November 25, 2009
The Month in Clay - December 2009
Tis the season for giving, and what better way to celebrate than by
giving your loved ones handmade gifts? To get you fired up, I am posting
some highlights of the fabulous holiday ceramics sales that are going
on this season in the December 2009 edition of the Month in Clay.
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November 23, 2009
Successful Tips and Techniques for Raku Firing: How to Select Raku Clays, Glazes, Kilns and Combustibles Available for Download
To give you and idea of the great stuff that is packed into our latest free download
Successful Tips and Techniques for Raku Firing: How to Select Raku Clays, Glazes, Kilns and Combustibles, I am posting an excerpt today. It is a common misconception that potters must use glazes specifically formulated for raku in a raku firing. But as Steven Branfman explains in this feature, you can use virtually any glaze in the raku process - from commercial to homemade, and low fire to high fire.
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November 20, 2009
How to Make a Handbuilt Textured Ceramic Hors D’oeuvres Tray Using Just, Your Hands, a Lump of Clay, a Spring and a Sponge
Today we have a cool little video from Mark Peters. Mark is so good at taking
a simple idea and the most basic of tools - a lump of clay, a sponge,
and a stretched-out spring - and turning it into a loose, yet elegant
piece of pottery.
Have a look and then give this one a try!
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November 18, 2009
Making Music with Clay: How to Make a Ceramic Whistle Flute
Today's post combines two great things: clay and music. In an excerpt from Barry Hall's
From Mud to Music, you'll learn how to make a clay whistle flute step by step.
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November 16, 2009
Lights, Camera, Action: Ceramic Arts Daily Announces Artist Studio Tour Video Contest
Today, in addition to announcing our exciting
Studio Tour Video Contest, I am presenting
another excerpt from Ceramics Monthly's (in-print) Studio Visit series
to get you all thinking about what your video submissions might include. In this
post, potter John Baumann gives us a glimpse into his studio, a
"teensy" oasis in an Indiana industrial park.
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November 13, 2009
The Broomstick Method: Making Cylindrical Pottery Without a Pottery Wheel
In this video, Mitch Lyons demonstrates making a cylindrical form using a series of dowel rods in graduated sizes to hollow out the center. It is a great technique for handbuilding cylinders because you can really do a lot with surface texture.
Watch the video!
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November 11, 2009
Let’s Talk Function: Two Potters Discuss Making Handmade Pottery for Use
Today we are presenting an excerpt from the December 2009 issue of Ceramics Monthly in which several potters included in the 2009 Strictly Functional Pottery National discuss what functional pottery means to them and the qualities necessary to make their utilitarian work successful.
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November 9, 2009
New Ceramic Tile Download Available! How to Design, Make and Install Ceramic Tile Murals and Mosaics: Design Tips and How-To Instructions for Handmade Ceramic Tile Projects
For today's post, I thought I would share an excerpt from our new free download
How to Design, Make and Install Ceramic Tile Murals and Mosaics. In this excerpt, I am presenting a cool technique that Jerry Goldman came up with to make custom ceramic tile mosaics. He started out making mosaics out of shards of commercially manufactured tile, but this method didn't provide him with the colors he desired. So he came up with his own method of casting slab tiles with slip stained with metallic oxides and commercial stains.
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November 6, 2009
Even the Pros Mess Up Spouts! Potter Lorna Meaden Demonstrates “A Great Way to Fix a Spout You Ruined”
Today, Lorna Meaden explains a great way to fix a messed-up pitcher spout by adding coils when the pot is leather hard and re-pulling the spout. Not only is it a great way to fix mess-ups, but it is also a great way to add length to a pulled spout.
Watch the video!
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November 4, 2009
You Say Neriage, I Say Nerikomi…No Matter What You Call it, Mixing Colored Clays Makes for Gorgeous Pottery Surfaces
Today Robin Hopper explains the distinction between neriage and nerikomi, as it was explained to him by Thomas Hoadley, a long time colored clay aficionado. He also explains how to create a lovely marbled rim bowl like the one shown at left.
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