[Chris Campbell]

I've just returned from teaching a colored clay workshop using Skinner Blends at the John C Campbell Folk School ... very fun!!!
Mike Lalonde, the resident potter, volunteered to throw some Skinner slabs for me since my throwing skills are rusty. We folded the slabs, drop wedged so the colors would not get mixed ... he threw the slabs in all the ways we could think of and got some wonderful results. I carved on the cups to see what would happen.

So, YES ... finally I know that Skinner blended colored clays can be thrown with great results.
I am so thrilled with it that I might just have to start throwing again!
Here are a couple images, but more to follow once I get better shots.

Attached File(s)

•  freshly thrown.jpg (89.94K)
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•  cups.jpg (57.61K)
  Number of downloads: 218

[docweathers]

and Skinners slabs are??

[Mark C.]

I'm not from the south but are they not skinned squirrels of various colors then blended in a blender and rendered down to basic goo and added to white clays with when the fur burns off causes color streaks in clay??
I may have this confused with squirrel stew process its where you drink the warm stew after burning the hair off some slow moving squirrels.The smell reminds you of why you should have skinnered them first.
It also may be a blended bar drink called a skinner blend or shot- one part bourbon two parts gun oil-then after 4 drinks you can catch and skin a squirrel and get your skinner badge.
The south has some strange customs like pepmo pink interiors for hanging squirrel skins and shooting down a few skinner shots.
I have also heard of potters who have guns in the studio to blast visitors who come looking for them facing the wall.And if its a slow day they shoot pots.
The south I suggest giving it a WIDE berth.
Mark

PS this whole post is in jest.

[Marcia Selsor]

Chris,
Looks like you gave a very successful workshop that went in all directions.
Congrats!

Marcia

[OffCenter]

Mark C., on 18 February 2013 - 04:00 AM, said:

I'm not from the south but are they not skinned squirrels of various colors then blended in a blender and rendered down to basic goo and added to white clays with when the fur burns off causes color streaks in clay??
I may have this confused with squirrel stew process its where you drink the warm stew after burning the hair off some slow moving squirrels.The smell reminds you of why you should have skinnered them first.
It also may be a blended bar drink called a skinner blend or shot- one part bourbon two parts gun oil-then after 4 drinks you can catch and skin a squirrel and get your skinner badge.
The south has some strange customs like pepmo pink interiors for hanging squirrel skins and shooting down a few skinner shots.
I have also heard of potters who have guns in the studio to blast visitors who come looking for them facing the wall.And if its a slow day they shoot pots.
The south I suggest giving it a WIDE berth.
Mark

That's funny, Mark. I enjoyed it. If you're ever down this way I'll buy you a skinner blend.

Jim

[DallasGypsy]

What are Skinner blends & Skinner slabs?

[bciskepottery]

OffCenter, on 18 February 2013 - 09:33 AM, said:

Mark C., on 18 February 2013 - 04:00 AM, said:

I'm not from the south but are they not skinned squirrels of various colors then blended in a blender and rendered down to basic goo and added to white clays with when the fur burns off causes color streaks in clay??
I may have this confused with squirrel stew process its where you drink the warm stew after burning the hair off some slow moving squirrels.The smell reminds you of why you should have skinnered them first.
It also may be a blended bar drink called a skinner blend or shot- one part bourbon two parts gun oil-then after 4 drinks you can catch and skin a squirrel and get your skinner badge.
The south has some strange customs like pepmo pink interiors for hanging squirrel skins and shooting down a few skinner shots.
I have also heard of potters who have guns in the studio to blast visitors who come looking for them facing the wall.And if its a slow day they shoot pots.
The south I suggest giving it a WIDE berth.
Mark

That's funny, Mark. I enjoyed it. If you're ever down this way I'll buy you a skinner blend.

Jim

Mark C -- I belive you might be thinking of Skinner's pigeons; he is far more famous for his work with pigeons than squirrels. He tried squirrels, but the pesky little varmints attention spans were too short.

[bciskepottery]

DallasGypsy, on 18 February 2013 - 10:23 AM, said:

What are Skinner blends & Skinner slabs?

http://ceramicartsda...ng-illustrated/

[Chris Campbell]

SORRY !!!! I am so into it that I think everybody knows what I'm talking about.
Yes ... reference PMI January 2013

Skinner Blend slabs are slabs of clay color blends created with a slab roller ... I had only used them for hand building so it was great to see thrown results.
We sliced them in all directions, slam wedged them so the colors would not blend, then threw them with only one or two pulls.
I'll be teaching again in April so might have more examples then.

Attached File(s)

•  skinner slabs.jpg (42.32K)
  Number of downloads: 44
•  slices.jpg (52.36K)
  Number of downloads: 41

[OffCenter]

Chris Campbell, on 18 February 2013 - 12:22 PM, said:

SORRY !!!! I am so into it that I think everybody knows what I'm talking about.
Yes ... reference PMI January 2013

Skinner Blend slabs are slabs of clay color blends created with a slab roller ... I had only used them for hand building so it was great to see thrown results.
We sliced them in all directions, slam wedged them so the colors would not blend, then threw them with only one or two pulls.
I'll be teaching again in April so might have more examples then.

Great job, Chris. Now, if you can just get porcelain to work as reducible canes.

Jim

[Chris Campbell]

"Great job, Chris. Now, if you can just get porcelain to work as reducible canes. "

Yeah ... I would enjoy that a lot too!! I have tried and tried again with little success.