🎧 Stamped Soda Surfaces

Appears in the December 2024 issue of Ceramics Monthly.

The Mug as a Canvas for Exploration

What potter hasn’t made a mug? It’s a trading card, a vibe, a status symbol on Zoom calls. The mug is foundational for potters—it’s where most of us begin and where many of us continue to explore. Its simplicity offers endless possibilities for creative experimentation.

My signature mug, the Maker’s Mug, revels in its ambiguity: “Is it wheel-thrown, hand-sculpted, slip-cast?” The answer lies somewhere in the process, as the mug represents years of small-batch iterations, combining techniques to achieve a form that blurs the lines. Its hourglass shape, soft pillow-like aesthetic, and squared-off rim and foot are key features that highlight the clay’s natural qualities. By altering the form with coils and adding distinct panels, I create canvases for the kiln’s atmosphere to decorate. Every detail—from the lip to the foot and handle—works together to create a harmonious, functional, and visually striking piece.

Forming the Mug

I begin with 11/2 lbs (0.7 kg) of Laguna B-Mix clay, known for its elasticity and strength. I start by throwing a thick, evenly walled cylinder on the wheel, keeping the base’s interior diameter narrow—about half an inch (1.3 cm) in diameter (1). During the second pull, I use a flexible red rib to bring the hourglass shape into focus (2). Subsequent pulls refine the form, stretching the bottom half of the hourglass outward while tightening the waist. The top third of the form is slightly constricted, giving the mug its soft, controlled curves.

Using a wooden knife, I make small marks at the wheelhead to quarter my cylinder (3). With my middle finger, I then push outward from the inside of the pot to create four nodes in the widest part of the bottom half of the form (4). These nodes square off the bottom, creating four distinct planes. I finish this stage by using a wooden knife to remove excess clay at the wheelhead and use a flexible rib to correct any disfigurations caused by stretching out the nodes.

Alterations

Once the mug reaches a soft leather-hard state, I begin trimming. With the narrow base, I can trim aggressively, accentuating the dramatic proportions of the hourglass shape. I use a do-all trimming tool to refine the foot and trim into the four nodes (5), giving the form its soft, pillow-like quality.

Next, I gently pinch the rim into a square, aligning it with the nodes at the base. Using a wooden rib, I run a line along the corners, from the foot to the rim (6), and create a cascading pattern on alternating panels (7). With a paring knife, I make swooping cuts on the rim (8) and foot (9) corners, smoothing the edges with a damp sponge and my fingertips (10).

Adding Coils for Surface Texture

At this stage, I roll out a coil about the width of a pencil. One by one, I lay these coils along each corner of the mug, folding them over the rim and smoothing them into a point (11). I then pull and smear the coils into the smooth panels of the mug with dry fingertips and then refine with a sponge (12) creating a raised texture that mimics a dissected and reconstructed appearance. This step gives the surface a dynamic, tactile quality, and the raised areas interact beautifully with glazes during firing.

Handles

To attach the handle, I roll out a tapered lug of clay, about 2 inches (5.1 cm) long and tapered from 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide to a half inch (1.3 cm) wide on the other end (13), and attach it to the leather-hard mug. The wider end of the lug is scored, slipped, and pressed into the concave section of the hourglass. With ample water, I pull the lug downward, elongating it until it reaches the rim (14). I then snip the handle at the rim and curve it naturally along the form’s contour (15) 

After the handle has set up overnight under plastic (16), I refine it by adding a finger-width coil to the bottom connection point (17) and a pencil-width coil to the top connection point (18), smoothing them with my thumb and forefinger. A final thin coil is added to the top corner of the handle (19), giving it the appearance of a bamboo joint that complements the mug’s overall aesthetic.

Surface Decoration and Glazing

At the leather-hard stage, I add surface marks to enhance the mug’s interaction with the kiln atmosphere. Using the butt end of a needle tool, I create a series of three dots along the surface. Wooden stamps add additional highlights, which catch glaze in unique ways, creating pools of color and texture. Small balls of clay are added to mimic the recessed dots (20) and are then stamped for additional texture (21). Each batch of mugs has a different set of surface marks, giving them individuality while maintaining continuity across the series.

Glaze Application

Once the mugs are bisque fired to cone 06, I use a spray gun to apply glaze and flashing slips thinned to a skim-milk consistency. I aim for a thin, uniform coat, spraying from top to bottom as I slowly rotate the piece on a banding wheel. I look for the glaze to glisten before continuing to a new section of the pot. This tells me that the glaze is no longer being absorbed and if I continue to apply glaze it will begin to drip. I’m striving for that sweet spot where the pot glistens, but the glaze doesn’t drip. After a few seconds, the glaze material will be absorbed, I’ll give the bottom of my mug a generous spin on a large damp sponge and continue to my next pot.

