Clay Tips in Summer Heat
What causes clay to stick to the molds?
There are several factors that can cause your clay to stick, including clay residue, too little mold release, too soft clay and warm temperatures, all of which are discussed below. - Clay Residue - Molds can be cleaned with waterless hand cleaner or rubbing alcohol and a soft brush. Make sure the mold is thoroughly dry before using it again.
- Not enough mold release - It is easy to use too much cornstarch. Use a clean, soft brush to remove any excess powder from molds, or rinse them under running water and allow to air dry. The water will dissolve the cornstarch.
- Soft Clay - Mushy or sticky clay can be leached to remove excess plasticizer before molding.
- Warm Days - More problems with sticking occur on hot, humid days during the summer months. The simplest solution is to pop the filled mold into the freezer for a few minutes to make the clay firmer and more easily removed. Warm hands will also contribute to sticky clay.
Many artists avoid working when it's hot and humid but, if you learn a few tricks you don't have too. We asked a few expert how it affects their work, and how to deal with it.
Jim – As the long hot summer days drag on I find myself drawn to my cool basement to work on print making projects. Doing printmaking in the summer is sometimes a challenge. I find drying the prints takes longer and the humidity in the air reminds me that my prints need to be hinged carefully behind the mat with T hinges so that the paper print can swell and contract without tearing loose. One of my prints of an angel on display wrinkles in the summer but lays back flat in the dry winter air.
Audra – For the most part it doesn’t affect my work because the majority of the work I do is done inside where it is air conditioned. That being said, I have to be careful with traveling with my art supplies and making sure not to leave colored pencils, markers, or oil pastels in the car. While colored seats sound pretty, it is not something I want to do accidentally.
Becky – I love the heat, but humidity is not friendly to many of the materials I use, notably paper. Air conditioning helps, but I tend to avoid projects that will be affected by the weather during the summer because I prefer not to use air. I like to do my dyeing and weaving outside, so summer is when I work on textile projects for the most part. Summer is also when I collect a lot of the materials I use for assemblage/collage. And I go through a LOT of sidewalk chalk.
Andrea – Luckily, oil paint isn’t much affected by either heat or humidity. The increase of moisture in the air could mean less oxygen, which would tend to slow oxidation, but the increased heat would act as a catalyst to speed it back up, so the drying rate for the paint really doesn’t change. The only area that could become problematic is varnishing. Resins like the ones in varnishes (or even casting resins, for that matter) can cloud if they cure in high humidity. That’s easily resolved, though, by just paying attention to the humidity and not varnishing anything when it’s too high.
Acacia – The humidity plays havoc on drying time for clay. I find that without air conditioning, it seems impossible to move a piece of greenware from leather-hard to bone dry! Even though the drying time is extended, you can’t rush the process because this could cause the piece to crack. When firing glazeware and glass pendants the summer heat can slow down the natural cooling process of the kiln after firing, making you wait longer to view finished pieces. Whether you are firing clay or glass, it is always best to allow extra time in the summer for a project to be completed, rushing the natural process of drying and cooling could result in damaged pieces.
Some of the things an artist does to deal with environmental conditions such as heat and humidity depend on their chosen medium, but simply staying conscious of how our materials react to our environment is something we can all do. This allows us to change our environment, schedule extra time, or choose what we do according to changing conditions, and to protect our materials and artwork as needed. We hope our fellow artists find this helpful, and enjoy creating and expressing themselves despite the summer heat!
