TOBER

lnwm

m m

~..... ~

unto

nn

'~'~~.

1956

50c

\,

"x,_,"

-, 3

t~ ~

~~ ~

contemporary porcela,ns

UL ~rrKuv,-u
PUK
IUUK
rK~./ll:~llUl~l
Ask your local Electric Company or Fire Insurance Company
about the importance of UL approval on any electric appliance.
Others claim that wire and switches are UL approved, but their kilns are not!

TOP

LOADERS
20 quality built, feature packed models from which
to choose. D Y N A K I L N S f e a t u r e t h e p a t e n t e d D Y N A GLOW porcelain element holders . . . 4-way switches
. . 2 peep holes . . . pilot lights . . . and they are
d e s i g n e d w i t h y o u r s a f e t y in m i n d .
MODEL UISH

ENAMELING

KILNS

TEMPERATURE
HOLDING
ENAMELING
KILN
Can Also Do Ceramics!

Price includes Pyrometer,

Input Control Switch, Gravity Door,
Pilot Light, and Patented Dyna-Glow
Porcelain Element Holders.
Attractive . . . Plugs in anywhere!
MODEL

D E A L E R

E49

W R I T E FOR L I T E R A T U R E

MANUFACTURING

COMPANY
CHESTER

I N Q U I R I E S

11, P E N N A .

I N V I T E D

MAGIC MENDER is manufactured by the makers of:

[RU-TONF"VELVET" DECOR"SUPER-1-STROKF" DULHAT
Re-Ward

C e r a m i c C o l o r Mfrs., Inc.

ONE

1985

MENDER

Firestone

Blvd., Los Angeles,

STANDS

Calif.

OUT!

MAGIC MENDER, by Re-Ward,

is the finest mender available
anywhere in the world. Repairs
cracks, greenware, bi sque- like "Magic."

c~a,mf

CERAMIC

C O L O R MFRS.. I N C .

H-653

H-683 f~r

H 677
H-676

690

NEW Molds for Xmas Sales!

Prepare for Hollday buying now! Pixie face Cookie Jar
or Punch Bowl, Christmas Carolers bringing anew the
seasons' o:d, old wishes Plates with delicate, hairy-leaf
Jesign modern, s_n-bursf clock.
Look for the Dutch Kids o~r registered
Trade Mark. This is yosr assurance of a
gen;ine H c l a n d Mold.
H 653 ]fF i " Holly Plale . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.60
H 65 ~ 1 2 "
Holly
Pb~te . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.60

H683
1 1 " x ~;" C h r i s t m a s
Carolers
Ensemble
Base
H 68-f
1 0 u t " x t-;" H o u s e
............................
H 685---5~"
Boy Caroler
_ ...............................
i{ 686
~:!l"
Girl
Carolez(Muff)
........................
51 6~,7
I J i" Girl Caroler"
(Hymn
Book)
.................
H 688
614"
Christmas
Tree
........................
I-[ 6 8 9
6n , , ,
L~mp
Post
..............................
l{ 6 9 0
2"
Dog
....................................
RETAIL
PRICES,
I.'.O.B.
tion
ch;~rues
to destln;ttion

TRENTON,
N. J.
to be added
for

......

4.30
5.75
4.95
4.95
4.95
4.95
2.85
3.25

Unit
transportafull
retail
price.

H {~5,
lJ"
x 11"
Sun-burst
Clock
_ __ 6.75
i{ 6 7 6
1 ' I 1 ,2 '' P i x i e
(7ookle Jar
ov Punch
Bowl
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17.85
H 677
I" Pixie Mug"
.....
4.25

Aslc For FREE catalog.

D40 PENNSYLVANIA AV. TRENTON N J. (X 2-7039
OCTOBER

1956

O. HOMMEL.,..

For YourLibrary....

II

MOST COMPLETE

CERAMIC
SUPPLIER
With the use of HOMMEL Ceramic and
pottery materials in art classrooms of today's modern schools, young artists can be
assured of best results in their search for
self-expresslon. Maintaining the first position in the industria[ supply field. H O M MEL always supplies the best at economical prices.

UNDERGLAZECOLORS
uu
GLAZESTAINS
PREPAREDGLAZES
ENGOBESTAINS
PREPAREDCLAYBODIES
OVERGLAZECOLORS
GLASSCOLORS
GOLD-PLATINUM-LUSTRES

AVAILABLE THROUGH THE

for glass a n d china

CHEMICALS,FRITS
KILNS-a//types
WOODMODELINGTOOLS
TURNINGTOOLS
BRUSHES-fordeccrating
DECORATINGWHEELS
BRASSWIRESIEVES
ASBESTOSGLOVES& MITTENS
UNDERGLAZEPENCILS& CRAYONS
AIR BRUSHES
SPRAYBOOTHS
STANDARDPYROMETRICCONES

BOOK DEPARTMENT
N e v e r b e f o r e h a s t h e s u b j e c t of glazes been t r e a t e d so
c o m p l e t e l y in a single volume. The 314 p a g e s of technical
t e x t c o v e r s g l a z e m a k i n g f r o m t h e g r o u n d up, s t a r t i n g with
a c a r e f u l discussion of t h e r a w m a t e r i a l s . A l r e a d y in its
second p r i n t i n g , t h e book is a n i n v a l u a b l e t e a c h i n g , learni n g a n d r e f e r e n c e source f o r a d v a n c e d h o b b y potters, serious s t u d e n t s , t e a c h e r s a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l potters.
T h e c h a p t e r h e a d i n g s m o r e t h a n a d e q u a t e l y describe
the contents:
Definition of Glazes - - Glaze M a t e r i a l s - - Calculations - M i x i n g a n d Milling - - A p p l i c a t i o n - - Conversion of t h e
B a t c h to t h e Glaze - - L e a d l e s s Glazes - - F r i t t e d Glazes - R a w - L e a d Glazes - - E n g o b e s , Slips, a n d Underslips - U n d e r g l a z e s a n d O v e r g l a z e Colors - - Glaze Defects.
I n a d d i t i o n to t h e t h e o r e t i c a l a n d technical contents,
t h e t e x t includes specific e m p i r i c a l f o r m u l a s and batch
r e c i p e s f o r g l a z e s - - r a w a n d f r i t t e d ; h i g h and low t e m p e r a t u r e ; g l o s s y a n d m a t ; c r y s t a l l i n e ; a v e n t u r i n e ; etc.
T h i s h a n d s o m e l y b o u n d book c o n t a i n s e i g h t pages of
c r o s s - r e f e r e n c e d index, a d d i n g i m m e a s u r a b l y to its value
as a source of r e f e r e n c e .

Price $8.00
(we pay p o s t a g e )

FREE
H O M M E L CATALOG
Write for yourcopytoday.
Profusely illustrated.

,., O. HOMMEL CO.

I

PITTSBURGH 30, PA.

West Coast Warehouse, Laboratory & Office
4747 E. 49th Street, Los Angeles, California

ORDER

FORM

I
I
I

C e r a m i c s M o n t h l y Book D e p a r t m e n t
4175 N. H i g h St., Columbus, Ohio
Yes, p l e a s e send m e a copy of C E R A M I C G L A Z E S

NAME

.............................

]ADDRESS
City

[]

..........................
State

I enclose r e m i t t a n c e of $8.00
(Ohio add 3% Sales T a x )

]
[

I
I
[
[
[

CERAMICS MONTHLY

Volume

4,

Number

OCTOBER

10

1956

50 cenfs per c o p y

in

this

Letters

issue

...........................................

Ceramic

Shopper

Itinerary

..................................

from

Contemporary

our

Domed

Underglaze

Decoration

Vegetable
Sponge

Motif

Mosaics:

by David P. Skeggs . . . . . . . . . . .

13

by J o Rebert

demonstrated

How

to

Overglazes:

18
20

by F. C a r l t o n Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Piggy

Leather

....................

Banks .....................

Make--How

to

& Ceramics
conducted

Use

................

.....................
by Ken Smith . . . . . . . . . .

Column

by Kathe

Berl

Color

& Values

by Zena

16

by M a r c Bellaire

................................

to ~)uestions

Enamelers

...............

...............................

Shapes

Capers:

Briefs:

Answers

10

R a k u by Freda de C a s t r o

Classroom

......................

Plaques

Stoneware

Japanese

Readers

Porcelains

Enameling:

CM

.........................................

Suggestions

Strictly

of

.....................
Hoist

............

22
23

26

33
34
35

Advertisers

..................................

37

Editor

Associate Editors
Editorial Associate
Art Director

regardless of Quantity
Unlimited Colors and Exotic Effects
Easy to Apply
Non-Toxic

31

..................................

Business Manager

Consistent High Quality

29

Ceram-Activities
Index

for

24

Louis G. Farber
Spancer L. Davis
Mary Elliott
J a n e Wertz
Thomas Sellers
Robert L. Creager

Advisors and Special Contributors: Carlton Atherton ; F. Carlton Ball;

Kathe Berl : Edris Eckhardt ; John Kenny ; Zena Hoist ; Dorothy
Perkins; Jo Rebert; Ken Smith; Vera Walkup; Don Wood
Cover by Robert L. Creager
Ceramics Monthly is published each month at the Lawhead Press,
Inc., Athens, Ohio, by Professional Publications, Inc., S. L. Davis,
Pres. and Treas. ; L. G. Farber, V. Pres. ; P. S. Emery, Secy.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE in U.S.A. and Possessions; one year. $4;
two years, $7; three yenrs, $9. Canada and Pan Am. add 50 cents a
year; foreign, add $1 a year. Current issues, 50c; back issues, 60c.
ALL CORRESPONDENCE
(advertising, subscriptions, editorial)
should be sent to the editqri~l offices at 4175 i . High St., Columbus
14, Ohio. Entered as second-class m a t t e r at the post office at Athens,
Ohio, as granted under Authority of the Act of March 3, 1879.
Copyright 1956 by Professional Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

W h e t h e r you are a k i t c h e n table c e r a m i s t or a school t e a c h e r

s u p p l y i n g your e n t i r e class, D u n c a n ' s E-Z F l o w G l a z e s a r e
your best bet. H e r e is a g l a z e w h e r e Q u a n t i t y has no effect
on Quality. E v e r y d r o p of E-Z F l o w g l a z e in ounces or g a l l o n s
is of s t e r l i n g consistency, plus t h e a d v a n t a g e of t h e b i g
s a v i n g o f f e r e d by g a l l o n q u a n t i t i e s .
Like o t h e r f a m o u s D u n c a n F o r m u l a p r o d u c t s E-Z F l o w G l a z e s
are real s i m p l e to use, the v a r i e t y of exotic effects is u n l i m ited yet the results are positive. T h i s e n c o u r a g e s c r e a t i v e n e s s
in the s t u d e n t a n d r e w a r d s h i m w i t h the satisfaction of
a c h i e v e m e n t . E-Z F l o w G l a z e s a r e safe, non-toxic, a d e c i d e d
a d v a n t a g e to all ages. All these f e a t u r e s plus full s p e c t r u m
r a n g e of colors in both G l a z e a n d u n d e r - g l a z e m a k e E-Z F l o w
the g l a z e you'll praise. A v a i l a b l e at your" local d i s t r i b u t o r .

Unlmited Color Selection

Clear Dipping
Clear Brushing
Buttercup Yellow
Marigold Yellow
Orange
Autumn
Leaf Green
Olive Leaf Green
Malt Green
Turquoise Green
Turquoise
Emerald Green
Maplewood
Nutmeg Brown
Cinnamon Brown
Black

Blood Red
Mahogany Brown
Manzanlta Brown
Black Luster
Rusty A m b e r
Shell Pink
Camellia Pink
Rose Pink,
Antique Green
Chartreuse
Royal Ruby
Coral
Hawaiian Blue
Oak Moss
Gull Grey
Chinese Red

Tangerine
Royal Purple
Moss Green
Sage Green
Palomino
Clear Crackle
ChineseBlue Crackle
White Opaque Crackle
Spill
Pattern
Tropic Green
Tan
Antique Beige
White Satin
Bay Leaf Matt
Teakwood Black Matt

Ming Yellow Matt

Tropic Pink Matt
Mist Green Matt
Range Grey Matt
Hawaiian Turq. Matt
Transparent Matt
SpeckleBlue
Speckle Tan
Speckle Grey
Robin Egg
Grey Lava Art
Charcoal Lava Art
Caramel Stone Art
Iron Brown Art
Silver Slate Green
LimeGreen Art

There's a Duncan Distributor near you

4030-A

North

Blackstone

Ave.

Fresno,

Calif.

ABOUT UNDERGLAZES . . .
Dear Editor :
T h e d e c o r a t i n g series b y M a r c B e l h d r e
is t e r r i f i c ! J u s t w h a t y o u r m a g a z i n e n e e d e d
to r o u n d it o u t so it h a d s o m e t h i n g f o r
everyone . . . Those step-by-step photos
are fabulous . . .
EDYTH ANDERSON
Chicago. Illinois
Dear Editor:
. . M a r c B e l l a l r e is t h e b e s t m a n y o u
could have gotten . . . Congratulations . . .
DAVID ALPERS
Detroit, Mich.
Dear Editor:

.
.
! followed the Marc Bellaire ins t r u c t i o n s in A u g u s t a n d w a s a b l e to d o
t h e d e s i g n v e r y w e l l without copying,
which made me most happy . . .
MINERVA D . FLAOG
B i n g h a m p t o n , N . Y.
Dear Editor :
I d i d n ' t t h i n k I w o u l d b e a b l e to hold"
still f o r p a i n t e d b i r d s , f r u i t , e t c . . . .
but
Bellaire does such a fine job . . . I can't
c o m p l a i n . G l a d to see y o u a l s o s t a r t e d t h e
much needed stoneware section . . .
HERMAN" SANDERS
San Francisco, Calif.

A N D

S T O N E W A R E

Dear Editor:
Fine article [by Ball] in September.
The first intelligent explanation of stoneware since the beginning of the world!
Thanks.
M . L . NORSTAD
Yucaipa. Calif

Dear Editor:
. . L o o k e d f o r w a r d to [ t h e f i r s t a r t i c l e ]
in S e p t e m b e r . . . d i s a p p o i n t i n g
u s u a l disc u s s i o n f o u n d in a n y b o o k s o n c e r a m i c s .
O n e loses e n t h u s i a s m
while waiting for
details
now promised [in October] . . .
A R T H U R D . KORFF
L o c k p o r t , N. Y.
Dear Editor:
Congratulations . . . You couldn't have
done better than Carlton Ball . . . [on]
stoneware . . .
MARION SUTTERS
St. I , o u i s . M o .
Dear Editor :
At last . . . stoneware . . . Just what
CM has been needing. Now your magaz i n e is c o m p l e t e . . .
THELMA GEORGE
New York City
Dear Editor:
I a m g l a d to [ s e e y o u s t a r t ] a s t o n e ware section in CM. To be frank, I have
been somewhat concerned over the lack
o f a t t e n t i o n to g l a z e s a n d slips . . .
R . E. PETERSON
La Mesa, Calif.

IDEA L O O K - O U T
Dear Editor:
I w a s v e r y i n t e r e s t e d in t h e a r t i c l e e n titled "A Family Affair" (September).
It
told briefly of creating a mosaic. I think
t h i s i d e a m i g h t p r o v e to b e m o s t v a l u a b l e
in an art program with children in the
elementary grades. I am interested part i c u l a r l y b e c a u s e m y p o s i t i o n is t h a t o f
Art Consultant of the elementary grades
in my system, and I am naturally on the
l o o k - o u t f o r i d e a s to p a s s o n to t h e a r t
teachers. Previous articles about working
with clay with children were excellent . . .
No doubt many of your readers, like my-

self, a r e t e a c h e r s , i r e a l i z e ( f r o m f o l l o w i n g w i t h i n t e r e s t y o u r LETTERS section'~

t h a t y o u r a t t e m p t s to m e e t t h e i n t e r e s t o f
t h e a m a t e u r as well as t h e e x p e r t h a v e
r e s u l t e d in c r i t i c i s m f r o m b o t h sides I n
s p i t e o f this, I s u g g e s t y o u r i s k f u r t h e r displeasure by publishing, whenever you can,
articles of similar nature that would be of
educational value.
You can bank on my continued subscription, at any rate.
RUTH XlrOUNGERMA N
East Haven. Conn.

