Whether or not original ideas are possible, there are certainly new ways we can amalgamate ideas to achieve unified results that align with what we’re hoping to create. The unified goal of my work is to create an intriguing surface that can give people a moment of escape from all the things that we process in our day-to-day lives. It is my hope that this curated remix of ideas and processes can inspire you to move in the direction you want with your work.
Background
In my childhood, I doodled in the margins and had a difficult time with subjects not open to interpretation, like algebra. I kept a binder of drawings, for example, a detailed castle with every stone drawn and different types of space-faring vehicles, each labeled with its function. I struggled to freehand drawings of original subjects because they never seemed to look right. However, I could look at an image and draw it straightforwardly with precision.
Fast-forward to studying art history in graduate school, where I stumbled upon some peer-reviewed validation regarding the approach I had to art making. I learned about psychological research, art-historical connections, and living artists that make work in the autism aesthetic. I found a critically important facet of my art-making identity that connects me with the ceramic’s community.
Create a Form
With that in mind, let’s get started on how I apply my neurodivergent aesthetic tendencies to my work–the first piece of the amalgamated process. Begin by throwing a piece on the wheel and alter it by cutting and pulling the rim. Then, finish by adding slip to the rim and coaxing it inside the lip—a hat-tip to my earlier work. Allow the form to firm up to soft leather hard.
Surface Design
I use a free program called Vectornator on my Apple iPad to create vector line drawings that I project onto the soft leather-hard form. When teaching secondary art, a colleague showed me the usefulness of a projector for image transfers. I use a mini-projector I found online for about $120, and it works for my needs. I value the communicative function of objects. I use flowers for symbolic emotions through the lens of Hanakotoba, the language of flowers: cherry blossoms for good education and spiritual cleansing, yellow chrysanthemums for slighted love, and peonies for compassion. I use the fancy goldfish for my symbolic self—a literal fish out of water surrounded by emotions on a functional vessel.
Draw the projections on the piece using a refillable brush pen and black ink (1). I prefer ink and a brush pen because it doesn’t carve lines into the surface, and it can be wiped off if I make a mistake. This process gives me a rough outline that I can be more precise with later.
Next, brush the entire exterior with wax resist (2). Once the wax resist is dry, take a double-sided drypoint scribe and draw the linework into the surface of the piece (3). I attempt to be mindful to ensure the scribe is perpendicular to the surface at all times so I am creating a consistent V-shaped groove that will eventually hold underglaze.
Carving the lines creates a lot of wax and porcelain burrs. Periodically pause your carving to brush away the burrs using a soft toothbrush (4).
Adding Underglaze
After double-checking that the carved lines connect and look good, brush on one layer of thinned black underglaze mixed with gum solution, let it completely dry (5), and then wipe off the underglaze outside the lines with a porous sponge, rotating to clean spots on the sponge (6). Note: To make the gum solution, mix 21/4 cups of distilled water with 2 tablespoons of CMC gum.
After the excess underglaze is roughly wiped away, wipe the surface again with a smooth sponge to finish cleaning it. The underglaze will remain in the carved lines. At this stage, loosely cover the work to dry slowly, then bisque fire to cone 06.
After the bisque, give the piece a light wet sand with a 400-grit diamond sanding pad (7). Let it dry overnight.
Filling in Color
Now, fill in the shapes with colored underglaze. When I fill in the color, I use a squirrel-hair brush flooded with a thinned underglaze and gum solution (8). I do this to control the way the underglaze floods the shapes carved into the bisque. Because the bisqueware is porous, it absorbs the water in the underglaze quickly and doesn’t leave any brush strokes. Additionally, the gum solution provides a durable surface to apply the latex resist in the next step.
Adding a Layer of Latex Resist
Once the illustrations have been filled with color, brush on an ammonia-free latex body paint (I use the Liquid Latex Fashions brand) (9) over the carved and painted imagery and the handle, but excluding the background. I prefer this latex body paint because I can easily clean the brushes with dish soap and water and it’s less expensive compared to other resists. The resist works well when a thick enough coat is applied that it is clearly visible and slightly protruding off the surface. When it’s thick, it’s easy to peel off, but when it is too thin, it tends to hang onto small areas and create more work later. If the latex runs into an unwanted area, you can cut the edge with a razor blade and remove it. I let it run and fill that area in with glaze and luster later. I do this to celebrate mistakes instead of dwelling on them. I have a built-in system that is preferential to self-acceptance in lieu of beating myself up—a little positive mental subversion.
