Table of Contents
1  Construction Methods
Working with Thrown Parts 1 
 Jo Taylor 
Taylor 
Jerilyn Virden: Double-Walled Construction 7 
Robin Dreyer 
Making Large Sculptures with Small Kilns 11 
Norma Yuskos
Stephanie DeArmond: Letterforms 16 

 Molly Hatch
Hatch
Using Clay As Mortar 19 
 Mark Gordon
Gordon
Making Spherical Sculptures 23 
Ursala Goebels-Ellis
Supporting Complex Shapes 27 
Wouter Dam
Dong Hee Suh: Sculpting with Wire 30 
Glen R. Brown
Eliza Au: Casting Sculptural Components 33 
 Amy Gogarty 
Gogarty 

Using a 3-D Modeling Program

Peter Christian Johnson
39 

3-D Printing in Clay 44 

Roderick Bamfor
Bamford 
d 

v
 

2  Figurative Sculpture
Benjamin Lira: Heads and Pots 49
 Mark Shapiro
Sculpting Figures 53
 Magda Gluszek
Gluszek
Clay-on-Clay Collage 57
Cara Moczygemba
Eva Kwong: Biomimicry Forms 61
 Anderson Turner 
Turner 
Tony Natsoulas: Thrown Portraits 66
Don Hall 
Sculpting a Fish 69

Lisa Merida-Pa
Merida-Paytes
ytes

3  Wall Sculptu
Sculptures
res
Large Wall Installation 75
 Monica Rudquist 
Tromp-L’Oeil Wall Installation 80
Kathy Pallie
Cast Wall Compositions 85
Kimberlee Joy Roth
Quilted Wall Tiles 93

 Amy Sanders
Sculpted Wall Tiles 97
Ursala Hargens
David Gamble: Dimensional Wall Tiles 99
Paul Andrew Wandless
Adjustable Wall Tile Mold 102
Cary Esser 
Large Carving Easel 105
Barbara
Barbara Stevens

vi
 

4  Mixing Materials
Deborah Sigel: Steel and Egyptian Paste 109 
 Mary Cloonan
Cloonan
Steel Armatures for Stacked Sculpture 115 
Leigh Taylor Mickelson
Paper Clay and Steel 117 
Linda Mau
Lorri Fowler: Steel Armatures 119 
Sumi von Dassow
Slip-Coated Fabric 122 
 Jen Champlin
Champlin
Etsuko Tashima:
Tashima: Combining Clay and Glass 125 
Naomi Tsukamoto
Trey Hill: Ceramic and Steel 130 
Katey Schultz 

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1
Construction Methods
WORKING WITH THROWN PARTS
by Jo Taylor
PARTS

Equivalence i , 6½ in. (16.5 cm) in height, colored porcelain.

My ceramic sculptures are created using a combi- Inspiration

nation of wheel-thrown and handbuilt pieces that Inspiration comes from decorative architectural
I developed over several years while studying for features such as ornate plaster ceilings, elaborate
my master’s degree at Bath Spa University, Bath, wrought iron, stone façades, and carved wood. I
England. This period of study allowed me to take live near the Georgian city of Bath in England,
risks and make mistakes, there were many disas- and I’m influenced by the local architecture and
ters along the way but I now feel confident com- country house interiors. I’ve also travelled around
bining these methods to make something unique. Europe and found inspiration in the extravagant

1
 

Sculpture Techniques

1. Cut thin sections from the thrown and textured 2.Gently lift off the cut section then place it on a
forms with a wire tool. board to firm up.

3.Someone gave me this tool, which was originally 4. This flexible rib with cut grooves is made from an old
used for making butter curls! credit card.

palaces of Potsdam near Berlin, Germany; Gaudi’s would liken to drawing, or even doodling; it’s less
unique architecture in Barcelona, Spain; and the controlled and there’s plenty of room for what
villas and gardens of Rome and Florence, Italy. I I call a happy accident. I throw rings, which can
enjoy how the ornate comes to life with light and be sliced to make arches—a strong form to build
shadow—there’s a sense of organic growth frozen on both technically and aesthetically, and a refer-
in time. I aim to capture this in my work, to show ence to the same principle in architecture (figures
how soft the clay once was while suggesting energy 1–2). I vary the scale of the pieces—some pieces
and movement. are larger and thicker to provide stability for the
structure, others are smaller to carry movement
Throwing around the piece. I use the speed of the wheel and
My background is that of a functional maker; various tools to create marks that suggest direc-
however, I came to find the repetition stifling and tion and energy in the finished work.
now enjoy the freedom of not having to create My favorite tools for mark making are an
identical forms. The first stage of building a sculp- apple corer and an old credit card with arches
ture is to complete the thrown parts, as these take cut in the edge. I also have a great kitchen tool
the longest to reach the leather-hard stage. I use used for making curls of butter (figures 3–5).
the wheel to make individual decorative pieces I For small marks I use a needle tool, sculpting