OFFENSE & DEFENSE

Dear Editor:
I h a v e r e a d y o u r n l a g a z i n e f r o m tile
first day on. At first I was thrilled and
didn't miss a word. Now, you have bec o m e a s e c o n d - r a t e m a g a z i n e , filled w i t h
e l e m e n t a r y stuff.
How about some technical information
. . Enough of overglaze painting, flower
m a k i n g , etc. L e t ' s see s o m e g o o d s c u l p t o r s
at work; a good wheel man; some creative
souls a t w o r k ; t h e c e r a m i c i n d u s t r y a n d
some of their problems and techniques:
merchandising
techniques for the craftsman ; etc.
M I K E ZIRKER
New York City
Dear Editor :
I have enjoyed your niagazine very
m u c h ; e n a m e l i n g is m y h o b b y . T h e " C M
H a n d b o o k o n C o p p e r E n a m e l i n g " is t h e
most practical thing I've seen for people
like m e w h o h a v e p r o b l e m s a n d n o o n e
w i t h w h o m to d i s c u s s t h e m .
S o m e " L e t t e r s to t h e E d i t o r " a n n o y m e
no end[ Your magazine doesn't need def e n d i n g b y a n y o f us. I t is t o p s !
LAURA A . HOLDERNESS
St. L o u i s , M o .

CERAMICS MONTHLY

To Introduce Our NEW Economy Line of Kilns We Are Giving Away

$75,00000 FREE
IN MERCHANDISE CERTIFICATES
To the first one t h o u s a n d people w r i t i n g in, we will give
$50.00 off on our # 1 Hobby Kiln and $100.00 off on our # 2
Studio Kiln.
T h e s e a r e NOT h e x a g o n kilns but our r e g u l a r q u a l i t y rect a n g u l a r m e t a l encased kilns. Made of t h e best 2300 dog.
r e f r a c t o r y and m a t e r i a l s .

ECONOMICAL. DEPENDABLE.

. SAFE.

HOBBY KILN NO. 1

(Pictured

T h e r e are only TWO different models in our n e w line. To

m a n u f a c t u r e 40 d i f f e r e n t models, a costly i n v e n t o r y o f p a r t s
m u s t be kept on hand. Slow selling models are c u s t o m m a d e
and t h e b u y e r of t h e s e p o p u l a r models p a y s a premium price to subsidize slow m o v i n g models. By c u t t i n g
down to two m o d e l s in our new line we p a s s t h i s s a v i n g s
on to you.

(Cone 61

at right)

4 - W a y switch. H i n g e d lid. N e w h a m m e r t o n e h a r d finish

enamel. Ideal f o r h o b b y i s t s . Will fire tall pieces. F i r i n g
C h a m b e r - - l l x 11 x 131/2. 21 a m p s , 110 volt, Cone 6
Porcelain. Top loading - - No c r a t i n g .
Model # 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$109.00
Less certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50.00

YOUR COST O N L Y . . . $ 5 9 . 0 0
(F.O.B. Akron, 0.)

STUDIO KILN NO. Z

'Cone

6l

(Same as kiln on right only large studio size)

Two 4-way switches. 6 h e a t control. H a m m e r t o n e finish.

L a r g e r o o m y studio size. H e a v y d u t y e l e m e n t s . 15 x 15 x 15,
20 a m p s , 220 volts, Cone 6 P o r c e l a i n , Top l o a d i n g - - No
crating.
Model # 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$199.00
Less certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
100.00

YOUR COST O N L Y . . . $ 9 9 . 0 0
(F.O.B. Akron, O.)

[ ~+~.~.-~.~:~$.~.~.~'~:~.~:~.~.~:~.~
t t t t t t t t t t t ~ t t t t t }

[ ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
1
t ~ t t t t t t t t t t t t t t
t

' ~

Fifty Dollars

(sso.oo)

Kiln when accompanied by a check or money order

for $59.00 This offer is for a limited time only. Ohio ~
residents 3~/o tax.
"~-I

I_~
,

'

This merchandise c e r t i f i c a t e

~--~-

One Hundred Dollars ~-I

($ oo.oo)
Towrds+".,uro"aseo'
I
ode''S'ud'o'orco'a'nl
"~'~ Kiln when accompanied by a check or money order (~A~
[ ~ fOrresidents
tax.S99"00
3~/Thi
o s offer is for a limited time only. Ohio ~-~.~I

worth

~ ~&

~ ~ ~

model ceramics, inc.

770
OCTOBER, 1956

N.

Main

St.,

Akron

10,

Ohio
S

produced in eight bright colors. For

further details, write the American
Art Clay Co., Indianapolis, Indiana.

CERAMIC

(When cover of silent butler is

opened, out snaps a resting place for
the cigarette.) They are available in

Rubber Stamps
Automatic Kiln Shut-Off
A kiln shut-off device that works
on the pyrometric cone principle has
heen introduced by Mason Instrument Co. (:ailed "Kiln Joy," it may
be used ill anv size kiln o," peephole
and can be {nsertcd or withdrawn
during firing. When the kiln reaches
proper temperature and the cone
bends, the device is activated, tripping
a shut-off lever. There is a manual
reset latch which allows soaking of
the ware if desired.
For descriptive literature, write to
Mason Instrument Co.. 29 Elm Ave.,
Mr. Vernon, N. Y.

New Tube Paint

A new ceramic tube paint has been
developed by the American Art Clay
.Company. Called "Versa-Color," it
is especially designed for silk screening on glazed tiles, but can also be
used for airbrushing, stenciling and
painting on any fired glaze or metalenameled surface. A M A C O recommends it for china painting, too.
This ready-to-use ceramic paint is

Rubber stamps of a wide variety

of line-sketch motifs have recentlv
been introduced by L a Fleur Studio,
32-19 149th Street, Flushing, N. Y.
When used with the special stamping
ink provided, clear impressions of the
design can easily be made on greenware, bisque and glazed ware.
T h e stamps are m o u n t e d on foam

copper and other metals and finishes.

For full details write to the Evanston
Ceramic Supply Co., 807 Main St..
Evanston, Ill.; please mention CM.
rubber to enable the user to make
clear impressions on curved and other
irregular surfaces. For full details,
write La Fleur at the above address.
Sav C M sent you.

For The Enamelist

l J A line of pill boxes and silent
butlers ready for the enamelist's enameled plaque to be glued on is being marketed by Evanston Ceramics.

MAYCO

/ J Decorating aids for the enamelist are offered by Roder Ceramic Studio. "Rodettes" are tiny, patternedglass disks in brilliant colors: when
fired on an enameled surface, they
melt down but the pattern remains
(stars, circles, etc.). "Dazelles" are soft
enamel lumps which melt into ahnost
perfect spheres and give marbled
effects. For full information, write to
Roder at 1331 Race St., Philadelphia,
Pa. Please mention Ceramics Monthly.

ART GLAZES

The homogenized glaze of tomorrow available today.

All colors, all t y p e s - G L O S S Y , M A T T , the exciting
FOAMS and the always useful WHITE DRAPE.

NEW/ White Satina*

The modern Satin finish you have been looking for. A
softly-gleaming, beautiful surface you'll love to look at,
love to touch.
*Trade Mark applied for.

For a beautiful Red for Christmas t r y Dragon Red.

CERAMICS MONTHLY

SAMPLE

DESIGNS

"

new desi~gn books

NO.

14-~

~..tiffany/
INCORPORATED

UNIVERSAL

OCTOBER, 1956

BUILDING

FARGO,

NO. DAK.

WHERE TO G O

CANADA,V a n c o u v e r .

B. C..
through October
Design in Scandinavia over 700 mas~produced pieces at Vancouver Gallery.
Send show announcements early - - Where
to Show: three months ahead of entry
date: Where to Go: at least six weeks
before opening.

WHERE TO S H O W

FLORIDA, W e s t P a l m B e a c h
N o v e m b e r 15-25
Florida Craftsmen's 6th Annual State
Craft Show at Norton Gallery & School
of Art, Pioneer Park. Open to members.
Jury; prizes. Entry fee $2, due Nov. 2:
work due Nov. 6. For blanks write
Dorothy Fuldner. 718 N. Lakeside Ave.,
Lake Worth. Fla.
KANSAS, W i c h i t a
N o v e m b e r 3-4
Wichita Ceramic Art Society show: entries from Kansas and nearby states invited. Prizes and ribbons. For information and blanks write Edna Florenz
Mueller. 4421 E. Second St.. Wichita.
NEW YORK, W h i t e Plains
N o v e m b e r 12-19
Westchester Arts & Crafts Guild Annual
Exhibit, at County Center. Residents of
county eligible. Fee, $5 membership.
Jury, prizes. Entry blanks due Nov. 1:
work, Nov. 8.
OHIO, Y o u n g s t o w n
J a n u a r y 1-27
Ninth Annual Ceranfic and Sculpture
Show at The Butler Institute of American
Art. Residents and former residents of
Ohio eligible. Jury: $750 purchase prizes.
Entry fee, $2: work due Dec. 16.
PENNSYLVANIA, P h i l a d e l p h i a
N o v e m b e r 4-25
Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen members' show at Woodmere Art Gallery.
Jury. Fee, $2; work due Oct. 17-20. For
details write Ethel Hansen, 3453 Indian
Queen Lane. Phila. 29.
TEXAS, S a n A n t o n i o
N o v e m b e r 4-25
5th Texas State Craft Exhibition, sponsored by Craft Guild of San Antonio, at
Witte Memorial Museum. Texans ellgible. Entry fee, $3: work due Oct. 12.

WASHINGTON,

D. C.

D e c e m b e r 2 - J a n u a r y 20
l l t h Annual Area Exhibit at Corcoran
Gallery of Art. For artists and craftsmen
over 16 living within 50-mile radius of
Washington. Mediums include ceramics
(entry fee, 50 cents). Jury, awards. Work
due Oct. 12-13.

WISCONSIN, Milwaukee
N o v e m b e r 1-29
36th Annual Exhibition of Crafts sponsored by Wisconsin Designer-Craftsmen
and Milwaukee Art Institute. Open to
craftsmen residing in state for one year
during past five years. Jury; prizes. Fee:
$1.50 to non-members. Entries due Oct.
18. For details write the Art Institute or
Harold A. Milbrath, Exh. Chrmn., 3218
N. 87 St., Milwaukee 16.
8

FLORIDA, West P a l m B e a c h
t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 22
New England Crafts at Norton Gallery.
GEORGIA, A t h e n s
t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 22
Italian Arts and Crafts (contemporary)
at University of Georgia (Smithsonian
Institution traveling exhibit).

ILLINOIS,Chicago
t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 22
Finish Crafts--100 works by Rut Bryk
(ceramics) and Tapio Wirkkala (metalwork, glass, etc.) at 1020 Art Center.
IOWA, Sioux C i t y
t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 12
Area Artists' Show including crafts at
Sioux City Art Center.

KANSAS,Lawrence
O c t o b e r 2 8 - N o v e m b e r 16
Kansas Designer Craftsman Show at University of Kansas.
LOUISIANA, N e w O r l e a n s
t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 14
Art Association of New Orleans 32nd
Annual Autumn exhibition at Isaac Delgado Museum of Art.
NEW YORK, Buffalo
October 6-November 3
Selected Crafts from York State Craftsmen at State University College for
Teachers. Butler Library.
NEW YORK, D o u g l a s t o n , L. I.
O c t o b e r 7-27
Art League of Long Island, 26th Annual
Fall Members' Exhibition.
NEW YORK, R o c h e s t e r
November 9-December 2
Second Exhibition of American Jewelry
and Related Objects (sponsored by the
Hickok Co.) at The Rochester Memorial
Art Gallery.
NEW YORK, Syracuse
November 4-December 2
19th Ceramic National (2nd Biennial)
at Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts.
OHIO, Y o u n g s t o w n
N o v e m b e r 4 - D e c e m b e r 16
Autumn Annual for Area Artists at Butler Institute of American Art. Includes
ceramics and other crafts.

SOUTH CAROLINA,Columbia
O c t o b e r 7-28
American Craftsmen (contemporary) at
the Columbia Museum of Art.
TENNESSEE, M e m p h i s
t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 22
American Jewelry and Related Objects
at Brooks Memorial Art Gallery.
TFXAS, S a n A n t o n i o
O c t o b e r 14
River Art Group 12th Annual Outdoor
River Art Show.
CERAMICS MONTHLY

"YEARS AHEAD IN ENGINEERING"

The new series " S " kilns w e r e m a d e with your

requests in mind. Ask for our new f o l d e r on the
S-135, S-235 and S-300. See for yourself the
advanced engineering put into these kilns.
Heavy gauge steel frames p o w e r pressed to
exact dimensions and electrically w e l d e d f o r
maximum strength . . . heavy duty four w a y
switches, light weight easy opening lids, high
quality block insulation, genuine Kanthal A
wiring, and dust free interior coating.
Gives your work that Professional finish. If
you do not have o n e - w r i t e
t o d a y for FREE
Catalog describing in detail the new Paragon
" S " Series.

ALL KILNSFACTORYGUARANTEED NO PACKINGCHARGE

WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG

PARAGON INDUSTRIES, Inc.

P. O. Box 10133

Dallas, Texas

Acclaimed
Everywhere
by
Teachers
and
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for
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This Nationally
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Power.Driven
Precision Wheel

only $ 5 7 . 5 0
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Less M o t o r )

Ideal for school, studio, home use . . . The famous B & I

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price! Simple operation, rugged construction, with all the
versatility required by professional workers[ Many builf-ln
features . . . ADJUSTABLE arm rests: BUILT-IN water container: VARIABLE speed drive; QUIET bronze and babbit
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range.
Before you buy, Write B & I . . . get full, free details; Pointby-polnf, we challenge comparison on QUALITY features...
Our price is still the best in the field!
B & I Pottery Maker shipped complete, less motor, f.o.b.
tactory, Burlington, Wisconsin, for only $57.S0.

B & I Mfg. Co. Dept. C. Burlington, Mass.

C h a m b e r opening
13" x 13", depth 131/4"; Max.
Temp. 2300; Volts 230; Amps 13;
Ship. Wt. 240; Price S149.50

...vu~! , - v v v iiiirly
Chamber opening 17"
x 17", depth 18"; Max. Temp. 2300;
Volts 230; Amps 28; Ship. Wt. 425;
Price $284.50.

OVER27 MODELS-Paragon offers the widest range of

designs and sizes available in kilns.
Regardless of the n e e d - whether
hobbyist beginner or commercial
studio, Paragon can fill the need.
STEEL STAND, I N S T R U C T I O N
BOOK, AND PEEPHOLE PLUGS--NO
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Volts 230; Amps 24; Ship. Wt. 340;
Price $199.50

now's the t i m e to stock up on

ALL PURPOSE

KILN WASH
Excellentfor both
L0 W andHIGHfire temperatures
SO lb. bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
100 lb. bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F. O. B. Plainfield, N.J.

$3.50
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A n o t h e r fine p r o d u c t of

SpecializedCeramicsCorp.
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of:

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SPECIALIZED UNDERGLAZES a WONSTROKE decora~incj medium

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OCTOBER, 1956

from

our

CIRCLE CUTTER
I u s e t h e tops f r o m lipstick cases to cut small
r o u n d s h a p e s (to be used
f o r b u t t o n s , e a r r i n g s , etc.)
f r o m s l a b s of clay. F o r
l a r g e r circles, p l a s t i c pill
bottles are ideal--and they
come in a l m o s t a n y size.
- - M r s . C. J. L a r s o n
B i r m i n g h a m , Ala.
RIBS FROM BLINDS
Thin, f l e x i b l e m e t a l ribs
c a n be quickly a n d easily
c u t f r o m V e n e t i a n - blind

s l a t s w i t h a p a i r of household s h e a r s . T h e s e ribs work

perfectly.
- - M r s . R o b e r t L. L i n e b a n
Roselle P a r k , N.J.

Perfect for Use in Schools

Reaches Enameling Temperatures Ouickly

Sturdy, Simple Construction
Low-Cost, Trouble-free O p e r a t i o n

FREE TEXT
ON
ENAMELING

by Thomas E. Thompson.
Send for your copy of
this 40 page illustrated
text on metal enameling.
Techniques - - tools - equipment - - types of
enameling - - firing - finishes, etc.
Silver plated metal--no pre-cleanlng--no formation of oxide scale--costs little more than
copper.

NEW
N E W

Complete line of Opalescent colors--beautiful

effects--write for sample.

