Anthony Foo

Ink and Clay 38, 2012

2012-01-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

I'm happy and excited to announce my piece "Colony" has been accepted into this year's Ink and Clay 38 exhibition at the Kellogg Art Gallery at the Cal Poly Pomona campus.

Exhibition dates:

Thursday, March 15 to Friday, April 27, 2012

Reception:

Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 5:00PM to 7:00PM. Light refreshments and drinks are served. Admission is free.

This piece, composing of three separate units or modules can be arranged in different configurations, each giving a different feel to the piece.

In 2011, I did quite bit of R&D with paper clay and steel wire mesh. This was one of several completed works in this series. The clay is Southern Ice Porcelain paper clay over steel mesh (also called chicken wire), and fired to Cone 06. I didn't use any glaze since I greatly enjoy the brilliant whiteness of the porcelain paper clay. A clear sealant was used to protect the surface of the bisqued work. In this arrangement, the piece is 38" W x 16"D x 13"H.

This piece received the 2nd prize in the City of Brea "Made in California" All Media 2011 show. I enjoyed making the piece and was glad it was so well received.

More info about the Ink and Clay 38 show as it becomes available. Stay tuned ...

Paper Clay Masks, Part 2

2012-01-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

My newest set of 3 Japanese themed masks on my work bench. Bone dry and ready for bisque firing.

All 3 started from the generic mask "blanks" on the left. I made several of them so I have a supply ready to go when I need them. The demon mask on the far right has a tongue that wiggles! The mask in the middle is my version of Karura, from Japanese Hindu-Buddhist mythology. It has a human body and the face or beak of an eagle.

I'm going to use the same clear crackle raku glaze on these pieces like I've done before. Hopefully, they'll come out as nice as my first batch. Will post them when I have them completed.

Paper Clay Masks, Part 1

2012-01-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

These 3 masks were featured in the 500 Raku book by Lark Crafts. The construction method was described in an earlier post.

A clear Raku crackle glaze was used.

This is the link to my website with a little story behind them.

Available for purchase.

My Paper Clay Way of Making Masks

2012-01-24T09:56:00.000-08:00

My preferred way of making masks is to make a bunch of these generic masks from a master mold, let them dry completely and then alter them. This way, I can store these bone dry "mask-forms" indefinitely until I get the inspiration or motivation to work on them. The picture on the right shows the plaster mold. Fresh paper clay mask are on the left.

Facial features can easily be changed, modified or even removed. At this point, I usually work by adding wet paper clay to the bone dry base, building up layer upon layer. If a jaw line needs to be drastically altered, I use a dry wall saw to effect such a major change. The bone dry form can also be wetted down to reconstitute the plasticity of moist paper clay so that contours can be reshaped.

I'm working on a new set of 3 Japanese masks. I'll post them soon.

More Info on LAM Art Auction 2012

2012-01-24T08:02:00.001-08:00

Here's more info about the upcoming Laguna Art Museum Art Auction 2012. Click on this link.

I'm excited to be a part of this event and to help in the arts especially in these times when everyone is cutting back on art programs and funding. I'm in the Participating Artist list. Here's the direct link to my contributed piece.

Come support the Arts, view and bid on some great art works and meet the artists up close. See you there!

My Vision

2012-01-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

I think as artists we have a vision of what our final piece will look like. For me, it's a matter of how close my final work comes to what I had in mind when I first start a project. Sometimes, the end result far exceeds the first impression and other times, not.

This was my vision for this piece, "Good Morning." I wanted to have some kind of lighting within the piece. Searching the web, I found these mini battery operated LED lights that I thought would work and after installing them in my pieces, they lit up my pieces really nice. I'm happy with the result and have added another "tool" in my toolbox of new experiences.

Does this change this from being a fine art to an utilitarian object? I like it the end result. It's cool and that's what matters!

Laguna Art Museum Art Auction 2012

2012-01-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach, California is having its annual fund raiser this February. Here is the link on Facebook for more information.

Come support the arts! I encourage local artists and non-artists like to attend this evening of fun and activities. You'll get to see and bid on a wide range of affordable art pieces contributed by invited artists. You'll get to see my piece up close and even bid on it. Getting to meet me and talk with me is an added bonus.

This is my contribution to the fund raiser.

Lighting Experiments, Part 2

2012-01-02T18:44:00.001-08:00

This time, I used puck LED lights underneath each of the pods. It gives me some kind of idea what the lighting would be like with a stronger and brighter light source.

The question is how to make the light source self-contained, if that is even possible.

Lighting Experiments, Part 1

2012-01-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

I completed this piece, "Good Morning," and thought it would benefit from some kind of lighting within the individual pods.

The problem was trying to come up with some kind of decent, reliable and not too cumbersome electrical system for the lights.

For this picture, I experimented with glow sticks. The photo was shot with just the light from the blue glow sticks, without any ambient lighting

Lighting Effects

2012-01-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

The left image was my original concept for this piece. I wanted a beam of light shining down into the central aperture and illuminating the contents of the pod.

I took this picture with intentionally low light to illustrate the concept. In a well lit gallery, a much stronger light will be needed.

I think it's really nice to have the edges of the internal pods catch the light.


		Past Lives Revisited, 2010 Paperclay, Black Mountain sculpture clay, Grogzilla high grog sculpture clay, Flashing slip on inside pods. Iron oxide on outside. No glaze. Cone 10 reduction. Central sphere is pit fired. 20”H x 13”W x 8”D

"So Happy To See You"

2011-09-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of R&D this spring and summer with steel mesh and paperclay slip. Finally, I got to complete a piece.

"So Happy To See You" is a collection of 11 organic-looking pods presented on a custom made wooden stand.

The pods are fabricated out of wire mesh and then dipped in Gault 10 paper clay slip to the thickness I desired. They are bisque fired to Cone 06.

The base is birch plywood laminated with the end grain showing and finished with hand rubbed polyurethane which brings out the natural color of the birch. Small feet are attached to the base to lift the entire installation off the pedestal giving it a "floating" feel.

This piece is meant to be seen from all sides and the view is invited to walk around the work to take in the different perspective.

I hope you get a smile when you see the pods greeting you.

Ink & Clay 37 Online Gallery and Web Catalog

2011-04-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the online gallery and web catalogue for this year's Ink and Clay 37. My piece, "Chrysalis" is in the show.

You can navigate through the gallery like you are there in person and view each artwork at your leisure. On the Mac, the Shift button zooms in and the Ctrl button zooms out. The web catalog is very professionally done.

Below is the link. Enjoy the tour.

http://www.csupomona.edu/~kellogg_gallery/IC37/Intro37.html

"Chrysalis" Receives Award

2011-03-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ink and Clay 37 at the Kellogg Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.

This year's Ink and Clay 37 show features 103 artworks by 79 artists. 1o Juror's awards were given out, 5 for Ink and 5 for Clay.

My piece "Chrysalis" was one of 5 ceramic works that received the Juror's award at the opening reception last night. A cash prize of $500 was part of the award.

The juror for Clay is Kevin Wallace, Director and Curator of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai, California.

When asked by what criteria he would determine his selections, Kevin responded: "Contemporary artists working in traditional craft media such as clay are often pushed in two directions: to improve their technical knowledge and skill and to create original work. Technique is of course important, but ultimately it only serves to further the artist's vision. As for originality, one need only look within. Each of us has a unique set of experiences, influences and desires. Artists are often advised to find a style that is highly original and search for something that will make an impression, often losing sight of their true individuality.

My criteria in selecting work will be that the work truly comes from within. Whatever the subject matter and techniques used, I will be looking for an honest approach to self-expression. I am not looking to be dazzled by techniques or overwhelmed by originality. I only ask that the work truly express and share the individuality of the artist."

The juror's statement resonated very strongly with me and I've included it here. I am happy to share "Chrysalis."

The show runs through Friday, April 29, 2011 at the Kellogg Art Gallery in Cal Poly Pomona, California. Here's the link to more gallery info (gallery hours, location, parking).

"Colony" Gets 2nd place

2011-03-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

My sculpture "Colony" at the City of Brea Art Gallery "Made in California" received the 2nd place award last night at the Awards Ceremony.

Juror Sinead Finnerty-Pyne, curator from the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena selected seventy pieces of art out of approximately 500 statewide entries that included painting, sculpture, photography and installation art.

The show will run till May 6, 2011 at the City of Brea Art Gallery.

City of Brea 26th Annual Made in California Juried Exhibition

2011-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anthony Foo is pleased to present his new ceramic sculpture, COLONY, at this year’s City of Brea 26th Annual Made in California Juried Exhibition. This exhibition runs from March 26^th thru May 6^th, 2011 at the City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea Civic & Cultural Center, 1 Civic Center, Brea, CA 92821. Phone: (714) 671-3601.

Opening reception is on Saturday, March 26^th from 7:00PM to 9:00PM. Admission is FREE.

Anthony Foo is an Orange County ceramic artist who has exhibited at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA), Kellogg Art Gallery – Cal Poly Pomona, California State University Fullerton (CSUF) Grand Central Art Center, The McGroarty Art Center in Tujunga, City of Brea Art Gallery, Irvine Fine Arts Center and online Upstream People Gallery. He and his work have been written up in "Orange County Weekly," "Art to Art Palette" and "500 Raku" by Lark Crafts.

“COLONY is the newest in my paper clay and wire mesh sculptures,” says Foo.

“This piece is made up of three subunits which can be arranged in various configurations, each giving a different feel and perspective. I like working this way as it allows the piece to be manipulated thus creating a "new" sculpture. Different people will arrange the work differently and this brings in the element of interactivity to the piece.”

To arrange an interview with the artist, please call (714) 528-9304, or send an email to info@anthonyfoo.com, or visit the website at www.anthonyfoo.com.

Sculpture within a Sculpture

2011-02-06T02:36:00.000-08:00

This piece started out with 21 individual wire mesh pods that I made from a roll of chicken wire (steel mesh hardware cloth) that can be found in any home building supply store.

Each one was dipped in Southern Ice porcelain paper clay slip until the desired thickness was achieved. It took me about 2 weeks to get the thickness I liked.

The initial process was slow as I had to wait till the slip was completely dry before the next dip was made. As the layers build up, I was able to dip about 4-6 times a day depending on the weather conditions.

The final stage of this piece was assembling the individual pods into three groupings. This allows the sculpture to be arranged into different formations, each one giving a different feel to the composition.

As the steel wire is embedded in the clay, the work was fired to Cone 06 (bisque). No glazes were used. A clear coat was sprayed on the piece to seal the surface.

Kellogg Art Gallery - Ink & Clay 37

2011-01-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anthony Foo is pleased to present his new ceramic sculpture, CHRYSALIS, at this year’s Ink and Clay 37. This juried exhibition runs from March 17^th thru April 29^th, 2011 at the Kellogg Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768. Phone: (909) 869-4301.

Opening reception is on Saturday, April 9^th from 5:00PM to 7:00PM. Admission is FREE.

“CHRYSALIS (http://anthonyfoo.com/Chrysalis.htm) is a continuation of my pod series of paperclay sculptures,” says Foo.

“This piece explores the genesis of life, as it transforms from one form to another. The outer “cage” protects the inside and creates a safe sanctuary for the inner being to develop.”

“The interior pod is raku fired, the outer is high fired to Cone 10 reduction in two separate halves and then assembled. The work is mounted with a stainless steel rod into a machined and textured solid aluminum block.”

To arrange an interview with the artist, please call (714) 528-9304, or send an email to info@anthonyfoo.com, or visit the website at www.anthonyfoo.com.

Please check out the Kellogg Art Gallery site after the show opens.http://www.csupomona.edu/~kellogg_gallery/

Great News - Lark's Series 500 Raku

2011-01-20T14:47:00.001-08:00

I'm happy to announce the coming of 500 Raku by Lark's books. 500 Raku, juried by Jim Romberg, is the latest release in Lark's well-received 500 series.

My Japanese Demon masks will be in it. I'm just as excited as you are to see them in actual print.

It will have an official publication date of March 2011. It will be available in stores at the end of January. Pre-ordering has already started on Amazon and BN.com

Here are the Amazon and Barnes & Noble links to check out.

In the United States, the Amazon link can be found at:

http://amzn.to/fvgPZ

The link on BN.com can be found at:
http://bit.ly/dYRNYt

If you like the book, please consider writing a 5-star review on Amazon.com and recommend it highly to your friends, contacts, etc. I've been told that only five-star reviews are helpful in the book's ranking; even four-star review are detrimental.

