Art and Craft of Ceramics
The Art and Craft of Ceramics is a good sourcebook for a variety of vocabulary and demonstration of techniques.
“You have to practice over and over again, with patience; in this art form, time is on the artist’s side. When something turns out badly, you must try again. Never be satisfied and never get discouraged.” ~ Maria Dolors Ros i Frigola
This quote is from the introduction of the book and has much to say about the author’s manner in this book. She is patient and quite comprehensive in her explanations of techniques. Besides providing a bit of history of contemporary ceramics in the first chapter, she does a fine job of showing a cross section of clay-work.
She begins at the beginning and shows how raw materials become the clay we work with. Moving on towards tools and how to use them with clay, and on to firing methods, there is much good information.
For those who do lots of looking at pictures, like me, even her captions have meaning.
Summary
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500 Bowls
This book is one of the Lark series of 500… books. They have published several and every one epitomizes the titled object! Some of the others are 500 Cups, 500 Necklaces, 500 Figures in Clay and many more. Each is a full color adventure, from the first page to almost the last!
As you page through the book, you will see minimal text, aside from a impressive foreword by John Britt. What you will see is amazing pictures of bowls! When I want to consider a different form or style, I open this book. It is a well spring of ideas and directions!
One of the things that I noticed about the layout, after I had paged through it a few times, is that the pictures match. What I mean to say is, that on opposing pages will be pictures of two different bowls, by two different artists, but they seem to go together. The layout is very thoughtfully done.
Summary
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Soda Glazing by Ruthanne Tudball
Soda Glazing by Ruthanne Tudball is a must-have if you are a potter or clay artist considering the move to vapor glazing, or would like more information on the process, the kilns and the clays.
- Descriptive text about the soda glazing process
- Clear and concise kiln diagrams
- Profiles of potters’ firing methods
While this book assumes that you, as one who works with clay, have a rudimentary knowledge of the making and firing process, it does offer a range of basic to advanced information.
After being entranced by an article about Ruthanne in Ceramics Monthly, I bought the book and literally read it cover to cover, several times. I was going through an “I hate to glaze” phase, and thought soda glazing was my answer.
Being a “how-to” person, this is the kind of book that I love. It not only shows you a picture of the outside of a particular soda kiln, but on the next page shows you the brick configuration, and burner placement.
In the chapter on how to introduce soda into the kiln, Ruthanne gives methods. Not sketchy, “well, you might try a mixture of soda ash and calcium carbonate”, but succinct recipes to use as a starting point for your own experiments in soda glazing.
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New Clay by Nan Roche
In addition to the standard sections on tools and basics, Nan provides a little information about color theory and design. Most of the instructions relate to cane and loaf construction though there are short sections on surface treatments, collage and sculpture.
I frequently refer to the appendix “About Plastics and Hazards” as, for many years, it was the only reference I could find about the chemical components of polymer clay and what we, as handlers of the material, need to be aware of.
The layout and photography is looking dated when compared to books produced today, but not to the extent that it detracts from the content. It is interesting to note that Nan’s brother Chris Roche took all the photographs and her mother, Sue Roche capably completed the illustrations, which are bountiful.
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Stamping Polymer Clay and Wire
You’ll find lots of jewelry projects in Stamping Polymer Clay & Wire, including three variations on art doll brooches.
There’s a project for making window cling transfers.
You’ll also find instructions on covering tins with clay, and then decorating them.
I like the polymer clay postcards and the natural stone look beads. Many of the projects have a metallic sheen.
If you are a fan of metal leaf, foil, Rub ‘n Buff or Pearl Ex Powders, this book will be right up your alley.
This book is available in many crafts stores, and was published in 2002 by Suzanne McNeill Design Originals.
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