Ellery, D (1994) Making clay while the sun shines, or looking for a needle in a hay stack, Pyre: Clay & Glass Association (W. Aust.) Journal, (2), 6-7
Making clay while the sun shines,
or
Looking for a needle in a hay stack
Graham Hay will conduct a hands-on paperclay workshop on 25 March 1995 at the Perth Potter's Club. Debra Ellery attended one of his workshops earlier this year and describes her experience.
Paperclay has significant potential for innovative and adventurous crafts practitioner. As a medium it has become popular in the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Australia although it has been around for a long time. Paperclay was developed by industry for casting slabs that would not warp but it has since been used creatively in a myriad of ways. Ceramic technologist, Mike Kusnik, demonstrated the qualities and characteristics of paperclay to ceramic students at Edith Cowan University a few years ago. Graham Hay was one of those students and has since taken up the challenge to develop and explore paperclay as an artistic medium.
For an introduction to the characteristics of paperclay as a creative ceramics medium I attended a one day hands-on workshop at Edith Cowan University in August this year. It was conducted by final year Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) student, Graham Hay, who explained the versatility and practicality of the medium. Paperclay has properties that allows immense flexibility of use, particularly in the joining process. Because joining can take place at any stage of the drying process work can be left for extended periods of time Hay uses a variety of construction techniques including slabs, bricks, liquid slip, fibre coiling and moulds.
The workshop was thoroughly organised and the participants were able to experiment with any or all of the techniques described. Hay took us through the processes step by step and explained the foundations of how to make and use paperclay.
The following is his recipe:
1. Shredded paper soaked in plenty of hot water, blended until pulped.
2. Remove excess water with sieve and sponge.
3. Mix 1/3 pulp with 2/3 clay slip by volume.
4. Pour the porridge like mixture onto a plaster slab.
5. Keep some paperclay slip aside in a plastic squeeze bottle for use as "glue".
6. Break or cut dry paperclay slabs into desired shapes before building. Stick together with "glue".
7. Recycle dry scrapes by placing them in warm water, leave for one hour, pouring off excess water.
8. A few drops of detergent helps prevent the porridge from going off. The more paper fibre present in the clay the stronger the work will be before firing but weaker after firing. Less paper fibre in the clay makes it weaker before firing and stronger afterwards. Proportionally, 50% fibre for delicate work or thick slabs where strength is not a priority. Safety precautions should be observed when working and building with dry clay, in particular a filter mask should be worn.
In discussing what sort of clay slip to use Hay stressed the importance of experimenting to find a slip you are comfortable with. Clay slip can be purchased in liquid form from Australian Fine China, 576 Hay Street Subiaco, phone 3814511[Ed: now closed]. It can also be purchased in powder form from Jackson's Ceramic Crafts or The Potters Market. Alternatively you can make your own, an earthenware recipe is suggested.
Paperclay is fired to 1100 C, if it is earthenware slip it should be fired to the appropriate temperature. Work can be fired and cooled very rapidly in the kiln. Delicate work requires rapid firing. If firing thin slabs Hay recommends 250C per hour to 200C then 350C per hour to 1100C with a soak for 30 minutes then cool the kiln rapidly.
Innovative surface treatments are something Hay experiments with continually. Currently he uses a variety of "air dried" glazes such as varnish, acrylic or oil paint, cement powder, Indian ink and shellac. Textures are created by a variety of methods including sand and soils in moulds, a wire brush on a damp surface and selective use of an industrial heat paint stripper.
The paint stripper is also an effective tool for altering and blending colour. Make sure work is bisque fired before decorating.
Hay has developed a formidable body of work using paperclay techniques that are unmistakably his own. His forms often appear to defy gravity and could be described as growing rhythmically from a constructed base.
Paperclay has significant potential for innovative and adventurous crafts practitioner. As a medium it has become popular in the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Australia although it has been around for a long time. Paperclay was developed by industry for casting slabs that would not warp but it has since been used creatively in a myriad of ways. Ceramic technologist, Mike Kusnik, demonstrated the qualities and characteristics of paperclay to ceramic students at Edith Cowan University a few years ago. Graham Hay was one of those students and has since taken up the challenge to develop and explore paperclay as an artistic medium.
For an introduction to the characteristics of paperclay as a creative ceramics medium I attended a one day hands-on workshop at Edith Cowan University in August this year. It was conducted by final year Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) student, Graham Hay, who explained the versatility and practicality of the medium. Paperclay has properties that allows immense flexibility of use, particularly in the joining process. Because joining can take place at any stage of the drying process work can be left for extended periods of time Hay uses a variety of construction techniques including slabs, bricks, liquid slip, fibre coiling and moulds.
The workshop was thoroughly organised and the participants were able to experiment with any or all of the techniques described. Hay took us through the processes step by step and explained the foundations of how to make and use paperclay.
The following is his recipe:
1. Shredded paper soaked in plenty of hot water, blended until pulped.
2. Remove excess water with sieve and sponge.
3. Mix 1/3 pulp with 2/3 clay slip by volume.
4. Pour the porridge like mixture onto a plaster slab.
5. Keep some paperclay slip aside in a plastic squeeze bottle for use as "glue".
6. Break or cut dry paperclay slabs into desired shapes before building. Stick together with "glue".
7. Recycle dry scrapes by placing them in warm water, leave for one hour, pouring off excess water.
8. A few drops of detergent helps prevent the porridge from going off. The more paper fibre present in the clay the stronger the work will be before firing but weaker after firing. Less paper fibre in the clay makes it weaker before firing and stronger afterwards. Proportionally, 50% fibre for delicate work or thick slabs where strength is not a priority. Safety precautions should be observed when working and building with dry clay, in particular a filter mask should be worn.
In discussing what sort of clay slip to use Hay stressed the importance of experimenting to find a slip you are comfortable with. Clay slip can be purchased in liquid form from Australian Fine China, 576 Hay Street Subiaco, phone 3814511[Ed: now closed]. It can also be purchased in powder form from Jackson's Ceramic Crafts or The Potters Market. Alternatively you can make your own, an earthenware recipe is suggested.
Paperclay is fired to 1100 C, if it is earthenware slip it should be fired to the appropriate temperature. Work can be fired and cooled very rapidly in the kiln. Delicate work requires rapid firing. If firing thin slabs Hay recommends 250C per hour to 200C then 350C per hour to 1100C with a soak for 30 minutes then cool the kiln rapidly.
Innovative surface treatments are something Hay experiments with continually. Currently he uses a variety of "air dried" glazes such as varnish, acrylic or oil paint, cement powder, Indian ink and shellac. Textures are created by a variety of methods including sand and soils in moulds, a wire brush on a damp surface and selective use of an industrial heat paint stripper.
The paint stripper is also an effective tool for altering and blending colour. Make sure work is bisque fired before decorating.
Hay has developed a formidable body of work using paperclay techniques that are unmistakably his own. His forms often appear to defy gravity and could be described as growing rhythmically from a constructed base.
Reproduced in full copy of Debra Ellery's article Making clay while the sun shines, or Looking for a needle in a hay stack Pyre, The Journal of the Clay & Glass Association of Western Australia, 1994, Issue 2, pp.6-7, of the same title, with her and the editor's kind permission.
