Ceramic Arts Daily – Bonus Video! How to Decorate Pottery in the Pennsylvania Redware Style

Greetings from North Carolina! Yes, the Ceramic Arts Daily Presents video team is in Bakersville filming a couple of DVDs this week, to debut later this year. This area is so rich with both contemporary and historical pottery and we have been having a great time. But in today’s post, I am presenting a bonus video highlighting a historical pottery technique from another part of the country. In today’s post, Denise Wilz demonstrates how she makes pottery in the Pennsylvania Redware style – one of the oldest pottery techniques in the United States and it combines sgraffito and slip decoration. Enjoy! Jennifer Harnetty, editor.

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Be sure to check out our other great videos in the Ceramic Arts Daily Bookstore!

To learn more about Denise Wilz or to see more images of her work, please visit www.wilzpottery.com.

For more interesting pottery decorating techniques, download your free copy of Five Great Pottery Decorating Techniques: A How-to Guide for Decorating Ceramics with Slip Transfers, Chinese Brush Techniques, Ceramic Slip, Sgraffito, and More.

MAITE SAN MARTIN October 12, 2012 at 8:48 pm -

AMAIZING!!!! THANK YOU
Denise Wilz July 19, 2012 at 9:08 pm -

Thank you for your kind comments and I do love creating Redware. The molds in the video are from Bamboo Tools (bambootools.com). I also use my own bisque molds for drape molding and china bowls as slump molds. The coggle wheel – I took a 1 ¼” piece from a 1” thick dowel and notched it with a dremel tool. The handle was made from a thin 6” length of wood, connecting the 2 with a long screw, washer and nut. You can also use a small wooden wallpaper seam roller and notch it.
Frank Ferri June 17, 2012 at 7:58 pm -

Shawn George. Please contact me about the coggle wheel. I too would like to purchase one. ffferri “at” rochester.rr.com Thank you!! Frank
Barbara Loesch June 16, 2012 at 2:36 pm -

Very informative. I am relatively new to pottery and am always looking forward to new ideals on how to create and finish my pieces. Thank you.
h heller June 16, 2012 at 2:15 pm -

It seems that the narration may have been added after the video which makes it very clear & flowing with no hesitations or extraneous “ums”.
Shawn George June 14, 2012 at 11:20 am -

Nice video of Denise’s work. I liked seing the finished plates! I have been looking for a coggle wheel like that for years!! Can you tell me where it came from? I was cureous about glazing. If the glaze isnt clear, wouldn’t it muddle the slip colour? Thank you for this informative video.
Jean Bittkau June 13, 2012 at 4:36 pm -

Thank you for a most inspiring and well filmed video. Did you make those molds yourself? Very practical.
Craig & Tracy Wilson June 13, 2012 at 4:14 pm -

Love the video. Must try that slip trailing idea. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work.
Sarah Kurtzweil June 13, 2012 at 12:20 pm -

Great video and explanation of this technique. Denise, it is apparent you love working with clay and appreciate the history behind it. Thank you so much for sharing!
Amy Martin June 13, 2012 at 12:13 pm -

Excellent, very informative video. I’ve wanted to know more about this Redware technique for quite a while, but seems to be hard to find precise information on it. Thanks for sharing it.
Denise Everett June 13, 2012 at 11:45 am -

Loved the video of Denise Wilz demonstrating Pennsylvania Redware style pottery. The video was thorough, concise, easy to follow. Thank you so much for a such a great video.