#2 Working with colored clays: AGATEWARE - NERIAGE

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS OF WORKING WITH COLORED CLAYS: WHEEL-THROWN AND HAND BUILT.

THIS POSTING DEALS WITH A FEW OBSERVATIONS COMMON TO BOTH.

MARBLED EARTHENWARE WARE BOWL - TANG DYNASTY CHINA - 660AD - 920AD

THE ABOVE BOWL IS FROM THE EARLIEST EXAMPLES OF MARBLED WARE MADE BY THE POTTERS OF THE TANG DYNASTY. THE PATTERNING WAS MADE BY    LAMINATING DIFFERENT NATURAL CLAYS, THEN  TWISTING,  FLATTENING AND PRESSING INTO A MOLD THAT HAS PROBABLY BEEN FIRED TO A LOW TEMPERATURE TO STRENGTHEN IT

CLAYS:  

MAY BE NATURAL CLAYS OF DIFFERENT COLORS, OR THEY MAY BE LIGHT COLORED CLAYS THAT HAVE BEEN TINTED  WITH COLORANTS TO CREATE A WIDER RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES.

18TH CENTURY ENGLISH MARBLED  EARTHENWARE 

LAMINATING COLORED CLAYS FOR AGATEWARE AND NERIAGE - SAME PROCESS, DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. AGATEWARE IS THE ENGLISH TERM AND NERIAGE IS THE JAPANESE TERM.

DIFFERENT COLORED CLAYS ARE CUT INTO SLICES AND SLAPPED TOGETHER TO ELIMINATE TRAPPED AIR. DEPENDING ON HOW THE DIRECTION OF THE LAMINATES ARE PRESSED TOGETHER THE PATTERN WILL BE CONTROLLED. IF THE LAMINATIONS ARE PLACED  VERTICALLY ON THE WHEEL THE PATTERNS WILL LIKELY BE FINE AND LACY. IF PLACED HORIZONTALLY, THEY WILL LIKELY BE BOLD. PATTERNS MADE THIS WAY WILL ALWAYS BE RANDOM.                                   

LIDDED JAR BY THE AUTHOR, WHITE, BLUE AND BLACK PORCELAINS LAMINATED AND PLACED ON THE WHEEL VERTICALLY AND FACETTED

PORCELAIN AGATEWARE BOWL BY THE AUTHOR, WITH LIGHT BLUE, DARK BLUE AND WHITE CLAYS LAMINATED AND PLACED ON THE WHEEL DIAGONALLY. FLUTED WHEN LEATHER HARD. ELECTRIC FIRED TO CONE 8

BLACK AND WHITE AGATE WARE VASE BY AUTHOR - SALT GLAZED 

BLACK AND WHITE AGATEWARE VASE BY THE AUTHOR - WOOD-FIRED

THE ABOVE IMAGES REPRESENT A FEW OF THE DIRECTIONS THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH IN AGATEWARE/NERIAGE. THE NERI PART OF NERIAGE MEANS "MIXED". AS A COMBINATION PAINTER/GRAPHIC ARTIST AND POTTER WITH A LOVE OF BOTH GEOLOGY AND HISTORICAL PRECEDENT IN CERAMICS, THE PROCESS SUITS ME PERFECTLY.

SEARCHING FOR THE IDEAL, PERSONAL MEANS OF EXPRESSION IN THIS MEDIUM IS DEMANDING AND TAKES TIME. I HAVE SPEN'T YEARS IN MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD LOOKING FOR IDEAL SOLUTIONS THAT I CAN FURTHER RESEARCH AND CLAIM SOME PERSONAL OWNERSHIP OVER. ONCE I'VE UNDERSTOOD THE ORIGINAL OBJECTS AND PROCESSES, I'M HAPPY TO PASS THEM ON TO OTHERS, KNOWING WELL THAT NO TWO PEOPLE WILL EVER INTERPRET THE INSPIRATION IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.

MY NEXT POSTING WILL CONCLUDE THIS SECTION ON WORKING WITH COLORED CLAYS, INCLUDING  NERIKOMI, HANDBUILDING PROCESSES FOR CREATING PATTERNED VENEERS AND THROUGH-BODY PATTERN MAKING AS WELL AS ZOUGAN.

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#1 AGATEWARE - NERIAGE - NERIKOMI - ZOUGAN

WORKING WITH LAMINATED and 

COLORED CLAYS

THE INQUISITIVE EYES, EARS AND HANDS OF GUY JUNIOR! 
I think it is a young Rhesus Monkey but I'm not 100% sure! 
Could be a Capuchin Monkey, but I've never seen one at that age.

I Thought those big eyes might get your attention!

CORE SAMPLES - MINERAL SAMPLES TAKIN WITH A HOLLOW DRILL
TO DETERMINE THE MINERAL CONTENT  

I've never quite understood why Ceramics isn't classified as an offshoot of Geology, since it is almost entirely made up from ground-up or decomposed ROCKS and MINERALS. The more one understands geology, the easier it is to understand ceramic glazes and their diverse behaviour.  

AGATE - A SLICE FROM A GEODE - A COOLING BALL OF MAGMA THAT HAS BEEN THROWN OUT OF AN ERUPTING VOLCANO - QUICK COOLING OF THE CONGEALED EXTERIOR, SLOW COOLING OF THE INTERIOR

MALACHITE - BOILING, COPPER-COLOURED MAGMA IN A STATE OF ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT DUE TO VERY FAST COOLING

WULFENITE - EXTREMELY SLOW COOLING, THREE DIMENSIONAL CRYSTALS OF CHROMIUM

GOETHITE - ROPE-LIKE 3D CRYSTALS -  ALSO DUE TO VERY SLOW COOLING

ROCKS and MINERALS, with their multiple shapes and colors can also be a major generating point for ideas - hence the  development of Agateware and Crystalline glazes.