Paper clay and Wire Mesh - Part 2

2010-10-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

This project with paper clay (Southern Ice Porcelain) and wire mesh did not work out.

The picture to the right showed my original concept.

The paper clay encased wire mesh survived the bisque fire quite nicely, but did not fare well at all at Cone 5. The black pods on the inside have been fired to Cone 10 and are there for "dry-fitting."

The "pod" collapsed under the weight of the paper clay; the additional weight coming from the "thorns" I added as shown in the bottom picture. A kiln shelf (illustrated by the white box) stopped the piece from falling completely over.

One thing I learned from this is that the shape of the wire structure is important and how much additional load from the paper clay must be taken into account.

Firing to Cone 5 was too hot for the wire mesh to survive as it completely melted and black gobs oozed out of the cracks in the paper clay and re-hardened.

Paper clay and Wire Mesh

2010-10-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a simple bowl out of the the remnants of some steel mesh (also called chicken wire or hardware cloth) I had laying around. I have actually come to enjoy creating these wire structures/sculptures. I can be a pain - literally - when your fingers get poked by the cut wires. Working with gloves just does not do it for me so it's just my bare fingers, a couple of pliers and patience.

The completed wire structure was dipped in Southern Ice Porcelain paper clay slip repeatedly until I was happy with the thickness of the coating achieved. Close attention was paid to the lower half of the bowl so it got more dips then the upper half to make it more stable.

I test fired this to Cone 5 in an electric kiln without doing the bisque fire. No glazes were used.

Results:

1. Due to the simple construction of the bowl, this piece survived the Cone 5 rather well.

2. There were several cracks in the clay and the melted wire oozed out.

3. At Cone 5, the wire is completely melted, so it's looking for a place to escape and run out. Cracks in the clay provided this outlet.

4. I think the cracks cannot be avoided as the pressure from the melted wire will find the weak points in the clay coating and burst out.

5. Another test would be to fire to Cone 1 (avg. 2072 degress F) vs. Cone 5 (avg. 2163 degress F) for example, and see how the wire survives. At bisque temp. of Cone 04 (avg. 1943 degrees F) the wire is intact.

Firing to Cone 10

2010-10-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

I did a Cone 10 fire with the four different types of paper clay mentioned in my earlier post.

From left, is Gault 10 paper clay, Southern Ice Porcelain paper clay, a red-bodied paper clay, and Black Mountain sculpture paper clay.

These test tiles went through the bisque fire first and then to Cone 10 reduction. Below are the results.

From fresh clay to bone dry greenware:

All showed approximately 4 - 5% shrinkage.

After Cone 10 fire (total shrinkage, from fresh clay to Cone 10 fired):

Gault 10 Pclay - 11.9%

Southern Ice Porcelain (with feldspar) paper clay - 9.4%

Red-body paper clay - 13%

Black Mountain sculpture paper clay - 10.4%

Caveat: The same caveat applies to this test.

Visible change in Cone 10 fire compared to Cone 5.

1. The Gault 10 Pclay turned a deeper buff color.

2. The feldspar crystals in the Southern Ice Porcelain paper clay "popped more. Some specks of iron showed up, and I don't know where they came from. Perhaps, a contaminant.

3. The red-bodied paper clay turned a very warm orange-brown color.

4. The Black Mountain sculpture paper clay turned a very deep brown-black.

At Cone 10, these test tiles were completely vitrified and you can tell the difference in the sound when these tiles were struck together compared to the Cone 5 fired tiles.

On the Gault 1o Pclay test tiles, I decided to also test out some colored slips - blue, green and black.

Cone 5 with various Paper Clays

2010-10-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

I made test tiles from 4 different kinds of paper clay. From left, is Gault 10 paper clay, Southern Ice Porcelain paper clay, a red-bodied paper clay, and Black Mountain sculpture paper clay.

All three paper clays except for the Black Mountain sculpture paper clay were commercially purchased. I added the paper pulp into the Black Mountain clay to make it into a paper clay variety. I made a couple of changes to the Southern Ice Porcelain paper clay by adding feldspar crystals to it for one of my earlier projects and to the red-bodied paper clay, I decided to add more paper pulp into the already made paper clay.

The test tiles were marked off in one inch intervals for a total of six inches. This will enable me to calculate the shrinkage during drying and after firing. These tiles were fired ONCE, from dry greenware to Cone 5, without going through the bisque stage. I wanted to try out this one fire approach.

From fresh clay to bone dry greenware:

All showed approximately 4 - 5% shrinkage.

After Cone 5 fire (total shrinkage, from fresh clay to Cone 5 fired):

Gault 10 Pclay - 10.9%

Southern Ice Porcelain (with feldspar) paper clay - 8%

Red-body paper clay - 12.5%

Black Mountain sculpture paper clay - 10.4%

Caveat: These test tiles were made and fired flat in the electric kiln so the shrinkage values reflect the manufacturing and testing conditions. I did not test for vertical shrinkage. Adding the feldspar crystals into the Southern Ice Porcelain paper clay may also have affected the shrinkage since this clay showed the smallest amount.

I also made small pinch forms from the above four paper clays and fired them to Cone 5 (one fire) together with the test tiles. The result from the one fire test showed that I can easily fire to Cone 5 without any problems.

Why Fire to Cone 5?

For my sculptural pieces, I really don't have to fire to Cone 10. The higher cone puts more stress on the clay structure and provide more opportunities for the work to wrap, sag, or even fall apart. Granted that at Cone 10, the clay will be vitrified and stronger.

Another good reason is it is more energy efficient to go only to Cone 5. The ability to do a one-fire with paper clay also reduces the energy consumption since I don't have to do a bisque fire.

Save That Cardboard

2010-10-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

I think as artists we find many uses for every day things. Take for example, cardboard boxes that things come in. After being cut up into flat pieces, they make great "trays" to carry my paper clay slabs from my studio to dry outside in my patio.

A few weeks ago we had a few days of rain following a week of very hot weather. I was in the middle of making a rather large vessel and did not want to wait for it to dry on its own time so I made a "drying box" out of the sheets of cut-up cardboard. All the pieces are held up by their own weight pressing against each other. I did not use any tape. A small bathroom heater (running for about an hour at maximum power) provided the heat to firm up my work sufficiently enough for me to continue working through those couple of rainy days. I put my work-in-progress vessel into my make shift "drying box" as needed, each time rebuilding the box. The Sun came out after two days of rain.

It makes me appreciate how much "free power" we get from our Sun on a typical Southern California day. When it comes to paper clay, the Sun is our friend! I did a search on Google and found out that on a sunny day, we get on average 100W of solar energy per square foot.

Lark Books - 500 Raku pieces

2010-09-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'm most excited to have my Japanese Demon Mask pieces selected to be part of the 500 Raku series from Lark Books.

The book will come out in spring 2011.

Orange County Weekly Interview

2010-07-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

The Orange County Weekly did an article about me and my sculptures. Here's the direct link.

Enjoy!

Anthony

American Ceramic Society Annual Show 2010

2010-06-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Two of my pieces "Made in America" and "Emergence" are going to be in this year's American Ceramic Society Annual Show at the McGroarty Arts Center in Tujunga, CA.

Opening reception: Saturday, June 12th from 5:00 - 9:00PM.

The exhibition will run June 14th thru 26th.

Gallery hours: Monday - Saturday, 10:00AM - 6:00PM

McGroarty Arts Center is located at 7570 McGroarty Terrace, Tujunga, CA 91042.

Made in America, 2009

Bmix and sand sculpture clay, paperclay, natural bamboo chopsticks, acrylic paint. High fire. Cone 10 reduction.

Oversized take-out boxes, fortune cookies and chopsticks.

Arrangement: 18"H x 21"W x 18"D

For the story behind this piece, click here for earlier post.

Emergence, 2009

Sculpture paperclay, flashing slip. Iron oxide and Manganese dioxide.

No glaze. High fire. Cone 10 reduction.

21”L x 11”H x 12”D

Making Your Own Blender Blade For Under $5.00

2010-06-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to make my own blender tool for pulp and clay slurry preparation. All the parts can be purchased from any hardware or home improvement store.

Here's the breakdown of the parts:

One Tie plate - 50 cents
One 24" long threaded rod, 5/16" dia - $1.76. I would have preferred an 18" long rod instead of the 24", but the store did not carry the 18" length.
One packet of nylon lock nuts, 5/16" dia - 98 cents. You only need one lock nut from the 2 that comes in the packet.
Two nuts 5/16"dia - 20 cents

With CA sales tax, it comes up to $3.75

I had to enlarge the central hole in the tie plate with a 1/4"drill bit to accommodate the threaded rod.

After that, assembly was very straight forward as seen in the picture.

An electric drill fits into the other end of the blender tool. Make sure the drill chuck is well tightened before use.

Disclaimer: Use caution, wear gloves, and eye protection for your own safety when operating electric tools. Use at your own risk.

Yet Another Kitchen Tool Recruited!

2010-06-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is the blender I used when I made my Black Mountain paper clay (see earlier post Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 here). It was an old one that kind of worked intermittently. I was able to salvage it for use in my ceramic studio so I was happy to re-purpose it for another life.

As the immersion part of the blender is only so long, I had to blend in small portions. The blade works really good in chopping up the soaked paper packaging.

Since then, I've gotten a brand new one for the kitchen. Great for making strawberry smoothies.

Disclaimer: Use caution, wear gloves, and eye protection for your own safety when operating electric tools. Use at your own risk.

Paper Clay Workshop, June 19, 2010

2010-06-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching a one-day hands-on paper clay workshop in June. Here are the details.

Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010.

Venue: My home studio in Placentia. Class size is limited to 8-10 students.

Time: 9 AM to 4PM. One-hour lunch break at noon.

Please contact me for more information at antjhfoo@gmail.com

Students will be able to view my sculptures up close in my home gallery. This will be a great opportunity for Q&A.

Anthony
www.anthonyfoo.com
http://antjhfoo.blogspot.com

Paper clay And Structural Support

2010-06-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Case Study: "Within Us"

This is the completed piece. It is mounted with a stainless steel pin into a solid textured aluminum block.

The issue arises when it comes time to fire the piece, first in the bisque fire and then to Cone 10 reduction. Due to the shape of this piece, I knew I had to create some kind of a support or scaffolding to prop up the piece during the firing process, and one that is strong enough to withstand a high fire at Cone 10.

The scaffolding was made from paper clay with a combination of dry-to-dry and leather hard-to-dry joining techniques.

Creating a piece is one thing, completing it is another. In a piece like this where there is no stable base for the piece to rest on, I had to devise something. Paper clay allows me to easily "engineer" this support to accomplish this end.

For the story behind this piece, click on this link.

This piece is in a private collection in Orange County, CA.

Paper clay and Maquette

2010-05-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Maquettes are small preliminary models that sculptors make to give them an idea of what the larger version will be like.

Most, if not all, of my sculptural works start out as drawings or sketches. Sometimes it is difficult to see how a 2D drawing translates into a 3D form, especially if that shape is complex. Making a miniature model helps me visualize what it will look like. It allows me to foresee any problems in the production of the final version and to make necessary changes to my original design.

Paper clay is a great medium for maquettes. It is very strong in the bone dry greenware stage and is easily repaired if a part breaks off. As long as it has not been fired, I can recycle the paper clay so none is wasted.

Here are some of my concept maquettes in my studio.

Black Mountain Paper Clay - Part 3

2010-05-26T17:23:00.001-07:00

Part 3 - Mixing the pulp and the clay slurry

The sequence of pictures correspond to the notes on the left side.

1. When I'm satisfied that my paper pulp is sufficiently broken down, it's time to strain the excess water out of the blended pulp. For this I used an ordinary strainer. I let the excess water drain out and collect enough "pulp ball" to fill about 1/3 of a 5 gallon bucket. (first picture)

2. Do not squeeze out all the water from the "pulp ball." (second picture down)

3. This was the extra pulp that was left over from all the paper packaging I used. (third picture down)

4. The Black Mountain clay slurry is in the left bucket, the pulp is in the right one. By volume, clay slurry is 2/3, pulp is 1/3. (fourth picture down)

5. Mix and blend the two together. Makes for a very delicious looking mousse-like consistency! (fifth picture down)

6. I use my concrete patio a lot for drying out the clay-pulp mixture. This will take a few days to get to a kneadable consistency. The next step will be testing this Black Mountain paper clay and see how it performs. (last picture)

Black Mountain Paper Clay - Part 2

2010-05-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Part 2 - Making the Black Mountain clay slurry

The sequence of pictures correspond to the notes on the right side.

