Spray Gun Buyer's Guide for Glazing Ceramics

A spray gun is a great tool for applying ceramic glazes, allowing you to quickly and efficiently cover large or complex surfaces, easily layer glazes, or create gradients and ombre effects.

Spray guns for applying glazes range from simple pots that you blow into, to all-in-one HVLP sprayers, to complete set ups that include air compressors and spray booths. This guide will cover all these options.

This post starts with our top pick, the HVLP sprayers from Wagner. The post also includes a guide to set ups with an air compressor. This post concludes with some tips and tricks for spraying, along with some thoughts on upgraded “pro level” sprayers.

Safety note: Anytime you are spraying glazes, it’s also extremely important to consider safety precautions including high quality respirators, spray booths with filters, and well-ventilated rooms (or outdoors.) Don’t take any chances with the health of your lungs!

Top Pick: Wagner Control Spray QX2 Sprayer

The Wagner Control Sprayers are great option for an all-in-one spraying option for individuals and small studios.

This is the simplest way to get into spraying glazes, and is our top pick for individuals or small studios. You may not have used or seen one of these in a ceramic studio, but they work, are affordable, and they are space efficient. An HVLP or “High Velocity Low Pressure” sprayer works in basically the same way as a spray unit with an air compressor, but instead these hand-held units have a fan that creates a siphon from the cup up into the spray nozzle. They are heavier than holding just a spray gun, but they are not too heavy and are well balanced.

The HVLP sprayers have a “softer” spray but in my experience, it is just as effective. It’s what I use in my own personal studio. The only trade off is a bit of a “spit” at the start of spraying but I haven’t noticed that this creates any issues with the glazes I apply. (This initial “spit” might be less ideal for applying thicker underglazes or slips, or for detail effects.)

There are lots of HVLP sprayers on the market but what I use and recommend is one of three smaller Wagner sprayers designed for applying stains. These are usually called the “control” sprayers in the Wagner product line. The sprayers have adjustable nozzles to control the spray pattern in a vertical, horizontal, or round pattern, and the cup holds about a pint and a half of liquid. These sprayers all have an on / off switch for the fan. Larger models have an adjustable fan speed dial.

The Wagner Control Spray QX2 model is slightly larger with a bigger fan, 27 ounce cup, and costs $89.99.
The Wagner Control Spray QX1 is slightly smaller, has a 20 ounce cup, and costs $79.99.
The smallest option is the Wagner Control Stainer 150 model with a 20 ounce cup for $69.99.
Note: these guns are available under a few different product numbers but I went with the most current names from the Wagner website.

More info on the Wagner HVLP sprayers

About a year and a half ago, I bought the Wagner Flexio 590 kit, which includes two sprayers, the larger “iSpray” and the “Detail Finish” nozzle. The “iSpray” was waaaay too big for my purposes, but I find the “Detail Finish” nozzle to be perfect for glazes, which is why I’m recommending any of the smaller Wagner spray guns, such as the QX2 Control Sprayer. One nice feature of the larger gun that comes with the Flexio kit is that it has an adjustable fan, whereas the smaller Wagner models just have an on / off switch. (I think you’ll be fine either way.) More info in the image captions:

The Flexio 590 kit from Wagner comes with two nozzles and a briefcase style storage unit. The larger nozzle is overkill for ceramic glazes, so I’d recommend just getting one smaller “Control” or “Detail” sprayer.

The assembled unit with the “Detail Finish” nozzle and cup attached.

The nozzle and cup can be broken down into 6 pieces, which can all be submerged in water and cleaned. The motor / fan unit on the right can be lightly cleaned with a damp sponge.

I use the unit at the 3.5 setting, but not every Wagner sprayer has an adjustable fan.

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Table of Contents

1. Top Pick: Wagner Control Sprayer

2. Pro-grade set up: Spray Gun with Air Compressor

3. Stainless Steel Atomizers for small projects

4. Spray Booths

5. Tips and Equipment for Spraying Glaze

6. Professional-Grade Spray Guns

7. Summary

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Professional Spray Gun Set Up

If you will be doing a lot of glaze spraying or want the most control, you’ll want to get a good quality spray gun that attaches to an air compressor. This combination of equipment is fairly quiet and the compressor should fit underneath your spray booth, so it won’t take up a huge amount of space (more on spray booths below.) In addition to a spray booth, this set up involves an air compressor, spray gun, and a hose and coupling to connect the compressor and spray gun. Using the recommended links below, the spraying set up will cost around $245 and up, depending on the spray gun you select. The spray booths start around $900 but will easily get to $1500-$2000 when you add in needed features such as an exhaust fan and shipping.

Air Compressor

California Air Tools 1 gallon / 0.6 HP compressor is a great option for a small air compressor.

Aside from the spray booth, the biggest part of this set up is the air compressor, and the California Air Tools 1 gallon / 0.6 HP compressor is plenty strong for spraying glaze and at $165, not terribly expensive. It weighs 29 lbs and is rated at just 56 decibels. At Home Depot this compressor comes with a 25 foot hose, or get it at Amazon without a hose.

Spray Guns

The K-Grip siphon spray gun is a basic model that is durable and long lasting.

There are a lot of spray gun options, and they can be roughly classified into siphon style where the cup is on the bottom, and gravity feed, where the cup is on top. Both are fine for ceramic glazes. A lot of ceramic artists like the cheapo Harbor Freight spray guns for around $20 but I tried those and they failed with a few hours of use, so in this guide, I’m only recommending spray guns of better quality and durability.

For a siphon-style spray gun, a good place to start is with a simple K-Grip Siphon Spray Gun for $45-$50. Sometimes this is sold under the name “Critter.” This gun has almost no moving parts, so nothing to break, but it is not adjustable and can only spray in a cone pattern. This spray gun will connect to mason jars or plastic underglaze jars, allowing you to easily switch between glazes.

The TCP G6600 spray gun is the entry-level model in the TCP line and is available with a variety of tips, starting around $70.

For a gravity-feed spray gun, a decent option is the G6600 Model from TCP Global. These guns start at around $70 and have a variety fluid tip sizes. A good model is the sprayer with a 1.5 mm fluid tip for $70, or you can get a 3 pack of guns for $140 that comes with a variety of fluid tip sizes. The main advantage of these guns is they come with adjustable nozzles that can be set to spray in a cone, vertical, or horizontal pattern.

These guns also come with replaceable nozzles and needles, so if parts wear out they can be replaced. Or you can switch between different tips for different uses. In general, smaller tips are for detail applications, and wider tips are best for general use. Click here to view TCP replacement parts, and make sure to pick the nozzles / needles that match the gun you are using.

These are just a few of the many options for spray guns out there, but I think a good place to start is something in the the $50-$100 range. With a lot of use, your spray gun may wear out so you might want to keep things simple for your first spray gun. Also keep in mind that professional-grade spray guns from Binks or Devilbiss will cost $200 or more. There is more info on “pro-grade” spray guns near the end of this post.

Hoses etc.

Air hose

After picking out your air compressor and spray gun, you’ll need a few attachments including a hose and possibly a brass coupler set. The air compressor comes with a female air outlet, so the hose should connect to that easily, but you might need an additional quick release to connect to your gun. If you haven’t used these couplings before, they are simple quick-release style all metal couplings. If they get sticky, lubricate the bearings.

Below are links to a hose, and brass coupler set. If these don’t work for you, you might need to plan a trip to a hardware store to get all the right parts that fits to your system.

Brass coupler

Here are the same links as above:

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Small Projects Option: Stainless Steel Atomizers

A stainless steel atomizer is a an affordable option that is great for occasional or small spray jobs.

For small projects or very occasional use, a stainless steel atomizer is an option for spraying. These are basically mouth spray guns. They are probably too much work for applying a normal layer of glaze, but if you were looking for a simple way to apply underglaze or oxides, this is worth a try. They are available in 100ml to 300ml sizes. For most, I’d start with the 200ml atomizer or consider the smallest 100ml size. The largest size gets a bit hard to use effectively.

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Spray Booths

The Laguna Pro-X Spray Booth on a mobile base.

If you are spraying indoors, you need a spray booth with a filter and a good fan that will suck all the exhaust into the filter. (You should still wear a respirator) The best and main option is the Laguna Spray Booth, which is available in the Pro-X model and the wider Pro-V model. These start at $845 and $1,640 respectively, and expect to spend quite a bit more as it’s a good idea to add the fan and all the options that will make this work properly. The Laguna spray booths are easy to clean, effective, and well sized for pottery and small to medium sized sculptures.

The Paasche Spray Booth is an option for a smaller, table top spray booth.

For smaller options, you might look into the various Paasche Airbrush spray booths, which start around $300. These will need 4 inch ducting to run the air out of your room, and they are not very tall.

Another option is to do all your spraying outdoors. Wherever you spray, indoors or out, wear a high quality respirator or dust mask.

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Tips and Tricks for Spraying Glaze

This section will cover a few ideas for spraying glazes, along with a few products that will make your experience easier.

Glaze Viscosity / Thickness: Always make sure that your glaze or underglaze is well mixed and ready to apply. It can be thick or thin—as long as it works with your spray gun, it should be fine. If it is too thick, try thinning your glaze with water until you reach a stage where it will spray. But generally most glazes that are ready to dip or paint are also suitable for spraying.

Clean up: Plan to clean your spray gun immediately after spraying. You do not want glaze material to dry inside the gun, especially if you are using anything with gums that will be very hard to clean when dry. Most spray guns can be take apart and the whole apparatus can be submerged in water for easy cleaning. A cleaning kit might be overkill for most users, but having a small brush or two can really help you clean tubes and hard-to-reach parts of your sprayer.

