Browse By… |  click on image(s) to see a larger version  DescriptionAbout the process: "I use a blend of two high-fire clay bodies: the major constituent is called "B-Mix", a commercially available white stoneware recipe that approaches procelain in its purity. To this I add varying amounts of my own rough stoneware mix, composed of fireclay, ball clay, talc and white sand...the darker the fired clay surface, the higher the percentage of stoneware clay. The moist clay slabs from which most of these works are assembled, are first pressed onto textured foam surfaces I create beforehand, using a variety of proprietary methods. When they are stiff enough to handle, they are joined together with a "slip" of the same clay as a glue. Additional textures occur at the joints, and the overall form of each piece gradually emerges, no two alike. There may also be the random wheel-thrown accessory part, such as a neck, spout, lid or foot, often as a whim or afterthought. They all tell me at some point what they require. When completed, they are stored in a damp-box to dry slowly over several days. The first (or "bisque") firing is done with generous amounts of brine-soaked organic matter packed around each piece, most of which comes from our goat-pens. After this firing, oxide stains or colored slips are sometimes applied to the textured areas, then gently scrubbed away from the high spots. Liner glazes are rarely used, but are available where needed, inside the more functional works such as vases or ossuaries. Next comes the high-fire, done slowly in a larger kiln, usually to a flat cone 11, in a reduction atmosphere. This translates to somewhat above 2360 deg. F., but pyrometric "cones" measure heat-work, not merely temperatures. The term "reduction" means that there are periods in the firing when the gas fuel is deprived of sufficient oxygen to burn completely, which make the CO2 and CO steal oxygen from the clay's oxides, darkening the colors and enriching the surfaces. At temperatures above 2000 degrees, the salts and ash products that I scatter among the wares (as was also done in the bisque) cause a "flashing" or blushing effect on the hot clay surfaces, sometimes magical, often unpredictable. After 2 days' cooling, the finished works are removed, imperfections ground away, and black felt bottoms are glued on with silicone. Upon occasion, found objects might be attached, in cases where I feel a pot needs a little more magic or mystery." | Pricing:
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