Early in my clay career, I noticed that I lost connection with my work once it was glazed. I have always loved leather-hard clay. To me, it is the most beautiful stage in the clay process. At this stage, clay seems to capture the mark of the maker’s hands, leaving subtle evidence of touch that is often diminished once it reaches the bisque-fired and glazed stages. I found myself questioning: Why cover up the beauty of clay with glaze? Is it really necessary? These questions led me to explore firing my work without an exterior glaze. There’s a striking contrast between the soft feel of bare porcelain and the glazed surface. Rather than covering my work entirely with glaze, I use patterns to engage the viewer.
Whether I’m creating a mug, cup, butter dish, or vase, I aim to let the form serve as a canvas for pattern. With this concept in mind, I designed this simple, straight-sided brick vase.
Construction
I begin by sculpting the top and bottom forms from a solid chunk of clay, a stage I refer to as the prototype. Once satisfied with the form, I create a plaster mold by pouring liquid plaster over the prototype. In this case, the mold consists of four pieces: two for the top of the vase and two for the bottom. While this process is labor intensive at the outset (developing the design, prototype, and plaster mold), it allows me to reproduce the form with relative ease afterward.
Once the plaster mold is complete, I assemble the pieces, ready for casting. I pour cone-10 porcelain casting slip into the molds and set a 25-minute timer for the top of the vase and an 18-minute timer for the pedestal (1). When the timer goes off, I pour out the remaining slip from the molds and wait 15 minutes before flipping them over and pouring out the excess clay. The vase remains in the molds for another two hours before releasing (2, 3).
After removing the vase from the molds, I trim the rim to the desired height (4) and use a sponge to clean up any unwanted markings from the casting.
Next, I use the trimmings from the cut rim to create dividers inside the vase (5). These dividers serve two purposes: first, they prevent warping during drying and firing, which had been an issue in earlier iterations; second, they help keep flower stems upright, offering flexibility in arranging flowers. The dividers also make it possible to create asymmetrical flower arrangements by utilizing one side of the vase while leaving the other side empty.
Applying Pattern
At this point, even though the vase is ready to be assembled, I find it’s best to add decorative elements before attaching the top to the bottom piece.
Pattern has become a hallmark of my work, and this vase was designed as a canvas for such patterns. For this piece, I used the sgraffito technique to carve a design into the vase. First, I painted a black slip onto the surface (6). This slip is a tried-and-true recipe that works well when fired to either cone 6 or cone 10, with a slightly glossier finish than other slips I’ve used. Once the slip is leather hard, I measure and lay out a grid of dots (7), which I carve out using a Diamond Core Tools U-tip carving tool. These dots not only serve as carved decorative elements, but will also be filled with a colored glaze after the bisque firing. The dots guide me as I carve the main, overall pattern using a Diamond Core Tools P12 straight-tip carving tool (8).
Final Assembly
After the pattern is complete (9), I apply casting slip to the pedestal using a Xiem Tools squeeze bottle (10) and join the top and bottom pieces to complete the vase form (see 14). After assembly, I let the vase dry slowly over the course of two to three days to prevent cracks from forming. Then, bisque fire the form.
Glazing
After the bisque firing, it’s time to glaze the vase. I use a Xiem Tools squeeze bottle to apply glaze into the carved dots (11). Next, I cover the patterned surface with wax resist (12). After the wax dries, I fill the interior of the vase with glaze (13), then pour it out and allow it to dry. Finally, I pour glaze over the exterior sides (14) and the top edges of the base (15).
Unfortunately, this piece is slightly too large to fit into a standard 5-gallon bucket, which makes glazing more challenging. If I were to iterate on this design, I would make the vase slightly smaller to make glazing more efficient.
Firing
I fire my work to cone 10 in an oxidizing atmosphere using a gas kiln. The bright glazes I’ve developed incorporate encapsulated Mason stains. In a reduction atmosphere, many of these stains can become muted or, in some cases, burn out completely.
Matt Conlon is a full-time studio potter in Ogden, Utah, with his wife, Jackie, and their four children. He earned his BFA from Utah State University in 2012. Matt works in his home studio alongside his wife. They travel across the country participating in annual arts festivals. Learn more at www.conlonpottery.com or on Instagram @conlonpottery.
