Post #4, contrasting Earthenware and Stoneware

Because I try to split my time between high fire stoneware and low fire earthenware forms, I want to discuss those two different types of ceramics.  For me, Earthenware is more immediate and quicker to produce because I can use the test kiln to keep the process moving.  I can also glaze fire in the bisque kiln with bisque ware.  Stone ware is a longer process because I glaze batches of pieces at one time owing to the complexity of the overglazing process.  I suppose a potter could just as easily reverse the order and make stone ware more immediate?.

Another thing that makes earthenware seem to go faster is that I also make earthenware drum bodies and fire a number of large jars in Raku or Smoke Firing steps.  The firing cycle is quicker with the low fire process.  I can literally glaze a piece, dry it in the test kiln, run it up to glaze temperatures, and pull it from the kiln the next morning.  The higher firing temperatures of Stone ware requires larger kilns, longer and more involved firings.

I am going to show 12 slides; 6 of stoneware and 6 of earthenwares.  Most of the earthenware pieces i purchased in markets in Mexico and I constructed the stone ware pieces in the YVCC ceramics studio.  Let's dive into the discussion:

The picture above illustrates the main physical difference in Earthenware and Stoneware.  Although Stone ware is harder and stronger, if you tried this stunt with a stoneware cup it would shatter. Stone ware works well in a microware and is more durable in a dish washer while Earthenware is softer, but capable of taking a lot of heat shock.  Consider that this cup came out of a raku kiln at red hot temperatures and was dumped into leaves, where it smouldered a while and then was further shocked by taking it directly out into the open air. 

The cup below is stoneware. 

The three cups below are from mexican market.  The shiny glazes were traditionally lead based.  Between the softer, more fragile nature of these cups and the fact that they don't do well in a dishwasher, they are not as popular as Stone ware cups.  The glazes are not as tightly bonded to/with the cup body  and tend to chip off over time.  

This stoneware cup below is a porcelain body with a Shino under glaze and Celedon over glaze.  The cup was stained with an iron oxide slip to highlight the surface texture.  This cup holds heat well and should last through years of use without breaking.  If you dropped this in a sink or on a concrete floor it would probably shatter.  Stoneware glazes are more textured but harder to achieve detail both because of the nature of high fire glazes and because reduction is utilized in firings, 

This earthenware plate is from Mexico.  It is a red clay body covered with a black slip, highlighted with white slip and colored landscape illustration, then overglazed with a shiny glaze to protect the surface and colors. It is almost more decorative than utilitarian. 

Contrast the Mexican plate with this stoneware bowl.  The colors have more texture and less detail and the interest is based on the interaction of high fire glazes.  

Again (below), more detail, colored surface slips, repetative designs based on color contrast.  This bean pot, in it's simple form, could be used on an open fire, though this particular pot is more decorative than utilitarian.  

And again, in contrast, see the stoneware cup below.  The surface  (below) is composed of broad, organic colors and surface texture without detail or designs.  We respond to this cup because we know it is very useful and durable. 

This Mexican earthenware skillet was designed for use over an open fire.  It is suitable for sauteing vegetables, heating tortillas or beans.  It is likely that this old skillet has a lead based glaze covering.  The lead was easy to work with and helps with controlling color underslips. This piece is larger than it appears here, it is about 12" across the bottom.  The handle is short because earthenware is not particularly strong.  

This stone ware bowl would never survive on an open flame.  It is probably easier to clean with kitchen use and the glaze will not wear or corrode with use.  

This tall, handleless earthenware cup is ornate and colorful.  However the glaze is already chipping around the lip and cracking is evident in the cup bottom.  I suppose earthenware is cheaper to purchase, generally.  Stoneware requires a hotter kiln. 

To condense the differences into a few statements;  Earthenware is softer, easier to decorate with colorful designs, and easier to produce.  Stoneware requires more specialized equipment, is more resilent to everyday use, and the surface glazes are more organic.  

Progress, winter quarter, 2012

Progress, winter quarter, 2012, Week 4

Yipes, already week four and nothing in the Bisque Kiln (except for some spinning whorls/test biscuits.  Above are four cups that I wanted to get started.  I"m trying some new surface treatments.  These are Porcelain and I plan to glaze them before the end of the quarter

Here is a hasty photo of a couple more cups and a T-pot I'm finishing up.  

