ceramic
art
trends,
tools,
and
7/21/17, 10(03 P+
Handmade Brushes with Glenn Grishkoff
®
TIMES
Clay
techniques DP248993.jpg 2,899×3,870 pixels
Volume 23 • No. 103 Summer / Fall 2017 http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/eg/original/DP248993.jpg
Page 1 of 1
Glaze Transfer Techniques Using Textured Materials Pete Pinnell’s Introduction to Frit Building Your Own Recycled Raku Kiln The Pottery Tradition of Lesvos Island, Greece
An Interview with Penland Clay Coordinator Susan Feagin PLUS: Free Glaze Formulas on the Web • Inside the new Jim & Nan McKinnell Book
$8.95 U.S. / $10.95 CAN
The End of an Era: Five Generations of U.S. Potters
Why 2 women in remote Montana have fired only Paragon kilns since 1972 Pioneer Pottery near Roscoe, Montana is so isolated that bears come right up to the studio and smudge the windowpanes with nose prints. The sound of the East Rosebud River flowing past the red two-story building breaks the silence. Janet Hero Dodge and Julie Dickinson began Pioneer Pottery in 1972. They converted a horse stable built in 1910 into their busy pottery studio. Janet and Julie planned to fire with propane; in the meantime, they bought a Paragon square K-6H electric kiln. But they were so satisfied with the Paragon that they never converted to propane firing. Over the years they just bought more Paragons and have been firing them ever since. “The glazes I developed for the electric firings had the softness and subtlety I had hoped for with propane,” said Janet Hero Dodge. “So I never quite got around to building that gas kiln. “In 1978 we added a Paragon K-6HS square kiln so we could glaze fire back to back when necessary. This allowed us to move pots steadily through the firing cycle and fill special orders quickly. In 1980 we added a square Paragon K-6A to our kiln collection. All the kilns are still functional.” Janet and Julie fire their glazes to a flattened cone 9. At this temperature, their matte glazes soften and absorb iron from the clay. “Some of the glazes are quite bright for electric firing,” said Janet. “We’ve been real happy with our Paragons. They’ve held up well and produced good results.” Have they been reliable? “Quite.” “You can’t deny that gas firing is exciting,” said Janet. “But as a production potter who also does my own specialty pieces, I need the reliability of electric, which is more reliable than gas because you have fewer variables. And I like the fast turnover I can have with the electric kilns. If I get a special order that I have to get out fast, I don’t have to wait to fill up a big gas kiln.
Julie Dickinson and Janet Hero Dodge. Pioneer Pottery has been firing Paragon kilns since the studio opened in 1972.
We offer a wide selection of top and front loading kilns. Call 800-876-4328 or visit www.paragonweb.com for a free catalog and the name of the Paragon dealer near you. The Paragon Dragon front-loading kiln is becoming a favorite with Potters. It is easy to load, heavily insulated, and designed for cone 10. The switch box is hinged at the bottom.
“I use a copper barium glaze,” Janet said, “and part of the reason I started doing that is I had less control over it. So I get some of that same ‘I wonder what I’m going to get when I open it’ feeling.” The Paragon kilns of today are built with the same dependability as the kilns Janet and Julie are using. Since their Paragon kilns have worked faithfully for so many decades, imagine what your next Paragon will do for you.
t on mos itch box ing kilns The sw ad o -l p to Paragon the bottom for t hinges a ss. ce c a y s a e
2011 South Town East Blvd. Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557 www.paragonweb.com info@paragonweb.com
MKM Pottery Tools Introducing New MKM Tools SSL Stamps 6cm X 6cm
Large (Long) Handrollers ≈7.75” X 1” dia
LHR-03
LHR-08
SSL-79
SSL-78
P: (920) 903-8918 www.mkmpotterytools.com E: mkmtools1@gmail.com
Order MKM Products Online
Pictured at top: Foam fruit wrap used for shipping produce is just one of several materials used for the glaze transfer decoration process featured on pages 29-32.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
Pictured above, center: Detail of bottle at left, decorated with use of the foam fruit wrap pictured at top.
4
29
Pictured at left: Bottle by Frank James Fisher, author of glaze transfer article. 7¼" tall x 3¼" diameter. Raku-fired stoneware, 2016. Pictured at right, opposite page: Pitcher by Lesvos potter Electra Valasi (l) and a view of Mytilene Harbor in Lesvos, Greece. For more, see p. 24.
features ➤ 12 The Art of Handmade Brushes
Cover inset photo: Molded fritware body with a fritted glaze, colored with copper. Circa 1961–1878 B.C., Egypt. 8" x 3" x 4½". Photo used by permission of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Michael Dunne Photo
contents
Cover photo: Rabbit Brush Bouquet made by Glenn Grishkoff during a 2005 artist residency at the LH Project, Joseph, OR. Wheel-thrown and coil-built porcelain, raku-fired to cone 06. The horse [mane] hair brush handles contain coarse garnet dust, creating a flowing, spotted comet effect in the glaze. Photo by Mark Lamoreaux.
®
TIMES
Clay
Summer / Fall 2017 Volume 23, No. 103
Glenn Grishkoff shares his expertise in making handmade brushes that are not only extremely functional for use in pottery decoration, but are also works of art themselves. Learn his techniques for making brushes time-tested by the likes of Paul Soldner, Peter Voulkos, and even — yes, it’s true — a live elephant! ➤ 24 The Potters of Lesvos, Greece Poised to interview potters native to the home of her ancestors, Elaine Fuller is pleasantly surprised to discover the rich pottery-making history there. ➤ 29 Glazing Off the Grid: Part One In the first of a three-part series on textured glazing techniques, Frank Fisher offers illustrated steps for glaze transfer using various types of packing material.
24 exhibit ➤
12 2016 UNF A
12 Above photo: Glenn Grishkoff demonstrates the use of a brush he made with soft, handbundled horse mane combined with a raku-fired Grishkoff hand-grip handle. The weighted handle assists in the active, consistent pressure needed for dynamic marks. The fine horsehair is very absorbent, allowing for a continuous release of large amounts of liquid when in use. Turn to page 12 for full story. 5
contents
®
TIMES
Clay
Rectangular Tray by Loren Maron, decorated with MKM Stamps (for more on stamps, see p. 42.)
Summer / Fall 2017 • Volume 23 Issue 103
departments 7 EDITOR’S DESK Baltimore Clayworks closes its doors; New doors open for PTSD victims
9 WHAT’S HOT Clay world news, events, and calls for entries
37 GREAT GLAZES Formulas you can find for free on the Web
38 THE GALLERY Fellow CT readers share images of their clayworks
44 THE SLURRY BUCKET Studio-tested tips & techniques
45 POTTERY CLASSES
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
Where you can learn claywork in your own community
6
49 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Goods and services offered especially for and by clay artists
50 ADVERTISER INDEX Welcome to new CT tool advertisers Koala, Xiem, and Diamondcore — please let them know you found them in Clay Times!
Square Tray by Susan Feagin. Lana’s interview with Susan begins on p. 21.
columns 18 AS FAR AS I KNOW “An Introduction to Frit” Part 1 by Pete Pinnell
21 BENEATH THE SURFACE “Interview with Susan Feagin of Penland School” by Lana Wilson
27 STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY “Thousands of Years of Health Advice” by Monona Rossol
33 KILNS & FIRING “Building A Recycled Raku Kiln” by Marc Ward
35 BOOKS & VIDEOS “The Clay Connection: Jim and Nan McKinnell” review by Steve Branfman
40 TOOL TIMES “More Great Finds on New Clay Tools” by Vince Pitelka
47 AROUND THE FIREBOX “Five Generations and the End of an Era” by David Hendley
“... The loss of the sale of our buildings created a complex and delicate situation. Toward the end of last week, the board was told that the “Community Campaign’s” accrued funds came with a variety of restrictions in order to be disbursed. While the administration of that group worked hard to release some of that now, and potentially more later, it was not enough, nor in enough time ... Without it, and with many creditors, now being insolvent, we are facing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week. “ ... We understand the impact this will have on the larger arts community,” Holt continued. “It is exceedingly painful to those that Clayworks has served. We are all grief-stricken with the result.” [ — P.B.
