Italian inspiration: an interview with Susan Snyder. (clay corner).

Italian inspiration: an interview with Susan Snyder. (clay corner). Susan Snyder is a ceramic artist who produces pottery inspired byItalian designs from the 13th to 18th centuries. Susan found a love andtalent for the centuries'-old Italian maiolica maiolica:see majolica. process whilestudying art history at the Universita di Bologna during her junior yearabroad. ("Maiolica," pronounced m - 'yal-i-ke, is theItalian spelling, with "Majolica majolica(məjŏl`ĭkə, məyŏl`–)or maiolica(məyŏl`ĭkə)[from Majorca], type of faience usually associated with wares produced in Spain, Italy, and Mexico. ," pronounced m -'jal-i-k, being Spanish.) After graduating from Indiana University Indiana University,main campus at Bloomington; state supported; coeducational; chartered 1820 as a seminary, opened 1824. It became a college in 1828 and a university in 1838. The medical center (run jointly with Purdue Univ. , she returned to Italy tostudy pottery at a professional ceramic trade school in Faenza. She wasonly the second American in the school's history to complete over1,100 hours of ceramic training, and she was the first professionalAmerican artist to graduate from the school. Susan has developed her own whimsical style--one that blends hermastery of classic techniques with contemporary, lighthearted light��heart��ed?adj.Not being burdened by trouble, worry, or care; happy and carefree. See Synonyms at glad1.light themes.Her work allows her to combine her passions for art history, ceramics,painting and Italy. In this interview, Susan talks about her development as an artist,her devotion to preserving and sustaining the maiolica technique, andthe techniques and procedures she follows to create her intricatelydesigned and beautifully decorated pieces. She also shares some insightson teaching and making art. H.G. According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. your resume, you originally pursued a degree inart history. When did you start working with clay? S.S. My original interest in art came from watching my mother oilpaint when I was quite young. The process of painting--the colors andthe transformation of the canvas--captivated me I never thought I was artistic, although I always enjoyed art andcraft projects. In college, I took a painting class, and the professor turned meonto art history. For me, history made sense through art, and bystudying art history, I gained a better understanding of the humanities.I became particularly interested in Italy and its art from the EarlyByzantine through the Renaissance periods. I also began to appreciateceramics as an art form. I decided to take a ceramics class and lovedit. In 1992, I was accepted by Indiana University to study art historyat the Universita di Bologna my junior year. It was a wonderfulexperience, but I could not pursue my love of ceramics there, and I knewthat I wanted to continue working in clay. I discovered that I couldstudy ceramics at a professional trade school in Faenza, so I returnedfor a year after graduation to study at the Consorzio Centro FormazioneProfessionale. H.G. Why did you choose this particular school in Faenza? S.S. I was already very interested in maiolica. Faenza is a citythat has always been involved in ceramics and is famous for its pottery.Being able to study the process of making traditional pottery has beenvery rewarding to me. It allows me to paint, work in ceramics, and applymy knowledge of art history and [the] Italian [language] in my researchof traditional designs. Not very many Americans have studied the Italianmethod of maiolica or are using the process here in the States. H.G. Tell us a little about your experience studying in Faenza. S.S. Studying ceramics in Faenza was very different from studyingceramics in the States. At Indiana University, we worked on projects andlearned a lot through trial and error. We focused more on creatingsomething that was unique--breaking away from tradition. The course in Faenza consisted of 1,100 hours in specializedtraining on wheel-throwing, sculpture, mold-making, traditional maiolicadecoration, sgraffito sgraffito:see graffito. , modern decoration, glaze glaze, in potteryglaze,translucent layer that coats pottery to give the surface a finish or afford a ground for decorative painting. Glazes—transparent, white, or colored—are fired on the clay. application, glazechemistry, art history, planning designs and business. Each topic was aseparate class that met during the week. Fifteen students were accepted into the school, and the studentscame from all over Italy. There were also five foreigners includingmyself--four of which had lived in Italy for an extended period and werefrom Central and South America South America,fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . Having studied in Italian at theUniversita di Bologna helped me get into the program because I spoke thelanguage well. There were seven different instructors for the differentmaterials--all were very skilled and dedicated artists. There was acorrect way for doing everything, and the professors made us practiceuntil we got it right. Dip glazing was highly choreographed. Yourposture when decorating and throwing was of extreme importance. Theschool has been training students for 30 years now, so they have theirown particular method that is required. We also apprenticed with an artist for three weeks at the end ofthe school year before taking our exams. I was very lucky to apprenticewith a well-known Faentine ceramist, the countess Antonietta MazzotiEmaldi, who was ruthless in my training. She had me paint the samedesign over and over again for two and half weeks until I got it right.I later went back to her studio over the summer to practice decorating.The exams were monitored by five "judges" from the ceramicscommunity. H.G. What did you do after completing the program in Faenza? S.S. I