Glaze is the glass coating on the surface of pottery items. It can give the surface a glossy, matte, smooth, textured, opaque, or clear finish. Varying glaze compositions result in different glaze outcomes after firing. Each component has its function that like magic, transforms the glaze’s appearance after firing. Pottery glazes consist of three basic…
If you’re new to pottery, you may have the term throwing on the wheel, and wondered, ‘what is wheel throwing’? It’s a curious phrase and open to some misunderstanding. So, this article is all about wheel throwing and what it means. Wheel throwing pottery is the process of shaping clay on the pottery wheel. Throwing…
When I started to make pottery from home, I really just made it up as I went along. En route, I encountered a few practical issues that I had not anticipated. So, I thought it would be helpful to write a simple guide on how to make pottery at home. To help you avoid some…
If you are a potter, or simply own some pottery, you may have wondered what is pottery clay made of? You need not wonder anymore, in this article we will dive into this topic and discuss the basics of pottery clay. We will look at how it occurs naturally, how it is processed and the…
One of the first pieces of pottery I made in pre-school involved melting marbles in pottery. However, mixing glass with ceramics is not just for kid’s projects. It is a technique much used by potters and can create lovely results in a few simple steps. To melt marbles in pottery, make a small shallow dish…
It can be daunting learning how to fire pottery. There are lots of factors to think about. And you may have found yourself wondering if you can put wet clay in the kiln. Or perhaps you are in a hurry, and you want to fire your pottery in time for a deadline. Potters do sometimes…
For many years, humans have been making jewelry, vases, plates, jugs, and drinking vessels out of clay. And still today, given the vast variety of materials available, clay is one of the most beautiful and durable options. Clay can be beautiful, practical and can take a variety of forms and shapes. Aesthetics aside, there has…
The first time I saw marbled clay I was intrigued and I wanted to know how it was done. It’s a beautiful way of blending colors on your pottery. So, I wanted to write about the different ways you can make marbled pottery. It’s really pretty simple. You can marble pottery by coloring the clay…
Finding that your glaze has run off your pottery and onto the kiln shelf is not unusual. Especially if you are learning about glazing, or using an unfamiliar glaze. Most potters have a kiln shelf or two that have been damaged by running glaze. In practice, it is not ideal for your pottery or your…