Cardboard Stencils and Colored Slips Add Imagery and Texture to Slabs
I love using stencils in my work. I’ve tried lots of different materials as stencils, but I had never thought to use cardboard. Karmien Bowman uses cardboard for stencils to create lively imagery as well as dimensionality on her slab built pottery. In today’s post, an excerpt from From a Slab of Clay, Daryl Baird explains Karmien’s process. Having dozens of clay tools is by no means a prerequisite for slab work. But, don’t be surprised as you work on your initial projects that you start looking at the utensils in your kitchen drawers or at the hand tools in your garage and find yourself thinking, “I wonder how those would work on clay?” If so, good for you!
Making Music with Clay: How to Make a Ceramic Ocarina
All kinds of musical instruments can be fashioned from clay, with one of the simplest being the ocarina. The project we are presenting today makes an ideal ceramics lesson plan for teachers incorporating basic handbuilding skills. Or it can be a fun project for those who need a break from their regular studio work.
Using a Pottery Wheel to Make Cool Slab Built Pottery
Most of us don’t think of the pottery wheel when we think about making slabs. But there’s no reason to overlook this piece of equipment when slabbuilding. The pottery wheel can yield some pretty cool results as you can see in the image to the left. In today’s post, an excerpt from his book From a Slab of Clay, Daryl Baird explains how you can use the wheel to make a slab with a spiral texture, which is quite challenging with any other method. – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.
From a Slab of Clay
Working with clay slabs offers more opportunities than any other forming process. In Daryl Baird’s new book, you’ll find everything you need to get started from setting up a proper working space to selecting the right tools and equipment—including complete instructions for building your own slab roller—Daryl doesn’t miss any details to assure your success.
Simple Sets: Making and Using Templates for Uniform Handbuilt Bowls
In today’s post, an excerpt from his book From a Slab of Clay, Daryl Baird explains how to make templates and use them to create slab-built bowls. A great benefit of this is that if you make them with a sturdy material like card stock or laminated paper, you can use them over and over.
Make a Great Impression: Carving Textured Press Molds and Stamps Out of Insulating Foam
In today’s post, Daryl Baird shows us how to make own stamps or press molds using a great transfer technique and insulating foam. Daryl also shows us how he uses his stamp as a press mold to make tiles.
The Extruder Book
The Extruder Book, by Daryl E. Baird, is an extensive how-to book that emphasizes creative ways the clay extruder is being used in pottery studios. With a foreword by John Glick, The Extruder Book covers, in great detail, all commercially available extruders and associated equipment on the market today, ceramic artists using extruders, and includes a beautiful 96-page full-color gallery exhibit of works created with the extruder.
Ready to Send Your Rolling Pin Back to the Kitchen? Five Questions to Ask When Considering A Slab Roller
Today, Daryl Baird gives some guidelines on determining if a slab roller is right for you, and explains some of the different options available.
20 Tips to Improve Your Extruder Experience
Assemble it correctly. Make sure your extruder is assembled correctly, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you bought a used or custom-made extruder, ask the person who sold it to you to cover the operation basics, if possible.
Custom Dies for the Clay Extruder: Another Pottery Use for Old Credit Cards
With these simple tools, Daryl Baird shows you how to make your own custom extruder dies.