married an Italian man whom I met while living there. SinceBloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in south central Indiana. Located about 50 miles southwest of Indianapolis, it is the seat of Monroe County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Bloomington had a total population of 69,291, making it the 7th largest city in Indiana. , is my hometown, we returned there. Stefano isworking on his Ph.D., and I have set up Studio Maiolica. I teachworkshops in my studio and at various art centers. I produce a line ofmaiolica that I sell at art fairs and through galleries and shops. Forthe last two summers, I have taken groups on study tours to Faenza wherethe participants learn maiolica-glazing techniques in workshops at thecity's ceramics center. H.G. Tell us about the maiolica pieces you create. S.S. I want to carry this traditional art into the present day andmake it available in contemporary, lead-free forms. Reproducing thelyrical and intricate qualities of maiolica is a complicated procedurethat requires skill, a steady hand and enormous patience. During onepart of the process, I have to rotate the ceramic piece on a bandingwheel with one hand and, with the other, simultaneously draw a series ofthin, concentric circles on it. Because of the delicate nature of theglazes, corrections are difficult to hide. H.G. Do you use original designs or do you reproduce ones createdin the past? S.S. I make functional pieces for daily life--fixtures, tablewareand tiles. My designs reflect and incorporate designs from the past, butI add my own original touch. My pieces are lead-free, unlike traditionalItalian maiolica, and food-safe. I use Italian methods, colors andtools, but my designs are innovations of traditional Italian designsfrom the 13th to 18th centuries. The Arcaico (Archaic) design was developed in Italy in the late1200s and early 1300s and was typically painted in copper green andmanganese manganese(măng`gənēs, măn`–)[Lat.,=magnet], metallic chemical element; symbol Mn; at. no. 25; at. wt. 54.938; m.p. about 1,244°C;; b.p. about 1,962°C;; sp. gr. 7.2 to 7. brown. These designs depicted fantasy creatures or popularfables, and the large-eyed figures and frontal poses resembled Byzantinemosaics. The Pavone (Peacock Feather) design was very popular throughoutItaly during the Renaissance. It's based on the Eye of the PeacockFeather and is painted in the traditional burnt sienna sienna:see ocher. color. Eachimportant ceramics center had its stylization styl��ize?tr.v. styl��ized, styl��iz��ing, styl��iz��es1. To restrict or make conform to a particular style.2. To represent conventionally; conventionalize. of the design. This Pavonepattern was favored in the Faenza area of northern Italy Northern Italy comprises of two areas belonging to NUTS level 1: North-West (Nord-Ovest): Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria North-East (Nord-Est): Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/S��dtirol, Emilia-Romagna . Another design I use, the Palmetta Persiana (Persian Pinecone)--acombination of pinecones, tulips and daisy-like flowers--was a populardesign in Italy in the 1500s. H.G. The maiolica process is different from the ceramic processeswith which we are most familiar. Can you explain how it is different? S.S. I make my pieces on the wheel, out of slabs, and with pressmolds, but I also order bisqueware from Italy. In creating maiolicapieces in Italy, the painters and potters don't overlap--thepotters make the pieces; the painters decorate. In America, a lot ofimportance is placed on the artist making the piece from beginning toend. Although I enjoy forming clay, I consider myself to be more of apainter. Painting on a three-dimensional, glazed bisque bisque?1?n.1. a. A rich, creamy soup made from meat, fish, or shellfish.b. A thick cream soup made of pur��ed vegetables.2. Ice cream mixed with crushed macaroons or nuts. canvas is what Ienjoy most, so I spend more time decorating and less making the forms. What makes the maiolica process different is that the decoration isapplied with a brush to the unfired, dry, glazed surface. The painteddecoration soaks into the white glaze. As the glaze melts in firing, itfuses with the decoration, forming a glossy surface that maintains theline quality of the surface decoration. Sometimes as an alternative to using majolica as the base, I use awhite engobe applied to red earthenware while it is leather hard. I thencarve my design using sgraffito tools. The engobe is more forgiving thanthe majolica, and the piece can actually be held in your hand while youwork on it. Once the sgraffito piece is fired, I paint the decoratingcolors on top for additional color and cover the piece with a cleargloss glaze. Then I fire the piece to cone 05. Basically, I begin with purchased bisqueware or bisque that I havemade that has been fired to cone 04. I apply a white majolica glazeeither by brush or dipping, making sure that the piece has a glazethickness of one millimeter. I use a small, thin pocketknife to scrapeany glaze drip marks or unevenness. I then draw a design on the piecewith 3B-pencil, or pounce the pattern design using a pin-puncturedwax-paper template and ground carbon. I paint an outline of the designwith a trimmed brush. Then I fill in the rest of the design and fire thepiece to cone 05. H.G. Tell us a little about your teaching experiences. S.S. I've taught art at a local Montessori school andcurrently teach ceramics and mixed-media classes to adults and childrenat the John Waldron John Waldron may refer to the following people: John Waldron (police officer), Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police from 1968-1972 Johnny Waldron, a British boxer John Waldron (Tulsa), an American Educator Arts Center in Bloomington. I also teach maiolicaworkshops at my studio. I enjoy encouraging students to be creative in afun, learning environment. I find that it