A couple months back, I was fortunate enough to be featured in Ceramic Monthly’s first installment of their “Studio Visit” section. Since then, I have been getting a steady stream of inquiries about my homemade tile bat system, so I thought I would share a detailed explanation of it for all to see.
I have been trying to really refine my teapot form lately. It is a very nice challenge to work around. For me, even though it is unlikely anyone would have the courage to actually use it, it must perform exceptionally well. I use the requirements of physics to direct my choices. The venturi effect spout shape, a 45 degree angle for drip prevention, a spout tip slightly higher than the interior lip of the body, a handle pulled in close to the body, and a handle-based lid latch are all part of the design. Read More
I have been tracking the building of our new Manabigama Kiln here at the University of Louisville. In Part One I discussed the basics design and some of the process of building. In Part Two I explained the building of an arch. Those were the first two weeks, with Todd Burns, Reese Salmon and myself primarily working 12 hour days, 6 days a week. Other students came in occasionally, and although we could definitely have used more help, the kiln would never have gotten done without them. Read More
Since the last article, our new urban wood kiln construction project at the University of Louisville has jumped some major hurdles, but continues with the steady and careful work of Todd and a small crew of our students.
I am currently on a hiatus from making work. That does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that I am not very busy. The current project is the construction of a new wood kiln at the University of Louisville, where I teach. After more than month of planning and some very in depth investigations, Todd Burns decided that for our program, the Manabigama design would be the best choice. I agreed. Read More
So, as you may have gathered from all of my Cone Six Throwdown posts, I’m finally letting go of my down-to-the-molecular-level control of my work. The reasons for this are many. If you recall from Tweaking a Clay Body Part One, The main concern is that my clay body was just fine back when I had access to a pugmill. Pugmills compress, homogenize, and de-air the clay, making it immeasurably more workable. When I moved to the University of Louisville, I no longer had access to a pugmill. Read More
In my search for the ultimate cone 6 porcelain, I really lucked out when my buddy Jim Gottuso, AKA Sofia’s Dad, generously offered me some of his clay to try. Jim puts his pots through hell and back, just as I do. Read More
Just wanted to show off my new form, the cocktail glass. I based the form on the crisp simple design of a standard bar cocktail glass. The sort of cup you might get a drink in at the Brass Rail, my old beloved undergrad bar. I’m taking one for a test-drive right now, it’s doing a fine job!
This is a bag I grabbed from my colleague (or boss?) Todd Burns‘ stash in the U of L studio. Though not really marketed as a cone 6 clay, here it is, free, so I’ll give it a shot! Some distributor sites say it is inended for cones 6-11 while the actual Highwater Clay site claims it is intended for cones 7-11. I actually fire at cone 7, basically because my clay body doesn’t quite fit my glaze unless I do, so I thought I might as well try it. Read More
For installment two of my cone six throwdown, I tried another very popular Cone 6 white clay, Standard Ceramics’s#213 Porcelain Clay. On their website, they describe it as “A white body formulated for cone 6 firing. Plastic, throwable clay.” Well, to me that’s just not enough information. On the wonderful Kentucky Mudworks Catalog, they describe it as “A delightfully plastic clay. Crisp, white clay formulated for cone 6. Performs well when thrown thinly. My cone 6 white clay of choice for throwing. Quite soft out of the bag.” That is a little more helpful! Here’s my review of how it fared in my experience. Read More
