States of Clay

Below are the basic states of clay in which I will work with:

Powder State: Clay powders are blended with water to create clay bodies, engobes or mixed with glaze for decoration. Interesting!

Slip(slurry): The slip is made of clay that is saturated with water. Called the "slippery-doo-dah" in our pottery class, it is as runny and slippery as its nickname suggests. It is my good friend when it comes to joining leather hard bits of clay together. In my own term, its my "glue" when I handbuild pots. Before applying slip on the surface I want to join, I will score the surface first to ensure that the two pieces will bite and create a stronger joint.

Plastic: Clay in this versatile state is used to for pinching pots, rolling and coiling, slab construction and wheel throwing. Its plasticity will depend on the amount of moisture it contains. To keep clay in a good working condition, I have to prevent it from drying out. The clay needs to be hydrated to make it more plastic. This can be done by adding water and leaving it overnight to allow the particles in it to become evenly saturated. Another method is to age it over a period of time to improve its plasticity.

Leather-Hard: This is clay that has begun to dry and though it already has form, it can still be manipulated to a certain degree, depending on the stage of hardness it is in. It has lost some of its plasticity but it can still be joined, carved and textured for decorative purposes.

Bone-dry: Clay in the bone-dry state is at a stage where it is ready to be fired. Moisture from the clay has evaporated out and it has lost all of its plasticity. If anything falls apart at this stage, chances are that it cannot be put back together anymore. At this fragile state, it pays to be careful. (and yes, I had to learn it through the hard way!)