight growth in the opposite direction on the neck.
Artists Solutions to Relating Pattern and Form

Each of us will come up with personal solutions when pairing
pattern with form, solutions that are more than just a consequence of growth pattern or utility alone. The pattern choices
may simply enhance the form, or go further to change or manipulate the perception of the form.
Forrest Lesch-Middelton uses patterns from a range of historical cultures. His forms are delineated clearly with crisp changes
in direction. Darker bands between sections help to separate
neck from body, body from foot. In this piece (figure 5), he applies different patterns to both main components of the body of
the forms. His technique involves screen-printing a pattern onto
a flat surface that is then wrapped around and transferred onto
a cylinder, which is then altered to create the final form. This
selective application of pattern highlights the different shapes of
the sections that make up the form. LeschMiddelton is able to
contrast a pattern from one culture with one from another by
placing them on separate areas of the same form. He adds to
this a specific sepia color that appears to be quoting traditional
printing or photographic process in monotone. There is a layered complexity to his work.
Using Pattern to Alter or Enhance Form

Pattern can also be used as a way to divide space, as in this large
vase by Paul Morris (figure 11), where one form becomes subdivided by the patterned areas. Ones eye loses the ability to
focus on the form as a whole because it is constantly informed
1 The growth patterns of the

Nautilus shell create a striking
spiral. Courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons. 2 The aloe plant
has a similar spiral growth.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 3 Utility-hole cover,
Nara, Japan. Nara is known
for the wild deer that roam
around the temple areas. 4
Utility-hole cover, Fort, Collins,
Colorado. The city undertakes
a number of urban beautification projects. 5 Forrest LeschMiddeltons bottles, stoneware
with transferred slip patterns.
6 Julia Galloways teapot,
porcelain, slip, glaze, lusters.
Photo: Robert Brady. 7 Sanam
Emamis patterned jar, Meissen
brown stoneware, silkscreen
transfers. All images of artwork
are courtesy of the artists.
7
15
and distracted by the visual surface movement. What makes the

piece work as a whole is the way that the handles mimic the
curves on the surface, and that the main form is bookended by
the similar shapes of the top and the base that are also mimicked by the smaller protrusions.
Complicating a Surface with Layers

Other artists use pattern and surface to complicate the surface
of a form and to contrast decorative styles drawn from several
different cultures with their own contemporary forms and materials. Julia Galloway contrasts different types of surfaces on
the same pot (figure 6), using different materials (glaze, slip,
and luster). She creates shapes within her forms that feel like
puzzle pieces. Sanam Emami contrasts the textured pattern
around the body of this covered jar (figure 7) with the applied
decal pattern superimposed on the surface and looping around
the form.
Both vessels feature layers of pattern that are like the layers of
cultural artifacts found in an archaeological dig. The upper layers sit on the surface because they are applied post-firing, but because of this they feel newerunderscoring that artist-created
and computer-generated decals, and our metallic luster application methods really are newer techniques. Thus the contemporary is contrasted with the age-old in one object. The functions
of the patterns here are informative as well as decorative.
Galloway and Emami bring pattern from one area to another within the vessel, but another way that pattern can
mess with ones perception is to continue it outside the vessel
itself, or across many forms. Molly Hatch exploits this with

her wall installations (figure 8). Hatch continues the various
patterns from one plate to another, with an approach that
seems to have more in common with wallpaper than ceramics; completely confusing our expectations of where one form
should end and another begins.
Im going to leave you with one last pair of imagesan image of pattern created by the weathering of tree bark and Kristen Kieffers vase (figures 910). The trees beautiful textured
surface emerges through natural processes in the way that
Gernot Dicks terriers fur grew. Kristen Kieffers work, with its
pattern-as-texture shares this kind of feelingthe surface and
the form feel completely connected. Kieffer uses a stamping
technique to apply the main textured pattern, and this changes
the form as well as decorates it. The pattern functions to create
differing surface depths in which the glaze will pool and provide different levels of intensity of color, while simultaneously
referring to both lace and metalwork. In the interior of the vase,
one sees Kieffers fingerprints, and we are reminded that a real
persons hand made these marks in a specific time and place.
These traces bring the vessel to life.
In all these artworks, the artists have used pattern in a conscious way to both complement the form as well as to communicate through it. Pattern here functions in so many ways and of
course, always making special.
Shana Angela Salaff is an artist and instructor living in Fort Collins, Colorado. To see her work, visit www.shanasalaff.com.
10
11
8 Molly Hatchs plates from a solo exhibition at the Kings Road Anthropologie Gallery in London, England. The patterns on the plates
source the historic textile collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. 9 Pattern created by weathered tree bark. 10 Kristen
Kieffers vase with stamped patterns. 11 Paul Morris large vase with form subdivided by pattern.
16
THE PRINT
Duality
by Martina Lantin
The ceramic surface may be activated by the imposition or printing of pattern, the framing of an image or the juxtaposition of
colors. Throughout history, potters have sought to embellish the
surfaces of their vessels. Ornament can accentuate components
of the potwhether rim, foot, or body. In addition, surfaces can
inform us about the status or beliefs of the owner; they can convey a narrative, a moral, or a metaphor. These surfaces may be
representative or abstract and executed in a myriad of ways.
For many years, I wood fired my work. I sought to create
strong forms that would welcome the energetic atmosphere of
the kiln. In this way, I felt form and surface worked in concert,
and the path of the flame told a story. Ten years ago, I struck
out on my own, separate from a parent studio or workshop, and
transitioned to working in earthenware and firing in an electric
kiln. While I have always enjoyed the qualities of slipped surfaces,
I found myself increasingly frustrated by what I saw as the static
qualities, both in my use of materials and the firing process.
As a resident artist at Baltimore Clayworks I was exposed to a
variety of artists, all of them generous teachers, and it was here
that my play with surface and image began to take off. Fellow
resident Jessica Broad was teaching a Print on Clay class and
invited me to join in to see her demonstrate some slip-based
methods. The rest, as they say, is history.
Two direct and low-tech methods that inspired me then,
and that I continue to use in various ways within my work, are
monoprinting and toner-resist transfer. There are some points
to keep in mind that will apply to both of the techniques. While
I use these techniques with slips formulated for earthenware,
the methods are transferable across clay and firing types. Similarly, the images included here show the techniques executed
on a flat tile surface. Both the toner resist and monoprint adapt
well to three-dimensional forms. In each case, the success of the
print depends in part on the moisture content of the clay being
printed upon, though it can be a challenge working on largescale or very volumetric forms. Ideally, the piece will be at a
soft-leather-hard consistency. For forms with large curved sections, darting may be required to get the pattern to fit the shape.
Above: Martina Lantins cups combine monoprinting, toner-resist transfer, wax-resist glazing, and glaze trailing on thrown and altered
forms. The surfaces have a rich, layered, and weathered appearance that encourages a closer look.
17
process | The Print Duality | Martina Lantin
1
When creating a monoprint on newsprint, draw or paint the top
or outline layer first using underglaze and a thin brush.
Apply additional layers of colored slip to define different sections

