New Relief Printed Boxes & Bevel-o-Matic Tool
Posted by: Cynthia in Handbuilding, Relief Printing, Tools
I’ve rolled out a slab of “ash” white stoneware clay purchased from Mile Hi Ceramics. I’m going to give my new lino cut a try.
I found that I get a better print when I used a rubber mallet to set my lino-cut in place - otherwise it slipped a little when I ran the rolling pin over it several times from different directions.
After I printed the clay and before I lifted the lino-cut, I trimmed away the excess clay from the slab. I cut my linoleum pretty precisely before I carved it.
Voila, my print - see the bottom center? this is before I realized that I should use the rubber mallet to get a good print.
Here, I’ve got 4 sides of my poppy lino-cut printed and a large slab for the top and bottom. If you do your math, you’ll see that i actually printed 5 sides, even though I only meant to do 4. I turned the fifth one into a tile.
This could be why I printed out 5 sides instead of 4. :D It was after 8 pm after all.
A funny thing happened a few weeks ago. About a month ago, I ordered a Bevel-o-Matic tool from claystamps.com after reading a tool review on Emily Murphy’s Pottery blog. After 2 weeks, I didn’t receive an acknowledgment or the tool in the mail. I had used the Paypal link on their website to purchase, so I followed up with an email and canceled the transaction. About a week after that, I received an email from them apologizing and telling me that they’ll put one in the mail for me and that I should send them a check after receiving it. I wasn’t quite sure I’d see one or not, but lo and behold, a Bevel-o-Matic tool arrived a week later. It seemed so refreshing to me that the owner would trust me enough to send before receiving payment. So, I am definitely one happy customer and promptly stuck a check in the mail. By the way, it works like a charm!
I worked on 2 boxes simulataneously. These are larger than the porcelain ones I’ve made in the past couple of months.
Here, I am dutifully adding clay coils to the joints to strengthen them. I tried not adding them to a couple and experienced some cracking. The glaze covered the cracks up, but I was worried the whole time while they were firing.
Walls are up - only have to add the tops.
Vine printed box is now drying and setting up.
Here’s the poppy printed box. I think I like the way this print turned out. I suppose the real test will be after glazing. I’d like to see the glaze break nicely over the raised and recessed parts of the boxes.
Meanwhile, I am attending a one day hand-building workshop with Annie Chrietzberg tomorrow. I hope to report back on Monday with all the wonderful things I learned at her studio!
Have a good weekend,
~Cynthia
Tags: annie chrietzberg, bevel-o-matic, emily murphy, poppy, relief printing on clay
Entries (RSS)
Your work is amazing as usual. Thanks so much for sharing your process with us. I learn a ton every time I visit your blog. Btw, I am totally in love with that poppies relief of yours!
so how do you like it compared to the one your father in law made?
I was curious with your lino cuts if you are encountering any clay sticking to the linoleum.. You could also use a brayer instead of a wide rolling pin. ..you may still have to use your mallet though, considering the depth and expanse of your stamps.
Look great so far.. i hear celadon calling
Cheers!
Anne
These look fantastic Cynthia! Thank you for sharing the process. I don’t know why but I had got it in my head that your lino cuts would be used to print colour onto the boxes, as well as produce a relief effect. As you say, the glaze will probably do that job for you!
Is there any particular reason why you decided to make these ones from stoneware rather than porcelain?
I checked Anne’s website. Fun stuff.
Took me a bit to understand the reference to the cup picture. Take it the wine was good.
Thanks Chi - I think your new work is stunning! I keep checking your etsy shop every so often.
Well, Anne, at the risk of hurting my FIL’s feelings, the bevel-o-matic is very precise and I don’t have to adjust the tension on the wire. It’s only good for 45 degree cuts on 1/4″ slabs though. So, anything thinner or thicker won’t really work well.
I am going to try that too, Undaunted, but I think it will be a bit messy. I may be wrong though. My original idea was to get some texture and imagery on the pieces. My wide rolling pin has much more pressure than the brayer I have. I really lean into it to make sure the image transfers. I will use the brayer to try rolling on some underglaze some day.
Teehee, Janet… Anne makes beautiful work!
Thanks so much for posting this lino information. It is really neat seeing the process from beginning to end. I, too, thought the lino cut had some mason stain or ink or something on the raised portion of the carved lino and expected to see that image transferred to the clay, especially since the lino cut is black in one photo and then blue in another?
Can’t wait to hear about your workshop and to see your new lino boxes out of the kiln.
Wow! and Double wow! What a neat group of pictures to show how you are doing stuff. The new tool looks like it works like a charm. Clay building sounds like such a neat workshop. Can hardly wait to see what you do with it. Blessings,
Thanks Linda and Mary! The ink you see is the sharpie marker that I use to block in my drawing so I don’t originally carve something I’m not suppose to.
Thanks for sharing the process of how you make those lovely boxes and I love the poppy design too!
Thanks Lynette!!