is important to be flexibleand to have a good sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor"sense of humour, humor, humour , but I've also learned that awell-thought-out lesson plan that is easy to follow and adaptable to theage and skill level of the group is equally important. I spent two seasons as an art director at a camp in Maine. One ofmy responsibilities was to train the staff. In the few days I had beforecamp began, I taught the staff a number of activities in a variety ofmedia that I had learned during my arts and craft days. Then I had eachart instructor practice teaching an activity that he or she liked to theothers. H.G. What are your thoughts about the importance of art education? S.S. Art education is fundamental to learning about the worldaround us. Creating art encourages people to reflect and to expressthemselves. Art is a key to understanding the humanities, the sciences,history and the world. It is a vehicle for expression and preservationof ideas. The potential of what art is or can be is vast because art isunlimited. Becoming familiar with different art media is like learninglanguages. It allows us to communicate in ways that might have beenpreviously unimaginable. Studying those different media makes us moreproficient in our own work. MAIOLICA DECORATION I have taught maiolica decoration to the older students (ages 12+)with great results. When teaching the traditional decorating techniqueusing a banding wheel, it is best to work with one small group at atime, since the brush, arm and wheel position are very important. 1. Begin with a commercial earthenware tile. 2. Clean the tile with a slightly damp, clean sponge and let it drythoroughly. 3. Apply a white commercial maiolica glaze according toinstructions. 4. Let the glaze dry. Touch up fingerprints or other marks byremoving the excess glaze around these points gently with a knife andadding well-mixed glaze to any bare spots on the bisque. Remove any dripmarks, since too much glaze in one spot will cause the glaze to crawlduring firing. The tile should be completely covered in glaze, exceptfor the bottom of the piece. If any glaze gets on the bottom of thetile, remove it with a damp sponge or upholstery foam. If you do notremove the glaze from the bottom, the tile will stick to the kiln shelfwhen fired. 5. The students should create a design on paper that they wish totransfer to the tile. Most of my designs are geometrical and based onconcentric circles. The students can use an original design or one thatthey wish to reproduce. 6. When the piece is ready to be decorated, the students shouldsign the back of the tile in the decorating color. Center the tile on abanding wheel with the glazed surface up. 7. Holding a soft lead pencil that is at least a 3B, spin the wheelcounterclockwise and place the pencil on the point where you want thecircles to be. 8. Depending on the design elements, divide the piece into quartersand sixteenths like a pie. The pattern can be drawn on in pencil first,if desired, since the pencil lead will burn away completely in firing. 9. Designs can also be transferred onto the piece using a wax-papertemplate that has the design drawn on it in pen. Prick pinholes closelytogether along the pattern. Using crushed, burned newspaper ash tiedinto a cotton-cloth bundle, gently pass over the template design,pouncing the ash bundle over the template. The ash goes through thepinholes, leaving the design on the piece after removing the template. 10. If a circular design is desired and a banding wheel is notavailable, the design can be drawn with a compass and then transferredonto the piece. 11. I use trimmed ox-hair brushes and commercial maiolica colors topaint the design. Paint the outline of the design and then fill it inwith color. Once the piece is finished and the glaze is dry, fire it tocone 05.--S.S. MAIOLICA Traditionally, maiolica is earthenware with a lead-based glaze madeopaque by tin oxide tin oxide (SnO),n a polishing agent in the form of a purified white powder, prepared as a paste with glycerine or water. . The decoration is applied to the unfired or rawglaze. The process was first developed in the Middle East and then wasbrought across Gibraltar into Spain. Spanish potters then began makingMuslim-inspired works in this method. Italians imported this ware fromthe Spanish port of Majorca, calling it "maiolica" ware. Whenthe French imported it from the Italian City of Faenza, they called it"faience faience(fāĕns`, –äns`, fī–)[for Faenza, Italy], any of several kinds of pottery, especially earthenware made of coarse clay and covered with an opaque tin-oxide glaze. ." When the Dutch became proficient with thesetechniques and exported quantities of ware from Delft Delft(dĕlft), city (1994 pop. 91,941), South Holland prov., W Netherlands. It has varied industries and is noted for its ceramics (china, tiles, and pottery) known as delftware. Founded in the 11th cent. , it was called"Delftware delftware.The earliest delftware was a faience, a heavy, brown earthenware with opaque white glaze and polychrome decoration, made in the late 16th cent. Some of the earliest imitations of Chinese and Japanese porcelain were made at Delft in the 17th cent. ." Because the glaze does not move when fired, brushwork brush��work?n.1. Work done with a brush.2. The manner in which a painter applies paint with a brush.brushworkNoun stays crisp.The raw glaze absorbs the color from the brush, and brushwork shows inthe fired decoration, adding painterly paint��er��ly?adj.1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a painter; artistic.2. a. Having qualities unique to the art of painting.b. , expressive qualities to thework. Note: Susan Snyder uses AMACO[R] earthenware clay #67, bisquetiles, Majolica Gloss Decorating Colors (GDC series) and clearlowfireglaze to create her maiolica pieces.-H. G. Harriet Gamble is afree-lance writer from Plainfield, Indiana.