Write Depf, CM for Complete Information

NON-ABSORBING
"SPONGE"
H a v e you e v e r d e c o r a t e d
a piece b y m a k i n g a n allo v e r s p o n g e p a t t e r n in gold
or in o t h e r m e t a l s or lust r e s ? I f you h a v e , t h e n you,
too, h a v e l a m e n t e d t h e f a c t
t h a t t h e s p o n g e a b s o r b s so
m u c h color. I h a v e w o r k e d
out a n e x c e l l e n t s o l u t i o n to
this little problem.
I n s t e a d of u s i n g a sponge
I u s e c r i n k l e d - u p v i n y l plastic s h e e t i n g . I cut a piece
t h r e e to f o u r inches square,
c r i n k l e i t u p in t h e c e n t e r
a n d t w i s t t h e ends to f o r m
a s m a l l h a n d l e . This is used
to p a t on t h e color. You will
f i n d t h a t a l a r g e a r e a can
be covered w i t h each dipp i n g since t h e plastic will
n o t a b s o r b t h e color. The
" s p o n g e " is e a s y to m a n a g e
a n d is d i s p o s e d of a f t e r bei n g used.
T h e effect is s l i g h t l y difDollars

for

readers
ferent from that obtained
w i t h a r e a l s p o n g e so be
sure to t r y it out f i r s t on a
s h e e t of paper.
--Peg Townsend
Tucson, Ariz.
MOLD M A R K E R
W r i t i n g w i t h a n indelible
pencil on t h e sides of d a m p
p l a s t e r molds is a n e a s y a n d
h e l p f u l w a y to i d e n t i f y t h e
molds w h e n t h e y a r e stacked on t h e shelves. D r y
molds m a y be d a m p e n e d
w i t h a m o i s t s p o n g e in t h e
a r e a to be m a r k e d .
- - L i l l i t l n Noble
N e b r a s k a City, N e b r a s k a
"BUILT-IN" STRAINER
Slip a n d glaze h a v e a bad
h a b i t of f o r m i n g d r y l u m p s
in t h e u p p e r p o r t i o n of the
c o n t a i n e r s in which they
are stored. W h e n you pour
f r o m t h e container, the
l u m p s o f t e n b r e a k off and
flow out. More o f t e n t h a n
n o t b o t h h a n d s are r e q u i r e d
for t h e p o u r i n g m a k i n g it

a w k w a r d to use a s t r a i n e r .
B u t h e r e is a solution:
S t r e t c h a single thickness
of n y l o n stocking over the
top of t h e s t o r a g e j a r - - t i l t
a n d pour. The stocking can
be pulled well down over
the j a r so t h a t it can be
held firmly in the h a n d s
w h e n t h e j a r is lifted. The
s t o c k i n g can be discarded
a f t e r use if you have a
p l e n t i f u l supply or it can
easily be rinsed out and
used again.
--Peg Townsend
Tucson, Ariz.
your

Thoughts

CM pays $1 to $5 for each item used in this column. Send your

bright ideas to Ceramics Monthly, 4175 N. High St., Columbus 14,
Ohio. Sorry, but we can't acknowledge or return unused items.

I0

CERAMICS MONTHLY

MADE

FOR

EACH

OTHER!
. . . . ~.,%%

"",...

Bezel Settings
Porcelain &
;r Blanks

'] IASTER POTTER'S

Exclusive fully enclosed, safe

\Vhether amateur or skilled artisan . . . you'll find the smooth motorized

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M A S T E R P O T T E R ' S W H E E L enables you to originate beautiful, dis,
tinctive pottery excelling anything you've ever done before,
Massive steel . . . . . . . . . ti . . . . .
pletely encl . . . . . . .
hanism t . . . . lude clay
and moisture . . . assures operator safety and provides vibration,free
performance. Other teatures ordinarily found only in expensive w h e e l :
include: pre-lubricated bronze bearings for quiet, long service, convenient arm rests, adjustable wedging wire, large 1 8 " throwing table
with plenty of working space and a removable w a t e r cup. 1 0 " throwing
head has joggles for easy centering, underside reverses for casting
plaster bats.
You have complete band frevdom at all times . . . smooth instant
change ot speed from 30 to I~0 rpm is controlled by a foot pedal.
Easy to use, even for handicapped persons. Use any I/4 H P motor.
Standard 1/4 H P motor $16.9~ when purchased w i t h M a s t e r P o t t e r ' s
Wheel.
MASTER
POTTER'S
WHEEL
Floor Model, Item 47b,
W t . 90 l b s . L i s t s a t $ 1 7 5 . 0 0 - - F a c t o r y
Price .... $89.95
MASTER POTTER'S
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Bench Model, Item 47a,
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,0

................
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.]::

S T Y L E 51

ii!i!~::!i::!::!::!iii
_...:.:...-.-.~i~!~ii!~ii~i:
m!ii::i::i::i~ii

introduces
BEZEL
just right" for stan~rcelain and
bisque
;t r i g h t "
for
our
pper pieces for enorate
these
blanks
zhina paints (underbisque
blanks)
or
opper. The finished
that true "professy o u r r e s u l t s w i l l be
ince the blanks
fit
bezel protects
the
t h a t is n e e d e d is a
~'LER'S A D H E S I V E ,
II n e v e r c o m e a p a r t .
available
in choice
lity 24kt gold plate
5sh
(please
specify
ordering).
ORDER
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~f o u r 49 p a g e c a t a page supplement
of
Jr c o p p e r e n a m e l i n g
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G
RANTEE

DEPT. 19-P Burlington, Wis.

ET
-

ke

: A d d B B R to
60c e a . ( b r a c e l e t s
6 inserts)

A d d B N to S T Y L E
I ca. (has chain &
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to

STYLE 54

No.--

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8c c a . ie e a . tc ea.
ge en. 4c e a . 4 e e a .
10c e a . 5e e a . 7c e a .
lOe ea. 5e e a . 7e eft.
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1956

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OCTOBER,

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BRUSHES

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S T Y L E 53

;TRATEDAVAILABLEAS:

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KENILWORTH,

52

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11

Poco Says:
"Time to stock
up with Re-Ward"
As one of Michigan's oldest and largest ceramic supply houses, we realize "quality" products create repeat business. For over 8 years
we have seen haw Re-Ward products have
satisfied thousands of our customers and they
keep coming back far more. We recommend
Re-Ward products as the finest underglazes
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and we carry Michigan's largest stock.

tru-tone
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decor

dul-mat
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Located a few minutes from Detroit and we

ship everywhere. Complete line of ceramic supplies.

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32480 Northwestern H w y .
Farmington. Michigan
tel: M A y f a i r 6-6003

ANNOUNCING

SPECIAL

EVENTS!

, H O U S T O N ARTS & CRAFTS invites CERAMIC DEALERS in the Houston Trade Area to visit our new ware-

house at 2039 Marshall St., with 7500 sq. ft. devoted to

the wholesale trade. We are jobbers far Duncan's E-Z
Flow, Tru-Fyre, Gloss-Marie, Paragon Kilns, Wrought Iron
Stains, Mi-Glaze, Frances Perma-Stains, Kemper & Double
B Wood Tools, L. H. Butcher Clays, Grumbaeher & Marx
Brushes, Mack China Paints, L. Hutschenreuther China
Blanks, Calif. Ceramic Molds, Paasche Air Brush, Pierce
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C A T A L O G OF C E R A M I C MATERIALS lust off
the press, listing the best available in Ceramics. 25c
postpaid. Prompt shipments to Dealers or Individuals.

.New

.We announce the formation of CREATIVE ARTS WORKSHOP with some of the best instructors in the country
teaching Potters Wheel Throwing, Creative Handbuilding,
Glaze Calculation, Sculpture, Mosaics, Glass Sagging,
Copper Enameling.
. Be sure and visit the GULF COAST CERAMIC SHOW,
Houston Coliseum, October 20fh & 21st.

Houston

PI

Delta manufactures the

most complete line of

~]
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brushes for every ceramic

use. From banding,
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clay trimming, dusting
charcoal and sweeping
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this means . . . .

~:

brushes

by

delta

W r i t e t o d a y for your
copy of " C e r a m i c Brushes
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Send 15c in coin
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Arts & Crafts

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RETAIL
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12

mfg. carp.. 119 bleecker st., new york 12, n. y.

CERAMICS MONTHLY

contemporary porcelains
The

Lietzkes

Take

to

Porce

by DAVID P. SKEGGS
uke and Rolland Lietzke are essentially
designers who have selected porcelain as
L
a designer's medium. Originally wishing only
to explore the possibilities of this fascinating
material, they soon recognized and accepted
the challenge of porcelain.
Collaborating as a husband-and-wife
team, they had intended simply to experiment with the medium as they had with numerable other materials in designing fabrics,
furniture, architecture, and displays. Were it
not for the good fortune of there being accessible to them an industrial ceramic plant,
its facilities and its ceramic engineer who encouraged them during early exploration, they
would doubtlessly never have become involved.
The challenge of porcelain, with the
necessity to learn more, has been responsible
for. the drive behind the Lietzkes. The soft
(Please Turn the Page)
OCTOBER, 1956

13

CONTEMPORARY

PORCELAINS

translucency of a thinly cast porcelain

object can be of great beauty. But this
rare beauty is difficult to achieve without a complete understanding of the
materials - - their possibilities and
limitations. The need for technical
knowledge, however, has never taken
precedence over the design. With
them the product or object has always
come first. Their aim has been to design pieces they would themselves find
useful and pleasing to use. As a small
.production team they have never felt
it necessary to compromise in any way
with demands from outside.
The design of all new pieces begins
on paper. First, the Lietzkes as a team
.must feel the need for adding a new
object to the many which they currently produce. The form must be
right, the function must be correct.
Once the new object seems right on
paper, a template is prepared and a
master model made from wet plaster.
Since the clay body which they use
shrinks 12x~ per cent, the master
model is made one-eighth larger than
the desired size. This model is precious
and the Lietzkes know, that treated
wfth respect during routine handling
and storing, it can last many years.
From the master model, a working
mold is cast in plaster.
The porcelain slip used for all casting is produced in their own studio.
This is Rolland's department. An exacting combination of feldspar, flint,
china and ball clays, the slip must
have controlled moisture content. It
is strained several times through a 200mesh screen and cleaned of all foreign
matter (without the use of an electromagnet). In other clay bodies such
thoroughness would not be as essential, but porcelain must be white.
Good housekeeping is handmaiden to
good porcelain.

ELEGANCE of farm, which

you can see in the small sampling above,
points up the L|etzkes love of sleek
but appropriate design. On the
preceding page we see Rolland
cleaning bowls as Luke (in the background)
prepares luncheon an the terrace--served in their own products, of course.
14

The liquid slip is poured into the

molds and left until the desired thickness adheres to the plaster walls. As
the level of the slip drops, more slip is
added to achieve equal thickness. The
excess is poured off, the edges trimmed, and the mold left until the object pulls away from the plaster. Some
pieces, because of the particular design, must be removed fi'om the molds
while relatively damp, otherwise disastrous cracking or warping may
occur. Other pieces can remain in
the molds until leather hard without
any harm. Removing large, thin objects from the mold without warping
demands great skill. For this operation the Lietzkes place a piece of glass
over the mold cavity, then flip the
mold over so that the object comes
free. Glass is used here because its
slick smooth surface permits the pieces
to dry and shrink without sticking to
the glass.
CERAMICS MONTHLY

Icont

All casting must be done in a wellcontrolled atmosphere. There can be

no blast of hot air. direct sunshine, or
even faint breezes which might deform the precious shapes. Fortunately
the Lietzkes possess, as part of their
studio, a large dry baseinent without
windows so they" have no fear of
sunlight or sudden drafts. It is in
this basement that all casting is done.
T h e cleaning and sponging of the
cast shapes before glazing is, again, a
tricky task. For this they use a thin
flexil~le knife and an "elephant-ear
sponge. Once the rough edges are
perfectly smooth, the piece is air dried
and moved to the glazing room since
their porcelains are a one-fire ware.
Again, Rolland comes to the fore
as the experimenter and producer of
the rich glazes. He experiments with
new colors constantly, sometimes
working for a specific color, more
often just exploring and saving all
tests and records for possible inclusion
in the line. Deciding on a color line
is serious business since a new color
cannot be added at the slightest
whim: the Lietzkes, however, do not
hesitate to change when they can improve by so doing.
Most porcelain glazes are transparent and as in a precious jewel, the
colors change with the light. O n a
commercial scale, color in porcelain
would be impractical, since variations
often occur through the raw materials
supplied by manufacturers. T o the designer-craftsman color is demanding.
At porcelain heat many colors are impossible and few are constant, but
slight variations are to be expected as
a mark of any craftsman's product.
At present they produce a full line
in ten separate and distinquished
colors. These are roughly divided between a muted group and a highcolor group with present colors including white, terra cotta, dull mustard. turquoise, soft purple-blue, gray,
deep red, black, bright cerulean, and
brilliant yellow. Color control in production is a major job and one that
keeps Rolland busy testing and firing
each glaze batch before actual use.
Although most pottery receives a
bisque fire followed bv a glaze firing,
the Lietzkes prefer to fire their porcelains in one operation for two reasons.
By applying the glaze directly to the
raw clay and then firing them together
to 2345aF.. the glaze is fused right into
the clav body. Also, because the clay
body is still raw under the glaze, it i's
possible to scratch a pattern through
the glaze into the clay leaving a white
line of clay showing through. With
low-fire clays a similar sgraffito technique may be used but this requires
a second glazing to seal the exposed
clay. Porcelain is high fired to vitriOCTOBER, 1956

fication with the result that the bodv

even without a glaze will not absorl~
moisture. This is important in the
case of objects which will be used
constantly with liquids.
O n occasion Luke will paint an underglaze pattern directly on the raw
clay for added interest. Often the
team will use their well-known color
linings (color inside, white outside)
which they originated years before
the idea achieved its current popularity.
In loading the kiln, the Lietzkes
place their ware directly on the shelves without using stilts or refractory
setters of any kind. Only enough kiln
wash is used to assure a separation
between the shelves and the ware.
Firing is done in a large oil ldln
and since the ware demands an oxidation fire. this is extremely difficult
to control. Thev are presently installing a large electric kiln with loader
which will make firing m u c h easier
and more pleasant. Depending upon
the nature of the load, firing takes
from 18 to 24 hours to reach cone 11.
A full two davs is then needed to
bring the kiln to room temperature.
T h e Lietzkes know that there are

no h a p p y accidents with cast porcelains. Either they come t h r o u g h the

firing as originally intended or they
are deformed and worthless. T h u s
far they have been fortunate in having very little loss due to warpage
during firing.
Working as they do there is no
possibility of a "unique" shape. The}"
experiment with the form on paper
and in plaster so that they can fully
evaluate and decide on the design.
O n c e they have brought an object into being, its qualities must be significant enough to stand up for m a n y
years in manv places and with as
m a n y duplications as the market demands. It must remain as fresh in
design after the hundredth casting as
it was when originally visualized.
After eight years of work, very few
of their shapes have been discarded
and those mainly because of working difficulties. Sometimes they redesign the shape to eliminate the difficulty, although they prefer to work
out new ideas.
T h e Lietzkes find that the clay
body which they use is not adaptable
to throwing. However they have on
(Please turn to Page 30)

The Lietzkes at work:

POURING slip into the Liezkedesigned molds is usually Rolland's
iob. DECORATING, often a painstaking job, invariably folk to Luke's
steady hand. STACKING the kiln always requires four hands at least!
Each step in the kietzke production
procedure is carefully covered in the
text by author Skeggs, who takes
particular care when describing the
more tricky operations.

15

~ ~ " E

N A M EL S

DOMEDPLA
y

ou can make highly ornamental

objects of so m a n y useful articles
cigarette cases, compacts, stamp
boxes, purse ash trays - - by adding
an enameled plaque to the top.
The plain metal cases and small
boxes can be obtained in any n u m b e r
of shapes and sizes from supply houses
and jewelry stores. You can cut the
shape for the plaque from a sheet of
copper. This shape can be round,
square, oblong, free-form (it all depends on the shape of the box or
case); and it can be cut to fit the lid
of the box exactly or made smaller,
the exposed lid acting as a frame.
The plaque will look better, when
enameled, if the metal has been given
a domed shape instead of left fiat:
you can achieve richer quality and
greater depth in enameling on a surface that has been domed. This shaping process is really very simple but,
in case you have never done it before,
we shall pay particular attention to
doming in this demonstration.
A small box is chosen and it is to
have a square plaque fitting the lid
exactly. T h e copper has been annealed to soften it and make it easier
to cut. N o w a square shape for the
plaque is scratched in the copper with
a sharp-pointed tool ( 1 ), the box itself
serving as the pattern (if the plaque
were to be smaller than the lid, a
paper pattern would be used). After
being cut out, the shape is flattened
with a rawhide mallet, put in a vise
and filed a little along the edges.
It is then planished to restore the
original hardness of the metal and

help reduce warpage. A flat-headed

h a m m e r is used and the piece is struck
all over and on both sides with quick,
sharp blows (2).
Doming comes next. T h o u g h a
simple process, it takes a little practice to be able to do this shaping with
confidence and speed. A rawhide mallet is used for the purpose (so the
h a m m e r marks will not show on the
copper). T h e important thing to remember is that the metal is to be
; t r e t c h e d , not bent, to shape. Just how
you proceed with the shaping, however, depends on the size and shape
of the plaque and on how high you
wish to dome it. In this case, a shallow (or medium) dome is wanted.
T h e plaque is held against a fiat,
hard, metal block and, starting with
an inner square, tapped lightly round
and round; then starting again at the
center, the tapping (or doming) is
carried on out to the four corners ot
the plaque (3).
W h e n doming is finished, the
plaque is turned right-side-up on the
fiat block. T h e piece must, of course,
sit perfectly level. T o make sure that
there is no buckling, no matter how
minute, each side of the plaque in
turn is set flush with the edge of the
block and tapped (4). With the piece
in this position, the h a m m e r can be
brought down at an angle which prevents distorting the domed shape.
T h e plaque is then tried on the box
for fit; s o m e filing of the edges can be
done at this time, if indicated, but a
tiny bit should be left over to allow
for a final stoning and polishing.

