welcome to detroit - ceramic arts network...welcome to detroit the 2nd annual -great lakes ceramics...

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C E R A M I C S fo r

o u l d o o r l i v i n g

Welcome to Detroit

The 2nd Annual -Great Lakes Ceramics Hobby Exhibition

May 18, 19, 20, Masonic Temple,

The Michigan Ceramic Dealers Assoc iat ion extends to everyone the cordial invitat ion to attend the outstanding Ceramic event of the Middle West . Last year's exhibition won the praise of everyone for its comprehensive coverage and its fr iendly spirit of cooperation. This year the Asso- ciation is s tr iving to make it even better.

For you, the hobbyist, it is an opportunity to come in

21, and 22, 1955 Detroit, Michigan contact wi th the names behind the Ceramics news and it is a chance to talk with the people who have a wea l th of Ceramic information plus new ideas and methods.

This year there wi l l be another competi t ive exhibit open to the hobbyist which you are invited to partic ipate in. Cash prizes and other suitable awards wi l l be presented to the winners .

Aladdin Ceramic Studio American Art Clay Co. Bell Ceramics Ceramics by Madeline Ceramics Monthly Dor-Mar Ceramic Studio Detroit Fabricating Co. Even Heat Kilns Ferry Ceramic Studio

L i s t o f E x h i b i t o r s t o d a t e

Michigan Gloss-Matic, Inc. California Newell Studios California Indiana Hoffman Hobby House Michigan Norwest Novelty Co. Michigan

New Jersey Jenkins Wholesale Michigan Paragon Industries Texas Michigan Joy Reid Ceramic Studio Michigan Popular Ceramics California

Ohio Kay Harrison Studios Michigan Powers Ceramics Michigan Michigan Kernian Krafts California Pyramid Ceramic Studio Michigan Michigan Marx Brush Co. New York Re-Ward California Michigan Mayco Colors California Rose Ceramics Michiga, Michigan Model Ceramics, Inc. Ohio Tru-Fyre Colors California

O • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • O • • • • • O • • • • O

• FOR FURTHER I N F O R M A T I O N WRITE: A R T H U R E. HIGGS, M A N A G I N G DIRECTOR •

• M A S O N I C TEMPLE, DETROIT, M I C H I G A N • • Phone: Boy City, Michigan 3-9492 •

O • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • O

• 4 r

• Portable Ceramic: ,, Spray Booth . /

• ~,__ ~ _ ~ t Better Dolls by the # ~ ~ I .~ ~ , ~ , .~ Spray Method Z ~ ~ ~

~, . . . . ~ . . . : . . . , . ."~ '~- , . . . . ~ . . . ~ . .

..gCHOOtg

F.O.B. DETROIT,MICH. Ship.Wt. 21 Ibs.

20" high 20"wide 23"deep

1 ° ° j "

Yes Indeed: All the above have acclaimed our port-

able spray booth for ceramis ts as the answer to

the most disagreeable pa r t of the i r hobby. With

the spray method there is always a lot of dust.

Everyone knows how hard it is to clean this kind

of dust off shelves, windows, floors, etc.

With this spray booth no such problem as the above

exists. The filter in the booth catches all the dust.

It is no longer necessary to use a cumbersome,

nerve-wracking, facial mask. This spray booth

enables you to sit in f ron t of i t and spray to you r

hea r t ' s content wi thout ever wor ry ing about dust .

The spray booth has a 110 V 60 cy ac electric m o t o r

wi th fan at tached. In f r on t of the fan and m o t o r

is a filter. The dust is drawn in.to the filter by the

suction of the fan and deposited there. You do no t

need an outside vent for ceramic work. I f you do

not have enough room to leave the booth out, j u s t

take off the cover and fold up for s torage in a space

20" x 9".

Absolutely guaranteed money back if not satisfied within 10 days

DEALERS INVITED

DETROIT FABRICATING CORR, 7521 ST. AUBIN, DETROIT, MICH. APRIL 1955 I

$7.95 t i l e s no t i n c l u d e d

r

C U S T O M - M A D E F R A M E S F O R 6 x 6 T I L E

A complete line of six smar t ly designed t ab l e s are now available for teacher, s tudent , and profess ional a r t i s t . End, lamp, step, coffee and co rne r t ab le s are s t u rd i l y c o n s t r u c t e d w i th a p e r m a n e n t b l ack sa t in ch ip a n d m a r p r o o f f i n i s h . T h e t o p s are c lever ly de s ig n e d for qu ick and easy c e m e n t i n g of t i l es d i r e c t l y to the s u p p o r t s and f rame. E n d tab le i l l u s t r a t e d is 12x18x20 inches h igh . Wr i t e t o d a y for a comple t e l is t and pr ices . C~uantity prices will be quoted on request.

Distributor and dealer inquiries invited.

ILLINI CERAMIC SERVICE INC. 163-169 W . ILLINOIS ST. CHICAGO 10, ILL.

ESSEX Tile Stackers Make Tile Firing Practical

IN STUDIO KILNS NEW/ DIFFERENTI BETTERI

• SAFER: Stackers Inter]oolc Firmly

• MORE C O M P A C T :

Stacks up to 14. Tiles in Kiln only I I inches high

• BETTER RESULTS:

T a p e r e d inner sides prevent glaze sticking. P e r f e c t air circulation.

I l

/

,,f~JJt~ ~ '~ ESSEX TILE STACKERS

ORDER FROM NEAREST PLANT ESSEX CERAMICS CORP. ESSEX CERAMICS CORP.

30 Canfield Road 936 N. Cicero Ave. DEPT. CM-S CEDAR GROVE, N.J. DEPT. CM-S CHICAGO 51, ILL.

• 1 Doz. (3 Sets of 4) . .$ 1.50 Send 8heck or Money Order • 4Doz. (12Sets of 4) $ 5.25 Add 20c on each doz. for

• postage & packing • 1 Gross (36Sets of 4) $14.50 (Il l inois--Add 2% Occupa-

tional Sales Tax) i

h , . •

This registered Trade Mark is your assurance of a genuine Holland Mold, it is stamped an all our stock molds.

Ask for our FREE catalog!

J holland m0!!, s!0p 1040 Penna. Ave . 2-70 end' , . .

2 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Volume 3, Number4 APRIL • 1955

50 cents per copy

i n t h i s i s s u e o ~ - ' - - " L , v , . g . ' J ~ I B m |

Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

I t inerary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Suggestions from our Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

A School, A Teacher, A Grad by K . L. Boynton . . . . . . . . . 12

A Place in the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

My Enamel Mosaic and How I t Grew by Kathe Rerl . . . . . . 16

Sculpture Can Go Anywhere by A;le I. Hale . . . . . . . . . . . 17

A Ceramic Fountain by John I(enny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

One for the Birds by Phil Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Throwing: Shallow Bowls by Tom Sellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Underglaze: A Dinner Set demonstrated by Bea Matney . .24

CM Briefs: Candleholders from Green W a r e . . . . . . . . . 26

Slab-built Planters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Warping, Cracking and Grog . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Build a Brazier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Answers to (Puestions conducted by Ken Smith . . . . . . . . . . 29

Plaster Series: Pin Template by Dorothy Perkins . . . . . . . . 31

Overglaze: The Hoist Notebook by Zena Hoist . . . . . . . . . 32

Ceram-Acf iv i t ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Enamel Pointers by Jean O'Hara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

State Directory: Where to Buy Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Advert isers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

E d i t o r : Louis G. Farber Associa te E d i t o r : M a r y El l i~ t t

Bus iness M a n a g e r : Spence r L . Davis Edi tor ia l A s s o c i a t e : T h o m a s Sel lers

A r t Di rec to r : Robe r t L . C r e a g e r

Adv i so ry Ed i to r s : Carlton Atherton; J. Sheldon Carey; John B. Kenny

Special C o n t r i b u t o r s : H e n r y B o l l m a n ; Edris Eckhardt; Zena S. H o i s t ; J e a n O ' H a r a ; Dorothy Perkins; Kenneth E. Smi'th

Cover by Robe r t L . Creager

C e r a m i c s Month ly is publ ished each m o n t h a t t h e L a w h e a d P r e s s , Inc . , A thens , Ohio, by P ro fe s s iona l Pub l i ca t i ons , Inc . , S. L. D a v i s , P r e s i d e n t and T r e a s u r e r ; L. G. F a r b e r , Vice P r e s i d e n t ; P . S. E m e r y , Secre ta ry . Subscription price in U .S .A . and P o s s e s s i o n s : one yea r , $4 ; two years , $ 7 : th ree years , $9. C a n a d a and P a n A m e r i c a , 50 cen t s a year a d d i t i o n a l ; fo re ign , add $1 a year . C u r r e n t i ssues , 50e; b a c k issues, 60c. All co r respondence ( adve r t i s ing , subsc r ip t ions , ed i tor ia l ) should be sen t to the edi tor ia l offices a t 3494 N. H i g h St . , Co lumbus 14, Ohio. E n t e r e d a~ second-class m a t t e r a t t he pos t off ice a t A t h e n s , Ohio. as g r a n t e d under A u t h o r i t y of t he A c t of M a r c h 3, 1879. Copyr igh t 1955 by P ro fe s s iona l Pub l i ca t ions , Inc . All r i g h t s r e se rved .

PARAGONKILNS for every Purpose

for every Purse for Immediate Delivery. I

Paragon PERFORM- ANCE - PROVEN designs have been used for years by schools, institutions, c e r a m i c supply manufacturers, commercial s t u d i o s , and d i s c r i m i n a t i n g hobbyis ts--where Ser- vice and Quality with Reasonable Prices are of prime importance.

Paragon Non-Sag Dropped ~ ~ ^ t ~ O ~ Recess Grooves for longest element life. Full use of firing chamber.

Switch Control of all parts of the kiln with any type of firing. Fire your kiln fas t or slowly according to the heat rise which is best for the ware in the kiln. Eliminate Thermal Shock.

1 Year Factory Guarantee on All Paragon Kilns is backed by a nation-wide dealer organization for your complete satisfaction in any locality.

Large Stocks of: Craftool Potter 's Wheels & Tools; Wold Airbrushes; Paasche Airbrushes; Compressors; Atlas Spray Units; Kiln Furni ture ; Orton Cones.

Representatives for :

World-famous WOLD A I R B R U S H E S . . . from fine line Fine Art detail to broad spray for backgrounds without purchase of any extra parts.

FREE CATALOG No. K54: for complete information and prices of all types of kilns and kiln room supplies.

FREE CATALOG No. E54." for complete information and prices of spray equipment and pottery equipment.

PAi AGON INDUSTRIES P. O. Box 4 6 5 4 . Dallas 6, Texas

ILLUSTRATIONS SIZE

CS 60 .12 ea. .86 dz.

n W shapes for enameling Ajewelry'making

CS 48 .14 ea.

1.00 dz.

CS 37 .05 ea. .36 dz.

CS 128 .05 ea. .36 dz.

.10 ea.

.72 dz.

CS 95 .12 ea. .86 dz.

CS 87 .07 ea. q~.05 ea.

~ j l .36 dz. .10 ea. .72 dz.

BERGEN has a stock of over 65 different enamel colors of the finest qual i ty, put up in convenient SHAKER-TOP jars. Colors are listed in our catalog.

[s0w~tq

"SOLDERALL" the perfect answer to quick easy soldering u use on l y a match or

candle f l ame . . .

GUARANTEED

59c per tube---S.40 dz. ALL SHAPES 1st QUALITY 18 ga. COPPER

~ ' ~ with 1st order of $5 more your o r

--you get a VALUE-PACKED assortment of NEW FINDINGS not shown in our ads.

CS 112 .10 ea. .72 dz.

No Postal Charges From This Ad ~ MINIMUM ORDER $2--Sorry, No C.O.D.

" GET STARTED TODAY w,th

TRINKIT NEW, amazing, complete outfit that makes it a snap to enjoy the fascination and fun of creating beautiful enameled jewelry. Just think, each kit contains all the following: ( i) 6 tubes of brill iant enamels--red, blue, green, yellow, black, white---complete with plastic screens. (2) Solid copper discs and squares--enough jewelry findings to make 2 earrings, 2 pins, key chain. (3) Spatula. (4) Brush. (5) Asbestos Board. AND (6) The famous, fabulous TRINKIT K I L N . . . 4¼" in diameter--heats to 1500 degrees F. in just 4 minutes--uses ordinary 110v. A.C.-D.C. Solder with this kiln too. .a real giant in what it does. Full instructions. TRINKIT comes packed for re- $ d ~ 9 5 mailing, weighs 2 Ibs. Additional enamels and supplies listed in our U new catalog, ppd. with FREE Findings Offer (described below) incl. with TRINKIT order! k;~n

COPPER ROUNDS & SQUARES 3/4" round or square ........ 25c dz. 2.50 gr.

1" round or square ........ 34c dz. 3.40 gr. 1 I/4" round ...................... 51 c dz. 5.10 gr. 17/a" round ..................... 1.18 dz. i1.00 gr.

BERGEN ARTS & CRAFTS • DEPT.

FINDINGS: The following numbers can be had in copper-plate (and lacquered). See opposite page for illustrations. SPECIFY "COPPER" EWI or EW2,.. 30c dz..,. 2.7$ gr. CLI (cuff l ink) . . . I . I 0 dz. DR2 .... 35c dz... 3.00 gr. EC2 ................ 40c dz..._3.50 gr. CL4 (cuff link)....l.O0 dz. BRI ...35c ea.._.3.SO dz.

SEE THE STRIKING NEW COM- PLE~TETE LI~NE OF COPPER SHAPES AND SUP- PLIES INCLUDING ALPHABETS, BRACELETS FOR DIRECT ENAMELING. "Copper Supple- ment" and "Ceramic Catalog" SENT FREE WITH ORDER.

CDE • 1 2 8 M A I H ST. - H A C K E N S A C K , N . J .

4 CERAMICS MONTHLY

--. ~ - - - - _ z

Illustrations about 4/s of actual size • Prices for pieces not pairs • Specify "Gold" or "Silver" finish.

EAR WIRES 25c doz., 2.25 gross, 1.95 gr. in 5 gr. lots.

EWl-9mm EW2-7mm for soldering EW7-15mm

DROPS" 30c doz., 2.50 gr.

DR1 DR2

WIRES

Q EWP1

FOR PIERCED EARS

Q i

EWP2 EWP4 Sterling or gold filled 80c dozen • 7.00 gross

CL2m22c ea. CL1--14c ea. 1.80 dozen 1.00 dozen

P I N B A C K S all with safety catch

EAR CLIPS • 35c doz., 3.00 gr.