2
 

Construction Methods

5.Use a flexible, grooved rib (or notched credit card) to 6.Use the shaped end of a sculptor’s tool to create a
contour a thrown ring. continuous groove on the ring.

7.Cut a section from the ring with a wire tool held taut 8.Make a small sized ring, then use a sculptor’s
sculptor’s tool to
against the bat. add detail.

tool (figure 6), or sometimes just my fingers. As I to 1832°F (1000°C) so that they’re
the y’re still porous and
carve lines, I’m careful not to cut too deeply into absorbent. I press coils onto the mold, adding
the clay, so that the arches stay intact once they’re little pieces to make a motif, then use my hands
cut free from the bat (figure 7). Small loops are and some water to make it appear more joined and
thrown off the hump, carved (figure 8), then fluid (figure 13). Some of the motifs directly ref-
cut off and set aside to firm up (figure 9). Some erence inspirational forms from photographs or
thrown rings are left intact after being textured drawings, but quite often I follow the same pro-
(figure 10) and are placed onto the bat either flat cess of drawing or doodling. As these pieces firm
or curved into shapes (figure 11). Crisscross pat- up, they can be removed and sometimes gently
terns can be made by moving a thin tool from the twisted to add extra movement (figure 14). Once
center of the wheel head to the outer edge while all the pieces are leather hard they’re smoothed
the wheel is spinning (figure 12). and refined on all sides to eliminate any unwanted
blemishes (figure 15).
Handbuilding
While the thrown pieces are firming to the leather- Construction
hard stage I continue with the handbuilt pieces. I I build the pieces on a kiln shelf, so that the
form them on bisque molds, which have been fired works can simply be placed in the kiln when

3
 

Sculpture Techniques

9. Cut off the top of the ring as a complete round 10. Use a round ended sculptor’s tool to create a ring
piece, and set aside to firm up. with wider grooves.

11. The ring is cut, gently lifted off, and curved while 12. Use a sharp tool to create a crisscrossed surface of
being moved. thin lines as the wheel spins.

13.Form pieces on a bisque-fired slab using small coils 14.Once some of the water is absorbed from the clay,
clay,
and damp fingers. gently lift them off of the slab.

4
 

Construction Methods

15. When the pieces are leather-hard and smoothed, 16.Assembling is done piece by piece, by selecting
they’re ready for assembly. each piece and placing it first to see if it works visually
visually..

17.Thoroughly score each surface before joining, the 18. Each work is at least two sided, so attend to all
same way as you would join a handle to a mug or jug. sides to ensure physical and visual balance.

dry to minimize breakage. The largest parts are thinner pieces at the top from drying too quickly
used first to give stability to the structure and and allows some air to get to the larger, thicker
are joined with a standard score and slip pro- pieces at the base. The work is checked daily for
cess (figures 16–17). Sometimes the join is rein- cracks, and if any occur, often where a handbuilt
forced with a small coil of clay if extra strength part has been joined to a wheel-thrown part,
is needed to support the structure. they’re gently corrected with a curved tool and a
The building process continues organically— coil of clay if needed.
there is no specific plan (figure 18). By joining and Once the work has dried it’s once fired, slowly,
adding parts, the work slowly evolves until a deci- to 2300°F (1260°C). The initial stages of the fir-
sion is made to stop. ing incorporate a drying cycle if the work is thick,
to ensure all water is evaporated. I soak the kiln
Drying and Troubleshooting at 86°F, 140°F, and 194°F (30°C, 60°C, and 90°C )
Each piece is dried slowly as there will be shrink- for at least an hour each, depending on the thick-
age in different directions from using both wheel- ness of the piece. Then I raise the temperatur
temperaturee to
thrown and handbuilt parts. To control the dry- 1112°F (600°C) at 140°F (60°C) an hour, then up
ing, I use thin sheets of dry-cleaner plastic. The 212°F (100°C) an hour to the top temperature of
plastic is draped over the work, which stops the 2300°F (1260°C).