Spray Gun Oil: You may need a bit of a light oil for your spray gun. Definitely consult your owners manual, but for an easy-to-apply and light oil, I like the Wahl hair trimmer blade oil as it comes in a convenient 4 oz size with a long applicator tip.

The following two items will make spraying glaze much easier for you:

Sieves

The Adamas-Beta test sieve is a small sieve that can be used for screening glaze directly into your spray gun cup.

Make sure to sieve all your glazes before screening (Yes, every time you fill a cup). You don’t want any small chunks of glaze material or bisqueware clogging your spray gun. It’s best to run glaze through an 80 mesh screen, such as a Talisman test sieve or the Adamas-Beta stainless steel sieve.

Banding Wheel

A Shimpo banding wheel will spin easily and can be cleaned after use.

A banding wheel inside your spray booth makes it easy to turn and get all sides of your piece with one spin. Choose a high-quality banding wheel such as Shimpo or Falling In Art, which are all metal and easy to clean.

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Professional Grade Spray Guns

If you do a lot of spraying, it can be a good idea to invest in a high-quality spray gun. Starting at around $100, these guns can range up to around $300 or more. What you are getting with these guns are higher-quality parts along with the ability to buy replacement needles and nozzles. This means you might be making an investment in a gun that will last you decades, with proper maintenance.

Here are a few options for professional grade spray guns.

Binks

The Binks 2100 model is a traditional (not HVLP) spray gun.

Binks makes amazing spray guns. They are not cheap, but will last a lifetime. I’d recommend these if you really want ‘the best’ or if you had a ceramic factory where you need a gun that can handle non-stop spraying. I would also say that they are a good option for an academic institution, because they can take the abuse students will throw their way.

The 2100 model is a great option, and costs $385. You will also need to buy a cup and pair it with a good air compressor. The main advantage of Binks is that you can buy needles and nozzle tips that are designed for use with the relatively rough materials found in ceramic glazes (as opposed to paint). This information and specific product numbers are usually buried in Binks product manuals, but do know that Binks has needles designed for ceramic glaze materials.

Devilbiss

Devilbiss is another company that makes professional spray guns. Usually a bit more affordable than Binks, they are high quality and will last forever.

The FLG is the entry-level spray gun in the Devilbiss product line. It costs $206 and comes with a cup via Amazon.

TCP Global

In addition to the entry-level G6600 model covered above, TCP GLobal has four more models of spray guns. Three of the models are gravity feed and one is siphon style.

The TCP-Global Pro-88 gravity feed gun.

Pro-33, $109 at Amazon
Pro-44, $150 at Amazon
Pro-55, $150 at Amazon (siphon style, cup purchased separately)
Pro-88, $180 at Amazon

To be honest, I couldn’t quite figure out the difference between these models except that the Pro-88 claims a nozzle with better mixing capabilities.

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Summary

This guide has covered a wide variety of options for spraying glaze in a ceramic studio.

Our top pick is a control spray model from Wagner, as this all-in-one system is affordable, compact, and effective. But if you have the space or desire, you can upgrade to a complete system with an air compressor and gun. The more expensive guns do have replacement parts available, and give you more control, so they can definitely be worth it.

Regardless of what you are using to spray, it’s very important to wear a respirator and either spray outside or buy a quality spray booth to suction the air through a filter and out of your workspace.

Spraying glaze is a great option that can give you great results. What are you using in your studio? Let us know in the comments.

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Make a "Phil" Mug — pottery tutorial

This is a style of handmade mug I learned many years ago from Phil Cornelius at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California. Phil was a great potter and artist, and his demos often involved small moves that really highlight the handmade quality of pottery made on the wheel. (One of his popular demos was making a teapot in 5 minutes.)

For this style of mug, which I’m calling the Phil Mug, you throw a cylinder with about one pound of clay and after cleaning it up, give it a slight pull to take it off center. Then cut it off the wheel head, attach a handle, and it is ready for decorating and firing.

The complete steps are below, and here is a video of the entire process:

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Making a “Phil” Mug Pottery Tutorial

Step 1: Wedge and Center

Start with one pound of clay. Attach it to the bat or wheelhead, and center.

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Step 2: Open and Throw a Cylinder

Pull the walls.

After getting your clay centered and organized, open the clay and create a flat bottom. It can help to compress the bottom with a wooden rib.

As this mug will be slightly off center, generally the plan is no trimming later. So you want to take care to make your bottom even and about the thickness that you want it.

After getting your bottom set, pull the walls up.

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Step 3: Clean Up

Shape and clean the walls with a metal rib.

With this style of mug, it’s important to remove all the slip. After you finish your pulls, use a metal rib to shape and clean up the cylinder.

After finishing the walls, use a wooden knife to remove excess clay at the bottom of the cylinder. You can also give the bottom a small bevel.

Remove excess clay from the bottom of the cylinder with a wooden knife.

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Step 4: Give the Cylinder a Small Pull

Giving the cup a small pull

After throwing and cleaning up your cylinder, leave it attached to the wheelhead. Then, with clean dry hands, give the cylinder a little pull to take it slightly off center.

This is your chance to personalize and really make this process work for the style you want. And if the rim is a bit off center, that’s ok. You can easily work it back into a circle as it is drying.

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Step 5: Cut Off

Cut off the cup with one pass of the wire.

After shaping your cup, cut it off the wheel head. Then, you can either leave it on the bat or move it to a board. Because it is a small vessel, I usually just move it to a board.

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Step 6: Make and Attach Handle

Flattening the coil.

Next, it’s time to make and attach a handle. I usually do this right away after making the cup. You can do any style—pulled, extruded, etc—but for this style of mug I usually make a quick coil handle.

Cut into a handle shape.

To make this handle roll out a coil about 1/2 inch thick. Then, slowly tap it downwards on a clean work surface. This is similar to a whip motion, but I think of it as guiding the coil down to flatten it out. Alternate the sides of the coil as you flatten it. Within 3 or 4 taps, you will probably have a nice flattened coil. If these instructions are confusing, be sure to watch the video to see it happen live.

Attach the handle.

After making the handle, cut it into the shape that works for you, score the coil and mug, and join with a bit of slip or water. Join the top first, then the bottom.

If your mug goes a bit off center in this process, that’s fine. The fun part with this style of mug is just being loose and letting the clay find the way it wants to be.

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Step 7: Clean Up and Done

The finished Phil Mug.

After attaching the handle, the rim may need a bit of an adjustment or clean up. You can also make adjustments as the mug becomes leather hard.

That’s it! The Phil Mug, inspired by Phil Cornelius, who was a long-time professor of ceramics at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California. Enjoy trying out this style.

Here’s the ASMR version of this process with just ambient studio sounds:

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You might also enjoy:

Making a Wide Rim Bowl tutorial

Sgraffito Decoration on a Large Bowl tutorial

Make a Slab Plate on the Pottery Wheel tutorial

How To Make a Metal Pottery Rib

View all How To posts

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Making a Wide Rim Bowl — pottery tutorial

The finished wide rim bowls from this tutorial.

A wide rim bowl is a great project for the pottery wheel, and it’s so fun to use for soup or pasta at home. This tutorial includes images, texts, and videos, so that you can learn how to make them.

What you’ll need:

• A pottery wheel and absorbent bats such as Hydrobats

• Basic pottery tools including a sponge, rounded ribs, wooden knife, and cut-off wire

Complete tutorial below, but here’s a video of this entire process including making and glazing:

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Making a Wide Rim Bowl pottery tutorial

Step 1: Wedge and Center

Centering the clay on the wheel.

Start with soft clay and weigh 3 lbs, 12 oz. Then wedge until the clay is homogenized. I usually count to 75 while wedging. Then attach to the wheel head and center.

If your clay is not very soft, try adding a small amount of water to the bag a day or two before you use it.

After centering, open your clay. Be sure to leave enough clay on the bottom so that you can trim a foot.

Step 2: Finish Opening and Begin Shaping

Starting to shape the rim with a rib.

After opening the clay and pulling the walls up, it’s time to switch to shaping the bowl.

For this process, I always clean my hands. You have much more control with dry hands and dry tools.

Further shaping of the rim.

To start, I first apply the rib to the rim and start shaping that. Then I return to the middle of the pot and refine the inside bowl shape. Finally, I’ll pay special attention to the transition point between the bowl and rim, and make sure the rim is well compressed.

Shaping the inside of the bowl from the center to the rim.

Step 3: Finish Shaping and Clean Up

Check to make sure the rim is compressed.

After getting the shape of the rim and inside of your pot just right, you’ll want to clean up the bottom of your bat with a wooden knife or rib. Then, I double check that the rim is compressed, and I’ll remove the whole bat from the wheel.

If I have time, I’ll let the pot dry for an hour or two, then cover with plastic. Because I use absorbent bats, within a day or two, the bowl will just pop off the bat and be leather hard. Now it’s time to trim.

Step 4: Trimming

Begin by setting the outside of the foot.

When your bowl is leather hard, it’s ready to trim. I like to trim on the dry side of leather hard as you will get more crisp lines, and it’s easier to remove small amounts of clay and let the high speed of the wheel and many rotations do the work for you.

Trimming the bottom of the bowl.

I start by trimming to the line that will be the outside of my foot.

Press gently throughout the trimming process to gauge the thickness of your wall. If there is any “flex,” you have trimmed enough in that area.