JAMIE KOWALSKI - CRYSTALLINE GLAZE ON  FLAT PC SUBSTRATE

GORDON HUTCHENS - ALMOST 2 DIMENSIONAL CRYSTALLINE GLAZE ON
FLAT PC SUBSTRATE
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AGATEWARE  is the English term for vari-colored clay that have been layered or laminated like igneous rocks  from the fire of the volcano, or sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that have formed through decomposition and compression.

It imitates the look of rocks by manipulating
the layered clays in various ways. You can either use natural colored clays, or mix a white clay with coloring oxides and carbonates or body stains. 

RH - SALT-GLAZED PORCELAIN
AGATEWARE
BUD VASE 

IT HELPS TO BE A BIT OF AN
ALCHEMIST

THIS IS GETTING TO BE A LONG POSTING SO I THINK I WILL STOP HERE FOR THE TIME BEING. 

THIS ONE HAS BEEN ABOUT THE IDEA OR CONCEPT OF LAMINATION. 

 THE NEXT POSTING WILL TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE PROCESS AND SEE SOME VARIED RESULTS.

WE HAVE MANY VISITORS THIS MONTH, SO PART #2 WILL PROBABLY TAKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO PREPARE.  

HAPPY READING AND THOUGHTFUL THINKING.

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GOIN NUTS - WEEK 2 - YEAR 29

Art Education in Paradise 

near VICTORIA on Southern Vancouver Island 

British Columbia, CANADA

MISSA (Metchosin International Summer 

School of the ARTS

July 2013

 RECENT MISSA TEE SHIRT  -  Design by Carol Rae 

The previous posting on this blog told the story of MISSA, an artist-conceived and run organization.

MISSA is generally in session annually during June and the first two weeks of July. 

The Southern tip of Vancouver island has a maritime, mediterranean climate, conducive to many outdoor activities in the arts. 

This posting shows activities during the second week of July 2013. 

Long-term Techies and Assistants - From Left - Betty Burroughs, Stephen Youngs and Peggy Elmes 

 INSTRUCTORS 2013 
SECOND WEEKEND AND WEEK TWO 

VINCENT MASSEY - THROWING THE ALTERED FORM 
SANDRA DOLPH - LANDSCAPES/SEASCAPES 
LARRY AGUILAR - RAKU: A NEW APPROACH 
LORNE LOOMER - BRUSH EXPLORATIONS 
CORRE ALICE - ABSTRACTION IN OILS 
HEATHER KEENAN - OIL STICKS 
JULIA LOWTHER - ADVANCED CHAIN JEWELRY 
SHARRON MILLSTEIN - PHOTOGRAPHY 
DALE ROBERTS - ENVIRONMENTAL ART
VINCE PITELKA - COLOURED CLAY VENEERS 
CATHERINE GILL - COLOUR AND DESIGN 
JANICE MASON STEVES - ABSTRACT PAINTING 
TONY BOUNSALL - MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE 
PETER WEST CAREY - TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY 
 SHANNON WARDROPER - TEXTILE COLLAGE 
 ALAIN COSTAZ - PLEIN AIR PRINTMAKING 
 NANCY MEGAN CORWIN - CHASING AND REPOUSSE

 I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE STORY OF MISSA BEFORE. 
MOST OT THIS POSTING IS IMAGES OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL, THE EXCITEMENT THAT TAKES PLACE THERE AND THE MANY COURSE VARIETIES THAT ARE OFFERED.  

ENVIRONMENTAL ART  WITH DALE ROBERTS 

LANDSCAPES/SEASCAPES WITH SANDRA DOLPH

SHANA WATSON

THROWING WORKSHOP WITH VINCENT MASSEY

FOOTWEDGE TANGO

RAKU WITH LARRY AGUILAR

BRUSH EXPLORATIONS WITH LORNE LOOMER

OIL STICKS WITH HEATHER KEENAN

COLOURED CLAY VENEER WITH VINCE PITELKA

REPOUSS´E WITH NANCY MEGAN CORWIN







TOBIAS TOMLINSON

HANDBUILDING WITH LANA WILSON




ABSTRACT PAINTING WITH COLD WAX AND OIL
WITH JANICE MASON STEVES

"CREATIVE MESS"

CRIT WITH TEACH

TEXTILE COLLAGE WITH SHANNON WARDROPER

ISABEL IN DEEP THOUGHT!

LISA

TALK WITH TEACH

EXPRESSIVE FIGURE DRAWING 

WITH BARBARA FUGATE

THE PENCIL CHARGE

MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE WITH TONY BOUNSALL

COLOUR AND DESIGN IN LANDSCAPE 

WITH CATHERINE GILL

GUMBO NIGHT AT THE CLAY STUDIO

PEDDER BAY MARINA FROM THE CLAY STUDIO

CELTIC MUSIC TO EAT SOUTHERN FOOD BY

KUMBIA - SALSA MUSIC FOR THE LAST NIGHT PARTY

GREY WHALE INSPIRATION

 THE END OF MISSA 29
AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WE HAVE MANY VISITORS TO  OUR GALLERY AND GARDEN ON BEAUTIFUL VANCOUVER ISLAND. THERE ARE ALSO MANY VISITS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

AS PROMISED A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK,  MY NEXT POSTING WILL BE ON AGATE WARE AND COLOURED CLAY WORKING METHODS. WITH ALL THE INTERRUPTIONS, I CAN'T POSSIBLY GIVE YOU A DATE FOR THIS POSTING. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, JUST KEEP CHECKING IN. THE ONE OAFTER THAT WILL LIKELY BE THE GARDEN IN LATE SUMMER.

ENJOY THE REST OF SUMMER. SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.