5
 

Sculpture Techniques

Blue and white wall piece, 13 in. (33 cm) in height, hand-
built with wheel-thrown and mold-made pieces.

Capricious, 13½ in. (35 cm) tall, handbuilt with wheel-thrown and
Capricious, Guardian of the Promenade i , 63 in. (160 cm) in
mold-made porcelain pieces. height, handbuilt and wheel-thrown stoneware.
stoneware.

6
 

2
Figurative Sculpture
BENJAMIN LIRA: HEADS AND POTS
by Mark Shapiro

Head Nº 105 , 35 in. (89 cm) in height, glazed stoneware.

I first met Benjamin Lira in New York in the early cramped city spaces and the limited finances of his
1980s. The spare loft that served as Lira’s and his early career. I commented on the compelling pres-
former wife Francisca Sutil’s studio and living ence of the jars, and was curious about how they
space was almost entirely taken up with their art- came into Lira’s possession. Their pride of place
work and the bare necessities of life. A shelf of four was reinforced by his evident pleasure in them. He
large antique sake jars was one of the few decora- was surprised by my enthusiasm and my interest
tive touches in the loft. Lira’s nascent proclivities in ceramics. Though neither of us were working
as a collector were constrained in those days by in clay at that time—I was making sculpture and

49
 

Sculpture Techniques

Benjamin Lira working at Huara Huara Studio, Santiago, Chile. All Photos: Fernando
Fernando Maldonado.

Lira was painting—we had the pleasure that day not taking new members. Still, he kept a clipping
of discovering a mutual passion that presaged our of an article that included her contact informa-
shared fate as ceramists. tion. Finally, in 2000, a vacancy became available,
As a young child, Benjamin Lira encountered and to this day Huara Huara continues to be his
clay when his grandfather offered him some to home base for ceramics.
play with during a family vacation. Though the
crude figures he made were never fired, he remem- Process
bers these objects and the tactile pleasure of mod- So what of Lira’s move from paint to clay, from
eling the receptive material. the flat dimension into volume? He sees the de-
He began working with clay in the studio of velopment as the natural unfolding of his artis-
Ricardo Yrarrazaval, familiarizing himself with tic research, “I realized that I had to canalize my
the techniques of forming hollow volumes, glaz- strong feeling towards volume and introduce it
ing, and firing. Soon the ambition and scale of into my pictorial space. So the direction towards
his work outgrew his allotted corner of the stu- sculpture in ceramics was the next link in the
dio. Lira was aware of Ruth Krauskopf’s Huara chain of my work.”
Huara studio, a home to Santiago’s vibrant ce- Lira’s painting has a tactility and orientation to
ramic community, but it seemed the studio was process that resonates perfectly with ceramics. He

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Figurative Sculpture

Benjamin Lira in his studio surrounded by his ceramic sculptures, Santiago, Chile.

often paints by layering color, embedding sand, and logistical problems. The forming alone is one
working back into the built up surface to reveal a thing, but drying them evenly, applying glaze,
final effect. This requires control of time-bound and moving them into and out of kilns require
step-by-step action—an intimate and strategic extreme patience and skill. And, of course, get-
harmony with the specific logic of the materials at ting them successfully through the firing is the
hand. The changing nature of the stiffening paint last hurdle.
determines the work flow and cutting through the Lira’s approach to the construction of the heads
layers of color transforms all that came before. also parallels the method of his painting practice.
Lira’s work in clay naturally extends this revela- Just as Lira’s recent works on paper are built up of
tory quality of his painting technique. “I feel that layered fra gments that give an architectonic di-
my painting vocabulary matches perfectly well mensionality, his heads are constructed of rolled
with the language of ceramics; I can explore the out slabs of clay, overlapped to create the “can-
richness of volume, draw its surface and add glazes vas” of the head. The layered volume is worked by
for the potential color that is born with the alche- pressing outward to develop the overall form and
my of the fire in the kiln.” features. One might suggest a kind of reciprocity is
Clay volumes of the grand dimensions of Li- at play: Lira works the clay from the inside out and
ra’s sculpted heads present many structural and he paints from the outside in.

