Books & Magazines

Glazes from Natural Sources discusses rock types and other likely sources of supply, the making of test pieces, and the use of blend systems and constructions. The author also clarifies the Seger system of glaze presentation for those who, like himself, have found it difficult to grasp and apply. He covers, and supplies, formulae for glazes for all temperatures--from raku to stoneware and porcelain--and includes sample recipes. The book emphasizes careful planning and control to ensure results that are repeatable. This makes the science behind making glazes from natural sources both understandable and feasible.

By Tom Coleman.

This Ceramics Monthly handbook is written by and about artists and experts. These articles cover a wide range of materials, recipes, and techniques used in the glazing of work by both studio potters and ceramic artists. This book is a great example of how the modern potter uses a combination of trial-and-error discoveries along with information from scientists and engineers in the field to achieve unique effects that are the signature of the current ceramic art movement. Net Wt. is 1.11 lbs.

This book gives both a broad overview of glazes and details specifics about them. It discusses preparation, adapting glazes to ceramic mixtures, firing, cooling, glazing with a brush, with a spraygun, handling defects and corrections, finishing processes, and using a crucible and kiln. The glazes reviewed included crystalline, raku, salt, and crackle. Net Wt. is 1.16 lbs.

Encourage elementary and middle school-age kids to build their clay-sculpting skills at home with these lessons and projects designed for use in the classroom. They'll model a pinch pot, coil animals, fossils, vases, masks, and tiles that they can embellish with rubber stamps. Best of all, these projects will foster children's confidence in their abilities and stimulate new ideas.

Dietz, curator of decorative arts at the Newark Museum, discusses what he terms the beautiful pot, the classic pot, the painterly pot, the sculptural pot, the useful pot, the narrative pot, the worshipful pot, and the impossible pot in his illuminating text, and teapots, covered and open vessels, small pots, vases, and bottles are also included in this outstanding overview.

In this book, Michael Hardy looks at the traditional handbuilding methods?pinching, coiling, slab building, and pressmolding?and explains how to do them. For many years these methods were eclipsed by throwing on a potter's wheel which came to dominate as a making method. However, in the past 30 years handbuilding has once again become a preferred technique among ceramic artists. These artists are engaged in exploring the creative possibilities that handbuilding offers, experimenting fully with and combining techniques in an effort to achieve their artistic vision.

Chapters cover everything from the basics, including common terminology, firing, mixing, reprocessing, and wedging, to advanced techniques such as surface treatments, joining, and creating lidded, composite, and large forms. Close-up profiles of ten top ceramicists, including Susan Wechsler and Paula Winokur, explore their distinctive approaches to handbuilding, complete with tips and how-tos. Clay-body and glaze recipes, plus more than 250 black-and-white illustrations.

This volume begins with the modeling of cubes, cones, spheres, and other basic volumes. Students then learn coiling, pinching, using strips, slabs, and lumps and how to apply them to bowls, bottles, cups, boxes, and sculpture, with information on kilns, firing, and finishing processes included.

Triplett offers a guide to basic techniques, from pinch pots to slapwork, with color illustrations of tools and techniques and instructions for eight projects of planters and pitchers. Tending toward the colorful and whimsical, these projects are a delight to see.