EC2 EC3

B A C K I N G S

CL4--10c ea. CL3--18c ea. .90 dozen 1.50 dozen

V=", 3/4", or I ' ~ 3 5 c dozen, 3.50 gross

1 ¼ ' ~ 5 0 c doz., 4.00 gr., 11/2"--60c doz., 5.00 gr.

SCREW EYES ~

? for" drop earrings

or bracelets 2Sc doz., 2.50 gr.

J U M P R INGS

0 8c Ioc0 R2 doz. doz. RS

0 60, 8o, 0 R4 gross gross R7

CATCHES

AH1 Adjustable Necklace

Hooks 1So doz. 1.00 gr.

foldover CA3

Bracelet o~ Necklacel 50c doz. 4.50 gr.

CA1-Necklace

50c doz., 4.50 gr.

JEWELER ADHESIVE Guaranteed to hold m e t a l

to ceramics

GIANT 35c DOZ. ,- 2.80 TUllE DISPLAY

BRACELET B L A N K S • Each is complete with clasp and has links for six mountings.

gRlmPlain 35c ea., 3.50 dozen Necklaces--(chain on each end) 60c ea., 6.00 doz.

(

BR2 with 15mm discs~Oc ea., 4.00 dozen Necklaces--(chain on each end) 80c ea., 8.00 doz.

Order From This Ad--MINIMUM ORDER $2. SORRY, NO C.O.D. - - Send Your Order Now! No Postal Charges When You

BOW PIN ha, pin back with with your 1st order of $5 or safety catch, hang !] 25c e a . c e r a m l c p l . . . . . l i b more you get a VALUE-PACKED as- , ~ ::;w eye and jump sortment of NEW FINDINGS not shown ............... TC3m11/2" 2.00 dz.

15c ea., $1 dz. in our ads. / .:'::::i~::::', PORCELAIN BLANKS BP1 ~ ' ] . ~ n CATALOG OF AMERICA'S I .... ::":: ....

' LARGEST SELECTION OF s/8',roun d ]. G ADJUSTABLE FINDINGS & SUPPLIES FOR CE- 3,~,, round or button 75C doz.

RING BLANKS RAMIC JEWELRY AND * 7/8" round or butt0nJ COPPER ENAMELING. Z 11/4" round, 7/8" sq. /

25c ea. ~ 11/8" round or button~ 90C doz. RB1 2 . 0 0 d z . o t h e r s i n c a t a l o g

B E R G E N A R T S & C R A F T S • D E P T . CDE • 1 2 8 M A I N ST. • H A C K E N S A C K , N . J .

APRIL 1955 5

A Toast To The Winners And may YOU be

Among Them!

This year, as before, many of the new stars of the Ceramic Shows will be glazing their pieces with

V E L V A - P L Y W h y not give Y O U R work a chance to place f i rs t by choosing VELVA-PLY fo r A L L of your prec- ious en t r ies?

The glazes so unusua l t h a t they immedia te ly a t t r a c t a t t en t i on wi th the i r beau ty and g lowing colors•

The glazes so easy to app ly and so ce r ta in of r e su l t s t h a t even BE- G I N N E R S have j u s t as good chance as p ro fes s iona l s to win.

The glazes t h a t cost so l i t t le and go SO F A R . Because t he r e ' s more actual glaze to t he ounce in every j a r .

The glazes w i th b e a u t y bui l t r i g h t into the body of every one of the i r 80 d i f fe rent colors.

Le t VELVA-PLY cone 06, one-fire glaze c a r r y y o u r work r i g h t up to F I R S T prize, as i t ha s fo r others .

There ' s GOOD L U C K in every bottle. Regu la r VELVA-PLY kits of 6 ful l f ou r ounce j a r s pos tpa id fo r

j u s t $ 4 . 0 0 Special A r t ki ts of 6 Beachs tone glazes only $5.00 pos tpa id . The re ' s st i l l t ime to win, place or show in the na t iona l ce ramic shows s t a r t i n g in May i f you send today fo r Y O U R ki t of beau t i fu l Velva- P ly glazes, the glazes of qua l i ty fo r a r t i s t s of qual i ty.

tile KAY HARRISON ,,ud o, 8744 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit 2 l. Mich•

UN 2-9222

USEFUL WARE IS ART Gentlemen :

The students in Miss Jeanne L. Hoge's class produce "things that have real use" - - t hus she stated in her letter [February]. Miss Hoge asked the question, Is it Art?, and promptly replied a certain Not May I compliment Miss Hoge and her students for the useful articles they produce and reassure them that they are producing works of art?

St. Thomas Aquinas, the great 13th Century Dominican, says: "Art is right reason in making." Expanded this means the proper making or arranging of anything which needs making or arranging.

Indeed, I agree with Miss Hoge on the other aspects of her letter in defense of the hobby potter. The average hobbyist is not a serious student of art. I, too, have found this among my adult students. But I have also discovered that they are eager to acquire good technical skill and fundamentals of design. By the end of the term my evening classes have acquired a knowl- edge of art as well as a philosophy of art which enables them to use or discern the use of right reason in the things they make or observe around them.

SISTER M. EUGENE O. P. St. Mary of the Springs College Columbus, O.

"WHERE, OH W H E R E . . . " Gentlemen :

Where has Niagara Nell been for the last two years? I was amazed to read her letter (March issue) questioning the use of glaze over unfired underglazes! I teach adult education classes and have success- fully used this method for some time with never a failure. In fact, under some condi- tions it is preferable to a two-fire method • . . And firing costs have been cut in h a l f . . .

NORMA B. G E E Wellsville, N. Y.

O & A MAN ON THE JOB Gentlemen :

A jolly pair [Ceram-Activities photo, CM March]! Some heading-- for a tooth- paste ad[ Did you wonder if we were doing overhead potting? No, we had a drawing for a door prize . . . gave away an Amaco teapot which Brady had made in his demonstration . . .

KEN SMITH Indianapolis, Ind.

WHY DONTCHA Gentlemen :

When you have a series of articles like Zena Holst's "Overglaze Page" and the "Enameling on Metal" articles, why dontcha print each installment so that it can be removed and the whole series stapled together ? That would save scrambling thru so many issues to look up some fact . . .

M R S . F R A N K E . S U T T O N Miami, Fla.

• You might solve the problem as some others have - -by taking two subs, one for cutting up, the other for permanent filing (in a C M binder). The nature of maga- zine production makes it virtually impos- sible to give the special handling you suggest.---Ed.

• :~),

VISIT Booth No. 13!

Yes, when you attend the Third Annual Ceramic Hobby Show at Asbury Park, visit booth ~13. And don't forget the short drive to the Schmld Studio in Trenton.

LUDWIG SCHMID model and mold shop

OPEN every day including Saturday from 8 A.M.--S P.M.

838 Genessee St., (Corner of Dayton) Trenton, N. J.

YOU'VE DONE

IT AGAIN? By giving us 46%

more business in

1954 than you gave

us in 1953, you've

forced us to expand

for the third time

in less than 5 years.

Thanks A Million?

6 CERAMICS MONTHLY

F O R ECONOMY IN COLOR SPEED AND SMOOTHNESS PROFESSIONAL RESULTS A I R B R U S H W I T H

MAYCO'S One T H E S U P E R - S M O O T H T R A N S L U C E N T C~

Use it unde r or over the glaze. MAYCO One S t r o k e is the f inest t r a n s - lucent color ava i l ab le for des igns done by s p r a y i n g as well as by b r u s h i n g or spong ing . Di lu te the colors w i th w a t e r and a i r b r u s h fo r quick and economica l coverage of l a rge a r e a s - - s u b t l e s h a d i n g - - i n t e r e s t i n g backg rounds .

MAYCO

U S E M A Y C O ' S B R I L L I A N T , R E L I A B L E C O L O R S R e m e m b e r - - M A Y C O One S t roke colors can be used on bo th ce ramics a n d porce la in . MAYCO One S t roke k i t s m a k e exce l l en t g i f t s . Ava i l ab le a t your dea l e r s f o r $3.50 each. Inc ludes i n s t ruc t i on folder .

K i t No. 1 E i g h t ½ oz. j a r s . . . . . . . . . . . . Basic Colors K i t No. 2 E i g h t ½ oz. j a r s . . . . . . . . . . . . P a s t e l Colors K i t No. 3 E i g h t ½ oz. j a r s . . . . . . . . . . . . In be tween Colors

I f no t avai lable , send $3.75 fo r each kit , pos tpaid .

TRY THESE OUTSTANDING COLORS NOW!

COLORS 10645 Chandler Blvd., P.O. Box 224, North Hollywood, Calif.

ENAMELING KILNS

@

THE FINEST... . SAFEST

KILNS ON THE MARKET

ILN+ ~ature-packed models which to choose . . . mli ty constructed . . . Dpularly priced. Only DYNA-KILN will you DYNA-GLOW PaR- ,IN ELEMENT HOLD- . . . PILOT LIGHT 4 W A Y SWITCH ~P H O L E S . . . ~6~ , L I T Y CONSTRUC- MODEL E 49 . They're good look- Chamber: and they're uncon- 4 " x 81/2" x 81/4 ,`

,ally guaranteedl

UL APPROVED

for your protection~ Ask your local Electric Company or Fire In- surance Company about the importance of UL approval on any electric appliance. Others claim that wire and switches are UL approved, but their kilns are not!

$68.00 Plus $2.00

crating chg.

Write for l iterature.

NEW! Never before have there been so many features . . . so much quality built into a kiln at such a price. It has a PYROMETER for visual temperature reading, an INPUT C O N T R O L S W I T C H , G R A V I T Y D O O R - - C O U N T E R WEIGHTED, PILOT LIGHT, DYNA - G L O W PORCE- LAIN ELEMENT HOLD- ERS, and it's attractive . . . Plug it in anywhere!

Electric Kilns

Manufacturing Co. Chester 11, Pa.

Dealer Inquiries Invited

APRIL 1955 7

MAKE YOUR O W N

CERAMIC JEWELRY WITH THIS 42 PIECE

JEWELRY PACKAGE

Complete Package $ 2 . 0 0 Postage Prepaid This assortment of jewelry findings and cement has been prepared for us especially to be used in conjunction with

CHARLES HOUSTON

BISQUE PRESS MOLDS These molds are so quick and easy to use. Try them and learn how slmple it is to make your own odglnal costume jewelry

SPECIAL! THIS 42 PIECE JEWELRY PACKAGE WITH ANY 2 OF THE PRESS MOLDS BELOW FOR O N L Y $ 4 . 7 5 POSTAGE PREPAID IN U.S.A.

VIVI-I I~IVI-2 I~2~I-;I -bree I'I~1-4 Alice in Square Round Form Wonderland

a(

PM-5 PM-6 PM-7 PM-8 Alphabet Religious Flowers Leaves and Nos. I "

(7 & 8 have figures on both sides) !

PRICE $ | 5 0 Plus 25e • Postage for

one, 10c each .... addi t ional mold

(30/0 T A X I N C A L I F , )

p - - ^ ~ On Orders for 6 Or M o r e P r e s s u*-u ~ r a p e s ~ . ~ : ~ m g m M o l d s We P a y A l l P o s t a g e In U.S.

~ | 1 [ ~ ¢ ~ Dealers: Wr i te for L i t e ra t . . . . . d ~ . ~ Diseounts On This Popu la r and

Fast Growing Line of Press Molds. ht ~t ~t ~t

PM-10 Antique For Complete Catalog of All Molds Scrolls Send $1.00 To Apply To First Order.

STUDIOS AND SCHOOLS SEND FOR FREE NEW WHOLESALE PRICE LIST OF MOLDS.

CHARLES HOUSTON MOLD CO. 3 O I 8 W . B U L L A R D , D E P T . C M F R E S N O , C A L I F ,

Send show announcements early--Where to Show: three months ahead of entry date; Where to Go: at least six weeks before opening.

WHERE TO SHOW

"k national competition

C A L I F O R N I A , S a c r a m e n t o M a y 18-June 26

Kingsley Art Club 30th Annual Exhi- bition of arts and crafts at E. B. Crocker Art Gallery. Open to residents of the Central Valleys. Jury; entries due May 6,7. Write Mrs. George C. Brett, 2757 Curtis Way.

CALIFORNIA, San F r a n c i s c o Ju ly

California Designed, a juried exhibition of California home furnishings available in quantity. To be shown simultaneously at De Young Museum and Long Beach Art Center. Lamps, accessories and table- ware included. Work due May 10. Write the Museum at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, or the Center at 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach.

C O N N E C T I C U T , N o r w a l k

J u n e 12- ju ly 10 6th Annual New England Show at Silver- mine Guild of Artists to include ceramic sculpture. Eligible: artists born in New England or resident two months of year. Fee, $3. Jury; prizes. Entry cards and work due May 6-9. Write Revington Arthur at Guild, Norwalk, Conn.

INDIANA, S o u t h B e n d M a y 15-29

Third annual Regional Ceramic Exhibi- tion open to present and former residents of Indiana and Michigan within 100-mile radius of South Bend. Jury; prizes. Fee, $2. Entry cards due Apr. 25; work, May 1. For blanks write South Bend Art Assn., 620 W. Washington Ave.

NEW YORK, N e w Y o r k J u n e 8-Sept . 7

"kYoung Americans Sixth Competitive Exhibit at America House. For craftsmen 30 years of age or younger. Includes ceramics and enamels. Jury; prizes. Entry date, May 25. Write Ameri-can Crafts- men's Educat:.onal Council, 32 E. 52nd.

OREGON, P o r t l a n d M a y 13-June 11

Sixth Annual Northwest Ceramics (pottery, sculpture, enamels) for residents of British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Ore- gon and Washington. Jury; awards. En- tries due Apr. 11-25. For details write Oregon Ceramic Studio, 3934 S. W. Corbett Ave.

PENNSYLVANIA, Pittsburgh M a y 1-22

Western Pennsylvania Sculpture Exhi- bition at Arts & Crafts Center, 5th & Shady Ayes. Permanent sculpture materials. Residents in 100-mile radius (Pc., Ohio. W. Va.,) eligible. Jury; cash a- wards. Fee $2, or membership in Socie ty of Sculptors ($5). Entry cards due Apr. 16; work, Apr. 22-23.

S O U T H C A R O L I N A , C o l u m b i a

M a y 1-29 1955 South Carolina Arts and Crafts Exhibition at Columbia Museum of Art. Jury selected.