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Surface Uncovered
Early in my clay career, I noticed that I lost connection with my work once it was glazed. I have always loved leather-hard clay. To me, it is the most beautiful stage in the clay process. At this stage, clay seems to capture the mark of the maker’s hands, leaving subtle evidence of touch that is often diminished once it reaches the bisque-fired and glazed stages. I found myself questioning: Why cover up the beauty of clay with glaze? Is it really necessary? These questions led me to explore firing my work without an exterior glaze. There’s a striking contrast between the soft feel of bare porcelain and the glazed surface. Rather than covering my work entirely with glaze, I use patterns to engage the viewer.
Whether I’m creating a mug, cup, butter dish, or vase, I aim to let the form serve as a canvas for pattern. With this concept in mind, I designed this simple, straight-sided brick vase.
Construction
I begin by sculpting the top and bottom forms from a solid chunk of clay, a stage I refer to as the prototype. Once satisfied with the form, I create a plaster mold by pouring liquid plaster over the prototype. In this case, the mold consists of four pieces: two for the top of the vase and two for the bottom. While this process is labor intensive at the outset (developing the design, prototype, and plaster mold), it allows me to reproduce the form with relative ease afterward.
Once the plaster mold is complete, I assemble the pieces, ready for casting. I pour cone-10 porcelain casting slip into the molds and set a 25-minute timer for the top of the vase and an 18-minute timer for the pedestal (1). When the timer goes off, I pour out the remaining slip from the molds and wait 15 minutes before flipping them over and pouring out the excess clay. The vase remains in the molds for another two hours before releasing (2, 3).
After removing the vase from the molds, I trim the rim to the desired height (4) and use a sponge to clean up any unwanted markings from the casting.
Next, I use the trimmings from the cut rim to create dividers inside the vase (5). These dividers serve two purposes: first, they prevent warping during drying and firing, which had been an issue in earlier iterations; second, they help keep flower stems upright, offering flexibility in arranging flowers. The dividers also make it possible to create asymmetrical flower arrangements by utilizing one side of the vase while leaving the other side empty.
Applying Pattern
At this point, even though the vase is ready to be assembled, I find it’s best to add decorative elements before attaching the top to the bottom piece.
Pattern has become a hallmark of my work, and this vase was designed as a canvas for such patterns. For this piece, I used the sgraffito technique to carve a design into the vase. First, I painted a black slip onto the surface (6). This slip is a tried-and-true recipe that works well when fired to either cone 6 or cone 10, with a slightly glossier finish than other slips I’ve used. Once the slip is leather hard, I measure and lay out a grid of dots (7), which I carve out using a Diamond Core Tools U-tip carving tool. These dots not only serve as carved decorative elements, but will also be filled with a colored glaze after the bisque firing. The dots guide me as I carve the main, overall pattern using a Diamond Core Tools P12 straight-tip carving tool (8).
Final Assembly
After the pattern is complete (9), I apply casting slip to the pedestal using a Xiem Tools squeeze bottle (10) and join the top and bottom pieces to complete the vase form (see 14). After assembly, I let the vase dry slowly over the course of two to three days to prevent cracks from forming. Then, bisque fire the form.
Glazing
After the bisque firing, it’s time to glaze the vase. I use a Xiem Tools squeeze bottle to apply glaze into the carved dots (11). Next, I cover the patterned surface with wax resist (12). After the wax dries, I fill the interior of the vase with glaze (13), then pour it out and allow it to dry. Finally, I pour glaze over the exterior sides (14) and the top edges of the base (15).
Unfortunately, this piece is slightly too large to fit into a standard 5-gallon bucket, which makes glazing more challenging. If I were to iterate on this design, I would make the vase slightly smaller to make glazing more efficient.
Firing
I fire my work to cone 10 in an oxidizing atmosphere using a gas kiln. The bright glazes I’ve developed incorporate encapsulated Mason stains. In a reduction atmosphere, many of these stains can become muted or, in some cases, burn out completely.
Matt Conlon is a full-time studio potter in Ogden, Utah, with his wife, Jackie, and their four children. He earned his BFA from Utah State University in 2012. Matt works in his home studio alongside his wife. They travel across the country participating in annual arts festivals. Learn more at www.conlonpottery.com or on Instagram @conlonpottery.
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