Now the underside of the piece is

counterenameled. Some enamelists,
being of the opinion that cement holds
better to a metal surface, leave some
of the copper at the edges bare. But
with or without the bare rim, I have
had no trouble as long as I used a re.
liable cement.
After the top side is enameled (in
whatever technique and design are desired), the edges of the finished
plaque are stoned and polished until
it fits well when tried on the box lid.
We come now to the last step permanently joining the plaque to the
box top with cement. First, both surfaces are cleaned with dry-cleaning
or cigarette-lighter fluid (used as directed on the label of the cement container) and allowed to drv. T h c
cement is then applied along tl~e edges
but not quite up to the rim of both
pieces ( 5 ) ; they are pressed together
only when the cement has become
tacky and will not ooze out onto the
metal case causing permanent damage (cement removes the lacquer finish on these cases).
Small enameled plaques or sections.
treated in exactly the same way as the
box top made here, are ve W effective
in combinations as well as when used
singly. A number of sections can be
set together, in a pre-planned design.
to form the top of a larger box - - or
to make a picture for the wall or a
table top.
Once you have become adept at
doming, fitting a~zd cementing, you
can go as far as you like with little
enameled plaques!

ENAMELED TOPS
}or boxlike items
are a specialty of the

author. Sometimes,
she adds glass "jewels"
(above) or inlaid lines.
Silver foil is another
way she makes her
domed tops distinctive.
]6

CERAMICS MONTHLY

LIES /:or Cigarette

Cases, Pill Boxes, Compacts,

annealed

2. Planishlng (gentle tapping overall) +o restore

hardness to metal and reduce warpage.

3. Doming: tapping first in inner area on both

sides of the line, then moving out to corners.

4. Tapping each of (domed) plaque's four sides

to make s u r e it will sit level on the box.

S. Enameling (and counterenamellng) of plaque

is completed: now it is cemented to the box top.

6. Pill boxes wHh enameled, domed plaques. A

variety of other motifs are on the facing page.

1. Scratching outline of plaque on

copper, with box serving as pattern.

OCTOBER, 1956

I1

The~

UNDERGLAZESeries

Created Specifically
for the H o b b y D e c o r a t o r

DECORATE with

UNDERGLAZES

4.

VEGETABLE

MOTIF

demonstrated by MARC BELLAIRE

he technique taught by Marc Bellaire

T
involves building up a design with
brush-stroke shapes, and one of the key

In this series of articles, no specific brand

of underglaze is either suggested
or implied. The nationally advertised
brands are highly competitive in quality and price;
Mr. Bellaire's advice is to use those brands
you feel give you the best results.

18

features is the use of a fully-saturated brush.

Mr. Bellaire doesn't blend colors, he lays
one shape over another (as in the case of
high fights and shadows), invariably with a
bold sweep of a full brush. His approach is
to accentuate the design rather than the
realism of the motif. No attempt is made to
achieve a third-dimensional feeling.
"If you visualize all objects as simple
shapes, breaking them down in your mind
into a series of individual units," says Marc,
"you will be amazed at how easy they are
to reproduce." The motif he chooses this
month is.an excellent example: note in the
photo demonstration how he captures the
essentials of the vegetables in the motif.
Before you attempt your next underglaze decoration, study the basic shapes of
the objects, then see how you can "tell your
story" with the fewest strokes and details.
Commercial underglazes lend themselves
ideally to this type of work, and they are
virtually fool-proof--if you follow the few
simple rules listed below.
Follow these Rules for Best Results
I. Work on green.ware or bisque that
is clean and slightly damp. Dust, finger
prints, and other forms of surface dirt should
be removed by wiping the piece several times
with a quite-damp sponge immediately before decorating. Don't be timid! A slightly
roughened, damp surface is ideal for brush
decorating.
2. Use a large, fully-loaded brush.
Work with as large a brush as the design
permits, saturated to the hilt, so the color
flows generously when touched to the piece.
3. Keep underglazes sufficiently fluid.
Add water as the colors dry out to keep
them at good brushing consistency.
CERAMICS MONTHLY

( F o r Another I)ecorating Demonstration, Please Tarn the Page)

i. The lettuce is painted in on the clean, dampened

green ware using pale-yellow underglaze. The shape is
roughly circular. Note the saturated brush: the color flows
freely, building up a heavy enough coating.

2. Accents on the lettuce are merely wavy lines (in chartreuse) giving a leafy appearance. The carrots, in orange,
are made with single brush strokes--heavy pressure at the
top, easing up toward the bottom.

3. Additional accents are painted in on the lettuce (more

wavy lines) in dark green, adding to the leafy look. Accents
on the carrots are in yellow and are also made with single
strokes, using a well-saturated brush.

4. Carrot tops go in, using dark green. These are simple

Fern-type greens: the leaves are made with short strokes
of the liner brush. The tomato (deep red) is two circles-slightly overlapping each other.

5. Black outlining starts. This always snaps up the motif;

in fact, it can make or break the decoration. The shapes
are not neatly confined--the outlining is freely done using
long sweeping strokes of the liner.

6. Outlining is completed and white high lights are scratched in. Mr. Bellaire uses an Esterbrook scratch knife .~330
dsketched above) for this type of work. Above, the finished
ecoration, ready for bisque firing.

OCTOBER, 1956

19

The~UNDERGLAZE Series

demonstrated by
MARC BELLAIRE

ecorating with a sponge instead

of a brush should not be looked
upon as nothing more than a "technique for kids." T o be sure, it is a
fine, creative technique for youngsters
- o n e which they will profit from,
enjoy and easily master. But it holds
the same rewards for adults! T h e beginning decorator in p a r t i c u l a r (still
unsure and self-conscious of his brush
strokes) will find sponge painting an
ideal wav to get started.

"CHICKS ON WIRES" is only one motif that can result from

this interesting technique. Woolly and furry
animals are best, some flowers will work; or you
might try "Gingerbread Children" like those below.

Since Mr. Bellaire's m a j o r premise

is to break down all objects into basic
shapes, the sponge plays nicely into
his hands: it does not permit detailed
work, forcing the decorator to "tell
his story" with rough shapes. To add
to the merits of the technique, the
results are pleasing! Moreover, good
results come q u i c k l y - - a n important
fact with the H o l i d a y season approaching.
Not all motifs lend themselves to
this technique. You can easily see that
delicate work is hardly possible. For
your own work, choose furry or woolly
animals, or flowers that can be represented with blobs of color. Whatever
the motif, be sure to sponge on plenty
of color. And, if you experiment on
practice tiles you will learn that a
variety of textures can be obtained b,,
using different sponges, and a depth
of color can come from dabbing on
successive, thin coats. Shown here art'
two motifs; we are sure that you (and
the children) will be able to come up
with man}', m a n y more.
20

CERAMICS MONTHLY

5.

SPONGE

1. Spattering, by pulling the fingers

across the bristles of an underglazesaturated toothbrush, goes on first to
give an interesting background effect.

SHAPES

2. Shapes are dabbed on with a saturated sponge. Different textures can

be had by varying the amount of color
in the sponge and the coats applied.

3. The motif will be "chicks perched

on wires." The wires go in first--black
lines, each made with a long sweep of
the well-saturated lining brush.

next month...
. . A S P E C I A L d o u b l e feature for the H o l i d a y Season.
M a r c Bellaire will d e m o n s t r a t e
a q u i c k b u t effective way to get
a variety of interesting back:4round.~, a n d a simple m o t i f ,
step-by-step.
T h e a n s w e r to
the rush-~i[t p r o b l e m .

just join us?

4. Simple additions bring the chicks to

life. Eyes, beak, feet, tail--each made
with a simple stroke or by printing with
the brush. Details are avoided!
OCTOBER, 1956

S. Completed decoration, ready to be

bisque fired, then glazed and fired
again. Colors.'? Anything goes! These
are green, pink and brown.

. . . IF YOU DID. vou'~e

missed some e x c i t i n g r e a d i n g !
T h e M a r c Bellaire series started in the A u g u s t issue; s o m e
copies of A u g u s t a n d S e p t e m ber are still a v a i l a b l e a n d m a y
be o b t a i n e d by s e n d i n g 60 cents
for e a c h to C M . F o r a complete list of back copies still
a v a i l a b l e , see p a g e 36, this
issue.
2]

strictly

stoneware
by

O N E O F M Y favorite ways of treating

clay in order to make
the material itself distinctive is to give it a
chocolate - brown color. There is work involved when you make
tap this brown clay instead of just using a
prepared body but the
wonderful
result is
more than worth the extra effort.
The brown color is achieved by
adding manganese dioxide (MnO-~)
t o the usual clay body. The shades of
color in the brown clay vary accord!ng to whether the firing temperature
is low, medium or high. Of course,
tests must be m a d e : first, to determine the color desired and, second, to
adjust the firing temperatures.
The color is controlled by the am o u n t of manganese dioxide used and
the temperature to which the clay is
fired. If the buff clay is used and fired
to maturity, one half of one percent
of manganese dioxide gives a light
milk-chocolate color; 3 percent gives
a good chocolate brown: and 5 pet'cent gives a nearly black color. A redor white-clay body would vary somewhat in color but the limits indicated
above should be adhered to.
I N M A K I N G the test use drv scrap
that has been crushed or use new
powdered clay. Weigh out 10 batches
of the clay, 100 grams to the batch,
and place each batch in a sandwich
bag. N u m b e r the bags from one to
ten. Put ~2 gram of manganese dioxide in bag # 1 , one gram in bag # 2 ,
1~2 grams in #g], continuing to increase the proportion until in bag # 1 0
you place 5 grams or 5 percent manganese dioxide in with the clay.
Take a kitchen sieve and sift the
contents of bag #1 over a sheet of
newspaper; then sift the contents
again onto another sheet of newspaper. Repeat this procedure at least
four times and return the clay to the
sandwich bag. Treat the contents of
each bag in the same way so that the
ingredients become thoroughly mixed.
Now put the clay from bag #1
onto a glass or marble slab, or perhaps into an enameled bowl. Care22

F. CARLTON BALL

fully add water to the clay and mix it

with a spatula until it is just right
for modeling. Put the moist clay o n
a bat and make a tile; then cut this
tile into three smaller tiles. Scratch
identification markings - - 1 A , 1 B and
I C - - into the tiles and let them dry.
Make three sets of tiles with appropriate identification, for each bag of
clay. You will then have ten mixtures
of clay and three tiles from each mixture, or a total of 30 tiles. Ten of
them should be in the A group, t e n
in B, and ten in C. All ten of the B
tiles, from 1 to 10, should be fired
together in one kiln, say at cone 05.
T h e t e n A tiles could be fired together
several cones lower, say cone 08. T h e
ten C tiles could be fired a little higher than cone 04, perhaps cone 02. T h e
tile numbered 8 A in the cone 08 firing,
perhaps, would appear satisfactory;
tile 4 B might be best in the 04 firing;
and 10 in the cone 02 firing. This
testing, though tedious, makes a wonderful p e r m a n e n t record.
M A N G A N E S E dioxide is a fluxing
agent. If a cone 04 clay is used and
3 percent of manganese dioxide is
added to it, there is a chance that a
pot made of this mixture, when fired
to cone 04, will sag or bubble. A cone
06 firing would be better for it. If
a stoneware clay such as J o r d a n or
M o n m o u t h is used with 3 percent
manganese dioxide, then cone 6 is t h e
top firing temperature. The plain
stoneware clay, however, can be fired
to cone 10. If stoneware clay mixed
with 3 percent of manganese dioxide
is fired only to cone 04 or 02, there
will not be m u c h change of color so
there would be little point in bothering to color the clay. This colorant,
manganese dioxide, does change the
temperature requirement of the clay
so temperature is important.
After the quantities of manganese
dioxide and the firing temperatures
have been ascertained through the
tests, a large batch of clay can be
mixed. T h e colorant should be added
only to dry, powdered clay. ManThis is the second in a series o[
monthly articles o n s t o n e w a r e . I[ you
have a pet subject you would like discussed, write Mr. Ball c/o CM.

ganese dioxide cannot be evenly dispersed if wedged into w e t clay; the

resulting pots would be ugly, marbled
things, and in any case the proportions of clay and colorant could not
be measured correctly.
A 50-lb. batch of clay would be a
good quantity to start with. Using a
kitchen scale, weigh out 5f)-lbs. of
clay, then add the percentage of
manganese dioxide which has been
decided upon. Mixing these dry ingredients together is the next step. If
the dry clay is lumpy, it (together with
the colorant) may be dumped into a
tub with a quantity of water in it.
T h e water should cover the clay and
the whole thing left to soak for at
least a half hour so the lumps of clay
will slake (break up). D o N o t stir
the mixture while it is soaking.
After the soaking period, all the
lumps should have dissolved. Now the
mixture can be stirred by hand or
with a blunger until a slip is formed.
If the stirring is done by hand, the
slip should then be screened at least
once through a 40- or 50-mesh screen
to insure a good blend of the materials. This batch of colored clay can
now be dried to plastic consistency,
by placing it on plaster bats or in
plaster bowls. T h e n it is ready for
wedging.
The method of mixing up the
batch which has just been described
is actually tedious and time-consuming. There is a more direct way of
doing it providing the dry clay has
first been pulverized (dry, lumpy
clay can be pulverized in one of those
large meat grinders that is cranked by
h a n d : this grinder crushes clay well).
THE
P U L V E R I Z E D clay and
manganese dioxide can be mixed together roughly in a fiber drum with
the lid clamped on: the drum can be
rolled back and forth across the floor
for a while with perhaps some endover-end rolling for good measure.
Complete the mixing process bv
screening the dry mixture at leas)
once through a ]dtchen sieve. Now
set about 10 pounds of it aside for
later use. T o the balance of the dry
mixture add water as you stir slowk ;.
Keep the clav on the drv side and
(Please

turn to

Page 30)

CERAMICS MONTHLY

apanese

f4 k.
SHOCK

TREATMENT:

IS P L U N G E D

RED-HOT WARE

INTO COLD WATER

by FREDA de CASTRO

ripping a pair of long tongs, the potter reaches into

G the open red-hot kiln, deftly lifts from within a pot

glowing with m o h e n glaze and plunges it into a bucket of
cold water which instantly bubbles, boils and steams like
a witch's brew. Taken from the water a few minutes
later, the pot is transformed: it is cool and feels good to
the touch; it has a waxen kind of glaze that is crackled,
perhaps p i t t e d - - a n d it bears the mark of the tongs.
The potter ha~ completed the process of making a piece of
raku ware.
T h e Japanese have been making raku since late in
the 16th Century. Almost from the beginning, the raku
tea bowl has been a vessel highly esteemed for its aesthetic
and practical qualities by the tea masters and artistcraftsmen of Japan (among them the great 16th Century
artist Kovetsu and after him the noted potter-painter
Kenzan). The ware at its best is characterized by rather
thick-walled simple shape; and distinguished for glazes of
unusual color and texture.
Raku glazes are highly fluxed. They are applied to
bisque potter}' made of coarse (grogged) clay and fired
at a low temperature no hotter than a bonfire. I n an
amazingly short space of time-- about an hour the ware
is ready for the spectacular cold-water plunge. This shock
treatment produces the crackled glaze which is typical.
A wide range of glaze colors are used; and in the firing
process the glaze becomes subtle and "soft" in appearance
and feel.
At first, Japanese raku m a y seem rough to the
(Please turn to Page 32)
OCTOBER, 1956