of the image, then scratch through to create patterned areas.
Apply a backing layer of white slip using a soft, wide brush. This
slip will be visible as a background layer in all white or patterned areas.
After applying the slip, place the paper image-side down onto a
tile, and use a rubber rib to compress the paper against the clay
and ensure a cleaner transfer of the image.
Monoprinting
Once the paper driesevidenced by the change in color, pull

it away, revealing the image underneath (figure 5). If any parts
of the print have failed to transfer, the paper may be carefully
lowered and compressed once more. While Im interested in
the incomplete transfer possible with this technique, and dont
mind the blank spaces, it can also create a sharp and complete
image. This method is flexible, because it allows underglaze,
slips, and stains to be intimately combined with one another.
Monoprintingwhere an image is created on one surface, and

then transferred to anotheris likely the most direct print
method I employ. I prefer to use clean newsprint to generate
my image, though printed newsprint will also work. The clean
newsprint allows me the space to draw the image or pattern first
in pencil or permanent marker. If applying the print to a more
complex form, I make a pattern of the formcutting the paper
to shape with darts to allow for the curvatures of the piece.
The outline, drawn here using a Chinese brush and commercial black underglaze (figure 1), is the first layer. Images need to
be built up in reverse, since the elements drawn onto the paper
initially will be topmost in the printed image. The outline is
then filled in with colored slips. This layer can also be scratched
away or eroded (figure 2) to allow the backing layer of the white
slip to be brought forward. I apply the white slip last, covering
the entire image (figure 3). In addition to creating a bright background, the layer of white slip also helps to ensure a complete
transfer of the image. The prepared print is applied to the surface of the piece, working from one edge to the other to avoid
air bubbles. Use fingers or a soft rib to compress the paper, being careful not to shift or tear the page (figure 4).
18
Toner-Resist Transfer
The toner-resist transfer technique requires more preparation,
but is similarly flexible. The method depends on the waterresistant property of the toner (rather than the toners iron
content as in decal printing). Its best to experiment with laser printers or copiers available to determine which may work
best. Line drawings or patterns with equal amounts of figure
and ground are suited to this technique. Using high-contrast
images with minimal large open spaces ensures that the black
areas resist the application of pigment and the printed spaces
are consistent in their color application.
The image can be generated through the use of copyright-free
imagery, or drawings made either on paper or digitally. Many
Once the paper dries (the colors change as it dries), pull it away
from the clay, revealing the transferred image.
7
Paint the frit and stain mixture onto the
white areas of your laser-printed image.
Clean any stray drops with a sponge.
Add water to the frit and Mason stain mixture until its a consistency thats repelled well by the toner spaces on the image.
Apply the image to clay once the sheen

disappears. Compress the back, then
once the paper dries, peel it off.
copiers have the capacity to color reverse the image (making

what is the black-on-white line drawing into a white-on-black
image). When working with text, letters need to be mirrored in
the original, as the print process will be the reversemaking
the text readable.
This technique is flexible, working well with slips, commercial underglazes, and colorant/frit mixtures. I use a mixture of
two parts Mason stain to one part Ferro Frit 3124. I like the
direct control over color that my own stain mixture provides.
Water is slowly added while blending the components together
with a brush or palette knife (figure 6). The mixture may need
to be adjusted to get the right consistency thats repelled well
by the toner spaces of the image. An additional variable is the
pressure on the brush. Working quickly and directly can be the
most efficient form of application.
Loading the brush with pigment, the lines of the motif are
traced, reloading as needed (figure 7). The resistant properties of
the toner will push the pigment away from the black areas of the
image, allowing a freer hand. Any stray drops can be picked up
with a sponge or dry brush. Once the sheen has left the page, the
print is applied to the piece and compressed from the center outward, or from one side to the other to avoid air bubbles. Using
If desired, apply a backing slip over the

paper pattern before applying it to the
clay. This creates a varied background.
a soft rib, the paper may be further compressed to ensure transfer. Should the clay be on the drier side, the back of the page can
be dampened with a sponge and compressed again. The paper is
pulled up once it has dried (figure 8). It can be reapplied and recompressed if the image didnt transfer completely.
The versatility of this method lies in its ability to repeat an
image using multiple copies, to execute fine lines, and be applied to a three-dimensional surface. In addition, with a quick
hand, the page can be backed with a contrasting colored slip
(figures 910). The two techniques detailed here may also work
in concert on the same piece.
Glazing
In glazing on top of existing slip decoration, I seek to continue
building visible layers by adding a variety of colored glazes.
Glazes are often applied to fill between the lines of the underlayer (figure 1112), then covered in wax, so that the colors resist
any additional glazes and maintain their integrity in the firing.
Once the wax resist dries, I either pour a glaze over the tile, or
for cups and larger forms, dip the form in glaze. When glazing
cups, I hold them with one finger on the rim, and my thumb
on the foot, then dunk the cup in at an angle, rim-side down.
19
process | The Print Duality | Martina Lantin
10
After applying the slip, place the image
onto the tile, compress, and peel the paper away. Note the images added depth.
13
11
12
After the bisque firing, apply glazes to

accentuate the pattern. Here the glaze is
applied to fill between the lines.
14
Add additional layers over the pattern to

the bisque-fired and glazed form by trailing accent glaze lines.
15
1315 Tiles showing three different techniques, from left to right: underglaze toner resist without a backing slip, toner resist with a
white backing slip and added glaze accents, and toner resist with backing slip and wax-resist glaze patterning.
The tumblers (see page 17) feature all of the techniques

described here, applied to a three-dimensional form.
Enhancing Context
From the moment they were introduced to me, monoprinting and toner-resist transfer became ways for me to generate depth in my surfaces and insert more detailed narratives
and pattern references to enhance the context of my work. As
my familiarity with these techniques evolved, I became interested in the erosion of images, making them difficult to read.
The incomplete transfer of an image generates a surface that
evokes the age of the object. Currently I use the toner-resist
transfer technique underneath a layer of white slip, further
obscuring the pattern as in the plate image at left.
Through these methods I seek to convey the number of
times during the making process that the object has been handled. The print processes generate a surface that I hope will
encourage exploration, and through that exploration, lead to
a deeper relationship between user and the crafted object.
Wheel-thrown and altered platter with layers of pattern created using both monoprinting and toner-resist techniques.
20
Martina Lantin teaches ceramics at Marlboro College in Marlboro,