Army Vet Praises Clay for PTSD Therapy
Clay Editor & Publisher: Polly Beach Customer Service: Nanette Greene Advertising Director: Morgan Britt Proofreader: Jon Singer Regular Columnists: Steve Branfman, Books & Videos David Hendley, Around the Firebox Pete Pinnell, As Far as I Know Vince Pitelka, Tool Times Monona Rossol, Health & Safety Kelly Savino, Around the Firebox Marc Ward, Kilns & Firing Lana Wilson, Beneath the Surface Contributing Writers:
Frank Fisher • Elaine Fuller • Glenn Grishkoff
Editor’s foreword: A 43-year-old British veteran recently e-mailed me the following account of his battles, and subsequent triumphs over, PTSD. Published below is his excerpted story, to help spread the word to others who battle PTSD and/ or other mental disorders: Perhaps a pottery class could be helpful therapy?
my anxiety — all [of which are] food for helping with the symptoms of PTSD.
✦ Printed on 100% FSC-certified and 75% post-consumer recycled paper ✦
“I can’t thank Combat Stress enough,” Craig continued. “I recommend that if you are struggling with any mental health issue, please seek help. It’s changed my life for the better.”
Published by: CLAY TIMES, LLC P.O. Box 17139 • Amelia Island, FL 32035
Craig Mealing (pictured in both images at bottom right) joined the British Army when he was 16 years old. Serving for 23 years, he completed tours of Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In November, 2015, Craig was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by Combat Stress, the U.K.’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health.
Craig now lives in Essex, United Kingdom. His Website at www.potteryptsd.co.uk features a detailed account of his story, as well as helpful links to U.K. resources for PTSD and mental illness victims and their families. [
Prior to this diagnosis, Craig had turned to alcohol and found home life difficult. He struggled with socializing, being hyper-vigilant in crowded places, and suffered night terrors as well as depression.
“For me, working with clay and ceramics is the ideal distraction to keeping me off the drink. I find it relaxing, and it helps reduce
Toll-free subscription line: 800.356.2529 Clay Times® (ISSN 1087-7614) is published quarterly, four issues per year. Annual subscriptions are available for $33 in the U.S.; $40 in Canada; $60 elsewhere (must be paid in US$). Digital subscriptions are just $20 worldwide. To subscribe, call tollfree 1.800.356.2529, or visit www.claytimes.com. Freelance editorial and photographic submissions are welcome: Please contact Clay Times or visit our Website for writer’s and photographer’s guidelines. POSTMASTER: Address service requested. Send address changes to: Clay Times, PO Box 17139, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035.
“Pottery has changed my life so much,” says Craig, a PTSD survivor. “Can’t beat throwing a pot!”
Copyright ©2017 Clay Times, LLC. All rights reserved. The material contained herein is derived from various sources and does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All technical material is offered as general information only and should not be acted upon without expert supervision. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
Questions? Comments? Please e-mail us! Customer Service: ctcirculation@gmail.com Editorial: claytimes@gmail.com Advertising: ctadvertising@gmail.com Website: www.claytimes.com
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
“I came to Combat Stress for a twoweek residential course in April, 2016, and that was when I first tried working with clay as part of my occupational therapy. One of the therapy technicians helped me get started, and that was it — I was hooked!” Craig said.
®
Over recent years, however, the organization had been experiencing financial difficulties, amassing roughly $1 million in debt. According to Holt, the Board had been optimistic about recovery following intensive fund-raising efforts, provided that Clayworks could sell its real estate holdings and relocate to a more affordable facility. Although a buyer for the Clayworks properties had been found, Holt stated, public opposition to relocation in any neighborhood other than Mount Washington had delayed
the sale to the point where the potential buyer lost interest in the property.
TIMES
On July 17, Baltimore Clayworks Board President Kathy Holt informed patrons and supporters of the organization’s immediate shutdown. Clayworks, located in the Mount Washington region of Baltimore, Maryland, had served the metro area community for 37 years with clay-related classes, residencies, gallery exhibitions, and special events.
ceramic art trends, tools & techniques
Spouting Off I Editor’s Desk
Baltimore Clayworks Sadly Closes its Doors
7
EVERYTHING for the
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017 CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
CLAY ARTIST
88
American Ceramic Supply Co. www.AmericanCeramics.com Sales@AmericanCeramics.com 1-866-535-2651
Think Big.
L&L Kiln’s patented hard ceramic
Toll Free: 888.684.3232 Swedesboro, NJ 08085
element holders protect your kiln.
What’s Hot • ceramic art world news • events • calls for entries
Hot Stuff I Calendar
Summer / Fall 2017
Upcoming Festivals & Conferences ‰ The Northern Clay Center of Minneapolis, MN will present its 19th Annual American Pottery Festival from Sept. 8-10, 2017. This annual fund-raising event will feature guest artists from across the country, who will offer “a sneak peek inside their wheelhouses, as well as crowd-worthy lectures and panel discussions, rousing gallery chats, slam-dunk demonstrations, and outstanding ceramic wares. NCC promises another round of rewarding interactions with some of your favorite clay makers, as well as some legends in the making.” The weekend will be filled with opportunities to engage directly with artists during image presentations, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and casual gallery chats. For complete details on the event, visit https://www.northernclaycenter.org/apf
‰ Registration is now open for the 12th Biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference, to take place Oct.
5-8 (Columbus Day Weekend) at the Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center in Front Royal, VA. Ceramic artists of all skill levels will benefit from this four-day conference, to feature demonstrations by nationallyknown clay artists James Watkins, Adrian Arleo, and Martha Grover. On Saturday and Sunday, these potters will present their unique techniques for constructing, decorating, glazing, and firing their work. On Friday, multiple regional ceramists will lead a variety of exciting hands-on and demonstration workshops. There are also great opportunities to socialize, make new acquaintances, and renew past friendships. Participants absorb new ideas and inspiration from this stimulating learning experience. To find out more about the conference, log onto http://www.theclayconnection.org/conference-2017/ continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
‰ Join fellow potters Sept. 23 & 24 in Stanardsville, VA, for the Virginia Clay Festival, a celebration of clay with artists selling their work and demonstrating their craft. This is a gathering of Virginia potters, sculptors, and jewelers selling their latest work — all in clay! The event takes place 10am to 5pm each day and will feature pottery demonstrations throughout the day; an area for kids to play with clay; Raku firing demonstration, and old-time and traditional Irish music. To learn more, visit www.virginiaclayfestival.com
Interior look at In Tandem Gallery, which opened its doors in Bakersville, North Carolina, in 2016. Upcoming exhibitions include monthly shows featuring work by Noel Bailey (August), Ron Meyers (September), and Raine Middleton (October). To learn more, visit www.intandemgallery.com
9
Hot Stuff I News & Events
THE BEST IN CONTEMPOR ARY AMERICAN FUNC TIONAL CER AMICS
SEPTEMBER 16 – OCTOBER 21, 2017
LINDA SIKORA 25TH JUROR
RECEPTION: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Honolulu, HI
2017 SFPN EXHIBIT CALL FOR ARTISTS
Mark your calendar today!
Online applications must be submitted by JUNE 1, 2017 or by midnight June 10 with a late fee. For more information 2017 from SFPNprior application: For more information and toand viewtheimages shows, visit:
www.strictlyfunctionalpottery.net Exhibit is held at Kevin Lehman’s Pottery at 560 S. Prince Street in downtown Lancaster, PA 717.509.7547
© 2017 Strictly Functional Pottery National. All rights reserved.