WHERE TO GO

C A L I F O R N I A , S t a n f o r d

Apr i l 2 2 - M a y 13 Pre-Colmnbian art; 80 examples including small figurines and decorated pottery. At Stanford University.

Supply & Equipment Show Everything from glazes and green ware to findings and figurines may be seen at the annual ceramic supply and equipment shows held in different sections of the country. These shows constitute a common meeting ground where the sup- plier and the hobbyist can get together over products and ideas, a congregation of those who sell and those who buy materials used in ceramics. One of the high lights of each show is an exhibition of ceramics by hobbyists with prizes awarded by a jury.

S O U T H W E S T C E R A M I C S H O W

Apr i l 20-24 At State Fair Grounds, Women's Building, Dallas, Texas. Direct inquiries to Louis L. Young, Pro- ducer, 4611 Cole Ave., Dallas.

EASTERN CERAMIC HOBBY SHOW M a y 4-8

At Convention Hall, Asbury Park, N. J. For information, write Jerry Gasque, Managing Director, 77 Ridgecrest Ave., Staten Island 12, N . Y .

MIDWESTERN C E R A M I C H O B B Y

S H O W

M a y 12-15 At 220 St., and Lake Shore Blvd., Cleveland, O. Managing director is Paul Lange, 17854 Beech Blvd., Cleveland 7.

G R E A T L A K E S C E R A M I C S H O B B Y

E X H I B I T I O N

M a y 18-22 At Masonic Temple, Detroit, Mich. Details may be obtained from Arthur E. Higgs, Managing Director, c/o Masonic Temple.

FLORIDA, M i a m i Apr i l 2 4 - M a y 8

Third Annual Ceramic Exhibition sponsored by Ceramic League of Miami, at Lowe Gallery, University of Miami.

KANSAS, W i c h i t a Apr i l 16 -May 17

Tenth National Decorative Arts-Ceramic Exhibition. Wichita Art Association, 401 No. Belmont Ave.

KENTUCKY, Louisvi l le t h r o u g h Apr i l 30

28th Louisville Art Center Assn. show, at J. B. Speed Art Museum. Art mediums and crafts including ceramics.

MASSACHI:SETTS, Springfield Apr i l 3 - M a y 8

Massachusetts Crafts of Today, fourth (Please turn to Page 36)

8 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Re-'lff,,Z.. Re-?M,,Z.. Re-?M,,Z.. Re-?~. I n e v e r y f ie ld, one p r o d u c t

s t a n d s a b o v e al l o t h e r s . . .

I n c e r a m i c colors , t he n a m e

" R e - W a r d " h a s b e c o m e t he

s y m b o l o f h i g h e s t q u a l i t y .

See you at the

HOBBY SHOWS

•/•?U/ CATALOGUE

Send for ¢omplefe ¢afalogue and Insfruction booklet. Only 2S¢ Posfpaid.

DEALERSHIPS OPEN Write for complete derails.

N O W AVAILABLE

~e.CWa~d Ceramic Color Manufacturers

1985 Firestone Blvd., Los Angeles 1, Calif.

THE 2ND ANNUAL MIDWESTERN CERAMIC HOBBY SHOW

May 12-15, 1955 . . . . . . . . . . . . 31yd.

~.83) Dhio

The 2nd Annual Midwestern Ceramic Hobby Show

Paul Lange, Manag;ng Director 17854 Beech Rd., Cleveland 7, Ohio

Dept. Civl 4 0 1 B R O A D W A Y NEW YORK 13, N. Y.

sponsored by The Midwestern Ceramic Dealers Association

for boofh reservations, write:

APRIL 1955 9

C O N F U S I O N Greenware Galore

Leaky Roof

Thousands of Molds

Plenty of Dust

Liquid Bright Gold

Antiquity

Evenheat Kilns

Good Coffee--Donuts Invited

Chiaraseuro

Glorious Hospitality

Where Fords and Cadillacs meet

Re Ward's Jewel Like Colors

Don't miss the Great Lakes Cer- amic Show--May 18-23

Bell's Brush-On-Clear Glaze

Symphonic Music

Visit our booth or studio & reg- ister for $200.00 Prize

Send $1.00 and we'll mail you ticket for Detroit Show

S. Paul Ward's Colored Glazes and Clay

Our Complaint Department always open

Alley between Store and Mold House muddy--bring Galoshes

Cops still writing tickets for illegal left turn

If you are curious, come and con- fuse us

Admission Free - - Hello Darling Tag is good.

NORWEST NOVELTY COMPANY 1 5 4 3 1 P l y m o u t h Rd. • D e t r o i t , M i c h i g a n

t'

f r o m o u r r e a d e r s

SELF SUPPORT A few drops of kiln wash

or cas t ing slip on the bo t tom of a piece to be glaze fired au tomat i ca l ly serves as a stilt, kiln wash, and p e r m a n e n t suppor t .

--Harley R. Holladay Hol l aday Ceramic Studios

Dodge City, Kans .

SOFT BISQUE Although the one-fire tech-

nique is mos t economical and genera l ly qui te satisfactory, there are t imes w h e n a bisque fire is qu i te necessary. One ins tance is w h e n you are work ing on a very delicate piece wh ich could easily c rumble while the glaze is be ing b rushed on or dissolve if it is d ipped. I n such cases I p u t the piece t h rough a very soft b isque fire (cone 020 to 019) wh ich isn ' t too expensive or t ime consuming , yet p roduces a piece which is no t too del icate to handle .

- -Carmen Barker Abiline, Texas

CLAY DRYING BATS I believe clay is m u c h more

sat isfactory for m a k i n g drying bats t h a n is plaster . Plaster will c rumble af ter consider- able use and canno t be heated too h igh for quick drying.

I m a k e m y bats ou t of clay to any size or shape I l i k e - - bu t smal l e n o u g h to fit in m y kiln. I fire these to a soft bisque and f ind t h e m to be very sat isfactory. I am sure they will last forever.

- -Mrs. E. Hay Pictou, N.S., Can .

SLAB ROLLER An excel lent tool for roll-

ing ou t clay slabs is a dis- ca rded roller f rom a washing mach ine . These rollers are usual ly m a d e of h a r d rubber wh ich p reven ts the clay f rom sticking.

- - ] . C. Miller Balt imore, Md.

ENAMELING KILN COVER We use the Trinkit kiln

for small me ta l e n a m e l i n g projects in the classroom. T h e s tudents f ound it r a t h e r difficult to wa tch the pieces firing th rough the small side opening and a solut ion to the problem was fo u n d in the science lab. A Pyrex cover dish makes an excel lent cover for the small ho t -p la te - type kiln. I t is no t h a r m e d by the hea t and be ing t r ansparen t , it allows you to see clearly the pieces be ing fired.

The re are m a n y o ther types of Pyrex labora tory e q u i p m e n t which should fit a lmos t any size ename l ing kiln.

- -Duane H. Harris Canis teo Cent ra l School

Canlsteo, N. Y.

CROCK CART Moving large crocks con-

ta in ing wet clay and o ther heavy objects a round the ceramic s tudio can be a chore

for the little lady. A simple wooden cart on casters will make it easy to move things, when you need to, with a m i n i m u m of effort.

--Bonnie Staffel M a u m e e , Ohio

MEAT GRINDER MAKES GOOD

An old hand-crank meat gr inder can become a useful f ixture in your workshop. I use it to grind discarded pieces of cast ware. I t takes little effort to turn the green ware into a fine powder which is easily worked back into fresh slip for re-use.

--Mrs. ]. Broitman E. Har t ford , Conn.

M a r k e t f o r I d e a s

Send your bright ideas to Ceramics Monthly--wlth photos or sketches, if acceptable. We pay $1 to $S for suggestions used in this column. (Sorry, but we can't acknowledge or return unused items.)

I0 CERAMICS MONTHLY

tI*' tASTER POTTER'S I Exclusive fully enclosed, safe

Whether amateur or skilled artisan , . , you'll find the smooth motorized operation . . ease of control in the BIG, all-steel precision built MASTER POTTER'S WHEEL enables you to originate beautiful, dis- tinctive pottery excelling anything you've ever done before, Massive steel construction completely encloses mechanism to exclude clay and moisture . . . assures operator safety and provides vibration.free performance. Other features ordinarily found only in expensive wheels include: pre.Iubricated bronze bearings for quiet, long service, con. venient arm rests, adjustable wedging wire, large 18" throwing table with plenty of working space and a removable water cup. 10" throwing head has joggles for easy centering, under.<de reverses for casting plaster bats. You have complete hand freedom at all times . . . smooth instant change of speed from 30 to I~0 rpm is controlled by a foot pedal, Easy to use, even for handicapped persons. Use any V4 HP motor. Standard I/4 HP motor $16.95 when purchased with Master Potter 's Wheel• M A S T E R P O T T E R ' S W H E E L Floor Model, I t e m 47b, Wt . 90 lbs. Lis ts a t $175 .00- -Fac to ry pr ice . . . . $89.95 M A S T E R P O T T E R ' S W H E E L Bench Model, I t e m 4 7 a ~ Wt. 45 lbs. L i s t s a t $125 .00- -Fac to ry pr ice . . . . . . . . . .

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6" tile

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fits 6" square tile fits 6" round tile P R I C E S

3 T O 11 12 TO 4 9 5 0 T O 9 9 IOO D O U B L E T R I V E T $ 1 . 0 0 E A C H . 8 5 E A C H . 7 5 E A C H . 5 5 E A C H S Q U A R E T R I V E T . BO E A C H . 6 5 E A C H • 5 0 E A C H . 4 0 E A C H R O U N D T R I V E T . 8 0 E A C H . 6 5 E A C H . 5 O E A C H . 4 O E A C H H A N G I N G T R I V E T

F R A M E 1 . O 0 E A C H ° 5 5 E A C H . 7 5 E A C H . 6 5 E A C H ~F IT5 6 pt S Q U A R E T i L E N O T I L L U S T R A T E D )

B I S Q U E T I L E G L A Z E D T I L E F E L T S tr S Q U A R E 6 # S Q U A R E . 2 5 E A C H . 3 O E A C H . 0 5 E A C H 6 tp R O U N D . 3 0 E A C H . 3 5 E A C H 2 . 0 0 F O R 5 0

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T r y a j a r - - p r o v e i t t o y o u r s e l f . A l w a y s a s k f o r - -

D e m a n d A n d U s e T r a n z , t h e o r i g i n a l , t r a n s l u c e n t ,

O n e S t r o k e U n d e r g l a z e s . R e m e m b e r - - T R A N Z h a s

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#¢ "T. R. 'n D." on PORCELAIN is now more popular than ever.

"T. R. 'n D." on STONEWARE is setting the pace.

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ATIONAL CERAMIC HOBBY ASSOC.

• CERAMICHROME 2111 W . S L A U S O N A V E . • P H O N E A X - 2 - 0 7 S I

L O S A N G E L E S 4 7 . C A L I F .

APRIL 1%5 tl

RECTOR of Sweden's state-sponsored Konstfacksko]a, Dr. Aake Stavenow, ad- mires huge stoneware vase made by the teacher-ceramlst, Edgar Bockman. Work shown above and below is by students.

TALENTED graduate of school, Mar- garetha Schlyter-Stlernstedt, likes the lightness and delicacy of earthenware. Her tapering bottles with fiber trim reveal wheel skill and imagination.

12

by K. L. BOYNTON

m m m m m u m m m m m m I m m m m m m m m m m m m m m

m m m m m m

m

m

U nder the forceful direction of Dr. Aake L. Stavenow, Rector, the

Konstfackskola (Arts and Crafts School) of Stockholm has developed a ceramics department staffed by top flight artists and equipped with the mechanical means to do a good job of teaching. Concrete evidence of this combination is a growing list of former students now nationally recognized artists.

The ceramics course offered is a four-year one, divided into two major sections: the lower school, or first two years, in which the student receives an all-round art course, including composition, perspective, painting, sculpture and life drawing, with wheel work taught from the first in the ceramics workshop, the medium being entirely earthenware; and the upper school (last two years) in which general art work is continued, but stoneware introduced in the last half of the third year, stressed in the last.

Stavenow considers life drawing to be of prime importance to the ceramic student, for mastery of human and animal anatomy and still life technique is basic to design and decoration, however abstract. Of equal importance, he believes, is silicate chemistry, a thorough understanding of which is essential to the technical know-how that must underly creative work. Thus the ceramics course em- phasizes both; chemistry, for example, being a three year requirement. With these two fundamentals as a basis, the curriculum is built to give the future potter everything he needs: grounding in wheel technique and everyday practice, instruction in design and decoration, working famil- iarity with clays, ceramic colors and glazes, mold making, and an under-

The author is a Chicago writer and ceramics connoisseur who, during a recent, prolonged stay in Sweden and Norway, interviewed several leading cra[tsmen in behal[ o[ CERAMICS MONTHLY.

CERAMICS MONTHLY

a school.., a teacher.., a grad...

standing of what goes on in the magic fire of the kiln. Various fields are ex- plored, ranging from thrown work to sculptured wall plaques and even jewelry.

The Konstfackskola, founded in 1844, with the ceramics department coming into existence only a few years after, is today looking far into the future. State sponsored since 1945, it has outgrown its old building, and will have a new one in 1958. The ceramics department will be bigger and better, with the wonderful new addition of facilities for porcelain making. At present, although instruction is given in this field, the students must go to Gustavsberg, the big porcelain factory just outside Stockholm, for actual experience and for en- graving and firing patterns for table- ware. And beyond the immediate future are plans for a glass-making division to implement the department's glass designing classes, long a regular part of the four-year ceramic course.

Heading the ceramics department is the famous Swedish ceramist Edgar B6ckman. This quiet man, with his high technical skill, is an excellent teacher and does much with his warm understanding and encouragement to keep enthusiasm at a high level.

From his private studio in Stock- holm come some o f Sweden's finest contemporary ceramics, rich salt- glazed stoneware now to be found in many museum collections. Master of the wheel, B6ckman achieves per- fection of form. Decoration is often an incised pattern of great intricacy and executed with precision. His subdued glazes, produced by the addition of salt in the kiln during firing, complete the richness of these pots, making them pieces outstanding in quality and beauty. On ware that he wishes to be particularly striking, he inlays white stoneware in the incised pattern, producing a design that is bold, but one with the pot.

APRIL 1955

B6ckman studied ceramics in Czech- oslovakia, and before opening his own studio was with the great porcelain factories of H6ganes Billesholm and R6rstrand.

