We have all been when we are learning to throw. We are sure that the clay is centered. It’s looking good and it feels smooth and even. Then moments later your pottery is wonky and bumping around beneath your fingers. So, what is going on? Why does clay go off-center? and what can you…
When you’ve worked hard on a piece of pottery, you want it to survive the drying process. You may have been told to dry your pots slowly so they don’t crack or warp. But how slow should you go? And how long does it take for pottery clay to dry? Pottery clay usually takes about…
You may have noticed that some clay bodies contain something called grog. But what is grog in clay and why is it important when we make pottery? Grog is a gritty material that gives the clay strength which can make it easier to throw and hand build. It reduces clay shrinkage and cracking which makes…
Whether you hand build with clay or wheel throw, you are going to generate some clay scraps. But is clay recyclable? The answer is yes, clay scraps can be recycled and do not need to go to waste. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to recycle clay. There are lots of different ways of…
Learning how to prepare your clay for pottery will make your life as a potter much easier. A few simple steps to get your clay ready can save you hours of frustration going forward. Preparing clay for pottery involves making sure the clay is moist but not too wet and sticky. You also need to…
Lots of things can go wrong when you fire pottery. Glaze can run, plates can warp, and clay can crack. One of the most dramatic and disappointing things that can happen is that pottery can explode in the kiln. It helps to understand what makes clay explode in the kiln to prevent it from happening.…
Two of the most common ways to decorate pottery are glaze and underglaze. These sound similar, but they aren’t the same. So, what is the difference between glaze and underglaze? Glaze and underglaze are both used to decorate pottery. However, the main difference between underglaze and glaze is that underglaze is applied to the pottery…
If you are new to pottery and you have just had your first pieces of pottery fired, you may have noticed that they are quite a bit smaller when they come out of the kiln than when they went in. You may have found yourself wondering why does clay shrink when fired. For several reasons,…
If you are learning about firing pottery, you may have heard the term ‘pottery cone’ or ‘ceramic cone’. But what are cones in pottery and how do they work? Cones are small pieces of ceramic material shaped like tall pyramids. They are placed in a kiln when it fires. Cones bend over as the kiln…