Vermont. To see more of her work, visit www.mlceramics.com.
A POD NESTLED AMONG THE OAKS
Experience the first of architect Frank Gehrys iconic pods

the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Gallery Pod, during the
EXTROHRDINARY
SUMMER
CELEBRATION
beginning July 12, 2014
TWO AMERICAN MASTERS COME TOGETHER

The Ohr-OKeefe Museum of Artdesigned by
Frank Gehry, architect of the Guggenheim
Museum Bilbaopays homage to the exuberant
avant-garde vision of George E. Ohr, Americas
first art potter. OOMAs stainless steel pods and
adjacent galleries stand as tribute to the creative
spirit of two American masters. The Beau Rivage
Resort & Casino Gallery Pod is part of the George
Ohr Gallery Pavilion, sponsored by the John S.
and James L. Knight Foundation.
386 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi

www.georgeohr.org
21
THE
Spouted
Batter Bowl
Im inspired by North Carolinas landscapethe Piedmont

regions red dirt, fall colors found along the Blue Ridge
Mountains, and local folk and Native American pottery traditions. Undertones of my experiences in China, Greece, the
US Southwest, and the Appalachian Mountains combine and
show themselves in whispers in my work. I enjoy making specialized objects that have nothing to do with necessity but are
utilitarian in their own right. If only for a brief moment, these
objects aid in daily activities before becoming part of the dayto-day backdrop as life transpires. In my home, the kitchen is
the center of all activity. Size variations of the mixing bowl are
used daily and symbolize conscious cooking, eating, and even
cleaning up with friends and family. These little moments accumulate over time and a narrative is placed on the pot in a
way that could never be achieved if it were unused, sitting on
a shelf. Its only after a lifetime of use that it truly becomes a
powerful family heirloom, evoking stories connected to its users through memory.
22
Traditional Bowl Form
by Courtney Long
Prepare 2 pounds of clay to create a medium-sized mixing

bowl. Throw a flower-pot shape. Leave around 18--inch clay
in the rim so that it wont become too thin as you widen the rim
later. Remove any throwing lines from the exterior surface as
its going to be heavily decorated. On the interior, use a curved
metal rib to remove any right angles (figure 1). Your bowl may
slump if it has too deep of an undercut.
Place the bowl on a ware board and cover it overnight so the
rim and bottom will dry at the same rate. Once its leather hard,
youre ready to trim. Always trim the outside profile first. Make
a cut defining the foot ring but dont worry about its final width
here. Trim the excess clay beginning in the center and working
outward (figure 2). If you intend to dip your bowl in slip or prefer
not to use dipping tongs during glazing, its a good idea to trim
the foot in a diameter that allows your hand to hold the bowl
comfortably upside down.
1
Throw a medium-sized bowl and remove
throwing lines from the exterior and any
right angles from the interior.
4
Gently bend the spout into a curve to fit
the bowls exterior near the rim. Be careful not cause any cracking on the edges.
Handbuilt Alterations
Trim the bowl on the exterior first then

trim the interior of the foot to fit the
shape of the bowls interior well.
Fit the spout against the bowl and trace

the outside of the form with a needle
tool making a light mark.
Roll out a 8-inch-thick slab on any non-stick surface. I use a

Super Surface Clay Mat because it has a rubber backing as to
not move while rolling and tossing slabs on it and it has a nontextured surface. Remove any air pockets and smooth out any
surface texture using a rubber or metal rib.
Start with the spout form. I like to use tar paper as an inexpensive option to make water-resistant templates. Tar paper is
available at home improvement stores for less than $10. The
template for the spout shape is similar to the Rolling Stones lip
and tongue logo. Fold your paper in half and cut out a desired
profile so each side of the resulting template is symmetrical.
Repeat this process for additional decorative shapes that will
eventually become the handlefor this bowl, I cut out two
cloud-shaped designs. Trace the spout and cloud templates
onto the slab with a needle tool then remove them before cutting the clay. X-Acto blades are thin and give you a crisp line
without dragging clay or altering the shape. Hold your X-Acto
Make a template for the spout. Trace

the template onto a slab and cut it out.
Compress the edges using plastic.
Cut out the shape and create a slight bevel. Attach the spout, supporting the bowl
with your opposite hand at all times.
knife vertically when making the cut, not at an angle. Set the
cutouts aside to stiffen until they become a soft leather hard.
Spout
To prevent cracking, place plastic over the spout and compress

the edges (figure 3). Gently coax the spout into a half-rounded
fold (figure 4). If there are any minor flaws in the bowls rim,
place the spout there. Dry fit the spout to the upper side of the
bowl. Holding the spout with one hand up against the bowl
where you intend to attach it, trace the outside of the form with
your needle tool, making a light mark (figure 5). Cut out the
shape exactly on the line, holding the knife straight, and then
go back over the cut to create a slight bevel. Score and slip the
cut opening, then attach the spout, working inside the bowl
and pressing outward. Press the clay into the beveled cut with
one hand placed on the inside and the other hand placed firmly
on the outside wall (figure 6). To shape the spout for a better
pour, wet your hand and pull the spouts outside edge between
23
process | The Spouted Batter Bowl | Courtney Long
7
Shape the spout by wetting your hand
and pulling in a curved motion. Release
pressure at the rims tip.
10
Place the handle cutouts onto soft, thick
foam and lightly press them into rounded
forms. Dont overwork the edges.
8
Hold the middle of the spout with your index fingers while rubbing in a side to side
and downward motion to refine the shape.
Dry fit the two halves to the bowls rim

opposite the spout and trace a light line
to mark their placement for attaching.
Place the cloud cutouts onto soft, thick foam and gently use your
thumb, working from the center of the shape and releasing pressure toward the edge, to puff them out (figure 10). Hold the two
cloud halves up, in the shape of a closed clamshell, to the bowls
rim opposite the spout and trace a light line (figure 11). Cut inside the line, leaving a narrow area for the cloud to be attached
(figure 12). Cutting out this section removes weight from the
bowls rim and eliminates a second air pocket to worry about.
Score and slip the attachment area and the edges of each cloud
24
Use a rubber-tipped tool to clean up the

