blueBanksia art directory lists art short courses and events

Brought to you courtesy of Coastal Claymakers.

Potters and clay artists from the Mid North Coast of NSW dedicated to the study of, promotion and presentation of ceramics.

1. Hand build delicate pieces on newspaper on a bat. This helps prevent distortion as the piece shrinks. The work can then slide easily without additional handling onto the kiln shelf: the newspaper burns away.
2. If you want perfectly texture free slabs, roll out the clay on Vilene. Vilene is a stiffening material which comes in several weights. Choose a heavy weight which will support the clay slab for transfer to the work surface. Vilene is used in dressmaking and can be bought at a fabric shop.

Brought to you courtesy of Coastal Claymakers - potters and clay artists from the Mid North Coast of NSW dedicated to the study of, promotion and presentation of ceramics.

1. When testing a glaze - The volume of water to add to the dry ingredients is approximately two thirds of the volume of dry ingredients. Use two identical cups to visually estimate this. Add the dry ingredients to the water and allow it to slake down (wait for about two minutes). There should be about 3 mm depth of water over the settled glaze ingredients. If there is more, touch the surface of the water with a small sponge and draw off the excess. Stir and apply to a test tile by dipping, pouring or brushing, as desired.

by Graham Hay

An international clay revolution has been building for the last 20 years. Currently over a third of all clay used in Australian studios and classrooms is paperclay. (1). While paperclay use started in Australia and the USA about the same time, the current USA use is well below this percentage. However USA volumes have consistantly been doubling annually, for the last decade (2). While there have been differences between counties, what is consistent is a steady increase in paperclay use, and its spread across all ceramic techniques and all types of clays(3).

by Robert Playoll

Pottery clay is the clay used to make the three categories of pottery: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Clay is baked in a kiln under intense heat, a process known as firing, and becomes solid. Firing is used both to harden the clay and to adhere glaze to it or color it. In this article, I will give a brief introduction as to the different types of clay available for pottery.