The Universal Beauty of Korean Ceramics

The history of ceramics is as old as of mankind. The word ceramic is originated from the Greek language and basically it is a kind of nonmetallic solid which is made by a joint action of excessive heat and consequent cooling. It has been believed that the Persians and Arabs were among the founders of art in Asia but this is not entirely true as the East Asian countries also possessed a glorious history in the field of art and decor.

Along with the countries like Japan and China who have a greater influence on the overall Far Eastern culture, Korea is a country whose contributions and significance can not be ignored. The Korean ceramics in particular, have always remained really special in all eras and the obvious reason is their flexibility to adjust in any kind of decoration. The Busan area near Japan had been a center for ceramic industry in Korea.

Today, the ceramic industry in Korea is getting an exclusive attention. The State government has also invested a lot in the research sector. The Korea Ceramic Foundation (KOCEF) and the Department of Ceramics at the College of Art and Design, at Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul are the prime locations of studying the various designs, kinds and rich history Korean ceramics.

The Korean ceramics are classified into two groups, which are porcelain and pottery vessels. The pottery vessels are normally processed at low temperature while the porcelain is treated above 1300 degrees Celsius and as a result the porcelain body turned rock-hard. The ceramics from Korea not only offers high quality but their universal beauty is also broadly admired.

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Reducing Stress With Clay Pottery Art

Clay pottery art is a very helpful, soothing, and productive hobby. The creation of your own unique pieces of pottery can be beautiful to look at, as well as very relaxing to produce. Feel the smoothness on your hands of the moist clay, and become lost in the experience of creation, as you begin reducing stress with clay pottery art.

Working with your hands not only provides a pleasing sensation, but also loosens and strengthens the joints in your fingers and wrists. Whether you have been in an office, driving a car, or just frustrated at home, exercising the muscles in your hands is key to improving your livelihood. This way, while reducing stress with clay pottery art, you are improving your health as well.

Along with being very helpful for arthritis and other troublesome hand maladies, pottery allows you to fully enjoy the freedom of motion and comfort that the art provides. As you work, you will find yourself falling deeper and deeper into concentration, honing in on the most pleasurable things in life. After working on your creation, you may even find yourself applying that improved sense of focus to other aspects of your life.

There are many aspects of everyday life that are very important to your health and prosperity. The monotonous daily chores serve to degrade and destroy the precious tools that are your hands, and cause stress that seems to never go away. You can help yourself today by reducing stress with clay pottery art.

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Decorating Techniques for Your Pottery

For a beginner to the art, selecting decorating techniques for your pottery is a easy task simply because experience in this area is lacking. For those more knowledgeable the decoration process can be a mind-numbing job because they are literally dozens of techniques available to choose from, and each project may have many options that fit well with a specific piece.

One of the best decorating techniques for your pottery is to not only utilize color, but to use it to aid in presenting the aesthetics of your creation. Color can add depth, highlight shapes and generally give otherwise pedestrian pottery “pop”. In other words, a bird made from pottery is just a bird but a bird that utilizes 10 colors or more perfectly makes heads turn.

Other decorating techniques for your pottery include stenciling, stamping and burnishing to name but a few. Stencils can be made from anything from pictures in newspapers to those in old books, and these can really help in creating a diverse and attractive theme in your pottery. Stamping pottery when wet can provide significant texture and best of all what can be used as a stamp is only limited by your imagination. The process of burnishing is as old as the art of making pottery itself, is easy to master and gives pottery a soft and classic sheen that screams of creativity.

Regardless of individual skill level, experimentation is the key to decorating pottery. Each success and failure will provide a gem of wisdom to be used at a later time.

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What Is The Necessary Pottery Equipment?

When someone is looking to become a potter, they will need to find the necessary pottery equipment in order to succeed. Someone who is not very experienced may not know what the actual necessities are. There are three basic pieces of the necessary pottery equipment. There are other things that can be bought to go with them but not items that are absolutely necessary.