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Sculpture Techniques

Of Heads and Pots

The language we use to talk about pots typically
refers to the human form: pots have feet, bodies,
waists, shoulders, necks, and lips. Even the com-
position of clay itself is called the body. Pots also
connect to the body in their kinetic and social
roles. They transmit sustenance as we use them to
prepare, cook, present, and serve sustaining food
and drink. We hold the cup that brings nutritious
liquid to our mouths; at the table, we affirm and
celebrate our connections to colleagues, friends,
and family. Pots connect nature and culture.
The heads are insistently vessels, with most left
open at the top. The opening allows access to their
interior, which, Lira admits, he sometimes spends
more time working than the most immediately
visible outer surfaces. The casual, almost broken-
off effect of the edges of the rim, where the rep-
resentational known of physiognomy opens into
the unelaborated interior, is abrupt and dramatic.

Head Nº 104, 31 in. (79 cm) in height, glazed stoneware.

stoneware.

The socially presented face yields to pure subjec-

tive possibility. While the exteriors may aspire to
a universal humanity (Lira speaks of expressing a
“human condition”), with features refined to ab-
stracted essence, an almost platonic ideal rendered
physical, their interiors are more mysterious.
Lira chooses to work not in the lower earth-
enware temperatures associated with indigenous
traditions throughout the world and in his native
South America, but with the high-fired stoneware.
High-fired wares are composed of clays that have
a preponderance of kaolins, which are free of the
fluxing iron content of the most commonly found
red clays. Brought to near the white heat of 2192°F
(1200°C) (cone 5), they are impermeable even
without glaze and ring when struck, evincing a
glassy density. The glassiness and permanence of
his ceramics resonate the intensity and purity of
Head Nº 81, 26 in. (66 cm) in height, glazed stoneware. Lira’s vision.

52
 

3
Wall Sculptures
LARGE WALL INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
by Monica Rudquist

Intersection, 24 ft. (7.3 m) in length, created from approximately

approximately 1000 thrown, altered, and reassembled porcelain
cylinders, installed at Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Intersection is a wall installation made up of ap- building that is both organic and regulated in its
proximately 1000 thrown and reassembled porce- form. Upon my return, I had the idea to create a
lain cylinders covering
covering a wall 24 feet long and 8 feet wall installation from thrown parts. I wanted to
tall. The idea for the installation came as a reaction create a texture and space using the thrown form
to the various textures and patterns that I saw on a that would envelop one’s vision and create a sense
trip to Spain and the Netherlands. I was especially of place. I received a Minnesota State Arts Board
interested in the marketplaces filled with stacks of grant to work on this project and a scheduled ex-
flowers, fruit, vegetables, etc. Then there was the hibition at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis,
tile work at the awe-inspiring Alhambra Palace, a Minnesota, gave me a deadline.

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Sculpture Techniques

Making a Plan
Making and preparing for the installation
went hand in hand as I needed to know
how I was going to install these pieces be-
fore I actually made them. I used thrown
and reassembled cylinders as the building
blocks. Each piece has a small, nail-sized
hole on the back for hanging directly on
the wall. The bigger issue was figuring out
the template. This was the largest installa-
tion I had made up to this point and I did
not want to make the template after the
1. Approximately 1000 porcelain pots were thrown for the
fact. I also wanted the piece to retain as
Intersection installation. organic a form as possible.
I had two 8-foot × 42-inch tables to
work on so this became the template size.
I divided it into six 8-foot × 42-inch sec-
tions. This provided me with the greatest
flexibility while creating the 24-foot-long
piece. I made a template for each sec-
tion and a work schedule to complete the
enormous task.
The schedule for each section went
like this: day one was throwing; day two
assembling; day three composing on a
template; day four numbering each piece,
making the nail holes, and tracing the
2.
Altered thrown pieces. placement on the template. I repeated this
making schedule over the course of about
three months.

Template
I created the template first on the table to
determine the design and mark the place-
ment of the clay pieces, then repositioned
it to the wall for exact placement of the
pieces. I used Tyvek house wrap to create
the template. This enabled me to work
with one template from start to finish as
the house wrap is water resistant and very
tough. I could place freshly thrown pieces
3. Topsection has bisque-fired pieces, lower section has green- directly on the template and continue to
ware and a third section starts to overlap creating a transition. work on them as they dried without ru-

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Wall Sculptures

ining the template. I could also write di-

rectly on the house wrap with a perma-
nent marker to trace the pieces and mark
the nail placement. This made installation
easier since I could tape the template di-
rectly to the wall, nail right through it,
then remove the template without de-
stroying it.