Then, I created a line that will be the inside of the foot. After that is set, I will start in the bottom center of the pot and do a number of passes from the center to the inside edge of the foot, removing a small amount of clay each time.

As I’m throwing, I will stop and press gently on the clay. If the wall has any “flex” or “give,” it is about 3/8 of an inch thick and where it needs to be. Doing this kind of testing can really get you locked in on trimming your pot to an even thickness.

Cleaning up throwing marks with a sponge.

After trimming, I’ll run a damp sponge over the pot to remove any trimming marks and clean things up. You can also use a soft, flexible rib for this process.

At this stage, you could also choose to carve or decorate your bowl with slip. On this design, the rim is a great area for that, but you could decorate any part of this form.

After trimming, I put my pots on a board upside down and loosely cover with plastic until they are bone dry. Then, the pots are ready to be bisque fired.

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Step 5: Glazing

Cleaning the bisque ware with a damp sponge.

After bisque firing, it’s time to glaze your pot.

Start by cleaning the bisque with a damp sponge to remove any dust, but don’t saturate the ware with water! If needed, you can also clean up any bumps or flaws by sanding. Just be sure to remove any sanding dust before glazing.

Pouring on glaze.

Then, you can dip, pour, spray, or brush glaze onto your pot. If I had a large enough bucket for glaze, such as a 10 gallon bucket, I would dip these. But as I have a smaller volume of glaze in my studio, I pour glaze on my pots. While grabbing on to the foot, I rotate the pot and pour glaze evenly over the surface.

After glazing the piece, clean up any drips or flaws and let it air dry. Then it is ready to be glaze fired. In this example, I’m firing to Cone 6 in oxidation in a top-loading electric kiln.

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All Done

Unloading the glaze firing.

After the glazing firing, you’re pot is all done! It may need just a quick sanding on the foot ring to make sure it won’t scratch anything.

I love making this shape because the rim offers possibilities for carving and decoration, and the final result stacks nicely and is a great way to showcase food.

Have fun!

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You might also enjoy:

Sgraffito Decoration on a Large Bowl tutorial

Make a Slab Plate on the Pottery Wheel tutorial

How To Make a Metal Pottery Rib

View all How To posts

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Here’s an ASMR video version of this tutorial with ambient studio sounds:

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Sgraffito Decoration on a Large Bowl — pottery tutorial

Sgraffito is a technique of carving through a contrasting clay or slip to reveal the clay body below. It’s a fun way to get a very bold decoration on your ceramics.

This tutorial will cover how to apply the slip, carve through, and clean up. Keep scrolling for step-by-step instructions.

Tools Needed
> A banding wheel or turntable is very helpful
> Slip or Underglaze and a brush
> Carving tool, such as a pencil or a sgraffito tool
> Dry brush for clean up

You can also watch a video of this process here:

Sgraffito On A Large Bowl Tutorial

Step 1: Lightly Clean the Working Surface

Cleaning the surface of a leather hard bowl.

In this tutorial, the demonstration piece is a large salad bowl on the dry side of the leather hard stage—almost bone dry. To prep the surface, a wrung-out sponge is used to lightly clean the surface. This extra water will also help the underglaze stick.

Step 2: Apply the Slip or Underglaze

Applying first coat of underglaze.

The key to sgraffito is to pick a slip or underglaze that will contrast with your clay body. In this example, slightly watered-down Velvet Underglaze medium blue is being applied to a speckled buff stoneware.

Applying the second coat of underglaze.

To get an opaque, solid covering of underglaze, 3 to 4 coats is applied. Be sure to allow the coats to dry between each application.

Applying the final coat.

Step 2.5: Let the Underglaze or Slip Dry

This step doesn’t take long, but do let your slip or underglaze dry before you begin carving.

Step 3: Carve Your Design

Carve your design.

Using your sgraffito tool, begin to carve through the stop layer, exposing the clay body below. It can be helpful to practice your design as a drawing before you begin carving.

Clean your carving as you go.

As you are carving, little bits will stick up on the side of the carved lines. If you are working at a dry leather hard stage (as opposed to the more damp side of leather hard), you should be able to easily clean these bits as you work just by using a dry brush.

If the clay bits won’t brush off, wait and complete your carving later. Or, you can make your carving and brush off the bits when the pot is bone dry.

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Step 4: Clean Up and Finishing

Finished carving, but before cleaning.

After carving, you may want to clean up any edges at the top and bottom of your carving.

In this example, the foot area is cleaned with a fettling knife, and the rim area is cleaned with a loop too. Use whatever makes sense for your piece.

Cleaning the foot.

Cleaning the rim.

All Done

The finished bowl with sgraffito decoration.

After cleaning, you are all done and ready to bisque fire. Generally, sgraffito looks best if left raw or covered in a thin application of clear glaze, but testing will determine what is best in your kiln.

Good luck with this technique and have fun.

Do you have a favorite sgraffito tool or technique? Let us know in the comments.

You might also enjoy:

Turn a clay slab into a plate tutorial

Amaco Velvet Underglaze Test Tiles

Best Banding Wheels for Ceramics

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How to Turn a Slab into a Flat-Bottomed Plate on the Wheel — pottery tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to turn a slab into a flat-bottomed plate using the pottery wheel. You can also use this method on a banding wheel or turntable. This is a great technique for any skill level, but if you have never made a plate before, this is a fun way to start.

What you will need:

• Pottery wheel or banding wheel, and a bucket of water

• Ribs, needle tool, wooden knife, and a sponge

• Clay

• Slab Roller or rolling pin

• Absorbent bats, such as a bat made out of plaster or wood. You could try this technique with a plastic bat, but it will be easier with another material. For a guide to bats, click here.

Here’s a narrated video of this process, or keep scrolling for step-by-step images and description.

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Slab Plate Tutorial

Step 1: Roll Out a Slab

Rolling out a slab.

Use a slab roller or rolling pin, and roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8 of an inch (or about 10 mm) thick.

If you are using a rolling pin, it’s helpful to put down two rulers or spacers so that you make an even slab.

Step 2: Smooth and Cut Slab

Removing canvas texture from the slab with a rib.

After rolling a slab, remove any texture with a rib. This smoothed side will be flipped and become the bottom of your plate.

Cut out the size needed for your bat.

Then, cut a circle of clay that will fit on your bat. In this image, I’m using a 14” plastic bat as a template.

Step 3: Transfer to Wheel and Compress

Transfer slab to wheel. Hold the slab at one end to move.

Pick your slab up at one end and carefully transfer to the bat on your wheel, placing the already smoothed side down.

Clean up and compress the slab lightly.

Then, using a combination of wet sponges and ribs, clean and compress the slab lightly.

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Step 4: Cut and Clean Edge

Measure and cut your slab.

The next step is to cut the slab to the desired diameter. In this example, the slab is cut to 12 inches wide. After firing, it will shrink to around 11 inches wide.

Clean up the cut edge with a wet sponge.

After cutting the slab, clean the edge with a wet sponge.

Step 5: Raise the Rim

Using a wooden knife to raise the rim.

The next step is to raise the rim. My preferred tool for this is a wooden knife, and to get the correct angle I have split open the splash pan. (You could probably do this technique without a splash pan as well). While raising the rim, don’t force any crumbs or bits of clay underneath the slab as this will cause problems for your flat bottom.

Compress and organize the rim.

After raising your rim with a wooden knife, go back and raise it more with a wet sponge. The angle of the rim is your choice. At a slight angle, the plates can stack. But you can make any angle from completely flat to a vertical rim.

After raising the rim to your desired angle, compress and finish the rim.

Step 6: Finish Top Side

Finish the plate with a smooth top or spiral design.

After getting your rim set, go back over your plate with a wet sponge to smooth and compress the plate once more, to remove any marks from the making process.

If desired, you can add a spiral design as pictured here. To do that, take a steady finger and slowly move your finger across the pot from the middle to the outer rim. If you think of the plate as a clock, I generally do this move straight across at “3 o’clock.”

Step 7: Trim the Plate

Trim the plate.

After making the plate, remove the entire bat from the wheel head, cover with plastic, and let it dry until leather hard. Usually this is a day or two for me. This is where the absorbent bat is vital, as it will remove water from the bottom of your plate.

When the piece can support itself, flip it upside down on the wheel and trim lightly. You won’t need to trim much, usually just a bit of clay underneath the rim.

After trimming, run a smooth rib over the bottom to close any pores and remove marks from the trimming process.

Then, your plate is ready to sit right side up and dry completely. As flat slabs are prone to warping, I dry these under plastic for a week or two until they are completely bone dry. Then, you can bisque, and glaze fire and you have a beautiful plate.

This is a quick and fun way to make plates that doesn’t involve any centering or compressing. Have you ever made a slab plate? Let us know your method in the comments.

Here’s another video of this process with ambient ASMR-style studio sounds.

You may also enjoy:

Best Bats for the Pottery Wheel

All How To posts from The Studio Manager

Gift Guide for Potters

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Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina exhibition catalog

Simone Leigh on being a “weirdo sculptor”

In the catalog for the exhibition Hear Me Now, there is a wonderful conversation between the artist Simone Leigh and historian Jason R. Young. Young first asks Leigh about her interest in making sculpture out of fired clay, which started in the early 1980s. This excerpt starts with Young’s second question:

Jason R. Young: You say you were interested first in making water pots. Were you drawn to the form itself or to the materiality of the clay?