LINDA SIKORA, 2017 SFPN JUROR
Like us on Facebook Fans of SFPN
Amaco, Bluebird, Brent, Debcor Dolan, Duncan, Giffin, Kemper L & L, Mason, Mayco, Mudtools Northstar, Olympic, Pacifica Peter Pugger, Royal, Sapir Shimpo, Skutt, Soldner Spectrum, Speedball Thomas Stuart, Xiem
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
‰ Mark your calendar now for the 13th Annual WNC Pottery Festival, to take place in the Dillsboro, North Carolina moun-
tains on Nov. 4, 2017, 10am-4pm. This juried event features a popular “clay olympics” along with works by more than 40 master potters who will be demonstrating a wide variety of pot-making techniques. For complete information, e-mail: wnc potteryfest@gmail.com or visit the Website at http://www.wncpotteryfestival.com/
2016 BEST OF SHOW Daven Hee
10
What’s Hot (continued from p. 9)
MINNEAPOLIS • DENVER continentalclay.com 800.432.2529
‰ CrossCurrents: Clay and Culture, the 52nd Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), takes place March 14-17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The conference theme was selected to reflect Pittsburgh as a city of rivers, bridges, complex immigrant history, gritty perseverance, and reinvention. The Steel City will be a place where clay people can gather to share knowledge, celebrate and critique our work in arts, culture, teaching and learning. Watch the Website at www.nceca.net for details on conference registration as they become available.
Calls for Entry ‰ The Wayne Art Center is accepting entries through Sept. 15 for Craft Forms 2017, its 23rd annual international exhibition, to take place Dec. 8, 2017-Jan. 27, 2018. Nora Atkinson, the Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, will serve as juror. For full entry details, visit http:// www.craftforms.org/call-for-entries/ ‰ The Clay Art Center of Port Chester, New York is accepting entries through Sept. 22 for its 2018 National Juried Exhibition, Me, Myself, and I. This exhibition will feature vessel-based work in clay that explores issues of identity: concepts related to self, experiences, and the triumphs and challenges faced in daily living or one’s place in society. The show will be juried by Kathy King, whose own work reflects the core theme of the show. For complete
Hot Stuff I News & Events
details, visit https://www.clayartcenter.org/ call-for-entry/
Exhibitions ‰ The Workhouse Clay International 2017, an exhibition juried by Chris Gustin, will take place Aug. 12-Oct. 8 in Lorton, Virginia. Complete details about the show may be found online at www.workhouseceramics.org. ‰ The Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Montana will be featuring its Juried National IV exhibition from Sept. 1–22. Find out all about the show online at http://www.redlodgeclaycenter.com/ exhibition/juried-national-4/ ‰ The 25th annual Strictly Functional Pottery National exhibition takes place Sept. 16-Oct. 21 at Kevin Lehman’s Pottery in Lancaster, PA. This year’s show, juried by Linda Sikora, features a wide variety of utilitarian works by U.S. artists. For full details, visit www.strictly functionalpottery.net. ‰ 20x20 Invitational Clay Exhibit and Sale — Twenty artists from South Carolina and North Carolina will be coming to Clemson for the annual 20x20 Invitational Clay Show and Sale on Saturday, October 22. Each year The Arts Center of Clemson invites 20 artists from NC and SC to bring 20 pieces, totalling 400 pieces of work, to show and sell. Friday, October 21 is a ticketed event including food, drink, music, and the first choice of a piece from your favorite potter. For complete details, visit explorearts.org [
The Size-adjustable Circular Ruler for Measuring or Marking Circles & Arcs SAVE 20% with coupon code: CLAY
MFA • M.A. • Graduate Certificate Scholarship Opportunities in Ceramic Arts
by Joseph Delphia, MFA
A high level of academic quality, cutting-edge resources, convenient scheduling and affordable tuition. www.hood.edu/graduate | gofurther@hood.edu | 301-696-3600
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
To list your events, clay conferences, calls for entries, exhibitions, or ceramic news items in Clay Times®, please e-mail complete details to: claytimes@gmail.com, or click the submission link at www. claytimes.com/contribute.html to fill out an online entry form.
koalatools.com
11
Making Your Mark:
The Art of Handmade Brushes By Glenn Grishkoff
12
Michael Dunne Photo
CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
Below: An assortment of Grishkoff brushes made from moose mane, deer tail, ermine tail, and ringtail cat hair. The handles are made from black and golden bamboo. The coarse hairs allow for a stiff spring resulting in very diverse thick and thin brush marks.
Michael Dunne Photo
The fine tip of this brush is made with ermine hair, similar to sable hair, allowing for very detailed lines that only a handmade brush can make. This particular tanned brush was made with a black bamboo-root handle.
Paul Soldner, the father of American Raku and a celebrated ceramist, was a mentor. Paul was known for the clay tools he created, and he encouraged me to experiment with the tool as art and to realize that there is always another way to solve a problem, experiencing life as a gradual school of life-long learning. During my MFA at The Claremont Graduate University I ventured into countless forms of sculpture and installation art, playing with scale and function. In 1992, shortly after I graduated with my MFA, I had a residency in Tokoname, Japan. In 1994 I had an invited guest residency at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park that included my work with master ceramists, calligraphers, and brush makers. These experiences were formative and along with my travels continued to develop my passion for brush making & mark making over time. In 2000 I was very honored to present a workshop alongside Peter Voulkos at the Florida Keys Community College. During the workshop, Peter, who understood the uniqueness of my brushes, asked me to make him a moose and rooster feather brush. In trade for the brushes, Peter painted three large sumi ink paintings. This experience changed my life, encouraging me to dig deeper into my own creative growth as a brush maker and mark maker. I spent time in South Africa where my brother lived, and I taught in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest for a number of years. In these places there is closeness to animals and nature. I began continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
Michael Dunne PhotoS
Moose mane fan brush with golden bamboo rope handle, constructed using the natural alignment of stiff & coarse hair attached to tanned hide. Sumi ink Enso painting by Grishkoff symbolizes the cycle of life, air, and water.
I
’m a California-based artist with extensive travel to Japan, Thailand, and South Africa. My time spent creating my brushes and ceramics in these countries was life changing. My Russian father was raised in China, and some of my earliest memories are of watching him write in script. The respect and use of natural materials and the role of the natural world in the Asian aesthetic are strong influences. My work celebrates the Wabi Sabi beauty in the imperfect — and I spent time in Japan with master ceramists and calligraphers. In Thailand, I worked with elephants that used my brushes to paint. Aspects of ceremony and taking joy in the present moment are what stay with me from these travels.
13
Noboru Matsumoto Photo
deposited on the shoreline after a strong rain. By placing the bamboo in my hand I custom-fit it to the curves and notches, creating a handle with a sensitive grip & extension. Thrift store and garage sale items and gifted materials somehow find their way into the making of the various series of brushes I work on over time. As a passionate brush maker, I become the pearl within an oyster shell, savoring the most amazing materials & life experiences gathered over a 20-year span.
