Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: production

They started as a “class demo” last week on collaring & shaping.
One of my students asked if you could collar it in far enough to make a bottle. I said yes, and then made one. Kinda liked it… so I’ve made a few more in my studio. Planning to fill at least one shelf in my upcoming soda kiln with these new bottles. Still need to decide how I’m going to decorate them… I’m not sure I can get “into them” to stamp them properly?!

4 Comments

a lurker

October 29th, 2014

If you can stamp Christmas ornaments–how different are the bottles? They’re just bigger.

Penwiper

October 29th, 2014

Screen printing with slip might work if you have access to a friendly nearby printmaking studio or already have the key components and know-how. I know the theory but I’ve not done it myself– I didn’t have the chance to experiment with color slip before graduating.

Basically, you make and expose your screen, squeegee the slip through the pattern onto newsprint. Let the patterns dry and then spritz leather hard clay with water and apply the transfer. :-). I’m sure you know much more than I do of that method, though.

My thought anyway is that it would give you the patterns you love without needing to use the stamp in an awkward spot. Implied texture!

October 30th, 2014

Thanks for the suggestion. Actually a reminder of a process I’ve demo’d for my students a couple years ago… and then promptly forgot to employ into my own work. Thanks.

October 30th, 2014

Good point.
Actually, the ornaments are a bit easier because they are enclosed forms. The trapped air inside of them adds some resistance for the stamp to press against. The open bottle has no resistance. And I don’t want the bottle to warp or squish from unsupported stamping. Typically I have one hand inside while the stamp presses in from the other side. Good clean impressions by pressing from both sides.

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