Simone Leigh: I was drawn to the idea of a handmade readymade and how these beautiful objects were valued and why. As far as formal concerns, I felt these objects were modernist masterpieces. I was also drawn to the fact that there’s clay covering the whole earth that is available to everyone, unlike so many raw materials acquired through violent extraction. The material connects to time from a geological perspective. That process was beautiful to me. I was interested in the feminist implications of a tradition most often restricted to women and that so many who worked in it were anonymous. I think there’s no Black woman artist who doesn’t have to come to terms with the fact that their foremothers are largely anonymous. The first ceramist that I was aware of was Ladi Kwali from Nigeria. And the first person I saw working in a way I wanted to work was Magdalene Odundo. When I came to New York and was developing skills working with clay, I realized that people did not understand what I was trying to do as a conceptual enterprise. So I abandoned the idea of being an artist who worked in the field of ceramics and just became this kind of weirdo sculptor.

JRY: That was a very brave decision to make. Another artist might have decided to move into a different medium, but you stuck with it.

SL: I was really interested in coming to New York and being int he art world as an intellectual activity. We already had Duchamp, using a ceramic object, make it clear that anything could be art. But when I came to New York, I was told that this material was not something I could use seriously in my conceptual work. So that made me dig in my heels.

Read the whole interview in the catalog. More on the book below

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In addition to the conversation with Simone Leigh, the catalog features four essays, maps, a bibliography and 154 illustrations. The show was quite densely installed at the Met, so it’s a pleasure to revisit each artwork in this beautifully illustrated book.

The catalog features a cover printed with a picture of a stoneware storage jar by Dave the Potter, and a clear plastic slip cover with the title. Edited by Met Musum curator Adrienne Spinozzi, the essays are by Spinozzi, Vincent Brown, Jason R. Young, and Michael J. Bramwell and Ethan W. Lasser.

This book is a must have for any fan of 19th century pottery and it contains new scholarship that is enlightening and revealing.

Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina
Edited by Adrienne Spinozzi
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Hardcover, 200 pages with 154 illustrations
Listed at $45 but typically available for less.

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Images from Inside the Book

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Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art catalogue

Jaguar God of the Underworld, a 7th-8th century ceramic censer from Palenque, Mexico on view as part of Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art.

In the introduction to the catalogue Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art, anthropologist Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos describes how representations of gods in ceramic incense burners are viewed by Lacandon people (present day Maya in Guatemala and Mexico), and this contemporary practice gives us clues as to the importance of historical depictions of gods. For the Lacandon, the censers have autonomous spiritual qualities, with volition and power of their own, and a life cycle tied to the life of the ceramic sculpture.

Making censers is comparable to giving birth and newly made censers must be cared for like children. Small stones placed inside the censer are regarded as their souls and the embodiments of the gods. People provide food and drink for the censers, which age and eventually die. Special ceremonies mark the death of the old censers and their renewal with freshly made ones. Similarly, Lacandon ceramic drums have the face of K’ayom, the god of music, and are considered to be animated beings, engendered by the women who make them and educated by the men who add the membranes and play them.”

The catalogue accompanies a museum show of the same name on view at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City from November 2022 – April 2023 and at the Kimbell Museum of Art in Fort Worth Texas from May – September 2023.

Images of the ceramic whistles depicting gods emerging from flowers.

Beautifully illustrated throughout, the catalogue further expands on the exhibition, which includes numerous ceramic and stone sculptures, ceramic vessels and whistles, relief carvings in stone and wood, and video. The catalogue includes an introduction and seven essays, based on recent research and new interpretations of Mayan texts.

One of the most delightful parts of the show were small ceramic sculptures of people emerging from flowers. Thought to depict gods and also dead relatives, the catalogue text shows x-rays revealing these sculptures as whistles.

The show and catalogue are a must see. Just a stunning collection of work.

Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art
Edited by Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos, James A. Doyle, and Joanne Pillsbury
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and Yale University Press
Hardcover, 244 pages, 2022
Listed at $50, but typically available for less.

Images From Inside the Book

Cover page

Table of Contents

Two stone sculptures

The show includes numerous covered ceramic serving dishes with animal head lids.

The catalog helpfully includes pictures showing the entire image found on round ceramic vessels.

Have you seen the show or read this catalogue? Let us know in the comments.

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Mastering Cone 6 Glazes book review

Mastering Cone 6 Glazes, cover of 2020 reissue.

Mastering Cone 6 Glazes is a classic glaze book originally published in 2002 that is still relevant today, especially if you make functional pottery. With a subtitle of “Improving Durability, Fit and Aesthetics” the book by John Hesselbarth and Ron Roy contains a series of chapters explaining how to mix glazes, how to test them, and then gets into the nitty gritty of making stable glazes, fitting the glazes to your clay bodies, ideas for reducing cutlery marking, and how to develop your own glazes. The book was republished in 2020 and is available in paperback with non-glossy images throughout. (The images aren’t the greatest quality, but they get the job done.)

A lot of the information in this book is now available online in various places—including many of the glaze recipes—but if you’re like me, you may find a well organized book to be incredibly helpful in explaining the science and ideas behind making a stable glaze that is durable and hopefully doesn’t craze or result in cutlery marks. This book was a much needed update to the practical experience I’ve acquired along with the hazy memories of the clay and glaze class I took many, many years ago.

The back cover.

In addition to the science behind the glazes, the authors provide a series of glaze recipes, which they have tested extensively for fit, leaching, and cutlery marking. As they claim in the book, these might be the most thoroughly tested glaze recipes in recent history.

That’s not to say the book is perfect or right for everyone. A few points:

1. The book is really aimed at production potters and those making glazes for functional surfaces like eating or tiles, who are firing at cone 6 in oxidation kiln atmospheres.

2. You can find similar how-tos and glaze-science explainers in a variety of other glaze books or online, but this is one of the most thorough and understandable explanations on these topics I’ve encountered in print form.

3. Materials have changed since the book was published. A good number of the recipes contain G-200 Feldspar, which is no longer available. Apparently the ebook version contains updated recipes, but if you buy the print edition, plan to spend some time looking at the reformulated recipes on the book’s website.

4. To my knowledge, the printed book has not been updated since 2002. I believe that what you are getting with the 2020 reissue is exactly the same as the 2002 edition.

More details on the book and images will be posted below, but if you are a production potter, this is a book you should definitely read and contend with, to help understand if you are making glazes in a safe effective way. This greater understanding will help guide you as you choose glazes for your pots, wether or not you use the recipes from this particular book.

Mastering Cone 6 Glazes
by John Hesselbarth and Ron Roy
Reissued in 2020 by Echo Point Books & Media
168 pages. Typically available for around $30

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Table of Contents page 1

Table of Contents page 2

More details on Mastering Cone 6 Glazes

Let’s go through chapter by chapter:

Introduction and Chapter 2 introduce the book, ideas of food safety, and how to set up and glaze ceramic work. This is probably info you’ve encountered in a class or studio, but it’s a good refresher.

A 2-page spread from Chapter 3, including images of the lemon test on glazes.

Chapter 3 covers testing glazes for stability and fit. While the authors ran their glazes through professional testing laboratories for leach testing, they also describe some tests you can do in your own studio such as a lemon slice on glaze. They also go into detail on more considerations including resistance to alkalis, thermal shock, knife and cutlery marking, and more. The authors are thorough on this topic.

Chapter 4 covers information on making a stable glaze, and how that is defined. In short, they are looking for a glaze that doesn’t leach, doesn’t mark, and doesn’t craze. Lots of ideas and recipe limitations are introduced.

A 2-page spread from Chapter 5

Chapter 5, which covers glaze fit, was definitely a chapter I had to read 2 or 3 times to fully understand. The authors introduce using a dilatometer to measure glaze expansion and contraction, but as that is an expensive tool for most, they’ve done an amazing thing by introducing 5 different glazes with different coefficients of expansion. (None of these glazes are recommended in chapter 6, they are simply glazes to test for crazing/dunting/glaze fit on clay bodies in your studio) Their idea is that you can use their dilatometer-tested glazes on your own clay bodies. By noting which recipe will result in crazing on your clay body or not, you will have a good idea what the coefficient of expansion is in each clay body you use. You can then use this info, along with glaze programs such as glazy.org or DigitalFire, to more easily identify glazes that will have a good glaze fit with your clay. It’s a pretty good tradeoff to buying your own dilatometer.

The recipes in chapter 5 all contain G-200, which is no longer available, so the authors have helpfully posted reformulated recipes here, but you’ll need their explanation in the book to fully understand what they are proposing with this series of tests. The authors also tested their glazes on Standard Ceramic clay bodies #365 and #306, but the idea is that you can test these glazes on the clay bodies you use, to determine the best fit.

Chapter 6 includes the authors glazes for cone 6 stoneware and porcelain. Out of respect for their intellectual property, I’m not going to post recipes here, but many are now available online on various sites. These glazes have all been tested in studio and leach tested in laboratories, so you can be assured the glazes are safe. Because of this rigorous testing, there are not a lot of recipes but it’s definitely enough to get started. Included are:

A 2-page spread from the glaze chapter, with images showing how the base glazes can be transformed using various oxide combinations.

• 2 high-calcium semi-matte base glazes with 3 color variations each

• 2 glossy base glazes with 5 color variations total

• 1 glossy clear liner glaze

• 1 zinc semi-matte base glaze with 6 variations

• 1 chrome-tin pink glossy glaze

• 2 brown glazes

• 1 cone 6 “maiolica” white glaze

It’s not a lot of glazes, but the authors’ research and testing is much appreciated.

Chapter 7 includes info on developing your own glazes using all the information in the book. As one can see with many of the recipes included in this book, materials will change over time so it’s not a simple matter of just having a recipe. It’s about understanding the chemistry and science of the glaze, along with developing the aesthetic touches that you want in your ware.