SIMPLICITY OF SHAPE and decoration, dictated by the coarse

clay and quick firing procedure, are the keynotes of raku. Shown
above are tea bowls and hat-water jar wlfh cover, typical of the ware.
Photos: Metropolitan Museum of Art; Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
23

c/a,6,6eoom capet,,&. P I G G Y

BANKS

using balloons as molds

SMALL

BOYS

and girls need

creanve play.
Such wholesome activity
c a n be e n couraged
if
you (a) provide the necessary materials,
(b) suggest a motif or theme that will
capture their interest, and (c) show a
working procedure that will offer a
better than average chance for success.
Materials? One of the best is clay
(of course). Motif? Every child is interested in a piggy bank (empty or
full). Procedure? Building clay shapes
on a balloon mold is as foolproof a
procedure as you can find in the clayworking craft!
Using a balloon as a mold is a fairly
new technique (see "Balloons as
Molds," A p r i l ) ; and it is as interesting, versatile and functional a techtuque as it is new! W h e n a toy balloon
is inflated, it is resilient enough to be
used like a plaster h u m p mold. It
offers an extra advantage, h o w e v e r - it is collapsible. This means that you
need not confine yourself to bowls or
24

other shapes that have the widest

point at the rim, as you normally do
when using a plaster h u m p mold. You
can design and build any shape even
a completely closed shape is possible.
When the work is finished and the
clay is firm enough to hold its shape,
the balloon, (which has been giving
support from the inside) is deflated.
One of the easiest ways to work
with a balloon mold is to use it as a
core for the coil-building technique.
You need merely give the children
some instructions on how to roll coils,
explain the function of the balloon,
and turn them loose. This is what was
done for the "front porch ceramic
session" shown here.
Because of the overall support
offered by the balloon, softer-thanusual clay can be used; this is particularly advantageous with children
because there will be less danger of
added pieces of clay not sticking. T h e
general procedure is to start by windlng the coils at the top of the balloon.
then down the side (1). Before going
too far. it is best to thumb the coils
together and even paddle the soft
clay (2). T h e paddle (which can be
used with some force~ beats the clay

into a homogeneous mass and also

offers an easy method for shaping the
piece (cord or string wrapped around
the paddle will keep it from sticking
to the clay). With this much clay
worked together, more coils can be
added (3), thumbed and paddled
until the shape is completed. You will
find that with the combination of soft
clay and balloon core, you can use
some unique t e c h n i q u e s - - e v e n roll
the shape around on the table top
(4'/ to make it symmetrical or to
taper it at one end.
Appendages are added when major
work on the body is finished (5),
and, for piggy banks, the slot in the
back and hole in tile tummy (to be
covered with adhesive tape) are made,
for inserting and removing the coins.
T h e balloon remains inside until
the clay hardens enough to hold its
shape, and then should be deflated:
a tightly-inflated balloon could offer
enough resistance to shrinking clay to
make it crack. The balloon can be
untied, if the end protrudes, or it can
be punctured by sticking a needle
through the clay wall. In the latter
case, the tiny hole made by the needle
(Please turn to Page 37)
CERAMICS MONTHLY

.......

....

ii!i;

Young Tom Says:

1. Goil-building on a balloon is easy. Start
at one end; after coiling a bit, stop and
thumb the coils together.
2. Paddling is a good way to beat the clay
into "one piece." Cord keeps the paddle
from sticking. You can beat pretty hard!
3. Now you go back to coiling more clay on
the balloon--then thumb and paddle some
more,
4. With the balloon inside, you can even roll
the piece around on the table to shape it.
(Tom's success thus far intrigues other small
fry and they begin to try their luck.)
S. Feet, eyes, curly tail--they are easy to
stick on, but you have to stick them on tight
or they will come off when they dry.
6. Decorating is the most fun. Cousin Michael
put a Davy Crockett ha on his pig. I
painted mine green and white and put a
top hat on him. And I made the slot in his
back big enough to take a silver dollar!
OCTOBER, 1956

25

At. T A t .

OSA

HOW

N E A R L Y EVERYone is having fun

with mosaics. These
jewel-like tiles of irregular s i z e s and
~HOJE~
shapes lend themselves to a wide variety of ideas ranging
from giant murals to tiny insets in
wood or clay.
Mosaic tiles are available commercially from most local ceramic supply
shops in a wide variety of colors and
color effects. Of course, you can make
your own, a particularly advantageous
idea if you wish to duplicate special
colors or make specific designs.
The procedure for making the tiles
is quite simple, as you will find when
you follow the step-by-step instructions below. Moreover, putting them
together to form a useful and colorfifl
object is equally simple. Table tops
were chosen here for demonstration
purposes and two approaches were
used: a design-as-you-go method and

making a planned design.

Making the Mosaics

l. C U T T I N G

the

tiles from a

rolled out slab of clay is an easy matter if the clay is in the advanced
leather-hard stage. If the clay is too
soft, distorted pieces with rough edges
will result when the knife is pulled
through.
An easy way to make a variety of
angular shapes is to first cut a series
of strips which you then cut into
smaller pieces. A ruler or straight-edge
is quite handy, particularly if the
clay is slightly hard.

With practice you will find that

you can dip the tiles so that only the
very top surface receives the glaze
and the sides remain clean. (If glaze
does run down the side, wipe it off
immediately.) If the final design does
not call for a frame, you might want
the tiles on the outside edge to be
glazed. In this case, dip the edge into
the glaze at the same time the face is
being dipped and keep these tiles
separated from the others.

2. G L A Z I N G is best accomplished
by the dipping method (brushing
would be extremely tedious; spraying the many tiny pieces would be virtually impossible). T h e tiles should,
of course, be thoroughly dry and preferably bisque fired. In addition to
the usual advantages of bisque firing,
you will find that a layer of glaze
will build up more quickly on soft
bisque than on green ware.
It is a good idea to test the glazes
you plan to use. Some textured glazes
will take on an entirely different effect
when fired on a flat piece instead of
on the usual vertical sides of vases
or bowls.

3. F I R I N G is a simple matter if
the pieces are immediately set on a
thin slab of fire-brick after being
dipped. These slabs, loaded with moShinS, are placed intact in the kiln
without further handling of the tiny
pieces. The tiles should be set far
enough apart (about a quarter-inch)
on the fire-brick setters so if they do
shift slightly when transferred into the
kiln they will not be likely to touch.

MAKING MOSAICS from o slab of clay is simple if the clay is

slightly hard (to avoid distorted pieces). When dry the pieces are
26

A Planned Design

4. S K E T C H I N G the design on a
sheet of sturdy paper is the first step
toward a planned design. The overall
design is then broken up into small
sections and every piece receives a key

blsqued then glazed by dipping. Placed directly on firebrick slabs,

the individual tiles need not be handled again until after firing.
CERAMICS MONTHLY

A P L A N N E D DESIGN s,rar,rs wi,rh a finished drawing. Every piece is

given a key number, ,then +he design is ,traced on fhe clay. As each

piece is u,r ou,r if receives H's proper number. After glazing and
firing, ,the design is assembled t"o make sure all pieces fir properly.

BUILDING UP 1"he rnosiac requires a sturdy base and a fairly slowset'ring cement'. The cemenf is spread over a small area a~" a 'ime
and ,the 'riles se,r from fhe ou,rside in. When all files are in place, 'he

spaces be,rween are filled with a water-proof grouting rna,rerial.

The fable on ,the facing page is by John Snlder. The fable below, a
ma,re ,to ,the one shown in ,the demons,rrafion, is by Mary kakln.

number. When the design is completed

the paper is placed on a rolled-out
slab of clay.
5. T R A N S F E R R I N G the design
to the clay is a matter of merely following the lines with a pencil or other
tool. Be sure to press down hard
enough so that a clear impression is
made on the clay surface. W h e n the
entire design has been transferred the
individual pieces are cut out and
immediately marked on the back with
the number from the master design.
6. A S S E M B L I N G
the
mosaics
after glazing and firing is done immediately after the pieces are removed
from the kiln (the glazing and firing
are done exactly as was recommended
above in 2 and 3). Each piece is set
in its proper position on the master
plan to make sure that all pieces will
fit and to make certain that none of
the pieces is missing.
Making the Table

7. S P R E A D I N G a level application of mastic on the base surface is

the first step. Marine plywood, about
}~" thick, is generally considered best
for the base, being particularly durable if the table is to be used out of
OCTOBER,

1956

doors. If the surface is scored deeply

with a hacksaw blade or other tool it
will afford the mastic a better grip.
T h e a m o u n t of surface covered initially depends on how quickly you can
work and how quickly the mastic will
set. A rather slow-setting mastic, such
as a four-hour type ceramic tile
cement, is generally recommended.
This is usually available at all tile
shops (one brand especially, designed
for thin-bed cementing ~s C M C
brand, Chicago Mastic C o m p a n y ) .
8. B U I L D I N G from the outside
in is generally the wisest procedure as
it assures you of a straight outside
edge. Watch the spacing between the
tiles to be sure you aren't too generous, or perhaps not generous enough,
and find there is a space difficulty
when the final pieces are to be set in.
O n the design-as-you-go approach,
building from the outside in is of partitular importance. A slow setting
mastic is also particularly important,
as it will permit you to remove pieces
or move them around if you find the
design is not coming out as you had
planned. T o avoid difficulties it is
sometimes wise to sketch on paper an

area of the exact size and shape as the

table top and set in the tiles. You can
work out color arrangements, spacings, and above all, you can make
sure you have a sufficient n u m b e r of
tiles to complete the table top.
9. G R O U T I N G , that is, filling the
spaces between the tiles, is the final
step. A tough, water-proof cement
(Please turn to Page 37)
27

S. Paul Ward's 20th Year

It you want commercial results

use commercial glazes

I MOSAIC

r,,. r*., .S .n, ,,,u,,,,,, s I

Sold through distributors only

Californla--Most maior studios

San Diego County, Calif.--Conville Ceramics
Detroit, Mich.--Norwes+ NoveHy
"_
|

~lr Color Charf

,
~ I_nsfru!:tion Sheets I
I
~
* Price List
I
We carry everything for mosaic work. Imported Italian and
IFrench mosaic tiles and tesserrae, brass and wrought i r o n l
fable frames, legs, mastics, tools and grout.

PortLand, Ore.--Dobe Depot

Dallas, Texas--Norrls Studio
Minneapolis, Minn.--House of Clay
Bradenton, Fla,--Toolecraff Studio

St. Louis, Missouri--R. & B. Ceramic Studio

SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

Tels: SYcamore 9 - 2 1 3 1 ~ R Y a n

1-3000

~!

II

!18%xasV_, I ]9.95 I 30" di~. I 12.50!

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410

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and~x:~,sq,
f-t~
SOLID BRASS l " STRIP . . . . . . . . . . .
70c ft., drilled w/screw
SPECIAL CUTTERS ...........................
$1.50-$2.45 each

MOSAIC 3IASTIC ..............

95c tube, $1.35 p i n t , $2.25 q u a r t 1
MOSAIC TILE GROUT .............................
40c lb.

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k

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Phone MI 2-3367 |
l
1
1
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Wrought Iron Table Frames

Provo, Utah--Margaret's Shop

" T h e Ceramic Wholesaler of the W e s t "

bO1 MISSION STREET

Wood Le~s
s s Tipped)
LBergass-s- s Fe ti n iofs h 4 ( B r aset
of 4
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Rectan~'ular
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6"_--___ ~-..~)5 ~ _ _ ~
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121~5~50
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11"____ 8.95 12"_ . . . . 1.Sn II
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II

S. PAUL WAI I:I, INC.

~
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466

CREEK-TURN ORIGINALS
DECORATIVE LIGHTER SETS
O r d e r today for your Christmas soles!
Creek-Turn, Hoinesport, New Jersey

~11

~.~9

Size Open--20" W, 20" H, 23" Deep,

Folds for Easy Storage
Welded steel c o n s t r u c t i o n . Green
b a k e d e n a m e l finish. P o w e r f u l electric f a n . S t a n d a r d size, low cost
fiber g l a s s filter. Completely a s s e m bled, r e a d y f o r use.

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AT YOUR

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SH. WGHT. 21 LBS.
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N O C.O.D.'S P L E A S E

DETROIT FABRICATING CORP

7521 ST. AUBIN, DETROIT 11, MICH.

28

CERAMICS MONTHLY

C-briefs
C u s t o m e r s s o m e t h n e s adm i r e ceramic accessories but
turn away without buying
e a t h e r
because " t h e y
break
too
easy." My solution to such
r e s i s t a n c e is to
combine l e a t h e r and c e r a m i c s
in several t y p e s of accessories. L e a t h e r is not only a t t r a c t i v e and easily incorpora t e d but provides a cushion f o r a ceramic piece, a p r o t e c t i o n
a g a i n s t r o u g h handling! You can see some of m y combin a t i o n s in the i t e m s shown here.
1. Ceramic tie-slides: here, I m o u n t the ceramic on a
double shield of l e a t h e r which has been d e c o r a t e d at the
edges. The l e a t h e r used is two- or t h r e e - o u n c e tooling calf
and the decoration is done w i t h l e a t h e r s t a m p s , tooled or
burned. The p a r t s - - t h a t is, the ceramic and two t h i c k n e s s e s
of l e a t h e r - - a r e glued t o g e t h e r w i t h a pliable a d h e s i v e (I
use 410M Plasticate or Goo f o r the p u r p o s e ) . I n s p r e a d i n g
the glue b e t w e e n the two l a y e r s of leather, I leave a n a r r o w
vertical s t r i p uncovered fro' t h e cord to go t h r o u g h : this
p e r m i t s sliding the shield up and down on the cord.
2. P e n d a n t s on metallic cords: In this case, the c h a n n e l
f o r the cord is between the ceramic and the l e a t h e r shield.
Aside f r o m the p r o t e c t i o n angle, the idea has a n o t h e r virtue: since the p e n d a n t can be slid up and down, the w e a r e r
can a d j u s t it to suit her f a n c y or h e r costume.
3. N u g g e t s s t r u n g on l e a t h e r lacing for e a r r i n g s : an
a t t r a c t i v e idea, this. It is b o r r o w e d f r o m old Indian chiefs
who always wore t h e i r t u r q u o i s e t h a t way.
4. Belts: s o m e t i m e s I glue ceramic sections directly
on a s t r i p of l e a t h e r (as in the case of the t u r q u o i s e a r r o w s
s h o w n in the p h o t o ) . In o t h e r cases I plan the d e s i g n of
the sections so t h a t t h e y can be s e w n to the l e a t h e r a n d the
t h r e a d or lacing used can become p a r t of the d e s i g n (see
the shield-belt in the p h o t o ) .
T h e r e a r e of course a n y n u m b e r of o t h e r ideas f o r u s i n g
l e a t h e r to both enhance and cushion ceramics: mine are
only a few of the " W e s t e r n v a r i e t y . " - - P e g Townsend, Tucson, Ariz.

& Ceramics

customer

20 New Original Molds

by Ludwig Schmid?
Pictured are just a tew at the 20 new
molds recently added to our fine. Molds
that reflect the originality, utility and
exquisite beauty that go into the making
a{ every Ludwig Schmid Mold. Send $1.00
today for our catalog (refunded on Isf
mold order) and see these other items.
Ask your dealer for Ludwig Schmld Molds
or write us direct.
S-384 Four small Angels, Muslclans
(1 M o l d )
S-378 M a d o n n a with C r o w n
S-388 Bud Vase ( M o d e r n )

LUDWIG SCHMID
model and m01dshop
838 Oenesee Street, Trenton 10, N. J.

"""
CHAMBER
CONTROLLED

HEAT

"2
Perfect

ii!iiii!iiiii~i!i!i~i~i~

f o r controlled

test firing w h e r e

U.L. a p p r o v e d card and

3 heat switch
T 1 O v o l t AC, 10 amp. operation

Plug t y p e self-sealing d o o r
2 e l e m e n t s recessed 3 sides

iiiiiiiii

ORDER

TODAyI

larger equipment

is in use.

Firing t i m e to 1 5 0 0 ; 5 5 mln.
Temp. range to 1 9 5 0 m a x .
O u t s i d e d i m e n s . 1 3 x 111/2 x
141/4
W t . 3.5 Ibs.; Shipping W t .
4 0 Ibs.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

DEALERS iNQUIRiES INVITED

BE A N A U T H O R
Tell others how you do what you do in ceramics! Send your ideas

Learn iewelry making and latest enameling processes and

techniques from step by step instructions. Book lists many
brand new copper items never before available, complete
supplies, new tools & equipment. Send for your copy of
this valuable instruction book todayl Rush 25c to:

to the C M Editor for review. The briefest "Brief" receives the same

THE

careful consideration as the longest feature.

