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Become a Member of the Handmade Tile Association and find out what new tile projects are being experimented with
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Mexican Blackware Firing
Handmade Tile Association member Felice Amato did a demo of a Mexican Blackware Firing. It is a simple process that can be done in your own yard that is fun and straight forward. Make sure to have a fire extinguisher on hand and check with the local fire department to make sure they know about what you are doing. Also inform your neighbors and invite them over so they can see what it is all about.
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What you'll need:
Clay pieces bisque at cone 017 (can be polished or burnished before bisque) Metal washtub Bag of sawdust or cocoa shell mulch Newspaper Twigs, fireplace-sized pieces of hard wood (for example, maple or oak. Softwood like pine burns too quickly). Be sure the width of the pieces are consistent.
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Lay a thick ring of sawdust or mulch, wider
than the washtub. |
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Mexican Blackware Firing is an ancient firing process that was rediscovered by Juan Quezada of Mata Ortiz Mexico who was profiled in a PBS Frontline episode. Felice said Maureen Brockway at the Edina Art Center taught her the process |
Lay bricks in the center of the ring; lay clay
pieces on the bricks. |
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(You can also stack the clay like
loading a kiln, with posts and shelves.
Just be sure the stack is not taller
than the washtub!) |
Cover bricks and clay with the
washtub. "Seal" the washtub
with surrounding mulch, making
sure there are no gaps or spaces
for air to get in. |
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Surround the sides of the washtub
with newspaper, twigs, then
the hardwood. |
Be sure all of this have no gaps
and is an even layer of newspaper,
twigs and hardwood. |
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newspaper, twigs and hardwood.
Light the newsprint, making sure
fire surrounds the tub.
(Again, no
gaps.) Relight areas that go out. |
Once the fire is going and consistent, let it
burn. Once the fire has burned itself out,
let it cool. (This may take until the next day.) |
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When the tub is cool, remove the
tub and the clay pieces.Note:
If you don't like the results,
you can re-bisque the clay,
then fire again. |
Felice's finished piece "Like a Secret" incorporated into ceramic sculpture. |
Article submited by
Felice Amato
996 East Ivy Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55106
(651)776-9152
felice@visi.com
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