MATERIALS & METHODS – WALL PIECES
The work shown on this website is all porcelaneous stoneware, fired to cone 6.
Due to their extreme fragility, making the wall pieces has been very challenging. The methodology I have developed involves the following steps:
- First I make a frame of extruded sections of clay, which creates the general shape of the piece and provides structural integrity. The frame is made on a kiln shelf to minimize the need to move it before firing.
- Then I pour thin slabs of slip (liquid clay) onto large plaster bats. I use a slip which has some ball clay and paper pulp to increase green strength and workability.
- When the slabs have firmed up enough to lift off the bat, I make them into shapes, often draping them over a balloon or other rounded thing for support.
- At the leather-hard stage, I assemble the shapes on top of the frame, but do not join them together.
- I let the piece dry thoroughly and then fire it to cone 6.
- Then I disassemble the piece, apply glaze to each part separately, and fire it again to cone 04. In some cases, I use the glaze to attach the parts together, whereas in other cases I attach the parts together with high grade marine epoxy.
- Sometimes I apply other media to the surface after firing, such as acrylic paint, epoxy paint and/or ink.