1. My left over Black Mountain clay was cut up and left to dry in the sun.

(first picture)

2. It took about 2 days in our hot Southern California weather to dry out. I was in no hurry so I left all those chunks outside. In the mean time, I went ahead and prepared the pulp from left over paper packaging.
(2nd picture down)

3. The big chunks were broken up and put into a 5 gallon painters bucket. (3rd picture down)

4. Water was added till the tops of the clay chunks were covered. Let sit until completely slaked. (last picture)

After the clay has been well soaked, blend till about medium thick oatmeal consistency and get rid of any lumps in the clay slurry. Add water to thin out if necessary.

Black Mountain Paper Clay - Part 1

2010-05-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Black Mountain clay (both the sculpture and potter's variety) from Aardvark is one of my favorite colored traditional clay. I like the deep brown color I get when it's fired to Cone 10 reduction. Most of the time I do not use any glaze on this clay in my sculpture work.

I decided to make a paper clay version of it from my left over Black Mountain clay in my studio. This article will be in 3 parts.

Part 1 - Making the pulp
Part 2 - Making the Black Mountain clay slurry
Part 3 - Mixing the pulp and the clay slurry

Part 1 - Making the pulp
The sequence of pictures correspond to the notes on the left side.

1. To make the paper pulp, I decided to use left over paper packing instead of a roll of toilet paper, just because I have them around the house and I wanted to experiment using this material. (first picture)

2. The paper packing was torn up into small pieces and put into a 5 gallon painters bucket. (2nd picture)

3. It was soaked overnight. You can also let it soak for a couple of days, if you like, to facilitate the blending of the paper into pulp. (3rd picture)

4. I used an old hand held immersion kitchen blender to cut up and blend the paper packaging into pulp. Adding more water helped in the blending. This takes a bit of time. I had to do this in batches since I can only go so deep with the immersion blender.

(4th picture)

5. Make sure the paper packaging is completely broken up. To test, mix about a tablespoon of pulp with water in a measuring cup. Stir well. You should not see bits of packaging at all. When all you see is a milky emulsion, then your pulp is good. (last picture)

Link to Flickr images

2010-05-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the direct link to my Flickr images.

It is a fast and easy way to share images. Enjoy!

Paper clay and Cracking - Part 2

2010-05-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

"Oh, no. I have a crack in my piece." How often do we mutter this to ourselves. Our adrenaline pours out and our blood pressure mounts!

Back when I was using a regular clay body, any cracks would spell doom (not to mention, heartache) to my piece. Sometimes I can fix the crack if I catch it in time when the clay is still in the leather hard stage or slightly past it. Forget about it if your piece is bone dry. Sometimes you hope for the best through the bisque fire and then hope even more that the glaze will "seal" the crack. Most of often than not, you find it does not work that way.

One big advantage of paper clay over regular clay is that any cracks that develop in your piece can be fixed, even at the bone dry stage. Let me first clarify the different types of cracks and why cracks happen in the first place when making dry to dry joins.

Why cracks happen when joining?

This problem can always be attributed to insufficient moisture in your pieces to be joined using dry to dry joining techniques. Remember bone dry pieces are very, very thirsty and will soak up water very easily and quickly. Beginners usually do not have enough moisture in their pieces to be joined, or your mushy paper clay (which constitute the main "glue" that holds everything together) is not mushy enough (not enough water) or the paper clay slip is too thick (not enough water).

How do you get moisture to the pieces to be joined?

The simplest way is to soak the area in water that needs to be joined. Keep an eye on the part so that it does not revert back to its leather hard stage, or worse still, become mushy and soft. For a piece that is about 1/4" thick, approx. 30 seconds to a minute. I frequently check the water content of the part by taking it out of the water soak and see how fast the water is re-absorbed into the surrounding paper clay. If the water disappears too fast, then I know the piece still needs more moisture and back it goes into the water soak.

If my piece is too large to fit inside a soaking container, I've used wet paper towels pressed against the area to be joined. The dry paper clay will suck readily moisture from the wet paper towels so keep the paper towels wet with a sprayer or a sponge.

Types of cracks.

There are 2 types of cracks. The first kind is the surface crack. This is mostly seen at the very feathered edges of a join caused by the difference in water content between the pieces to be joined and the mushy paper clay/paper clay slip used as "glue." This kind of crack can also happen AT the join. If your dry to dry joining technique is good, this crack can be repaired without any trouble simply by adding more paper clay slip to the crack to "seal" it.

Otherwise, this is a sign of the second kind of crack which is a structural crack. This is no good. Again, the main culprit is insufficient moisture content in the pieces to be joined. Joins like this can easily be pulled apart and will fail very nicely and cleanly. This is a tell tale sign that means your dry pieces need to be soaked longer in water. The thicker the piece, the longer it will take. A lot of it comes from experience working with paper clay.

A good test of your dry to dry joining technique.

Make a dry to dry join.
Let it dry completely to bone dry.
Pull it apart.
If the pieces come apart cleanly at the join, then you know your joining techniques need more practice.
If the join holds and your piece breaks away from the join, then you have made a good strong join.

With practice and a good understanding of the physical properties of paper clay, one can begin to understand why one join fails and another survives. Paper clay affords us this training and removes this "fear" element of "Oh, no. I have a crack in my piece." (The above exercise is a good one for beginners to go through. The paper clay can always be recycled)

'Cracks, huh? No problem. I can fix it."

Also see earlier related post on "Paperclay and Cracking."

Paper clay and Speed Drying

2010-05-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Paper clay holds up very well to speed drying.

What is speed drying?

It is using an external heat source to speed up the drying of the paper clay. Below are examples of heat sources available.

the sun (it's free)
electric heat gun
propane torch
microwave oven
regular gas oven

Why speed drying?

It allows the soft paper clay you are working on to firm up enough for you to continue working.

In Southern California, especially during the hot summer days, the sun provides you with a free energy source. When this is not fast enough, I use my propane torch to "spot" dry areas that I want firmed up.

Why speed drying works in paper clay?

The microscopic tubes in the paper pulp act as channels for the steam and hot air to escape so your piece does not blow up. Sometimes, when I get very aggressive with my propane torch, small surfaces of my paper clay piece flake off with a popping sound when I hold the flame too long in one spot. This is telling me that I've over-stressed that part of the clay and the sound I hear is a "mini steam explosion." Time to ease off on the propane torch. Or move the propane torch more often to reduce "hot spots."

I've even "zapped" small paper clay pieces (especially lugs for vases, etc) in my old microwave. The principle is the same as discussed above. The steam needs to have an outlet and as long as there is one, you can speed dry your paper clay. I started with a low setting (50% power) for about 15 seconds and gradually build up my courage to do a full minute at full power. My pieces come out of the microwave oven hot and steaming so care must be taken when handling them. Once cooled, they are firm enough for me to continue my project.

You can never be this aggressive with traditional clay so please don't try this or you will have a mess to clean up!

Speed drying is yet another "tool" in your "paper clay tool box" to work your clay. You are not bound by traditional ceramic techniques that have been taught and still continue to be taught in all ceramic art schools.

See earlier related post on "forced heating."

Disclaimer: Use caution, wear gloves, and eye protection for your own safety when operating electric and/or gas tools. Use at your own risk.

Paper clay and Your Health

2010-05-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS:

Paper clay should not be stored for long periods as liquid slip as it becomes smelly when bacteria grows in it. Mixing some disinfectant (Clorox, PineSol, liquid detergent) to reduce the risk and prolong shelf life. Avoid Clorox if you have sensitivity to bleach.
New paper clay slip can be made easily by adding hot/warm water into a bucket of paper clay dry scraps. See earlier post on making paper clay slip.
Do not contaminate new batches of paper clay slip with old batches. If you are using the same bucket, wash out the bucket well with hot water and soap.
Wash, scrub hands well with soap and water before handling food.
Prolonged exposure to any clay dust should be avoided and is deterimental to your health. Always wear a face mask if you are going to be handling a lot of dry paper clay, or when sanding, carving bone dry or bisqued pieces.
I would also recommend wearing a face mask when cleaning out a bag of paper clay with mold growing on it to minimize breathing in the mold that has been made air-borne. Wear disposable vinyl gloves if needed. Scrub and clean your work area and your hands thoroughly after cleaning out a bag of old moldy paper clay.
Minimize air-borne clay dust by using wet sponges, rags, mops to maintain a clean working environment.
Clay dries out your hands so moisturize your hands frequently.
Above all, use common sense. First priority is your safety and health.

What's that stuff on my paper clay?

2010-05-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

We can't see them but they have been here longer than we, humans, have been around. It's just a fact of life that we are surrounded by them and they have a way of getting into things. I'm talking about microorganisms - bacteria, mold, fungus and the like.

Ordinary/regular clay has its share of "bugs" already in the bag when we buy the clay. I've seen tinges of green mold in my bagged BMix clay if left long enough. Usually the clay will dry out before the organisms have a chance to take hold.

Paper clay with its high organic content provides an ideal breeding ground for the mold. Bagged paper clay, if left sitting for an extended period of time, will happily support a flourishing colony and you'll be surprised how fast the mold can spread once it gets started.

Most of the time I see black and/or dark brown mold on my paper clay. It looks unsightly but the paper clay is still very usable. This is only surface mold and it can be easily removed. I take the block of paper clay out of the bag, mix some disinfectant (I like Pine-Sol because of its scent and is not caustic as bleach) with some water and wipe the mold off. I clean the bag throughly with hot water and soap, and spritz some disinfectant into the bag before I replace the now-cleaned paper clay. The presence of the disinfectant will help retard the re-growth of the mold. It will eventually come back so plan to use your paper clay soon.

There is however one kind of paper clay that I've been using for quite some time that DOES NOT show any mold growth. It's the Southern Ice porcelain paper clay from Australia. I do not know what fiber is used, nor if anything else is added as a fungicide, but it wards off any mold growth and has a tremendously long shelf life.

This picture shows 3 types of paper clay. Far left, is my recently reconstituted IMCO sculpture paper clay from my scraps (see earlier post). Top right, shows the Southern Ice porcelain paper clay. I bought that in 2007 and not a speck of mold in it. Bottom right is IMCO sculpture paper clay (from 2008) removed from its bag. The outside is covered with the mold I talked about, but the inside is still good, as shown by the slice.

Both bagged paper clay is a bit on the dry side because water has slowly evaporated from the bag over the years. No worries; add water into the bag and let the paper clay soak up it up.

An Interview with the Artist

2010-05-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine and fellow artist, Barbara Speck, spent some time interviewing me (Thursday, December 3, 2009) for one of her projects for her BFA degree. Here's her report in its entirety.

I had the pleasure of interviewing ceramic sculptor/artist Anthony Foo in his

home/studio in Placentia, California. Although he discovered his love of art in his youth,

only recently has he been compelled to focus exclusively on his craft. He freely shared

about his life as a working, exhibiting artist: his inspirations, triumphs, disappointments

and perseverance. His pieces embody not only his passion but his intellect as well.

Mr. Foo believes artists are not necessarily taught but born, though some take

time to realize the meaning and importance of art in their lives. Mr. Foo is a

primarily self-taught artist with a Bachelors degree in Biology/Immunology, an

Associates degree in Graphic Design and a certificate in Business. Though he has

enjoyed creating art as far back as he can remember he only started taking

ceramic classes in the mid-eighties at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. He recalls making

sculptures from mud as a child and appreciates how the path now culminates in his

current vocation.

Mr. Foo works with paper clay as opposed to traditional clay because he loves

its’ strength, versatility and ability to be manipulated. He appreciates that is can be

changed easily even once dry and that it can simulate different materials such as wood,

metal and gravel. He enjoys the tactile sense of the clay and the feeling of caressing it as

he sculpts it. He is most influenced by eastern philosophy and his upbringing in

Malaysia.

Mr. Foo has a passion for abstract sculpture. Of this he said, “The most satisfying

part is to take an abstract thought, turn it into a 2 dimensional sketch and then manipulate

it into a 3-D form. I enjoy capturing the thought and seeing the end result” (Foo, PC).