One thing that has slowed me down this quarter is experimenting with slips and stains so I can improve the surface treatment on my clay drums.  I have been trying to find a good basic slip that I can use as a base white and which I can also add black and red stains to get typical Casas Grandes polychrome surface treatment.  I have focused on Gerstley Borate, Ball Clay, and a few other glaze chemicals from the clay bins in the shop.  Here are two pictures of my tests:

and

Think how much better this drum (below) will look with something over the dakota bisque surface.  This drum was a failure due to the small sound hole, and David Blink recommended making the hole larger.  As it's hard to make a fired clay hole bigger, I just cut out one of the two drum heads.  I use the old sound hole to mount a drum carrying strap. 

I also am getting 6 small pieces ready for the raku firing.  I haven't really dedicated much effort to Raku over the past couple of years, but I got some good feedback on some of my raku porclean with contrasting white-over glaze, and want to make a set of this "White/black" ware and see if it creates any interest.  Here are the pieces I'm preparing by pre-firing them in the test kiln.  I economize by firing a raku piece with text biscuits.  

And finally, Here is a "found piece" that has a novel glaze covering. I don't remember making this bowl, it must have ended up on my shelf by accident? 

Perhaps the bottom of this bowl holds a key to the mystery? 

 For the rest of the quarter I plan to complete four of the smaller Dakota jars and treat the exterior with slips and stains (white, black, red).  I want to finish two t-pots this quarter, improve my cups and bowls, and make a couple of large bowls that I call "presentation bowls"  I would like to make one drum or large jar, but there may not be time as I am retired and don't have much time.  

Next post (#4), I will contrast Porcelain to Earthenware clay bodies to construct hand built forms.    

artistic Inspiration, Assignment #2

Last quarter I wrote a post about my ceramic arts inspirations.  I was a bit flippant as I said I was inspired by 12th century Japanese potters who I know nothing about, but who, as an ideal, give me a zen entrance to ancient, traditional, and emotiona.  After writing that post I realized it is actually hard to post as inspiration something I know nothing about, so I have been studying a book titled "Imari" which is an Oriental pottery ideal, based on porcelain clays, cobolt blue designs, often with embellishment, and intricate surface painting.    While this is an amazing pottery era, it was the earlier, possibly Korean peasant ware that had really captured my imiganation.  

(photo by J. N. Miles)

The basis of all of my work is to replicate the sound of the wind on open arid ridges, a sound that is indescribable in words and is best heard when you are not listening to it, trying to blow you hat off, or freezing your finger tips.  This photo, of Jumofff ridge in the fall, captures a bit of the gesture of sparse, ancient landscapes and open air under a sky of blue and gray. 

Late last quarter I was looking through the YVCC library trying to find another book on Oriental ceramics when I stumbled across a picture book of the pottery of ancient Casas Grandes, MX.  These are the polychrome (black line on white background with red shapes) that came out of Northern Mexico, starting around 100 and extending almost to 1500ad.  The next pot would be, developmentally, a pre-polychrome pot. 

This is a pot that I showed at Oak Hollow Gallery last fall.  It is large, smoke fired jar, typical of seed jars of ancient Mexico. 

This piece I picked up at an antique display in Yakima.  It was marked down several times and did not appear to be attracting much attention.  It is undoubtly the oldest piece of ceramics I own. It is typical of early polychrome.  The faint pattern inside the bowl is a fish skeleton.  I would not be able to even guess where it came from

Another old Mexican Plate was given to me by an antique dealer in Houston.  Guessing, I would say it was made around 1935.  Sorry for the poor photo but you get the idea:  a native plate with some sophistication, black slip and painted scene over the top with colored slips.  I am reltively sure the shiny surface glaze is a lead base. 

The next piece is a traditional style mexican coffee cup.  These were common in markets in Mexico when I went to school at the University of GTO in 1969 but they are getting harder and  harder to find. 

This cup above (again, a poor photo) shows the traditional mexican earthenware cups produced between 1900 and 1980.  These cups were funky, hastily constructed, and very functional and personal.  

Finally, a more sophisticated earthenware jar I made at YVCC with red slip covering, one color closer to polychrome.

And so, my inspiration comes from the Yakima bare lands setting but finds expression in kitchen ware that captures the sparse essence of solitude.  From Imari to Polychrome, to the antique Mexican ware that  surfaces from time to time in Yakima.  I hope to pursue all of these influences over winter 1/4 in Ceramics 199.  I want to continue to explore porcelain/high fire and contrast that to earthenware approaches.  I plan to do more Raku and some smoke firing and I hope to create several pieces that are suitable for the "Mighty Tieton" show in early summer.  Wish me luck.

Winter Quarter, 2012, Starting off

I first want to introduce myself to the other 199 students.  Since you already know me, what's the point.   ?  But, if you don't, see my blog, Mikehilerfiredclay and read my bio from last fall.  The only thing to add at this point is, "I'm still alive".

