Special offer – All 4 Ceramic Arts Handbooks only $99
 |
One
of my favorite quotes is from George Bernard Shaw, who said "If you
have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then
you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I
have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two
ideas." |
And that's one of the things
I like about working in clay -- there are so many good ceramic artists out
there who are willing to share their ideas. There's a real spirit of
togetherness and interest in seeing how others can take an idea and do
something different or even better.
The Ceramic Arts Handbook Series
should really be called the Ceramic Arts Ideas series because that's
just what it is. Scores of artists and experts share their ideas,
their techniques, their tips, their glaze recipes and their experiences. And
you're treated to a lot of ideas -- some as different as night and
day -- from a lot of experts.
Save $20 by ordering your set of 4 Ceramic Arts Handbooks for only $99
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The
series features four books with titles that pretty much tell it all:
Raku, Pit & Barrel: Firing Techniques; Throwing & Handbuilding:
Forming Techniques; Extruder, Mold & Tile: Forming Techniques; and
Surface Decoration: Finishing Techniques. Each book presents such a
fascinating variety of approaches that you're sure to find something in each volume you haven't tried or always wanted to but didn't know where to start. Getting started on a new idea is simple with the Ceramic Arts Handbook Series where you'll find scores of ideas to pick from.
Now,
if you've ever been to a workshop and taken along a camera and
notebook, you'll appreciate the way these books at put together. It's
like someone got to the workshop and photographed what the artist did
and wrote down what she or he said. The step-by-step instructions leave
nothing out and the addition of those little tips -- those gems that make
a workshop really good -- are included as well.
 | Raku, Pit & Barrel: Firing Techniques
|
In
Raku, Pit & Barrel you won't find yet another description of
the basic raku process. You'll learn about using a variety of
combustibles in raku; about horsehair raku, black-firing in a barrel,
an easy way to use peel-away slip for naked raku; you'll see several
approaches to pit and barrel firing, and what various potters use for
color in those firings. You'll find recipes for slips and glazes,
diagrams of kilns and firing pits, innovative uses of commercial materials, and pictures of inspiring art along with inspirational profiles of the artists |
Save $20 by ordering your set of 4 Ceramic Arts Handbooks for only $99 – You save $20
Surface Decoration: Finishing Techniques
|
Surface
Decoration is another sure-fire winner. There's a bewildering
variety of choices when it comes to glazing, decorating and finishing
your work. Here you'll find step-by-step instructions for techniques
you wouldn't have thought of using -- some quite simple, like using
linoleum blocks as texture stamps or wax resist to create relief
imagery. Some artist's share their extended research into a process you
might like to exploit, such as combining dichroic glass with clay. And,
of course, there are quite a few glaze recipes sprinkled throughout.
| 
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 | Throwing & Handbuilding: Forming Techniques
|
The
collection includes two books on forming because there are so many good
ideas. Throwing & Handbuilding sounds like a bit of a grab
bag, but truly, once you're beyond the basics of learning to center
clay on the wheel, or constructing a slab box, throwing and
handbuilding techniques are often used together to create work of great
originality. From throwing large platters and constructing multiple
part forms, to methods for handbuilding large or intricate vessels,
to throwing jars and lids in one piece or combining techniques, you're
sure to find a challenge. |
Save $20 by ordering your set of 4 Ceramic Arts Handbooks for only $99
Extruder, Mold & Tile: Forming Techniques
And
in Extruder, Mold & Tile you'll see many unique ways to use
these techniques to create architectural, sculptural, or functional
work. Extruder projects include ways to create your own unique dies so
your work won't have the cookie cutter look, and even how to make
extruded boxes. And did you know you can throw in a mold or use tar
paper or glass plates as molds? With the section on tile you'll find
even more ideas, but what helped me was the demonstration on how to get
my tiles to dry flat. |  |
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