Grishkoff Brushes
(continued from previous page)
to hunt for handle materials, collecting things like bamboo or gnarled branches and hairs from taxidermy pelts to create a library of materials in my studio. The history and feeling of the materials is important. I bridge the gap between the brush as a work of art and as a functional tool. By combining both worlds, I maintain a sense of risk and wonderment of what is next. The exploration of pushing what a brush can become and how it can transform feeds me as an artist.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
The Magical Mark of A Handmade Brush
14
The handmade brush offers an alternative to the store-bought brush, creating contrasting thick and thin lines with strength and immediacy. The brushes I create have a density and coarseness with razor sharp tips that give the mark I create monumentality and a life
of its own. The brush becomes an extension of not only the hand, but the entire body. Making your own handmade brush from start to finish, using materials from nature, is magically primal and offers a connection to those of our ancestors who crafted everything by hand, with quality and conviction. The hairs I use for creating my own brushes come from a variety of places such as fly-fishing supply stores, taxidermy shops, and hunters who skin & tan their own hides. Tail and other hairs from the deer family, such as buck tail, elk, and moose hide, have a stiff spring and are long enough to create a functional brush. Most of the hairs are indented deep into the ferrule to form a stiff base for control and absorption of liquid. I enjoy the hunt for handle material, often searching the local California beaches for bamboo and driftwood that have been
Teaching and Inspiring Students to Create Since 1992, I have conducted hundreds of brush-making workshops to inspire students to connect with a handmade tool of their own making, and to use this tool to enrich the images and surfaces they paint. I’m very generous with materials, and find the best supplies I can at any given time. A student once asked me, “Why do you give out your sources for materials? Aren’t you afraid somebody is going to steal your idea?” I responded by saying that I’m interpreting the brush and don’t own it, as it has been around for centuries. I plant the seed to inspire students to push the limits of what a handmade brush can become. It is my responsibility as an excellent teacher to prepare my students for their future — not my past. Step-by-step photos and instructions to make your own brushes follow on pages 16-17.
GLENN GRISHKOFF Photo
Opposite page: An elephant paints with a Grishkoff elk hair brush at the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center in Northern Thailand, in conjunction with a Spring 2008 artist residency at Chiang Dao. I mixed the water-base paint with my cross-bar-handle brush, then watched the gentle giant make his mark. At right: Paul Soldner in Aspen, CO, 2004, using a Grishkoff brush to paint red iron oxide marks on his ceramic work. Paul often combined his fingerprints with diverse line work using handmade brushes. Below: Peter Voulkos sumi ink paints with a Grishkoff moose hair and rooster hackle brush at the International Mud-Pie Ceramic Workshop, Key West, FL, 2000. It was an honor presenting alongside Peter and watching his passionate and intuitive movements with my brushes in a manner not unlike his work with clay. This experience has greatly influenced my passion as a brush maker and painter ever since. (more on next page) Jay Gogen Photo
CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
15
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
16
1
2
4
5
6
7
3
8
Grishkoff Brushes
(continued from previous pages)
T
he photos on the opposite page illustrate the construction of a brush made with deertail hair, from start to finish. During the past several years, I have developed a simple method of building brushes by working with the natural alignment of the hairs attached to tanned skin. This process keeps the hairs from falling out over time and works with the natural flow of the hair. Two pieces of tanned hair & skin can be joined together to form a thick, bulky brush with a fine point; or a single piece of hair & skin can be used to create a smaller, narrow brush tip. The hairs need to be long & stiff, allowing deep insertion into the ferrule. The fit should be tight at the base for ideal absorption and line control.
Step-by-step Brushmaking Process 1. Start with a de-boned, tanned deer tail. (Note: tail at left of image 1 is the front; image 1 right shows cut pieces, viewed from the back.) Turn the tail over, skin side up. Cut it into several straight cross-sections from top to bottom, taking care to cut only the skin (half-way deep) and not the hair, so the skin tears evenly. The resulting sections can be used to make multiple brush tips. Use a fine-tooth comb to brush loose hairs. 2. For a thicker, doubled-up brush, cut the left and right side sections that are straight. Each singular section can be used for a smaller scale brush tip, and the middle section can be used for a fan brush (as depicted at bottom center of image 2).
Grishkoff uses a Japanese inspired hake-style broom corn bundled brush combined with layers of deertail hair. This textural fan brush creates an active three-dimensional sumi ink stroke. Dense deer hair on both sides of the brush tip acts as an inkwell to provide continuous, non-stop flow of ink.
3 & 4. Secure the two single aligned skin sections skin to skin, using a waxed thread & slip knot, to form a compacted point. Be sure to wrap the knot in the center of the two pieces of skin, securing it tight and flat, allowing for an exact fit into the brush ferrule. (If you place the hair sides together, they will flair outward in different directions and will not form a point.)
7 & 8. Make sure the end of the brush tip fits firmly before gluing. Twist the hairs at the base. For leverage, move the hair up and down, allowing the epoxy to evenly fill the interior of the ferrule. Be patient, as you will gradually feel a tighter tug as this step is repeated. I allow the epoxy to cure for several hours. Finally, store your brushes upright and out of the heat. Use gentle shampoo and hair conditioner to help old brushes spring back to life, as pigments and oxides extract a lot of moisture from hairs. That’s it — you are now ready to make unique, oneof-a-kind marks with your own personal brushes! [
Ink Well made of high-fire clay centered using elbow; brush has deertail hair brush tip on handle fired to cone 10. Both works feature shino base glaze with underglaze pigmented marks made by using the 16th-Century Japanese-inspired Hikidashi firing process: They were removed from the kiln and reduced at cone 8 with tightly-packed sawdust, producing carbon-trap effects.
To learn more about Glenn Grishkoff, his work, his brushes, and upcoming workshops, visit his Websites at these links: www.glenngrishkoff.com and www.grishkoffbrushes.com
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
5 & 6. In these examples, I’m using a cut section of copper tubing as a ferrule, compacting the hairs tight into a salt-fired ceramic handle. Various sizes of copper, brass tubing, or bamboo can be use in this step. I use a product called “PC7 putty epoxy” to adhere hairs and handle sections. Using equal parts of hardener and resin, mix this slow-setting epoxy until it appears even gray in tone. Place a generous amount of epoxy into the ferrule, making sure no epoxy gets into the upper part of the hair, as it is extremely difficult to clean. Uncured (or improperly mixed) epoxy is very toxic — so be sure to wear latex or nitrile gloves when you are using it.
17
Part One of a Series
An Introduction To Frit
by PETE PINNELL
A
frit is a manufactured material that is made by combining various ingredients (in the form of oxides) with silica and melting that mixture into a glass. The molten glass is then poured into water to quench it, which fractures it into coarse granules. These granules can then be ground to the appropriate particle size, depending on the end use. Frits are used in almost all manufactured glass or glass coatings including ordinary glassware, glassy coatings (like the enamel on your bath tub), abrasives, dental porcelain, and even the high-tech glass used for computer screens or other optics. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origin of the word "frit" dates from 1662 and is "a calcinated mixture of sand and fluxes ready to be melted in a crucible to make glass". We now use the word frit to describe the powdered product of that melting, and not the mixture before it’s melted.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
Manufacturing a frit is an expensive process, but there are a number of good reasons for doing so. Combining an oxide with silica can make it safer, it can make it more stable, and it can make it possible to achieve surfaces and colors that would not be possible with raw materials alone. The composition and performance of a frit are also much more consistent, which is something industry always wants.
