Pottery and Ceramics
Pottery and/or making ceramic items has been around for thousands of years. Most of us have heard the term “Throwing a pot” or seeing Demi Moore one late evening trying to shape clay into a shape on her potter’s wheel until Patrick Swayze comes in to “help” her in the movie Ghost. You have probably made a handprint in clay when you were in elementary school or even created a mug or ashtray in art classes. It can be a very therapeutic endeavor when you are just starting out and being taught by an expert. It is a fairly expensive hobby and those who are any good at it can make some serious money. But for the beginner or those who want to start the learning process you might want to read some books, watch a couple of videos, and sign-up for a class at the local Community Education Centers in your area.
“Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including art ware, tile, figurines, sculpture, and tableware. Ceramic art is one of the arts, particularly the visual arts.
The word “ceramics” comes from the Greek keramikos (κεραμικος), meaning “pottery”, which in turn comes from keramos (κεραμος) meaning “potter’s clay”. There is a long history of ceramic art in almost all developed cultures, and often ceramic objects are all the artistic evidence left from vanished cultures. Elements of ceramic art, upon which different degrees of emphasis have been placed at different times, are the shape of the object, its decoration by painting, carving, and other methods, and the glazing found on most ceramics. Different types of clay, when used with different minerals and firing conditions, are used to produce earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, and bone china (fine china).
Early pots were made by what is known as the “coiling” method, which worked the clay into a long string that wound to form a shape that later made smooth walls. The potter’s the wheel was probably invented in Mesopotamia by the 4th millennium BCE, but spread across nearly all Eurasia and much of Africa, though it remained unknown in the New World until the arrival of Europeans. The decoration of the clay by incising and painting is found very widely and was initially geometric, but often included figurative designs from very early on.”
YouTube Video: Ceramics for Beginners – Pottery Wheel
How to Make a Mug on the Pottery Wheel – Step by Step Guide
If you have a local ceramics store or even classes in the North Florida area contact us using our CONTACT US form.