Tag Archives: clay birds

Ceramics Then and Now

June 17, 2011Clay, Exhibitsbamboo, ceramic birds, ceramics, Ceramics by Susana Arias, ceramics wev site, Clay, clay birds, clay construction, glazed ceramics, Little birds, Platters, susana arias, susana arias ceramics, web site, working with claySusana

This is a web site that I created that shows my new ceramic sculptures and the ceramic works I have been doing for the past 30 years.

little clay Birds/Pajaritos en Ceramica

July 22, 2010Clayceramic birds, clay birds, pajaritos en barro, pajaritos en ceramica, susana arias, terra sigillata birdsSusana

Esta es una presentacion de como hacer pajaritos estilizados en ceramica y terminarlos en terra sigillata.
Terra Sigillata es un proceso donde se aplica una fina capa de un barro muy fino sobre la ceramica y se pule para que resulte un lustre sin el uso de esmaltes.

This is a process presentation on how to make small clay birds and how to finish them with white terra sigillata.
Terra sigillata is a process by which the application of refined slip is used to get a high satin gloss without a glaze, using simple, time-effective polishing methods. In this video I used a very simple recipe to make the sigillata and the polishing is done with just soft rubbing with plastic.

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Making Clay Birds colored with Terra Sigillata

May 15, 2010Clayburnishing ceramics, burnishing clay, ceramic birds, ceramic cats, ceramic turtle, clay animals, clay birds, clay cats, clay turtles, colored sigillata, scoring clay, Sigillata, smoked ceramics, susana arias, terra sig, terra sigillata, working in claySusana

This is a step by step presentation on how to make stylized clay birds and the use of Terra Sigillata to color them. How to burnish them, and after a cone 019 bisque how to smoke them in a can. The bisque can go to cone 06 if the ware needs to be stronger.
The most important points when building a sculpture that you are going to burnish are: 1. score the clay very well, 2. make sure there are not many nooks and crannies, 3. make surface as smooth as possible
Terra Sigillata is a thin slip used to coat dry green ware to get a high satin gloss without a glaze, by using either a soft cloth to polish or a rock depending on the kind of sigillata you use.

This is a good project for everyone. I have taught this to grades K-8, and I have used this process in my own work.
If you do not want to smoke the pieces, you can: 1.leave them with the sigillata, 2. put them in a saw dust can fire, 3. oxidation pit fire, 4. reduction pit fire, or you can skip the whole terra sigillata part and just glaze them after a cone 04 bisque.
This is a picture of some of my Terra Sigllata Bowls.
These bowls were made with a very basic terra Sig of ball clay and talc, and lots of elbow grease with a polished rock. What I like about this finish is that the rock gives the clay a texture from the direction in which the rock is rubbed. Creating a pattern that can enhance the piece.
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