18
Molded and carved fritware body with a fritted glaze colored with copper. Circa 945–664 B.C., Egypt. 5¾" (14½ cm) high. Used by permission of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
While most of us think of frit as a modern, hightech ingredient (and the frits we use in the ceramic art world really are modern and high tech), frit itself has been in use for thousands of years. According to Pliny the Elder (the Roman historian), glass was first discovered in about 3500 BC by the Phoenicians. Legend has it that sailors camping on a beach used some chunks of natron rock
(which they were carrying on their ship) to prop up cooking vessels, and the heat of the fire caused the natron (a naturally occurring blend of sodium salts) to react with the silica sand to produce glass. This idea isn’t far-fetched, as natron was widely used in the ancient Middle East and would certainly have been carried on trading ships. It was reportedly used as a tooth cleanser, as a soap (when combined with oil), as a preservative for meat and fish, as a tanning agent for leather, as an antiseptic for wounds, and as bleach for cotton cloth. It was even used to desiccate and preserve mummies. The word natron was derived from the Egyptian word ntr (it came from the valley Wadi El Natrun). That word was imported into the various Semitic languages, which then became the Greek nitron, and the Latin natrium. It’s from this last that we get Na as the chemical symbol for sodium. Just by the way, natron appears twice in the Old Testament: once in Proverbs 25:20 which mentions pouring vinegar on it to create an eruption (remember doing that to make a volcano in grade school?) and in Jeremiah 2:22, which mentions using it for washing. Glass makers in Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia found that if they added lime (a calcium compound) to the soda-silica glass, it became much more durable and practical. This combination — soda, lime, and silica — remains the basic recipe for most common glass that is made today. To this mixture the ancient Egyptians added copper, which produced a beautiful, transparent turquoise color.
material that could be fired like clay. Now referred to as Egyptian Faience, the material was made from calcined, ground quartz rock (which is a bright white color), a clear glass frit (to fuse the mixture in the firing) and an organic material (a plant gum) to help it stick together. The objects were coated with a glaze made from the turquoise frit and fired to earthenware temperatures. Some very well known examples are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, including a small statue of a hippo from about 1900 BC (pictured at top of this issue’s cover and popularly known as “William”) that is used as a symbol for the Met, and a beautiful faience chalice from circa 945–664 B.C. It should be noted that neither the glaze nor the body would be possible without the use of frit. A version of this frit was also used as a pigment around the Mediterranean. Now called Egyptian Blue, it was the first synthetic pigment. The Romans called it caeruleum, which is the basis for the English word cerulean. This blue frit pigment was used as early as 2900 BC in Egypt, when it appeared on a tomb painting at Saqqara. In the Mediterranean it is first seen in the Thera frescoes on Minoa, which dates from before 1650 BC. There is evidence that the Egyptians also produced a green version of this pigment by varying the composition of the frit. What all of this demonstrates is that fritting was well known from ancient times and that people understood how to manipulate this technology to achieve a wide range of results. And, like a lot of technology from that time, its use was widely distributed across the Middle East. Beginning around the 9th Century AD, potters in Iraq began using a white clay body that is now referred to as fritware. The body was made of ground quartz (for whiteness and translucency), frit (to fuse the mixture) and enough of a sticky white clay to make the material formable. This invention allowed potters in the Middle East to produce a white body in response to the porcelain that was beginning to be imported from China. Middle Eastern potters didn’t have kilns that could reach porcelain temperatures, so this fritware body provided a bright, white background for glazes that was achievable at earthenware temperatures.
In order to take advantage of the beauty of this glaze, the Egyptians developed a moldable white
This technology spread throughout the Middle East, and particularly into Iran. In the 13th Century continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
To begin with, this glass was mostly used to make small beads and other decorative objects. However, they soon found that the glass could be ground to a powder and used as a glaze on small, carved steatite beads, seals, and amulets. Steatite is the mineral form of talc. It’s white and can be easily carved, so it provided an ideal white background for the turquoise glaze. Note that the glaze wasn’t used on clay pottery, because those earthenware pots were a red-orange color and the color of the glaze wouldn’t show on that surface. As an aside, I find it interesting that the carved talc that the Egyptians used is a distant mirror to today’s white earthenware bodies, which are still primarily talc.
19
Perspectives I As Far As I Know
Introduction to Frit
(continued from previous page)
the town of Kashan became an important center for the production of tiles and pottery. In 1301, a tile maker named Abu'l-Qasim wrote a description ¯ ¯ of the process, which describes a body with a recipe of 10 parts quartz, 1 part frit, and 1 part clay.
Pictured below: Fritware body with a white, fritware slip, underglaze painting colored with copper (green), cobalt (blue) and Armenian bole (red). 16th century, Iznik Turkey. 2¼ in. (5.7 cm) high by 12 3/8 in. (31.4 cm) in diameter. Used by permission of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
DP269018.jpg 3,091×3,884 pixels
In the 15th century this technology spread to Turkey where its production became a major industry in the cities of Iznik and Kütahya. With the support of Süleyman the Magnificent (who reigned from 1520–66), these heavily decorated fritware tiles were used on major buildings throughout the Ottoman Empire. The white body, cobalt blue underglaze and bright, glassy clear glaze provided work that was every bit as beautiful as the porcelain being imported from Jingdezhen in China.
!/21/1!, 10(06 P+
each frit, they would test it with hydrochloric acid that was diluted to mimic the strength of stomach acids. They reasoned that if a frit didn’t leach into this acid, then it would be safer in the workplace.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/is/original/DP269018.jpg
20
In 1898, the British home office appointed two scientists to investigate the high incidence of lead poisoning in the ceramics industry in Britain. Professor T.E. Thorpe, a chemist, and Dr. Thomas Oliver, an MD, worked together and published their first report in 1899. They recommended a number of seemingly common-sense practices (good hygiene, the use of protective clothing, and decreasing dust in the workplace), but their more groundbreaking work was with the development of lead frits. In 1886, Dr. Hermann Seger, a German scientist, had published a system for analyzing glazes on a molecular basis. Using Seger’s methods, the team experimented with fritting lead with varying amounts of silica to lower solubility. After producing
impact on the ceramics industry and lead poisoning was greatly reduced during the 20th Century as a result.
Lead was first combined with silica on a 1:1 basis to produce lead monosilicate (a mixture with the ratio of one molecule of lead for each molecule of silica). This decreased the solubility, but still left it too high. They then doubled the silica to produce lead bisilicate (two molecules of silica for each molecule of lead). Surprisingly, this actually reduced solubility about 300 times, from 3.38% solubility with the monosilicate to .01% solubility with the bisilicate. Further testing showed that the addition of a small percentage of alumina lowered the solubility even further, as did the addition of calcium oxide. These discoveries had a major
Page 1 of 1
Today, there is a tendency among some potters to avoid the use of frit. For some people it’s because a frit doesn’t seem “natural” in the way that red clay or wood ash does. For others, it’s that frit is an unknown, almost mysterious powder. To some degree, I believe this is the fault of the frit industry, which insists on not publishing the chemical formulas for their products. This is done, they say, to prevent their competitors from copying their products. In my opinion this is very shortsighted: their competitors can easily do a chemical analysis, and copying is already commonplace. By not publishing their formulas, they leave their customers in the dark. Potters would be far more apt to use frits — and to use a wider variety of frits — if the formulas for these frits were widely published. In the next Clay Times, I’ll provide some glaze recipes that take advantage of the wide array of frits available to potters today. I’ll also provide you with a handy chart of frit formulations and substitutions, so you can begin to use frit in a more mindful way. Just as it was in ancient times, the use of frit can still allow us to achieve colors and surfaces that are otherwise impossible. [ Peter Pinnell is Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. E-mail him at ppinnell1@unl.edu or contact him via his Facebook page at www.facebook.com.
Susan Feagin by LANA WILSON
For more than 10 years, Susan Feagin has served as clay coordinator at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC. She has her own strong ceramic practice besides her complicated full-time job at Penland ... and she is a delight!
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
An Interview with Penland Clay Coordinator
Susan Feagin makes her current collage series of cups (above) from various scraps and pieces of clay.
Lana: When did you get interested in clay?
Lana: Did you grow up with an awareness of art, going to museums, or doing art?
continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
Susan: I got interested in clay when I was a college student at UNC Greensboro. I was an art major and a clay sculpture class was a requirement to graduate. I took the class — it was a figurative sculpture class — and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. So I took a handbuilding class which led to a wheel-throwing class, and that was that. I believe that I was attracted to the physicality of the material and that I really liked making objects with my hands.