Fitting Pieces for the Wall

After I finalized the composition of each
section, I made the nail holes. I wanted
the pieces to fit flush against the wall, so I
4. Tyvek template with pieces traced, numbered, and nail posi-
made the holes about an inch down from tions marked.
the top and ½ inch to ¾ inch deep at a 45°
angle and with a wide enough diameter
at the deepest point for the nail to fit. I
used headless nails between ½ inch and 2
inches long, depending upon the size and
weight of the piece.
Since all the pieces were different sizes
and shapes, it ended up being a fairly
intuitive thing to figure out the weight
and balance of how the individual piec-
es would actually hang. On some of the
larger pieces, the hole needed to be made
farther in toward the center or off to the
5.
side to create the correct balance. When it Creating holes on each piece for hanging.
came to actually hanging the pieces, mu-
seum wax made it easy to make slight ad-
 justments to each piece.
pi ece.
To make the holes I used three tools—a
small arrow-shaped metal carving tool, a
fettling knife, and a sponge. I used the ar-
row tool to drill a hole at a 45° angle, the
fettling knife to ensure it was wide enough
at the deepest point for the nail to fit in
fully, and the sponge to round the edges of
the hole to prevent chipping. Since these
pieces were made from porcelain and fired
to cone 10, I was confident that this was a
strong hanging method. Finally each piece
was numbered to match the template. 6. Nailing right through the tough Tyvek template.

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Sculpture Techniques

The Story of Intersection becom-

ing Intersections
Intersection began as a personal journey; The mak-
ing was a huge endeavor spurred on by a num-
ber of events coming together. The death of my
mother along with my son’s graduation from col-
lege became the two markers in my life that fu-
eled the creative energy necessary for such a huge
project. My mother had always told me to be true
to myself, to make what was in my head because
no one else would.
Months after the original show at Northern
Clay Center was taken down and Intersection  
7.Labeling each nail with the piece number made
finding the piece a little easier.
had been packed up in its 20 boxes, I received
an email from the non-profit organization, Life-
Source. They were building a new headquarters
and wanted to talk to me about creating a piece
for their new space. I thought that they had
seen my show and the piece, Intersection . At the
meeting it became apparent that they had not.
When I showed them an image of Intersection ,
they immediately connected with the piece, you
could feel it in the room. LifeSource facilitates
organ and tissue transplants; they saw their mis-
sion in my piece. It was quite humbling. Over
the next four months I worked to transform the
original Intersection into Intersections . It grew to
35 feet long and 5 feet tall. The installation in
8.
Laying out the numbered pieces on the template. their new building became a collaborative effort
as many employees in the organization signed
up for shifts to help throughout the two-week-
long installation.
After the installation, I told the people at Life-
Source: “Intersections  has become its own and it
is at home at LifeSource. It is like watching your
child grow up. They begin as part of you then
they become their own person, stronger and more
wonderful than you could ever have imagined.”

9.Hanging the pieces on the wall with museum wax

helps secure them and make adjustments easier.

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Wall Sculptures

Monica Rudquist and volunteers from LifeSource installing Intersections at LifeSource in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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4
Mixing Materials
DEBORAH SIGEL: STEEL AND EGYPTIAN PASTE
by Mary Cloonan

There is a discordant beauty inherent in

Deborah Sigel’s work. The black steel fram-
ing the deep cracks in the Egyptian paste
seems at odds with the bright colors and
botanical forms. It’s this dichotomy—order
and chaos, stoic and friendly— that entices
and intrigues. Viewing her work poses ques-
tions about the nature of beauty in imper-
fection, the clash of industrial with organic
elements, as well as how the pieces were
made. Sigel pushes the rules and limits of the
materials she uses while pulling the viewer
in to investigate the resulting textures and
colors.
Sigel began her explorations into Egyp-
tian paste while at Cranbrook Academy of
Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where,
in addition to studying ceramics, she spent
a lot of time in the metals studio and in-
teracted with other students in both areas.
Egyptian paste is a low-fire mixture of ce-
ramic materials containing clay, sand, colo-
rants, frits, and soluble salts. These salts
effloresce to the surface along with water Detail of Burst , 26 in. (66 cm) in height, Egyptian paste and
as the paste slowly dries, forming crystals, steel. Photo: Brian Giniewski.

