Many potters look to the natural world for inspiration, but many years of selling industrial parts such as sprockets and gears have been the greatest influence in my work. I make functional forms that look like they came out of an old factory, covered in rust, grime, and graffiti. Some designs are easily identifiable and some are abstracted. The design on this rocking vase was inspired by a zipper, of all things. For pots that have glaze-resist patterns, I use a stoneware clay body that contrasts with the glaze and then choose a glaze that does not run so the design remains intact.
Initial Considerations and Form
The body of the rocking vase is thrown on a bat while the bottom is made from a hand-rolled slab. Before starting, consider how wide you want your base to be. The wider the base the more rock or lift you will get. For a small vase, approximately 4 inches tall by 7½ inches wide (10.2×19.1 cm), use approximately 1½ pounds (0.7 kg) of stoneware clay for the body.
Center the clay and flatten it, like you would for a plate, to about 6 inches (15.2 cm) in diameter (1). Then, open the piece up (2) all the way down to the bat (3). Pull up the wall (4) and collar it (5) into a cone shape (6). The wall thickness should be about ¼–⅜ inch (6.4–9.5 mm). The mouth, or top of the cone, can be as narrow as you like. Refine the shape and smooth out any throwing rings and excess moisture with a soft rubber rib (7). Leave the cone on the bat and let it firm up slowly to medium leather hard.
While the cone is drying, make the bottom by rolling out a slab approximately ¼-⅜ inch (6.4–9.5 mm) thick. It should be larger than the base of the cone and longer than it is wide by a few inches. Compress the slab with a plastic rib and add texture with stamps or rollers if you like. Let this set up to medium leather hard.
Altering the Form
When the cone is medium leather hard, it’s time to alter the shape. Medium leather hard is dry enough to shape easily without collapsing, but not so dry that it cracks when you squeeze it into shape. Run a wire under the cone then set the cone on a worktable. Gently squeeze the cone so the bottom becomes an oval (8). You will see the sides start to lift. Once you are satisfied with the width of your cone, you can check the lift of the ends. If you want more lift, squeeze the cone more to make it narrower, or you can remove clay from the bottom of the cone with a Surform.
To increase the lift by removing clay, mark the center line of the body and work from the center outward removing material from both sides evenly until you get the lift and rock you want.
Joining the Body to the Base
Once the body is shaped it’s time to add the base slab. Place the body on the slab and rock it to each side while marking the outline with a needle tool (9). Trace the outline slightly larger than the actual base. Remove the body from the slab, then cut out the base (10). Score and slip the body and base, then attach. Press the base to the top firmly, rock back and forth (11) to make sure the bottom is securely attached. Compress and clean up the attachment from the inside of the vase using a long-handled brush or sponge. Use a Surform to clean up and shape the bottom edge of the vase (12). Finally, do any necessary cleanup on the surface (13), let the piece dry, and then bisque fire it.
Applying Patterns and Glazes
When your vase comes out of the bisque, it’s time to design the surface. There are many ways to make patterns. I use graph paper reinforced with clear tape because it is an inexpensive option. Draw a pattern on graph paper and apply clear tape over the drawing. The clear tape helps keep the pattern from tearing when you cut it out (14) and makes it more durable if you want to use it more than once.
If you have access to a vinyl cutter, it is ideal for making intricate and reusable patterns. You can also draw your design freehand onto the bisque-fired form.
This form has a large face, making a front-and-center design the obvious choice. Another option is to encourage the viewer to engage with the vessel by placing the design on the narrow ends, creating a bit of mystery. This invites the viewer to peek around to see the design in full and suggests a more interesting display. To show off the complete design, the vase must be displayed at an angle.
Lay your pattern on the vase and trace your design with a pencil, then apply the resist with a brush over the pattern (15). I usually use wax but depending on your design, liquid latex will also work. Wax the bottom of your piece as well.
Glaze the piece by dipping, brushing, or spraying. When choosing a glaze, pick one that is stable/stiff. Runny glazes will distort your design. After glazing, look over the resist pattern and clean up the edges with a pointy wooden tool or a bamboo skewer (16). Clean up the base so you have a crisp line between the body and the base.
Fire the glazed piece (17) to the appropriate temperature. This piece was fired to cone-10 in a reduction atmosphere (18).
Rebecca Sabo began her pottery journey in 2000 and has been making work in her free time at The Red Kiln Pottery Studio in Salt Lake City since 2007. See more of her work at Industrialsafari.etsy.com and follow her on Instagram @industrial_safari.