attachment and to define the exterior
shape of the spout.
12
11
your right thumb and bent right index finger in a curved motion. Release pressure at the rims tip (figure 7). Hold the middle
of the spout with your left thumb and left index finger while
rubbing in a side to side and downward motion with right index finger (figure 8). Repeat these motions until you get the
shape you desire. Give the seam a distinct outline using a rubber-tipped tool (figure 9).
Cloud-Shaped Handle
Make a beveled cut inside the marked

line, leaving a narrow area for the handle
to be attached.
shape. Attach the outside cloud first, pressing along its edge only.
Next attach the inside cloud, then pinch the edges together (figure 13). Compress the newly formed edge with a sponge held between thumb and pointer finger. Trace the clouds outline with
a rubber-tipped tool to remove any clay burrs or imperfections
and create a distinct line. Push a small pin into the cloud to allow
air to escape, but dont remove it until after the bowl is dipped in
slip or the hole will reseal.
Base Slip Decoration
Porcelain clay offers the best surface to show off translucent

glazes but working with it can often be a love/hate relationship.
If you find yourself in this predicament, you can turn your favorite commercial porcelain clay into a slip to use over a more
workable clay body. Begin by cutting it into small pieces and
dry them out. Place the dried clay in a bucket with enough water to just cover the clay. Let it sit until all the pieces are thoroughly slaked, then stir them using a drill and paint-mixing
13
14
Attach the outside shape first, pressing

the edges only. Attach the inside shape,
then pinch the edges together.
16
15
Push a small pin into the cloud to allow

air to escape but dont remove it. Dip the
bowl in the slip.
17
Sketch on the exterior then carve over

the lines with a needle tool. Remove
burrs after they dry.
Courtneys Grolleg Slip

Cone 6
Wollastonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grolleg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 %
33
36
28
100 %
Add: Bentonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 %
You can add Zircopax to make the slip more
opaque; however, when using an electric kiln,
visual depth achieved on the pots surface has
to be purposeful. Allow the slips thick and thin
areas to give you that depth, especially when
poured over red clay.
Brush any interior areas that the slip

did not cover. Add slip decoration in additional colors to the bowls well.
18
Add underglaze embellishments. Bisque

fire the pot. Wax the foot. Apply 23
coats of colored glaze on the imagery.
Immerse the bowl quickly and rotate

clockwise, coating the exterior and interior with translucent glaze.
attachment. Run the material through an 80-mesh sieve to smooth it out. If youd
like to work with a homemade clay recipe, you can adjust this clay body (see sidebar at left) into a workable slip. Be sure to test it for fit on your own clay body.
Dip the bowl in the slip gently but quickly (figure 14). While holding the bowl
upside down to allow the excess slip to drip off, brush any areas that the slip did
not cover, such as the inside of the spout and the handle attachment. Add slip
decoration both in white or in additional colors to the bowls well (figure 15). Let
the slip dry uncovered overnight, then remove the pin.
Sgraffito Decoration
Sgraffito is like a haircut, you can take away but you cannot put back, so plan
ahead. Make templates from sketches or photocopies and increase or decrease the
sizes as needed to fit your bowl. The best surface quality for creating sgraffito decoration is during the leather-hard state. This state allows you to trace templates
onto the dry white slip using a pencil without leaving embedded marks. Once a
preliminary sketch is complete, spontaneously carve the lines to give the image
gesture. A needle tool held at an angle gives fine, crisp lines (figure 16). Most dust
or clay burrs that form on the surface can be easily removed when bone dry. Dont
25
Detail of Cloud Batter Bowl with Rabbits interior glaze and sgraffito line work.
Rabbit Butter Dish, 7 in. (18 cm) in length, earthenware, porcelain

slip, fired to cone 5, 2013.
blow the dust in the air as its harmful to breathe in. If the underlying red clay leaves smudges, gently brush them away once
the bowl is bone dry. Dont disturb smudges while theyre wet,
as the red iron mars the surfacea concern mainly if you are
using clear glaze. Once the sgraffito line work is complete, you
may add underglaze embellishments in various colors. Allow
the entire pot to dry and then bisque fire it.
Glaze Decoration
Thoroughly wash the pot before doing any glazing to remove any
dust, then let it dry overnight. Use a water-based wax to coat the
foot ring and allow it to dry upside down. Dab or brush two to
three coats of colored glaze on imagery so its about the thickness of a dime (figure 17). After the colored glazes are dry, pour
translucent glaze into an open, round container, hold the bowl
in your right hand, and twist as far counterclockwise as comfortable. Immerse the bowl quickly into the clear glaze on one
side, set upright to let glaze slosh into middle before immersing
it once again. Roll the bowl around in the glaze as you rotate your
wrist in a clockwise motion as far as possible (figure 18). Its best
not to end major pour out drips over imagery; therefore plan
ahead and make sure to initially hold the bowl so the excess glaze
pours out at either the spout or the cloud handle. Dab finger
marks with glaze after the form dries but before wiping the foot
ring. Rub any pin holes that may form on the glaze surface. Dont
blow the dust! Fire the pot to temperature.
Detail of the glazing around the cloud-shaped handle.
26
Courtney Long is a studio potter and educator living in Morganton, North

Carolina. She received her MFA from Syracuse University. Shes currently
Western Piedmont Community Colleges Professional Crafts Coordinator and Pottery Instructor. See more of Courtneys work on her website,
www.courtneylongpottery.com.
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28
The Oribe-Inspired
Decorated Jar
by Ben Krupka
As a maker, I remain dedicated to the evolving

conversation with material, aesthetic ideals,
and function. I work within the parameters
of aesthetic functionalism while striving to
build pots that feel full of volume, look soft
and fresh, and tell a story, while maintaining
a historical reference. The work shown here
references the experimental and playful feel
of Oribe-style ceramics, but through a contemporary lens, both in pattern and narrative
themes as well as in form, which is influenced
by how I eat and drink. The work uses abstract
cloud forms to reference an intangible dream
state and fuzzy communication that are depicted in unframed floating spaces. Pattern is
used to define place and divide space.
Ben Krupka carves through wax-resistcovered slips to create a playful Oribeinspired surface on his porcelain jar.
29
process | The Oribe-Inspired Decorated Jar | Ben Krupka
1
Swell out the walls from the top downward. Keep the walls an even thickness.
4
Use the rib to push down the walls creating a flat lid.
2
Use the rib to remove all throwing lines
and refine the surface of the pot.
Throwing
Start by throwing a straight-walled cylinder with the bottom
third resembling a bowl on the interior rather than a cylinder,
which would have evenly thick walls. This will give the stability
necessary to slightly swell out the belly of the pot in the throwing stage without compromising its vertical, wet structural
strength. It also will come into play later when trimming.
Leave the top quarter of the pot about twice as thick as the
walls so it maintains its structure as you use downward pressure
to create the lid seating.
After the cylinder is thrown, smoothed, and the lid seating is
roughly formed, begin at the top, working downward to swell out
the walls, creating more volume (figure 1). Its important to begin
widening the form from the top as this allows the bottom half of
the pot, which is still thick, to maintain structure and keeps the
Form the knob prior to opening the walls