which create a self-glazing clay-glaze hybrid

once fired. As the name implies, it was originally and exploration, she became more enamored
developed in Egypt and was used to mimic semi- with the steel frames as a line drawing combined
precious stones such as turquoise or lapis lazuli. with the ceramic material and set upon her cre-
Intrigued by the property of the glassy paste, ative course. The work feels simultaneously an-
and the opportunity to build sculpturally with cient and modern.
color, she explored its characteristics. Initially, Sigel finds inspiration in the beauty of nature
she experimented, creating steel cages to hold and rational mathematics, and the pattern and
the paste with the hope it would flow and drip. order found there. The objects are distillations of
Instead, when she fired the pieces, the Egyptian plant forms pared to a stoic geometry and joyful
paste held its shape, cracking within the confines palette; playful, candy-hued constructs whose fis-
of the frame. As she continued her investigations sures are constrained by blackened steel drawings.

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Sculpture Techniques

Sigel creates work meant to be displayed on a Building the Forms

wall, not just for convenience, but as a carefully Sigel welds the frameworks for her sculptures
orchestrated maneuver. The wall allows her to from ¼-inch steel rod, which can withstand
manipulate the space and interaction between the heat of a low-temperature firing (figure 1).
the objects, and to let the shadows play a part in Fabricating her frames in this way gives her the
the composition. It also emphasizes the patterns ability to sculpt with strong, bold lines. She sees
created by the grouping, allowing one to view the the forms as a three-dimensional drawing for the
whole while investigating the individual, imple- Egyptian paste to inhabit.
ment-like objects. Once the frame is fabricated and cleaned up,
In many pieces, flowers bloom in a tight grid Sigel dons gloves to protect her hands from the
across the wall, an arrangement that implies a caustic soluble salts and to minimize her expo-
matching game, or other game of skill. The grid sure to colorants, then packs the forms completely
also imparts a careful taxonomy of a botanist’s with Egyptian paste (figure 2). Her recipe con-
organization, allowing for infinite possible ar- sists of glass frit, soluble salts, nepheline syenite,
rays. Six petals radiate from a central metal circle clay, and a small quantity of sand to help control
that also serves as a way to display the work. Rods shrinkage. She has reduced the amount of soluble
are bolted to the wall, and the central metal ring salts, substituting in nepheline syenite, to combat
is placed on this rod, allowing the flowers to cast the scumming on the surface that’s common with
shadows and spin or pivot gently, a random set- Egyptian paste. Occasionally a small amount of
tling that makes the pattern slightly askance, soft- lithium carbonate is added if a slight sheen is de-
ening the grid. sired, so that after the firing, the surface still looks

   N
   O
   S
   T
   A
   W
   H
   A
   N
   N
   A
   H
   :
   S
   O
   T
   O
   H
   P
   S
   S
   E
   C
   O
   R
   P

1.Welded ¼-inch steel rods form the frameworks for 2.Wearing gloves, press thick Egyptian paste into the
the sculptures ready for the Egyptian paste to be added. voids within the framework.

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Mixing Materials

3.Use a soft rib to compress the Egyptian paste and 4.Refine the forms further using a soft rib to smooth
remove excess to reveal the steel supports. the Egyptian paste and refine the shape.

5.Using a fettling knife to smooth the surface of the Egyptian paste between the metal supports and clean excess
paste from the supports.

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Sculpture Techniques

6.Loading the 42-inch tall hanging Wisp structure into 7. After the firing, the metal has serpentine curves due
the kiln, supported by hard bricks and a black steel pipe. to the action of the heat and weight of the pods.

like it did when freshly modeled. Colorants are Once the frames are filled and refined, she
added at 6–8% in the form of Mason stains, or 2% loads them wet into the kiln and fires them slowly
for metallic oxide colorants. Sigel started her in- to cone 05 with the kiln lid or door propped open
vestigations into Egyptian paste with two recipes for the moisture to escape. This is a counter-intu-
(see page 114). As time went on she began to favor itive process for anyone accustomed to the usual
Mark Johnson’s Matte Egyptian Paste recipe and firing techniques for Egyptian paste, where it’s
made a few modifications including firing higher dried slowly to allow for the soluble salts to come
and lowering the amount of soluble salts. The new to the surface creating the self-glazing layer, but
recipe may not conform to the standard idea of an it works for producing the surfaces Sigel prefers.
Egyptian paste recipe, but the modifications work Still, she does find it fascinating that the pieces
well for Sigel’s sculptures. stay together despite being fired wet, “Why don’t
The dry ingredients are mixed with just enough they explode? It baffles me!” Perhaps it’s the open-
water to create a thick, moldable paste. Sigel then ness of the paste body, which contains little clay.
carefully hones the surface, using the spine of the Perhaps the cracks form early on in the drying
rod as a guide, meticulously smoothing the paste process and allow the steam to escape in a less de-
with a soft red Mudtools rib (figures 3–4) and a structive manner. The combination of firing damp
fettling knife (figure 5). with the incompatible coefficients of expansion