The book then concludes with almost 60 pages of more info and appendixes.

All in all, this book felt like working through a workshop on cone 6 glazes with a detailed approach by two instructors who were super excited and committed to their material.

Conclusion and Other Glazes to Research

While Mastering Cone 6 Glazes is a great book, it should be mentioned that as of this writing, the info in the book is 20 years old. It’s not that the science has changed—all of that info holds up—it’s just that you may have other desired outcomes for your glazes along understanding all the science presented in this book. The matte glazes in MC6 are high calcium mattes, and there are other recipes with different materials. With that in mind, you might want to review other glaze recipes and approaches that have become quite popular since this book was written. Also, the MC6 authors focus on color variations using oxides, and you may wish to go with stains for your colorants. With any of the options, the takeaway from this book is that you need to master the science, and then apply it to your own clay and firing conditions.

DigitalFire has a bunch of recipes for a variety of glaze temperatures posted here. Of these, I’d look most closely at the cone 6 glazes G1214Z silky matte, G2934 Magnesium Matte Glaze, and G2926B Clear Glossy. These are public recipes, and two of these glazes are available for purchase from Plainsman Clay.

The other glaze that is so popular these days is the buttery Katz-Burke Matte, which can be found on glazy.org.

To conclude, I really value the Mastering Cone 6 book for really getting me to dig into Seger unity formula and understanding things like Coefficient of Expansion in clay and glaze. It was a technical read, but this book was the key that really unlocked a deeper understanding of how to approach cone 6 glazes to get the best glaze fit and reduce cutlery marking. Sure, you can find much of the same info in other books or online but for $30, I was happy to read along in this well presented book, which will become another vital resource in my studio.

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Best Ceramic and Pottery Podcasts

There’s a wide variety of podcasts focused on clay, pottery, and ceramic art. Here’s a guide to the top ceramic podcasts. And following that, there’s a list of one-off podcast episodes that touch on ceramics and art.

These can all be found on your favorite way to listen to podcast (Apple, Spotify, etc) so when possible, the link goes to websites dedicated to the shows.

#1: Tales of a Red Clay Rambler

The OG of pottery podcasts, Tales of a Red Clay Rambler is 10 years old and now has more than 400 interviews with potters, curators, and gallerists with the goal of documenting the variety of approaches to pottery and clay. Hosted by Ben Carter, who also wrote Mastering the Potter’s Wheel, the podcast is informative and entertaining. And with such a massive catalog, you’ll be sure to find a starting point that interests you.

Learn more at talesofaredclayrambler.com.

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#2: The Ceramics Podcast

The Ceramics Podcast, hosted by artists Cammi Climaco and Gustav Hamilton (and sometimes with guest hosts) has long-form interviews with ceramic artists along with intros where the hosts discuss life in the studio and answer listeners questions. It’s free form, entertaining, and opinionated. The show archive contains more than 40 episodes, with new podcasts coming out every month or so.

Learn more at cammiclimaco.com/theceramicspodcast.

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#3: Clay in Color

Hosted by curator Angelik Vizcarrondo Laboy and artist Alex Anderson, Clay in Color now has two seasons and more than 20 podcasts that are interviews with artists, with a focus on makers from underrepresented backgrounds. Launched in 2021, Clay in Color is part of the Brickyard Network, which includes 7 podcasts that were developed by Ben Carter (of Tales of a Red Clay Rambler) along with the Archie Bray Foundation.

Learn more at brickyardnetwork.org/clayincolor.

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#4: For Flux Sake

Another podcast from The Brickyard Network, For Flux Sake focuses on glaze formulation, addressing issues with making and firing ceramics, studio safety, and more. Hosted by artist Kathy King and glaze experts Matt and Rose Katz, the episodes are fun, informative and focuses, often clocking in at around 30 minutes. With two seasons and more than 30 episodes, For Flux Sake has tons of info that will help you in the studio.

Learn more at thebrickyardnetwork.org/forfluxsake.

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#5: The Potters Cast

With almost 900 episodes, The Potters Cast is a stalwart show with so, so much content to dig into. Hosted by potter Paul Blais, the show focuses on interviews with potters and sculptors who work with clay. Billed as “Picking up where the art degree ends,” the Potters Cast has a little bit of everything.

Learn more at thepotterscast.com.

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#6: The Slip Cast

Hosted by Clare McGibbon and Aimee McLaughlin, the NYC-based Slip Cast has more than 30 interviews with potters and sculptors, and discussions of studio practices. The Slip Cast seems to have a particular focus on the hot Instagram potters such as Recreation Center, Lolly Lolly Ceramics, and Ceramicism.

Learn more at instagram.com/theslipcast.

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#7: The Mud Peddlers: Ceramic Art Behind the Scenes

Hosted by Lindsay M. Dillon and Donte Earth Nation, this podcast focuses on the nitty-gritty of pottery production, along with interviews with potters. With more than 60 episodes and more being added each month, this is one to put on your podcast list.

Learn more at lindseymdillon.com

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#8: Trade Secret

Trade Secret, another great podcast from the Brickyard Network, is hosted by Adam Charles Chau and features conversations between Chau and a mix of artists, critics, curators, and more people who make the art world run. With one season so far, each episode focuses on a different topic. Here’s hoping there will be more seasons to come!

Learn more at brickyardnetwork.org/tradesecret.

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More podcasts to investigate:

The Shotcallers, another podcast from the Brickyard Network

The website CFile has stopped making updates, but an archive of their podcasts can be found here.

Wheel Talk with Ryan Durbin and Becca Otis.

The Kiln Sitters focuses on the Canadian ceramic scene.

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One-off Podcasts on Ceramics

In addition to podcasts focused exclusively on pottery and ceramics, there are podcasts that occasionally touch on clay.

What Pottery Can Tell Us About Culture, from The Dave Chang Show, 2019. Dave Chang in conversation with potter Adam Field. A great episode about Adam’s experience apprenticing in Korea.

Cooking as an Art, Vol 2, from The Dave Chang Show, 2019. Dave Chang in conversation with New York Times critic Roberta Smith, including a discussion of Korean ceramics.

Hyperallergic partnered with The Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Canada for a series of 4 podcasts.

The podcasts:

Shary Boyle’s Exploration of the Fantastic and Political Lives of Clay, released July 23, 2019

The Largely Unknown History of Blackface in Canada, released August 7, 2019

Kent Monkman’s Mission to Decenter the Colonial Museum, released August 9, 2019

The History, Context, and Legacy of an Ancient Maya Plate, released September 3, 2019

Are there any podcast series or episodes that should be included in this list? Let us know in the comments.

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Commeraw's Stoneware book review

A two-page spread from the introduction to Commeraw’s Stoneware.

Commeraw’s Stoneware is an impressive new book by A. Brandt Zipp that tells the story of Thomas W. Commeraw, who was the first African American potter we can identify by name. Living and working in New York City in the late 18th and early 19th century, Commeraw made functional stoneware pots that are now in the collection of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Commeraw was also an abolitionist, political active, and was selected by the U.S. government as an emissary to Liberia. It’s an amazing story that is full of research, historical context and the book is full of images.

A jar by Thomas W. Commeraw, acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1919.

Commeraw’s Stoneware was published fall 2022 by the auction house Crocker Farm, where Zipp is a founding partner, The book is full of extensive research, images, and information on other contemporaneous potters. Commeraw, who as Zipp says “almost slipped through the cracks of history,” has an inspiring story that is fleshed out in this book. I found it a compelling read.

Here’s quote from the introduction to Commeraw’s Stoneware:

Thomas W. Commeraw was a patriotic black American living in the age of slavery. He was a key early American stoneware potter, heavily influencing a craft that was understood to be inextricably linked with the development of the nation as a whole. He was a prominent member of the first generation of black New Yorkers living in the new republic. He was the first African-American potter we can identify by name, and the first to own his own shop. He was one of the first African Americans to become what is widely called the “Back-to-Africa” movement. He was a whistleblower who openly challenged—for the nation to see—the most prominent whites in the United States of American. He was the only American stoneware potter we are aware of who was specifically selected by the federal government to go on a mission, in the capacity of a potter. He was an early American abolitionist, a high-profile political activist who openly opposed slavery. And so as we begin our story, it is my hope that you find the life of Thomas W. Commeraw as fascinating as I have found it; that his slip through the fingers of history is as confounding to you as it has been to me; and that, in the end, Thomas Commeraw may be rightfully recognized as not only one of the great figures in the history of American decorative arts, but in the civil rights struggle of the first generation of black people living in the new United States of America.

Commeraw’s Stoneware
By A. Brandt Zipp
311 pages with 589 images
Published 2022 by Crocker Farm

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Images of the book

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What do you think about Commeraw’s Stoneware? Let us know in the comments.

For more books like this, check out these posts:

14 Best New Ceramic History Books and Artist Monographs

14 New Books on Pottery and Ceramic Technique 2022

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How to Ship Ceramics, Sculptures, and Other Heavy or Fragile Objects

Shipping ceramics or any fragile object can be a daunting task. But with this guide, you should get all information you need to become a shipping expert.

This post includes

• Guide to packing and shipping fragile objects using the “double box method.”

• Recommendations on tape, boxes, wrapping materials, and void fill.

• Guide to shipping scales

• Review of thermal packing label printers

Let’s dive in to packing and shipping first.

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How to Pack and Ship Ceramics, Sculptures, or other Fragile Objects

This is the best method to pack your ceramics and other fragile objects to insure that nothing is broken or damaged during shipping. The method uses two nested shipping boxes.

