Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 2 Issue 4 • May/June 1996 | Page 21
tant piece of
equipment used
for working with
colored clays is the
work table, which
must be smooth
and should be able
to be dampened if
necessary to keep
the colored slabs
of clay from drying out.
To speed up
the production,
Doherty usually
begins his work
session by makJack Doherty blends in the colored clay.
ing several shapes
of slabs and coils prior to throwing, and placing them
on a covered board for later use. He rolls each slab
using a wooden rolling pin on a canvas-covered board.
Doherty stresses the importance of choosing the
right moment to join the clay: it must be done when it’s
still soft enough to join without scoring. As he adds
consecutive pieces of clay, he firmly and completely
pinches the added pieces to secure them to the thrown
pot as it’s being rotated on the banding wheel.
When making the first pull to attach the colored
clay, Doherty gently squeezes the clay between his
thumb and forefinger, and uses a sponge with lots of
water to keep the porcelain from drying out too quickly.
Due to the nature of the method, the white porcelain
can’t be kept pristine white. Yet Doherty says colored
thumbprints, etc. are acceptable because they reflect the
process of the pot’s creation. ■
RECIPES
(Cone 10 Reduction: Preferably-Soda Fired)
White Clay
Ball Clay
China Clay
50%
50
Blue Clay
Light Blue Stain
Dry Porcelain
1%
99
Smooth Satin Glaze
Talc
Feldspar
China Clay
Whiting
Flint
(parts or gram multiples)
23
26
22
13
22
Matt Talc Glaze
Cornish Stone
China Clay
Whiting
Talc
(parts or gram multiples)
30
20
20
10
▼
21