If you work in a cold pottery studio or workshop you may have encountered the problem of frozen clay and glaze. When exposed to frigid temperatures, such as the winter climate, clay and glazes tend to freeze. This is because they have moisture as a component. Moisture, which is basically water, expands to form crystals…
Salt glazing has been around since the 14th century. And though it’s no longer used as an industrial way of making pottery, it is still popular amongst individual potters. Small craft potteries still produce beautiful salt glazed pottery. In this article, I dive into how exactly salt glaze pottery is made. I’ll also look at…
I really like the look of flowing glazes, so when I first saw the Potter’s Choice range, I loved them. When I began to use them, I had a few difficulties and I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. With a bit of research, and with trial and error, I have worked through these. Here…
I sometimes find myself in a position where I don’t have the exact color glaze that I want. Recently I wondered if I could mix different types of glaze together and what would happen. So, I looked into the question of combining glazes and this is what I have found…. You can mix different types…
If you are reading this article, you probably want to know how to smooth the surface of your pottery. So, you may be surprised to hear that sanding pottery is actually a source of disagreement amongst some potters. The reason for this is that when you sand pottery, you inevitably create clay dust, which contains…
Raku firing is quite different from regular firing in a gas or electric kiln. If you are new to raku, this may have left you wondering if raku glazing techniques are different too. When I started out in raku, I was left with similar questions. I wanted to know exactly how to glaze raku pottery…
Clear glaze is often applied over underglaze decoration to protect pottery, make it non-porous and help underglaze colors pop. It can also be used as a way of bringing out the natural beauty of a particular clay body. However, even a little bit of cloudiness can really detract from the overall look of your pottery. …