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DIY Clay Tools Video Contest: Finalist 3 July 30, 2010
Today, we are happy to present the next finalist in our DIY Clay Tools Video Contest: Craig Rhodes and his oversized splash pan. Also, the voting for the grand prize winner begins today and continues through midnight (Eastern Standard Time) Monday, August 2. Click here to watch the video and vote for your favorite!Read Comments (27)
How to Use a Throwing Stick July 29, 2010
Rotund pots with robust contours and broad shoulders blending into well-proportioned necks achieve a distinction reminiscent of ancient Greek styles. However, major problems may occur when throwing such forms due in part to the mechanics of the shape.Read Comments (0)
All About Throwing Gauges July 29, 2010
More than likely you’ll get to the point where you’d like to throw multiples of an object. Getting work to look the same when making more than one of an item takes a bit of practice because it’s not as easy as it looks! To help assure you’ll get some sort of consistency on your next set of mugs or bowls, you need a throwing gauge—a way of keeping track of the measurements from the first piece to the last. There are several options for throwing gauges based on designs from both eastern and western cultures, as well asad hoc solutions that use items around your studio.Read Comments (0)
DIY Clay Tools Video Contest - Finalist 2 July 28, 2010
Today, we are happy to present the next finalist in our DIY Clay Tools Video Contest: Murry Gans and his homemade extruder. A link to the voting page for the grand prize winner will be posted on Friday July 30, and voting will continue through midnight (Eastern Standard Time) Monday, August 2. Watch the video!Read Comments (46)
DIY Clay Tools Video Contest - Finalist 1 July 26, 2010
So, we were right! Our audience is a clever lot. The submissions for the DIY Clay Tools Video Contest are in and they did not disappoint. After much deliberation, we've chosen three great finalists. We will present them today, Wednesday, July 28, and Friday, July 30. A link to the voting page for the grand prize winner will be posted on Friday July 30, and voting will continue through midnight (Eastern Standard Time) Monday, August 2. Watch the video!Read Comments (23)
Pit Firing Video: A Guide to Gathering Fuels for the Best Results in a Pit Firing July 23, 2010
Sumi von Dassow has been using the pit firing process for many many years and it shows in the amazing colors and surface effects on her pots. In today's video, she shares some of the knowledge she has gained from her years of trial and error (and she shows some results from the firing!). So sit back and learn how to choose combustibles and load them into your pit for maximum effect. Watch the video!Read Comments (43)
Editor’s Picks: Top Five Ceramics Exhibitions and Events - August 2010 July 21, 2010
No! No! No! I don't want to acknowledge that it is almost August. But it is, and that means that it is time to pass along what I consider to be the hottest ceramics exhibitions out there for the last month of summer. Have a look!Read Comments (6)
Get a Grip! How to Make Wheel Thrown Handles for Platters July 19, 2010
Potter Mike Guassardo decided to throw handles for his large platters on the pottery wheel because this method enabled him to carry a decorative element on his rims through to the handles. Today, he demonstrates this process.Read Comments (8)
Wheel Throwing Video: Throwing and Faceting Colored Clay Vessels July 16, 2010
We've featured a number of different posts on Ceramic Arts Daily about mixing colored clays to create interesting surfaces, but, so far, we've haven't featured any videos. Until now, that is. Today, Robin Hopper graces the Ceramic Arts Daily small screen with a video on making thrown and faceted vessels with colored clays. Have a look, and then mess around with these fun surfaces yourselves! - Jennifer Harnetty, editor.Read Comments (29)
Wall Flowers: Valeria Nascimento’s Porcelain Wall Sculptures July 14, 2010
Aside from being beautiful, Valéria Nascimento's work is mounted on the wall in what I consider to be a pretty ingenious way. She uses galvanized flathead nails and glue (check with your supplier to determine the best glue to use) to afix her pieces to the wall. The nails are hidden due to the height and size of the porcelain pieces, giving the work a light, airy feel.Read Comments (22)
Twisted! How to Make Funky Ceramic Lotion Dispensers With a Clay Extruder July 12, 2010