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Many potters look to the natural world for inspiration, but many years of selling industrial parts such as sprockets and gears have been the greatest influence in my work. I make functional forms that look like they came out of an old factory, covered in rust, grime, and graffiti. Some designs are easily identifiable and some are abstracted. The design on this rocking vase was inspired by a zipper, of all things. For pots that have glaze-resist patterns, I use a stoneware clay body that contrasts with the glaze and then choose a glaze that does not run so the design remains intact.
Initial Considerations and Form
The body of the rocking vase is thrown on a bat while the bottom is made from a hand-rolled slab. Before starting, consider how wide you want your base to be. The wider the base the more rock or lift you will get. For a small vase, approximately 4 inches tall by 7½ inches wide (10.2×19.1 cm), use approximately 1½ pounds (0.7 kg) of stoneware clay for the body.
Center the clay and flatten it, like you would for a plate, to about 6 inches (15.2 cm) in diameter (1). Then, open the piece up (2) all the way down to the bat (3). Pull up the wall (4) and collar it (5) into a cone shape (6). The wall thickness should be about ¼–⅜ inch (6.4–9.5 mm). The mouth, or top of the cone, can be as narrow as you like. Refine the shape and smooth out any throwing rings and excess moisture with a soft rubber rib (7). Leave the cone on the bat and let it firm up slowly to medium leather hard.
While the cone is drying, make the bottom by rolling out a slab approximately ¼-⅜ inch (6.4–9.5 mm) thick. It should be larger than the base of the cone and longer than it is wide by a few inches. Compress the slab with a plastic rib and add texture with stamps or rollers if you like. Let this set up to medium leather hard.
Altering the Form
When the cone is medium leather hard, it’s time to alter the shape. Medium leather hard is dry enough to shape easily without collapsing, but not so dry that it cracks when you squeeze it into shape. Run a wire under the cone then set the cone on a worktable. Gently squeeze the cone so the bottom becomes an oval (8). You will see the sides start to lift. Once you are satisfied with the width of your cone, you can check the lift of the ends. If you want more lift, squeeze the cone more to make it narrower, or you can remove clay from the bottom of the cone with a Surform.
To increase the lift by removing clay, mark the center line of the body and work from the center outward removing material from both sides evenly until you get the lift and rock you want.
Joining the Body to the Base
Once the body is shaped it’s time to add the base slab. Place the body on the slab and rock it to each side while marking the outline with a needle tool (9). Trace the outline slightly larger than the actual base. Remove the body from the slab, then cut out the base (10). Score and slip the body and base, then attach. Press the base to the top firmly, rock back and forth (11) to make sure the bottom is securely attached. Compress and clean up the attachment from the inside of the vase using a long-handled brush or sponge. Use a Surform to clean up and shape the bottom edge of the vase (12). Finally, do any necessary cleanup on the surface (13), let the piece dry, and then bisque fire it.
Applying Patterns and Glazes
When your vase comes out of the bisque, it’s time to design the surface. There are many ways to make patterns. I use graph paper reinforced with clear tape because it is an inexpensive option. Draw a pattern on graph paper and apply clear tape over the drawing. The clear tape helps keep the pattern from tearing when you cut it out (14) and makes it more durable if you want to use it more than once.
If you have access to a vinyl cutter, it is ideal for making intricate and reusable patterns. You can also draw your design freehand onto the bisque-fired form.
This form has a large face, making a front-and-center design the obvious choice. Another option is to encourage the viewer to engage with the vessel by placing the design on the narrow ends, creating a bit of mystery. This invites the viewer to peek around to see the design in full and suggests a more interesting display. To show off the complete design, the vase must be displayed at an angle.
Lay your pattern on the vase and trace your design with a pencil, then apply the resist with a brush over the pattern (15). I usually use wax but depending on your design, liquid latex will also work. Wax the bottom of your piece as well.
Glaze the piece by dipping, brushing, or spraying. When choosing a glaze, pick one that is stable/stiff. Runny glazes will distort your design. After glazing, look over the resist pattern and clean up the edges with a pointy wooden tool or a bamboo skewer (16). Clean up the base so you have a crisp line between the body and the base.
Fire the glazed piece (17) to the appropriate temperature. This piece was fired to cone-10 in a reduction atmosphere (18).
Rebecca Sabo began her pottery journey in 2000 and has been making work in her free time at The Red Kiln Pottery Studio in Salt Lake City since 2007. See more of her work at Industrialsafari.etsy.com and follow her on Instagram @industrial_safari.
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