Kate Johnson on thu 2 dec 04
Hi Bonnie!
JUST now getting the chance to go back over the last few days of ClayArt
posts, after getting the manuscript off again yesterday afternoon. I missed
this, and many many thanks!
> When I was recovering from CTS surgery a friend gave me his Styrofoam
> slump
> molds.
Whoa, never thought of such a thing! (I don't get out much.) Are these
commercially available, or pressed into service (you should pardon the
pun) from packing materials?
They worked nicely, but when I was able to work more, I had thrown
> bowls and half shapes, even shapes to make lids for my casseroles, where I
> could drape the clay slab into or over. When using a bisque bowl, you
> have
> the added advantage of the bisque absorbing moisture so that it releases
> right away.
So no WD-40 or anything on bisque forms?
To place a slab into a bowl form, cut the slab into a rounded
> butterfly 2 wing shape with the cutting of the wings down to approximately
> the diameter of the bottom of the bowl. The wings overlap which can be
> pressed into one piece.
I think one of my books has photos on doing that...I actually managed a deep
bowl just by carefully stretching and pressing, but it DID warp a bit in
firing...
Or you can cut away the excess and slip them
> together. You could make your own bisque forms if you don't want to throw
> them by using a Styrofoam ball, mold clay over half and duplicate it so
> you
> have two forms. I have used other non-absorptive molds and was frustrated
> with waiting for them to dry enough to release.
Here too. I was trying a couple of years ago to duplicate little antique
porcelain palettes, and tried a variety of molds, including plaster and
liquid rubber-like stuff. The clay took FOREVER to dry in the rubbery
mold...
I have made very large
> molds (or you could ask another potter to do this for you) or you can use
> flower pots for molds. Your imagination has no bounds with this method.
> Love it!
I really like press and hump molds, exciting stuff!
>
> You can see examples of this process on the Pottery Gallery page of my web
> site, there are two pots second row center and one pot second from the
> left
> on the bottom row. The top two were smoke fired and the bottom one was
> porcelain with Barnard Slip inlay fired to Cone 9.
> http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/potterygallery12.htm
WOW, these are gorgeous.
> With the bisque mold, you can take it out the pressed form almost
> immediately and make a second one to attach to the bottom bowl to make a
> round form. The first pot in the upper row was applied with pressed
> wads/coils rather than slabs. One gets a whole new pattern to the form,
> but
> while making the porcelain pot I added thin slices of the slipped clay. I
> introduced this technique when teaching in Denmark.
I'm not quite getting that...?
>
> The process of throwing is my first love, but I am also drawn to the press
> mold forms for a fresh look and new adventures in firing techniques.
I love throwing, too...miss it.
Many thanks for the suggestions AND the inspiration...you are incredibly
versatile...
Best--
Kate, who can't wait to get back AT it!
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