Bodies – Clay That Is…
A small sampling of clay stacked in the damp room of the Colorado Potters Guild
Last Monday, I had a decision to make and let’s just say that decisions are not made lightly by me and I had to call in back up. I had no clay – well, actually I have a lot of clay, but most of it needs to be reconstituted/reconditioned/recycled/whatever after over wintering in my garagio. What’s a girl to to do? I called in a life line…only she wasn’t in when I made the desperate call. So I marched back to the damp room of the Colorado Potters Guild, pulled up my big girl panties and confidently pulled out a 25# bag of P60 (^10 porcelain) determined that I was going to throw me some porcelain just like old times.
Handbuilt Platter by Kathleen Laurie
Luckily while I was dinking around the guild, looking for my shelves and gathering tools, my girlfriend, Kathleen called me back and talked me off the ledge. I hadn’t yet opened the P60 and calmly returned the bag to the damp room and replaced it with a bag of Dover (^10 white stoneware) after Kathleen kindly relayed how forgiving Dover clay is in contrast to the P60 – clearly she was trying to spare me from failure & a hurt ego after tenderly reaching out to the medium again. BTW, both the P60 and Dover clays are manufactured by Mile Hi Ceramics in Denver and Dover’s price tag is a bit friendlier too which is always a happy thing.
I should back track and explain my clay conundrum by telling you that I have mostly worked with ^6 clays and historically have fired my work in my own studio in previous years. So, choosing a new clay body with a different firing temperature is a bit daunting. I have to say that I really like Dover – it’s smooth, but not quite like porcelain. There’s still a bit of grog, but barely noticeable and the clay seems to hold up against abuse very well. I’m still practicing throwing and when I head into the guild tomorrow I’m going to try hand building again – my favorite pastime.
If choosing a clay body is difficult, wait till I get around to glazing…the choices at the guild are fantastic and I’ll be like a kid in a candy shop, paralyzed by the endless combinations of available delicacies.
LInda Starr
June 15, 2010 at 11:35 pm //
When I was working with cone 10, I really loved Laguna’s Windsor Porcelain, great for handbuilding and for throwing (I did do some) but my classmates loved it for throwing too. For stoneware I like b-mix and Soldate 60 and then Black Mountain, well you know how I am about the dark clay bodies. You are so lucky to have a such a well equipped guild so close, I really miss high fire and reduction glazes. I still have my glazes, hoping to find a place around here to get a few items fired. Have a wonderful time.
Cynthia
June 16, 2010 at 9:34 am //
One of my guild mates suggested BizBod – a ^10 paper clay. I might give this a try for more intricate work. I haven’t worked much with ^10 so it’s a whole new animal for me. We have a # of darker clay bodies that I might try since I don’t have to worry about contaminating my studio. The guild has wedging, plaster surfaces and canvas for all the different color clay bodies so it all stays nice and clean.
Undaunted
June 16, 2010 at 12:40 am //
Just out of interest, what made you decide to go for a ^10? I know stoneware is more durable than earthenware, but what are the advantages of using such a high fire clay?
Clay bodies are a bit of a headache for me too – I originally bought myself some stoneware because my first tutor always fired to 1220c, but he wouldn’t let me use my own glazes, so I switched classes, and the new tutor only fired to 1020c, so then I had the wrong clay body for the glazes I was using, so then I bought earthenware clay, and now those classes are cancelled!! I think I would like to go back to stoneware, but all my glazes are low fire now!
Cynthia
June 16, 2010 at 9:39 am //
The reduction kiln & vapor kiln are a couple of the reasons I wanted to become a member of the guild since I don’t have the capacity to do so in my home studio. We do a lot of group firings and almost everyone does ^10. We have a couple of electric kilns that mainly get used for bisque firing. I suppose I could do some ^6 work, but…I dunno. We do have about 10 ^6 glazes at the guild, but about 30+ ^10 ones and the ability to make custom glazes.
Durability is the main consideration for me for using a higher temp clay – especially for functional ware. I did use white earthenware for my kid’s classes that I taught in the past – mainly because it’s less expensive to buy and to fire. I suppose personal preference would be my final answer.
meredith
June 16, 2010 at 3:55 am //
Hey! It is so nice to see you are making some work!
I am happy to see and read you again!
Cynthia
June 16, 2010 at 9:39 am //
Great to hear from you Meredith!
ang
June 16, 2010 at 5:03 am //
cheez hope you didn’t hike em up too high!..hhheheheh oh happy days, enjoy the new clay…xx
Cynthia
June 16, 2010 at 9:40 am //
Well according to my daughter, they’re already riding high no matter what I do ;D
Eleanor Hendriks
June 16, 2010 at 11:47 am //
Choosing a new clay freaks me out so much that I’ve never done it despite many intentions to the contrary. I’m still using the same clay that the potter I rented my first studio space from used. I had to use the same clay as her if I wanted to use her tools, so I’ve never chosen a new clay!
Cynthia
June 17, 2010 at 8:24 am //
Eleanor – I still use a ^6 porcelain that my ceramic’s mentor and former instructor had me use. If it’s not broken, why fix it – right? ;D I’m forcing myself to find a ^10 clay I like since I’m working at the guild right now where they only really glaze fire in reduction.
Mary Cay
June 29, 2010 at 2:58 pm //
I want one of those square mugs GOW. Hows the Summer going?
XOMC
Cynthia
June 30, 2010 at 5:20 pm //
All yours MC – xo back at ya! Though you might criticize the handles…