A Gift in Their Heart
Friday August 29, 2008
Potters walk a strange path in this world today. We are traditionalists, at least in certain ways. We thrive on and embrace the traditions learned (and then push to their ... Read More
Spectacular Online Gallery of Chinese Pottery
Thursday August 28, 2008
When you think of Chinese pottery, what first comes to mind? For myself, my first mental image is of the visually very busy Ming blue and white pots.
I just ... Read More
Do you Have a Pottery Site or Blog?
Thursday August 28, 2008
Do you have a pottery site or an active pottery blog? Please tell us about it here in the comments section! Are you looking for more pottery online? How about ... Read More
Wordless Wednesday - Cylinder Wedged
Wednesday August 27, 2008
Photo © 2008 Beth E Peterson
Wedging clay is a lot like kneading bread dough, although the purposes are diametrically opposed. Wedging removes air, while kneading increases air pockets through stimulating ... Read More
SBA Roundtable on the Orphan Works Bill
Wednesday August 27, 2008
The Small Business Administration held a very successful roundtable on the Orphan Works Bill. I am encouraged by the clarity of the resulting points, as reported by the Illustrator's Partnership ... Read More
Early Preparations Before Throwing
Saturday August 23, 2008
When I say "get ready to throw," what is the first thing you think of? Is it to wedge the clay? Gather your tools? Put on your apron or clay ... Read More
How Do You Wedge Your Clay?
Friday August 22, 2008
Wedging is one of those steps in clay that can make or break pots before the clay ever even touches the wheel. As a student, one of the hardest things ... Read More
Say Kiln?
Thursday August 21, 2008
How do you pronounce the word, "kiln"? Do you say "kil-n", or "kill?" I've heard it both ways, although I personally pronounce the "n." Rob Kyff, the WordGuy, has ... Read More
Wordless Wednesday - Lump or Pot?
Wednesday August 20, 2008
Photo © 2008 Beth E Peterson
This is a pot, thrown on the potter's wheel. It began as a simple cylinder pot, then was collared in to the point I made ... Read More
Ceramic Dragon Installation
Tuesday August 19, 2008
I love big installations of ceramic art. They are certainly different from the (relatively) small pots and sculptures many of us create. You can be engulfed in the experience as ... Read More
Got Milk Pottery?
Monday August 18, 2008
Far back in the mists of time, humans didn't engage in milk production or create milk products. Let's face it, catching milk requires a container. If you've ever tried to ... Read More
A Focus on Ancient Chinese Pottery
Sunday August 17, 2008
China has an incredibly rich history, which many people are exploring during this time when all eyes are focused on the Olympic Games currently being held in Beijing. Part of ... Read More
Who Is the Oldest, Richest Potter in the World?
Saturday August 16, 2008
At age 94, Otto Heino says he is. Heino has been creating masterworks in clay for more than 60 years, and his fame is well-deserved. At this time, Heino is ... Read More
Double-Check Your Invocies!
Friday August 15, 2008
As some of you may know, I am in the process of getting a new electric kiln. Yesterday afternoon, after some stumbles along the way, my electrician gave me the ... Read More
Wordless Wednesday - Off the Mound
Wednesday August 13, 2008
Photo © 2008 Janet L. Giles
What is throwing off the mound? Why, it's a great way to make a number of pots quickly!
More Wordless Wednesday Blogs...
Rhineland Pottery and the Greybeards
Monday August 11, 2008
Barbara Sutton-Smith gives a great introduction to the pottery of the Rhineland and even more specifically, to the figurative pots called "greybeards". Read her very interesting article, including the fascinating ... Read More
Museums and Ceramic Art
Sunday August 10, 2008
If you are ever in the Pomona, CA area, be sure to check out AMOCA, the American Museum of Ceramic Art. Their current exhibition features ceramic artists from the American ... Read More
Article on the Art of Craftsmanship
Saturday August 9, 2008
I would like to share with you an article I recently came across: The Art of Craftsmanship, by Taya Flores. This article is the product of some time spent in ... Read More
Potter Inspired by Olympic Games
Friday August 8, 2008
Potter Xing Liangkun, from the Liaoning province of China, was inspired to create ceramics in the theme of "one world, one dream" for the Olympic Games, opening today in ... Read More
Adding to Your Pottery Library
Thursday August 7, 2008
It is a good thing to look for input from other potters and people who work with clay. We can learn so much from each other, inspire each other, and ... Read More
Wordless Wednesday - Fingernails and Pottery
Wednesday August 6, 2008
Photo © 2008 Beth E Peterson
Did you know that trimming your fingernails is an important step before sitting down to the potter's wheel?
More Wordless Wednesday Blogs...
Potters and RSI
Tuesday August 5, 2008
If you've worked with clay for awhile, especially throwing, you may already be aware of the stress that wedging, throwing, and sometimes hand building can put your body under. In ... Read More
Have You Heard of Lithophanes?
Monday August 4, 2008
What is a lithophane? Short answer: A thin slab of worked porcelain that shows an image when backlit, rather like some of the night lights that you can buy that ... Read More
"Masters in Clay" Exhibition
Saturday August 2, 2008
Will you be anywhere near the old New Jersey state fair grounds between now and September 28th? If so, you should plan on taking a trip to Grounds for Sculpture, ... Read More
Pottery, the Embodiment of a Culture
Friday August 1, 2008
Pottery is so very much a part of our lives that we often forget it is there. How often do we think about the mug we drink our coffee from? ... Read More