Susan: I was lucky in that, yes, I did grow up with some awareness of “art” out there in the world. My great aunt, Sue Rice, was an art teacher in Norfolk, Virginia. Each Christmas she sent me art supplies and these great books on how to draw horses and dogs. (I was way into animals when I was a kid!) My mom had some portfolio-style coffee table books about the famous French impressionists, and I was allowed to look at them when I was a kid. I grew up in Los Angeles, so my school went on many field trips to museums. We went to the Norton Simon Museum and the Los Angeles County Art Museum and, my favorite, the La Brea Tar Pits (which isn’t an art museum, but still very cool). Anyway, that interest always remained with me. I decided in high school that I wanted to
21
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Susan Feagin interview
(continued from previous page)
risks in one’s work. So, in graduate school at University of Florida, I decided that I wanted to leave making different work than when I arrived. I struggled to make Lana: Are there any other artists in your family? Do my little pots more interesting, but to no avail, and your siblings understand what you do? was really trying hard to come up with some original ideas about my Susan: My great work. This aunt was a very current collage “Failure is my favorite topic! That’s because creative person claywork came I learn more from failure than anything.” and taught adult out of all of — Susan Feagin art classes at that. Since I was the Norfolk City surrounded by Parks and Recreation Department for many years. She lots of scraps and pieces, why not make something did everything from ceramics to painting, and made from those? all kinds of neat stuff like copper enameled jewelry, macramé stuff, and handmade clothes. I always Lana: How long did it take you to find your voice? thought that was so cool that she could make stuff like that, which she didn’t buy in a store. I would say that Susan: Well, it took a while, I guess, perhaps four or my family members are all creative people in their own five years ... until I decided that I was interested in way. I have an older brother, Richard, and he is very putting imagery on clay. I guess that didn’t happen supportive of my pottery habit. He doesn’t know a thing until I had been making pottery for a few years. As my about the ceramic process, but he does know that people work is continuously changing, I think that I’m still buy pottery. finding my voice. study art to become a designer and maybe work in publishing.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
Lana: Did you come to this style of work early or did you have to go through various “periods” in your work to come to your present work?
22
Susan: I guess I went through various periods. I’m one of those extreme late bloomer people and there are big gaps in my making. I’ve never worked as a professional potter or as a studio potter, and I’ve always worked a job with pottery making on the side. So it takes longer for me to make big strides. I do value highly the idea of making changes in one’s art, meaning that it’s not important to me to make the same type of work forever. I started out as a wheel-thrower and had access to high-fire reduction, as that’s what we had in college. I was never the best thrower and it took me an exceptionally long time to learn how to center and make a good cylinder, so I felt like I had to work way harder than most people. I took a concentration at Penland in 1996 and discovered that I liked drawing on my pots, something that I hadn’t tried before. I later discovered the mid-range firing world while I was a core student at Penland School in 1998 and 1999, and decided that it was the niche for me. I liked color and pattern and drawing. I made simple porcelain wheel-thrown pots that had black-andwhite sgraffito decorations on them and were glazed with rich purple and pink glazes. Some pots were also just black-and-white. I feel that it’s okay to take big
Lana: In a kiln load, what percentage of “failures” do you have? How do you handle failures? Susan: Failure is my favorite topic! That’s because I learn more from failure than anything. Sometimes, colors or glazes do not come out as I expected, or there might be a lot of warping. It looks bad at first, but that’s how I see that I applied the glaze too thin, or that I should make the clay slabs a little thicker next time. Lana: Do you think you are more interested in form or surface — or equally interested in both? Susan: Of course I’m more interested in surface, but I do feel that I’m searching for new forms. The forms take a while to figure out for me. Lately, I’ve been making and trying out a lot of bisque molds in hopes of making larger work. Lana: How do you evaluate your work? What kind of questions do you ask yourself? Susan: Whenever I see old work — even stuff from last year — I’m just appalled! I think we all have moments like that. I feel that I’m making work, but it’s not necessarily all good work. I ask myself questions like, “Is this handle really necessary for this cup to work?” Or “Are the feet I made on the bottom really effective?”
Perspectives I Beneath the Surface
Small Plate by Susan Feagin, clay coordinator at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina.
Susan: Ultimately, I need to seek out my own circle of potters and artists [who] I respect to give me useful feedback. It’s not easy to find honest criticism — so when you find it, it’s a good thing. [
Columnist Lana Wilson has been making pots for more than 40 years and has presented more than 150 clay art workshops worldwide. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Lana now resides in Berkeley, California, and may be reached via e-mail at lana@lanawilson. She wants readers to be aware that “I make a big effort to answer all e-mails.” Lana’s Website for workshop information and images is www. lanawilson.com
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
Lana: What is your attitude toward critiques of your work?
23
View of the harbor (left) in village of Molyvos, where the majority of refugees landed in 2015-16; and Skala Eressos (right).
Lesvos, Greece: An Island Rich in the Clay Tradition BY ELAINE FULLER
F
lashback to September, 2016 — I have returned to my ancestral home in Skala Eressos, Lesvos, Greece to visit pottery studios and interview a few potters there. I wanted to hear first-hand accounts of how recent world events have caused a precipitous drop in tourism, the mainstay of income for many on the island, especially its fine craftsmen. The red-orange hue of terra cotta surrounds me as I sit on the veranda of my pension in Lesvos. I study the tiled rooftops, the abundant planter pots, and the large amphorae: pots that in ancient times were used to carry oil, olives, wine, and grains across the Aegean and beyond, now filled with flowers. Even the diffuse morning sunlight casts a terra cotta glow on the barren mountains surrounding the village.
Lesvos, after Crete and Rhodes, is the third largest island in Greece, with a population of 86,436. Between 2015 and 2016, the island was inundated with 600,000 refugees, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. They arrived on the northern coast of Lesvos from the coast of Turkey, which at its closest point is just 3.4 miles away. Before the news reports of this mass migration, few Americans would have known about this island: the birthplace of Sappho, lyric poet, 630-570 B.C., and Theophrastus, the father of botany, 371-287 B.C. By virtue of its proximity to other nations, Lesvos has been a place where refugees have fled throughout history. As of the summer of 2016, the citizens who shared their resources with the refugees arriving on rafts from Turkey were already suffering from the economic austerity programs imposed by the European Union. Because of their extraordinary humanitarian response, the people of Lesvos were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
Although I appreciated the fine work of the island’s jewelers, woodworkers, and weavers, it was important for me to learn more about the potters, their studio practices, and how the decrease in tourism was affecting their lives.
24
There are 35 potters on this island, 15 of whom are professional. Almost all use terra cotta clay. Most potters of the island cover the terra cotta clay in a white slip, and decorate with underglazes in the majolica tradition. Motifs for brushwork reflect the potter’s response to the local environment: olive branches, fish, birds, flowers, and of course, the sea.
Ram jug by Dimitrios Hatziyannis, a thirdgeneration potter, at Museum Agiassos.
As in ancient times, potters established themselves near either the natural deposits of clay or the sea, to facilitate
shipping of their wares to distant places. Clay is still being mined in the village of St. Stevens on the eastern coast of the island, where Turkey is visible across the sparkling Aegean. Ephstratos Samaras, a local potter, digs and processes deposits of terra cotta clay. From this clay he makes traditional koumadia — large pitchers that, before refrigeration, would help keep water cool in spite of the burning sun of the island summers. A village noted for the monastery of the Archangel Michael — as well as for its pottery — is Mandamanos, located on the eastern side of the island. During the 1950s, there were 60 working pottery studios in this village. Now, only nine remain. The potters’ studios and shops line the main road with outdoor displays of the traditional folk pottery of Lesvos. Mandamanos is home to a ceramics museum, housed in a former olive press, where a pottery exhibition takes place every August. Agiassos is surrounded by pine and olive trees, and nestled on the slope of Mt Olympos. It is a village where handcrafts abound: weaving, woodworking, and claywork. Fourthgeneration potters of the Kourtsis and Hadyyannis families are still working in this village. Mytilene is an ancient city founded in the 11th century B.C. It is the largest city and port of the island of Lesvos, and also the administrative capital of the North Aegean Region. Just under half of the island’s population lives in this busy city.