Dept. 102"

every item found acceptable.

OCTOBER, 1 9 5 6

And, C M

pays for

COPPER

SHOP
Ably.
I m m e r mo,
a n & Sons
1 8 1 2 East 13th St. C l e v e l a n d 14, Ohio

Mail yours to C M today!!

29

Contemporary Porcelains
(Continued [rom Page 15)

FREE copy of the latest

CRAFTOOLS CATALOG of
ceramic equipment and tools.
CRAFTOOLS. Inc.
Dept. CM, 401 Broadway, New York 13, N. Y.

DOLLMANCERAMIC
SUPPLIES
DISTRIBUTORS

. . . . .

PARAGONKILNS
GLOSS-MATIC

TRU-FYRE
E-Z FLOW

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O N DISPLAY

1542 Main St. at W. Ferry, Buffalo 9, N.Y.

J lo
n ' '

PPLY

BDMPANYJ

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W r i t e Dept. 12A for
I Illustrated Catalog ...........
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first order.

.
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50O [ J~

Catalogue s e n t to schools F r e e

] "]~

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1248 South Broadway

Denver TO, Colorado

TOOLS-CLAYS
a most comprefe selection oF cerornlc-sculpture--casting tools and materials for
beginners - - students
and c, r o,n "%mo'.,s

:)ELLA
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professionals.

--

CLA'

bakes ceramic-hard in your kitchen oven

in o few minutes; cuts costs to pennies. Send

{cr complete kit CM600, only $5.95, and free

When writing to advertisers

please mention CM
30

Celery Dish # 2 8

Shallow Dish # 3 5

11 I/:/" x 5 "

1O" x 11"

CRAMER MOLD SHOP

20 years experience in mold making
746 Cherry St.,
Fostoria, Ohio

IMPORTED C H I N A SUPPLIES
CORRESPONDENCE COURSES
W r i t e for Free C a t a l o g u e

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442

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10,

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C O N T I N E N T A L P O R C E L A I N S L I P cone
6 fire body of h i g h green a n d f i r i n g slren~'th.
W h i t e s t body on the m a r k e t w i t h m a x i m u m
t r a n s l u c e n c y . Colors a v a i l a b l e . W r i t e for
prices. A N E W P O R C E L A I N S L I P .

RODER C E R A M I C STUDIO
1331

RACE

ST.,

PHILADELPHIA,

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CERAMIC JEWELRY BOOKLET AVAILABLE

S O O N - W A T C H OUR AD.

Instruction
Greenware
Custom Firing
BAUMANN'S CERAMIC STUDIO
580 S. W a r r e n
Columbus 4, O.
Tel. : BR 9-5450

Strictly Stoneware

idwest's Largest and M o s t C o m - ~ [

plete Supply House of Clays, Glazes,
Chemicals, Molds, and Equipment. []~
Discounts available to Dealers,
M a n u f a c t u r e r s and Schools.

occasion produced unique pieces bv

hand forming but much prefer the
final results achieved by casting.
Luke and Rolland L]etzke are designer trained but self-taught ceramists. Mrs. Lietzke studied art education at Western State Teachers College and Michigan State College and
advertising design at the Chicago Art
Institute. For the past decade she has
served as Curator of Design at the
Akron Art Institute and directs its
energetic Art For Use program. Rolland studied art at Michigan State
College and was working as an artist
in New York when he met Luke.
After marriage they moved to Akron,
Ohio where Rolland is in engineering
development at Goodvear Tire and
Rubber Company.
Working together in their farmhome-studio near Mogadore, Ohio,
the Lietzkes are producing a full line
of handsome, practical pieces which
are available in contemporary furnishing shops throughout the United
States and Alaska. Many of their
pieces are to be seen in important
inuseum collections.
Although both are employed full
time awav from home, they are finding porcelains their first love and most
absorbing occupation. Together they
have met the challenge of porcelain
and have produced many cherished
pieces distinguished for elegance, dignity, and appropriateness of design.

(Continued [rom Page 22)

knead wet clay with dry clay, squeezing it through your fingers, even
make small balls of plastic clay and
set them aside till all the dry clay is
worked into plastic clay balls. Though
kept on the dry side, this clay is usually still too wet and that is where the
10 pounds of dry clay that you set
aside comes in handy; put this dry
clav on the wedging board and work
it into the plastic clay as you wedge
all the balls of clay together into a
mass. The addition of the dry clay
and the wedging should process your
clay well enough so that it can be
used immediately.
The freshly mixed clay will feel
spongy and sticky and it won't throw
or work in the way you might desire
but it can be used. If stored in plastic
bags for a week, it will be greatly improved by aging. The longer the
aging, the better the working quality
will be. If this clay, is wedged once or
twice dtuing the aging period, it will
become more pleasing to work with
in a shorter time.

CUSTOM-MADE FRAMES FOR 6x6 CERAMICTILE,

ENAMELEDTILE, ETC. MAKE YOUR OWN fABLESI
write tedoy far description end prices.

HALLAM

STUDIO'6oM
I n Wisconsin
s. . . .
Racine,

SUNKROFT

CERAMICS

Exotic Glazes - - liquid or dry U.G.

Colors
" S u n k r o f t " S W I R L colors @
Bisque s t a i n s c r y s t a l s P r o f e s s i o n a l
glaze m e d i u m @ Clay & P o r c e l a i n slips
w h i t e or colored P a r a g o n k i l n s
C a t a l o g 10c
Retail & Wholesale - DISTRIBUTORS WANTED
3720 Beach Blvd. ( H i g h w a y 90)
J A C K S O N V I L L E 7, F L O R I D A

9h, potU,'

WZ,</

Boston Post Road

Westport Southport Line
Westport, Conn.

Ceramic and Copper

Enameling Supplies
Distributor for Re-Ward
CERAMICS MONTHLY

There MUST Be a REASON Why

WE ARE H A V I N G

uestlons
conducted by K E N

SMITH

TO EXPAND FOR

THE FOURTH TIME

IN 5 SHORT YEARS

Q. Can one harzd-build with porcelain clay?

l l a n d building with a porcelain body is quite tricky.
Porcelaiu. by nature, is not very plastic. It is difficult to m a n a g e ,
therefore, except for small objects such as jewelry a n d o t h e r
o r n a m e n t s . Moreover, since the real b e a u t y of porcelain comes
from its translucency, a n d thin-walled, t r a n s l u c e n t pieces are
difficult to m a k e by h a n d , m o s t people refrain f r o m using porcelain clay for this purpose. Potters do t h r o w on the wheel with
a porcelain body: the most p o p u l a r use, of course, is casting
with a porcelain slip.
A.

Cp. Is there a dictionary or glossary o[ ceramic terms which

w o u l d be help[ul to a beginning hobbyist?
A. I do n o t know of a dictionary or o t h e r book devoted
to ceramic terms. M a n y of the ceramic books include a glossary:
in addition, m o s t of the ceramic terms are discussed in the text
so their m e a n i n g s could be obtained. O n e or m o r e good books
is a very worthwhile p u r c h a s e for b e g i n n e r s a n d a d v a n c e d alike.
(A complete list of ceramic books is available at no charge from
C e r a m i c s M o n t h l y . If you w o u l d like a copy, write to the C M
Book D e p a r t m e n t for " T h e C o m p l e t e Book List."
Q. I have some old china that has been used [or m a n y
)'ears and now shows stains [rom [ood, tea, etc. Can you suggest
a good way to bleach out the discolorations?
A. O u r overglaze expert, Z e n a Holst, suggests t h a t you fire
the stained china, using a r e g u l a r c h i n a firing cycle. T h i s procedure should remove all foreign m a t t e r i n c l u d i n g the stains.
If the c h i n a is h a r d porcelain, fire to cone 013; m e d i u m paste
ware, 015; soft paste ware, 017; soft clay ware, 019. (For full
details on the firing needs of different types of ware see Mrs.
Holst's " G u i d e to Firing," ( J u n e , July, 1956.) Be sure to fire
slowly a n d v e n t thoroughly.

Actually there are M A N Y reasonst not the least important of which is that every day more smart buyers

JUST

LIKE

are learning they can save money by sending ALL

their orders to the

Homeof "Name-Brand"Merchandise
0

All subscriber inquiries are given individual attention at C M : and,

out of the many received, those of general interest are selected
for answer in this column. Direct your inquiries to the Questions
Editor: please enclose a stamped self-addressed
envelope.
OCTOBER, 1956

Why waste money on transportation buying a little

here and a little there?

HOUSEof CERAMICS
3293- 329S Jackson Ave.

MEMPHIS

12,

TENN.

For
Christmas
Molds
with
a
DIFFERENT
touch.t

~.
W h a t type o/ atomizer do 3,our enameling experts
r e c o m m e n d ? Also what kind o[ resin or glue do they use to
stick rings and bases to the b o t t o m s o[ small ash trays and bowls?
A. We asked K a t h e Berle w h o replies: "I use a n d recomnaend a simple m o u t h atomizer of the type used to fix charcoal
drawings. R i n g s a n d bases should be h a r d soldered to t r a y s - not glued!"

~. I recently m o v e d and several cracks d e v e l o p e d in my

kiln. H o w can I m e n d t h e m ?
A. A n y reliable, cold-setting refractory c e m e n t c a n be
used to repair the cracks. Several b r a n d s are on the m a r k e t such
as Atmoset, Sairset, Furnaset. Ask y o u r local c e r a m i c dealer w h a t
he would r e c o m m e n d .
A paste f o r m is easiest to use. If you are r e p a i r i n g the
lightweight insulating brick w h i c h is used in most studio kilns.
first moisten the edges to be stuck together, trowel on the
cement, squeeze the two parts t o g e t h e r a n d hold t h e m in
place until dry. After t h o r o u g h drying of the c e m e n t (which m a y
take 24 hours) fire the kiln a n d the c e m e n t will p e r m a n e n t l y
harden.

YOU

No. 44---The Angel Bell--or s a l t & p e p p e r s - - S 5 . 5 0 .

A five p i e c e m o l d d e s i g n e d a s a C h r i s t m a s n u m ber for the busy studio. Wings already attached.
Q u i c k a n d e a s y to p o u r .
No. 51--Desk Name Plate--S2.50. P e r s o n a l i z e d w i t h
his own signature, this piece makes the perfect
g i f t f o r t h e m a n in y o u r life.

A l l w o l d s ( c ) B e e , F O B R u ~ n s o n , N.J.
A d d 1 0 ~ f o r p a c k i n g , 50c n d n i m u n t .

Send for FREE illustrated

Brochure & Price List
70 Oak Tree Lane, Rumson, N.J.

31

Japanese Raku
(Continued /ram Page 23)

exciting..

new..

original

watch for our

new designs
SEND

25c F O R C A T A L O G

S A H U A R O . BOX 133. STA. A.

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA

We are pleased to announce

GARDEN STATE CERAMICS

201 Rochelle Ave.
Rochel[e Pk., N.J.
are now carrying oil of our 69 numbers including the

"swedish modern
molds"
RuG Denice Lauer, 3nc.
145-04 Jamaica Ave.
Jamaica 35, N.Y.
catalog 2Sc--free to dealers.

MOLDS
N e w C a t a l o g u e S1.00
Refunded on first order

CREEK-TURN

Route :~38, Halnesport, N.J.

ENAMELING
SUPPLIES
New York C i t y
A very l a r g e selection of i n t e r e s t i n g copper s t a m p i n g s a t b i g s a v i n g s . S P E C I A L :
Copper
Cufflink,
finest
quality,
action
backs, p a t e n t e d " s n a p - t y p e " action, a real
buy a t $7.00 per g r o s s r e t a i l .
Retail
and
Wholesale~catalog
available.
Charles H a r r i s Co.
2894 B r o a d w a y
N e w York 25. N. Y.

Jean Leonard Ceramics

Distributors
Gloss-Matte, T r u - F y r e , D r a k e n f e l d ' s , Zirco,
L & L K i l n s , K e m p e r Tools
Try our M a g i c Glaze b i n d e r . Makes o n e
g a l l o n - - 50e. Mend-all, ( g r e e n w a r e &
bisque m e n d e r ) 4 oz. - - 50c. A l l items
plus p o s t a g e - - c a t a l o g 25c.
96,24 Corona Ave,
Corona, L.I., New York

N E W - FROMR,- Ward
"DUL-MAT" GLAZE
(not satin)
SUPER-l-STROKE
ceramic color
Write Trinity for Re-Ward
Ceramic Color Price List.

32

Western eye accustomed to different

standards of "perfection." The ware
usually has an unmistakably handmade look whether it is thrown on tit("
wheel or formed, as it commonly is,
by the pinchpot method. It is not
necessarily symmetrical nor meant to
be; it is the nature of the glaze to
run, crackle, pit; the raw clay at the
foot is left exposed; the tong marks inevitably show. Yet these are the qualities-irregularity of shape and glaze-which the Japanese appreciate. In the
asymmetry and undistinguished marks
of handmade-ness typical of raku, the
Oriental people have found aesthetic
satisfaction.
Through the centuries, raku has
been associated importantly with the
traditional Japanese ceremony of tea
drinking; and the ware seems wonderfully suited to the purpose. The name
itself means something akin to enjoyment, perhaps happiness. In the form
of a tea bowl, raku is not only pleasing to look at and handle but eminently practical: being thick-walled
and porous and therefore a non-conductor of heat, it may be held comfortably in the hollow of the hand
while its fragrant contents are savored.
PUTTmO ON A SHOW of raku glazi n g - s i n c e the performance is comparatively quick and dramatic - - is
not uncommon. In Japan, a potter
and his portable kiln may be hired for
the purpose. (The English ceramist,
Bernard Leach, tells of being invited
to a Japanese garden party where the
guests brush-decorated bisque ware
which was then whisked into a hired
kiln shortly to emerge completed). In
Western countries, teachers and others
called upon to produce a "ceramic
show" are beginning to adopt raku
glazing as a most effective way of
demonstrating the magic of fire.
Simplicity is the keynote of raku.
The coarse clay and the firing method
call for the most simple pottery
shapes; only minimum working equipment is required, and any kind of kiln
will serve for the low-temperature
firing. The quality of simplicity, the
ease of the technique, is attractive to
amateur and professional alike.

MAKE YOUR OWN RAKU--and

watch the glaze mature before your
eyes. All you need to get started are
low-fired bisque pots made of heavily
grogged clay and glazes that are highly
fluxed. The firing can be done in any
kiln or approximation thereof (some
people use a bonfire~). Watch for the
raku "'how-to" article coming u p - Mrs. de Castro will tell all about the
equipment, glazes and [iring.--Ed.

, .
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CLOCK

MOVEMENTS

We c a r r y all a v a i l a b l e sizes clock m o v e m e n t s ,

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Imported. I l l u s t r a t i o n s and prices on request.
WHOLESALE ONLY

S. FARGOTSTEIN & SONS

SHRINE BUILDING, MEMPHIS, TENN.

CRAFTSMEN! Potter's Wheel is a croft center. Our complete line of craft supplies has
been selected and refined during years of
actual use in our classes! You can order from
P.W. by mail . . . with confidence! ~ Request
FREE CATALOGS by mail. Ceramic and/or
Enameling Supplies.
POTTER'S WHEEL
11447 Euclid Ave., Dept. CM, Cleveland 6, O.

SEELEY'S CERAMIC SERVICE

Let us help you w i t h your ceramic needs.
We h a v e a complete line of school supplies
a n d e q u i p m e n t : slips, clays, colors, kilns,
wheels, tools, brushes, sprayers, pens, and
books. Free c a t a l o g u e s to schools and ceramic tcaeb, e r s : Ceramic-Molds-Copper E n a m eling.

7 ELM STREET, ONEONTA, NEW YORK

JAYDARH
A ceramic turquoise stone a t cone 09
A s e l f - g l a z i n g , one fire, v i t r e o u s body in powder f o r m . Excellent f o r j e w e l r y or inlay. No
special t r a i n i n g necessary. W o r k s like clay.
A v a i l a b l e also in avocado, chartreuse, blueg r e e n a n d w h i t e to be colored to suit. Instructions in package. 4 oz. $1.00. ]/_, lb. $1.50. 1 lb.
$2.50: check or money order. A d d 15c p o s t a g e .

WILTON POTTERY,Sier Hill Rd., Wilton, Conn.

MOLDS
only
Molds m Blocks m Cases made to
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Our catalog 25c

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324 Passaic Ave., West Caldwell, N.J.

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'or

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M a n u f a c t u r e r ' s representative for R E - W A R D
products.
Distributor,
sub-distributor and
dealer inquiries invited.

