Clay Slabs
Clay slabs are portions of clay that have been flattened into a sheet, usually with uniform thickness. The clay slabs can be used to create hand-built pottery and sculptures. Slabs can be rolled out using a slab roller, a rolling pin, or even by throwing the clay across a surface at precise angles. I have a friend who can create perfect slabs with the third method – she is amazing! I’ve tried it numerous times and have never been able to get the method down – it’s definitely all in the wrists! I mostly use the the second method – a rolling pin. A slab roller is great if you have one but I do find that the repeated rolling between the canvas layers can dry your clay out, so I have to be careful.
I love working with clay slabs to create everyday pottery and sculptural pieces. When I used to throw somewhat regularly, I found slab building as a nice alternative if I was getting tired or frustrated with the wheel. Slab building pottery can be really satisfying because you can get results fairly quickly and there is often no trimming involved. You can use hump molds (convex plaster forms that provide a template for slab work) and slump molds (concave forms where the clay is draped over the surface of the mold). I always put a layer of newsprint or plastic wrap between the mold and the clay, because as the clay dries, it shrinks and you don’t want your beautiful piece to be stuck to the mold. You can also use a spray oil, like vegetable oil.
In 2013 and some in 2014, I was obsessed with creating a doily or lace look on my pieces. I used my grandmother’s doilies, so there was a special connection. I used the lace on mostly flatter pieces – plates, platter, etc. – the flatter surfaces made it easier to imprint the design as deep as possible on the piece. I tend to get obsessive about what I’m creating at certain moments, so I did end up kinda burning myself out on the repeated use of the doilies.
In 2014 I continued playing with texture, incorporating stamping and adding low relief sculpture details. I played with slips and under-glazing and did a lot of masking with contact paper or vinyl in an attempt to create more precise images – such as the butterfly silhouette.
In 2015 I made several large “flower pot heads”. The idea with these pieces is that the silly face is on the flower pot and whatever plant you add becomes the hair. I created only three of these, as they were pretty labor intensive. I managed to make them watertight, which made me very proud! I still use them to this day and they bring me a lot of joy with their weird faces and plant hair. <3
In 2016 through 2018, I used slab techniques to create cylinders (mugs), raised pieces (cake stand and fox), and more low relief pieces.
In the summer of 2018, I taught a Van Gogh themed summer camp and we created Starry Night dioramas and Sunflower tiles. The results were just awesome – the kids did fantastic!
My Example:
Student Examples:
My Example:
Student Examples:
