[Carolyn Dorr]

Have you experimented working with various clay bodies: stoneware, porcelain, terra cotta, white earthenware? Do you use primarily one body? How did you decide? What are the qualities that made "IT" the one?

Sorry more than one question, but all related...

I am primarily a stoneware person, but always keep some porcelain nearby. I have wanted for years to use porcelain on a regular basis, but often it is so fraught with problems for the forms I want to make, that I give it a try, and then return to stoneware for its superb flexibility.




Diana Pancioli
Potters Council Board Member
dianamp@comcast.net
dianapancioli.com

[Karen B]

Carolyn, I use 6 clay bodies! That sounds like a lot, but I really need them for different uses.

I use a ^6 speckled stoneware, ^6 porcelain and ^04 terra cotta for throwing similar items with
similar designs. The glazing is so different and I like that variety.

I use a ^04 white earthenware for making detailed 3D decorative tiles.

And a ^6 white stoneware which works better for handbuilding than does porcelain,

Finally I have a very sturdy ^6 clay body which is optimal for permanent outdoor items such as bird baths or flower pots.

I have 2 wheels. One is reserved for dark clay bodies, and the other for white. I am VERY careful about labeling the plastic
bags with a sharpie as they are indiscernible when wet.

[DBCurley]

Typically, I've been using three clay bodies as well. For my 1:1 scale humans, I've been using Lisa Clague's brand clay. It's awesome stuff! Super durable, and fires a nice white. For my more masculine forms, I've been using a speckled brown ^6 clay body(I like the glazing effects I can get out of it). And I typically keep about 50lbs of porcelain kicking around when someone wants something in particular like dainty white tea cups.

I've played with some 266 and Red rock recently. I enjoyed them both!

[OffCenter]

I use B-Mix 5 for my cone 6 pots, Lizella Red for terra cotta/stoneware pots, Frost 5 for cone 6 porcelain, Frost 5 paper clay for cone 6 porcelain, Southern Ice for cone 10 pots, B-Mix woodfire for cone 13 pots, beginning to experiment with clay dug on my land (I live in Lizella which is the namesake of one of the prettiest clays available in the US).

Jim

[JBaymore]

OffCenter, on 01 July 2012 - 10:38 AM, said:

(I live in Lizella which is the namesake of one of the prettiest clays available in the US).

You lucky son of a gun! Agree wholeheartedly that Lizella is some great stuff.

best,

.....................john