There have been may good suggestions here... Ok. Carton Ball was a
ceramic artist that taught at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma
Washington during the 1960's, 70's and 80's. He has several books out on
making pottery without a wheel and decorating pottery with texture...
any of his books will give you enough ideas to last the rest of your
life time... from making rollers and stamps to string, found objects,
carving straffito. Me, I like to use leather stamp tools. I have letters
for words, little stamps already made with great detail. There are some
cookie stamps that are really good too. I like to use an onion or
vegetable holder that can score areas for putting handles on as a
decorative tool as well. Abstract patterns are really cool with this and
a stick tool to press into the surface of the pot. Paddles can reshape
the pot when leather hard. Loop tools worked on to the surface can carve
areas into pattern and design. I use loop tools to carve the surface of
the pot with a drawing... I have several theme mugs that I like to carve
the surface of a piece into... Music symbols, Mystical symbols, the logo
of my favorite sports teams to local colleges, birds, animals... much
more... my favorite is the dragon....
Russ Andavall
www.firegodarts.com


Meridith Davis wrote:

Hi. I am new to this news group. I am taking a ceramics 2 class this
semester at college. I have been enjoying lately using material pieces to
texture my clay. What I am needing help on for idea is on using other items.
I have heard something about using items like grass and such to texture
pieces, but didn't know if theres some do's and don'ts along with it. My
instructor only recomends using cloth's, which im bored with now, though an
idea that I came across tonight about using lace could be an interesting
texture.

Ideas of any type are welcome. Oh, I had seen on some site online, the use
of rice for texture. But it mentioned that any pieces that had been left in
would 'pop' out, not just burn up. I am not sure if that would be safe for
other pottery being fired at the same time as mine, considering that I am in
a class, so could be as many as 50 other pieces being fired at the same time
as mine, that belong to other students.

Thanks

Meridith