OLEVIA
CERAMICS
Wholesale and Retail
Phone 3-0476
152 C o n k l i n Ave.. B i n g h a m t o n , N.Y.

CERAMICS MONTHLY

AUTUMN
SPECIAL
NEW TRANSPARENT
COPPERENAMELLUMPS
OVERGLAZES
in enameling

Man)" times I a m asked how to

make thin outlines or line drawings
that will come out even a n d not look
fuzzy. Lines can be done with neither
fuss nor fuzz when overglaze is u s e d - and come out perfectly beautifully.
(I hope ve W m u c h that you, dear
reader, actually try out a n d experiment with the suggestions made here.
Please don't be content with just
reading about them: there is such a
big difference between knowing about
a technique intellectually a n d knowing it by h a n d a n d heart, trial a n d
error!)
Getting back to the subject at h a n d
. . Overglaze, a very fine enamel
powder, has to be mixed to a thin
paste to make it ready for use. Place
a small a m o u n t of the powder on a
piece of glass or a flat china dish; add
a few drops of oil of lavender a n d
with a palette knife stir the mixture
until it is a perfectly smooth paste
containing not even the smallest lump.
(Being allergic to essential oils, I use
plain water which works as well a n d
is also m u c h cheaperIi
Let's assume you want a fine, even
line. T h e enameled piece it is to go
on has been finished a n d fired; a n d
this background is free of any faults.
Now take a penholder with an ordinary pen point (not one of the fine,
tiny drawing pens) ; saturate a watercolor brush with the overglaze paste
and brush it onto the pen point. With
the pen point thus filled, try "writing"
on the enamel. If the paste is not too
thick or too thin (the remedy is to
add either powder or liquid), the
overglaze will work almost like ink.
But experience is a better teacher t h a n
I am a n d so you will find out for
yourself what consistency of paste
{vorks best for you. As you work, dry
overglaze will accumulate a n d stop
u I) the small hole in the center of the
pen point: when this happens scrape
the pen clean with a knife.

Do not worry about misfortunes a n d

keep on trying: there is n o t h i n g that
cannot be repaired as long as you do
not fire the piece. If your lines are
OCTOBER, 1956

e n t i r d y wrong, wipe them off with

a clean cloth or cleansing tissue (not
with your fingers for they would leave
grease spots l a n d start anew. But if
the work is only partially imperfect,
it can easily be reclaimed as soon as
the overglaze looks dull a n d dry.
Simply sharpen the end of your brush
holder to a point a n d with it scrape
off whatever parts you do not like.
Blow away any excess. Easy, isn't it?
It's not very far from scraping off
u n w a n t e d areas to scraping off according to plan; in other words, the
finest sgraffito work. You w a n t a light
design on a dark ground, for example.
T h e already-fired enamel b a c k g r o u n d
will have to be light-colored a n d
smooth. Cover the area where you
w a n t the light design with a n even
a n d not too heavy layer of dark or
black overglaze; apply it in even brush
strokes and be sure to have all of them
going in the same direction Wait
until the application is dry but no
longer or the paste will be too h a r d ;
then, with the pointed brush holder,
cut through the overglaze in lines, or
larger areas, as you wish. E x p e r i m e n t
a n d you will find endless variations
a n d combinations through incorporating sgraffito (light on dark) a n d
actual drawing (dark on light backg r o u n d } in vour work.
T h e r e is also the art of shading
with overglaze, taking a color from
its darkest to its lightest tone. Apply
the overglaze where you w a n t it to
appear darkest a n d with a stipple
brush stipple out the color until it is
properly shaded. (This is easier said
t h a n done, but d o n ' t get discouraged;
keep trying, for the effect is worth
vour trouble.'/ Do not, however, try
to shade with your fingertips; though
the result is very handsome, the practice can cause lead poisoning.
W h e n you get messy with overglaze,
which is easy to do, wash it off quickly. Do not inhale dry overglaze: when
you blow excess off a piece, blow
away from yourself. I have never h a d
the "slightest trace of lead poisoning
a n d neither should you if you make
a habit of taking the proper precau(Please turn fo Page 37)

RED
WINE

PINK
CLEAR

MIDNIGHT B L U E

ORANGE

EMERALD G R E E N
CINNAMON BROWN

YELLOW
AMBERYELLOW

GREEN CHARTREUSE

TURQUOISE BLUE

Your choice one ounce each of any

five colors. SI.75 value for SI.00
postpaid.
FREE Monel Trivet sent to all inquiries
including dealer's name and address.

TORRANCE GLASS
& COLOR WORKS
22922 South Normandie
Torrance,

California

Simply Amazing
For Glazing
. . .

FREEm4 oz. bottle of JANE SNEAD

glaze with each order.

Put the finishing touch of the a r t i s a n

o n y o u r p e t ceramics with the n e w
B u r g e s s E l e c t r i c S p r a y e r . . . its t h e
simple, thorough w a y t o g l a z e ; it beautifies your work. Long, faithful s e r v i c e
assured by the jeweled sapphire nozzle
of this sprayer . . . p a t t e r n a n d v o l u m e
regulated
by o n e
simple
adjustment,
which prevents waste, saves y o u t i m e
a n d money. The lightweight ' B u r g e s s '
c o m e s complete, no c o m p r e s s o r r e q u i r e d .
F o r e x a c t l y the job y o u w a n t . . . it's
best t o i n v e s t in a B u r g e s s E l e c t r i c
Sprayer. Send check or M.O. today!
Dealer

inquiries

invited

33

VERGLAZE

PAGE

Color and Color Values

Part

by ZENA S. HOLST
Repeat Sellout!
L-28 Candlestick H o l d e r - $6.00. 81/g" x 3" x 4:}~"-Ideal
for
Thanksgiving,
C h r i s t m a s , and all year,
this v e r s a t i l e piece can
also be used for flowers.
f r u i t , nuts, a n d candy. Or
it is lovely alone. F o u r s
like a c h a r m .
Prices F O B Asbm'y P a r k ,
N. J. Add 10(/r f o r packing,
50c m i n i m u m .
No
COD's, please.
Send for F R E E C a t a l o g .

1000 Wickapecko
Drive
PO Box 345B
Asbury Park, N . J .

The terrific new a u t o m a t i c J ,

/~[
k i l n shut-off t h a t you saw a t I ~ _ ~ /
IJI
the A s b u r y , U t i c a , a n d D e - ~
[11
truSt S h o w s !
IIIN
HI
R u g g e d , simple, reliable - - []l[~
I[J
woz'ks
on
cone
principle.
G u a r a n t e e d to shut off kiln
a utomatically
See Your Dealer or Order Direct.
K I L N J O Y . . . $17.95 P P D .
O p t i o n a l : W a r n i n g - B u z z e r Kit $12.95 Ppd.
Folder on Request

MASON
Kiln

INSTRUMENT

CO.

29 E l m Ave., Mt. Vernon, N. Y.

Mils.
A n a t u r a l for your

kiln

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW!

For October 2 0 t h ~t 21st

A N D PLAN TO ATTEND THE

Texas Gulf Coast

CERAMICSHOW
HOUSTON
COLISEUM

34

HOUSTON
TEXAS

M a n y inquiries come to me concerning the choice of m i n e r a l colors

to use, for both general a n d specific
purposes, in overglaze decoration. T h e
names of the mineral pigments, however, do not always clearly indicate
the hues, tints, a n d shades that are
n e e d e d in m a n y values for naturalistic
painting. Even though one has studied the p i g m e n t chart for the metaloxide composition of colors, variations cannot always be recognized by
n a m e for the purpose of classifications
( u n d e r s t a n d i n g l y so, since all m a n u facturers do not use the same f o r m u las). M u c h guesswork can be involved
in choosing colors visually, unless one
experiments or makes color wheels
for c o m p a r i n g the values of the inherent properties which delineate the
variations. T h e a p p e a r a n c e of a color,
in p o w d e r e d form in the vial, is
usually sufficient for identifying its
color group, b u t not for deciding the
proximity of the values for p a i n t i n g
purposes. T h e gloss of the fired finish
should also be c o m p a r e d to the dullness of the m i x e d p o w d e r on the palette in o r d e r to m a k e a wise choice
of colors according to individual
needs. T h e study of colors for china
p a i n t i n g should be m a d e from a white
palette a n d from wheels m a d e on
white tiles or a white plate. It is also
a good idea to test a n y intermixtures
of colors m a d e to create new tones.
W e know that overglaze pigments
intermixed freely on the palette, like
oils or w a t e r colors, c a n n o t be expected always to come t h r o u g h the china
firing holding the same values as before the firing.
T h e purpose of the following fund a m e n t a l list of mineral colors, with
descriptions giving a general idea of
the color relationship, is to a c q u a i n t
the r e a d e r with the best selection
available for an a d e q u a t e palette for
naturalistic painting. M y list, as suggested, has been u n d e r t a k e n as a
psychological p r o b l e m of color, r a t h e r
t h a n a n analysis of the pigments.
T H E L I S T is divided into two
categories - - domestic colors a n d imported colors (the latter are available
from a few A m e r i c a n supply firms).
In instances where the same color is

mentioned in both categories, it means

the properties but not the quality are
comparable. T h e i m p o r t e d selection
of gold-metal-oxide pigments (rose,
ruby a n d p u r p l e hues) is of finer consistency for smoother p a i n t i n g a n d
these colors are indispensable for the
best of painting.
E A C H S E P A R A T E color group, in
both categories, is listed in g r a d u a t i o n
from lightest to darkest in value; that
is, with c o m p a r a t i v e values as to intensity. T r y to visualize each group
as the keyboard of a piano, a scale
from tints to shades. M a k e special
note of the colors identified as " I n dividual." This denotes indistinctness,
each of these having subtle characteristics of its own. These colors are best
retained in genuine form. T h e colors
m a r k e d " * * " are the best ones for
admixture.
DOMESTIC CHOICE

(A) YELLOWS
Trenton Ivory--soft warm tint (Individual)
Primrose Yellow--pink tinge (Individual)
Lemon Yellow--best all-purpose yellow
Albert Yellow--range
tinge
Orange Yellow--intense
shade
None
of these should
be i n t e r m i x e d

or added to other colors.

(B) REDS
Yellow Red quite yellow
Pompadour Red--very rich shade
Blood Red quite dark shade
None of these should be intermixed.
(C) BROWNS
Meissen Brown--yellowish
**Auburn Brown--red tinge
Finishing Brown--very dark and rich
Can be intermixed.
(D) GREENS
Light Water-green--the aspect of
water (Individual)
Apple Green--soft neutral tint
**Yellow Green--best all-purpose shade
Moss Green--very yellow and intense
Persian Green--rich medium shade
**Shading Green--best all-purpose shade
Olive Green-brownish
Peacock Green--very bluish
Darkest Green--intense shade
Can intermix although the yellowish
types (those containing large proportion
of iron oxide) will weaken others to certain extent.
(E) BLUES
Baby Blue--very soft tint with tinge
of green (Individual)
(Please turn to Page 36)
CERAMICS MONTHLY

CERAMASTONE
. . . .

people,

places

MEET OUR AUTHORS:

David P. Skeggs
who writes about the
Lietzke's porcelains is
+he director of the
Sioux City (Iowa) Art
Center. Formerly, he
,as head of the Art
Department at t h e
Youngstown (O.) University; while there, he became intimately
acquainted with the LTetzkes--thelr problems
and efforts. Although principally a pointer,
ke has also had a good deaf of experience
:n feachlng and producTng ceramics including
enamels, and his work is to be seen in the
co!iecf;ons of twelve m s e m ; .

m]:i

When World W a r
iI broke c~t, Freda de
Castro ~as teaching
n Shanghai. " W e
moved o~r schoo! into
the C h a p e i POW
camp," she recounts.
"The raku tea bawls
,,enf along far the
same reason that a
sma!] native r g , all
paints and a Tibetan temple
hangln9
,~ere ai'owed to take up some of the space
aUoffed ior canned foods. During the two
and a hat years we were in camp, these
displaced treasures satisfied us longer than
conned rice, birds, etc!"
Despite her affection for raku, it was only
after her return to the United States that
Mrs. de Castro began experlmenflng wlth if
(guided by the writings of Bernard Leach,
~he British ceramist who has introduced so
many Japanese techniques to the Western
,,arid). "1 don't, however, live with raku tongs
"n my hand," she reports. "Reducffon stone~,ore and SC.IDfure are my present passions,
but I do think raku has a place in American
ceramics."
With an M.F.A. degree from the University
sf Florida (ceramics her motor), Mrs. de
Castro is presently teaching in the Adult
Ed.cation Department at San Jose, Calif,

&

things

And, our regulars are back, of course,

each wlfh another feature on his specla!fy.
(For their biographical sketches, cansdf previous issues.)

TUCSON GUILD S H O W :
Showlng local home b~ilders and homemakers how the work of their racar craitsmen
can be used with fine effect in inferlor and
exterior decoration is the alto of the Tucson
(Ariz.) Craft Guild. High light of the effort
is an annual exhlbifion wlth ceramics, weaving, metalwork, etc., displayed ;n natural
settings. This year's show at the !ocar Art
Center iast February, for examp!e: a series of
room vignettes a garden corner store front,
enfryway, efc.--carrled out the show theme,
"The Indoor Outdoor Trend in Modern Living." This device allowed ior showing a wide
selection of appropriately p a c e d items rang;ng from a tiled door frame for a home to
wall c ~o ~ :or 3 ~ c~;ce. Re: !+: ,n record

Hobby Association.
The group in Chicago made several suggestlons for changes and additions to the
present N C H A program. All of these suggestions were approved and accepted, on the
OCTOBER, 1956

Add water to this magic mud--hand

model into earrings, cuff links, pendants,
pins, beads, buttons, belts! Fire only
once at cone 06. Open your kiln to
find beautifully glazed ceramic stones.
Used by patters and instructors in all
forty-eight States. Ideal for schools and
occupational therapy.
Nine dramatic colors: DARK BLUE,
TURQUOISE, CHARTREUSE, GUNMETAL, WHITE, BEIGE PINK, PURPLE,
SPRING YELLOW & BROWN. Send
$1.00 for generous I/2-pound portion of
one color plus instructions for mixing
and firing. Postpaid within Cont. U.S.
Colo. Res. add 2 % sales tax. Specify
colors when ordering.
NEW - - H A N D B O O K OF JEWELRY
M A K I N G & DESIGN featuring CERAMASTONE. 20 pages of instructions
and designs! $1.00 postpaid.
SPECIAL--Free Copy of H A N D B O O K
wlfh $5.00 order far S I/2-paund portions
of CERAMASTONE. Specify colors.
Joan and Conrad Wilson

The Pottery Workshop

Cripple Creek. Colorado

crowd at visitors, on fne-spof pJrchases (including a fountain of no mean proportions)

and placement of special orders. In design
ing the show, Guild members have the enthusiastic and generous aid of local archlteals, artisans and merchants. Founded in
1954, the organization is a part of the Tucson Fine Arts Association: membership Ts
made up of advanced or professional craftsmen, lelsure-flme or student craftsmen and
interested non-craftsmen in allied fields.

IMPORTANT TRADE MEETING (Part 2)

A genwlne spirit of cooperation among
regional ceramTc trade groups resulted from
he s~ccessfuJ nationaf industry meeting (see
"'Ceram-Acfiv;ties," July) held in Chicago
on Labor clay week end. Eighty delegates-representing some 460 dealers, distrlbutors,
and manufacturers--pledged their support of
the revised program of the National Ceramic

jewelry mix
self-glazing clay

spot, by the Board d N C H A . The group in

turn then endorsed the entire program ol the
N C H A and pledged fhelr support.
This was the first time that any sizeable
trade group in the industry has met for the
specific purpose of improvlng trade relations.
All agreed that their efforts were well rewarded.
Dealers, dlstribufors, and manufacturers whc
would like more information about the meet;qg may write to Ed Ross. Nat;anal Ceramic
Assoclation, 8447 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills,
Calif.

Made of strong, high fire, fiexl- ~ /

ble, stainless steel. No fire scale.
Lasts indefinitely.