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Mixing Materials

between the steel and ceramic materials promotes the offset placement of the pods distribute the
the cracking and fissures she is seeking, a random- weight and heat differently creating serpentine
ness within the set pattern. Note: You can fire wet. curves (figures 7–8).
Pieces explode in a kiln when the outside dries and As individual pieces or as a whole installation,
traps water inside. As the water turns to steam and there is a quiet elegance and rhythm to their ge-
expands, it has no way to dissipate, and the result- ometry. They’re stoic, but there’s also a strong
ing pressure causes the piece to break. When firing sense of humor; playful colors imply toys and
wet work, heat the kiln slowly. their display cause one to invent games with the
Loading the kiln also influences the final work. quirky implements (figure 9).
Flowers are fired flat on a bed of sand, this sup- For Sigel, the materials are more than just a
ports all the petals while supplying a release in curious aesthetic result; they become a meta-
case of over fluxing. Wisps  and Bursts  are hung phor for the effects of time. It’s about embracing
in the kiln, in the same position they will be dis- chance and revelling in the precarious balance of
played after the firing (figure 6). Sigel builds brick chaos and order. The kiln is an important part-
towers in the kiln with a support rod made of ner in her creative process, it alters with heat and
black steel pipe, the kind used for gas lines, that time, transforms the steel and Egyptian paste,
the top loop of the steel armature hangs from. recording history, and endurance. In her work,
An interesting alteration occurs in the kiln. The Egyptian paste and steel are integral and inte-
Bursts, being a single, centralized point or weight,
weig ht, grated elements, a symbiotic relationship creat-
remain straight. The Wisps start off straight, but ing controlled serendipity.

8. Completed Wisp forms, to 39 in. (99 cm) in height, showing a variety of Egyptian paste colors and the way the
steel curves as a result of the firing. Photo: Brian Giniewski .

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Sculpture Techniques

9. Bursts, to 26 in. (66 cm) in height, in a completed installation. Photo: Brian Giniewski.

MARK JOHNSON’S MATTE EGYPTIAN PASTE DEBORAH SIGEL’S EGYPTIAN PASTE

Cone 08 Cone 05
Sodium Bicarbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6% Ferro Frit 3134 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.60%
Ferro Frit 3134 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 20 Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.25
Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sodium Bicarbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.50
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Nepheline Syenite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.60
  100% Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68.05
  100.00%
JUANITA’S PASTE
Cone 08–06 Add: Silica Sand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–
5–8%
For sheen
Nepheline Syenite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 3 0%
Add: Lithium Carbonate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.125–.25%
Soda Ash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
For Cobalt Blue
Sodium Bicarbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Add: Cobalt Carbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2% 2%
Ball Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
10
For Yellow 
Fire Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
10
Add: Degussa/Cerdec
Degussa/Cerdec Bright Yellow.Yellow. . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8%
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 For Orange
  100%
Add: US Pigment Tangerine
Tangerine Inclusion Stain. . . . . . 6–8%
Add: Bentonite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2% For Green
Deborah Sigel started her investigations into Egyptian Add: Imported
Imported Green Stain*.
Stain*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8%
paste using both Mark Johnson’s Matte Egyptian Paste For Purple/Lavende
Purple/Lavender  r 
and Juanita’s Paste recipes before modifying Mark John- Add: Mason
Mason Stain Amethyst.
Amethyst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8%
son’s Matte Egyptian Paste recipe to better fit her needs.
For Black 
Add: Mason Stain
Stain Chrome
Chrome Free Black. Black. . . . . . . . . . 6–8%
Mixing: Start with 33% water as each colorant takes
a different amount of water, cobalt carbonate need-
ing a good bit more than the others. Add more water
in smaller increments as the paste can quickly become
over hydrated and sticky. Paste tends to stiffen up by
the next day or two and will need to be re-wedged to
become pliable again.

If you’d like to try using Egyptian paste but don’t want

to mix your own, check out prepared versions at www.
amaco.com and www.lagunaclay.com.—Ed.

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