Skala Eressos is on the southwestern coast of Lesvos. It is a fertile valley surrounded by barren mountains. The European Union awarded this village the Blue Flag Award for its long, sandy beach. The first time I met Thespina Iosifelli, the potter from Skala Eressos, was in 2002 when I returned to the place of my father’s birth. Discovering that we were distant cousins, I was thrilled to connect with her work at Thallasaki: her family’s waterfront shop. It is filled with jewelry, glass, weaving, wood carving, and pottery from artisans all over Greece and beyond. On my first visit, I was delighted to see that Thespina embellished the handle of a pitcher with a small bird, as I often do.
The author poses alongside a terra cotta planter at the Mandamanos Ceramics Museum.
Hand-built castle by Katerina Ergani.
Thespina’s wheel-throwing skills were perfected 22 years ago at a two-year technical program in Athens. Her forms are sleek, smooth, and finished. After bisque firing the pots — unlike most terra cotta potters — Thespina dips the pieces in a white matte glaze. She then decorates them with oxides, sometimes employing wax resist techniques. Her forms and designs are closer to midcentury modern style than the traditional island decoration. Thespina has become a friend and fellow potter. In September, 2016, I visited the beautiful village of Molyvos, where the majority of refugees landed in 2015-2016. A Byzantine/Genoese castle sits atop a hill there, surrounded by traditional stone houses that overlook one of the most scenic working harbors in all of Europe. It is here that I met Electra Valasi, a potter who sells her work from her own shop on a cobbled lane near the beautiful harbor.
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
Since 2015, the Archeological Museum has hosted a Ceramics Exhibition, demonstrating the importance of ceramics on the island from prehistoric times to the present. The collections of work by the family potters from Agiassos and the works on display by my interviewees were particularly interesting.
The three places I visited to interview potters were Skala Eressos, the tourist capital of Molyvos, and the capital city of Mytilene.
continued on next page
25
Lesvos Pottery
(continued from p. 25)
Electra works with terra cotta clay imported from Spain, and makes her pots both on the wheel and with molds that her father designed. Before bisque firing, Electra coats the terra cotta with white slip, then paints geometric or floral designs with a small brush. Shortly after beginning her clay work with her mentor Fabian Herzog in Molyvos, Electra won a prize at the Annual Exhibition of the Ceramics Museum in the town of Mandamanos. This boost of confidence pushed her toward becoming a working studio potter. In the city of Mytilene, the market street Ermou is located parallel to the busy harbor. In the old Turkish section here, you will find Ergani Shop and Studio.
CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
I interviewed three of the five potters who create clayworks for Ergani Studio. I have been charmed by the designs from this studio since 2002, so it was a pleasure to return with more time to learn their production processes.
26
Georgia Zachariadis became interested in pottery after taking classes in Bologna, Italy. After that introduction, she continued to study clay via workshops and seminars. Georgia founded Ergani Studio in 1989 after studying with the potter Hadyyannis from Agiassos for eight years. Georgia now has a home studio in Petri, near Molyvos, where she throws, decorates, and fires her pots. Her husband transports the work to Mytilene city, where her son Anastasi and his wife Katerina Lamprou paint the whimsical designs and run the business side of the shop. A potter in a distant village also throws pots for the studio, and a fifth employee, Lida Xidia, is an artist who helps design and decorate the work. Anastasi studied economics and taught his subject after serving his mandatory military service. As Georgia’s pottery business began to grow, Anastasi helped his mother in the studio. Eventually he chose to devote all his time to the pottery to have a more
Fish jug made by Ioannis Hatziyannis, an Agiassos 2nd generation potter. creative career and to be his own boss. Anastasi’s charming decoration and brushwork features house, boat, and bird motifs. The makers of Ergani Studios also work with terra cotta clay, which they once imported from Crete but now buy from Italy. All their pieces are dipped in white slip, carved, then bisque fired. Each pot is carefully painted with oxides and pigments mixed with glaze. A clear glaze is applied for the final firing. It is the labor of intensive painting, as well as their whimsical designs, that make Ergani Ceramics so appealing to their customers, the Greek citizens and tourists alike. Before the refugee crisis, the economy of Greece was already in dire straits. The European Union and the Greek government imposed a 45% tax rate. When the migrants arrived, tourists did not come. On Lesvos, where many businesses depend on tourism, this added to the hardships facing the residents of this island. As is the case for potters around the world, making a living from the craft is difficult. So Ergani Studios has increased production and distribution of their work to mainland Greece and other island galleries. Athens and the more famous islands of Santorini and Mykonos still have high rates of tourism, so it makes sense for Georgia, Anastasis, and Katerina ship wholesale work there.
In Molyvos, Electra manages her finances by working four jobs. She is a potter, a shopkeeper, a singer of traditional Greek music, and a cultivator in her olive groves. Even so, she is concerned she did not save enough to last the winter. The seaside shop in Skala Eressos opens from May through October, so Thespina balances her studio time by the seasons. Through the summer, she works at the family shop Thallasaki. From October through May, she is busy making pots in her studio located behind the shop. She no longer sends her work to other galleries. The uncertainty of the economy is the worry of these fine craftspeople. It is difficult to plan ahead, but the love of clay keeps them working and trying to enjoy something each day. If you are one who enjoys travel off the beaten path, Lesvos is a perfect place to vacation. Besides the usual Grecian benefits of pleasant climate, delicious food, the crystal sea, and varied terrain, it is the hospitality of the refugee-helping citizens that makes travel here quite special. If you can make the journey, take pride in knowing that your trip will help provide much needed financial and moral support to the fine people of this historic island, rich in craft tradition. [
bY MONONA ROSSOL
H
ow long have people known that a potter’s work is dangerous? I think before the Neolithic period, when pottery was invented, people’s common sense told them that inhaling clay dust and kiln smoke, working with colored oxides and glazes, and hard, long physical labor can be hazardous. We can’t prove this because writing was not invented when pottery was first being practiced. But as soon as it was, we have evidence that they knew. Advice From Ancient Egypt Buried in the pieced-together hieroglyphic fragments that constitute ancient Egyptian literature, there is a poem in which the potter’s craft is described:
This is from a book called Ancient Egyptian Literature, which was edited and translated by John L. Foster1. The poem was written by a scribe, a man who made his living taking dictation, keeping lists, and writing letters for people of power. In the poem, he explains to his son, Pepi, why he should stay in school and become a scribe rather than to aspire to any other more hazardous craft.
The stoker has foul fingers and the stink of him smells like the dead, His eyes burn from too much smoke, and he can never ward off sickness. The awareness that insects can transmit disease is seen in the poem’s section on reed cutters:
The reed cutter goes down into the marshes to gather shafts for arrows. He has worked his arms to dropping in his labors, bugs and ticks have bitten him to death, Sickness has laid him low – he fares no better than the damned. Ergonomic injury resulting from repetitive strain is seen in the mason’s work:
The mason cutting with his chisel in all sorts of hard and costly stone – After he finishes two cubic feet of work his arms are dead and he himself is weary. He sits there until suppertime, knees cramped and with an aching back. continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
The Potter with his earth and clay – he rises early with the servants; Weeds and swine hinder his efforts until he manages to fire his pots. His clothing is stiff with slime and his leather apron is in tatters, The air which enters up his nose spews directly from his kiln. He makes a pestle of his feet to stamp the clay down flat, Hacking up the courtyards of the houses, unwelcome in public places.
The poem shows Pepi’s father knew that breathing the air from the kiln is not a good thing. Some of the other stanzas in the poem that focus on other occupations also indicate an innate understanding of occupational illness. For example, Pepi’s father knows that working around smoke and fire can deplete resistance to disease.
