I started this 1,5 years ago, then didn’t touch it till recently and finished yesterday. I’m super nervous on how the glaze will behave in the kiln. Really wanted to share the before.
I am new to pottery and have used mainly base glazes and clay. Recently I bought few Amaco glazes just to try out because I really like the melting combos. Yes but no 😭 I have used two coats glaze as recommended in the combos on their site, fired by the instructions from the last photo. I understand that the surface is flat but I have seen amazing plates made with those. I really hate that you can see where I moved the brush and how I applied the glaze. What did I do wrong? What can I do to make them look better? Also any tips on how to improve for the future? I used Amaco Potters Choice-photo in comments.
Hi! Reasonably new to pottery, and really fancy making some of these. I wondered how they're likely made?
I was thinking perhaps slab rolled and then smoothed up on the edges to create the lip? But not sure how the compartments are made - coils? Or rectangular pieces cut off a slab? Sorry if stupid question! I have seen some that look like they were created from a block and then carved out, but that seems like a lot of work and a bit of a waste?
Hello! I’m pretty new to pottery and made this piece recently. The clay itself didn’t have any noticeable flecks, and after both bisque and glaze firing the foot appeared a solid tan-ish color. I started using this for coffee and these dark speckles appeared. I’m not sure if they are some type of mineral deposits, mold, mildew, or (?). It has no smell and is not changed by scrubbing, bleach soak, etc. It has been microwaved a few times without any issues. The inside is completely glazed. Any feedback is much appreciated, thank you!! 🙏🏻
Hi everyone
I’m making a large slab-built lattice lamp inspired artist araybyrach the attached video/photos and could really use some advice 😅
I’m using Witgert 254 white/cream stoneware with 25% chamotte (0.2 mm).
Current dimensions:
• around 24 cm diameter
• slab thickness around 1 cm
• openings around 6 × 6 cm
• bridges around 1.5 cm
After cutting the lattice and reconnecting a few stretched areas, the slab feels VERY heavy while wet and I’m wondering if 1 cm is too thick for a lamp this size.
For people experienced with pierced/lattice slab builds:
• what slab thickness would you use here?
• would 8 mm be too risky structurally?
• at what stage would you wrap it around the form?
• any tips to avoid cracking while bending/wrapping?
I’m using rounded corners everywhere and planning to dry it very slowly.
So I have this small bowl that I have been using and I accidentally left it sitting in the sink with soy sauce in it. When I went to microwave it after it was washed the soy sauce burned, boiled and like came out of the piece through some crazing that I hadn’t seen before because of the glaze color. Since the bowl is under vitrified and filled with soy sauce would re-firing be my best bet?
The attached photo is my first batch of completed items after not making any pottery for 18 years. When I was in high school, I couldn’t stop throwing and making and selling all kinds of things. I won state ceramic awards. I carried this into my first year at the local community college. After, I didn’t have the money to continue so I stopped. I enrolled in a class at the local CC this spring and I am proud to say the muscle memory is strong and I think I still have it!
What clay body would you recommend that is not very finicky, good for mugs and vases, and not very prone to cracks? I’m okay with some grog, but I also love a soft throwing clay. I might handbuild a bit too. I’d love something that gets vitrified enough for mugs/vases at cone 5 but I see too many options out there. Thanks for your input!
I want your opinions on my teaching situation.
I teach high school and middle school. Wheel and hand building. 45 or 40 minute classes depending on the day. 6 classes every day. They won't let me make it a year long class (or require prerequisites), it can only be a semester long class. So I make one semester wheel and the other hand building. Students come and go at the semester change but the class is always full. 16 students in each class, 96 students total. No pug mill, so I have to recycle by hand. One working kiln (and one non-working one that I don't have the time/budget to fix). I do not have TA's or a studio tech or anything like that, it's all on me alone. Sometimes I get help from a few kind students but that's it.
I'm new to teaching so I don't have a frame of reference.
I just want opinions/reactions to my situation from other ceramics teachers.
Is this typical? If so, I'll stay locked in and continue figuring out how to make this work.
Or, is this unreasonable? As in, am I set up for failure/zero work-life balance with the situation I described?
Any feedback is helpful! Thanks!
My kiln goddess Ishtar was with me. Feeling pretty good about this and learned a lot in the process.
Hi pottery community. I’m a hobby potter with a home studio who started right around 2019, before covid really kicked off. For almost 10 years, making ceramics in my basement has been my happy place. I’ve been so grateful for my space and have even opened it to share with others for fun little “workshops” for friends. For about 9 months, I have been feeling a lack of drive and motivation. My greenware shelf has been left unfired since January. I will admit to having a lot of stress happening at my day job, and quite a few house projects that we are working on, so that is probably contributing. I don’t know, I’m feeling a sense of guilt for not being in the studio doing something that I love to do. Happen to anyone else?
About a month ago I asked for some advice on here about the best things to make for a donation for a silent auction for an LGBTQ+ event.
I wanted to update everybody on what I made. I made a four mug and platter set that sold for $85. (This is not a super pottery heavy area and the market for art isn't huge here, so that's about the price I expected/would have sold the set at)
Overall, over $2,000 dollars was raised for an LGBTQ+ and Ally scholarship fund. :)
hey y’all. this sucks. i can no longer validate my pottery hobby. the studio i go to charges almost $300 a month for the space + glazing fees, and the wheels are always occupied bc they’re always having classes, and i can barely find any time to go when they’re not having classes (there are no extra wheels, they use them all). i can barely make it in these days, and just in general everything is so expensive.
i want to quit the pottery habit and move on. i don’t *actually* want to quit for good, but i can’t afford to keep going. i have a very large glaze collection. how can i go about selling them? almost every glaze has been open and used in some regard, with the exception of a few that are untouched. i was thinking i’d just lock in and try to make a bunch of shit to use up all the glaze i have, but that would take way too long. any advice is appreciated.
edit: just found the pottery studio’s post marketing their own kiln share lol i think this is getting a bit ridiculous.
I was in the workshop making a ceramic dog slow feeder, hoping that I will have a dog one day and then I got the call that I will adopt a beautiful rescue girl in a few weeks. Can't wait for it! I am so happy and excited and ready for this.
Also, I am open to ideas on how to glaze this 😊 Was thinking of Sgrafitto style (Engobe, and then transparent glaze) with some carvings.
Hello potters! I’m a painter who is slowly starting to dabble in some hand building. I don’t have a traditional rib of any sort (yet!) but I do have these silicone painting wedge tool thingies from the brand Princeton (I think they’re called catalyst). Could they work as a rib, to compress slabs and smooth things out, as I learn the basics?
I have attended a throwing taster at my local community studio. Completely fell in love. Took a 6 week course and then another 8 week open studio series where I made these. My goal at the end of 8 weeks was to able to make at least 1 set of something that is uniform and a set of some sort. This is my end product started with 6 and ended up with 4 bowls at the end. I made other other things of course but these were the goal! Please roast if needed as I know my love for pottery won’t go away. Long time lurker and love reading all the posts here so wanted to know your thoughts on these.