About the Artist Wanying Liang: https://shop.wanyingliang.com/pages/about-the-artist
The rhythm of a ceramic practice is inevitably dictated by the seasons. Over the past two weeks, the weather here in Upstate New York dropped into a bitter cold snap, with temperatures hovering below zero and the wind chill plummeting to -22°F.
Working in an 1,100-square-foot studio with limited insulation during these extremes presents a unique physical and material challenge. How do you throw porcelain when the clay feels like ice? How do you prevent greenware from freezing and cracking overnight?
This recent cycle in the studio became a profound lesson in adapting to the environment, resulting in the successful firing of my new Spring Dawn Pink Porcelain Mug series.
The Realities of an Uninsulated Studio
The morning after a massive snowstorm, the property was a flurry of activity. While my husband cleared the driveway and my father built snowmen with my two young boys, I stepped into the studio to find my bags of porcelain frozen completely solid.
Clay, at its core, is composed largely of water. When the ambient temperature drops below freezing, the material locks up. After moving the clay to thaw next to a small gas heater—and while my husband worked to install a new diesel heater to keep the space viable—I had to completely adjust my throwing methodology.
Winter Wheel-Throwing Techniques
Throwing in extreme cold requires specific precautions to protect both the artist's hands and the integrity of the clay:
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Hot Water is Essential: I abandon cold water entirely, bringing a bucket of steaming water into the studio each morning to lubricate the clay during pulling.
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Aggressive Wedging: To warm the porcelain and align the particles, the clay must be wedged thoroughly. I prepare my clay balls in small batches of ten, allowing me to step away and warm my hands while the thrown greenware begins to set up.
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Immediate Water Removal: Any residual water left pooling in the bottom of a freshly thrown cup will freeze and cause the base to crack. I meticulously sponge out the interior after the final pull.
For this series, rather than striving for identical production forms, I allowed my intuition to guide the shapes. Using metal and silicone ribs, I gently altered the walls of the wet porcelain, creating subtle, organic movements in the silhouette of each mug.
Protecting Greenware from the Freeze
The most precarious stage of winter pottery is the drying process. As water evaporates from the clay, the evaporative cooling effect can freeze a piece even if the room is slightly above freezing.
To save my work overnight, I relied heavily on my damp box. However, a damp box in a freezing room creates a new hazard: condensation forms on the ceiling of the box and drips down, ruining the raw clay below. To counter this, I lined the inside of the lid with a thick cotton cloth to catch the moisture, pointing the heater's vent directly at the box before leaving for the night.
Despite these precautions, the sheer drop in temperature one evening claimed ten of my small, freshly thrown cups. They froze and cracked before the morning. It is a harsh reminder that in ceramics, the environment always has the final say.
The Art of the Hand-Pulled Handle
A cup's handle is often an overlooked detail, but I believe a beautiful, spirited handle can instantly bring a simple form to life. I pull all of my handles entirely by hand.
I start with a thick strip of clay, lubricating it heavily with water, and use the web of my hand to press and pull the clay downward. This aligns the clay particles, creating a handle that is both structurally strong and visually fluid. Because they are pulled by hand, no two are perfectly identical. Once they dry to a non-sticky state, they are scored, slipped, and firmly compressed onto the leather-hard cups.
Glaze Chemistry: The Spring Dawn Kiln Opening
After the bisque firing, the true transformation begins. For this collection, I utilized a wax resist technique on the trimmed foot rings to ensure clean bottoms, pouring the interior glaze and dipping the exteriors.
Opening the final glaze kiln revealed a chamber full of delicate Spring Dawn Pink Porcelain Mugs. The softness of this "Spring Dawn" glaze stands in stark contrast to the brutal, freezing winter conditions in which they were formed. They are the physical fruit of my labor through the coldest weeks of the year.
As the studio slowly warms and the ice on the windows melts, these pink vessels remain as a testament to the resilience required in this craft.
Watch the full hour of silent, meditative winter studio work on my YouTube channel: [Link to Video]
Shop the Collection: The Spring Dawn Pink Porcelain Mugs from this exact firing are now available on Wanying Liang Ceramic Art Store: Shop.Wanyingliang.com