Studio I Health & Safety
Thousands of Years of Health Advice
27
Studio I Health & Safety
Thousands of Years of Health & Safety Advice (continued (continued from from previous previous page) page)
And the weaver of mats has a similar problem The mat-maker in his tiny cubicle he is more wretched than a woman; With his knees pressed up against his stomach he can hardly breathe... These observations can be summarized into advice for us today: 1. Don’t breathe in kiln emissions! Install ventilation or place the kiln outside. 2. Don’t over-tire your muscles or work in uncomfortable or cramped positions. 3. Keep mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects out of the studio and protect yourself when you are outside.
Ramazzini warns about inhalation of mineral dusts by quarry and mine workers. Today we call those diseases silicosis, talcosis, black lung [from coal] and other names that indicate the type of dust that caused them. But Ramazzini makes it
“... shovel, smelt, cast, and refine the material that has been mined. They are liable to the same diseases, though in less acute form, because they perform their tasks in the open air. However, in the course of time the metallic fumes that they breathe make them short winded, splenetic (depressed), lethargic (tired), and in the end they pass into the class of consumptives (appearing to waste away).”
Clearly, the problems have been known and written about for more than 4,000 years — but every new generation must be told again. [
These workers, Ramazzini says, include “potters.” And, even today, we know of potters and ceramic teachers with silicosis.3 In Ramazzini’s time, lead glazes were also a serious problem. Pottery makers, he said, are exposed to “roasted or calcined lead for glazing their pots ... their mouths, nostrils, and the whole body take in the lead poison that has been melted and dissolved in water; hence they are soon attacked by grievous maladies. They become paralytic, splenetic (depressed), lethargic (tired), cachectic (thinned), toothless, and phthisical (wasting).”
FOOTNOTES: 1. John L. Foster, editor and translator. Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology, University of Texas Press, 2001. 2. Ramazzini, B. De Morbis Artificum Diatriba. (Diseases of Workers). The Latin text of 1713, revised with translation and notes by Wilmer Cave Wright. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1940. Republished by: New York: The Classics of Medicine Library, Division of Gryphon Editions, Special edition; 1983.) 3. July/August 2005 and November/ December 2005 Clay Times Health and Safety columns on silicosis and other lung diseases.
Monona Rossol is an industrial hygienist/chemist with an M.F.A. in ceramics/glass. E-mail her at: ACTSNYC@cs.com
So, once again, we can boil this advice down to commonsense rules: 1. Don’t inhale minerals from the earth, such as clay, flint [silica], feldspars, and the like. Use ventilation and good work practices and hygiene to avoid dust exposure. 2. Don’t use lead glazes if at all possible. All other glazes should be used with precautions that keep them out of your lungs.
865.397-2914 info@wardburner.com
SAME MATS - NEW OWNERS!
28
When we fast forward to the 1700s, we are given more sophisticated advice by Bernardo Ramazzini.2 He systematized the existing knowledge of occupational illnesses from other sources and made his own personal contribution to the field by collecting his observations in De Morbis Artificum Diatriba [Diseases of Workers].
Wash up frequently, clean the glaze area scrupulously, and don’t eat or drink in the pottery studio.
.com
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
Advice from an Italian in 1713
clear that these diseases were in no way limited to miners. They could be found in all of those who ...
www.wardburner.com
Achieving Patterned Glaze Effects, Part One
Simple Glaze Transfer Techniques Using Textured Materials BY FRANK FISHER
T
here was a time when glazing truly scared me. From my point of view, glazing was synonymous with ruining a perfectly good pot. Abysmal results awaited every kiln firing. My bisque pots would pile up — stacked, naked, and unglazed — waiting for a glazing intervention.
continued on next page
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
Raku-fired bottle made by the author, using the material pictured at upper right and techniques featured in this article. 6" tall x 4¼" diameter.
But everything changed when frustration overran caution. With reckless abandon, I dunked a sheet of bubble wrap into the glaze bucket, drained the excess and wrapped the wet mess around my pot. It was not perfect. Not beautiful, but there was something so far above my usual bucket dipping approach that the weight of fear turned to excitement. Curiosity has me chasing glaze patterns and enjoying all of it.
29
Different Glazing Methods
CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
The three methods I will be featuring in this series on glaze pattern techniques are: glaze transferring, glaze stenciling, and the use of glazing tools. Each of these methods delivers a low-anxiety, stressfree approach to glaze decoration. Each technique also provides an option beyond traditional glaze dipping, with nearly the same amount of effort and care to achieve success.
30
Glaze patterns created with any of these methods are loose, casual, and energetic. This result offers the exciting, controlled chaos my aesthetic enjoys. These glaze patterns can be applied over any suitable, contrasting base glaze or applied directly to bare bisque. If applied to bare bisque, a thin overcoat can be used for a more subtle design and contrast. Matte glazes will maintain a tighter pattern than gloss glazes, which tend to shift when fired. Both approaches create beautiful results. For Western raku firing, the pattern is
sometimes applied to bare bisque to emphasize the contrasting carbonized black surface.
Glaze Transfer: Three step-bystep processes Glaze transfer, the subject of part 1 of this series, involves applying glaze to a patterned object and then pressing the glazed object against the ceramic surface to transfer the glaze. The resulting glaze pattern will mirror the glazed surface high points of the object. The clarity of the pattern created is controlled by the amount of glaze applied to the object. A light coating of glaze will produce a sparse pattern; a heavy coating of glaze will produce a clogged pattern. Finding the right balance takes practice. Depending on the desired aesthetic, a combination of light to heavy glaze application will produce a varied but intriguing design within the pattern. I use three methods of applying glaze to an object: a sponge roller, full emersion and a brush.
1. Sponge Roller Technique There are several brands of small sponge rollers available at the large craft stores. The rollers are inexpensive – about two dollars each. I keep about a dozen in my glaze kit. When I begin layering glaze patterns with different colors, it is easier to grab a clean extra roller than to keep washing out the same two or three rollers. Begin by dipping the roller right into a bucket of freshly stirred glaze, then give the roller’s sponge a squeeze to ring out the extra glaze. Place the patterned object on newspaper (for easy clean-up) on a table. The patterned object, such as rubber shelf-liner, is given a layer of glaze by rolling across the high points. To transfer the pattern, the ceramic pot can be rolled across the pattern or wrap the object around the pot and carefully peeled back. To repeat the design pattern around the entire pot, reapply glaze and press against the remaining undecorated areas.
Sponge Roller Technique — The photo series below illustrates a step-by-step approach glaze transfer usingaaglaze sponge roller and shipping foam. Presented here to is the approach used to transfer pattern from an object onto the ceramic surface. Glaze Patterns | Transfer Method | Quail Egg Shipping Foam
Detailofofthe thepattern pattern Figure 02 –2.Detail
3. Quail shipping foam isFoam available Figure 03 – egg Quail Egg Shipping is through online auctions like available through online auctionseBay. like eBay.
a dampseveral foam roller Figure 044.–Use Applying glazetocolors to apply several glaze colors. damp foam using a foam roller
5. Dab spots of glaze onto theglaze, foam Figure 05small – Using a brush and a red surface, asare with the redonto glazethe shown small spots dabbed foamhere. surface.
6. Wrap around bottle to Figure 06 –glazed Wrap foam glazed foamthe around transfer the glaze ontotothe pot’s surface. bottle to transfer glaze pot’s surface.
7. Peel foam reveal glaze Figure 07 back – Peelthe back thetofoam tothe reveal pattern. Your pot is now ready to be fired. the glaze pattern
8. A08 raku-fired bottlepattern turns black from Figure – Raku glaze on bottle carbon trapping during firing, as unglazed freshly pulled from raku combustion can. areas reveal the fired color of the clay.
(more techniques appear on next page)
CLAYTIMES·COM n SUMMER / Fall 2017
1. Raku-fired bottle made the author, Figure 01 – Bottle, 6.25h x 5wbyinches, stone using quail egg shipping foam. ware, raku fired, 2016
31