CERAMICSThe art of making and decorating pottery

Clay is a mix of naturally occurring materials made up primarily of fine-grained minerals. Think of very finely ground up rock. The fine partials of rock are suspended in water.Different colors occur in clay because of impurities in the clay. Red clay is the results of Iron Oxide in the clay, while white clays get their color from Talc in the clay body.

JUST WHAT IS CLAY?

The stages of clay refer to the different amounts of water mixed with the minerals that make up the clay. More water makes the the clay softer to the touch, less water makes the clay harder to the touch.

S l i p C l a y

P l a s t i c C l a y

L e a t h e r H a r d C l a y

B o n e D r y C l a y

THE STAGES OF CLAY

G l u e

C a s t i n g

P a i n t i n g D e s i g n s

Slip clay is clay that has 25% clay to 75% water.

Slip clay is used for a couple of different things.

The first is as a glue when connecting two pieces

of plastic or leather hard clay together. The

second is as a decoration, when different colored

slips are

painted on a pot it will leave a chalkypainted design. The final use of slip clay

is as a way to cast ceramicitems in a mold. This is usually done

in production work, like the plates and

mugs that we see where the same

form is used over and over again.

STAGE 1 : SLIP CLAY

I m p r e s s e d t e x t u r e

W h e e l T h r o w i n g

C r e a t i n g F o r m s

Plastic clay is used when you are hand-building with

clay. Pinch pots, coil pots, and wheel throwing are

all done at this stage. Plastic clay is a mix of 50%

clay to 50% water. It is easy to mold by hand, and

can be connected together by scoring and slipping. You can tell a piece of plastic clay bysqueezing it, if it doesn’t crack, and is soft

between your fingers it isconsidered plastic. Plastic clay is the

best time to make unique forms in the

clay. The plastic stage of clay is also a

great time to work in new textures. By

pressing items into the clay new

surfaces will result, because the clay is

receptive to any texture!

STAGE 2 : PLASTIC CLAY

L e a t h e r H a r d C l a y S l a b sH a n d C a r v i n g

S l a b B o x F o r m s

Leather hard clay has 75% clay to 25% water in it. Leather

hard clay can be connected together by scoring and

slipping, but you do need to score aggressively to get the

pieces to stay together. Leather hard clay is hard and cold

to the touch, ifyou have a slab of clay and lift it up, it

will not sag down. In this stage, the clay

will crack if you try to bend it. Leather hard clay is a great

STAGE 3 : LEATHER HARD CLAY

techniques

because it

stage to do carving or

subtractive sculpture

retains the carved

lines well.

C o n n e c t i n g s l a b s b y

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

s l i p c l a y

G r e e n w a r e l o a d e d i n a K i l n

Bone dry clay is the final stage before the clay is fired.

Bone-dry clay has 100% clay to 0% water. In this stage you

cannot do any additive method, but you can do some

limited subtractive work. Bone-dry clay will crack and break

if pushed too hard, and is very fragile to the touch. When

clay reaches this

STAGE 4 : BONE DRY CLAY

B o n e D r y C u p sstage, you are usually ready to fire the work,

We call this finished “Greenware”.If you are not satisfied with your

work, you can reclaim the clay

by letting the clay soak it in

some water. By letting it sit for a

few days the clay will become

slip clay and start the process all

over again.

R e c l a i m i n g C l a y i n a b u c k e t o f

w a t e r

Clay must be fired in a Kiln to make it permanent. The kiln heats the clay up to 2000 degrees to fuse the minerals in the clay together. When clay comes out of the kiln after it’s first firing, it is

FIRING AND GLAZING THE CLAY

Glaze is the shiny, coating we see on most pieces of pottery. Glaze is made mostly of two components:

1. Silica a finely ground and pure sand, that gives the glaze a shiny surface

2. Minerals that give the glazes their colors and textures.

G l a z e d P o t s

A v i e w i n s i d e a h o t k i l n

called “Bisqueware”. Bisqueware will not melt into slip if placed in water, and is ready to glaze.

Additive Sculpture Method: When two or more pieces of clay are pressed together to create a new form. Pieces that are done with the additive method should be scored and slipped to make them stick together. If a piece of clay is not scored and slipped it will most likely fall off in the firing.

SOME NEW SCULPTURE TERMS

A S u b t r a c t i v e P o t

A n A d d i t i v e S c u l p t u r eSubtractive Sculpture Method: When the clay is carved or pressed into it is considered a subtractive sculpture method. If the clay is carved or when clay is removed from the surface we call it a subtractive sculpture method.

Often, a work of ceramic art will have both additive and subtractive methods used at the same time B o t h A d d i t i v e &

S u b t r a c t i v e Va s e

For our upcoming clay project, we will be working with a visiting artist Sonata Kazimieraitiene to create textured tiles that will be incorporated into the mural we will be installing in the hall outside of the main office.

HOMEWORKA p l a s t i c B a r r e t t e

I m p r e s s e d i n t o c l a y

A P i n e C o n e r o l l e d i n c l a y

One of the great aspects of clay is that is receptive to any texture, and because of that we can create many varied surfaces can be impressed into the clay.

Your homework due at your next class is to bring in one item to use as a texture tool. The tool you bring in needs to follow the following guidelines:

H a n d m a d e s t a m p s t o

p r e s s i n t o c l a y

1. It can not be an object normally found at school! (no pen caps, paper clips, markers, etc.)

2. Your tool bust be able to create a texture by rolling or pressing into the clay.

3. Tools should be from nature, or made of plastic, cloth & fiber, or metal. No glass, paper, or breakable objects.

SONATA KAZIMIERAITIENEOur visiting Artist

BiographyBorn in Lithuania, Sonata Kazimieraitiene received an Masters of Fine Arts in Design from Vilnius Art Academy and worked as a graphic designer and PR/Marketing specialist. Upon relocating to the U.S., Sonata has since worked with Terra Incognito Gallery (Oak Park, IL) and Dole Art Center (Oak Park, IL) as an instructor and studio member. She is currently a Studio Artist at Chicago’s Lill Street Art Center.

Artistic StatementThough I enjoy every part of the clay-working process, my current approach involves a trusting mutual exploration. Clay has its own life, and it can express what it wants to become in your hands. I just watch, listen, and react. I don’t demand or stress too much and am not afraid of experimenting. I also try to see the possibilities in every step, from the beauty of raw clay to the potential of leftover scraps. Satisfaction comes from realizing I am not in total control, but rather just one of the components in the process. I am most rewarded and inspired when I do my best and leave room for the other players - clay, glaze, and fire - to do their jobs.