Start by wrapping your object with Ranpak Ready Roll (shop at Amazon), bubble wrap, or tissue paper. Then pack the wrapped object into a box with packing peanuts or foam, so that it is surrounded by about 2 inches of packing material on all sides. Give the box a light shake to insure it’s tightly packed and nothing movs. Then, place this box inside a box that gives another 2 inches of packing room on all sides and once again, make sure it is packed tight enough so that nothing moves.

This method results in around 4 inches of packing material surrounding the object in each direction, giving you plenty of assurance that you can ship via the postal service, FedEx, UPS, DHL etc, and your sculpture or pottery will be fine.

Here’s a detailed how to of this method with pictures.

Step 1: Select boxes that will nest

After always having random boxes around, I’ve found it useful to stock boxes I know will nest. In this example, I’m going to use an 8x8x8 inch box that will pack into a 12x12x12 inch box, giving equal space on all sides.

After taping the bottom, you can always double check to make sure the boxes will nest.

Step 2: Wrap Object

A stoneware flask ready to be wrapped in Ranpak packing material.

In this example, Ranpak is used for the initial wrap. It’s perfect for ceramics, and can be reused or recycled easily.

I usually avoid tape if possible, so it’s easier to reuse the packing material, and another bonus with Ranpak is it will sort of “grip” the opposite side and stay wrapped on it’s own.

Shop Ranpak Ready Roll at Amazon

Shop Ranpak Ready Roll at Staples

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Step 3: Packed Wrapped Object in First Box

The Ranpack-wrapped ceramic nested inside packing peanuts, inside the smaller box.

Next, put some packing material on the bottom of the first box, put your wrapped object in, and fill until it’s full and nothing moves when you close and shake the box. If it all seems good, tape it shut.

Step 4: Pack first box inside larger box.

About 2 inches of packing peanuts at the bottom.

Start with about 2 inches of packing peanuts at the bottom of the larger box, place your sealed first box inside, and then fill with more packing materials. You may need to push some material down the sides, to make sure you pack everything tightly.

Place packed smaller box inside.

Fill sides with packing materials.

After making sure sides are well packed, place material on top.

Step 5: Seal and label your box

That’s it! You’ve packed your box. Close it and give it a test shake. If nothing moves, seal the box shut and then you are ready to attach a label.

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Guide to tape, boxes, wrapping materials, and void fill

Here’s a few hints on tips on materials for your shipping needs.

Tape

Gummed paper tape in a Paper Mart brand dispenser at top, Scotch Heavy Duty tape in a dispenser at bottom.

For shipping, you have two options: plastic shipping tape and Kraft tape also known as gummed paper tape.

Plastic shipping tape is pretty straight forward and dependable. It’s easiest to use with a quality tape gun or dispenser. The main drawback is that it’s not easy to recycle. Within the plastic tape category, you have packing tape, regular shipping tape, and heavy duty tape. Some of the basic tapes can be pretty thin and weak (and sometimes don’t dispense easily) so for my studio I go with Scotch Heavy Duty shipping tape. I’d rather not fight with the tape. Mostly, I use the clear tape for covering labels.

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The Paper Mart Kraft tape dispenser.

Kraft shipping tape or gummed paper tape is a nice option, but it does take some set up for easy use. It’s super strong, looks great, and can be used to patch older boxes. (Unfortunately, Kraft tape with fiberglass reinforcement is not recyclable.) The only drawback is that you have you have to activate the gum with water.

For occasional shipping needs, you can cut the tape with scissors, then apply water with a sponge. This makes a bit of a mess on your table but it works.

If you are shipping more often, a tape dispenser with a water reservoir is very helpful. In my studio, I use the basic Paper Mart Kraft tape dispenser, but there are higher tech models out there. All of them help you dispense, wet, and cut the tape.

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For Kraft tape, I’ve tried a few options and the most dependable option was the Duck Brand Fiberglass Reinforced Kraft tape. While this tape is not recyclable, it does seal very well and is easy to work with. (I’m currently looking into other recyclable Kraft tape options and will update this post if I figure anything out.)

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Shipping Boxes

When it comes to boxes, there are lots of options for where to buy. Take a look at what you are shipping, and try to stock sizes that work for you. There are plenty of box suppliers online, and there may be a specialty shipping supplier in your area that will deliver without too high of a minimum. Usually, they will have lower prices per box but they will charge shipping. If you are shopping online, a few links are below:

For this double-box shipping method, the standard weight boxes work just fine. But you can also upgrade to the heavy-duty boxes if desired. They have thicker walls and are sturdier.

As mentioned in this post, I used to just have random boxes but when I got more serious about shipping, I started stocking in sizes I knew would nest together. That means, I usually have a variety of boxes ready to go in 8”, 10”, 12”, 14” and 16 inch cubes.

Here are the exact boxes used in this pictures above:

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Void Fill / Packing Peanuts

Along with tape and boxes, wrapping material and void fill are important parts of the shipping set up.

As mentioned, I love Ranpak Ready Roll. It’s tissue paper surrounded by honeycomb-cut brown kraft paper. It’s perfect for wrapping ceramics. If you have something more fragile, you may need to get stiffer foam such as museum foam, and create a custom chamber for your piece. But for my needs, I’m happy with the Ready Roll, which I then surround with biodegradable packing peanuts.

Packing peanuts are available in styrofoam or biodegradable corn starch. The corn starch peanuts cost about the same and are just as easy to use and are reusable, as long as they don’t get wet. For packing peanuts, unfortunately there aren’t a lot of great online options. The bags of peanuts are big and bulky, resulting in a high shipping cost (Some retailers, especially online, list the peanuts with shipping included.) For peanuts, it’s best to go with your local shipping supplier. If you bundle your purchase with boxes and tape, it should be quite economical to get a delivery as needed.

For smaller volumes of peanuts, check the links below.

Other Options for Void Fill

Shipping stores stock a variety of void fill, or you can make your own. Here are a few ideas to fill up space in a box:

• Crumpled newspaper (although ink can get on things)

• Sheets of crumpled kraft paper

• Bubble wrap

• Ranpak Ready Roll

• Clean egg cartons

• recycled bubble mailers

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Guide to Shipping Scales

Any scale that is accurate can be used as a shipping scale. Typically, shippers are going to round up to the nearest pound, so your scale doesn’t have to be super accurate. But you want it to work.

A package on the MyWeigh HD-300 Shipping Scale.

In my studio, I use a dedicated shipping scale, the MyWeigh HD-300. It’s a beefy scale with a metal plate, a detached readout, and can be used with batteries or plugged in. It also doubles as a robust scale for measuring plaster or other large amounts of materials.

For our complete guide to shipping scales, click here.

For a guide to scales for mixing glazes (may also work for small shipping scales) click here.

The MyWeigh HD-300 Shipping Scale retails for around $130.

The Accutek scale can be used with batteries or plugged in, and can weigh up to 50 lbs.

For a light-duty scale that can be used for weighing small balls of clay, and small packages, the Accutek all-in-one scale is a great budget option that costs just $20. It has a plastic top, decent build quality, and can weigh up to 50 pounds. It will just be hard to read if your package is wide, as it does not have a detachable screen.

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Thermal Label Printers

The Rollo printer with a stack of labels ready to print.

The final piece of shipping set up is a thermal label printer. These printers print in black on 4 x 6 inch stickers that can be used for labels or any use. You don’t need a thermal printer if you are planning to take your package to a shipping service, but it’s a must have if you want to prepare your own labels and drop your packages off or have them picked up.

The Rollo printer opened up, with a stack of labels.

The two main competitors for thermal printers appear to be Rollo and Dymo. In my studio, I went with a plug-in Rollo model and I’ve been very happy. The printer itself is well built, easy to use, and connects to my computer via USB. The extra power source plug is a normal size electrical item, but it is external to the printer.

For me, it took a bit of effort to get everything to work on the computer end (I find it best to use the Rollo browser extension to download a PDF of the label, then print) but you may find it easier to print directly from the service that you use.

The Rollo usb-connected printer retails for $200.
The Rollo wireless printer retails for $300.

Both printer work with any brand of thermal labels, but you can get 500 Rollo 4x6” labels for $19. Shop here.

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Summary

This post has covered just about everything you need to know to get started with packing and shipping fragile objects, along with the tools and materials required to get the job done.

The “double-box” method is what I use and it has never failed me, and it’s what I recommend to anyone packing and shipping ceramics. Just make sure the piece is packed securely and doesn’t move or shake around, and that it is double-boxed with about 4 inches of packing material in every direction.

This method requires boxes, tape, Ranpak Ready-Roll or bubble wrap, and void fill such as starch packing peanuts.

To help complete your shipment, it’s great to have a tape dispenser, shipping scale, and thermal label printer, so that you can prepare your shipment in your workspace, and easily drop it for shipping or have it picked up.

How do you pack and ship fragile objects? Any questions about this process? Let us know in the comments.

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Alice Mackler: "I do what I want to do"

Near the end of her 2021 monograph, the artist Alice Mackler is asked if she ever felt the need to rebel against what she learned in school in order to find her own voice. Mackler’s response: No. Because I do what want to do.”

The first page of the Alice Mackler interview by Joanne Greenbaum.

It may be some of the sagest advice for anyone making their way in a creative field. Do what you want to do. Do what you need to do. Just, uh, do it.

The whole catalog on Mackler is lovely and worth a look if you are interested in ceramics or want to take an inside look at an artist who has been making work in New York City since the 1960s.

