Category: Staining

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Clay Cracks Process Staining Studio Projects

staining bodies II

tile grout mixed with iron oxides

it’s near impossible to clean away the excess without staining. I do my best. some of the the tile gaps I’ve filled with newman clay and barnard clay instead of tile grout. they all crack as they dry

I try to repair the cracks by pouring a layer of clay slip over the entire surface. something you are taught never to do in ceramics:

if a large crack appears, you should always wedge the entire form back into plastic clay and start again from scratch

if you smooth it over, it will likely reappear again once water escapes from the body

Categories
Clay Process Staining Studio Projects

staining bodies

these clay bodies, taken from the earth, contain large amounts of minerals that can give them potent staining strength.

one of the most common naturally occurring mineral in clays – iron oxide – can give bodies a rich red, black or yellow colour

in ceramic handbooks, this quality is often written about like an inconvenience: “newman clay is useful for imparting a bright orange red tone but can be difficult to work with as it stains whatever surface it comes into contact with”

I find that I am drawn to this. I like that these bodies resist the desire to keep things clean and contained. wherever they touch, they leave an echo of the earth. as long as they contain moisture

wedged with my knees and hands, as I soon tired

somewhere between wedging, coiling and joining, I practice movements that can never become a vessel