of the lid.
Center the pot so it can be used to hold

the lid while trimming.
The majority of my work begins on the wheel. I find this tool

to be the simplest way to connect curves and create not only
physical volume, but also a visually suggested sense of volume.
30
Trim the lid until the walls are evenly

thick throughout.
pot from getting too thin early on, causing it to slump. Once the
pot is formed, delicately rib down the entire pot removing all
throwing lines that would eventually act as a visual distraction to
the applied surface treatment (figure 2). Remove the pot from the
wheel and allow it to become leather hard.
Next, center a substantial amount of clay as a hump. This allows you to throw multiple lids more quickly in the event that
one does not fit. While ignoring the majority of clay that is already centered, focus on a portion of clay that comfortably fits in
your hand, and center it as though its a separate entity from the
remainder of the clay on the wheel. Rather than creating a hole,
which one would normally do when opening, form the knob in
the center of the ball of clay (figure 3).
After the knob is formed, throw walls around the knob and,
using a stiff rib, push down and level out the top of the lid
(figure 4). Once you are happy with the shape of the lid, use
calipers to measure the exact lid diameter and cut it to size with
a needle tool. Smooth out the cut edge, then remove the lid and
allow it to become leather hard.
7
Trim excess clay around the base. Use
a soft rib to even out the trimming surfaces. Allow it to become leather hard.
10
Use a soft brush to remove the dry burrs
of wax and clay that peel up as you draw.
Apply colored slips. After the slips are dry,

cover the entire pot with wax resist and
allow the wax to harden.
11
12
After the drawing is complete, use colored slips to fill the lines.
Trimming
Once the pot and the lid are both leather hard, re-center the pot
(before trimming it) so it can be used as a chuck, or holder, for
trimming the lid (figure 5). Trim the lid until the walls are an
even thickness throughout (figure 6). Now the lid is complete.
Flip the pot over, center it, and begin trimming. This is where
the distinction between physical and visual volume is created.
Because the interior of this vessel is shaped like a bowl, it affords
the flexibility to trim heavily, exposing the bowl shape within.
After the bulk of the trimming is complete, use the metal rib as
a trimming tool to remove unwanted trimming lines. Sponge
down the surface and use a soft rib to unify the thrown and
trimmed surface (figure 7).
Slip Decoration
Its important to have a vision for the finished piece in order
grasp the steps and work backward. I find it helpful to sketch
my ideas on paper prior to applying slip to the surface of the
pot. Once the pot is on the dry side of leather hard, begin to ap-
Use a pointed tool to draw through the

wax and slip creating sgraffito lines.
Avoid brushing the burrs into the lines.
Sponge away what doesnt fill the lines

before applying the next color.
ply colored slips by starting with the darkest color, in this case
black. After allowing the black slip to dry, apply the next color
of slipI used Amaco Velvet Underglaze V-388 Radiant Red.
Once the slips are dry, cover the entire pot with wax resist and
allow it to sit overnight so the wax hardens (figure 8). The longer
you let the wax dry, the easier it will be to draw clean lines.
Incising and Inlaying

Use a tool with a point that gives the line quality you desire
anything from a ballpoint pen to a needle tool will work. Another contributing factor to line quality is the moisture content
of the clay. The drier the pot, the sharper the line (figure 9).
Throughout the drawing process, pause occasionally to brush
off the burrs of wax and clay that peel up as you draw so they dont
accidentally get pushed back into your lines. Be patient and wait as
long as it takes for the burrs to dry. The drier the burrs are when
you brush them away, the cleaner the line will be (figure 10).
Once the drawing is complete, use colored slips to fill in the
lines (figure 11). After each color is applied, sponge away what
31
process | The Oribe-Inspired Decorated Jar | Ben Krupka
13
14
Apply a colored glaze in sections around the pots exterior.
Apply a thin layer of clear glaze on top.
doesnt adhere before applying the next color (figure 12). The overlying color should
wipe away easily due to the layer of protective wax resist still on the pot.
Glazing
After bisquing the pot, use a damp sponge to clean the surface before applying glaze.
This removes any dust that developed from the wax burning off in the kiln and allows
for a consistent and clean coat of glaze. Apply areas of colored glaze (figure 13), allow
them to dry, then apply a thin layer of clear glaze on top of the entire pot (figure 14).
Wipe the bottom clean, allow the glaze to dry, then fire it to temperature.
Ben Krupka is a functional and sculptural ceramic artist and educator living and working in Great
Barrington, Massachusetts. He has been teaching ceramics at Bard College at Simons Rock since
2005. Prior to this he completed a two-year residency at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana. To see more of his work, visit www.benkrupka.com.
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32
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Thrown
& Handbuilt
All at Once
by Naomi Tsukamoto
Before electric wheels were designed, Japanese

potters used wooden banding wheels to throw
pots. Its the hand version of the kick wheel so to
speak. Its turned by placing a wooden pole into a
hole on the right side of the wheel and turning it rapidly several times before removing the pole and starting to throw.
While teaching in community-based pottery schools in Japan, I often noticed some of the advanced students banding
wheels turning very fast on the work table, and before long, they
had nice cups and bowls. When I lived in the US, I hardly used
banding wheels, and when I did, it was primarily to add surface
treatment. So the technique they were using piqued my interest.
Tools
In addition to the unique banding-wheel throwing technique, I
have started using a number of highly specialized pottery tools,
including several wooden throwing ribs. For example, there
are different ribs for making sake cups, Japanese teacups, rice
bowls, and so on. These ribs have curves that match the inside
shapes for each form and are used often for shaping the inside
of thrown forms.
The two wooden ribs Im using here are a rectangular-shaped
rib for Japanese teacups and a teardrop-shaped, all-purpose rib
that can be shifted in the hand to match a desired curve (see
tools sidebar, page 36).
Steps to Make a Yunomi

