Lesley

  • Pinch Pot Artists – 12 Potters Using the Pinching Technique

    Pinch Pot Artists – 12 Potters Using the Pinching Technique

    The pinching technique can be used to make exquisite pottery and artwork.  Here are 12 pinch pot artists, who demonstrate how refined and creative the pinching technique can be.  The breadth and diversity of their work illustrates how versatile pinching clay as a method of hand building can be.  The following pinch pot artists are…

  • Can You Use Decorating Slip on Bisque? – Slip on Bisqueware

    Can You Use Decorating Slip on Bisque? – Slip on Bisqueware

    I recently made a lovely red terra cotta vase, and bisque fired it.  I was wondering what glaze to use when it occurred to me that a nice white slip would look good.  But I had already bisque fired it and I wondered, can you apply decorating slip to bisque.  So, I did a little…

  • Pinch Pot Mug – 2 Ways to Make a Mug Without a Wheel

    Pinch Pot Mug – 2 Ways to Make a Mug Without a Wheel

    Making a pinch pot mug is simple, and like anything the more you practice the easier it will become. Once you have mastered the pinching technique you can get creative and find your style.   In this article, I will show you my two favorite ways to make a pinch pot mug.  This is a…

  • How Thick Should a Pinch Pot Be? – Pinch Pot Walls

    How Thick Should a Pinch Pot Be? – Pinch Pot Walls

    Making pinch pottery is very tactile.  As you pinch your pot you will feel the thickness of the clay between your fingers and thumb.  But just how thick should a pinch pot be?  Exactly how thick you want your pinch pot to be is a matter of personal choice and taste.  However, there are a…

  • Pinch Pot History – A History of Pinch Pots Over the Years

    Pinch Pot History – A History of Pinch Pots Over the Years

    Pinch pots are one of the oldest ways of making pottery.  There is evidence that pinch pot history starts many thousands of years ago.   The simplicity of the technique has survived over the millennia.  When I discovered that pinch pots were being made as far back as the Neolithic era, I was oddly reassured. …

  • How to Make a Pinch Pot – 3 Ways to Make Pinch Pots

    How to Make a Pinch Pot – 3 Ways to Make Pinch Pots

    Pinch pots are one of the easiest and fastest ways of hand building pottery.  Once you have mastered the basic pinch pot technique you can use it to make a lot of clay projects.  So, I thought I’d write a step-by-step guide on how to make a pinch pot. In this article, I start off…

  • Wheelchair Accessible Pottery Wheel – What are the Options?

    Wheelchair Accessible Pottery Wheel – What are the Options?

    I had been thinking about running some pottery classes.  And one of the questions on my mind was how to provide a wheelchair accessible pottery wheel.  So, I started looking into it and this is what I found out. You can buy a wheel that is specifically designed to be wheelchair accessible, however, these are…

  • Table Top Pottery Wheel – Shimpo Aspire or Speedball Artista

    Table Top Pottery Wheel – Shimpo Aspire or Speedball Artista

    I decided to buy a table top pottery wheel.  The two most highly recommended table top pottery wheels I could find, are the Shimpo Aspire and the Speedball Artista.  But which one is the best?    I wanted a table top pottery wheel that I could put in the back of my car, and transport easily. …

  • Sawdust Kiln Firing – Build a Brick Kiln for Sawdust Firing

    Sawdust Kiln Firing – Build a Brick Kiln for Sawdust Firing

    A sawdust kiln is one of the easiest ways to fire clay at home.  The kiln can be made using a simple brick construction.  It can be used to bisque fire pottery, or to create lovely smoked effects on already bisque fired ware.  Here is an easy to follow step-by-step guide on how to build…

  • DIY Propane Kiln Ideas – 4 Easy Ways to Make a Propane Kiln

    DIY Propane Kiln Ideas – 4 Easy Ways to Make a Propane Kiln

    Making a DIY propane kiln is a great way to start firing your own pottery.   A lot of the time DIY propane kilns are used to glaze fire pottery using the raku technique.  But some can also be used to bisque fire pottery.  There are lots of different ways to make a DIY propane…

  • How Do Kilns Work?  – All about How Pottery Kilns Fire Clay

    How Do Kilns Work? – All about How Pottery Kilns Fire Clay

    There are different types of kiln, and each of them works a bit differently.  However, regardless of design, kilns are simply chambers that are heated up to bake clay at high temperatures.  In this article, I will look at the question, how do kilns work?  I will consider some of the differences between types of…

  • What is the Recommended Raku Firing Temperature?

    What is the Recommended Raku Firing Temperature?

    Raku firing pottery is often described as a low fire fast method of glazing or finishing your pottery.  But if you are thinking of firing raku, you might be wondering what exactly is the recommended raku firing temperature?  In the context of a raku firing temperature, what does ‘low fire’ mean? Raku pottery is often…