Did you know American Bison are North America’s largest land mammal? Not only that, but they can reach running speeds up to 35mph. Pretty fast, huh? Named after the majestic creature, this month’s featured clay body is of course, Bison.
I’m a personal fan of darker clay bodies (and bison), so I was eager to test out what this clay had to offer. I hopped on the wheel and noticed that it is a bit tougher to work with. I really had to put some elbow grease into this one. I should mention that I have noodle arms, so if you have a gun show going on in the muscle department, you should not have a problem working with this stoneware clay.
My hand covered in some Bison slop after throwing with the clay body on the wheel.
My favorite thing that I noticed was that the slop produced in this process was the same color as chocolate milk. This is very important to note, in my opinion. As for hand-building, this is where Bison thrived for me. It does require a spray bottle within reach because it does dry out relatively quickly. However, the stiffness really helped retain the structure of what I was working on. I used some cookie cutters to cut out some shapes from a slab I rolled out and it looked like I was making some delicious brownie-cookie dessert. As for added texture, I used roller stamp with a brick pattern on the base slab and a squiggly block stamp on the house.
An array of cookie cutters in various shapes and stamps to help create the components to this piece.
After the bisque-fire, it was time to glaze! I opted for Opulence's Lima Bean and their Shino to compliment it. I used a circle sponge stamp with some of Spectrum's Running Hot Chowder and on top, a flower-shaped sponge stamp with Spectrum's Scandinavian Blue to create a little image in the middle of the house. For the sun-shaped pieces with the spirals in the center, I used Spectrum's Sangria on one and Mayco's Wildfire Jungle Gems on the other. With darker clays, the glaze can often get swallowed up, so I was weary about how the glazes would turn out. I said a prayer to kiln gods (as we all do) and waited with bated breath.
The bisque after glazing.
After several days of anticipation, the piece finally came out of the kiln and well... I was disappointed. The shino came out a lot darker than I expected and the Lima Bean glaze with the little blue flower on top muddied out. There was also a slight upwards warp on the bottom left corner that is common with slabs. This is obviously not Bison's fault and most certainly, a maker error. If I were to remake this piece, I would be more intentional with my glaze application and perhaps, even add thicker layers of glaze when working with a darker clay body. I would also ensure that my slab dried as consistently as possible to prevent silly, little warping mistakes. On the other hand, my little sun-shaped pieces came out fantastic, in my opinion! I was pleased with how the spiral stamp showed through both of the glazes I used. A win is a win!
The beautiful thing about clay (and making in general) is the opportunity for growth. We are often bombarded with rhetoric that discourages us from taking risks and accepting perceived failures as part of the creative process. However, I think we can all agree that trial and error is the best way to develop and grow as an artist. It gives us insight into what worked and what didn't, so you can do better next time. Keep going! I definitely will.
The finished product after the final glaze firing and some added woven + sewing elements!
Warping on the bottom left corner.
The second button with Spectrum's Sangria glaze.
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Andreas Braz is a fibers and textile artist who circles back to clay whenever it calls him in. After about a year working at Bracker’s Good Earth Clays, he rekindled his relationship with the medium. When he’s not at the shop, he’s usually sewing, tufting, or weaving, keeping his hands in motion and his ideas in rotation. He also teaches at the Lawrence Arts Center, where he shares his commitment to material, process, and tactile exploration.