To experiment with this technique, start with a basic cylinder form like a teacup. Japanese teacups can be categorized
into two forms: a yunomi, which has a height that is greater
than its diameter and kumidashi, which is wider than it is tall
(tea bowls, which are larger, are called macchawan or chawan).
The example shown here is a yunomi. The amount of clay
you want to prepare for each piece is approximately the same
amount, but a little more than what you would use for throwing the same form on an electric wheel. For the yunomi, use
of a pound (400g) of clay.
Start with a ball of clay, and first divide the clay into three
pieces. Choose the largest piece and make it into a ball, and
make the other two pieces into short coils. Press the ball of clay
35
process | Thown and Handbuilt All at Once | Naomi Tsukamoto
The tools used in this project are:

a bowl with water, a banding
wheel, a wire tool, a rectangular
wooden tea-bowl rib, a teardropshaped all-purpose wooden rib, a
chamois, a sponge, a needle tool,
and a wooden knife.
down onto the center of a banding wheel

to make a short, solid cylinder. Make the
diameter as wide as you want the finished teacup to be. Here, I am widening
to the second line (3 inches in diameter)
on a 8-inch wide banding wheel. Next,
applying the pinch-pot method, push a
thumb into the center and make a depression. Check the depth of the bottom with a needle tool to make sure that
there is enough clay (a little more than
inch) for trimming (figure 1). Pull
your thumb from the center out to open
the clay to make the floor of the piece,
supporting the outside edge with your
fingers or the palm of your other hand
so that the width of the form does not
change (figure 2). Be careful not to dig
your fingers into the clay as you widen
the bottom, and keep the bottom of the
piece level. Pinch and lift the wall until
it reaches a thickness of about inch,
which is thin, but can still support the
weight of a coil added on top (figure 3).
Turn the wheel quickly for several
revolutions, then, while the wheel is spinning, hold the rectangular rib tightly with
both hands and press the flat part of the
rib against the bottom of the piece to get
rid of the finger marks. Apply enough
pressure to even out the surface so that
the floor is flat and well compressed.
Next, roll out another coil to the same
length as the circumference of the cylin-
36
1
Press a ball of clay into a cylinder, create
a center depression and check the bottom thickness using a needle tool.
3
Add a soft coil to the top of the cylinder,
join the ends, and blend it into the cylinder using your thumbs and index fingers.
2
Open the bottom of the form using your
thumb, and support the outside with
your hand.
4
Pinch the coil between index fingers and
thumbs of both hands to move the clay
up and raise the height of the cylinder.
der, and add it to the wall. Connect the seams and raise the wall to the same thickness.
Sandwich the wall between the index fingers and thumbs of both of your hands. Bring
your thumbs together, gathering the clay, and drawing it closer from both sides as you
press against your index fingers to move the clay up the wall and compact it (figure 4).
Repeat the same motion all the way around until you complete an entire course of
pinching and have thinned all of the clay. By gathering and compressing the clay as you
build up the height of the wall, you will be able to achieve a nice straight wall even if the
clay starts to flare out due to the weight of added coils. As you reach the rim, if you start
pushing the clay in toward the center of the banding wheel a little more, youll be able to
create a bottleneck form (figure 5).
To erase the finger marks on the wall, hold the rectangular teacup rib vertically, and
push the short end against the inside of the wall, adding enough pressure while moving
it from the bottom to the top to smooth and even out the clay (figure 6). Place the palm
of your other hand on the outside for support to keep the form from flaring out. Next,
use the same rib, held horizontally, to erase the marks on the outside wall, moving the
5
To bring the top of the form in to make a
bottle, pinch toward the vertical center
of the wheel head.
8
Hold the rib vertically against the outside
of the pot at a 90 angle and spin the
wheel to true up the form.
Press the short end of the rectangular teacup rib against the inside of the cylinder
to smooth the wall.
10
Continue to center the form by pressing

the wet sponge against the outside of
the wall while supporting the inside.
rib from bottom to the top, supporting from the inside (figure 7).
Once the entire surface becomes smooth, hold the rib vertically
against the outside of the form and at a right angle as you move
the wheel to center the piece and true up the wall (figure 8).
To further center the piece, turn the wheel again, and while it
is spinning, hold the wet sponge against the inside of the cylinder, and with the other hand supporting the outside, move the
sponge from bottom to the top with steady hands as if you are
pulling the wall. When you add a little more pressure from the
inside as if you are pushing out the form a little, the piece gets
centered more easily. Next, hold the sponge against the outside of
the pot and repeat the same motion, adding a little more pressure
from the outside this time (figure 9).
Now you have a centered short cylinder. Add another coil, and
repeat the same steps to make the form taller.
Hold the teacup rib horizontally against

the outside wall and move it slowly from
bottom to top to smooth the exterior.
Once you reach the desired height, level

and trim the rim by inserting a needle
tool into the wall while the wheel spins.
Once the cylinder is complete, turn the wheel and level the
rim using a needle tool (figure 10), and smooth the lip with
chamois, compressing it to the desired thickness as you smooth
it (figure 11).
For shaping you can either turn the wheel first and push out
and collar in just like when you do on the electric wheel with
sponge and finger tips, or use an all-purpose rib to push out the
form as you turn the wheel slowly (figure 12). If you like the curve
of your teacup rib, you can also steadily apply the rib inside while
the wheel is turning. For a bowl form, turn the wheel and angle
the rim first (figure 13). Use the all-purpose, teardrop-shaped rib
and hold it against the inside wall so that the gradual curve goes
from the rim to the center of the form (figure 14).
Finally clean the bottom with a wooden tool, create a bevel,
and cut the bottom free from the wheel head using a cutting wire.
37
process | Thown and Handbuilt All at Once | Naomi Tsukamoto
11
Smooth the lip with a damp chamois held
so that its draped lightly over the top.
14
Curve the wall and create a transition
between the bottom of the bowl and the
wall using the teardrop-shaped rib.
12
Shape the cylinder using the curved rib
pressed against the inside wall.
15
The trimming steps when working with a banding wheel are

almost identical to the steps used with an electric wheel, except that you want to keep the ware a little wetter than leather
hard when trimming. Because banding wheels turn much
slower, trying to trim drier clay doesnt work well, because you
would need to apply more pressure, and therefore add more
tension to the surface, possibly distorting, pushing, or breaking the form.
To start, tap the piece to center on a banding wheel. Once
centered, turn the wheel and draw two circles on the bottom of
the piece with a needle tool to mark the foot. Start trimming by
taking the clay off diagonally to the outside mark, then define
the outside edge of the foot (figure 15). After this step, you rely
To make a bowl, flare out the rim with