Ware holds firmly in place and

can be handled or moved with.
OUt spilling enamels.
~k
Sizes elastic to many shapes by
adjusting stilt to fit copper shape
before enameling.
Price Price
.._.~--..~'1)
Size Each Dozen
/.->

s~,, .15 1.62

.'~ _ ~

"1~
~_~

1",
.20 2.16
"'J"~j7 .
1
.25 2.70
13~'' .30 3.24 (Takes a 2" bowl).
TRIAL PACK--2 each of size s/~,,, 1", and
11/~,, . .............................................. $1.00
$1.00 minimum order, plus $.10 postage
and handling.
Pat. app. for
P-*L

.,.:~L. ~ , , . J ~ ,

~^

35

Overglazes: Color

"'LITES'"
FOR YOUR CERAMIC XMAS TREE

New reduced price, made of best quality

plastic. Designed for best lite transmitted
--assorted colors.
WILL NOT FADE
Set of 15 assorted lites . . . . . . . . . .
$1.65
Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Socket to fit our base . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Base mold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.00
(add 5 ~ pkg. ehg. on mold)
Dealer Inquiries Invited
H ~ R Ceramic Stu..lio
\Vrightwood Ceramic
6935 8. Halsted St.
Studi()
Chicago 21, Ill.
79g'; S. Troy St.
(2hic,~o 29, Ill.

World's finest

TForI L
ES
Decorating

(Continued from Page 34)

**Air Blue--pure
blue but mellow
**Deep Blue-green--not
a green--is
forget-me-not color
* * S e v r e B l u e - - s i m i l a r to Air b u t s t r o n g er blue
**Turquoise Blue--intense blue hue
Aztec Blue-rather
gray with tinge
o f l a v e n d e r (Individual)
Copenhagen
Blue- - c o n t a i n s
warnt
gray
**Royal Blue---intense shade
Banding Blue--rich
w i t h viole': c a s t
Black Blue
very dark
T a k e c a r e in i n t e r n t i x i n g b l u e s b e c a u s e
this c a n d e a d e n t h e c o l o r s : t h o s e m a r k e d
* % u ' e b e s t f o r a d d i n g to g r e e n s .

Superb English Tiles, bisque or glazed,

6" x 6", they're perfect for pleasure . . .
or profit.

ALSO A V A I L A B L E :
TRIVETS,
black W O O D E N
iron, rubber-footFRAMES
ed, for 1 a n d 2 T I L E BACKS and
tiles
HANGERS
W R O U G H T IRON
FRAMES

\Vrite for FREE Descriptwe

Price List N,o. C4
SORIANO
CERAMICS, INC.
L o n g I s l a n d City 5, N . Y.

S C H O O L BOARDS LOVE

SPUN COPPER BOWLS, trays or cups.

Also--stamped circles or squares, plain
or slatted, for belts and links. Also--card,
match or cigarette boxes. The Old Viking
Shop, 1236 Delaware Street, Denver 4,
Colorado.

LAMP PARTS
FOR M O U N T I N G
& CONVERTING
YOUR CERAMICS INTO BEAUTIFUL
LAMPS.
Send for catalogue

Lamp Specialties Co.

322 Washington St.

Newark 2, N.J.

(F)

PINKS
Sweet-pea
Pink--delicate
tint with
yellow tinge
Peach-blos~om Pink
r i c h e r b u t also
delicate with faint lavender tinge
Rose-sahnon
Pink
faint yellow cast
All a r e Indicidual p i n k s

(G) ROSE
*aRose--pure
hue
a'American
Beauty--dark
rose
Can
be intermixed;
and also
w i t h c o l o r s listed u n d e r ( H ) a n d

WHEN IN
j ~

FLORIDA
come to

VIOLETS
Violet
medium tint
**Violet of Gold--pure
Can be intermixed.

They're safe ~or children and easy to use.

School & Studio discounts. Free llterafure.

Kay Harrison Studios

8744 W . McNichols Rd.
Detroit 21, Mich.
Phone UNiversity 2-9222

FINEST PORCELAIN SLIPS

CONE 06 TO CONE 6
D a t sheets on request

mixed
(I).

(H) RUBIES
**Crimson Purple--rich
shade
a'Ruby
Purple-pure
ruby hue
Royal Purple
darkest
These are not really purple but
ruby shades.
(I)

VELVA-PLY GLAZES

ROUSE ENGINEERINGCO.
300 Third St.

New 8[~" x 11" Monthly Magazine

CHINA DECORATOR
in old " K e r a m i e Studio" style, designs,
studies, articles for decorating all ceramics.
instructions by artists for beginners, classes
and production lines. AlI subjects. Send
your ideas and advertise your studios and
products. Subscription $3.75 per year.
NETTIE E. P I L L E T

hue. rich

(J)

Complete Ceramic Supplies

4502 Broadway Tel: V1-4-7206 W. Palm Beach

I/LnAFT$1
Enameling
Jewelry
Ceramics

Metalwork

Weaving
Silk S c r e e n C a b i n e t m a k i n g
M e n , W o m a n , D a y , Eve. C a t a l o g C

Painting
Sculpture

Bookbinding
Silversmithing

CRAFT STUDENTS LEAGUE Y W C A

140 W. 22nd St., N.Y.C.,

CH 3-5747

GRAYS
Ashes of Roses--very mellow tint with
tinges of lavender and pink
Warm Gray--stronger
tint with more
pure gray
Copenhagen-gray--bluish
T h e s e a r e IndiHdual c o l o r s b u t C o p e n .
h a g e n c a n b e a d d e d to b l u e s a n d g r e e n s .
BLACKS
Hair Black
not brilliant
Best Black
i n t e n s e w i t h h i g h gloss
and richness
Outlining Black--best for sugar-andwater formula
E a c h h a s its o w n s p e c i a l p u r p o s e .

t a x ) . W e pay p o s t a g e .

195a
July,

August,

October.

l)eceml)er

1951_
l : e b r u a r y , M a r c h . A p r i l . J u l y . Au!4-ust.
September. Soveml)er, l)ecember

OTHER
INDIVIDUAL
COLORS
Flesh Transparency--all-purpose
skin
tint
Flesh Gray--for
s h a d o w s in p o r t r a i t
painting
Violet of Iron--a reddish copper (do
n o t c o n f u s e w i t h v i o l e t of g o l d )
N o t e o n e n t i r e d o m e s t i c g r o u p : s o m e of
t h e c o l o r s c o m e in t w o s h a d e s - - l i g h t a n d
d a r k . T h e d a r k e s t s h a d e is b e s t f o r all
p u r p o s e s . T h i s is e s p e c i a l l y t r u e of S h a d ing Green, Pompadour.
V i o l e t of G o l d
and Violet of Iron.
( T o Be Continued)

HOBBY S H O W S

1955

March, April, May, July. August. SepOctober. Novemher, December

1956
February. May. June. July. August.
September
Please send r e m i t t a n c e ~check or money
order) with list of back issues desired.

tember.

Plan to Attend one or more of the follow-

ing local hobby shows:

Akron, (O.)

Mud Hens; Oct. 19-21.

Ceraml ~. Hobbyist Guild of Greater Cleveland, ( 0 . ) ; Oct. 6-7.

Texas Gulf Coast Show (Houston); Oct. 2021.

CERAMICS MDNTHLY
1175 N. High St.
Columbus. Ohio

36

8tl

Wichita, (Kan.) Ceramic A r t Society; Nov.

3-4.

Barrows

Crt.,

Pasadena,

California

ADHESIOLYTE
nev,' aDoxy a d h e s i v e

Ceramic to metal-- Ceramic to wood

Metal to metal
$1.25 for 50 apldieations {25e for small
sample)
If dealer cannot supply you, send direct.

(K)

(L)

The following back issues of Ceramics

Monthly are still awHIable at sixty cents
per copy IOhio residents add 3'; sales

Trenton, N.J.

rich

PATTYPRINT POTTERY
14826 Charlevo;
~v,v v v,v.,v,qr

;>

v,qF ,F v,v,v

,~r , i t v , q r v v v , , ~ r v v

v V~IF,~

CERAMICS
Instruetions, supplies, Ceramle and "
China Firing, finished and g r e e n w a r e

RE-WARD

'HAZEL
}

Detrolf I 5, Mich

4803

DISTRIBUTOR

.URLEY

STUD,O

4
4
4

Ill. 4
4

Prince St., Downers Grove,

Phone Woodland 8-0719

i F - - -studio
owners

You can make extra dollars by selling

single copies o! CERAMICS MONTHLY,
and taking subscriptions on a eommisslonl
basis. WRITE
to: Circulatior
Dept.
,]
Ceramics Monthly
lb~ 417$ N. Hiqh St. Columbus, Ohio
...... 1 1

__

'-

1M

CERAMICS MONTHLY

Mosaics

Enameling:

Overglazes

(Continued from Page 27)

(Continued from Page 33)

(such as Medussa Grout, Medussa

Portland Cement Company. Cleveland) is recommended. This is a powder; to use. it is mixed with water into
a rather thin slurI T.
T h e mosaics are first sponged down
and water is poured between the
spaces. T h e excess water is drained off
by tilting the table, then the grout is
poured on the surface, one area at a
time.
T o make sure it penetrates all the
way, work the grout in with a stiffbristled brush. (If the grout runs off
the outside edges, wrap masking tape
or adhesive tape completely around
the table.} When the grout has been
worked into all the spacings wipe the
excess from the surface with a squeege
or a rubber kidney. W h e n the grout
has hardened slightly, wash the tile
surfaces clean.
T h e r e are m a n y designing possibilities other than the two types shown
here. Odd-shaped mosaics can be
grouped according to color into certain arrangements to create specific
designs. Or, specific shapes can be cut
from the original clay slab (leaves,
animals, etc./ to form interesting designs. Whatever the approach you use
the procedure is fun, inexpensive, and
the result invariably quite different
from the ceramist's usual product.

tions and wash your hands right

after contact with any grind of
enamel.

Piggy

Banks

(Continued from Page 24)

can be sealed with a dab of soft clay
or by gentle rubbing with a wet finger.
Although children will invariably
show interest in making clay shapes,
their greatest enthusiasm will come to
the surface when animating features
are to be added (after the clay forms
have dried). For this purpose, colored
slips and underglazes are easiest for
children to use since they behave very
much like water colors and other
paints, with which most youngsters
are already familiar.
T h e demonstration in the photos
was a "live" project. As ah'eady mentioned in the text, the children were
given a short briefing on rolling coils
and working with a balloon mold and
then left alone to build and decorate,
each in his own uninhibited way. The
finished pi,*~'~m> banks,, shown at the
bottom of page 24. were entirely
made by the children (except for the
glazing and firing) - - no "touchingup" by the author. The quality of the
results and the enthusiasm with which
the children worked, certainly speak
well for the (a) materials, (b) motif
and (cl procedure.
OCTOBER, 1956

An entire design can, of course, be

done in overglazes alone. T h e y come
in a great m a n y shades and colors. It
would be a good idea to get a wide
assortment of samples in tiny envelopes and try them all o u t . Make a
sample chart on a white enamel background, putting all the colors on at
the same time and firing them together. T h a t is the way to find out
which colors stand more, and which
less, firing. You will learn that some
yellows can stand a lot of heat; some
reds turn gray in a jiffy and must,
therefore, be applied at the last firing;
and so on.
A design done entirely in overglaze
can be very effective, but there is a
difficulty to be avoided: it tends to
look like china painting. T h e luster
and texture of regular enameling on
metal are apt to be missing. A good
way to get a r o u n d the problem is not
t o use a plain white background but
a colorful and preferably a transparent one. But keep the background
light for even though overglazes are
opaque they show to greater advantage on light bases; to get the right
opacity on darker backgrounds, you
have to apply several layers with a firing for each o n e - - a n d
finally the
overglaze looks like paint. Black, of
course, shows up on anything that is
not black and there is nothing more
striking than black overglaze.
Enamel miniatures are also done
with overglazes--plus a lot of work
and elbow grease. T h e finest possible
sable-hair brush is used and the overglaze is applied in tin}' pinpoint dots,
one next to the other and so dense
that they seem to unite in a solid surface with the individual dot hardly
showing to the naked eve.
In firing overglazes, preheat the
article; then place it in the kiln. Watch
the overglaze turn from dull to shiny
texture to shinv smooth, then remove
the piece immediately from the kiln.
A black line, for example, will spread
if fired too long, then turn greenishgray and spotty, sink into the enamel
base; it will behave a little like separation enamel only less efficiently. Gone
that far, the damage can hardly be
repaired. But, if you fire as advised,
flaws can be worked over, refired, and
no harm done.
Overglazes are a blessing to the
e n a m e l e r - - e v e n if you use them only
for writing your signature on your
work of art!

October

1956

American A r t Clay Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

B and I Mfg. Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Basch, Bee, Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
Baumann's Ceramic Studio . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Bergen Arts & Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
C a m p a n a A r t Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Ceramlchrome Laboratories . . . . . . . . . .
4
C o p p e r Shop, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
Cox, Florence, Ceramic Studio . . . . . . . .
11
C r a f t Students League Y W C A . . . . . . . .
36
Craffools, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Cramer Molds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Creek-Turn Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28 & 32
Delta Brush Mfg. C o r p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
Detroit Fabricating Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
Dallman Ceramic Supplies . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Duncans Ceramic Products, Inc . . . . . . .
3
Fargotstein & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Gem-Craft .........................
32
H & R Ceramic Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Hallam Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Harris, Charles, Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Harrison, the Kay, Studios . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Holland Mold Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I
Hammel, the O., Ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
House of Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
Houston Arts and Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
Hurley, Hazel, Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Illini Ceramic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
k and L Mfg. Co . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cover-2
Lamp Specialties Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Lauer, Ruth D., Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Lehrhaupts, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
Leonard, Jean, Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Mason Instrument Ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
Master Mechanic Mfg. Co . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Mayco Colors, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Model Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Narwest Novelty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
Old Viking Shop, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Olevia Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Paragon Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Paffyprint Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Pieper Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Pillet, Nellie E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Potter's Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Potter's Wheel, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Pottery Workshop, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35
Re-Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
Roder Ceramic Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Rouse Engineering Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Sahuaro Molds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Schmid, Ludwig, Molds . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
Sculpture House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Sea Ramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Seeley's Ceramic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Snead, Jane, Ceramic Studio . . . . . . . . .
33
Soriano Ceramics, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
Specialized Ceramics Corp . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Sunkroff Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Tepping Studio Supply Ca . . . . . . . . . . .
34
Texas Gulf Coast Ceramic Show . . . . 34
Thompson, Thomas C., Co . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Tiffany Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Torrance Glass & Color Works . . . . . .
33
Trinity Ceramic Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Tucker, Katja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3S
Van Howe Ceramic Supply Co . . . . . . . .
30
W a r d , S. Paul, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
Wilton Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32

37

E
E
E
E

n---'i

------ -----. It's in t h e n a t i o n a l

~- - -: ~ -- - ~~

~- - - ~ - -

--=-

----

pot l ig h!t

The CM Handbook on
Copper Enameling

64 Pages of Instruction * Over 200 Illustrations * Completely Indexed * 81/2 x 11 Format

O'Hara

s t u d e n t s . The s t e p - b y - s t e p p r o j e c t s in t h i s volume m a k e

and by Jo Rebert a p p e a r i n g in CM since J u n e 1954 have

been p r o c l a i m e d the best in basic i n s t r u c t i o n . T w e n t y -

The articles on c o p p e r e n a m e l i n g by J e a n

it an excellent w o r k i n g h a n d b o o k ; the t e x t and d e t a i l e d

index m a k e it a valuable source of r e f e r e n c e .

one of t h e s e articles, r e p r e s e n t i n g basic f u n d a m e n t a l s as

well as i l l u s t r a t e d h o w - t o - d o - i t s on jewelry, h a v e now
been combined in book f o r m and c a r e f u l l y indexed.
The p u b l i s h e r s are proud

to p r e s e n t this m a t e r i a l

under one cover as a service to teachers, hobbyists, and

CONTENTS
L e t ' s Get S t a r t e d

Copper-Wire Accents
F i t t e d Necklaces

Tools and E q u i p m e n t
All About the E n a m e l s

W i r e l e s s Cloisonne

Sift and Stencil Method

J e w e l s f r o m Broken Glass
Jewels Plus Foil

Wet Inlay Method

Gold and Silver Foil
CERAMICS MONTHLY BOOK DEPT.
4175 N . H I G H S T . , C O L U M B U S , O H I O

How to Get Special Effects

D e f e c t s - - C a u s e s and C u r e s

P l e a s e s e n d me . . . . . .
copies of the C O P P E R
H a n d b o o k @ $2 p e r copy. (CM p a y s p o s t a g e ) .

ENAMELING

NAME

P l a q u e s for C o m p a c t s
Mobile E a r r i n g s
Simple Link B r a c e l e t s

D e s i g n i n g with Bits of Foil

3-D Bracelets

Modern Cloisonne

Pieces Make L a r g e P l a q u e s
Index

Lines for D e s i g n s

ADDRES,~
CITY

ZN

Ohio Residents: add 6c

;

I enclose []

Check

Sales T a x per

STATE

copy.

[] Money order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other

oRDER TODAY
Dealers Write for Information