The New Hampshire Potters Guild Info Page

THOUGHTS ON CLAY
AND CLAY SUBSTITUTES
By: Kit Cornell

CLAY
The clay that forms the crust of our planet is what I use in my work as a potter and educator.  Clay is the result of the weathering of rock over thousands, even millions of years.  I either harvest it myself or have a blend of natural clays mixed by a clay supplier delivered to my studio .  In my career as a potter, I have used earthenware, stoneware and porcelain (more varieties of each than I can count).  I love clay! It's a natural material, easy to form, and smells sweetly of the earth.  Dug oneself, it's a free gift of nature, and even if you buy it, it ought not cost more than pennies a pound.  Iron-rich earthenware clays are abundant.  Most clays dug in New Hampshire are grey or green in their raw state, and fire to a rich, deep red, sometimes with a flecking of mica or other minerals.  Com-mercial earthenwares are available which may be white, beige, brown or red.  

If handled with care, clay is an excellent material for artistic expression and appropriate for school use at every level.  It is remarkably easy to get a student's attention if you hand them a lump of clay.  .  .  their fingers begin to explore, their imagination kicks in and they are off on a creative journey.  In terms of safety, clay contains silica and other toxic substances which are hazardous primarily by inhaling the dust.  Whenever possible, use already-mixed moist clay, keep it damp while in use, wipe tables with a wet sponge, keep floors clean by wet-mopping regularly, and avoid sanding pieces in an enclosed area.  

Glazes are mixtures of minerals that melt at a certain temperature.  They may be used to coat clay pieces.  Remember, using glaze is optional.  All earthenware clays can be glazed--a variety of underglazes and glazes are available, as well as clear glazes-- that will seal the piece for functional use.  Only no-lead glazes should be used, and safety information should be requested and read carefully.  As with clay, one should avoid creating dust from dried glaze.  

The hurdle of hardening (firing) clay pieces is far from insurmountable.  Many New Hampshire schools now have kilns.  If you don't have a kiln of your own, there may be a school, an art center, or a local potter you can work with in a mutually productive way.  No matter what kiln you use, remember that it must be vented to the outside.  Firing clay releases toxic fumes that must not be inhaled.  

Increasingly, I have become aware of plastic substitutes for clay, neatly packaged brownie-sized or larger rectangles of an easily moldable clay-like material in the most brilliant colors one can imagine.  Some labels state, "Better than Clay" and indicate a home oven is all that's needed to immortalize any resulting creation.  The cost for a two-ounce package is about $1.  00 per ounce (or $16.  00 per pound).  When compared with clay, the cost of these plastic substitutes is high, but the selling points of these substitutes are its ease of hardening (no kiln required, a toaster oven will do) and that the brilliant colors require no glaze materials.  I have found that these clay substitutes are not as responsive to touch like clay, but they do not dry out as much as clay in use.  

Because I'm always interested in learning more, I recently spoke with some knowledgeable people about these plastic polymer clay substitutes.  Here's some of what I've learned.  

Polymer Clay is not clay, but a vinyl chloride plastic.  It's a polymer product created by the petroleum industry; it's made from oil.  If you have a concern with the amount of oil we import and the problems created thereby, then using natural clay may be preferable to using Polymer Clay.  

In order to make vinyl chloride plastic malleable, additives are included in their formulation.  The effects of these additives when inhaled or absorbed through the skin is uncertain.  Among these additives are phthalates, suspected by many to cause developmental and/or reproductive problems.  For additional information, please refer to an excellent book by Colborn/Myers/Dumanoski, titled Our Stolen Future.  The phthalate DEHP has been removed from several polymer products because it was listed as an animal carcinogen.  It has been replaced by other phthalates which have not yet been fully tested for cancer, developmental and/or potential reproductive effects.  

Some clay substitutes display warning information on the wrapper, and it is always wise to read the fine print.  Cautions relating to the hardening of these materials in toaster oven or regular oven bear special consideration, as toxic fumes are a real hazard.  Most polymer clay substitutes prominently display the nontoxic label from the Art and Craft Materials Institute (ACMI).  The ACMI, as I understand it, is comprised of manufacturers of arts and craft products.  This association hires toxicologists to evaluate products, and if a product passes, it may be stamped and sold to consumers bearing the ACMI's non-toxic label.  This label means that users will not be exposed to significant amounts of known chronically toxic ingredients.  All art materials have a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), which is available from the manufacturer.  It is valuable to request this information from the manufacturer in order to learn about the products ingredients and potential hazards.  

Monona Rossol, of the Arts, Crafts and Theatre Safety (ACTS), an organization which monitors products and works to make citizens aware of potential problems, cautions, "Don't believe everything you read: Educate and Protect Yourself.     
" I couldn't have said it better!''    -Kit-

  Arnie Zimmerman led the workshop I attended titled Mining Inspiration.  My attendance was assured by a Scholarship award from and Potters Guild and the NCSC the latter's first.  Arnie's
credentials and creative contribution to the clay community have been impressive over the last 3 decades.  He has evolved as an artist from producing 30 monumental forms in the 80's to a smaller scale of work at present.  Yet larger then average to many in the workshop.  

  We were encouraged to bring some object or photos of work that inspired us.  Arnie provided a technique that could be employed to construct the form.  His technique starts with rolling clay and (as many do to make a long spout ) sliding a rod through the roll to create a tube.  A base is then made similar to the slab and wall construction of a house.  The tubes attached to the base (assembled in monkey bar or triangular pattern) form a strong structure not too distant from the strength the Geodesic Principle provides.  This system offers the advantage of working large without the difficulty of working with a heavy mass of clay ,as well as, the ability to curve or arch the sculpture.  The technique was easily employed under Arnie's watchful eye and large forms began to emerge.  Most of the 11 students were able to produce multiple sculptures in a relatively short period of time.  Arnie commented on the high degree of professionalism shown by the group.  