Among the many successful gradu- ates of the School is the glass designer and ceramist, Margaretha Schlyter-Stiernstedt, who backed up her art school course with on-the-job experience at the S~vres factory in Paris and in Holland. She throws her pieces on the wheel, creating gay birds, figurines, graceful pots, all illus-

trative of her belief that earthenware can be delicately beautiful. Decoration is simple, sometimes sgrafitto, sometimes underglaze color, sometimes texture contrast--but always with a feel- ing of charming lightness. She limits her production to single pieces, or at most three of a kind, and sells them in quality retail shops where cus- tomers know they can find the unusual. To meet this exacting but high- paying market, she plans greater em- phasis on sculpture, both wheel- and hand-built, and further exploration into abstract design. •

BOCKMAN, shown below examining student work, is a distinguished studio potter. At left, examples of his cha- motte--a plate with unglazed area and vase with applique trim. Below, salt- glazed stoneware, his favorite medium.

G ~ : ~ ? ; ~ ~ < !~!~!~!~!~i~i~ ~ ̧

: ..... i!i!i!iiiiii!! ! i iiii!i!ii:!!ii!! !ii i i U : : ! ii ! !i i !!ii !iiiiiiiiiiii!! iiii!ii!i!i!!iiii!!!ili iiii!ii!! !iiiiii! ! .................

r

Se t f l u s h in t h e g a r d e n w a l l , f i r e p l a c e

box or c h i m n e y , p a t i o s u r f a c e or e l s e -

w h e r e . . . t i l e s c a n be h a n d m a d e or r e a d y -

m a d e , d e c o r a t e d a n d g l a z e d in bo ld ef fec t .

ii i " l . + + I l l ~ 1 I I I

" " ' ' L - L , + t l i + ~ i n l ~ I ~

a place in

P o r t a b l e p l a n t e r s c o m p l e m e n t p e r m a n e n t g r e e n -

g r o w i n g a r e a s . . . t h e f l a t - b o t t o m e d t y p e is

e a s y t o m a k e , e a s y to use . . . s e e p a g e 26.

M ~ +++ ~+~+~\ ~ + V ~ . ~ q l ~ L +

i!ii!iii!i!i ~ii!i!ii!iiiii!!!i .....

On a g r a n d s c a l e . . . t h e t a l l m o b i l e

of c l a y s h a p e s c o m b i n e d w i t h d r i f t -

wood i s m e a n t f o r t h e t e r r a c e ; t h e

f i s h w i l l s w i n g f r o m a t r e e . . . b o t h

by H a l R i e g g e r , W e s t C o a s t c e r a m i s t .

14

le SUfl

W h e e l - t h r o w n a n i m a l s by A i l e

H a l e c a n ho ld t h e i r o w n in

t h e g a r d e n . . . s e e p a g e 17.

Mobi le p l a n t e r s l i f t t h e e y e

and , h o p e f u l l y , t h e s p i r i t - -

bu t m a k e s u r e t h e s u s p e n s i o n

co rd is s t r o n g e n o u g h to hold .

W h a t m o r e s o o t h i n g t h a n t h e

s i g h t a n d s o u n d o f f l o w i n g

w a t e r on a s u m m e r d a y - - e s -

pec i a l l y i f a h a n d s o m e p iece

o f s c u l p t u r e i s i n v o l v e d ?

You c a n m a k e a f o u n t a i n i f

y o u fo l low J o h n K e n n y ' s de-

t a i l e d i n s t r u c t i o n s on p a g e 18.

B i r d s l ike b a t h s a s m u c h a s l i t t l e

boys d o n ' t . . . m a k e t h e bowl s y m -

m e t r i c a l o r f r e e - f o r m b u t k e e p

i t s h a l l o w . . . t e x t u r e t h e i n s i d e

so y o u r f e a t h e r e d f r i e n d w o n ' t s l ip .

APRIL 1955

W e l l g r o u n d e d , y e t

h a v i n g a q u a l i t y

o f l i f t , t h i s p i n c h

po t ( w i t h p e p e r -

o m i a ) g o e s i n d o o r s

o r o u t - - a s do

m o s t o f t h e c e r a m i c

f o r m s on t h e s e p a g e s .

My Enamel Picture and How It R E W O u t d o o r I I J

t ~ l e l L u . , . .

by KATHE BERL

A n enamel mosa ic is ideal for out of doors, according to this writer , a w e l l - k n o w n N e w York enamel i s t and co-author o f a

book on the craft . Mosa ics can be made any size, se t f lush into a

garden wal l , kept c lean wi th a damp c l o t h - - a n d even mended i f

necessary . Sculp-Meta l , the materia l she used for backing and

binder, is weather -proof , she reports. A s evidence that v i treous

e n a me l s s tand up wel l , she te l ls of a house s ign she made years

ago and had a chance to watch summer and winter: "Noth ing

w h a t s o e v e r happened to it even though it w a s on the outs ide of the house, not in the d o o r w a y . " - - E d .

she wonted a big picture from a l i t t le kiln and she ended up with fhls four-feet .high mosaic

F rom doorknobs to pictures, you can create almost any- th ing with enamels. But you are l imited in one respect

and tha t is the size of the object you want to make. How large your p ic ture (or whatever) can be depends more on the size of the firing chamber in your kiln than on your inspirat ion.

I have a ver i table house of a gas kiln but, filled to capaci ty, the largest object it will hold for me is a nine- by twelve-inch article. F o r years I have been bothered by that l imi ta t ion and have t r ied to f ind a way of doing large enamel pictures. Al though I have had to use it, the simple method of assembling ind iv idua l plaques into a large panel has not pleased me. T h e effect is that of tiles, no mat te r which way you try to hide, or utilize, the dividing lines. I t is a method for the ceramist and not for the enameler.

Mosaic might be the solution. But how to go about it? Li t t le geometr ic shapes? No! They will look like the usual glass mosaic; and there is no point in substituting ersatz for a perfect ly good technique. I want to f ind a way for enamels, not just copy another technique. Why not cut the pieces according to the outlines o[ my design? T h a t seemed to be the answer, the way to achieve results not possible in any other technique.

T h e next p rob lem was the panel or base on which the enameled pieces would be assembled. I t must not be heavy like wood. ( I wan t to be able to carry my mosaic easily under one a r m ) . Final ly , I hit on a relatively new mater ial called Sculp-Metal which is sold in arts and crafts supply stores. I t comes in a tin can, and is a gray, rubbery paste; it can be di luted, by means of a special th inner that goes with it, to any consistency desired. Once pu t to use, it hardens to "metal" or, to be correct , to a kind of leadlike substance. I t does this in prac t ica l ly no time. But, in case it works faster than you do, it can be softened quickly with the thinner. Excess can be

(Please turn to Page 30)

Detail from full-slzed master sketch on paper which was the key to shape, color and placement of each segment that w~nt into the composition. A code was used where similarity of segments might be confusing, as in drapes.

16 CERAMICS MONTHLY

sculpture can go anywhere by AILE I. HALE

~ culpture-- tha t is, sculpture that a person might himself own as dis-

tinguished from the variety seen at museums and institutions--is generally thought of as something set on a lavishly landscaped estate or on the knickknack shelf of a souvenir fiend. The public, and perhaps the sculptor, too, has hardly begun to appreciate the fun of having an amusing little clay turtle on the old tree stump in the back yard or a whimsical statuette peeping from among the flowers and herbs of a modest garden.

Clay, being such a durable material, is ideal in the house and in the garden all the year round. Ceramic sculpture used on the terrace in summer can become the center of a table decoration in winter. A large piece can be moved from its outer garden habitat to re- lieve the winter bleakness of the patio. The picture windows with indoor plantings that so many new homes have are perfect garden settings for medium-sized sculpture.

This is not to say that sculpture made from clay must have an outdoor use; by no means. Objects of fair size can be placed to advantage on the room dividers of modern homes, on the hearths and mantel shelves of any home. Other pieces, depending on size, deserve a place on tables, shelves and the compartments of bookcases. Smaller sculpture, it seems to me, may well be designed for functional use- - as ash trays, cups, cigarette holders, planters (an area of design that can stand rejuvenation!); or designed merely as pleasing shapes to feel and hold and enjoy visually.

My own work in ceramics is almost entirely wheel-thrown sculpture. The finished product is made up of several separate shapes, each thrown on the wheel (sometimes even the ears), dried to leather hardness and attached with slip to its adjacent piece. I designed, chiefly for decorative pur- poses, sculpture for indoor use--until


o . , o o o , . i ' -~- ' , . ' II L i v i n g mmw~

-

These whimsical creatures are the work of the author shown above at her wheel. Her sculpture moves from house to garden and vice versa, depending on the season of the year.

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APRIL 19SS 17

AT THE EDCjE OF THE POOL

A CERAMIC FOt by JOHN KENNY

The author needs no introduction but [or hitherto un- published details about the man, turn to CERAM- ACTIVITIES, page 34 . - -Ed .

A ceramic fountain for the garden is an exciting pro- j e c t - - a n d a beautiful thing when it's in place at the

edge of a pool. On these pages we show one way of making such a fountain, using as the example a simplified figure of a woman pouring water f rom a large water jug (24" high) .

No mechanical enlarging devices, such as propor- tional calipers, are involved. A small clay sketch serves merely as a guide for achieving rhy thm and good pro- portions.

The clay used is a common type that fires brick red and, because of the size of the piece being made, a heavy proport ion of med ium coarse grog is added (equal par ts) . The mixture is somewhat more difficult to model but it fires more safely.

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CERAMICS MONTHLY

O u | d o o P ~ m !

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ITAIN

A w o r d abou t p l u m b i n g - - e l s e h o w cou ld there be a f o u n t a i n ? T h e f igure is h o l l o w a n d the base is o p e n ; a p iece of rubbe r tub ing p l a c e d inside a n d r e a c h i n g to the m o u t h of the j ug can be a t t a c h e d to a w a t e r p ipe (as shown in the d i a g r a m ) . I f no w a t e r p ipe is conven ien t ly loca ted a t the edge of the pool , t u b i n g can be ex t ended out in back of the f igure, c o n c e a l e d just u n d e r the g r o u n d surface, and connec ted to any source of wa te r , even a g a r d e n hose. I f an electr ic p u m p is ava i lab le , the f o u n t a i n can be m a d e to fit on the top of a c e r a m i c b a s i n - - t h e p u m p forc ing w a t e r up f r o m the basin, t h r o u g h the foun- ta in a n d back to the basin again .

But the wa te r works is rea l ly a n o t h e r story. L e t us concen te r a t e he re on the m o d e l i n g of t he foun ta in , as described in the fo l lowing text a n d in the photos .

APRIL 1955

6

I r

I. You start by making a number of small sketches, little clay figures no more than 4" tall, in different arrangements. When you have a composition that is pleasing, another, slightly larger sketch is made with more care and detail. This serves only as a guide.

2. Now we block out the enlarged fountain figure. At the beginning the clay is too soft to stand alone, so modeling is started with the figure lying down. Heavy cardboard propped up at one end provides curved support.

3. A wooden stick holds the head up as blocking out of the figure continues.

4. The piece is hollowed out at the base, this opening extending into the water jug. Then the work is covered with damp cloths and left overnight.

5. Next day, the firmer clay will stand upright (the head fell off but never mind). The figure is placed on a board that fits over the banding wheel making an excellent modeling stand.

6. More digging out is done through the back until the figure is completely hollow; then the cut-out section is welded back in place. The jug is hollowed from its base which is also closed up again.

7. The head is replaced with a wooden dowel giving it support.

8. More modeling: features and hair are added but not too much detail because this is not a realistic figure. The figure is rounded out with small pieces of clay which are pressed into place. The process may extend over several days, with the figure kept damp when not worked on.

9. Decapitation: we cut off the lady's head, with a knife, because the figure is too large for the kiln. It will have to be fired in two sections.

10. To make the operation less obvious, a roll of soft clay (no grog) is placed against the cut surface of the neck. The head is pressed back into position on the figure and modeled until the cut area is invisible. Then the head is lifted off again, this time without using a knife.

11. Waiting to be fired, the figure seems all of a piece, though the head is actually separated (a wooden dowel in the neck supports it here). After firing, head and figure are joined permanently with cement.

F e e l i n g tha t the na tu r a l co lor of the red c lay w o u l d b l end wel l in a g a r d e n e n v i r o n m e n t , this d e m o n s t r a t i o n f o u n t a i n was no t g lazed or g iven any o the r d e c o r a t i v e t r e a tmen t . Y o u see it, above, in a c t i o n - - t h o u g h o u t d o o r pools w e r e f rozen ove r w h e n the p h o t o was taken. T h e se t t ing? A g reenhouse by cour tesy of the Bo tan ica l G a r d e n s at B r o n x Pa rk in N e w York. •

19

o n e for u . , n = e - ~ I I l l I l L

the birds by PHIL ALLEN

1. cut three parts

FOR RENT

A ceramic birdhouse is Gary's concern this spring. And it's none too early to start production, he says, as he shows us how to construct one from

a slab of rolled-out clay.

1. Using a paper pattern, he cuts the three parts of the house from the c l a r a rectangle for the wall, a big circle for the roof and a little circle for the base. The clay is the kind that fires white, and is therefore easier to decorate.

2. He joins two sides of the rectangle to form a cylinder which he sets on the small circle. To make a firm joining at the seams, so they will not come apar t later, he roughens the edges, moistens them with water (or thick slip of the same clay), and works them together with his fingers.

3. Now the roof. He cuts a pie-shaped wedge from the larger circle. When the edges of the opening that is left are drawn together, the circle pulls up to a shallow-cone shape. This seam is then joined securely. At this point, it is well to let the clay dry a little so it will be firm enough to hold its shape.

4. Joining the roof to the wall is a particularly important welding operation because it is here that the greatest strain will be when the house is hung. After roughening and moistening the surfaces to be stuck together, Gary works a thin roll of clay into the seam from the outside, as reinforcement. He also works a small ring of clay, the hanger, into the peak of the roof.

5. Gary expects something bigger than a wren to occupy his house so, starting with a hole the size of a half-dollar, he cuts a more than ample entrance (remembering that clay shrinks as it drys). Below it, he makes a very small opening to hold the wooden peg that will be the bird's doorstep. Forming is finished and the house is set aside to dry slowly.

When the clay is leather hard, Gary textures the roof by scratching lines in it. After bisque firing, the house is glazed. For the inside, Gary uses a clear glaze so the white color of the clay will show through. He pours the glaze in, tips the house in a rolling motion so the glaze flows over the entire inner surface, and pours off excess. The outside is done in two colors, one for the wall, another for the roof. These glazes are brushed on. The doorstep, fastened in place with household cement, completes construction.