The catalog contains a generous selection of paintings, drawings and sculptures by Mackler, along with an introduction by Matthew Higgs, essay by Kellly Taxter, and the concluding interview between Mackler and artist Joanne Greenbaum.

Alice Mackler
by Matthew Higgs and Kelly Taxter
Published 2021 by New York Consolidated, Gregory R. Miller & Co, in association with Kerry Schuss Gallery.
Listed at $45 but usually available for less

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More images from the book

Cover page

Table of contents

A sculpture from 2016.

A sculpture from 2015.

Drawings from 2017.

A sculpture from 2018.

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Make Ink: a Guide to Natural Inkmaking Reviewed

Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking is a beautiful guide to making your own inks written by Jason Logan. Published in 2018, the book includes a guide to foraging for plants (and pieces of metal) that you can use to make ink, about 90 pages of recipes, and a final section on how to test ink along with examples of ink art and more info on natural inks.

Beautifully illustrated throughout, the book includes information on Logan’s discovery of natural inkmaking and how he started The Toronto Ink Company. The book concludes with a conversation between Logan and novelist Michael Ondaatje.

Make Ink is a valuable guide to natural inkmaking but is also a beautiful book that would make a great gift or look great on a coffee table. The compelling images, selection of artist’s work in ink, and recipes makes it a book you’ll return to over and over.

Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking
By Jason Logan
Hardcover, 193 pages, published 2018 by Abrams
Listed at $35 but often available for $22-$30

Keep reading for pictures of the book, and more ideas on natural inkmaking

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Images from Make Ink

Table of contents

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Jason Logan on Ink

From page 23:

I am often asked what exactly ink is. It’s not paint—which is a liquid color used mainly for creating images or covering surfaces. What distinguishes ink from other art supplies is its use as a tool for communication. People have been leaving marks with berries, burnt sticks, or colored rocks since the dawn of humanity—but the use of ink as a transmitter of language can be traced back to the first evidence of civilization in China or Mesopotamia: most often on shards of pottery, featuring markings that historians say were first mostly account ledgers. But ink quickly became more than a decorator or calculator… In fact, ink and pen were as vital to the growth of civilization as the wheel or the cultivation of wheat. Gain the ability to permanently mark symbols on a flat surface meant that ideas could be saved, transported, and shared. Recipes, mathematical formulas, banking, poetry, music, diagrams, history, philosophy, and stories are inseparable from the history of ink.

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Other Guides to Natural Inks and Dyes

There are a few other guides to foraging and making your own inks and dyes from natural materials.

Botanical Inks: Plant-to-Print Dyes, Techniques, and Projects

This 2018 book covers how to make dyes and inks with plants. More focused on dyeing fabrics and other techniques, the book also includes information of making your own ink.

Written by Babs Behan, the book is listed at $23 but generally available for less.

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Wild Color: The Complete Guide to Making and Using Natural Dyes

A guide to dying (not making ink), Wild Color outlines the equipment needed and details 65 plants that can be used to make natural dyes. Listed at $25 but typically available for less, the book was published in 2010 and written by Jenny Dean.

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Do you have a favorite guide for making natural inks or dyes? Let us know in the comments.

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Review: Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters

Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters is a classic book by Robert Beverly Hale. Known for his teaching on artistic anatomy, Hale was also curator of American Paintings and Sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and taught at the Arts Student League of New York, Columbia University, and other schools.

Presented as a series of lectures on 100 drawings, Drawing Lessons takes students through different topics including Line, Light and Planes, Mass, Position, Anatomy, and then bringing all the skills together.

Each topic / chapter begins with an introduction and proceeds through example illustrations. Each illustration, presented in black and white, has a full page image and a smaller detail image where various points are highlighted in the text.

Overall, this is a great resource if just for the illustrations. While it’s a product of its time—the focus on all male “great masters” is dated—the book is useful for anyone looking to deepen and expand their understanding of drawing.

Originally published in 1964, the more recent 1989 edition is still available new or used at various online bookstores.

Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters: 100 Great Drawings Analyzed / Figure Drawing Fundamentals Defined
By Robert Beverly Hale
Published 1964 (Paperback edition 1989) by Watson-Guptill Publications
Listed at $25 but available for $5-15 used

Keep reading below for more images and info from the book.

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Images from the Book

Group of Figures by Luca Cambiaso

Standing Figure of a Nude Woman by Annibale Carraci

The two-page spread on Head of a Man by Albrecht Dürer

Tabulae Sceleti Et Musculorum Corporis Humani, 1747, by Bernard Siegfried Albinus

De Humani Corporis Fabrica, 1543, by Andreas Vesalius

Male Nude from Sistine Ceiling by Baccio Bandinelli

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Robert Beverly Hale on Drawing

From the introduction:

Drawing, like so many other skills, is a matter of being able to think of several things at once. Since the conscious mind seems to be able to think about only one thing at a time, the subconscious mind must take care of a good deal when we draw. So the process of learning to draw demands that we acquaint the subconscious mind with a certain amount of material, so that the subconscious can largely take over the control of our hand.

Actually, I am inclined to think that no artist can be called an accomplished craftsman until all matters of technique are so well learnt that they are part of his subconscious equipment. I know it is very difficult for an artist to express himself adequately unless this has been done.

Students and laymen, of course, are apt to confuse that technique is but na means to an end, and should never be confused with the end itself.

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Table of Contents

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Have you used this book or other drawing books? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Georgia O'Keeffe on Making "Ordinary" Paintings

Full Bloom:The Art and LIfe of Georgia O’Keeffe is a comprehensive 2004 biography of the artist by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp. Chronicling O’Keeffe’s entire life and career, the book traces the artist’s roots, relationships, and rise to becoming one of the most prominent and successful American artists of the 20th century. Known for her desert landscapes inspired by New Mexico and West Texas, O’Keeffe also spent many years in New York City and summers in upstate New York near Lake George.

The book is a fascinating insight into O’Keeffe, her art, and much of the 20th century American art scene. With around 550 pages of text, it’s a thorough, detailed biography and also includes numerous photographs and reproductions of paintings and drawings by O’Keeffe. Below are a few excerpts from the book.

Georgia O’Keeffe in 1974 on making ‘ordinary’ paintings

“The truth is I’ve been very lucky. Stieglitz was the most interesting center of energy in the art world just when I was trying to find my way. To have him get interested in me was a very good thing. My going to Texas was lucky, and, of course, my finding [Abiquiu]. And then, somehow, what I’ve painted happened to fit into the emotional life of my time… Often, I’ve had the feeling that I could have been a much better painter and had far less recognition. It’s just that what I do seems to move people today, in a way that I don’t understand at all. Now and then when I get an idea for a picture, I think, how ordinary. Why paint that old rock? Why not go for a walk instead. But then I realize that to someone else it may not seem ordinary.”

— from page 518

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O’Keeffe on the 1931 painting Cow’s Skull, Red, White and Blue

Painting is pictured above at left.

“As I was working I thought of the city men I had been seeing in the East. They talked so often of writing the Great American Novel—the Great American Play—the Great American Poetry.

People wanted to “do” the American scene. I had gone back and forth across the country several times by then, and some of the current ideas about the American scene struck me as pretty ridiculous. To them, the American scene was a dilapidated house with a broken-down buckboard out front and a horse that looked like a skeleton. I knew American was very rich, very lush. Well, I started painting my skulls around this time…I had lived in cattle country—Amarillo was the crossroads of cattle shipping, and you could see the cattle coming in across the range for days at a time. For goodness’ sake, I thought, the people who talk about the American scene don’t know anything about it. So, in a way, that cow’s skull was my joke on the American scene, and it gave me pleasure to make it in red, white, and blue.

—from page 332

O’Keeffe on her reluctance to have a retrospective at MoMA in 1946:

“I must say to you again that I am very pleased and flattered that you wish to do the show for me. It makes me feel rather inadequate and wish that I were better. Stieglitz’s efforts for me have often made me feel that way too—The annoying thing about it is that I can not honestly say to myself that I could not have been better.

However—we need not go into that. But I do wish to say that if for any reason you wish to change your mind feel assured that it will be alright with me—For myself I feel no need of showing. As I sit out here in my dry lonely country I feel even less need for all those things that go with the city… When I say that for myself I do not need what showing at the Museum means—I should add that I think that what I have done is something rather unique in my time and that I am one of the few who gives our country any voice of its own—I claim no credit—it is only that I have seen with my own eye and that I couldn’t help seeing with my own eye—It may not be painting but it is something—and even if it is not something I do not feel bothered—I do not know why I am so indifferent.

— from page 413-414

O’Keeffe on flying in 1941

O’Keeffe’s massive painting Sky Above Clouds IV, from 1965, is depicted at the bottom right of the image above.

“It is breathtaking as one rises up over the world one has been living in—It is very handsome…like marvelous rug patterns of maybe “Abstract Paintings.” The world all simplified and beautiful and clear-cut in patterns like time and history will simplify and straighten out these times of ours. 

What one sees from the air is so simple and beautiful I cannot help feeling that it would do something wonderful for the human race—rid it of much smallness and pettiness if more people flew.”

—from page 396

Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe
By Hunter Drohojowsk-Philp
633 pages, 2004, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc

The book is available new and used.

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You might also enjoy:

Centering by M.C. Richards

Ben Okri: A Time for New Dreams

Amy Sillman on Painting

See all Inspiration posts by clicking here.

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Ceramic Glaze Material Equivalents US to UK

Glaze materials and products differ around the globe. Below is a chart to help determine possible substitutions. As always, make sure to do tests before committing to a glaze recipe.