  Some were advised to abandon the technique if it didn't work well with there objectives.  I never employed the technique but have it as a tool should I need it in the future.  At the time I applied for the scholarships I had a mind set that I would use this opportunity to break from the past and experiment with a subject and technique that I have not experienced.  My inspiration to be mined into a body of work would be figurative.  The technique I would employ would be slab constructed cylinders that I could push the clay out from the inside and in from the outside to make my nude relief forms.  

 Since I thought Arnie might consider me unresponsive not to follow his instructions.  I didn't feel comfortable as I held my breath and started my slab cylinders.  When Arnie made his appearance at my table I explained myself.  I found he had a lot besides tubes to offer.  The first piece I made was about 12 h.  x 6w.  Arnie suggested I make 9 more.  I lost some time rolling slabs but had ten done and ready for comment on Saturday morning, a day and a half after I started.   To my surprise not only does Arnie believe in the benefits of working in series but also working larger.  Now he asked me to make 5 , 21 h.  forms with a 1" slab.  

 I new I had to use the slab roller in the throwing room next door now.  So with some disruption to that class I began to go through 150 lbs of clay to make 3 units.  Lifting 35 lbs of clay and placing it on a base was challenging and without years of slab handling I would have needed help.  Fortunately, we had Miller K-6 a soft clay that is also favored by those unable to throw the denser clays anymore.  K-6 yielded easily to my push and press technique.  Before noon I had 3 units done and asked Arnie if I should continue to work on those.  Not to my surprise he wanted me to buy more clay and make more.  I was able to complete the 4th prior to the end of the session.  

 At my critique on Sunday morning Arnie suggested I work even larger benefiting from the greater amount of energy that would be infused into the forms when I moved to a smaller size.  

This was my second NCSC, the first with Bill Daley, which also involved large form construction.  As in the first NCSC I returned with a wealth of knowledge and the satisfaction of having made a successful start towards producing a new body of work.  I can highly recommend the 4 day conference not only for the individual workshops but the exposure to the other media (12 in all) and craftsmen in an intensive creative atmosphere.  The support I received from the PG and NCSC assured that I would get a new start in clay and they have my grateful appreciation.  

 I've been starved for art on TV, 3-D art, things that appeal to my inner potter. Until recently, the only thing I found with any kind of consistency, (in my humble opinion) is Modern Masters, a ½ hour show which airs once a week on HGTV. Modern Masters features three artists from around the country during each episode. Each featured artist, be it blacksmith, woodworker, plastercaster or potter shares his/her method for bringing their medium to life. I have been lucky enough to catch some episodes which have featured clay artists. If you're interested in seeing when Modern Masters is on in your area, just log onto: www.HGTV.com.

While clicking through an endless amount of cable channels one night, I caught two episodes of Egg the Arts Show on PBS. Wow! For the first time since my youngest daughter was a toddler, I have found something/anything that interested me on PBS.

The first episode was called "The Desert" with three segments about different artsy-type things that go on there. The first segment was about Marfa, Texas, where in 1979, minimalist sculptor Donald Judd (1929-1994) left the confines of New York City for the open spaces and wide vistas of the desert. An abandoned army base outside of Marfa, Texas (called the Chinati Foundation today), proved to be the ideal venue for his work. The views depicted were tremendous, but the art was nothing that excited me, but nonetheless, it was art!

The second segment was Viva Las Vegas! Vegas is the city I personally love to hate, because it's the only place my hubby and I battle over whenever we travel west. He must go there and I dread it every single time! Now, it seems I have a reason to go along with him with a little less of a fight - great museums in some of the biggest hotels! One hotel is even opening a Guggenheim!

Finally, every year, 30,000 people make a pilgrimage to take part in a week-long event known as Burning Man. People bring along their 3-D art which they display, wear, construct, drive or what-have-you, all in celebration of art! For that one-week out of each year, Burning Man is the 3rd largest city in Nevada.

Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara hosted the second episode. The hosting I could have done without, as much as I have always loved that comedic couple. The parts with them were just plain corny!

At any rate, the first segment was about Gary Greff - "Build It And They Will Come." That's the not-so-old movie slogan (from Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner) that Gary Greff lives by. A schoolteacher turned metal sculptor, Greff is trying to save his hometown of Regent, North Dakota (population - 268 people) by building a folk-art tourist attraction called the Enchanted Highway. On a stretch of Interstate 94 near Regent, Greff has built enormous metal sculptures in an effort to get people to stop and take notice. All of his creations are wonderful and he has even gotten one into The Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest sculpture!

Next up was Harmony College, featuring the time-honored art of the Barbershop Quartet. This art remains alive thanks to the efforts of S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.-- the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. Each year the Society sponsors a workshop for barbershop quartetists; young, old, beginners, and professionals alike are welcome. I learned a lot about this art form from watching this episode.

The final segment was The Sid Saga-Sid Laverents. Beginning in the 1920's, amateur movie clubs were common in communities all across America. Neighbors would gather around a projector and swap their latest reels. Sid Laverents, a one-time vaudeville performer, has been an active amateur movie-maker for over half a century. This segment was a movie Sid made chronicling his life, and included snippets from some of the movies he has made over the years. Sid is now the president of the San Diego Amateur Movie Club. Those of you going to NCECA in March would do well in finding out if there is a place to view some of his work. He's just awesome!!

So potters without satellite dishes or even cable take heart, there is hope on TV…just go to www.pbs.org and see when Egg the Arts Show is on.