your fingers while the wheel is spinning.
16
Tap the soft-leather-hard teacup on

center, mark the location of the foot ring,
then trim the foot.
Trimming
38
13
Naomi Tsukamotos finished teacup,

made on a banding wheel using a combined coil and throwing technique.
less on the turning wheel, and trim by primarily moving your

hand, and only moving the wheel as needed.
Conclusion
This technique is great for teaching as it requires little space
and can be applied to more advanced forms. Students can
come to understand centering from their physical bodies, and
therefore, the banding-wheel technique is often taught before
wheel throwing in Japan. You rely less on the wheel movement
and achieve softer and less mechanical forms. Some Japanese
professional potters today still prefer using this technique to
throwing on electric wheels.
Naomi Tsukamoto is an artist and a writer who runs a flower and ceramic
studio (www.facebook.com/hananoeki.tsugumistudio) with her florist
husband in Hadano, Japan.
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39
Turn It
by Glenn Woods
Several years ago, at an art fair in Florida, I encountered another potter who came into my booth and said, I really like
your pots but they seem to be missing the bottom part of the
form. At first I was offendedwho did he think he was anyway? His forms didnt seem any more spectacular than mine.
After I got over myself, I looked at my pots and found he was
right. I love to throw but have always noticed that no matter what pulling method I have used, I always seem to leave a
little more clay at the bottom of the wall than I would like.
I also noticed that the pots did seem to be lacking a little
toward the bottom part of the forms. After thinking about
this, I decided that I needed to find an easier way to use the
clay left at the bottom of the piece rather than simply carving or trimming it away and discarding that clay into to my
reclaim bucket.
A New Approach
With the next piece, I threw the vase the way I always have but
left a little more clay in the floor of the piece (a thicker bottom). I then wrapped the bottom of the piece in plastic to keep
it wet and let the top dry to leather hard (figure 1). Since I
hadnt altered the piece, it was easy to turn upside down
and center on the wheel just as if I was going to trim the
piece (figure 2). I trimmed away the flange from
the bottom, leaving the edge beveled toward
the center (figure 3). Rather than trim-
Glenn Woods added height and flair

to this wheel-thrown pitcher by
turning the vessel over and using the
clay in the thicker base to throw a
graceful curve.
40
ming any more clay away, I cut a hole in the center of the bottom of the piece and pulled the bottom out toward me, just like
opening up a ball of clay before starting to throw a cylinder.
Once the bottom was opened, I applied slip only where needed
and began pulling and thinning the walls where I would normally be trimming away extra clay (figure 4). Once the wall
1
Throw a vase form, wrap the bottom in
plastic, and dry the top to leather hard.
4
Cut a hole in the bottom, throw to widen
it, then throw the wall to thin the clay.
Cut the vase from the bat, flip it over and

center it on the wheelhead.
After thinning the wall, collar

and refine the shape.
was a uniform thickness, I collared in the form and continued

thinning. This process added an additional 3 to 5 inches to the
overall height of the piece and enabled me to create a more pleasing form (figure 5).
To close the bottom, I simply threw a clay pad, compressed
it, and then added a throwing ring so that when a person looks
inside the pot, they see a beautiful spiral staring right back at
them. I scored the bottom edge of the pot (figure 6) and marked
the clay disc (figure 7) with the diameter of the foot, scored just
inside this line, then attached them while the clay pad was still
on the bat. Next, I compressed the seam (figure 8), cut away
the excess clay and beveled the bottom (figure 9), then cut it
off the bat. I set the pot on a plaster dome to make the bottom
concave. The plaster also helped to even out the moisture in
the bottom quickly so I didnt end up with stress cracks. Once
it dried to soft leather hard, I set the piece on a level table to
make sure the bottom edge was even all the way around and the
piece was level.
Trim away the bottom flange and create a

bevel using a needle tool.
Score the bottom edge of the pot and measure

the diameter with calipers.
Finishing the Form

To make the spout for the pitcher, I threw a low, wide, bottomless bowl that angled out toward the top (figure 10). I created a
grooved detail at the bottom, which added interest to the area
where the spout joins the pitcher body. When this cylinder was
leather hard, I cut it off of the bat, flipped it over, and trimmed
the excess from the edge to create a bevel. I also trimmed a
channel into the bottom (figure 11) that matched the shape of
the rounded rim on the pitcher body, increasing the surface
area and strength of the attachment point.
Once the cylinder reached soft leather hard, I cut a section
wide enough to make the spout (figure 12). I attached the section to the rim of the pot, then trimmed away the excess (figure 13). I made final adjustments to the base and throat of the
spout and compressed the join (figure 14).
After the body has been completed, rather than making a
pitcher as shown here, you can simply leave it as it is and make
a vase out of it, or you can throw a neck and add it on to the top
41
process | Turn it Upside Down | Glenn Woods
Throw a clay disc, mark the diameter of

the base, score the area and apply slip.
10
Throw a low, wide, bottomless bowl
to create a pitcher spout.
Join the vessel to the base and compress

the seam with your finger.
11
Trim away the excess clay from the edge

of the clay pad using a wooden knife.
12
Trim a channel into the bottom of the

leather-hard bottomless bowl.
Cut a section of the bottomless bowl thats

wide enough to make the spout.
of the form to create a bottle. There are

many possibilities.
Some may consider this cheating or
even giving a person permission to stop
trying to throw that perfect pot. I think
of this technique as an alternative to trimming a piece to perfection. Personally,
I never try to throw a bad pot (not that
any of us do!), but if I make a mistake, I
dont use this technique to try to correct it.
When I turn a pot upside down to finish
the bottom, if its not well thrown, the process is more difficult, so I always throw the
original form to the best of my abilities.
So next time you throw a pot that is a
little bottom heavy, turn it upside down!
13
Once attached, cut away excess from the
spout to create the shape you want.
42
14
Position the spout, shape the throat so it
pours well, then compress the join.
Glenn Woods is an artist and instructor living

in Palm Harbor, Florida. See more of his work
at www.potteryboys.com.
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43
in the potters kitchen | Food and Clay
Olive Trays
by Sumi von Dassow
1
Lay the extrusion flat between dowels and pull a cutting wire
along the sticks to bisect the extrusion.
44
2
Cut the ends straight, curve the trays as desired (they will want
to curve naturally), and pinch the ends together.
Score and join the ends then smooth the joins and the long
cut edges.
Allow the trays to dry, bisque fire them, then glaze them in
colors that may look good with a variety of finger foods.
A few years ago students started bringing in catalog photos of olive

