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Clay Wedging 101: A Great Way to Teach and Learn to Wedge Clay Properly September 3, 2010
I began teaching a beginning pottery class this week and I was reminded that wedging clay can be tricky to learn...and to teach. But I came across this video from potter Dorian Beaulieu that does a great job of demonstrating and explaining the wedging process. I am planning to model my instruction on Dorian's from now on!Read Comments (40)
Handbuilding Video: A Surefire Way to Build Strong Handbuilt Sculptures August 27, 2010
If you've ever had problems with appendages cracking off of handbuilt sculptures, today's video might just help you solve that problem. In it, Patz Fowle explains the process she developed to avoid these unfortunate occurrences. Watch the video!Read Comments (34)
Pottery Decorating Video: Five Fun Ways to Decorate Pottery with Slip August 20, 2010
In today's video, Tom Shafer demonstrates five different decorating techniques with colored clay slip. If you've grown tired of working only with glazes, these tips are a surefire way to wake up your surfaces.Read Comments (18)
Good Footing: A Video Guide to Trimming Wheel Thrown Pottery August 13, 2010
Today I thought I would share this excerpt from Jerry Hornings DVD Making Pots on the Wheel. It's a great little introduction to (or reminder of) the considerations that should go into footing pots. Watch the video!Read Comments (28)
Pottery Decorating Video: What a Stretch! How to Use Sodium Silicate to Create Crackled Texture on Pottery Surfaces August 6, 2010
In today's video, potters Don Ellis and Randy Brodnax demonstrate a couple of variations on the same technique in tandem. The technique involves using sodium silicate and a heat gun to quickly harden the outside surface of a freshly thrown pot. Then the pot can be stretched from the inside, creating a lovely cracked texture on the surface.Read Comments (12)
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 (39)
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 (51)
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 (24)
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 (47)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 (27)
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Pottery Decorating Video: Inexpensive Homemade Pottery Tool Makes Even Decoration a Cinch June 11, 2010
On Monday of this week, I shared a great tip for a measuring device called a Dividing Web. This tool is quite handy for making precise repeated decoration all the way around a pot. So I thought I would follow up with a video of another great tool for dividing round pots up into equal segments. You'll especially find this one convenient if you are a coffee drinker or enjoy a cocktail every now and again. Watch the video!Read Comments (21)
Handbuilding Video: How to Make Strong Appendages on Coil Built Forms June 4, 2010
A few weeks ago, I posted a clip from Joyce Michaud's new DVD Hand Thrown: East Asian Wedged Coil Technique. In the clip, Joyce gave a great introduction to this technique, which combines coiling with potter’s wheel concepts. This combination makes for coil-built pieces that are very strong structurally. Today I decided to share with you another tasty morsel from the DVD. Joyce takes the instruction further by explaining how these same principles can be used to make very strong appendages on pieces. Watch the video!Read Comments (20)
Ceramic Stimulus: How Pottery Changed One Rural Town May 28, 2010
The Mata Ortiz pottery tradition was started about 40 years ago by one self-taught man - Juan Quezada - and it brought a dying town back to life. Today, I thought I would share a little taste of this compelling story. With the news we hear daily about the various economic crises around the world, I figured we could all use a happy story!Read Comments (34)
Wheel Throwing Video: It’s all in the Details - Design Considerations for Wheel Thrown Mugs, Cups, and Saucers May 21, 2010
In today's video, an excerpt from his DVD Form and Function: Ceramic Aesthetics and Design, Robin Hopper discusses the importance of good design on handmade pottery and demonstrates throwing a cup and saucer with these considerations in mind. Watch the video!Read Comments (24)
Going Local: How to Dig and Process Your Own Clay May 14, 2010
There is an abundance of clay in my area, and I have occasionally thought about making work out of local clay. But the process seemed intimidating, so I never actually tried it (or maybe it was a matter of laziness!). But as Graham Sheehan demonstrates in today's video clip, the process is not all that difficult. It might not be practical for everyone, but if you're willing to do a little bit of manual labor, digging your own clay can be a great way to create an even closer connection to the work you make, and help lessen your carbon footprint in the process. Watch the video!Read Comments (29)
