Clay Garden Sphere

Susan Ryles sculpts a garden sphere with speckled stoneware clay.

Clay Garden Sphere

All About

Product Ideas

Materials and Tools:

speckled stoneware clay
wire clay cutter
slab roller or rolling pin
round balloon
assorted clay tools; pin tool, carving tools, soft rubber rib
wooden pizza paddle
green chartreuse commercial glaze
paintbrush
small sponge
water
stilts
electric kiln
purchased display stand

Steps 1-2

Steps:

1. Cut four 1-inch thick pieces of clay from stoneware clay brick.

2. Place the four pieces in an overlapping square.

Steps 4-5

3. Roll the four sections through a slab roller to form one large slab of clay.

4. Blow up a round balloon half full of air.

5. Wrap the clay slab around the balloon and remove any excess clay.

Steps 6-7

6. Pinch the clay together and smooth it with your fingers to cover the entire surface of the balloon.

7. Continue smoothing and shaping the clay around the balloon with a rubber rib until it becomes a nice round sphere.

8. Tap the ball using a wooden pizza paddle to continue the shaping.

Steps 9-10

9. Once the ball shape is formed, use the pin tool to pierce the clay and pop the balloon inside.

Note: It's okay to leave the balloon inside. It will just burn out in the kiln or if you decide to poke holes in the sphere as part of the design, you may be able to gently remove it through a hole in the clay. Either way, be sure there is a small hole in the sphere to allow heat to escape in the firing.

10. Allow the ball to dry to a "leather hard" stage.

Steps 11-12

11. Carve words or desired design into the sphere with various clay carving tools.

12. Allow the piece to finish drying to the "bone dry" stage.

Steps 13-14

13. Bisque-fire the garden sphere in an electric kiln. Let cool and remove from the kiln.

14. Paint glaze onto the ball, carved lines and design.

Steps 15-17

15. Use a damp sponge to remove any excess glaze from the surface of the sphere allowing only the glaze in the carved areas to remain.

16. Fire the glazed garden sphere on stilts in an electric kiln for the final finish.

17. Display on a purchased stand.

As a human resource manager, Susan Ryles of Tucker, Ga., was looking for a stress-relieving activity, so she took a clay class with her daughter. She fell in love with it, and started some serious dabbling at her local clay studio. Eventually, Susan decided to build a studio in her backyard, complete with kiln and slab roller and now she is a full-time clay artist, who's even the president of her local art guild.

Website: www.susanryles.com