In the photo above, the finished birdhouse, suspended by a leather thong, hangs from a t ree--wai t ing for a tenant. •

2. fasten wall and base

3. cone shape roof

20

4. weld roof and wall 5. make an entrance

CERAMICS MONTHLY

ring on the :r's Wheel

Z)M SELLERS

i m l m m mm O u t d o o r m u i r

i N N , L i v i n g m i n e i d i o m ,

SHALLOW BOWLS

n e of t he m o s t useful w h e e l - t h r o w n s h a p e s fo r ou t - d o o r p u r p o s e s is t he s ha l l ow bowl . I t l ends i tself

i dea l ly to use as a food server , p l a n t e r , c u t - f l o w e r con - t a i n e r a n d ( if you a re ski l led as wel l as a m b i t i o u s ) , as a b i r d b a t h or c h a r c o a l b raz ie r .

I n t h r o w i n g a sha l l ow b o w l t he n o v i c e p o t t e r en- c o u n t e r s one m a j o r d i f f icul ty t h a t d o e s n ' t o c c u r in t h r o w - i ng a s t e ep -wa l l ed b o w l : as t h e wa l l is t h i n n e d a n d p u l l e d o u t a t a r a t h e r f l a t ang le , i t i n v a r i a b l y col lapses . T h e w a y to p r e v e n t th is is to l eave a h e a v i e r wa l l t h i cknes s t h a n you a c t u a l l y w a n t be low t he r i m o n t h e ou t s i de of t h e p o t ( t h e ins ide of t he bowl is g i v e n its final s h a p e ) . T h i s excess c lay he lps s u p p o r t t he wa l l w h i l e t h e p o t is sof t a n d is too led a w a y la te r , w h e n t he foo t r i m is cut .

T h e r e a re some o t h e r d i f f e rences in t e c h n i q u e fo r t h r o w i n g th is sha l l ow s h a p e ; we discuss t h e m in de t a i l as we fo l low t h r o u g h o n t h e a c c o m p a n y i n g i l lu s t r a t ions .

1. I t is almost essential that the shape be thrown on a plaster bat rather than on the wheel head: an at tempt to lift the bowl from the wheel head, unsupported, would probably result in its distortion or collapse. The bat has been at tached to the

.:__-

wheel head with thick slip and centering of the lump of clay is well under way. I t is necessary to start with a larger amount of clay than is needed for the size pot you have in mind because of the extra clay to be left for support. If your usual method of centering seems awkward with this size lump, try different

methods until you find one that is more comfortable and effective. Use your left hand on top to keep the lump low and spread out.

2. Try a new method of opening. After making the initial depression for depth in the center with the thumbs, use three fingers of the right hand to grasp the clay from the center and pull it toward you. The left hand supports the r ight to give it more control and the heel of the right hand rests on the top rim or on the outside of the lump for additional support and control. Pull the clay out as far as you want the inside bot tom of the bowl to be and gradually slope the inside shape upward toward the rim. Pull the clay o u t - - n o t up. Any rolls of clay that appear at the top of the rim should be pressed down after each pull.

3. A small amount of clay is being brought up from the outside bottom. This gives the bowl its final height. The clay at the top of the rim will provide width for the bowl.

APRIL 1955 21

SHALLOW BOWLS, Continued

3 4

6 7

4. Now the clay wall is b r o u g h t ou tward , e x p a n d i n g the d i ame te r of the bowl f rom the excess clay left in the r im. T h e ex t ra clay at the base is u n t o u c h e d and will suppor t the r im as it is ex tended fur ther . T h e m a i n pressure comes f rom the inside hand , the outs ide h a n d ac t ing as suppor t .

5. T h e r im and the area jus t below it m u s t be given final shape now. Th i s sect ion canno t be tooled la ter because the clay keys, which will hold the pot to the wheel head for the t r imming , will be pressed aga ins t this area. T h e th rowing is now essentially over. T h e piece is a l lowed to st iffen before the ba t is taken f rom the wheel. W h e n firm e n o u g h to handle , it is cu t f rom the ba t and set in the d a m p box to reach tool ing consistency.

6. W h e n the d i ame te r of the bowl is larger t han the wheel head , an extens ion head m u s t be used. Th i s is easily m a d e by cu t t ing a large circle f rom masoni te , plywood, or a s imilar mater ia l . Here , a mason i te circle is laid on the wheel head which has been smeared wi th thick clay slip for good adherence•

- " ' / ' / , , ' 7 , , , " / ' " - - - - -

7. If the wheel well is too small to a c c o m m o d a t e the large circle, the ex tens ion head can get its c learance by be ing " l i f ted" out of the well wi th s tacked bats which are fas tened to the wheel and to each o the r wi th slip.

8. W h e n the slip has h a r d e n e d and the extens ion head is f i rmly fixed to the wheel head , concent r ic r ings are ma rked with penci l as an aid in cen te r ing the bowl.

5

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9. T h e l ea the r -ha rd bowl is now ready to be t r immed and have the foot r im cut. T h e thickness of the clay wall at the bo t t om is m e a s u r e d (this was demons t r a t ed in detail in the J a n u a r y article on cu t t ing the foot r im) . De t e rmin in g how m u c h clay m u s t be t r i m m e d f rom the walls is no t so simple. T h e best m e t h o d is to try to memorize the inside shape and learn, by run- n ing your fingers down the wall f rom the top, how m u c h clay will have to be r emoved f rom the sides. You can m a r k the outside wi th your fingernails to in- d icate jus t how far f rom the r im the tool ing m u s t be done.

10. T h e bowl is inver ted on the wheel head. T h e concentr ic rings are used as a guide and the piece is careful ly centered.

11. Clay keys are pressed all the way a round the r im so the bowl will be held f irmly in place.

12. T h e tool ing of the excms clay now begins. I t is well to be as close to the bowl as possible so t ha t you can have good suppor t and control. If your wheel doesn ' t have bui l t - ln a rm- rests, you can make one by set- t ing a board across the f rame- work as shown (for more on suppor t of this kind, see January , page 35; June , 1954, page 24) . 12

22 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Be par t icular ly careful tha t you don ' t cu t too m u c h clay off a t o n e t ime: it is easy to lose control and gouge the piece. Sp i ra l down f rom the top, con t i nu i ng this process unt i l the out - s ide shape seems well related to the inside one.

13. T h e foot r im is now cu t and the outs ide sur face f in ished with a sponge to erase the tool ing marks .

14. As far as you can tell f rom memory , the bowl has been tooled sufficiently. Bu t in case add i t iona l tool ing m a y be re- qu i red , remove the clay keys f rom one side only and very l ight ly m a r k the bowl at each side where the keys remain . You can now slide the pot out and exami ne it for we igh t and wall thickness. I f it does need more tooling, it can easily be s l ipped back into place exact ly as it was a n d recentered wi th a m i n i m u m

of effort.

As you can see from the foregoing, the shallow bowl incorporates most of the techniques we have already dis- cussed in previous articles. If you have mastered the throwing as well as the foot-r imming techniques, this new shape shouldn't give you too much trouble. After you have had more experience, and can work more quickly and with less water for lubrication, you will find that the amount of excess clay needed to support the flaring rim can be reduced and that larger diameter bowls are more easily accomplished. •

11

14

n e v e r d i m s u n d e r g l a z e

r s

: O ) 5

) 6 C L E A R G L A Z E

You can obtain remarkably fine results with

only a "lighter-than-ordinary" application of

Pemco's PA-3005.

Highly craze resistant--you can use it with

confidence on your finest ware. Use it over

any good clay body that matures at Cone

06 to 02.

If your dealer doesn't stock Pemco PA-3005

- -wr i te us for name of distributor in your

area. He can tell you where to get it in

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APRIL 1955 23

nderglaze ating :t

A D I N N E R S E T

FOR EATING

m ~ , , m . . O u l d o o r m | !

L i v i n g l i l l i m m l

OUT demonstrated by BEA MATNEY

y ou, too., can join the fun in the sun if your pr imary ceramic interest is decorating rather than forming.

If you are not interested in making a barbecue pit, you can come up with something to complement it; namely, a back yard dinner set. You can restrict the set to plates or you can include tumblers and salad bowls as Mrs. Matney has done here.

As we have mentioned in previous articles, the handling of underglazes is something you gradually develop a feel for: constant practice will help you judge the proper consistency for the best brush work. Somewhat more elusive is the designing of good decorations; this too, however, can come with practice.

The decorating project this month is really more of a design problem. Mrs. Matney wanted an outdoor motif which in itself is not a difficult thing to develop. But in this case, the decoration would have to lend itself to being applied on three very different shapes: it would have to fit the round, flat surface of a plate; the vertical, curved surface of a tumbler; and the horizontal, curved surface of a bowl. After dozens of sketches and trials, a free- shaped leaf was selected as being most suitable. And with the leaf, it was decided to use bands in a strong color to provide additional interest and also hold the decoration together.

Banding is one of the principal devices for the decor- ator, and it is unfor tunate that it is not used more frequently by the hobbyist. I t is a technique that is easily mastered yet one of the most effective. I t would be well at this point to refer back to the "Decorat ing Lesson" which appeared in the April 1954 issue of CM. In this lesson a very clear discussion is given on the subject of lines and bands and the spaces you create with them. There are also fine pointers on avoiding monotony by varying the line widths as well as the size of the spaces between the lines.

Let us proceed, now, to Mrs. Matney 's designing and decorating.

1. Although any one of an endless number of design ideas could have been developed, this part icular leaf was

1 2

selected because it is very flexible. Notice how easily it can be made to assume the roundness of the plate, and, without too much effort, can be altered to enhance the tumbler as well as the bowl.

The round leaf shape couldn' t very well fit the tumbler, yet with only a little alteration the leaf was given a vertical shape, so sized that three fit neatly on the one tumbler. By laying this shape on its side and squeezing it a little more the outside of the salad bowl is perked up. Without question this is the same leaf, yet it does have a different shape in each case. Accents and banding will be worked in later.

2. Demonstrat ing on the plate, Mrs. Matney shows how she uses a paper pattern so that each plate in the set will have the same size and shape motif. The pat tern is quickly traced around with a soft pencil. Of course the green ware has previously been cleaned with a damp sponge to remove all dust and fingerprints, and to provide a clean surface to receive the underglaze and glaze.

3. The leaf is filled in completely with underglaze, as large a brush as possible being used for the purpose. To give complete coverage, Mrs. Matney will paint on three coats.

4. Now for the banding. This technique can give you hours of enjoyment which is fortunate, indeed, because you should practice banding until you can do it with your eyes closed. You will then feel confident enough to use it more frequently.

The procedure is simple. The plate is set on a banding wheel. The left hand spins the wheel rather slowly but at a steady pace. The right hand, well braced, holds the brush in one position and as the plate turns beneath it, a smooth-line circle automatically appears!

The armrest, of course, is of extreme importance. Here a tall jar is used; but any firm object of the proper height would do as wel l - -a stack of books, a mold, a small box- - jus t so it is firm and will support the hand at a comfortable height.

The brush should be one that holds a large quantity

3

24 CERAMICS MONTHLY

of underglaze and at the same time comes to a fine point. Very light pressure gives you a fine line; added pressure spreads the brush, and, at the same time, thickens the line.

You can go over the band as many times as you like. When the brush runs dry, refill it and go over the same line again, if needed, making sure of course that the tip of the brush is in exactly the right spot for touching down on the rotating plate.

Remember, all this time the fingers of the left hand are slowly turning the banding wheel at a constant rate.

5. Bands are completed and accents are painted in with a free brush stroke. The set is to be once-fired, so clear glaze is brushed on as soon as the underglaze is dry and then, into the kiln.

Banding of the tumbler is done in exactly the same way as the shallow plate. I f the low support puts your right hand in an awkward position, elevate it. In fact, you can change the height of the a rm support for each of the bands if you find it more comfortable. In any case, the tumbler stands on the banding wheel to receive its lines in the same manner as the plate was treated.

For inside bands like those used on the bowl, the brush doesn't touch down right near the support as it did on the plate. Instead, you reach across to the far side where you touch the brush down and hold it steady while the bowl turns and receives its band.

Try some outdoor motifs of your own and be sure to practice thick and thin lines on the banding wheel. I f you master this technique, you will find that a whole new world of decoration is open to you. *

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Perfect for Use in Schools i~::~i~::~::~!~: a Reaches Enameling Temperatures quickly ~!~!~ :~:!:!:~:~:~: • Sturdy, Simple Construction !~i~i~i~i~!~i a Low-cost, Trouble-free Operation :':':':':':': : : : : : : : : : : : : :

. : . : . : . :~: . : .

F R E E T E X T . : . : . : . : . : . : , : : : : : : : : : : : : : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ° . . . ON ~:~:~:~:~:~:! . : . : . : . : . : . : .

ENAMELING! ::::::::::::: ~:~:!:!:~:~:~ . : . : . : . : . : . : .

by Thomas E. Thompson. !~!i~i : . : . : . : . : . : . :

Send for your copy o| !:~i~i~ this 40 page illustrated ~::~::~::~i~::~i~ text on metal enameling. ~:~:~:~:~:~:~ Techniques--tools equip- ~!~:~

, : , : , : - : . : . : . merit m types of enamel- " ...... ing--firing--finishes, etc. ::i::i::i::i::i::i:: - .- . - . . . . . - . .

NEW SILVER PLATED METAL ::::::::::::::::::::: " No Pre-clean;ng Necessary ii::i::i::iii!i!i • No Formation of Oxide Scale When Fired i~!~!~!~i • Costs Little More Than Copper ::i::iiiiiiiiiil

Wr i te Dept. CM For Complete Information ~!~!!i~!!!; : : : : : : : : : : : : : . :~:~:!:~:~:~:~

Thomas C.Thompson Co.] 1539 Deerfield Road" Highland Pork,!ll. . J

APRIL 1955 25

¢ briefs

slab-built planters

This t ime of y e a r everybody is t h i n k i n g of f ixing up h is yard . W h e t h e r the yard is a g r e a t ga r den , a p a t c h of pa t io or a c i ty fire escape, ce ramic p l a n t e r s filled w i th g r o w i n g t h i n g s wil l go a long w a y in the ou tdoor scene. A n d fo r ease of c o n s t r u c t i o n as well as v a r i e t y in use, i t ' s h a r d to bea t the f la t -bot tomed, s l ab -bu i l t t ype of p l a n t e r .

I t is composed of five p a r t s - - b a s e and side w a l l s - - cu t f r o m a s lab of clay. The s ides a r e cu t on a s l a n t out- w a r d so the c o n t a i n e r will f lare p leas ing ly . The p a r t s a re jo ined by the u sua l process of r o u g h e n i n g (w i th model ing tool ) , m o i s t e n i n g (wi th th ick slip or w a t e r ) , and ca r e fu l w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r (w i th f ingers or too l ) .

Once cons t ruc ted , the p l a n t e r can be f inished accord- i n g to f a n c y - - t e x t u r e d i f you like a n d le f t ung l azed ; decora ted w i th unde r g l aze s and covered overa l l w i th t r a n s - p a r e n t g laze; or s imply glazed. T h e r e is this , however , to

be cons idered : p l a n t i n g s do be t t e r when i - - ~ J - O u | d o o r ~ ~ l l t . I t l ~ l L

the c o n t a i n e r ' s i n t e r i o r is ung lazed so LIv ,ng ~ ' ' " R i m m

the clay can r e t a i n mois ture , r e .w , The specia l v i r t u e of th i s f la t - type p l a n t e r is t h a t

i t can be used a lmos t a n y w h e r e e i t he r to a c c e n t or to s u p p l e m e n t ou tdoor se t t ings (or i ndoor ) . I t c a n be s i m p l y set on the t e r r a c e or window sill, or i n c o r p o r a t e d in pe r - m a n e n t p l a n t i n g s . I t is p a r t i c u l a r l y effect ive on a g a r d e n wall , as a k ind of space -b reake r keep ing t h e g a r d e n f r o m seeming to end too ab rup t ly . And i t ' s p o r t a b l e ; you can move i t a cco rd ing to the s e a s o n - - a n d , come to t h i n k of it, t he sum--Suggested by Jack Menlo, St. Louis, Mo.

Outdoor cand leho lders w i t h b u i l t - in w i n d b r e a k e r s a re

cannleholn-'rou. , . . u , ~ ~ o r d i n a r i l y h a r d to come by. B u t I have found t hey can

rom be m a d e w i t h the g r e a t e s t of ease f r o m s l ip -cas t ware . Whi le i t is s t i l l in the p las t ic

" reen w a r e s ta te , a cas t piece can be r eworked or a l t e r ed in a

v a r i e t y of ways. I t can be cut , pierced, bent , squeezed. Any shape is su i t ab le fo r the pu r pos e i f i t a l lows fo r

a n open ing to le t the c and l e l i gh t ou t and a wal l to shield i t f r o m the breezes. The c a s t i n g can be cu t as long as t he re is enough mo i s tu r e in i t to p r e v e n t c rumbl ing . I t should, however , be qui te p l iable t h o u g h firm, i f you w a n t to do a p ierced decora t ion t h a t involves i n t r i c a t e cu t t ing . A n d if the bas ic s h a p e is to be a l t e r ed by b e n d i n g or squeezing, the c a s t i n g should be r emoved f r o m the mold a

l i t t le ea r l i e r t h a n u sua l so t h a t i t will yield easily to pressure .

In the candle holder examples shown, s t anda rd cast shapes were u s e d - - a t u m b l e r and a l amp base. The oper- a t ion was p e r f o r m e d ( l e f t ) , w h e n the cast piece was n e a r l y l e a t h e r ha rd . T r i m m i n g s ( in the fo reground) were pu t to good use as a u x i l i a r y i tems, and fas tened to the bases w i th the c a s t i n g slip. In g lazing, l ight colors were used fo r the i n t e r i o r s so t h a t as m u c h candle l ight as possible would be ref lected.

Look over you r g r e e n wa re or molds and you will dis- cover all so r t s of possibi l i t ies . W h e n i t comes to wielding the c u t t i n g kn i fe and to decora t ing , give your imagina- t ion f ree play. L i g h t up the outdoor scene at n igh t f rom you r own ind iv idua l ly des igned candleholders.--Suggested by Clarine Hirsch, Baltimore, Md.

28 CERAMICS MONTHLY

¢mbriefs

warping cracking

and grog

m e r e l y to give a d i f ferent

" G r o g is a fired clay or body t h a t h a s been c rushed in to smal l pieces. U s u a l l y i t is sc reened so t h a t the p a r t - icles a r e all of c o m p a r a b l e size."

You m a y have h e a r d t h a t de f in i t i on m a n y t imes and s t i l l w o n d e r how and w h y g rog is used. Is i t s f unc t i on

t e x t u r e or color to the clay? These r e su l t s come f rom the use of g r o g ; usua l ly , however , t h i s is no t the ma in purpose . Grog is mos t o f t en used to help p r e v e n t w a r p i n g and c r a c k i n g d u r i n g d r y i n g and fir- i ng of a c lay piece.

W h e n clay dries, i t sh r inks . W h e n clay is fired, i t sh r inks . I f one sect ion of a piece is a l lowed to d r y or fire more quickly t h a n ano the r , i t will s h r i n k a t a d i f f e ren t r a t e t h a n the r e s t of the piece and w a r p i n g or c r a c k i n g can resul t .

C r a c k i n g can occur also in a n o t h e r way. W h e n a ma- t e r ia l dr ies , i t means t h a t w a t e r is l e av i ng it. W h e n clay dr ies , t he w a t e r leaves the c lay body t h r o u g h m i n u t e chan- nels ( cap i l l a r i e s ) . These c h a n n e l s a re e x t r e m e l y smal l and the w a t e r m u s t f ight i ts w ay to the s u r f a c e a t a slow pace. The more p las t i c the c lay or c lay body, the t i g h t e r i t is ; t h a t is, t he cap i l l a r ies a re sma l l e r and f e w e r in n u m b e r and, for th i s reason, i t is more diff icul t f o r w a t e r to ge t out.

I f you t r y to d ry a c lay piece quickly, e i t h e r in a wa rm, d ry room or a hot d rye r , t he w a t e r m a y t r y to ge t out f a s t e r t h a n the t i ny c h a n n e l s wil l allow. W h a t can happen , as a consequence, is t h i s : t he wa te r , wh ich is now vapor ( s t e a m ) , can make i t s own channe l ! I t can b u r s t t h r o u g h the t i n y clay wal ls a n d make i ts own p a t h to the su r face of the piece. Ac tua l l y you m i g h t s ay a head of s t eam bui lds up inside the c lay wal l and, i f t he s t e a m pressure becomes g r e a t enough, the wal l can b u r s t in the same m a n n e r a s t e a m boi ler or p res su re -cooker explodes.

You can encoun te r a s i m i l a r difficulty in the kiln. Even t h o u g h a clay piece is t h o r o u g h l y d r y before i t goes into the kiln, i t st i l l con ta ins chemical w a t e r wh ich i t g ives off a t dul l - red heat . O the r gases in add i t ion to the w a t e r vapor a re g iven off by the w a r e and these m u s t work t h e i r way to the su r face t h r o u g h the same t i ny capi l la r ies . I f the ware is t a k e n t h r o u g h t h i s low t e m p e r a t u r e r a n g e too quickly, you r u n into the same difficulty: v a p o r s f o r m quicker t h a n they can escape, and t hey c r e a t e t h e i r own escape passages .

Where does g rog come in? I t s f u n c t i o n is to help al- leviate the p rob lems men t ioned above, and i t accompl ishes th is in two w a y s : i t p roduces a more open s t r u c t u r e in the clay body and it reduces s h r i n k a g e .

This comes abou t because grog, be ing a l r e a d y fired, has no s h r i n k a g e of i ts own; and because g rog h a s such a large size as compared w i t h the microscopic size of the individual clay par t ic les . W h e n g rog is added to a clay body, t he re need be no d r y i n g or f i r ing c r a c k i n g even though the wal ls a re qui te th ick because the g rog p a r t i - cles will produce more t h a n sufficient l a rge c h a n n e l s fo r the escape of v a p o r s and gases.

In use, one t h i r d g rog is u sua l ly added to the clay which is wedged un t i l the g r o g is even ly d i s t r i b u t e d th roughout . You can add as m u c h as one h a l f g r o g or more; because of the add i t ion of th i s non -p l a s t i c m a t e r i a l , however, t he c lay will become less plas t ic , and consequen t ly more and more difficult to work wi th .

Grog is v e r y inexpens ive to buy and mos t c e r a m i s t s purchase i t a l t h o u g h you can make your own: rol l ou t a very t h i n s lab of clay, a l low i t to dry, c r u s h i t u n d e r a roll ing pin, screen it, pu t i t in a bisque c o n t a i n e r and fire i t - - and t he r e ' s your g r o g . - - C M S ta f f .

TEACHERS More for Your Budget D o l l a r

When your students want "different" glazes, give

them Ward 's Dry Glazes, either ground or un-

ground. Make up what you wantmsave the rest

for later.

S. PAUL WARD, INC. 601 MISSION STREET

SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

Tels: SYcamore 9-2131 - - PYramid !-2552

O| course we have a full llne of liquid glazes, too.

Attent" x ,N / o n OWNERS!

// ! COMPLETE KITS FOR ENAMELING... TILE PAINTING... BY MAIL ORDER!

J| ENAMELING KIT. Everything but the ~ ~ II Copper shapes--tools--glazes-- II instructions. Designed to get you go- ~ . = = ~ " ~ i ingat,owcost. O,OE, gYcouPoN. II . . . = n o =,.Coota,ns t,,e. J| patterns, underglazes, brushes and ~ 1 ~ - - ~ [ . ~ II instructions. ORDER BYCOUPON. ~

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I Also following free literature: j Stainless Steel Trivets [ ] Ceramic Supplies [ ] Enameling Supplies [ ] I Your Name I

I Street Address N

City & State | I

APRIL 1955 27

"¢ brxefs

JUST PLUG IN THIS A',M--,.u . ~ . a,,-. Think of i t ! You save time, trouble and money O N L Y when yo~ te~t you~ g'az",. Now you can ex- $ 1 9 9 5 periment with new glaze effects and glaze your biscuit ware the same day. Excellent for small pieces or jewelry. FOB New York

Note these specifications: Kanthal AI Element--Babcock- Wilcox Fire Brick--Interior size 6 x 6 x 4V~ in. 12 Amperes.

Send check or money order to Dealer inquiries invited

UNITED ARTIST MATERIALS CO. ARTISTS, DRAFTING AND DISPLAY PRODUCTS

3 2 WEST 5 3 r d ST., N E W Y O R K 19, N. Y.

We're Having Triplets This Month with our new Triple Triangle Set. A handsome threesome. Modern functional design, the utmost in utility. Built-ln cigarette box com- bines an ashtray for greater convenience; will take a full pack of King-slze cigarettes too! Together or separately these designs complement each other when used to grace your room.

T o p - - 4~z368 - - 5 lbs. Small Triangle

Ash Tray S n x 6" P r i c e $4 .00

Lel% - - ;~:367 - - 8 lbs. Triangle Ash Tray

1 °'_ x 61~ "= P r i c e $4.50

R i g h t @369 8~ lbs. Triangle Ash Tray

With Box 81/.._, " x 9~"

P r i c e $6.50

ASK ABOUT our Jobber and Distrlbu+or Plans . . . . v ~

i n l m l t

b u i l d a

b r a z i e r

H a v e you ever t h o u g h t of m a k i n g a cha rcoa l b raz ie r of c lay? A b raz i e r of you r own ind iv idua l des ign t h a t will be d i f fe ren t f r o m any- one else 's ye t do the job i t ' s supposed to do? I t can

be d o n e - - e v e n if you r ki ln is only a modes t - s ized one!

The b raz i e r shown below (two v iews) is a Mexican vers ion , a bou t two fee t h igh and a foot a nd a h a l f across . A s you can see, it doesn ' t r equ i re a s t a n d or a n y o ther a u x i l i a r y equ ipmen t . I t is complete w i t h i n i tself , and so c o n s t r u c t e d as to p r e v e n t s co rch ing the lawn.

W h e n i t is in use, a me t a l gr i l l s t r a d d l e s the top sec- t ion w h ic h holds the charcoal . The a s h e s drop t h r o u g h the holes to the middle sect ion which h a s a n open ing p rov id ing fo r ve n t i l a t i on a nd r emova l of the ashes . The collar a t the bo t tom i sn ' t abso lu t e ly n e c e s s a r y bu t it g ives the b raz ie r a lift as well a s a secure base.

You can m a k e your braz ie r eas i ly if you do it in th ree p a r t s - - t o p bowl, middle bowl and base (see ske tch above) . The se can be worked toge the r while p las t ic to f o rm a one- piece un i t , t h e n dr ied and fired. B u t you r kiln m a y be too sma l l (as is o f t en the case) to hold so big an object. D on ' t let t h a t s top you. Not only ma ke the braz ier in p a r t s bu t fire it in parts, a nd s imp ly nes t the sections, one on top of the other , for use. Th i s is a h a n d y fo rm for s to rage , too.

You would be wise, in b raz i e r bui ld ing , to use g rogged clay (see pa ge 27 fo r i n f o r m a t i o n on g rog) because it is less l ikely to c rack f r o m h e a t shock w h e n in use.

I t ' s up to you, of course, to work out your own des ign a n d here you can go as f a r as you wish as long as you keep in m i n d the f u n c t i o n a l r e q u i r e m e n t s of the brazier . Make i t m o d e r n or convent iona l ; decora te and glaze it as you see fit . B u t be su r e i t ' s b ig e n o u g h to hold man-s ized s t e a k s ! S t a r t now so you' l l be able to chr i s t en your cre- a t ion a t the f i rs t cookout of the summer.--Peg Townsend, Tucson, Ariz.

28 CERAMICS MONTHLY

answe.rSn O quest o

CONDUCTED BY KE N SMITH

~. Can you give some hints on proper packing procedures /or sending fragile pottery through the mail?

A. A s turdy outside con ta ine r and p len ty of soft material i n s ide - - i s abou t the best advice we can give by remote control . I believe your best bet would be to go to a professional packer or a local m u s e u m in your area for advice. T h e r e are as m a n y ways to pack as there are people : I 've even hea rd of us ing popcorn for packing fragile i tems.

~ . I have not been able to stain a crackle-glaze piece suc- cessfully. Do you rub in the color while the piece is still warm or is there some other special trick involved?

A. T h e color can be appl ied to e i ther a w a r m or cold piece. You m a y have a little difficulty if your glaze forms very fine crackle lines. In such cases, I have hea rd of boi l ing the ware in a dye to help the dye penet ra te .