The least favorite facet of being an artist is the business aspect according to Mr. Foo. He

would be happiest to just concentrate of creating and someone else worked on the selling

and marketing aspect. Though he did say “It is the greatest compliment when someone

wants to buy a piece that they connect with emotionally” (Foo, PC).

Though Mr. Foo has followed an artistic path since his youth, it wasn’t until a

few years ago that he made the decision to devote his life to art. Mr. Foo worked as a

graphic designer for several years. While he enjoyed being a graphic designer, he was

able to make the decision to retire from graphic design to concentrate on ceramics full

time in 2007.

Mr. Foo has been in several exhibitions including shows at the Irvine Fine Arts

Center, Grand Central Gallery of California State University Fullerton, City of Brea Art

Gallery and the World Gallery. Additionally, he has won several awards for his art. He

also enjoys teaches paper clay sculpture at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. Mr. Foo sees

himself as a sculptor in the long term likening his artistic self-expression to a pressure

valve that releases stress and allows ideas to go from simply ideas to full realization. He

also believes it is important for fellow artists to realize everyone goes through phases,

sometimes creating nothing and other times with multiple project in the works. One

should not worry about the slow times and use this time to think and contemplate ideas.

He believes the biggest obstacle facing the emerging artist today is how art has gone from

a necessary and vital record of our culture to a luxury. It is now more about acquisition

than communications of ideas. Art has become expendable. We need to realize arts true

importance as it holds our culture together. (Foo, PC)

Mr. Foo’s message to emerging artists is simple, straight forward and eloquent.

“Follow your dream and be brave” (Foo, PC). Following Mr. Foo’s inspiration and

advice I believe an artist can see the importance of art and the need to continue to create

not just for ourselves but for everyone around us.

Paper clay Forever - Part 2

2010-05-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

After 2 days in the hot Southern California sun, this is what my reconstituted paper clay looks like.

The center of the thick mass is still very wet, the outer "skin" is a little dryer and kneadable. I flop the paper clay mass onto itself with the aid of the bed sheet and flatten the paper clay to expose fresh wet areas to be dried out.

By the end of the 3 or 4th day, enough water would have been sucked out of this wet paper clay for me to use.

No wastage at all.

Paper clay Forever

2010-05-06T09:52:00.001-07:00

Unfired paper clay can be recycled indefinitely.

I had some greenware pieces and buckets of dried scraps that had been sitting in my studio for some time.

Working with paper clay, I do not throw away any bits, including trimmings, broken pieces, etc. The cost of paper clay being more expensive than regular clay makes all paper clay artists misers, I think. You can readily make paper clay slip for "gluing" your pieces together from your scraps, use them for surface texture treatments, or reconstitute the dried paper clay back to a workable condition.

I make small scale models of a concept, to see if it will translate well from a 2-D drawing to a 3-D form. This is a great way to anticipate any problems I may encounter before starting on the real thing. All this clay can be recycled so there is no wastage.

The picture shows the way I recycle my paper clay. After slaking for a day or two in a 5-gallon bucket, I mash the paper clay into a thick oatmeal consistency, pour it out on top of bed sheets and let the concrete in my patio soak up the excess water. This may take some time to get the goopy oat-meal like paper clay to a kneadable condition. I knead the paper clay into manageable blocks and I have fresh paper clay ready for use.

All You Need Is ...

2010-05-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

I made it to the Ink and Clay 36 show this week at the Kellogg Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona. All of the ceramic pieces were great and I really enjoyed being able to see the pieces up close.

This is my piece in the show, titled "Terra Nova."

All you need is a nice pedestal and great lighting to show off your work! Of course, I say this in jest; yet, there is truth in it. It is amazing how a professional presentation sets off your work and elevates it to an entirely different world.

Here are the different clays and materials used in this piece:

• Sculpture paperclay

• Southern Ice Porcelain paperclay

• Black Mountain sculpture clay

• Black Mountain potters clay

• "Grogzilla" high grogged clay

• Sculpture paperclay mixed with rice

• Flashing slip

• Feldspar crystals

• Manganese dioxide

• Red Polymer clay

• Natural red seeds

Many of the "pods" were scavenged from an earlier piece that had been fired to Cone 10 reduction and did not turn out well. I "recycled" them into this piece. No glazes were used.

Paper clay and Glazing

2010-04-28T22:56:00.001-07:00

A student from my recent paper clay workshop asked me this question about paper clay and glazing. Anything you create in paper clay can be bisque fired. After this stage, all the paper has burnt out and the piece acts like any other piece created with a traditional clay body. It will take low fire glazes, hi fire glazes, raku glazes, and underglazes.

One of the advantage of paper clay is that you are able to apply glaze to your greenware piece and take it directly to a mid-range (Cone 6) or high fire (Cone 10) without having to do a bisque fire first. This is due to the tremendous greenware strength of paper clay at the bone-dry stage. The piece being very "thirsty" at this stage will suck up the glaze without any trouble. This uses less energy (either gas or electricity) and is more economical.

I had a greenware piece fired to Cone 5 (gas fired), bypassing the bisque stage without any problems. The art center where I teach and do all my firing does two firings in their big gas kilns - one at bisque and the other at Cone 10 reduction. If you have your own kiln, you may opt to try the one-firing method.

Ink and Clay 36 at the Kellogg Art Gallery, CalPoly Pomona.

2010-03-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a write up about this show by the San Gabriel Valley tribune.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_14716937

The photographer must have taken a liking to my piece, Terra Nova.

Paperclay and Inclusions - Part 4

2010-03-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

This may be the first time some people have seen this material (top picture). Rice hulls, also called rice husks is the outer covering of the rice grain. Once this is removed, you have white rice. It took me a while to track this down. Finally I found it at a local feed store. It comes in a 25 lb. bag, is used as bedding for horses and it not expensive.

For my hand-pinch bowls, I wedge the rice hulls into my paperclay. How much to add? If you want more texture, add more rice hull. Use less for a subtler effect. There should still be enough paperclay to hold everything together. You will know it if what you make does not hold up. In that case, add in more paperclay and wedge till the rice hull is evenly distributed in the paperclay. You can also press the rice hulls onto the outside surface of your form but this will give a different kind of look/texture.

This material gives a VERY delicate texture (the second picture is the couples cups on its stand, the bottom picture is a close up shot of the texture) so I opt to use oxides instead of glazes. A heavy application of red iron oxide give a very grayish gun metal color in Cone 10 reduction firing. I often use this oxide to contrast against a lighter colored glaze which I use for the inside of my hand-pinched forms.

In addition to creating interesting textures in paperclay, you can also use the rice hulls as a organic combustion source for your raku post-firing reduction.

Happy experimenting!

Micaceous Clay

2010-03-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

I was able to try out two samples of micaceous clay while I was at the Paperclay Artist Symposium earlier this year (see earlier post).

Cynthia Dahlstrom (Greenville, Alabama) who was one of the guest presenters uses micaceous paperclay for her carved relief sculptures. She gets the mica clay from New Mexico Clay Company and then adds paper pulp to the clay.

Here's a direct link to her picture in front of her work taken at the Paperclay Artist Symposium.

http://gallery.me.com/grahamhay#100028/IMG_0119&bgcolor=black

One of the benefits of the paperclay version of the micaceous clay is that it reduces the warping and cracking on her rather large flat panels. Her work is intricately carved, sometimes as many as 5 layers deep, then painstakingly hand-burnished, pit fired and then smoked to achieve the colors and results she is looking for.

I enjoyed her presentation very much and found her to be a very personable artist with southern charm and humor. She even made mica clay fortune cookies for us to try our hands at hand-burnishing these little things. It was a lot of fun.

From the mica clay samples she gave out, I made these two small simple pinch forms (2.25"H x 3"W at the rim). They have been bisqued fired. Mica clay is a low fire clay so cone 06 is high as you would want to go to keep the burnished look.

Grogzilla, Godzilla, Moxilla, etc

2010-03-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

I found out about this high-grogged NON-paperclay called Grogzilla™ when I attended my first paperclay workshop with Graham Hay in Santa Clara at Clay Planet back in 2007. It is manufactured by Clay Planet and is rated to Cone 10.

What attracted me to this "traditional/regular" clay was its rough texture and the little bits of "white godzilla teeth." That was my first impression of the feldspar crystals that popped from its surface. (See close up shot below) It does look like little dinosaur teeth so I thought the name was quite appropriate.

This hand-pinched bowl was fired in Steve Davis' kazegama ash kiln at Aardvark. I applied a thin layer of flashing slip on the top 1/3 of the bowl. The rest of the bowl was left bare. You can see the ash glaze over the flashing slip as a slight grayish brown coating. At high temperatures in the kiln, the feldspar crystals in the clay break through the surface and melt into little white globules.

I enjoy this texture very much and have been using this clay in my "sandwich" technique. (See earlier post). Paperclay allows me to incorporate this "regular" clay into my paperclay sculptures.

What's going on?

2010-03-17T09:57:00.001-07:00

I made several of these hand-pinched rice mixed with paperclay bowls sometime ago. The inside was coated with Southern Ice porcelain paperclay since I wanted to use the Celadon glaze.

After Cone 10 reduction, I found all my bowls had cracks in them. On the bottom of some of them, it looked like the Celadon glaze had pooled and formed a thick layer.

I was puzzled as to what happened as I had successfully used this method before. I decided to break some of them open to see what was going on inside. The bottom picture shows the culprit and the cause for the cracks.

I concluded that the Southern Ice porcelain paperclay was applied too thickly and in the high fire it contracted more than my regular paperclay and separated from the "shell."

This time around, instead of layering the Southern Ice porcelain paperclay layer by layer using the brush (this is the way I normally do it; it is a slow process but you have control over the thickness of the porcelain application), I decided to do something similar to slip casting, ie pouring my Southern Ice paperclay slip into my bone dry rice-and-paperclay bowls, wait for a while and then emptying the excess out. This resulted in too thick of an application of the Southern Ice porcelain paperclay. My experience with this porcelain paperclay is that it shrinks more than the regular paperclay and when this inner layer is too thick, it is has enough cohesion to pull/shrink away from the bottom of the bowl.

There are several ways to get around this:

1. Go back to layering the inner porcelain layer by hand with the brush method.

2. Use a thinner porcelain paperclay slip.

3. Wet down the bone dry bowl a bit so that it is not so "thirsty" and won't "suck up" the porcelain slip too quickly.

4. Do not wait too long to pour out the excess, if you are using the slip cast method.

I'm back using the #1 method as I can control how many layers of the porcelain slip I apply. I have not experimented with the other methods.

Paperclay and Inclusions - Part 3

2010-03-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

This brings me to one of my favorite drinks - coffee!

This is ground coffee that I get back home in Malaysia. As you can see, it is very coarse. Not all the coffee is ground so coarse. I shook my coffee container to bring up the coarsest bits to show the texture. I use it in my french press to make my morning brew.

The grounds can be saved, dried and then mixed with your paperclay to create interesting textures. One caveat. You want to make sure you dry out the grounds completely before you mix it into the paperclay to minimize "blow out" problems

Okay ... Let's try it again

2010-03-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

If the first time you don't succeed, try again.

I'm sure we all do that in our ceramics, so here I am with this familiar form again. My new bowl is the one on the right side. The left one suffered collateral damage in the kiln when someone else's piece blew up and their shards fell inside my bowl (see earlier post).

This hand-pinched bowl shape has come to mean a lot to me. It is a very simple form, albeit a BIG one, made from one big ball of Black Mountain sculpture clay. It's 9" across at the rim, 11" across at its widest point and 7" high. This is still greenware, drying in my studio. This second bowl is even larger than my first one.

This is the story and inspiration behind this bowl.

In many South East Asian countries (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia) where there is a strong Buddhist influence, saffron-robed Buddhist monks would come out of their monastery everyday at sunrise with their begging bowls to receive alms from the public. In Thailand especially, you see people line up by the road side waiting for the monk's arrival. The monks accept whatever is given in total silence and with gratitude. In Buddhism, giving such alms (consisting of food, fruits, biscuits, or whatever one can offer) brings you good karma. For these monks, this is their only food collection of the day. Whatever is collected is taken back to the monastery and shared with everyone for their only meal of the day before noon.

