How to Mix a Mason Stain to Color a Clay Body for Marble or Agateware

Some of my advanced independent study kids like to try out marbled clay from time to time. It is rather labor intensive to show each student individually how to create a marbled clay body (as I am teaching another class when they are in with me...) so, I decided to create a video to show them what they need to know to properly and safely mix a mason stain into a slip then marble a clay. PLEASE NOTE the importance of wearing a respirator to avoid the inhalation of powdered stains or any ceramic powder. Look for other videos on how I threw them!

Check out my playlist on working with this type of marbled clay. I show examples of throwing bowls, cups, etc. Also, I plan to add handbuilding ones to it as well eventually! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... This is a video on how to throw a marbled clay bowl: https://youtu.be/ExeisIpbyiA

This video introduces Mason Stains to color a claybody. I use Laguna B-mix cone 5- which is a white stonware body, and I am staining it with Mason Stain 6300- a lovely blue stain. This is not a particular "Body Color" but works well for my purposes.

I begin by adding slip to a ziplock baggie, then add the powdered mason stain to the slip while wearing a respirator. With the ziplock bag closed, I mix it vigorously. Once mixed, the mixture should be sieved, to properly integrate the stain. Once sieved, I add some bone dry scrap to thicken the slip. Let sit for a day or two, then come back and mash it up and mix it to create a thicker mixture. Mine was still pasty... had I added more bone dry stuff, it probably would have been easier. Then, I added the pasty blue slip to a hunk of clay, to color the whole hunk of clay. After thoroughly incorporated, wedged, and mixed, then I prepared individual pieces for wedging by taking a small hunk of blue, and wedging with a larger hunk of white with just a few turns. Both the red rib and the metal scraper I use in the video are from Mudtools. Mudtools.com

Agateware is a name given to marbled pottery made from two or more different colors of clay, resulting in a swirly or layered appearance. This nickname comes from the stone agate because of the distinctive layers.

Look for my video on how I threw these pieces in another video!

Pardon the clicking sounds in the background... I have my kiln on during the video, and the power is cycling on and off.

I am a high school ceramics teacher and potter. I have been working in clay for over 30 years, and I have been teaching for over 28 years, the past 20 have been specifically teaching high school ceramics. I love what I do! I have my own studio in my home basement, where I work on my personal pottery for my Etsy site; https://www.etsy.com/shop/KaransPotsA...

I started my Youtube channel a few years ago, to make videos to help my students if they are absent and miss a demo, or if they would like to explore more advanced techniques independently. I have been amazed to reach such a wider audience than my own students!

For a list of my FAVORITE TOOLS, check out this link to a Googledoc with lots of my favorites on Amazon using my associate links! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X...

Please subscribe to my channel if you would like to receive channel updates, or would like to learn more about clay and studio processes!

Please stop by my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/KaransPotsA... to see my personal work!

Link to written info https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/daily/ceramic-supplies/ceramic-colorants/decorating-nerikomi-colored-clay-patterns/