What does one need to be a ceramic artist? This is debatable for sure. To practice ceramics, one needs at the bare minimum, desire and clay. Soon to follow are instruction, tools, glazes, kilns, and space. So, when need changes to want over time, how does that list evolve? With desire as a given, for me, it looks like this: tools, clay, time, space, and a kiln. I suspect, when pressed, many ceramic artists will agree that their tools are a defining part of their practice. And if not, just take them away and watch. We could all make work without them, but it wouldn’t be as much fun.
I have drawers full of tools collected over 25 years of making: various needle tools (thickness of the needle matters), polymer, metal, and wooden ribs; knives with sharp and dull blades; sponges of different colors for different surfaces; and piles of things to poke holes, scratch surfaces, carve, facet, trim, wire, stamp, measure, etc. I also have handmade tools. I once quipped that the only tool I needed was a needle tool, so a friend in undergrad made me one that I could wear as a necklace. The sharp tip was fitted with a screw-on cap so I wouldn’t stab myself (A). A kind student fashioned me a couple of wooden paddles that look very Flintstones-esque but work great for shaping clay and adding texture (B). I have altered countless metal ribs to forge new tool tips (C) and sharp scarpers for every angle. In addition to all that, I have acquired some oddball tools along the way, including two massive syringes from a veterinarian; expired dental tools from a hygienist; a whisk with the rounded dome cut off at the top; and a hardy metal bench scraper from my father, who was a baker (D).
Yet, I keep finding more tools to bring home. At the most recent NCECA in Detroit, I was introduced to a sponge that, when whetted, felt like holding jelly—the smoothest sponge I have ever used on porcelain (E). When I was in Japan a year ago, I couldn’t live without a mini bow harp (F) and a very intense scoring tool (G) from a ceramic tool store in Shigaraki. Like I said, drawers full of tools—all of them needed, all of them used. And, I bought my first banding wheel recently—how did I ever manage without it?
This issue focuses on tools and the artists who rely on them to further their practice. Sarah Caudill uses an AirPen (a handheld, air-powered sprayer) to decorate her surfaces. Dan Ingersoll utilizes a computer program to draw lines on existing pots in order to learn new ways to alter them. Hayne Bayless shows us his large handmade harp used to cut slabs and his DIY scratching tool for creating his signature surface decoration. Frank James Fisher debuts his Traveling Clay Kit to readers. A true marvel of a toolbox, which he takes on the road to capture texture in the wild. And, Sumi von Dassow builds a clay ball opener, which is also featured in her new book, Making Pottery for the Home and Garden. We also showcase Grace Potter (pinched porcelain lamps); Sarah German, our cover artist (coiled baskets); and Alex Maldonado (marbled clay cup with wax-resist patterns). While I know you will enjoy their techniques, I know you will love their tools more. Happy making!
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What does one need to be a ceramic artist? This is debatable for sure. To practice ceramics, one needs at the bare minimum, desire and clay. Soon to follow are instruction, tools, glazes, kilns, and space. So, when need changes to want over time, how does that list evolve? With desire as a given, for me, it looks like this: tools, clay, time, space, and a kiln. I suspect, when pressed, many ceramic artists will agree that their tools are a defining part of their practice. And if not, just take them away and watch. We could all make work without them, but it wouldn’t be as much fun.
I have drawers full of tools collected over 25 years of making: various needle tools (thickness of the needle matters), polymer, metal, and wooden ribs; knives with sharp and dull blades; sponges of different colors for different surfaces; and piles of things to poke holes, scratch surfaces, carve, facet, trim, wire, stamp, measure, etc. I also have handmade tools. I once quipped that the only tool I needed was a needle tool, so a friend in undergrad made me one that I could wear as a necklace. The sharp tip was fitted with a screw-on cap so I wouldn’t stab myself (A). A kind student fashioned me a couple of wooden paddles that look very Flintstones-esque but work great for shaping clay and adding texture (B). I have altered countless metal ribs to forge new tool tips (C) and sharp scarpers for every angle. In addition to all that, I have acquired some oddball tools along the way, including two massive syringes from a veterinarian; expired dental tools from a hygienist; a whisk with the rounded dome cut off at the top; and a hardy metal bench scraper from my father, who was a baker (D).
Yet, I keep finding more tools to bring home. At the most recent NCECA in Detroit, I was introduced to a sponge that, when whetted, felt like holding jelly—the smoothest sponge I have ever used on porcelain (E). When I was in Japan a year ago, I couldn’t live without a mini bow harp (F) and a very intense scoring tool (G) from a ceramic tool store in Shigaraki. Like I said, drawers full of tools—all of them needed, all of them used. And, I bought my first banding wheel recently—how did I ever manage without it?
This issue focuses on tools and the artists who rely on them to further their practice. Sarah Caudill uses an AirPen (a handheld, air-powered sprayer) to decorate her surfaces. Dan Ingersoll utilizes a computer program to draw lines on existing pots in order to learn new ways to alter them. Hayne Bayless shows us his large handmade harp used to cut slabs and his DIY scratching tool for creating his signature surface decoration. Frank James Fisher debuts his Traveling Clay Kit to readers. A true marvel of a toolbox, which he takes on the road to capture texture in the wild. And, Sumi von Dassow builds a clay ball opener, which is also featured in her new book, Making Pottery for the Home and Garden. We also showcase Grace Potter (pinched porcelain lamps); Sarah German, our cover artist (coiled baskets); and Alex Maldonado (marbled clay cup with wax-resist patterns). While I know you will enjoy their techniques, I know you will love their tools more. Happy making!
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