COSHH (Clay Health & Safety)

You need to make sure you are careful when working with clay, especially if you are a ceramicist and you are working with clay everyday.

 Hazards:

• Ceramics work can produce  airborne  respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
• All RCS is hazardous which can cause silicosis.This is a serious disease causing permanent disability and early death.
• Silicosis is made worse by smoking.
• 'Respirable' means that the dust can get to the deepest part of the lungs. This dust is invisible under normal lighting as it's so fine.
• Remember that drips and spills that dry off are a source of dust.Keep inhalation of RCS as low as possible.
• When all controls are applied properly, less that 0.1 mg/m3 RCS is usually achievable (based on an 8-hour time-weighted average).

Equipment:

• Provide a good standard of general ventilation. Use powered fans to supply fresh air.
• Use clay with a lower silica content.
• Keep surfaces clean - never let slip, clay or glaze spills dry out.
• Remember that handling  used moulds creates dust.
• Use wire rather than elastic bands to hold moulds together.
• Use a bin to collect scraps and damp slip.
• Avoid hand sweeping. If this is not possible, damp down thoroughly before cleaning up.
• Use a type H vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter to remove dry slip from mould exteriors.

 

Maintenance:

• Clean down the equipment before starting maintenance - use wet or dustless methods
• Daily, look for signs of damage. Noisy or vibrating fans can indicate a problem.
• Get a competent engineer to examine the system thoroughly and test it's performance regularly.
• Carry out air sampling to check that the controls are working well.

Cleaning and housekeeping:

• Store empty bags outside the workroom. Dispose of waste safely.
• Clean down the enclosure and equipment as soon as possible after use.
• Use a type H vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter to clear up dust e.g. on overhead fittings.
• Damp down and shovel large amounts carefully to avoid stirring up dust. Provide respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

COSHH Website Link
http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/

 Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm

Open Formed Pinch Pots

 
I designed and made 3 of my own Pinch Pots, using a handful of white clay to roll into a ball. Using my thumb, I then pushed into the center of the clay and started pinching the sides, making the pot larger and thinner. Once I molded the clay into the shape I wanted it was then left in front of the heater to dry a little while I concentrated on my other 2 pots. Each pot was left until they were leather hard so I could then add more clay if I wanted, and shaping them more.

Using the coiling method i managed to add more clay, making the pot taller. This was done by rolling out a piece of clay that was able to wrap round the top, using slip and scoring the edges so it connects well. This was then gently smoothed into the rest of the pot without pressing too hard as it would change shape. Once they were finished I used the kidney tools to smooth out the surface of the pots. These were then ready to be put into the kiln.

Materials:

• White clay
• Heater
• Clay tools

Health & Safety:

• Clean surfaces after use
• Work in a well ventilated area
• Keep bags and coats away
• Wear an apron to protect clothing
• Clean the floor
• Wash the equipment after use
• Wash hands 

Closed Form Pinch Pots

After making my open pots I then started to create 3 closed pots by creating  two dome shaped bowls out of clay and joining the 2 together by scoring the edges and using slip, making sure they are both an equal size to fit. This was to keep the sphere hollow and to punch holes in to the clay, so the pot doesn't explode in the kiln.I used different techniques to decorate the pots; punching holes through them, adding on parts of clay and adding texture by pressing into the clay. Using 2 handfuls of clay I made bowl shapes by pressing my thumb through the middle and pinching the outside lightly. Once they were about the same size they were tapped on the table to flatten the tops. Both were scored and the edge and covered with slip. I pushed the 2 parts together, making a spherical shape. The gap was closed up and smoothed out. Using a wooden stick to gently tap the outside, evening it out and and making the shape I wanted. This was then left to dry a little in front of the heater as I started my other two pieces.

Once the pieces were leather hard i was able to decorate them, using texture and adding parts of clay to them, keeping them abstract. Also, cutting out holes and printing textures on the surfaces. Each pot had to have a hole in it somewhere otherwise the air will expand inside and explode the pot when it's in the kiln. Once all the texture and parts were added, the pots were ready to be fired in the kiln.

Abstract Tiles

Using a range of different materials and techniques I made 4 tiles out of card, creating an abstract image on each one. I used many different materials to cut up and stick down, composing an abstract image and painting them with mostly bright, bold colours. Once I was happy I could then cut around the edges, making them look neat. This is a great way to create abstract images as the different patterns and shapes in the materials can make many textures in the pieces. These were then left to dry to be able to work into later, giving more detail.

The Pallant House Visit

On Tuesday the 16th of September we went to Chichester to The Pallant House Gallery to have a look around at Artist's work, taking photos and gaining ideas for our own work. We first looked at Barbara Rae's work as it compares to the collagraph prints we are making. Most of her works are 2ft by 2ft, full of colour and different markings. Most of the colours contrast with each other. I liked that her work was balanced with the use of colour and markings in her composition.




Prison Type Gasholders, 2004

I also liked Idris Khan's work as he builds up layers of imagery, making the structures of the buildings look old, weathered, haunting and ghost-like. Most of the photos were taken by Bernd and Hilla Becher. He would use their a few of each of their photos and place them on top of each other, changing the opacity that makes the ghost-like. The same effect can be done by using a slow shutter speed on a camera and moving the camera as you take the photo. His work is based on modern industrial structures that have been taken in black and white. A lot of his work look like etching prints with the fading images and grey tones. The use of the old structures he has used have worked well as all the outlines and shapes build up a distorted image as they are layered up on top of each other.


 

Bach Six Suites for the Solo Cello, 2006



http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/sep/02/art

These are the two pieces that were shown at the gallery.