trays and asking how to make them. An olive tray is a canoe-shaped
dish that can be used for olives or other small appetizers. The ones
in catalogs were straight as logs, with rounded endslike a hollowed-out half of a zucchini. After a few tries with slabs, I settled on
an extruded tube, cut in half and pinched together at the ends. And
since it can be both challenging and boring to handbuild a perfectly
straight form in clay, I make my olive trays S-shaped.
I use a hexagonal extruder die with a round inside piece, so the
bottom of the olive tray is flat but the inside is rounded (no corners inside means its easy to clean) and pack the barrel full of soft
clay. I extrude about 14 inches of clay, cut it off, and keep going
until the barrel is empty. I lay the extrusion down on a ware board
between two 1-inch dowel rods or 11-inch sticks that are about
18 inches long. The sticks should be exactly half the height of the
extrusion so they line up with the corners of the hexagon. I use
my cutting wire to slice it in half lengthwise, pulling toward myself
(figure 1). I try to cut it exactly in half, right along the corner of the
hexagon. In fact, I try to cut along the weak corner where the Zbracket held the center piece into the die. This will help prevent the
extrusion from splitting along this seam as you are working on it.
Cutting is faster and cleaner with a cutting wire than with a knife;
also, wet clay cut with a sharp blade tends to stick back together
again. Its easier to cut and shape these if you let the clay set up a
bit after extruding it.
I peel the two halves apart and form each one into an S-shape.
Then I cut the ends even and pinch them together (figure 2). After
sponging the cut edges and smoothing the ends where they were
pinched together (figure 3), Im done. I use stoneware clay and
glaze them with colors that I imagine would complement olives
(figure 4). And of course an olive tray can be used for plenty of
things other than olives. Mine end up about an inch and a half
wide, so there are lots of small finger foods that can fit in them
including dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) because they can be a
lot of work to make and you might as well show them off in a
special dish! I precook the rice for the dolmades to make it easier,
but traditionally the rice is cooked with the other ingredients like
a risotto.
Sumi von Dassow is an artist, instructor, and regular contributor to Pottery

Making Illustrated. She lives in Golden, Colorado.
Recipe
Dolmades
1 jar grape leaves (one pint), 35 to 50 leaves
2 cups cooked rice
cup olive oil plus cup
1 large onion, chopped
1
3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1
3 cup currants or raisins
cup chopped fresh parsley
juice of one lemon
seasoning to taste: salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, etc.
Saute onion in cup of olive oil until soft; stir in nuts, raisins, parsley, and rice. Add
salt and pepper, cinnamon, allspice, or other seasonings to taste, if desired. Unroll a
bundle of grape leaves from the jar and rinse off the brine. Lay one leaf down, vein
side up. Cut off the stem if its tough. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of
the leaf and fold in the sides of the leaf, then roll loosely from the stem end. When
all the filling is used up, place any extra leaves in the bottom of a heavy pot and
arrange the filled leaves on top, seam sides down, packing tightly, and layering if
necessary. Pour cup olive oil over all, then lemon juice and a cup of water. Cover
the leaves with a plate to keep them down, bring the pot to a boil, then cover it and
turn the heat to a simmer. Cook about 30 minutes, adding water if necessary. Let the
dolmades cool in the pot, then chill and serve.
Sumi von Dassows

finished tray with
dolmades (stuffed
grape leaves).
45
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index to advertisers
Aardvark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
ACerS Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Al Johnsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Amaco and Brent. . . . . . . . . 12, 13, 27
Bailey Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Bennett Pottery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Brackers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Carolina Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chinese Clay Art. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Ceramic Arts Daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Clay Art Center/Scott Creek . . . . . . . 28
Continental Clay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Coyote Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dolan Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Evenheat Kiln. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Georgies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Great Lakes Clay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Herring Designs/SlabMat. . . . . . . . . . 47
Highwater Clays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
J.C. Campbell Folk School. . . . . . . . . 39
Kiln Doctor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
L&L Kilns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4
Larkin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Master Kiln. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mayco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2
MKM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Mudtools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Ohr-OKeefe Museum of Art. . . . . . . 21
Olympic Kilns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Original Hi Roller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Paragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Peter Pugger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Potters Council. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sheffield Pottery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Skutt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Smith-Sharpe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Spectrum Glazes. . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3
Touchstone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tuckers Pottery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Xiem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Zanesville Prize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
47
side-hole pot drum

hadgini
two-chambered drum
designed by Frank Giorgini
and Jamey Haddad
ocarina
side-blown flute
one-note whistle
goblet drum
alpenhorn
multiple components assembled with silicone, brass
fittings, and rubber rings
bongos
low-fire drums decorated
in slip, covered and bound
together after firing
four-chambered huaca
chambers are tuned in
octaves and fifths
ceramic musical forms

To learn more about making ceramic musical instruments, check out From Mud to Music by Barry Hall on the
Ceramic Arts Daily bookstore at http://ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore.
48
Spectrum Glazes
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May/June 2014

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | May/June 2014

May/June 2014 Volume 17 Number 3

14 Relating Pattern to Form by Shana Angela Salaff

17 The Print Duality by Martina Lantin

22 The Spouted Batter Bowl by Courtney Long

29 The Oribe-Inspired Decorated Jar

35 Thrown and Handbuilt All at Once

40 Turn it Upside Down by Glenn Woods

6 Purple Glazes by Deanna Ranlett

44 In the Potters Kitchen

Publisher Charles Spahr

In three words I can sum up everything Ive learned about life:

PotteryMaking Illustrated | May/June 2014

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PotteryMaking Illustrated | May/June 2014

in the studio | Glaze Testing

Purple is a non-spectral color, meaning that it isnt included in the

Stacked bowls with cone 04 test glazes. 1 Icing Glaze with 5%

PotteryMaking Illustrated | May/June 2014

Stacked bowls with cone 6 test glazes. 6 Amys Base with 6% MS

Working With Stains

For our focus here, we used primarily stains to highlight

Tips When Using Stains

small, experiment, and take good notes.

Add: Zircopax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5 %

George Bowes Base Glaze

Hirsch Satin REV

Ferro Frit 3124. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Glossy where thin, matte where it pools, and a

PotteryMaking Illustrated | May/June 2014

in the studio | Throwing and Altering

Fluting Neriage Bowls

PotteryMaking Illustrated | May/June 2014

As it settles into lake beds, it forms layers of sediment, and over

Laminating Clay Bodies

Three different fired examples of fluting

The amount of colorant needed to get

metal tools with cutout sections and/or

dom patterns. The type of pattern can

Neriage and Agateware

in the studio | Throwing and Assembling