I have collected recipes through my travels and conversations around the kiln. The gamification of hunting for new glaze and slip recipes gives my clay journey a narrative of treasure hunting. The shared memories and experiences from this pursuit form a narrative that resonates with the ethos of “shared effort and shared result” found in atmospheric firing. 

Of course, I am drawn to certain materials while treasure hunting. For example, I am particularly fond of how titanium interacts in the kiln, its dramatic range of color, how it breaks on the surface, and its organic or almost flame-like quality when it encounters soda ash. My firing community will be eternally grateful to Mike Stumbras for sharing his Galactic Indifference glaze recipe with our community and the wider public. Atmospheric firing is very much a team effort, my community has approached the use of Galactic Indifference in a way reminiscent of Steven Hill’s use of Strontium Crystal Magic in mid-range oxidation firing. 

Due to the form and attention to surface details in my work, I tend to apply a uniform coat of glaze and at times a uniform coat of Galactic Indifference as a second layer, but rarely do I variate thickness of the glaze material as the kiln atmosphere’s interaction with the form and surface quality brings a wealth of variation.

Other Tips and Tricks

Organization in the studio is everything. Without clarity of thought, it’s easy for a simple task to take an exorbitant amount of time. To organize my glaze strategy, I’ll run a piece of painter’s tape along the edge of my table and write out the various glazes I plan to use. This allows me to line up selected pots and be strategic and efficient in executing my glaze application. Once I’ve applied all my glaze and flashing slips, I’ll take an iron oxide wash and use a dot system to notate my glazes. 

Transporting glazed wares can feel stressful, but by running my glazed pots through a second bisque kiln, I can sinter the glaze materials onto the pot. The glazes don’t flux, but they harden and become more durable for transport and handling while loading. 

The Collaborative Firing Process

The firing process is a deeply collaborative experience, both with the kiln and my fellow potters. I primarily fire in soda and wood kilns, where the atmosphere plays a critical role in decorating the surface of my work. Loading the kiln is one of my favorite parts of the process—it requires teamwork, problem-solving, and a keen understanding of how the flames will move through the stacked pieces.

In soda firing, we aim for a dense, balanced stack that allows the flame to travel evenly. We fire to cone 10–12, focusing on heavy reduction between cone 012 and 04 to target the clay body, and then between cone 10 and 12 to reduce the glaze. Water-suspended soda ash is introduced at cone 9, just before we reach the top temperature, to encourage surface decoration. Careful control during firing maximizes the dynamic effects of the flame, soda ash, and glaze.

Glazing and Flashing Slips in Atmospheric Firing

Atmospheric firing relies on the interaction between the flame, the atmosphere, and the glaze materials. I use thin, sprayed coats of flashing slips and glazes to allow the kiln’s atmosphere to do most of the work. The sprayed application preserves surface texture while allowing for dramatic variations in color and texture.

The glaze mentioned before, Galactic Indifference, has become a staple in my practice. Its reaction to soda ash creates organic, flame-like patterns that complement the mug’s raised surface textures. I also enjoy working with titanium because of its ability to break across the surface and shift in color under certain conditions.

Clay Body Considerations

The clay body I use is critical to how my forms perform in the kiln. Laguna’s B-Mix is my preferred clay for soda firings due to its elasticity and strength. Its smooth texture and ability to withstand the dramatic proportions of my Maker’s Mug make it an ideal choice, especially when combined with the glazes and atmospheric effects I use.

For anagama firings, I often use White Rose from Clay Art Center for its velvety texture and wide range of colors. However, it lacks the strength of B-Mix for larger forms. I also enjoy experimenting with Crystal Springs Porcelain for its translucency, though it requires careful handling during the drying and firing process. 

Every time I use a new clay body, I learn something new. It’s really a fun exercise to learn the qualities of a new clay body and strive to develop a form that speaks to those qualities.

Final Thoughts

Pottery is a practice of continuous learning and discovery. Each mug I create is a result of careful attention to form, surface, and firing, but also of collaboration with my community and the unpredictable forces of the kiln. Through the details of the Maker’s Mug, I’ve shared key aspects of my process. However, the journey is ongoing, and each piece is a snapshot of where I am in my creative evolution. If a photograph captures a memory, a Suay original captures the experience of creativity.

the author Samuel Newman, originally from Western Pennsylvania, found his passion for ceramics while studying business at Penn State, leading him to develop a studio practice in Portland, Oregon. His creative journey is one of continuous discovery—each piece of work builds on the last—revealing new ideas and directions for his process. To learn more, www.suayceramics.com.