Spraying the Background
After the latex dries on all the fish, flowers, and handle, spray a 10:1 underglaze to gum solution on the exterior surface to fill the background (10). I spray the exterior of the piece using complimentary color schemes or to reference sunrise, sunset, or nightfall. To satiate my inner narrator, I like to play with phrases when adding color to the work. This piece’s phrase would be Vessel of Spiritual Cleansing for Sunrise on a Good Education. It’s a built-in way to create titles if Cherry Blossom Teabowl 3 doesn’t make contextual sense. I prefer a slightly thinned underglaze for the background to prevent running since the latex areas aren’t absorbent. To prevent it from removing the underglaze below, allow the sprayed background to completely dry before peeling off the latex (11).
Finishing Touches and Luster Application
Next, using a slip-trailing tool, add finer details, outline the imagery with black underglaze, and touch up any missed background or foreground colors (12). I enjoy using the AirPen slip-trailing tool to mitigate carpal tunnel and tennis elbow symptoms for precise underglaze and glaze application.
After that, pour an opaque glaze inside the piece and brush the rim with the same glaze. I also brush on and line areas where the background doesn’t quite line up with the imagery (13) with glaze—another celebration of imperfections and playful subversion of my process.
Slowly fire the pieces to cone 6 with a 20-minute hold to allow the glaze to move slightly. (Applying some areas of glaze thicker than the liner achieves the illusion of flow.) Once the work is fired, clean specific areas with alcohol to apply luster to.
Caution: When using luster, wear gloves and a respirator fitted with a vapor filter. Brush on premium gold luster over the glaze for a glossy finish and on the surface of the underglaze for a matte finish (15). I do this to subvert the perception of how precious gold is.
The final firing is a slow cone 018 with a 15-minute hold. Once cooled to room temperature, wet sand the bottom with high-grit diamond sanding pads to create a nice polish.
Final Thoughts
It is from personal experience that I amalgamate differing ideas and processes for my approach to surface treatment on ceramic vessels. I make objects of use because I want to feel useful, and reference teabowls for their communal use. I put flowers on them to honor family and continue the language of flowers. I often include a fancy goldfish, a fish out of water, among the flowers—the fish is how I see myself. I add gold, honoring its complicated relationship with humans. Though I’m not a universal representation of autistic artists, I feel lucky to be here and I hope that this small contribution to the ceramic’s community is meaningful. ¡Viva la Ceramica!
Michael A. Hall resides in Kansas City, Missouri, along with his two cats Wabi and Sabi. He teaches art at a local college, at a non-profit, and at a private studio. To see more, visit @michael.hall.potteryon Instagram.
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Whether or not original ideas are possible, there are certainly new ways we can amalgamate ideas to achieve unified results that align with what we’re hoping to create. The unified goal of my work is to create an intriguing surface that can give people a moment of escape from all the things that we process in our day-to-day lives. It is my hope that this curated remix of ideas and processes can inspire you to move in the direction you want with your work.
Background
In my childhood, I doodled in the margins and had a difficult time with subjects not open to interpretation, like algebra. I kept a binder of drawings, for example, a detailed castle with every stone drawn and different types of space-faring vehicles, each labeled with its function. I struggled to freehand drawings of original subjects because they never seemed to look right. However, I could look at an image and draw it straightforwardly with precision.
Fast-forward to studying art history in graduate school, where I stumbled upon some peer-reviewed validation regarding the approach I had to art making. I learned about psychological research, art-historical connections, and living artists that make work in the autism aesthetic. I found a critically important facet of my art-making identity that connects me with the ceramic’s community.
Create a Form
With that in mind, let’s get started on how I apply my neurodivergent aesthetic tendencies to my work–the first piece of the amalgamated process. Begin by throwing a piece on the wheel and alter it by cutting and pulling the rim. Then, finish by adding slip to the rim and coaxing it inside the lip—a hat-tip to my earlier work. Allow the form to firm up to soft leather hard.
Surface Design
I use a free program called Vectornator on my Apple iPad to create vector line drawings that I project onto the soft leather-hard form. When teaching secondary art, a colleague showed me the usefulness of a projector for image transfers. I use a mini-projector I found online for about $120, and it works for my needs. I value the communicative function of objects. I use flowers for symbolic emotions through the lens of Hanakotoba, the language of flowers: cherry blossoms for good education and spiritual cleansing, yellow chrysanthemums for slighted love, and peonies for compassion. I use the fancy goldfish for my symbolic self—a literal fish out of water surrounded by emotions on a functional vessel.
Draw the projections on the piece using a refillable brush pen and black ink (1). I prefer ink and a brush pen because it doesn’t carve lines into the surface, and it can be wiped off if I make a mistake. This process gives me a rough outline that I can be more precise with later.
Next, brush the entire exterior with wax resist (2). Once the wax resist is dry, take a double-sided drypoint scribe and draw the linework into the surface of the piece (3). I attempt to be mindful to ensure the scribe is perpendicular to the surface at all times so I am creating a consistent V-shaped groove that will eventually hold underglaze.
