Lighted Ceramic Building

Materials:

white stoneware clay
slab roller
fettling knife
serrated rib
slip
brush
hole punch
front, back and side templates*
ruler or straightedge
kiln
*Design building templates of your choosing.

Steps:

1. Cut off a piece of clay and roll it out on a slab roller.

2. Smooth the clay with a straightedge.

4. Assemble the four sides of the house by scoring the edges with a serrated rib and adhering the clay pieces together with slip (figure B). Smooth the edges with a fettling knife.

5. To make the base of the house, place the main body on a rolled out piece of clay and score the clay with a knife an inch larger all around. Cut out the clay. Using a 1-inch hole punch, make a hole in the center of the base clay so that a light can be placed through it (figure C). Adhere the base to the bottom of the house with slip after scoring the edges with the serrated rib.

6. Cut four rectangles of clay for the feet and adhere them to the bottom of the base using slip (figure D).

7. Turn the house upside down onto another piece of rolled out clay and score around the top a half-inch larger all around with the fettling knife. Cut out the top and adhere it to the building with slip after scoring the edges with the serrated rib (figure E).

8. Cut two triangular pieces of clay and two rectangles to make a peaked roof and assemble them with slip. Cut a hole in the top of the building, angling the edges (figure F) so the peak won’t fall into the building, then adhere the peak to the top of the house (figure G).

9. Smooth out any rough edges.

10. Cut and poke holes in the building for windows using a fettling knife (figure H). Cut a keyhole shaped door with a pointed pediment from a piece of clay and adhere it to the front of the building (figure I).

11. Allow the building to dry and bisque fire in a kiln for about six hours at 1800 degrees.

12. Decorate the building with a black wax-line pen (figure J).

13. Coat the building with glaze. Apply glaze to the building with an ear syringe to coat evenly. Colors used were light green for the main building walls, yellow for the base and top, pink for the peaked roof and door and burgundy for accents (figure K).

14. Glaze fire in the kiln.

15. Insert a light through the hole in the bottom of the building for display.

Website: www.Spaldingstudio.com