Q. What kind o[ iron, and in what proportion, should be added to a glaze to produce a fairly strong color?

A. I would suggest you s ta r t wi th about 2% red iron oxide by weight and increase it g radua l ly if g rea te r color in- tensi ty is desired.

~ . Why is it sometimes difficult to brush glaze on a piece, the brush sticking or clinging to the piece rather than [lowing over the surface smoothly?

A. Th i s is an indica t ion tha t the ware is so h igh ly ab- sorbent it is d rawing all the glaze f rom the b rush and dry ing it a lmost ins tan taneous ly with the resul t t ha t the b rush sticks.

For smooth b rush work, you will have to add some agen t to the glaze; the commerc ia l synthet ic g u m s sold u n d e r a var ie ty of t rade names are excellent. Small addi t ions of K a r o Syrup work nicely, too. You can cu t down the absorbency of a bisque piece (which will help somewha t ) by quickly d ipp ing the piece in water, shaking off the excess and then apply ing the glaze.

~ . I have tried marking my ware with a rubber stamp pressed on a pad saturated with underglaze. I have difficulty with the rubber stamp clogging up. Is a special kit needed?

A. An ord inary s t amp pad can be sa tu ra t ed with a dark liquid underglaze color and used with a rubber s tamp. T h e color should be prepared color and f inely g round wi th some organic med ium such as g u m or possibly glycerine. If the s t amp becomes clogged, it should be washed or c leaned occasionally, and cer- tainly not left unc l eaned overn igh t nor for any l eng th of t ime.

C~. To remove [irescale, some o[ my friends have been dipping the hot enameled piece into water with apparent success. Is this a safe procedure?

A. This is all r ight . You can even d u n k the ho t piece directly into a weak acid solution, which would be even more effective for r emoving firescale. Be certain, however , t ha t you are using acid resis tant enamels . A good enamel , if correct ly appl ied and fired, will no t chip off because of this dunking .

Questions of general interest are selected, out of the many re- ceived, for answer in this column. All other subscriber inquiries, however, are given individual attention. Direct yours to the Questions Editor, enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

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APRIL 1955 29

BUY A QUALITY PRODUCT

ModJ Jd& I TOP OR FRONT LOADING

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770 N. Ma in St., Akron, O .

"Decorat ion Des igns for China and Glass" by Z e n a S. Hois t

Over 200 b e a u t i f u l des igns of f l~wers, f r u i t s , birds, bu t te r f l ies , e tc . for china pa int ing , lus ters , enamel s , r a i s e d pas te . A marve lous va lue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . only $5.00 postpaid

Capital Ceramics 1151 S. STATE S T . , S A L T L A K E C ITY , U T A H

Custom-made ceramic watermount decals from your photos same size as decal. Up to 36 sq. in., any proportion. Min- imum: 6 decals, $7. Over 6, same picture, 35c each. Black or sepia. Maurice Beam, Box 335, Seal Beach, Calif.

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Slip, clay, g lazes , k i ln s , wheels , books, 4 tools, etc. Duncan, 's E -Z flow brush on

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p 7 Elm Street, Oneonta, N.Y.

IMPORTED WHITE CHINA Send 25c for catalog

Deduct ib le f r o m first order Maryland China Company

1436 N. Gay St., Baltimore 13, Md.

' ~ f Designs bv Eve

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k~ V" • IW/ Route 8, Box 532D Jacksonville, Fla.

Pierce Ciga-Rest Cutter N o w you can notch your g r e e n w a r e to m a k e a s h t r a y s wi th ease a n d speed - - J u s t a fl ick of the f inge r as you re - nlove c a s t i n g from mold a n d you have a pe r f ec t notch. Our own produc t ion tool now a v a i l a b l e to the Hobbyis t . Only $1.95 ppd. Add 3% Sales T a x

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Enamel Mosaic (Begins on Page 16)

filed off. When polished, Sculp-Metal looks something like a luminum in color. And when properly applied to metal, it adheres forever and a day. This material, I decided, would be right for the base and could be used also as the adhesive.

Fortified with this new marvel of modern inventiveness, I settled down to my first mosaic (see photo, page 16). The result, after careful planning, was just what I had expected; and I shall now try to relate the way I got what I w a n t e d - - n o t because it is the only way, but because it works fine and might be an idea for other enamelists.

First, I made a small and not too technical sketch. I enlarged the sketch to size, outlining the design with brush and ink and also painting in some values. (I was perfectly sure of my color scheme; if one is not, I would advise finishing the enlarged sketch in full color). Next, on tracing paper, I traced the design most carefully in sharp lines until every par t was out- lined clearly (detail page 16). (That ' s your working sketch-- i f you want your segments to fit and interlock without making you suffer too much, better do a good job of it. And hang on to it for you'll need it to the end.) My final sketch was 48" by 18".

The Sculp-Metal panel, or base, came next. I stretched wire screening, the kind used for window screens, over a wood frame made according to the measurements of my sketch. The screen was stretched tight as a drum across the frame and down over the

J

To make the base or backing, window screening was stretched over wood frame, and covered with Sculp-Metal which hardens to leadlike substance. At right, sketch of finished mosaic shows enameled strips at sides which eliminated need for picture framing.

underside so that the wood on the re- verse side of the panel would be covered. Corners were made very sharp for good resuhs, and the screening was stapled in place (sketches, above). Then I transferred part of iny Sculp-Metal to another container

and mixed it with thinner until it was like soft dough. Using a spatula, I covered the wire screening with the mixture. Each stroke on top was fol- lowed by a corresponding stroke on the underside of the panel to prevent the paste f rom being forced through the tiny holes of the screen as dough is squeezed through a sieve to em- bellish soup. Now I had a strong, light-weight panel on which the enameled pieces would be at tached.

Next, each segment of the design was traced, with carbon paper, f rom the final sketch and transferred to copper which was then cut and domed slightly by hammering. (A domed piece will never look like simulated tile!) Each finished par t was placed right away on the spot where it belonged in the master sketch which was spread out on a convenient table. I f you fall to place each segment at once, you have endless trouble finding it. And where the pieces were of about equal size, like the ones on the drapes of my mosaic, I scratched a code (numbers, letters of the alphabet or such) into the back of each piece and marked the corresponding spot on the sketch with the same identifying sign.

Because segments often stretch in the hammering-out process, each one was examined for size by comparing it with the outline on the sketch. If a segment had become too large, it was cut down to size right away.

With the whole sketch laid out in metal segments, you are ready for enameling. Here is where the mosaic technique has great advantages over making a one-piece enamel picture. First, if something goes wrong only a small part of the whole is involved and can be replaced easily, while you spoil your whole picture if something goes wrong with just one corner in the one-piece process. Second, you can achieve a much greater variety of effects. Some parts can be opaque; some can be transparent on white, on copper directly, or over flux, some on silver. In my mosaic, for example, the only transparent color over hammered copper is the sun- - to give it a unique appearance. The drapes are trans- parents on white, and some opaques, to give an impression of a sort of changing light. Sky and clouds are transparent on white because that is the way I get the most brilliant colors (by brilliant, I mean somewhat lum- inous, even if gray is used). The orna- mented rug is in opaque colors which come nearest to the wooly texture of a Persian ring.

I enameled one piece at a t ime-- removed a segment from the sketch, pickled it in diluted sulphm'ic acid, washed it under running water and


30 CERAMICS MONTHLY

~ ~ The Plaster Series by Dorothy Perkins

models and molds

PIN TEMPLATE METHOD PART 1. THE TEMPLATE

This series was introduced with the author's explanation of why she believes that cast ware can be as creative in form as pottery made by any other method (CM, February). Now she begins her step-by-step instructions on forming models for molds. These and related information on casting ware are to be presented regularly on the installment plan, as space permits. When the series has been completed, the reader will have acquired the most detailed and authoritative information available on the subject. Mrs. Per- kins starts with the pin template method of forming soft plaster into a model for a bowl.--Ed.

The mechanics of making a mold model by the pin template method are set forth here but it must be realized that the method is only a means to the end. Forms are limited in a very broad sense only. The possibilities within the limitations are many. What may happen to the form, through choice of casting body, subsequent form alterations, treatments and glazes, provides the craftsman with so many possibilities that a lifetime could not encompass all l

The pin template provides one way of making models for round forms which can be drain cast in one-piece molds. The forms include cups, vases and bowls in which the largest diameter is at the lip. (Very shallow bowls or plates, however, are better produced by the solid-cast method. Models for this latter type will be dis- cussed in subsequent issues.)

The inside line of a drain-cast form will be a duplication of the outside line. Thus a form with a partial foot (as the one to be made here) or a full foot (also possible with a pin template) will have a depression on the inside bottom corresponding to the foot on the outside. The only way to avoid a hard line within a drain-cast shape is to design the form so that there is no quick transition between bottom and side wall. (With solid casting, inside and outside contours may differ.)

Although there are various ways in which you could go about construct- ing a pin template set-up, the way to be shown here has proven very saris-

factory. We begin with making the template and mounting it in position for forming a bowl model from soft plaster.

METAL TEMPLATE: I t may be cut from an opened, flattened tin can, and should be refined with small files and steel wool or emery paper. ~ " is

cut from the edge of the template which will touch the pin (left edge in photo). If this is not done, the diameter of the bowl will be increased by the thickness of the pin.

MOUNTED TEMPLATE, P IN AND

SLED: A backing for the template is cut from ~ " plywood. The metal template is fastened to it, with ~ " (:¢~:2) tacks, so that the cutting edge projects ~ " out over the wood. Metal

and wood are flush at the bottom. The pin is formed by grinding, filing or lathing down the shaft or head of a carriage, stove or machine bolt. Such bolts may be purchased in various lengths and diameters: ~ " diameter works well. The metal pin guide (center foreground in photo) may be made from a piece of tin or light- weight metal. I t is fastened with

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• I" What is coin liquid gold? A n d what is the jeweler's rouge that comes with it used [or?

I t is a burnish gold in liquid form. Polish with the jeweler's rouge by dipping into the powder with a damp cloth. The coin liquid gold has a bright sheen when polished.

• 1~ Several questions about the stacking o[ plates on edges have come to me.

A new stacking rack that can be used for either plates or tiles is on the market. I t is much more convenient than the use of stilts between the edges, and much safer. I t also con- serves space. Porcelain plates should be placed on edge in the kiln when- ever possible: this prevents much of the breakage that occurs during the china decoration firing. A recent sur- vey among teachers at a seminar in- dicated that ceramists using art body plates have more success and less cracking when the plates are fired on edge.

4' Are mat colors used the same as other mineral colors in china painting?

There are limited uses for mat colors. They are not translucent like the regular mineral colors, but the rules for preparat ion are the same and you use the same vehicles for painting. Mat colors are used for contrast bands, as backgrounds for metal designs, and in combination with enamels for elaborate decorative designs. A "gouache" painting is a special technique with mat colors.

I have been told that I should rub plates with emery paper a[ter each firing and be[ore painting. W h y is this necessary?

If china is properly fired to the correct finishing temperature, it will not be rough or need smoothing: this is an indication of underfiring.

4' Do you advise using turpentine for so[tening paste metals?

Turpentine is all right if you always use the metal in pure form. Often, however, it is desirable to mix a liquid metal with paste for basic coatings, and turpentine is an enemy to liquid metals. I soften the paste with oil of lavender which is a much better ve- hicle for all metals and is not a handi- cap to intermixing various kinds. The oil also makes for smoother application. Use denatured alcohol for clean- ing.

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32 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Enamel Mosaic (Continued [rom Page 30)

enameled it according to my color plan. (I don ' t believe in firing in batches except for basic coats or something not too important. The opaque gray on the floorboards of my mosaic, for example, is so sensitive that if you had more than one piece in the kiln and the heat was not evenly distributed, the segments would come out a different color; or the one on the hotter spot would turn transparent while the other would not be quite done. I want my colors just so.) I n counterenameling the backs of the segments, I left the edges bare for the adhesive to cling to; coded areas were also left bare. As soon as each piece was fired, it was set back in place on the sketch. When all were finished, I congratulated mysel f - -and started assembling the mosaic.

Sculp-Metal makes a very good adhesive. If any of it shows in between the individual pieces of enamel, it can be polished to a silvery metal tone, an effect I like better than the cements which are ordinarily used. I mixed the Sculp-Metal, this time, to the consistency of poster color. With a stiff brush, I painted a not-too-thin layer ( ~ " ) of it on the left upper corner of the prepared base, an area just large enough to hold the segment that belonged there. Then I painted a layer along the edge of the back of the segment and pressed it firmly to its exact spot on the panel. (You have to act quickly, because the paste sets so fast.) I went on in this fash ion- - piece next to p i e c e - - t h e picture spreading from one spot and growing like a knitting or a tapestry until finished. (You can' t try to apply one segment here, one there, all over the place; and you can ' t start f rom the center. The slightest deviation of only one piece can bring the whole thing out of control.)

Whether or not an enamel picture should be framed is open to question. In the case of my mosaic, I covered the sides of the panel with strips of enameled copper (see sketch, page 30) making framing unnecessary.

The mosaic technique I used need not be confined to murals or pictures. It can be used for other objects, such as large box tops, that won ' t fit as one piece in your kiln. The technique lends itself to table tops, and big trays that are not too curved; but if such pieces are very large, I would suggest your attaching a layer of wire screening to the wood or metal base before applying the Sculp-Metal.

Making en enamel mosaic is quite a project but, as I found out, it is also quite a rewarding experience. •

Models and Molds (Begins on Page 31)

screws to the end of the sled arm (in background) . The opening for the pin should be a close fit. I t is very important that the center of the opening be ~ 'P from the sled a rm if ¼ " plywood is used for template backing: otherwise the metal template will not be in line with the center of the pin. The sled itself may be constructed of plywood or pine.

I t will be noticed that the metal template includes two steps at the bottom. These are not part of the bowl design. The lower step forms a cottle ledge around which the cottle will subsequently be set, preparatory to pouring plaster for the mold. The second step, with the inward slant, forms a t r imming ledge in the mold. This ledge performs two services: it makes a reservoir for slip so that the mold does not have to be filled more than once, and it provides a ledge a- round which the t r imming knife can be run.

BASEBOARD AND SLED ASSEMBLED: The baseboard is made of ~ " plywood; this one is 18" square but size

is optional. A nut is countersunk at the center on the underside of the board; and that nut, with a washer and nut above the board, locks the pin in position.

TEMPLATE M O U N T E D ON SLED : The metal template, with its plywood backing, is held to the sled with

C clamps. I t could be nailed to the sled but clamps are easier.

To be continued next month.

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people , places & t h i n g s MEET OUR AUTHORS: ..Artist, ceramist, author, traveler, lecturer, school teacher--John Kenny is one of those rarities, a New Yorker who was actually born in New York City. He began life at the turn of the century on the west side of Central Park. Now he lives on the east side. But the trip across town was not a short one.

He loves traveling which is a good thlng :=- "e's had D!e-ty of it. At the age of three

Mr. and Mrs. John Kenny

he went with his parents to live in France, forgot English, spoke French; at four went to Germany, forgot French, spoke German; at five to Holland, forgot . . . oh well, he returned home in time to go to college (C.C.N.Y.) but before he could graduate World War I Broke out and he was back in Europe again, this time as a soldier.

After the war he came back, earned his degree and settled down as a teacher of art in New York City's high schools. But wander- lust is hard to cure; it wasn't long before he took a year off and crossed the ocean again to do some painting, study at the Grande Chaumiere in Paris, and go an a walking trip from one end of France to the other.

Back in the United States once more he went to Alfred University, earned his master's degree in ceramic art, and another year off, this time to tour his own country and part of Mexico (28,000 miles).

Then he wrote a book on ceramics, "The Complete Book of Pottery Making" (adv.): and another, "Ceramic Sculpture" (adv.);and as a result achieved what he calls [with tongue in cheek?] the crowning success of his career--appointment as advisory editor of CERAMICS MONTHLY. For the past thirteen years he's been principal of the New York High School of Industrial Art.

Mrs. Kenny, the former Charlotte Young, is a fashion artist and illustrator, author of a number of books on fashion drawing. She helps her husband with his articles, poses for some of the photos he takes and corrects his spelling. Together, they plan soon to publish a book on art education (another adv.!).

SHOP OF THEIR OWN is what Denver (Colo.) potters, Jane and Ed Oshler, now have. It's called "New Dimensions," and car- des work of other craftsmen as well as their own stoneware and enamels. The Oshiers are the couple who aided and abetted the H.M. Swartwoods in developing natural ore glazes at Central City, Colo., (CM, Jan. 19S4). Ed teaches hobby classes in public schools; Jane operates the shop. Their ceramics were dis- played in the last Ceramic National.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY: The members' annual exhibition beginnlng April S marks the New York Society of Craftsmen's half century of activity in behalf of the hand arts. Made up of bookbinders, ceramists, enamelists, leather and metal workers, weavers and others, the organization has played a leading role ;n brlnging hand crafts to the fore in the metropolitan area. Members helped, for example, to set up the well-known Y.W.C.A. Craft Student's League, and to establish arts and skills programs in mitltary hospitals during World War II. Professional membership (other categories include non-professional and supporting) depends on craftsmanship; the prospect must be able to produce three or more pieces of work which meet the standards of a special iury.

MAN OF CERAMIC AFFAIRS: Stirring up interest in an organization of Michigan craftsmen, and showing the role of arts and crafts in Michigan life--these are the two activities currently occupying G. Lawrence Jelf, Lincoln Park ceramist-teacher. In the near future, the idea of organizing on a state-wide basis is to be presented by letter to craftsmen throughout Michigan, according to Jell. Such a group would be concerned with standards and marketing of ware, as are similar organ. izations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and elsewhere. (If interested, write Jell at 2163 Champaign, Lincoln Park.) The ceramist is also helping to plan the cultural side of the Michigan Week celebration scheduled for May S-12; on that occasion, arts and crafts are expected to be featured among the

state's attractions. The 22-member planning committee, headed by President Harlan Hatcher of the University of Michigan, includes the men shown in the photo: Lee A. White of Cranbroak Institutions (left), Wil- llam E. Stlrton, vice-president of Wayne Uni- versity (center), and Jell.

34- CERAMICS MONTHLY

Enamel Pointers by JEAN O'HARA

KILN TEMPERATURES

I wonder if the inexperienced enamelist is concerned enough about hitting the exact temperature called for in a particular firing? When I want to fire at 1200°F., in my own large enameling kiln, for example, I have to get the temperature up 200- 300 ° higher than that because 1) heat will be lost when I open the door, and 2) as the cold piece warms up it will absorb enough heat to lower the temperature somewhat. Often, the beginner does not make allowance for such heat losses. Let's say he wants to fire at 1200°F., and takes the kiln up to just that temperature, then opens the door and puts the piece in. He will have an inside kiln temperature closer to 900°F., the heat loss depending on the size of the kiln and the piece, how long it took him to maneuver it in the kiln, and even on the number of other cold elements (such as stilts and trivets) introduced. People can be pretty casual about temperature, both high and low; they figure that 100 ° in either direction is immaterial but frequently this is not the case. You can make a lot of trouble for yourself by firing either too high or too low.

LUSTER FIRINGS

The trial-and-error method that we call experimenting is the way to learn how liquid metallic luster will behave - - a s suggested earlier in this department [CM January]. Sometimes, the novice complains that during the luster firing (at low temperature, of course), the enamel coat cracked. When you put any piece of enamel, meaning metal with a coat of enamel already fired on it, in the kiln, the enamel coat will crack open as the copper expands with heat. This hap- pens at higher temperatures, too, when liquid metal is not involved. I t accounts for the familiar cracking noise you hear after a piece is placed in the kiln. The piece must be left in the kiln until the enamel melts completely and heals the cracks.

This general rule applies when liquid metal is being fired; sometimes, the heat of the kiln has to be raised in order to heal the cracks. The proper temperature for such a firing is variable, depending largely on the nature of the base coat. Only experi- mentation will show you the best way of firing where luster is involved.

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STUDIOS NOTE: New directory listings to begin with the May issue accepted up to ]5th of April.

B A C K

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1953 April, July, August, September, October, December

1954 January, February, March, April, July, August, September,

October, November, December

1955 February, March

Please send remit tance (check or money order) wi th liBt of back issues desired.

APRIL 1955 35

i.V r udio ]

~s lng le ¢oples of C E R A M I C S M O N T H L Y II ~ a n d taking subscrlptlons on a commiss ion~ ]~ basis. WRITE to: C i rcu la t ion Dep t .~ | C E R A M I C S M O N T H L Y 3494 N. H i g h ~ ~.~.. Columbus. Ohio . - - - - - ----- , - - - - ]

RICH RED

TERRA COTTA CLAY MOIST • R E A D Y TO U S E • 06

100 POUNDS $11.50 L A U R I N E BROCK CERAMICS

1651 Vv'. ~,Vcodla~n, San Anton io 1, Texas

Solve your glaze problems • Llteratm•e Abstracts on •

CERAMIC GLAZES" A eomln'ehensive reference up-to-dale book to e l imina te costly exI)criments. 50 year l ibrary by K o e n i g & E a r h a r t (1900- 1950) . A m e r i c a n and F o r e i g n A b s t r a c t s

P r i c e : $7.50 DP. Re tu rn i f not. satisfied • C O L L E G E I N S T I T U T E

P.O. Box CM. El lenton , F lo r ida

p l a n to a t t e n d THE REGIONAL

H O B B Y S H O W S See page 8 for complete listing of dates and other pertinent information•

Mizi Otten, Kathe Ber l :

THE ART OF ENAMELING or Enameling C a n Be Fun

A handbook on e n a m e l i n g and how to do i t the easy way. $1.50 plus 3 cents postage.

KATHE BERL 1 9 4 7 B R O A D W A Y t N E W Y O R K 2 3 , N . Y .

SUMMER SESSION June 20---July 29 Advanced courses in ceramics, painting, sculpture, design, weaving and metalsmlthing.

Degrees: B.F.A., M.F.A. Fall term, Sept• 12. CRANBROOK Academy of A r t

141 A c a d e m y Rd., Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Ceramic MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

A C O M P L E T E L I N E O F M A T E R I A L S A N D E Q U I P M E N T A V A I L A B L E

POTTER'S WHEELS - KILNS - CLAYS GLAZES - TOOLS - BOOKS, ETC.

ENAMELS JACK D. WOLFE CO., INC.

6 2 H O R A T I O S T . • N . Y . 1 4 ( W A 4 - 6 0 1 9 )

S E N D 1 0 C F O R 3 2 P A G E C A T A L O G

I t i n e r a r y (Begins on Page 8)

annual at George Waiter Vincent Smith Art Museum.

NEW YORK, Kenmore May 1

Kenmore Ceramic Guild members' annual exhibit. 2-8 p.m., at Kenmore Mem- orial Hall, 3354 Delaware Ave.

NEW YORK, New York April 5-15

New York Society of Craftsmen Golden Anniversary Exhibition at Artists Equity Gallery. 13 E. 67 St.; work of melnbers.

NEW YORK, Rochester through April 22

Designer- Craftsmen USA.. Rochester Memorial Art Gallery: more than 200 handcrafted objects.

OHIO, Cincinnati through April 28

18th Ceramic National ("The Syracuse Show") at Cincinnati Art Museum.

O m o , Cohlmbus through April 22

German Ceramics, 16 contemporary examples, at School of Fine and Applied Arts, Ohio State University.

OHIO, Toledo through April 30

Design in Scandinavia. Over 700 mass- produced and handcrafted items: Toledo Museum of Art.

OKLAHOMA, Tulsa April 5-27

Fifteenth Annual Oklahoma Artists' exhibition includes decorative arts. At Phil- brook Art Center, 2727 So. Rockford Rd.

PENNSYLVANIA, Philadelphia through April 30

Pottery by Vivika and Otto Heino at Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 So. 18 St.

TExas, Abilene through April 22

Italian Arts and Crafts (contemporary); Hardin-Simmons University.

W E S T V I R G I N I A , Huntington April 3-24

Annual Regional Exhibition 80 at Hunt- ington Galleries. Fine arts and crafts.

S c u l p t u r e (Begins on Page 17)

I did Patio Birds (page 17). I made these, originally, with the intention of mount ing them together on a narrow base to be set on a table top. But as I looked at the birds, it occurred to me they belonged in the garden. So I stuck them on poles out of doors. I t was then that I began to realize that sculpture can go anywhere.

T h e possibilities for experiment are limitless, both in the design and uses for ceramic sculpture. People who work with clay would do well to in- vestigate them either for pleasure or for p ro f i t - - o r both. •

Advertisers Index A p r i l , 1 9 5 5

A lber ta 's Ce ram ic Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

B and I Mfg. Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Beam, Maur lce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Bell Ceramics, Ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Bergen Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 , 5

Bergen Brush Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Berl, Kathe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Brock, Laurlne, Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Buell, C. M., Kilns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Cap i t a l Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Ceramlchrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Ceramics and Ar t Supplies . . . . . . . . . . 32

College Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Cox, Florence, Ce ram ic Studio . . . . . . . 33

Craftools, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

C ranb rook A c a d e m y of Art . . . . . . . . . . 36

Creek-Turn Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Detroit Fabr icat ing Carp . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Eastern Ceramic Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3

Emily's Ar t Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Essex Ceramics' Ca rp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

G rea t Lakes H o b b y Exhibit ion . . . . . . C-2

Griffith Pottery House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Harr is, Charles, Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Harrison, the Kay, Studios . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Ho l l and Mo ld Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

House of Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Houston, Charles, Mo ld Co . . . . . . . . . . 8

Il l inl Ce ram ic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 32

L and L Mfg. Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Mary land Ch ina C o m p a n y . . . . . . . . . . 30

Mason Instrument Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Master Mechan ic Mfg . Co . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mayco Colors, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Midwestern Ceramic Hobby Show . . . . 9 Model Kilns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Natura l Ore Glaze Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Norwest Novelty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Paragon Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Pearsol's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Pemco Carp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Pierce Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Pillet, Nettle E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Potter's Wheel , Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Re-Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Schmid, Ludwig, Ar t Ce ram ic Studio... 6 Sculpture House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Seeley's Ceramic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Snead, Jane, Ceramic Studio . . . . . . . . 33

Specialized Ceramics Carp . . . . . . . . . . 29

Tepping Studio Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Thompson, Thomas C., Co . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Trinity Ceramic Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Tru-Fyre Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4

United Artist Materials Co . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Vogel, Hilda, Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Vol lmers Ce ram ic Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Ward , S. Paul, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

W e a t h e r b y Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Winthrop Ceram ic Supply Co . . . . . . . . 31

Wol fe , Jack D., Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

P a t r o n i z e O U R A d v e r t i s e r s • . . and when you do, tell 'em C M sent you.

3b C E R A M I C S M O N T H L Y

SPONSORED

On ~e Stage Ceramic ~ l̂,~rl~ SllOp

BY CERAMIC LEAGUES, INC.

B n.~'. OPEN DALLY FROM I PM TO 11 PM

CERAMIC EXPOSITIONS, Inc. ~ - ~ / ~ :

Five Day- Reduoed

77 Ridge:rest Avenue, Staten Island 12, N. Y. HOneywood 6.2805

~ A v a i l a b l e B o x O f f i c e

40 UNDERGLAZE COLORS All Beautiful--VlVlD HUES--Superior Performance. For Pottery and Porcelain. TRIAL SET, 18 I/2 oz. jars of most popular colors, $3.50, Complete instructions included.

2.4 HI-TINT COLORS THE TRANSPARENT ONE STROKE C E R A M I C COLORS, The most versatile medium for decorating Pottery, Stoneware or Porcelain. You may have ONE SET OF E IGHT HIGH-TINT colors of your own selection. Complete instructions included.

6 SPECKLED UNDERGLAZES SPECKS of harmonizing shades evenly distributed throughout.

:10 NEW EXOTIC GLAZES For the most discriminating potter. CRYSTALLINES m AVENTURINES m MATTS and REDS.

16 NEW COLORED GLAZES In the Nationally featured HUES for modern interior decoration.

and TRU-FYRE'S Brush-on Clear Glaze • Transparent Matt Glaze • Clay Stains • Strip Ease (liquid mask) • Wax-Resist • Spill Base Glaze • Wonder Mender • Self-Adhering Ceramic Studio Stencils • Liquid Bright Gold • Gold Essence

The FLORENCE COX CERAMIC STUDIO endorses the FIRST

,AT,O,AL Ceramic Design CONTEST for CHILD sponsored by TRU-FYRE LABORATORIES & CERAMIC COLORS,

to be judged at the

Third Annual Eastern Ceramic Hobby Show May 4.8 Asbury Park, New Jersey Molds and entry blanks for contestants ava i lab le to dealers. Green ware or bisque w a r e avai lable to contestant . Enter your child now.

dist r ibuted by

fd

REN " Inc.

welcome to detroit - ceramic arts network...welcome to detroit the 2nd annual -great lakes ceramics...

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