The first thing that is very important is the clay processing equipment. This is only going to be necessary if a person is planning on using a lot of clay. If they are not, then there are several places that will sell processed clay. The clay processors will make the clay so that it is manageable by moistening it slightly. They may mix the clay as well.

The next piece will be the pottery wheel. This wheel is going to assist in shaping it into vases or other items. There are a lot of different types of things that can be made on a pottery wheel. This is one piece of necessary pottery equipment.

The last piece is the kiln. The kiln will bake the finished molded clay and make it very hard similar to glass so that it does not fall apart. The clay will have to bake in this kiln for several hours. Some people choose to put a type of gloss over their product before putting it in the kiln to make it look glossy. Possibilities are endless when it comes to pottery.

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Easy Ways To Set Up a Pottery Area in Your Home

Pottery is a creative and relaxing hobby you can pursue right in your own home. With a little advance planning, you can set up a pottery area in your home that rivals any artist’s pottery studio. The first step is to choose a space where you can have some room to work undisturbed and large enough to store your pottery supplies within easy reach.

Set up a pottery area in your home that has tile or concrete floor rather than carpeting for easier clean-up because of the dust created during the pottery making process. The area should also have very good ventilation from a fan or open window. Set up a table and chair and cover them with plastic or newspapers for easier clean-up. There are several pieces of equipment and a variety of tools that are also worth investing in.

You can get an electric or kick style potter’s wheel. An electric wheel is more costly but offers more control while working on a clay piece. A chamois cloth, a fettling knife and needle tool for shaping and smoothing clay, a rolling pin, sponges in a variety of sizes, thin plastic bags for covering pieces between sessions, plastic containers with lids for storing clay, and a water spray bottle to keep clay moist while working.

Set up a pottery area in your home that has easy access to a sink that drains. The ideal home pottery area is one that is dedicated to your hobby and includes shelves for storing your art. A spare bedroom works great so you can work undisturbed and keep your tools and projects behind closed doors away from curious pets and children.

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Famous Pottery

Famous pottery is something very valued in our culture. Pottery shows us a lot about the past and previous civilizations and what they believed and practiced in their everyday lives. It shows us that art was valued just as much back then as it is now. Famous pottery is not only from the past but is also made in today’s modern times and is just as much appreciated as the pieces of pottery that were made in the past.

A very popular pottery artist is Khaled Ben Slimane who is from Tunisian. Despite being born in Tunisian Slimane became devoted in pottery and studied also in Japan and Spain. Slimanes pottery has his own original feel to it yet is inspired by Andalusian themes and the Berber traditions of Sejenane and Jerba. Culture is very present in his pieces of pottery as his pieces of art are most commonly decorated with Roman motifs and Islamic calligraphy.

Another famous pottery artist is Kathy Butterly. Butterly really focuses on her own unique style of art and is very different from the typical. Her art is very colorful but what makes it so original is that it has many unique twists and folds. Her pottery is considered to be semi-abstract.

Yet another recognizable pottery artist is Antonia Schulze. Schulze made pieces of everyday onjects such as shoes, instuments and even furnity.

Pottery artists all have their own unique ways of making art that is highly appreciated and honored in todays culture by everybody.

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How to Glaze Pottery

Ceramic glaze is a protective layer that adds a decorative sheen to pottery. Decide how to glaze pottery depending on the specific piece and the time frame for the project. The primary glaze techniques are sponging, painting, dipping and spraying.

Use a sponge to cover a wide area of pottery fast while maintaining a degree of precision. The downside is that porous sponges may leave patterns behind in the glaze. Utilize the effect and create a textured design using a second layer of glaze applied over a smooth layer.

Create a precise, smooth application using a stiff sable paintbrush to apply the gaze. Use even strokes to prevent streaks and to ensure that any nooks or indentations in the pottery are coated. A smaller brush can be used to work the glaze around intricate details.

A project requiring a high number of products produced in a short period of time might use dip glazing. The glaze is poured into a deep bucket or trough. Pottery is carefully submerged into the glaze, allowed to set and removed to finish drying.