This pinch bowl is my interpretation of the monk's begging bowl. Theirs is usually made of brass for durability. I want this form to be simple, yet convey a sense of quiet beauty and strength. It is big and has some heft to it. I want this to represent the heavy responsibility these monks have taken upon themselves in the service of others. I've chosen the Black Mountain sculpture clay to complement this feeling. No glaze is needed on the outside.

Mixing Green with Red

2010-03-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Nothing better than a bowl of freshly whisked green tea!

The picture does not do justice to the beautiful green color of the matcha with its distinctive foamy head.

This tea was made in one of the bowls from my recently completed tea set (see earlier post). The outside is stained with iron oxide and manganese dioxide. Tomato red glaze was used for the inside of the bowls. Fired to Cone 10 reduction.

Perlite and Paperclay - Part III

2010-03-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

This was a small test block I made with perlite and paperclay - 1" square x 4"H.

After the bisque fire, I sanded the sides to expose the voids. No glazes or oxides were used on the surface of the test piece. It was fired to Cone 10 reduction. The warm toasty color is the natural color of this manufacturer's paperclay (IMCO).

In this piece, you can see the melted perlite in the voids better (about 1/2" off the base near the right edge).

For some applications, this may be an interesting texture to have.

Perlite and Paperclay - Part II

2010-03-15T00:03:00.000-07:00

This hand pinched form was made from perlite mixed with my regular sculpture paperclay. (Sold by Aardvark, Santa Ana, CA. This was their old batch of paperclay from IMCO, Sacramento. Aardvark is now making and carrying Rosette Gault's formulation for her own patented P'Clay™)

Enough perlite was mixed with my paperclay to give a good texture on my form. The piece was first bisqued. The resulting voids were exposed by sanding the piece with a metal rasp. An iron oxide wash was applied on the outside of the piece while the inside was glazed with carbon trap shino. The piece was fired to Cone 10 reduction. Size of the pinch form is 3.75"H x 4.5"Dia.

My observations:

1. Compared to my normal addition of using cooked rice as an organic inclusion, the perlite gives a wider assortment of void sizes - ranging from the size of coarse sand to almost 1/4" in diameter. Cooked rice gives a more uniform void size.

2. Some of the perlite remaining in the voids melted at the Cone 10 temperature and this is seen as a slightly opaque glassy residue in the voids.

3. The perlite inclusion at the bisque stage is more resistant to sanding with a metal file compared to other organic inclusions, for example, cooked rice or rice hulls.

4. The piece is rather light so you do get the benefit of a weight reduction.

5. There was no "blow out" from using perlite.

Paperclay | Today Workshop & Artist Symposium, Feb. 1-7, 2010

2010-03-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

"What if you organized a paper clay artist symposium and nobody showed up?"

This was the very first paper clay artist symposium in the United States. The entire event was expertly organized by Linda Saville of Laguna Beach Ceramics. Thanks, Linda! And you were concerned that no artist would show up. Well, we did and what a wonderful experience it was!

4 days of workshops led by Graham Hay (Australia) and Rosette Gault (Seattle, WA), capped off by 2 days of symposium from international and national paper clay artists from Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Wales, Malaysia (yours truly) and the USA.

I was one of two Southern California paper clay artists presenting my work. I spent about 90 minutes showing slides of my past, current and work-in-progress works and fielded a lot of questions. The topic of my presentation was "Creating wonderful textures with Paperclay."

In all, 19 artists spent time with the participants showcasing what they do with paper clay. I found the exchange throughly invigorating. Seeing how other artists from around the world use paper clay was a great eye opener. This will encourage me to further expand my own experimentation by pushing the limits of this medium. I think as artists, we work alone most of the time, so it was very refreshing getting a large group of artists working in the same medium, exchanging ideas and sharing our work.

Paper clay as a ceramic sculpture medium has been increasing in popularity in the US for the past several years. This is very encouraging as paper clay has its own advantages over "traditional/regular" clay. (See my earlier posts). Even today, paperclay as a ceramic medium is woefully underrepresented. My hope is that this will soon begin to change as more and more people working in ceramics find out about paperclay. Already it is happening in the US.

Once you understand the fundamentals of paper clay, you will find going back to a "traditional" clay very limiting. I can't wait till the 2nd USA international paperclay symposium in 2012!!

Here's the direct link to pictures taken during the week, courtesy of Graham Hay:

http://gallery.me.com/grahamhay#100028

Soaring Voices - Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists Exhibition

2010-03-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

It's great to see contemporary ceramic art coming out of Japan and especially so from a group of Japanese women ceramic artists!

I found out about this show from one of the students from Kaoru Kaplan who teaches Japanese-inspired ceramics at the Irvine Fine Arts Center.

Here is the direct link to the English version of the announcement:

http://www.modern-ceramic-art.com/english/index.html

The official Japanese site is:

http://www.modern-ceramic-art.com

Tea Bowls and Hot Water Pot, 2010

2010-03-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

For the past two years, the Irvine Fine Arts Center has sponsored their annual Spring tea set exhibition. It is a quiet event for ceramic artists and potters working at the IFAC to showcase their work and enjoy each other's company over a nice buffet dinner.

Unfortunately, this year the center has been so booked with shows and exhibitions that we won't be able to have this rather unique event. I was so looking forward to it.

This would have been my entry for this year's show, "Tea Bowls and Hot Water Pot." All the pieces are hand-made (no wheel here) from my sculpture paperclay. The outside texture is my distinctive "rice" texture. Iron oxide and manganese dioxide is used to give the deep brown to black color. This time I opt to use the Tomato Red glaze for the inside of the pieces, instead of Celadon. (I have too many pieces with Celadon and wanted to try another color variation). I think with freshly whisked powdered tea ("matcha"), the green frothy texture will play nicely against the rust red of the Tomato Red glaze. The bamboo tea whisk (called "chasen") and scoop ("chashaku") is store bought. I have been using them for over a year so they are getting nicely aged. Eventually the tea whisk will have to be replaced from normal wear and tear. The wooden stand of high quality birch plywood was specially made to display and complement this set.

Size: 14"W x 10"D (size of tray) x 10"H.

Here are the direct links for my previous entries.

2009:

http://anthonyfoo.com/TakeOutTea.htm

http://anthonyfoo.com/RiceTeaSet.htm

2008:

http://anthonyfoo.com/AnemoTea.htm

http://anthonyfoo.com/EmptyCalories.htm

Enjoy the tea sets!

Ink and Clay 36

2010-03-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

Here is the Ink and Clay 36 announcement. Below is an earlier post I made about my piece that will be in the show. The direct link is:
http://antjhfoo.blogspot.com/2010/01/ink-and-clay-36-at-kellogg-art-gallery.html

The beauty of Black Mountain

2010-03-07T15:53:00.001-08:00

Black Mountain sculpture clay (from Aardvark) is one of my favorite "traditional/regular" clay. I like it for its texture, color and feel of it. Paperclay is my clay of choice and I use this Black Mountain clay when my sculpture calls for it. With paperclay, I can incorporate this "regular" clay using my "sandwich" technique (See earlier post). It gives a very nice contrast to the lighter colored clays (for example, southern ice porcelain paperclay) without the use of additional glazes.

I always let the clay dictate what kind of a rim the piece likes to have. I do not trim the rim at all. The natural way the rim develops in all of my pinch forms gives them their own uniqueness and personality. For me, this gives me a most satisfying feeling. The form becomes what it wants to be. I let it be and enjoy what it has become - naturally.

Size: 4.5" dia x 3.5"H. No glaze. Hi fire Cone 10 reduction. Black Mountain sculpture clay.

Business cards as framed art

2010-03-07T15:18:00.001-08:00

I got these as my new business cards. They are called Moo Mini cards and I really like them. They are about 1/2 the size of a regular business card. The nice thing about this company is that you can have a different image on each of your 100-card order if you like.

I figured since I already have images of my sculptures I might as well re-purpose them and use them to make my unique business cards. I got this ready-made black acrylic frame from the same company as an art frame. What you see here is a collection of my cards. The way you arrange the cards are up to you. You can re-configure them to have a totally new look.

Taking a photograph of the framed "art" with a shiny acrylic protective piece over it is tricky, but you get the idea. I've cropped out the 1 1/2" black frame to give a better view of the cards themselves. I have 27 individual designs for my business cards, the frame here holds 20. I have purposely selected a close-up view of my sculptures to make them even more abstract and is interesting to go to my website to "hunt" for the image to see the entire piece.

The company also does regular size business cards, greeting cards, note cards, etc. Here's the link to the company, www.moo.com. The layout of the cards is done online on their site.

If you do make your order by credit card, you will be charged a financial transaction fee as the company is based in the UK. The cards are of a heavy card stock and are printed and packaged in Rhode Island, USA. Sounds like I'm a salesperson for the company but I'm not and am not getting any compensation from them. Check them out if you are interested. The cards have worked out very well for me, and everyone I've given the card to is totally enamored by the uniqueness of the concept.

Cone 5 porcelain paperclay - one firing.

2010-03-05T23:56:00.000-08:00

These pinch forms are made from Aardvark Papel porcelain Cone 5 paperclay. It was fired to Cone 5 from greenware without going through the bisque stage. Shrinkage is about 15%. This is just an approximation. I did not make any measurements but they sure came out a lot smaller than when they went it.

A one-fire process saves time and more importantly, energy, either gas or electricity, so it's environmentally friendlier. To me, ceramics has never been a "green" undertaking as so much energy is needed to convert the raw clay to something that is totally different from the starting material.

Depending on your paperclay project, a one-fire process may be applicable to you.

Paperclay & Shrinkage

2010-03-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

One of the things I get asked with paperclay is "How much does it shrink?" That is a valid question and after all, it's good to know all the technical details of the clay when one is working with it.

The paperclay and subsequent technical infomation provided here is manufactured by IMCO in Sacramento. It's a proprietary blend and is carried locally here in So. Calif by Aardvark Clay Company in Santa Ana, in 25lbs bag.

The information provided here is from my own experience.

From green to bone dry - 5 %

After bisque - not measured

After high fire (Cone 10 reduction) - 10%

Total shrinkage is around 15%

Considering other traditional clay bodies (total shrinkage ) is anywhere from 8% (low end) to 12-13%(high end), this paperclay shrinkage is quite a bit. It's good to know so you can compensate by making your pieces a bit larger than you normally would.

My personal tea bowl.

2010-02-28T14:30:00.001-08:00

This is my personal tea bowl I use everyday to prepare my whisked green tea (matcha).

The outside is my distinctive rice texture. Iron oxide gives the nice rich brown to black color. The inside is a very soothing Celadon glaze. High fire Cone 10 reduction.

Size: 4.5" Dia x 3.25"H

Blow Out Big Time - sometimes even cooked rice does not work!

2010-02-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

This is one time when even cooked rice added to my paperclay did not survive the bisque fire. Large chucks from the sides of my hand pinched bowl blew out during the bisque fire. I cannot figure out what is causing this as the piece was bone dry when it entered the kiln. It had also been drying in my studio for several weeks prior to the bisque fire. These kind of failures happen once in a while (about 5 - 10% of the time) and I'm still trying to find out the common underlying factor.

I use left over cooked rice and sometimes I let the rice dry out for several days. When I leave the rice out for too long, they start to dry out and get hard and crusty. Then I rehydrate them to soften them up again so I can wedge them with my paperclay. Could this affect the outcome? Perhaps some moisture still remains within the clumps of rice causing the blow out.

This method of making my hand-formed bowls and cups takes so much longer to make than if it had been thrown on a wheel. The successful end product, however, it worth the effort.

Perlite and Paperclay - Part I

2010-02-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

I've used several type of inclusions with my paperclay. They range from sawdust, wood chips, straw, rice hulls, and cooked rice. Recently I had a chance to try perlite mixed with my paperclay. Perlite is an inorganic material that is used as a conditioner to improve the aeration and water retention properties of soil. I got my bag of Perlite from Home Depot in the garden department. In this test, I was curious to see what the voids look like after the bisque fire.

The picture on the left shows a simple pinch form made from paperclay mixed with perlite. The amount of perlite used is just an estimate; enough to give some kind of texture. It survives the bisque fire without any problems. The form is extremely light. After sanding the outside surface of the form with a metal rasp, the random voids can be seen.

Compare this with the sphere on the right side (it's part of a sculpture I'm currently working on). It this piece, I used paperclay mixed with cooked rice. The mixture was applied as a thin coat (about 3/8" thick) over a bone dry paperclay sphere using paperclay slip as "glue." Many more regular shaped voids can been seen all over the bisqued surface of the sphere after sanding.

