Here is a couple of pics of my new runners! Solomons! I love them-so comfy-but I bought these pretty much on cute value.
For some reason, I seem to attach songs to my work. Do any of you know and like the song:New Shoes by Paolo Nutini? Well, It just makes me happy! and it really fits my mood when I wear my new shoes!
And then…..da da da da…I looked at the soles of these beautiful new shoes!
At NCECA there were many booths selling all sorts of texturing devices!
So when I saw the rubber soles on these shoes, my heart leapt! I had a billion new stamps for texturing slabs AND a new pair of shoes!
I really NEEDED to put this new “tool” to use, so I decided to make a big platter for the upcoming wood fire at Murwillumbah Potters’ Group in May.
Step 1. Roll out a big slab on my slab roller. Place the rolled slab onto the floor on the canvas mat.
Step 2. Spray the bottom of the shoe with WD40 so the clay won’t stick to the shoe sole.
Step 3. Lightly step on the slab, using the toe, heal and edges to fully texturize the slab of clay.
Step 4. Spray the intended slump/hump hold with WD40.
Step 5. Carefully place the slab of clay into the mold. Use a tennis ball to push the clay into the edges and bottom, being careful not to distort or erase the texturing.
Step 6. You can support the overhanging edges of clay with door stoppers or draft stoppers (got mine at Bunnings-they work great for all sorts of clay supporting issues!).
TA DA!
Oh, and don’t forget to check out your old runners! They probably have cool stamps on their soles too!
Be sure to check out Mud Colony posts this week! Heard some good stuff is coming up!
And…tadadada!!!! Here is the final result of that platter from the woodfiring at Murwillumbah Potters’ Group in Fernvale!
Love it and love the colour of the shoes! I am glad I read your instructions as if I had had that idea I would have been too excited by it to remember the WD40 and then become frustrated by clogged soles. Great texture.
Thanks! And thanks for reading! Send pics of your texture pieces and ill add them to this blog and repost!
What a cool idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Wonderful idea Marion and it made a great pot! I’m staggered by the amount of texture tools you can buy at NCECA! I’ve never seen anything like that at UK pottery events.
I use a lot of lego for texturing pots. I create latex lego by using wd40 on a sheet of lego and imprinting it into clay and casting plaster over it. I then make a latex mould from the plaster cast. I find the flexible latex lego easier to work with and it doesn’t stick to the clay..