Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Growing up one of my favorite things about art class was the ability to create. I enjoyed pottery and ceramics. There’s something earthy and raw about forming things with clay or using a kickwheel and kiln to create fire-oven heated pottery and masks. I enjoyed these classes.
History of ceramics
Ceramics are often made of various materials that are heald together with bonds and can be called porcelain, bricks, earthenware.
It can be part or semi-crystallline and transformed partly into glass which is called vitrification. Early ceramics were pottery made from clay and forged in fire. They could be made into tile and doll figurines. Ceramics can stand high temperatures up to several thousand degrees.
Often ceramics are very pretty and can be painted. They are found in various cultures and can be left from years past and useful for archaeologists trying to figure out about a site’s culture.
If you are interested in making pottery here are some things to note:
- A kiln costs about $387 to $1500
- A pottery wheel is about $149
- Clay is about $10
A pottery wheel is a rotating platform that you can keep rotating often by kicking the wheel with your foot as you mold and shape your clay pottery. Afterwards you would heat up your final shape in a specialized oven in order to turn it into a hard solid.
Next time you go to an art store check out the pottery and clay section and brainstorm. Do you enjoy working with your hands? There’s something that can’t be beat with making something with you own efforts. What do you readers like to make in your spare time for fun?