I was hoping to see more irregular voids from the perlite. I do see that some of the perlite still remains trapped in the bisque ware. I find the perlite from the bag is more varied in size, some ranging from size of coarse sands to around 1/4" in diameter.

I want to take both of these to high fire (cone 10 reduction) and am curious to see how the perlite behaves. I know how the paperclay mixed with cooked rice will behave as I have been using this technique for several years. I'll post another entry in the blog once I have completed this test.

From little pinch pots grow wonderful creations!

2010-02-26T14:24:00.001-08:00

This sculptural vase set started from 3 very humble pinch pots that I demonstrated for my paperclay class at the Irvine Fine Arts Center.

After the 3 individual pinch forms were bone dry, they were joined using dry to dry techniques. Additional textural elements at the base of the forms were also added, using the same technique.

Outside glaze is Tenmoku. The Tenmoku glaze breaks to a very nice brown color where the glaze is thinner. I opted for this glaze instead of Coleman's Gloss Black to give an aspect of texture and dimensionality to the composite form. Inside was glazed wax white. These glazes are part of the standard set of glazes available at the Irvine Fine Arts Center.

The paperclay is Aardvark IMCO Ivory sculpture paperclay. High Fire Cone 10 reduction.

Size: 11"H x 9"W x 11"D

The Humble Pinch Pot

2010-02-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

I enjoy making my pinch pots. It's a time to slow down and enjoy the relationship between you and the clay. It is you trying to make something definite out of the clay and the clay teaching you how it wants to behave.

There are many things this humble low-tech form can teach us if we take the time to find out. Many new comers to clay rush past this "technique" to go on to other things, be it wheel throwing, slab construction, hand building, etc. In the paperclay class I teach, I have students make 3 pinch forms in the first class, set aside to dry completely and then later on use them for the dry-to-dry joining techniques.

It takes skill to make a beautiful pinch form. I still find myself limited to a symmetry that I'm trying to break out of.

Here are some simple pinch forms I made (from clay samples given out) during the paperclay workshop I attended earlier this month. You can tell which one I spent the most time on. The clay is Aardvark Papel Cone 6 porcelain. They are bone dry greenware, not fired yet.

Collateral Damage

2010-02-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my hand pinched Black Mountain sculpture clay bowl that was involved in a "mini explosion" inside the glaze kiln. It was the largest pinch bowl I made so far; 9"Dia x 6.5"H. The shards from the exploded pot landed inside my bowl and fused with the glaze.

Part and parcel of the going ons in a community kiln. Most of the time my pieces come out fine out of the Cone 10 reduction firing.

To quote my instructor, Julia Klemek, "Don't fall in love with your piece until it comes out of the kiln."

I think this will make a great Ikebana flower bowl!

Does anyone else feel this way?

2010-02-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

This opening paragraph is from Steven Montomery, New York, New York. His sculptures and article is in the January 2010 issue of Ceramics Monthly.

"An intense and unwavering commitment to my work preceded any idea of generating income from art. Any idea, or body of work, worthy of the honor of being purchased by a collector or museum is usually made presuming it will not generate a dime, but must be made nonetheless."

This is EXACTLY how I feel about my work. I was so thrilled to know someone else feels this way. To create a piece of work that is driven by one's passion and not by the thought of how much one can charge for it.

I have to admit that at times I hear and feel the latter thought in the back of my mind wanting to come out; wanting to be entertained. I feel this is a dangerous road to take because the reason for creating my work begins to shift. Then, I am no longer true to myself.

Ink and Clay 36 at the Kellogg Art Gallery, CalPoly Pomona.

2010-01-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

This piece, "Terra Nova", will be showcased at this year's Ink and Clay 36 juried exhibition.

The exhibit will open Thursday, March 18 and run through Saturday, May 1, 2010. The opening reception will be held on Sunday, March 21 from 3-5PM.

Kellogg Art Callery

California State Polytechnic University

3801 W. Temple Avenue,

Pomona, CA 91768

"91 works by 73 artists were selected from 600 entries. Jurors Elaine Levin (clay) and Leslie Jones (ink), juried their categories separately, applying their expertise along with their own unique perspective to selecting the work. The results reflect the high-quality and diverse nature that characterizes this show."

"When asked by what criteria will she make her choices, Elaine responded, "As a juror, I look for a fresh expression in materials and concepts. I'm interested in the thoughtful ideas stated in an original manner that reflects an artist's interests and passions. I look for what hasn't been seen before. I search for how well the object communicates an idea to the viewer. While finding the best possible aesthetic examples of work submitted, I also need to be aware of creating a balanced exhibit."

Artist Statement

This piece continues the evolution of my "Earthship" series of sculptures. The early "Earthship" pieces explores the theory of how life came to be on this Earth. There is speculation that the primordial organic elements were brought in by meteorites, thus seeding the Earth with early life forms.

What happens when this Earth becomes fully colonized and populated? This new "Earthship" is now crammed with a diversity of life forms which evolved over the eons, taking them, and hopefully, finding a new Earth, "Terra Nova."

Terra Nova, 2009

Ceramic sculpture: Sculpture paperclay, Southern Ice porcelain paperclay, Black Mountain potters clay, Black Mountain sculpture clay, "Grogzilla" sculpture clay, flashing slip, feldspar crystals, polymer clay (red), natural red seeds. Iron oxide and manganese dioxide stain on the outside of the hull structure. No glaze. High fire Cone 10 reduction. 22"H x 19"W x 10"D

Paperclay Today | Artist Symposium

2010-01-24T15:41:00.001-08:00

Here's more information about this exciting event coming up in Laguna Beach.

Paper Clay Artists Shape’ Up Skills at Symposium

Laguna Beach Ceramics hosts the inaugural Paperclay Today Artist Symposium, featuring 15 national and international paper clay artists, on Feb. 6 and 7 at Aliso Creek Inn.

This is an invitational symposium with artists sharing their work through open and panel discussions, demonstrations, and mini-workshops. The mini, 80-minute workshops will be open to all interested ceramic students and artists.

The cost will be $40 for the first workshop and $30 for each additional workshop. There will be special pricing of $85 for the all-day session, which includes the opening session, where each artist makes a short presentation of their work, and two afternoon workshops. Lunch can be purchased on-site.

Registration will be available on-site on the days of the events, or register at www.lagunabeachceramics. com.

Presenting artists include: Joyce Centofanti (USA), Antonella Cimatti (Italy), Michele Collier (USA), Cynthia Dahlstrom (USA), Lynn Drake (USA), Melody Evans (USA), Anthony Foo (USA), Lorri Acott Fowler (USA), Rosette Gault (USA), Graham Hay (Australia), Angela Mellor (England), Rejane Mercier (Canada), Tina Neale (UK), Marcy Neiditz (USA), Charles Sherman (USA), and Erica Van Wyk (USA).

Upstream People Gallery - 12th Annual All Media Juried Online International Art Exhibition

2009-12-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

My work received Special Recognition for this year's show. This online exhibition runs for the entire 2010 year. Enjoy!

Here's the direct link:

http://www.upstreampeoplegallery.com/exhibition/default.asp?XD=1/1/2010&AN=Foo%2C+Anthony

Juror's statement:

ANTHONY FOO of Placentia, California has some interesting works in clay. “Family Ties” shows cylindrical forms in two parts; the white ones with black ties and the black ones with white ties. The idea of black and white as a family is a good concept indeed. With crackling used appropriately in the context of a kind of life form emerging from a shell or egg form he successfully creates “Emergence” with wonderful textural effects. “Terra Nova” shows an arch formation holding various cylindrical parts. And “Seed” with its rich patterns of circular voids and overall desaturated orange patina, is magnificently striking. Also, “Home” using raku with a shiny and rich reddish tone, with rough and smooth character, is a nice grouping.

Paperclay and Portraiture

2009-12-31T02:52:00.000-08:00

Traditional clay has long been the medium of choice in portraiture modeling. There are different ways of starting - some use a big chuck of clay and start sculpting; others form an internal head shape form and then add clay to it. Either way works. The main drawback is that in big chucks or in thick slabs, the clay gets heavy and some kind of internal support is required. The clay also tends to sag and slump under its own weight, so some waiting time is required for the clay to firm up. If you work from a solid block of clay, most teachers will tell you to hollow it out at some point in your creation process to minimize your bust blowing up in the bisque firing. Still, I've seen many heads loose part of their anatomy during the bisque fire stage as trapped air pockets or improper/uneven drying caused chunks of the work to pop off.

Paperclay certainly has several advantages here. For this project, you will be working with moist on moist techniques.

Some of the benefits of using paperclay for portraiture.

1. Reduced risk of cracking or parts of the piece blowing up, popping off during bisque fire.

2. Dries faster and more evenly than traditional clay.

3. A bit lighter after bisque. Obviously you can still use a lot of paperclay and it does gain some weight, but certainly not as heavy as a traditional clay body.

4. Tremendous greenware strength around certain areas of the face, for example, ear lobes, nose, chin.

5. Ability to repair cracks and broken pieces at the green stage with paperclay slip.

6. If the piece does dry out, it's a simple matter of spraying it with water to re-hydrate your piece without the clay crumbling on you. Keep on hydrating it until it becomes leather hard again and then continue as before.

My friend, Beverly T, who is the owner of the new doggie (see earlier post on Paperclay as SuperGlue) has been using paperclay exclusively for her portraiture figures ever since she started using it. It has worked extremely well for her and she is a total paperclay "convert."

Way to go Beverly! I've linked her website to my blog.

OC Weekly write up - All Media 2009 Juried Exhibition, Irvine Fine Arts Center

2009-12-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here's the direct link to the review of this year's All Media show at the Irvine Fine Arts Center by Dave Barton from the OC Weekly. Enjoy the article.

http://www.ocweekly.com/2009-12-24/culture/all-media-2009-juried-exhibition-irvine-fine-arts-center/

paperclay | TODAY Artist Symposium, Laguna Beach, Feb.6-7, 2010

2009-11-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

I will be participating in this first USA paperclay | TODAY Artist Symposium as a guest artist/presenter. This conference brings together artists both national and international working in paperclay.

Here are the mailers for this event.

For more information, please contact Laguna Beach Ceramics at www.lagunabeachceramics.com

Upstream People Gallery Award

2009-11-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

These were my pieces in the 10th Annual Contemporary Art Juried Online International Art Exhibition at the Upstream People Gallery, 2008. Here's the direct link from their archives.

Enjoy the pictures!!

http://www.upstreampeoplegallery.com/gallery/view.asp?RN=10076&AN=DeFord%2C+Matt&XD=5/1/2008

Juror's Statement:

" ANTHONY FOO is an accomplished ceramicist. All of his pieces are strong and significant in today’s contemporary ceramic art. “Daily Assault” is a dramatization of the effects of a daily bombardment. Dealing again with the ovoid spaces, “Empty Calories” interestingly handles the idea of poor nourishment in some of our food choices today. Another striking piece is “Forest Gone”. And “Last Boat Out” continues with his play upon the circular element."

Made In America, 2009

2009-11-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

Oversized set of Chinese fast-food take out boxes, fortune cookies and chopsticks. 18"W x 21"H x 18"D

A fast-food take out scene commonly seen here in America is totally unheard of in Asia. These items were intentionally made extra large and out of proportion to comment on how food is viewed in the US. The entire arrangement is colored white to drive home the point that this happens only in America. In addition, sticking a pair of chopsticks in rice is a big no-no in Asian culture. It is regarded as extremely rude and vulgar.

High fire sculpture clay, natural bamboo chopsticks, acrylic paint.

All Media 2009 Honorable Mention Award

2009-11-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

My ceramic works were awarded Honorable Mention in the All Media 2009 Juried Show at the Irvine Fine Arts Center.

The three pieces gathered a lot of interest as the audience were able to view the works up close and I could share my thoughts.

The show runs thru Jan. 16th 2010.

Irvine Fine Arts Center

14321 Yale Ave

Irvine, CA 92604

(949) 724-6880

Asian heritage plays main role in his works of art.

2009-11-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

Here's an reprint of the article about me and my work that appeared in the Art to Art Palette magazine in 2007.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/129730

American Chronicle - Beverly Hills,CA,USA

To learn more this man who has uncorked his vintage bottle of fine talent, to let his creativeness flow to come full circle, see: www.anthonyfoo.com.