Carving the lines creates a lot of wax and porcelain burrs. Periodically pause your carving to brush away the burrs using a soft toothbrush (4).
Adding Underglaze
After double-checking that the carved lines connect and look good, brush on one layer of thinned black underglaze mixed with gum solution, let it completely dry (5), and then wipe off the underglaze outside the lines with a porous sponge, rotating to clean spots on the sponge (6). Note: To make the gum solution, mix 21/4 cups of distilled water with 2 tablespoons of CMC gum.
After the excess underglaze is roughly wiped away, wipe the surface again with a smooth sponge to finish cleaning it. The underglaze will remain in the carved lines. At this stage, loosely cover the work to dry slowly, then bisque fire to cone 06.
After the bisque, give the piece a light wet sand with a 400-grit diamond sanding pad (7). Let it dry overnight.
Filling in Color
Now, fill in the shapes with colored underglaze. When I fill in the color, I use a squirrel-hair brush flooded with a thinned underglaze and gum solution (8). I do this to control the way the underglaze floods the shapes carved into the bisque. Because the bisqueware is porous, it absorbs the water in the underglaze quickly and doesn’t leave any brush strokes. Additionally, the gum solution provides a durable surface to apply the latex resist in the next step.
Adding a Layer of Latex Resist
Once the illustrations have been filled with color, brush on an ammonia-free latex body paint (I use the Liquid Latex Fashions brand) (9) over the carved and painted imagery and the handle, but excluding the background. I prefer this latex body paint because I can easily clean the brushes with dish soap and water and it’s less expensive compared to other resists. The resist works well when a thick enough coat is applied that it is clearly visible and slightly protruding off the surface. When it’s thick, it’s easy to peel off, but when it is too thin, it tends to hang onto small areas and create more work later. If the latex runs into an unwanted area, you can cut the edge with a razor blade and remove it. I let it run and fill that area in with glaze and luster later. I do this to celebrate mistakes instead of dwelling on them. I have a built-in system that is preferential to self-acceptance in lieu of beating myself up—a little positive mental subversion.
Spraying the Background
After the latex dries on all the fish, flowers, and handle, spray a 10:1 underglaze to gum solution on the exterior surface to fill the background (10). I spray the exterior of the piece using complimentary color schemes or to reference sunrise, sunset, or nightfall. To satiate my inner narrator, I like to play with phrases when adding color to the work. This piece’s phrase would be Vessel of Spiritual Cleansing for Sunrise on a Good Education. It’s a built-in way to create titles if Cherry Blossom Teabowl 3 doesn’t make contextual sense. I prefer a slightly thinned underglaze for the background to prevent running since the latex areas aren’t absorbent. To prevent it from removing the underglaze below, allow the sprayed background to completely dry before peeling off the latex (11).
Finishing Touches and Luster Application
Next, using a slip-trailing tool, add finer details, outline the imagery with black underglaze, and touch up any missed background or foreground colors (12). I enjoy using the AirPen slip-trailing tool to mitigate carpal tunnel and tennis elbow symptoms for precise underglaze and glaze application.
After that, pour an opaque glaze inside the piece and brush the rim with the same glaze. I also brush on and line areas where the background doesn’t quite line up with the imagery (13) with glaze—another celebration of imperfections and playful subversion of my process.
Slowly fire the pieces to cone 6 with a 20-minute hold to allow the glaze to move slightly. (Applying some areas of glaze thicker than the liner achieves the illusion of flow.) Once the work is fired, clean specific areas with alcohol to apply luster to.
Caution: When using luster, wear gloves and a respirator fitted with a vapor filter. Brush on premium gold luster over the glaze for a glossy finish and on the surface of the underglaze for a matte finish (15). I do this to subvert the perception of how precious gold is.
The final firing is a slow cone 018 with a 15-minute hold. Once cooled to room temperature, wet sand the bottom with high-grit diamond sanding pads to create a nice polish.
Final Thoughts
It is from personal experience that I amalgamate differing ideas and processes for my approach to surface treatment on ceramic vessels. I make objects of use because I want to feel useful, and reference teabowls for their communal use. I put flowers on them to honor family and continue the language of flowers. I often include a fancy goldfish, a fish out of water, among the flowers—the fish is how I see myself. I add gold, honoring its complicated relationship with humans. Though I’m not a universal representation of autistic artists, I feel lucky to be here and I hope that this small contribution to the ceramic’s community is meaningful. ¡Viva la Ceramica!
Michael A. Hall resides in Kansas City, Missouri, along with his two cats Wabi and Sabi. He teaches art at a local college, at a non-profit, and at a private studio. To see more, visit @michael.hall.pottery on Instagram.
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