Spray glaze can also cover a large number of products quickly. When the spray is used carefully, according to package directions, it is a cleaner process than the dip glaze method. This method may miss glazing intricate details or indentations.

When deciding how to glaze pottery, consider combining two or more methods. Consider using a small paintbrush alongside any other method when the pottery is finely detailed to prevent unglazed spaces.

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Easy and Creative Pottery Ideas for the Beginner

Although there are numerous objects that can be created through the hobby of pottery, there are several pottery ideas for the beginner that are best bets. Certain projects are better than others for those who need to develop their techniques as well as learn how to handle wet clay so that they can transform it into a work of art.

One of the simplest pottery ideas for the beginner is taking a ball of clay and working with it to create a bowl. This project is great for helping the student develop improved hand techniques and for learning how to use their fingers and palms in keeping the clay smooth and even. Designing items with even clay is an essential technique that more complicated projects can build on. After properly fired and dried, these bowls can be enjoyed by family members on a daily basis for everything from morning cereal and fruit to soup, salads or desserts.

Crafting small pots to use for planting flowers or vases to hold cut flowers is another of the most simple pottery ideas for the beginner. These projects also increase the student’s ability to make the clay become as smooth and even as possible by using their hands and fingers so that it will fire and harden properly.

Many students enjoy making coasters for an inexpensive beginning pottery project and enjoy giving their first efforts away to family members and friends as gifts. Building on the technique used to create bowls and vases, the student can graduate to another beginning project, the mug, to continue to refine their hand techniques working with clay.

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Traditional or Electric Wheels for Making Pottery

Many artists struggle with the question of using traditional or electric wheels for making pottery. There are pro’s and con’s to each, which can impact the choice the artist will make. This can do with factors such as speed, noise and control.

Traditional kick wheels are popular with some craftsman, touted as being much quieter than the newer electric wheels. This has been improved in recent models. The traditional wheels can be controlled, but it can take the artist longer to create a piece as higher speeds available with the newer electric wheels. Traditional wheels may give the artist a more personal feel to the work. The electric wheels do have control options, some by foot pedal or speed setting.

Electric wheels now offer greater speed, ranging anywhere from 0 to 240 revolutions per minute. Another big advantage of these pieces is their portability. Electric wheels are much lighter than a traditional kick wheel, allowing them to be taken to shows and fairs if needed. The newer wheels also allow the artist to center more clay on the wheel, up to 20 or 50 pounds. This is perfect if the craftsman makes larger pieces.

Whether to use traditional or electric wheels for making pottery depends on the personal preference and type of pieces that an artist is throwing. Traditional wheels are a mainstay for many, but electric wheels offer a number of new options for artists. They can throw easier, carry their wheel as they travel and enjoy greater throwing speed.

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History of the Potter’s Wheel

The potter’s wheel, which is also called a potter’s lathe, is a machine people use to shape round ceramic items. Clay is put on the center of the wheel. As it rotates, the potter molds the clay. The more pressure that is applied to the lump of clay, the taller and thinner it will get.

People researching the history of the potter’s wheel think it was invented somewhere between 8000 BC and 1400 BC but pottery fragments found suggest that they were first used in the Near East around 3500 BC.

During the early history of the potter’s wheel, potters used a slow wheel or tournettes while coiling a pot. The fast potter’s wheel brought about a process of pottery making called throwing. It used the energy that was stored in a rotating mass of the heavy stone wheel which made the pottery making process quite a bit faster. The potter would push the wheel with a stick or kick it. This is what provided energy to the wheel.

Throwing consisted of placing clay in the center of the wheel, shaping it as the wheel turned. Although some fragments of wheel thrown pottery have been found from an earlier time, it is thought that the fast potter’s wheel was developed around 3129 BC.

The most modern potter’s wheel is the electric wheel. Since it is smaller and lighter, some electric potter’s wheels are portable. The foot pedal is powered with electricity and the speed can be changed to suit the potter’s needs.

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