Process
My process is very deliberate, contemplative and meditative. Every mark and motion that goes into creating the work is present in the end. Clay has a memory of the process that shaped it and these memories are evident in the finished work.
I start by creating forms…
sometimes from plaster, sometimes from clay or polymer clay.
These are the forms that I make my molds from. Each step along the way leaves an imprint on what follows.
Mold making is a complicated, multi-step process, and making molds is an artform in and of itself.
Once the molds are completed, I cast component parts from these molds.
A complicated form like a teapot, will require the use of several molds. Depending on the object I’m making, parts are sometimes cast from colored slip. This begins to develop color and surface early in the process, blending form and surface. These parts are used for a variety of different forms, I use this form for teapots, vases, small bowls, and pitchers. In the case of plates and some bowls the colored slips are added to the form after it comes out of the mold.
After the wares have been assembled, and are completely dried, they are loaded into the kiln for the bisque firing.
This firing turns the mud to soft, porous stone. The bisqueware is durable enough to be handled and porous enough to absorb glaze.
The pots are then glazed and fired to their final temperature, about 2200 degrees. This final glaze firing transforms the soft, porous, bisqueware into a dense, vitreous clay body that is both dishwasher and microwave safe.
KIND WORDS…
“This ceramicist’s eye for design results in stunning pieces, made for display and use both. The vase I bought from Frank is a centerpiece of my living room.”
– Michael