We recently got a clay extruder at the studio where I work. With my newfound access to an extruder, I realized that one thing Ceramic Arts Daily was lacking was a free download about extruders. Up until today, that is, because the Clay Extruder Users Guide: Tips, Techniques, and Projects for Getting the Most Out of Your Ceramic Extruder is now available for download! To give you a sneak peek at what's inside, I am presenting this excerpt on making extruded and altered lotion dispensers from David Hendley.Read Comments (15)
Firing Figurative Clay Sculpture: How to Hollow Out a Handbuilt Form in Preparation for the Kiln July 9, 2010
In today's video, Philippe Faraut demonstrates how he prepares a figurative sculpture for firing by cutting the piece into two sections, hollowing it out, and then putting it all back together without the slightest hint that it was ever two pieces. Watch the video!Read Comments (12)
Grilling Season: How to Pit Fire Pottery Using a Good Old-Fashioned Charcoal Grill July 7, 2010
It’s summer and time to throw some pots on the barbecue! Yes indeed, your trusty old Weber grill, the little round one on three legs that you might have left sitting in your garage when you upgraded your outdoor kitchen, can have a second life as a mini-kiln. If you don’t have a kiln but still want to fire some pots—or you have an electric kiln but you’d like to do some smoke-firing without digging a fire-pit in your yard or alarming the neighbors too much—the grill is a surprisingly versatile alternative.Read Comments (37)
How to Make and Use a Plaster Press Mold to Make Ceramic Jewelry July 5, 2010
In today's post, Allistair and Sally MacDonnell show us how easy it is to make plaster press molds to make a series of brooches. Plus they explain how they use stamps to texture each slab before molding it into the shape they want.Read Comments (31)
Handle Making Video: How to Make Custom Cane Handles for Teapots July 2, 2010
Sheila Clennell of Sour Cherry Pottery is an expert on cane handles and, a while back, we shared her primer on working with cane. In today's video clip, Sheila demonstrates a more complicated cane handle project: how to make what she calls her "Front Spray" style handle for a teapot. Have a look and then think about tweaks you can make to make it your own. The possibilities are endless! Watch the video!Read Comments (17)
A Smart Hanging System That Helps Functional Pottery Double as Ceramic Wall Art June 30, 2010
In today's post, Annie Chrietzberg explains a clever hanging system that potter Christine Boyd developed for her functional work so it could be hung on the wall when not in use. She also describes the home-made tools Christine invented to make the system easy and quick to construct.Read Comments (25)
Traditional Cone 10 Glazes Make the Leap to Cone 6 June 29, 2010
I have become a strong advocate of Cone 6 reduction firing in recent years. My reasons are as follows: Lovely traditional glazes look as good as or better fired at Cone 6 than they do at Cone 10. Copper reds, Shinos, temmokus and dolomite matts are virtually indistinguishable from their Cone 10 brethren. Some Cone 10 glaze recipes don’t even need to be adjusted—a few look just great at Cone 6.Read Comments (1)
Let’s Have a Discussion: Sustainability in the Ceramic Studio June 28, 2010
There is growing recognition of the need to align our studio practice with an awareness of environmental sustainability. Individuals and groups are already engaging with green issues in studio ceramics and are devising, enacting, and posting solutions. The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Green Task Force has been working for the past two years towards oversight of practical stewardship at the annual conference and to assist in the overall exchange of ideas and information that minimize the global impact of our field.Read Comments (16)
Open Studio Video: A Look Inside a Bogota, Colombia, Community Ceramic Studio June 25, 2010
Today I wanted to send out a friendly reminder for our next video contest: the D.I.Y. Clay Tools contest. If you have "invented," built, or repurposed a super-cool tool for your work, the contest will give you a chance to share your ingenuity with the world. Get all the details here! So, to get you in the contest mood, I thought I would share an honorable mention from our last contest, the Studio Tour Video Contest. Watch the video!Read Comments (26)
Editor’s Picks: Top Five Ceramics Exhibitions and Events - July 2010 June 23, 2010
Hard to believe. July is almost here so it's time for the July 2010 Editor's Picks, a compilation of five top picks of ceramics exhibitions and events from me, your trusty CAD editor (or perhaps some special guest editors!). If I could be in five places at once, these picks would be those places. This month I have chosen a few really amazing group shows and the work ranges from the controversial to the sublime. Have a look and see if you agree!Read Comments (9)
