Tips & Techniques: Staff Tips
The staff at Clay Art Center includes many talented ceramicists and artists, as we saw in this year’s Many Hands exhibition. We gathered together our best tips and tricks to share.
Clay Art Center is the creative home of many artists at all stages of their clay journey - and we’re not just talking about the students. Many members of the staff have been working with clay for many years, while others are just beginning to explore ceramics. Wherever they fall across the spectrum of experience, the folks who keep Clay Art Center running are always learning. We gathered together a few of our favorite tips and tricks that we’ve learned over the years - hopefully you’ll find a few gems that make their way into your clay practice.
Emily Peck, Executive Director: “Give yourself more room to experiment and let things fail. You learn from all of that.”
Brian and Sarah mix plaster for mold making
Brian Barry, Community Arts & Offsite Programs Manager: “First, Crowd source as much as possible! There are often different techniques that achieve the same or similar outcome in clay. Ask your teachers, classmates, and watch YouTube videos to decide which technique suits you best. You might just end up combining techniques or creating a whole new technique entirely! And second, when you’re centering clay on the wheel and you’ve made your hockey puck shape, close your eyes. Do you feel a wobble? If so, the clay is not completely centered. “
Sarah Harlan, Studio Technician: “Always doublecheck your splash pan for tools, because they’re always in there.”
August Brosnahan, Studio Manager, is full of wisdom:
“A small piece of plastic dipped in water is fantastic for smoothing the lip of a cup or a bowl. A sponge can leave texture behind that then has to be sanded off after drying or the bisque firing.”
“You don't need lumps of clay to hold your pottery when trimming. Simply wet the rim with a sponge or your finger and give your piece a little wiggle after centering on the wheel. You make a makeshift vacuum that holds your piece onto the wheel. This takes some practice, so expect to lose a cup or two.”
“You don't need much water to throw. Too much water can lead your clay to get too soft very quickly. I often use a yogurt container for my water which lasts for about 2 hours of throwing. Using less water while also using a large sponge to mop up excess water has allowed me to ditch my splash pans.”
“Don’t hold your piece in the glaze bucket. I don’t know where the three second rule came from. Just dip you piece in, swish, and out. Otherwise the glaze application is too thick.”
Jessica Zeng, Program & Sales Coordinator: “Pick around three glazes to work with for a whole term. Really get to know those glazes and their combinations, and then glazing will be less overwhelming.”
Wendy Weinstein, Development Director: “A square of lightly stretchy smooth fabric can protect rims and feet from drying faster than the rest of the work. This trick came from Georgia Tenore. It needs to be double-knit so the stretchyness is even in both directions. It also works to gently protect the work from getting pulled out of shape by the plastic wrapping.”
Wendy offered another trick from former Artist-in-Residence Matt Smith: “The "v" between your first and second fingers is great for smoothing and shaping a rim while throwing. And you never lose this tool!”
Lastly, Wendy also shared that, “You can make a simple wet box by adding a damp sponge on the ware board inside the plastic (sometimes in a plastic yogurt cup), when you have to walk away from a piece for a longer period. It creates a lightly humid environment, and I have been able to alter or trim work weeks later by doing this. I will wrap the sponge well, and keep it separate from the piece itself so it does not over moisten a spot on the greenware.”