Irvine Fine Arts Center, All Media 2009 Invitation

2009-11-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

Here is the All Media 2009 Juried Show invitation. The show runs from November 20th, 2009 through Jan. 16th , 2010.

Reception: Friday, Nov. 20th. 5 - 8PM

Irvine Fine Arts Center

14321 Yale Ave

Irvine, CA 92604

(949) 724-6880

Please stop by to say a big Hi to all the artists. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Irvine Fine Arts Center, All Media 2009 Juried Show

2009-10-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to have three of my pieces selected for this year's annual All Media Juried Show at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA.

The show runs from November 20th, 2009 through Jan. 16th , 2010.

Reception: Friday, Nov. 20th. 5 - 8PM

Irvine Fine Arts Center

14321 Yale Ave

Irvine, CA 92604

(949) 724-6880

Here are the selected pieces.

Family Ties, 2008

Collection of 9 tubes. Sculpture clay, Hi Fire. Nylon ties.

24”W x 20”H x 9”D

Emergence, 2009

Sculpture Paperclay. Iron and Manganese oxide. No glaze. High fire - Cone 10 reduction.

21”L x 11”H x 12”D

Terra Nova, 2009

Sculpture paperclay, Southern Ice porcelain paperclay, Black Mountain potters clay, Black Mountain sculpture clay, Grogzilla sculpture clay, flashing slip, feldspar crystals, polymer clay (red), natural red seeds. Iron oxide and manganese dioxide stain on the outside of the hull structure. No glaze. High fire Cone 10 reduction.

22"H x 19"W x 10"D

Paperclay slip as a Dimensional Element

2009-09-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Southern Ice Porcelain paperclay slip was used to create the raised look and feel for this sculptural vase (17"H x 5"W x 5"D).

1. The wax resist design was applied and drawn free hand.

2. Flashing slip was applied onto the entire piece. The waxed design resisted the slip.

3. Piece was bisque fired. The flashing slip cracks to give a nice texture.

4. The porcelain paperclay slip was applied in the wax resisted areas. Layers of the slip was built up until it had a sufficient raised dimensional effect.

5. The piece was then re-bisqued to weld the applied green porcelain slip on to the piece.

6. Wax was re-applied over the porcelain area to mask it out.

7. Carbon trap shino glaze is applied. The white porcelain surfaces is protected by wax.

8. Piece fired to Cone 10 reduction.

Incorporating Fired Pieces Into New Work

2009-09-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is my newest piece, "Terra Nova."

What makes this piece interesting is that all the pods, except the dark colored ones, have been previously fired to Cone 10.

The pods were composed into the hull shaped structure (made of paperclay). Paperclay was used to "glue" everything together. The entire assembly was sent through bisque fire. Iron oxide and Manganese Dioxide stains were used on the outside of the hull shape to color it. No glazes were applied. The entire piece was fired to Cone 10 reduction.

The little red balls inside the seed pods are made from polymer clay for a pop of color. I've also used real seeds, also red, in the 3 central pods (barely seen here). These were added after the high fire. The white tentacles (southern ice porcelain paperclay) fired together with the piece (but not attached) were later assembled.

Left Over Paperclay Slip? No Problem!

2009-09-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

Often times I have left over paperclay slip and if I'm not going to be using it for some time, I dry out the extra moisture and store the paperclay in plastic bags. If I am not in need of fresh paperclay, I may opt to dry out the slip completely (to bone dry), break it up into crumbs and then store it for later use.

The picture shows a batch of paperclay slip that I've poured on to an old bed sheet. I've enlisted the concrete of my patio to help "suck" the excess water from the slip. If you have plaster bats, that will work, too.

My technique take several days and I have to fold/flip the paperclay onto itself many times to facilitate the drying out process. If you are going to be working with moist paperclay, you decide when the paperclay is workable for you. The dried out paperclay can be rehydrated into a workable consistency when the need arises.

Paperclay Workshop Rescheduled

2009-09-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

The paperclay workshop at the McGroarty Arts Center has been rescheduled to Sept. 12th due the recent fires in the Los Angeles area. The Center is fine, however the air quality is still bad.

There are some slots still open for people who are interested in the workshop.

Please contact the McGroarty Arts Center for more info.

Photo credit:Los Angeles Times

Paperclay Workshop at the McGroarty Arts Center

2009-07-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

I will be holding a one-day paperclay workshop at the McGroarty Art Center, September 5th. 2009 from 9AM to 4PM. This hands on workshop will cover the fundamentals of paperclay and its versatility as a ceramic and sculpture medium.

McGroarty Arts Center

7570 McGroarty Terrace

Tuhunga, CA 91042

(818) 352-5285

www.mcgroartyartscenter.org

For more information, please visit the McGroarty Art Center's website above.

To Go Where No Paperclay Has Gone Before ...

2009-06-29T10:52:00.001-07:00

"SPACE ASIAN"

FEATURING SCULPTURAL WORKS OF

WOOD AND PAPERCLAY

July 18th through August 29th, 2009

World Gallery

1980 Placentia Ave,

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

(949) 646-6612

Opening Reception:

Saturday, July 18th, 7PM to 11PM.

I'm totally jazzed to be in this show. I will be showcasing pieces that have not been shown before.

This is World Gallery's first 3D art show. Mark your calendar for July 18th and come join in the celebration.

To Cook or Not to Cook

2009-06-12T10:40:00.001-07:00

I've used a variety of organic materials with paperclay to create interesting textures. Some of the materials I've experimented with are cooked rice, rice husk, sawdust, and straw. The rice husk, sawdust and straw gives very subtle textures while the cooked rice gives a richer texture and more intense look.

One of the questions I get is whether to use raw rice or cooked rice. I've always used left over cooked rice since that is part of my staple.

Other people have used raw rice and have had their piece blow up, fall apart, or disintegrate during the bisque fire. Why?

Raw rice will pop and puff up like popcorn (it's essentially is puffed rice, like Rice Krispies) during the bisque fire and destroy your piece. Cooked rice will not do that as the outer shell of the rice has been forced open by the cooking process.

Cooked rice is wedged into my paperclay and then my pinch cups/bowls formed from this mixture. The picture shows a recently finished rice bowl - it's literally a rice bowl because of the inclusion. The outside is stained with Iron and Manganese Dioxide. The inside glaze is Celadon. Fired to Cone 10 reduction.

Another success with Paperclay

2009-05-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

I made this planter for an upcoming planter show at the Irvine Fine Arts Center out of salvaged ordinary clay. A big hairline crack (from the rim to almost the center of the bowl) developed in the bowl section of the planter when I used too much force to try to reshape the bowl. Paperclay slurry and slip was used for the patch.

It went through bisque fire and the Cone 10 reduction firing without any problems. The repair held up nicely. Another piece rescued with the help of paperclay slip.

The glaze is carbon trap shino. The piece was too large to be dipped so the glazed was brushed on. More glaze was hand drizzled on the bottom part of the piece.

The picture shows the completed planter with the succulents in place, ready for the show!

Making Paperclay Slip

2009-05-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

One of the main components when working with paperclay is making your paperclay slip. I find the best way to make your paperclay slip is from your dried up, left over crumbs of paperclay. Since commercially available paperclay is more expensive than regular clay, I save my paperclay crumbs and pieces in a bucket.

When the time comes for me to make more slip, I just take some of the dry paperclay, put them in a smaller bucket and then pour enough hot water to totally cover them. Do not mix at this point. Let it sit overnight if you are not in a hurry. If you are, you'll be amazed how fast the dry paperclay softens up - uusally within the hour. I find hot water or boiling water speeds up the softening process.

After the paperclay has soaked up all the water it can hold (technical term, this is called slaking), I pour out the excess water. You can save this water or discard it. After stirring and thorough mixing, you can decide what consistency of paperclay slip you need. To thin out your paperclay, add back the water you just poured out or add fresh water. To prolong the shelf life of your paperclay, I add a capful of bleach (or any disinfectant) at this point and stir well.

It's best to make fresh paperclay slip as you need it, but as we all know, we tend to get lazy and opt to make a large batch and have it at our disposal.

Old paperclay slip can be dried out and remade into slip using the method described above. It's best not to mix old paperclay slip into freshly made one as you are contaminating the fresh batch with whatever is "growing" (ie mold, etc) in your old batch.

Happy slipping!

All Cups Show at the McGroarty Arts Center

2009-05-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

McGroarty Arts Center

7570 McGroarty Terrace

Tuhunga, CA 91042

(818) 352-5285

www.mcgroartyartscenter.org

6th Annual Ceramics Exhibition & Benefit

All Cups Show

Opening Reception: Sat. June 13, 2009,

5 - 9PM

Show Hours: June 15th - 27th, Mon - Sat. 10AM - 6PM

I will be participating in this show and will be showcasing my cup creations. This art center is located in a wonderful wooded area surrounded by oak trees in a secluded part of Tuhunga. It's certainly is a hidden gem for ceramics in the valley.

Please stop by to see works from over 30 local ceramic artists, including a show of student works by adults and children.

My Very First Art Show!

2009-05-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

IRVINE FINE ARTS STUDIO ART FESTIVAL - SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH, 2009. 9AM to 5PM.

I'm very excited to be in this show for the first time.

I will be showcasing some of my sculptural pieces.

You will also see my signature "Summer Grasses" vase series, as well as the popular "Couples Cups", "Rice Bowls" and other pieces made specially for this annual show.

I'm at booth #17 (indoors). Please stop by to say a big HI.

VENUE: Irvine Fine Arts Center, 14321 Yale Avenue, CA

DAY/DATE: Saturday, June 6th, 2009

TIME: From 9AM to 5PM

See you there!

Paperclay slip as SuperGlue

2009-04-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

The right ear on this cute little guy broke off after the bisque fire.

The figure was made out of SOBT from Aardvark Clay Company, Santa Ana, Calif. It is one of the basic clay bodies we use at the Irvine Fine Arts Center.

It was reattached using paperclay slip made with paperclay from Laguna Clay Company. The clay is Bmix and sand and paper.

The proud owner of this doggy decided not to use any glaze and opted to fire it (Cone 10 reduction) after the repair, without a re-bisque firing. Approx. size: 6"L x 5"H x 2"D.

Permission granted for the use of this picture of her new pet by Beverly T. Thanks, Beverly!

From Concept to Completion

2009-04-23T00:14:00.000-07:00

Before I start on a project, I frequently do sketches of the ideas I have to see how it looks on paper. Translating from a 2D environment to a 3D piece is sometimes challenging. Other times, it quite straight forward.

This sketch of a "cup triptych" was something I had in mind. Notes accompany my drawings, such as what clay to use, approximate sizes, glazes, and other considerations.

The photo below shows the completed set.

Clay used: Black Mountain potters clay,

Southern Ice porcelain paperclay + rice.

Glaze is Carbon Trap Shino. Fired to Cone 10 reduction. Approx. size for the set: 10.5"W x 5.5"H x 3"D

Paperclay and Skin Care for Your Hands

2009-04-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

As ceramic artists, we know working with clay dries out the skin of our hands. Working with paperclay I have to contend with another additive I add to my paperclay and to the water in my spray bottle.

There is organic material (ie paper pulp) in the paperclay, and mold tends to form quite readily even in unopened bags of paperclay. I have used regular laundry bleach, Pine Sol, Mr. Green, etc as disinfectants to retard the growth of the organisms. I'm partial to Pine Sol as I find it's less harsh on my hands and I like the scent of the pine.

Normally one capful of the disinfectant in your bucket of paperclay slip will do it. It will retard the growth of the mold for a while, but eventually, the mold will come back. The thing to do is mix as much paperclay slip as you need at one time. However, I find this is difficult to judge as I also like to have extra on stand by. I also add a few drops (maybe 1/2 capful) into my spray bottle.

I get my paperclay commercially so it really depends on how long that batch has been sitting in the warehouse before it becomes mine. Sometimes I get really fresh paperclay - nice and clean, other times, there is already black mold starting inside the bag. It is surface mold, the inside is still good. The property of the paperclay is not affected by the mold, other than the "icky/yucky" factor.

