Guides
The Benefits of Slow Drying for Large PlattersLarge platters have an impressive presence, but their broad, flat surfaces make them especially sensitive during the drying stage. As water leaves the clay,…
Designing a Ceramic Tray With a Mosaic of Broken TileA ceramic tray becomes a small landscape when its surface combines handmade clay with fragments of broken tile. Irregular edges, shifting colors, and visible…
How To Repair Cracked Greenware Before FiringA crack in greenware can feel like a finished piece is already lost, but many fractures can be repaired before the clay enters the kiln. The best results come…
Using copper carbonate to achieve turquoise glazesUsing copper carbonate to achieve turquoise glazes gives ceramic surfaces a color that can shift from soft aqua to deep blue-green. The final result depends on…
Making a Ceramic Oil Lamp Inspired by Ancient Roman DesignsA small ceramic oil lamp can connect practical design with the quiet beauty of handmade objects. Ancient Roman lamps were compact, sturdy, and often shaped…
Carving Abstract Faces Into Hollow Ceramic FormsA hollow ceramic form can appear quiet from a distance, yet its surface may hold an entire emotional vocabulary. When an abstract face is carved into clay, the…
Planning a Pottery Workshop Menu: Pairing Wine With ClayA pottery workshop becomes more memorable when the food and drink feel connected to the creative setting. Wine can bring rhythm to an evening of hand-building,…
How to Photograph Ceramics for an Online PortfolioA strong ceramic portfolio gives each piece room to communicate its shape, surface, color, and character. Good photography makes that possible online, where…
Building a simple kick wheel for small studio spacesA kick wheel can bring a slower, more tactile rhythm to pottery without taking over a compact studio. Unlike an electric pottery wheel, it needs no motor,…
Creating a textured surface using seashell impressionsSeashells bring a direct trace of the coast into a clay studio. Their ridges, spirals, ribs, and scalloped edges can turn a plain slab into a tactile surface…