This quarter I want to try and separate my rambling on the "Fired Clay" blog from my class assignments.  This should make it easier for Rachel to follow my posts and not confuse the other ceramics students with "other things" such as spinning yarn, making signs, finding big trees, photos, the william O. Douglas Trail, Poems about nhilism, and etc,,, or is it dualism?

Anyway, "Clayforms" will be display my school  assignments and "firedclay will be my" rambling blog.

Well, this quarter I plan to continue to work with slab clay construction, in many of it's unique forms.  I think Rachel may call this "hand building".  But first let's talk about the books I read over Winter Break.  I was in the YVCC library the last week of school before Christmas to see if my library card would work without it issuing me a bill, or notifying my parents.  Back in the 738 books I found a promising looking ceramic book titled, "Casas Grandes and the Ceramic Art of the Ancient Southwest".   This is an amazing picture book, with some so-so text about the old pots that archaeologists dug up 90 miles south of the MEXICAN border at Casas Grandes.  I will post a review of this book on "Fired Clay" so if you are really interested in this book, flip over to my other blog and see what it's all about.  Otherwise, ignore this paragraph!!

This quarter my "Ceramics study" projects include
1. Work on an earthenware finish which will enhance the "JG" clay forms I created fall/11
2. Continue to work with slips and low fire glazes to complete the sculptures I started fall/11
3. I want to make three or four coil jars approximately 10" X 10" for the summer "mighty Tieton "10x10" show.  I would like to experiment with Southwest Poly chrome surface covering.  Polychrome is a style of abstract designs based on black line over white slip, and red patterns.  This should be a good experiment in working with slips, stains, and earthenware glazes.  I look forward to this project.
4.  I will be working with Kleiber Porcelain to make about 20 small cups and bowls.  I want to continue to experiment with glaze combinations, specifically: Temoku under celedon and Faffy Copper Red.  I want to use the shop Temoku to have that rich break between brown and black which makes this glaze so appealing.
5.  I want to create several porcelain presentation bowls approximately 10 inches in diameter.
6.  I want to make a couple more T-pots in both Kleiber porcelain and JG earthenware clays.
7. I want to get some existing pots from fall/11 ready for the spring raku firing, including a t-pot, cups and such.  I experimented over the christmas break and feel that though earthenware cups are not microwave-able, they are fantastic cups.  That is, as long as you don't carry over foul chemical tastes from the Raku process.  I hope to do t his by utilizing organic leaves instead of commercial shredded papers.
8.  I want to create a couple of forms for the spring smoke firing effort.  I would like to intensify the blacks that are available with this style of surface treatment.

ALSO: I have started two articles which I will probably not finish, but I'll keep working on them.  these are things that have came up in class discussions, that I thought about, and that I wanted to delve further in.  Rachel, any ideas:

1: "Gender, Cultural Identity and matriculation".  This was started when a student said they wanted to channel their femanine side in Ceramics whereas I think of Ceramics as a meta subject, more meta than "a".  It seems that there is no reason, today, for gender or cultural identity to have a constraining part of the Ceramics classroom experience and it should in fact, be positive for those considerations for All sexes, considering traditions, demographics, and law.  Everyone has their own story, but they all come down to the fact that any student can express their own gender roles or cultural identity through ceramics and there are no constraints other than artistic.  The ceramics tradition(s) have gender models for all genders, we have striking cultural accomplishments in the history of ceramics by all cultures, and we have a progressive classroom atmosphere.  But  how do we say that in a 3 page essay??  Is it really time to visit the writing workshop,,, I think not, we just need an advanced ceramics discussion on this interesting subject.

and 2. "The study of art and the integration of the community".  I have attended five art schools, maybe more (I forgot, some illegally, and some in my mind) but I have told several friends that YVCC is the best art department I have attended.  The reason for this is that the ciriculum forces art students to integrate into the community because they are so much in it anyway.  Larson Gallery (on campus and a "join institution), of course, draws students into the art community, but they reach beyond simple student shows.  I find it would be very difficult not to be  influenced by their shows, programs, and functions (read openings) in an informal way.  The greater Yakima community reaches out toward the local art students.  Well, maybe not a 5 page essay, but an interesting discussion.

And so closes Post #1 for Winter 12 quarter.  I hope you come back every week and see what's up in the Ceramics classroom blogs, or better yet, drop by and SEE what's going on, AND, keep tuned to the spring Larson ceramics show titled "From the Ground up".