From both the drying effects of the clay and the disinfectants I use; not to mention the frequency of thorough hand washing with antibacterial soap and water, my hands take a beating. Frequent application of a hand lotion of your choice will help hydrate your hands and make them feel better, even in between breaks from working with your clay. Some people wear gloves. That is also an option. I have to admit I've never seen anyone throwing on the wheel with gloves on! Working with sanded/hi grogged clay will "eat up" those flimsy things in no time. Moreover the "fun" factor of working with clay is the ability of feel this wonderful, yet very simple, almost primordial material.

Ahh .... the price we pay for our passion.

DISCLAIMER: Keep food and drinks away from your work area. Always throughly wash/scrub your hands and other areas of your body covered with clay after your work and before handling/preparing food. This is just plain common sense.

Are You Spoiled by Paperclay?

2009-04-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

My answer is a resounding "YES!!"

Just last week in the ceramics studio at the Irvine Fine Arts Center where I do a lot of my work, I found several slabs of a brown clay thrown into the trash bin. As most ceramic artists can attest to, we all hate to see such good clay go to waste so I salvaged the clay, determined to make something out of it.

The occasion presented itself as the IFAC will be holding a fun succulent planter show in about a month's time. I remoistened the already rolled clay slabs to make them softer than leather hard so I can put them over a form. I used a wok as my master mold.

Everything proceeded as planned. The clay was drying nicely. For the feet, I made 3 stout tapered cones and set them aside to firm up. They were later attached to the wok shaped body with paperclay slip after throughly scoring and slipping the areas to be joined.

If I had used paperclay, I would have let my wok-shaped form and the feet dry completely and then do a dry to dry join. BUT... with a traditional clay body, I CAN'T.

I noticed where the feet joined the bottom of the form, my wok shaped dome was indenting a bit so I decided to fix it by inverting the shape back onto the wok and thought it was a simple matter of pushing the feet against the master mold. Lo and behold when I did that, a very big crack opened up from the edge to almost one of the feet. "Oh, crap." I yelled silently.

I had forgotten how weak regular clay is OR rather, I had gotten used to the superior strength of paperclay in its dry stage. Well, now what? Chuck it? Try to salvage it? I decided to try the latter and filled the crack with mushy paperclay and slip.

I am totally spoiled by the paperclay I've been using. First of all, I would not need to join the pieces during its moist leather hard stage but rather wait for all the parts to be completely bone dry. Second, even if I cracked the main bowl, it's not a problem joining the piece back with paperclay. Another experience to drive home the point, perhaps it's better not to be "cheap (maybe, frugal, is a better description)" and let regular scrap clay remain in the trash bin!

A good lesson to be learned from this experience is that I should be able to fix the crack with paperclay - theoretically. I'll attempt the mend and put the piece through its paces to a Cone 10 fire and see what happens. If it holds up and everything is good, then, it's another point for paperclay!

Applying Fresh Paperclay onto Bisqued Surfaces.

2009-04-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted this pagoda design on the current sculpture set I'm working on, but the pieces have already been bisqued. The base clay is Bmix and sand, and I've applied a white slip over it in the green stage.

Tracing of pagoda design onto bisqued piece with graphite paper.

Originally, I was thinking of doing a wax resist or a stencil treatment with the design. I opted for the dimensional effect I was able to achieve with my "Take Out Tea" sculpture.

The paperclay slip I use is the Southern Ice Porcelain paperclay. The slip is consistency of heavy cream and blended well to remove lumps. I use a squeeze bottle with a small nozzle - the ones you use to do slip trailing. The design is first transfered on to the bisqued piece and the slip trailing is done free hand. Successive coats are built up to achieve the desired raised effect. Since slip is mostly water, it takes several coats to accomplish this.

What I found is that if my slip is too thick, the edges then to curl and peel from the bisqued surface. Wetting it down with a fine mist from a spray bottle helps. What works better is thinning out the paperclay slip till it's about skim milk consistency and then brushing over the design with a small brush. This thin slip still contains the paper fibers in suspension and this helps to "hold" your relief design in place. Both bisqued piece and the fresh dry slip being very "thirsty" sucks the moisture out of this this watery slip extremely fast. So far, my design has not exhibited curling or peeling at the edges.

After several applications of fresh slip. You can still see the tracing of the pagoda under the slip.

The next stage is to test this application by re-firing the piece at bisque temp and see if this holds.

After the bisque firing, my added on design held and bonded with the base layer, showing no signs of cracking or lifting off. This is very encouraging!

After the bisque firing, the graphite tracing burns off. The freshly applied paperclay slip is bonded onto the piece.

Paperclay Sandwich

2009-03-25T16:07:00.001-07:00

The thing with commercially prepared paperclay is that you do not get the variety of clay bodies available as you do in traditional clays. My local distributor, Aardvark Clay Company carries the sculpture and throwing paperclay made by IMCO in Sacramento. Laguna Clay Company in Los Angeles recently started carrying their own version of Bmix + sand paperclay. Laguna Clay Company in Florida has a wider selection of paperclay (from low to high fire) but they do not ship to California.

As paperclay artists, unless you get into making your own paperclay, you are limited to what is commercially available.

In the past couple of years, I've started using the color and texture of the available clay as my color palette. That way, I don't have to deal with the issues of high fire glazes.

So .... how do I get these ordinary clay into my paperclay sculpture. My "Earthship" series employs a technique which I call "sandwiching." I don't know what is the proper name for it, but it's something I came up with because that is exactly what you do.

With the help of paperclay slip/slurry, I attach regular/ordinary clay onto my bone dry paperclay foundation. In this example, it is the "hull" of my "Earthship" series.

"Earthship 2" and "Earthship 3" has Grogzilla clay lumps stuck onto the ENTIRE outside of the piece. This Grogzilla clay has a high grog content with feldspar crystals in it. On high fire, the feldspar crystals "pop" and you get random pearl-like droplets (for lack of a better description). Sometimes they look like little white teeth. Maybe hence the name "Grogzilla." I really like this clay for its texture. The "Grogzilla" clay is available from Clay Planet, Santa Clara, CA.

The paperclay slip did not have any trouble holding on to the Grogzilla clay at all, although there was some surface cracking along the edges. I used more paperclay slip to cover up/seal the cracks as best I can. On both pieces, I used a Red Iron Oxide wash as a colorant. No glazes were used, with the exception of some flashing slip. Both pieces were fired to Cone 10 reduction and the sandwich technique performed and held up beautifully.

I have used this technique on either side of my pieces. In "Last Boat Out", I used Black Mountain sculpture clay on the inside of the hull. The outside rough texture was done with wet paperclay to dry technique. I kept adding the wet paperclay to the dry foundation until I was satisfied with the thickness and shape/profile of the piece. Again, this was fired to Cone 10 reduction.

This "sandwich" technique will allow you to introduce readily available clay onto your paperclay structure.

Hopefully, you will find this discussion an inspiration to your own projects.

Paperclay and Cracking

2009-03-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

The bane of all ceramic artists - CRACKING! There are many reasons why and when a piece cracks.

1. Crack during the drying stage - greenware

2. Crack after the bisque stage

3. Crack after the high fire (in this case, Cone 10) stage

What to do and how to mitigate the problem. The discussion here pertains only to paperclay, and is based on my personal experiences with the sculpture paperclay from Aardvark Clay Company, Santa Ana. IMCO (from Sacramento) is the manufacturer. I've been using this paperclay since 2004.

1. Crack during drying stage - from leather hard to bone dry greenware.

This is usually due to improper/weak joining, especially when you are doing dry to dry joints. Another reason is unbalanced/uneven drying once the joints are formed. There are 2 kinds of cracks here.

One is a surface crack formed primarily from not using enough moisture in your paperclay slips/slurry. The solution here is to use a thinner paperclay slip (ie more watery slip) and cover/re-coat the cracks. It may take several applications to completely cover the cracks.

The other more serious one is the deep structural crack due to improper technique. I find that the only way to find out if this is a structural crack is to take a knife or similar tool and dig out the crack and see how deep it goes into your piece. If it is not too deep, the good news is that it can be fixed with paperclay. Remove enough of the dry paperclay until you do not see the crack. Make the hole/opening large enough to do a decent repair/patch job. If during this digging out of the crack, your piece/seam falls apart, then you really know you've not done a good joint. Don't worry. Don't panic. Just start over and this time make sure you spend the time making a good, strong joint with good technique. That's one of the advantage of paperclay. You just can't go wrong with it, and even if you did, it's fixable. This advantage alone gives me peace of mind.

Do not be stingy in your "excavation." Spritz the area well or soak the area with a wet paper towel and let stand for some time for the surrounding dry paperclay to soak up this moisture to create a better moisture balance. Use very "mushy" paperclay to fill in the hole you made. Keep the area moist as the surrounding dry paperclay will want to "suck" the moisture from this spot, so keep the water sprayer handy.

2. Crack after the bisque stage.

Sometimes, even with our best care and technique, we still get cracks in our pieces. Sometimes everything looks good in the green stage, but after the bisque fire, you notice the cracks. If it is a hairline crack, it's really tough to do anything about it. If the crack is large/wide enough to patch with paperclay slip, you may try that. I ususally use a very runny paperclay slip as filler. The bisque piece will absorb the water from the paperclay slip very quickly. Several coats may be necessary to fill the crack. It also depends on how bad/serious the crack is. To be sure my patch holds, I usually re-bisque the piece to test my mending. If it survives, it stands a good chance in the high fire; if not, it's better to remake your piece.

3. Crack after high fire.

This happens sometimes as high fire (Cone 10) puts a lot of strain/stress on a piece, especially tall, vertical pieces. As sculptural pieces, there is no reason to take it to Cone 10. A Cone 6 firing will do fine. When you find a crack in your piece after a high fire, it's pretty much "putty/epoxy time." Unless your piece is meant to hold water (for example, an ikebana vase or something similar) I usually don't do much about it. Sometimes the crack adds character to the piece, sometimes it does not. At this point, you can't do much fixing it.

A very appropriate quote from my instructor, Julia Klemek, "Don't fall in love with your piece until it comes out of the kiln (this is Cone 10 fire)."

Does Paperclay Slump?

2009-03-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is a great question and it also demonstrates the advantages of paperclay.

I like to build rather large, tall pieces, but don't have the patience for regular clay to firm up before continuing. As a result, my earlier pieces did slump. Any large moist piece of clay will slump. However with paperclay, there are techniques you can employ to shorten the wait time for the piece to firm up.

One of the advantages of paperclay is that it will tolerate "forced drying" ie either drying your piece in direct sun, which is actually the mildest treatment compared to the other methods I will discuss here. These are experiences gathered from my own work.

I've used a heat gun at the highest setting to help dry my piece faster. It's actually used to strip paint by heating up the paint so it bubbles up and can be scrapped off.

A propane/butane torch works well too. It's the kind that you use for heating up copper pipes for plumbing works.

Use caution and always wear protective goggles and leather gloves when using these instruments. DISCLAIMER: Use at your own risk.

The intense heat WILL NOT crack nor cause your piece to explode. You will see steam coming out of from the area where you are directing the heat. You will also see specks of clay/pulp burning and popping off. This is natural as there is organic pulp in the clay and that will burn off. You will actually see you piece drying before your eyes. Depending on how thick your work is, it may take some time for it to firm up. I find it's best to keep the heat source moving to distribute the heat evenly across the area you want to firm up. If your piece is really thick, the outside may feel firm and dry, but deep inside it may still be moist. It will take some time for the moisture that deep within your piece to dry out.

If you are energy conscious, then just use our abundant So. Calif sun to dry out your piece while you relax, clean up, have a cup of coffee or just work on another section of your project.

If you have a smaller piece you need dry quickly, you can use the above mentioned techniques or employ the services of a microwave. It's best to use an old one that you can dedicate to your art and not mix it with food preparation in your kitchen. No, the piece will not explode in the microwave. I started with a low setting for about a 15 second burst at a time. Eventually I got bolder and was able to zap it at the highest setting for a minute or so. Again, steam will escape from your piece so handle with care when taking it out. This method is a great way to get your cup. vase, mug handles to firm up quickly for attachment to the rest of the piece.

Why are the above methods possible with paperclay and not so with regular clay?

The answer lies in the paper pulp fibers which act like conduits (and in reality, they actually are) to allow the water/steam to safely escape to the outside. The forced drying in one area of your work will draw the water from other areas (thru the pulp fibers), balance out the water content and prevent, minimize cracking.

And what happens if my piece cracks? I'll cover this in another post.

Hope this helps.