US to UK material substitions

US Material	UK Material
Ferro Frit 3110	High alkaline frit
Ferro Frit 3124	Calcium borate frit
Ferro Frit 3134	Standard borax frit
Ferro Frit 3195	Calcium borate frit
Ferro Frit 3249	Low expansion frit
Ferro Frit 3498	Lead bisilicate
Ferro Frit 210701	Lead sesquisilicate
Cornwall stone	Cornish stone
Custer feldspar, G-200	Potash feldspar
EPK, Tile 6, Kaolin	China clay / kaolin
Kona F-4, Minspar 200	Soda feldspar
Silica	Flint, quartz

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Orton Pyrometric Cone Chart in Fahrenheit and Celsius

Melted large Orton pyrometric cones 5, 6 and 7. Cone pack is pictured after being removed from the kiln.

Pyrometric cones are designed to melt at certain temperatures in a kiln. They measure “heat work” during a firing, or time plus temperature. A digital pyrometer can give an accurate temperature, but pyrometric cones are useful for determining how the firing went for your ceramic ware, and they can be useful for noting if you have different temperature zones in your kiln. The rate of the firing, or the speed at which the temperature climbs per hour, can determine when the cone bends.

Generally, a cone accurately measures the temperature when it has bent to approximately “9pm” on the left side.

Pyrometric cones can be purchased at ceramic suppliers, or in the US shop Orton Cones at Blick.

Most kilns now have temperature sensors, but you can also purchase high-temperature thermocouple sensors that can be moved from kiln to kiln. Shop High Temperature thermocouple at Amazon.

Below is a chart of temperature equivalents for cones. This chart is for large cones, and the temperature rate measures the last 90 to 120 minutes of firing.

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Orton Pyrometric Cone Chart in Fahrenheit and Celsius

Cone number	60°C/hour	108°F/hour	150°C/hour	270°F/hour
019	676°C	1249°F	693°C	1279°F
018	712°C	1314°F	732°C	1350°F
017	736°C	1357°F	761°C	1402°F
016	769°C	1416°F	794°C	1461°F
015	788°C	1450°F	816°C	1501°F
014	807°C	1485°F	836°C	1537°F
013	837°C	1539°F	859°C	1578°F
012	858°C	1576°F	880°C	1616°F
011	873°C	1603°F	892°C	1638°F
010	898°C	1648°F	913°C	1675°F
09	917°C	1683°F	928°C	1702°F
08	942°C	1728°F	954°C	1749°F
07	973°C	1783°F	985°C	1805°F
06	995°C	1823°F	1011°C	1852°F
05	1030°C	1886°F	1046°C	1915°F
04	1060°C	1940°F	1070°C	1958°F
03	1086°C	1987°F	1101°C	2014°F
02	1101°C	2014°F	1120°C	2048°F
01	1117°C	2043°F	1137°C	2079°F
1	1136°C	2077°F	1154°C	2109°F
2	1142°C	2088°F	1162°C	2124°F
3	1152°C	2106°F	1168°C	2134°F
4	1160°C	2120°F	1181°C	2158°F
5	1184°C	2163°F	1205°C	2201°F
6	1220°C	2228°F	1241°C	2266°F
7	1237°C	2259°F	1255°C	2291°F
8	1247°C	2277°F	1269°C	2316°F
9	1257°C	2295°F	1278°C	2332°F
10	1282°C	2340°F	1303°C	2377°F
11	1293°C	2359°F	1312°C	2394°F
12	1304°C	2379°F	1324°C	2415°F

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Ceramics Masterclass by Louisa Taylor

Ceramics Masterclass: Creative Techniques of 100 Great Artists by Louisa Taylor

Ceramics Masterclass is a great book for anyone looking for inspiration and ideas in pottery and ceramic art. The book examines 100 contemporary and historical ceramic artworks by different artists, and includes advice and tips on the ideas, vision, and techniques behind each piece. Anyone can benefit and learn from this book, but it seems especially relevant to intermediate and advanced artists looking to take their work to the next level.

Two-page spread on Quantum Pocket II by Elizabeth Fritsch.

The 100 artworks are divided thematically into six sections: Vessel, Decorative, Function, Figurative, Conceptual, Installation. Within each section, each artist/artwork has a two-page spread with great images, an analysis of the work pictured, a short bio, and short bits on surface, process, material, or other aspects of the work.

The book also has about 30 pages on materials, tools, and techniques, and finishes with a few short pages with glaze recipes related to the works in the book. It is so helpful to break a work down by idea and materials and glazes, as sometimes the ceramic process can be so opaque.

Published in 2020, the book is by Louisa Taylor, who also writes the popular guidebook The Ceramics Bible. All in all, Ceramics Masterclass is well organized, practical, and inspirational book that deserves a spot on just about everyone’s bookshelf. It’s a great introduction to 100 different artworks and artists, and I hope there will be another volume with 100 more artists.

Ceramics Masterclass by Louisa Taylor
288 pages, published 2020 by White Lion Publishing
Listed at $30 but typically available for hardcover $28 or flexicover ($14-$28)

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More images from the book

Title page

Table of contents

Elisabeth Kley

Magdalene Odundo

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran

Matt Wedel

Linda Sormin

Have you read the book? Let us know what you think about it in the comments.

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You might also enjoy:

Gift Guide For Potters and Ceramic Artists

Best Ceramic Textbooks and Guidebooks

Best Aprons for Pottery and Art Studios

14 New Pottery and Ceramic Technique Books 2022

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Gift Guide For Potters and Ceramic Artists 2022

Note: Click here to read our new Gift Guide for 2023-2024!

This gift guide has more than 40 ideas of gifts for potters, ceramic artists, or anyone who works with clay. Most of these suggestions are priced between $5 and $100, along with a few higher-priced items like pottery wheels and slab rollers.

Most potters probably already have a basic tool kit and a few others tools. But if someone is just starting, we’ve also got a handy guide to the best tools for pottery beginners, and there are many other posts on this site with reviews of tools and books we love.

This post starts with a few “top gift ideas” including aprons, hand lotion, new books, and tool kits, and follows with a bunch of gift ideas $25 and under, $50 and under, $100 and under, $250 and under, and over $250.

Note: This site uses affiliate links for sites such as Amazon and Blick. If you click the links and complete a purchase, we may receive a percentage at no extra cost to you.

Top Gift Ideas

A few of our favorites, including aprons, skin cream, new books, and tool kits.

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Top Gift Ideas: Aprons

The Claypron is a great potter’s apron.

The Claypron

Potters always need an apron or two, and there are many great options. The Claypron is a split-leg apron designed specifically for working with clay at the potter’s wheel. It’s available in a variety of colors, is made with high-quality, washable cotton, and is one of the most popular aprons in ceramic studios. It has ties at the neck and waist, and generally retails for around $40.

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Best Lightweight Apron

The Revco apron is a lightweight option.

For a lightweight apron, check out the Revco Split-Leg Apron. It has clips at the neck and around the legs, and a tie at the waist. The apron is available in a few lengths, but the standard 36” length will work for most. It doesn’t have overlapping canvas, but it’s a great option that retails for around $19.

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Deluxe Apron

The ScheveningsePracht split-leg apron is made in the Netherlands from thick canvas.

For a deluxe, heavy-duty canvas apron with great ties, style, and a a built-in towel hook, the ScheveningsePracht split-leg apron available on Etsy is awesome! It’s made with a thick, overlapping canvas for great coverage at the wheel, and it has a tie at the waist and an adjustable neck. It is made in the Netherlands and ships from there, so allow a few weeks for delivery around the world. You can also order custom lengths, a linen apron, or check out the other apron options from this store. The split-leg apron is listed at $52.

For more on aprons, visit our complete guide to aprons for pottery and ceramic studios.

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Top Gift Ideas: Lotion and Hand Cream

Continuing with our top gifts, a few lotion options. Pottery and clay can be hard on hands and any potter will appreciate the gift of nice lotion

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Potter’s Skin Butter

Potter’s Skin Butter from Cara Mae Skincare is deep hydration for hardworking hands. Made by a potter for potters, this is a great gift. Available in Tangerine, Lavender, Mint and Unscented in a variety of sizes.

Cara Mae Skincare has other lotions as well, all equally great.

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Weleda Skin Food

Weleda Skin Food in its distinctive green tube.

There are lots of great everyday creams, such as O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Cream (shop at Amazon), but a real upgrade is Weleda Skin Food. It’s a rich, luxurious cream that will help protect hands during a long studio session or at home. This extra thick cream smells great, melds into your skin quickly, and the squeeze tube makes it easy to use at home or studio. It usually listed at $19 for a 2.5 oz tube, but recently it’s been available for $13.

For more on hand creams, visit our complete guide to creams and lotions for the pottery studio.

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Top Gift Ideas: Books

A few new releases that are great for any bookshelf.

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Boy in a China Shop: Life, Clay and Everything by Keith Brymer Jones

Fans of The Great Pottery Throwdown and potters will love this book by Brymer Jones, judge on the popular BBC series. In a series of chapters inspired by significant objects (usually pots), Brymer shares stories and insights from his life and work.

Boy In A China Shop, Hardcover, 352 pages, published October 2022 by Hodder & Stoughton, $29

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Pottery for Beginners: Projects for Beautiful Ceramic Bowls, Mugs, Vases, and More by Kara Leigh Ford

Aimed at beginners, this book covers handbuilding and wheel throwing, as well as how to set up a workspace. Filled with projects, tips, and ideas, this book is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to get started with clay.

Paperback, 192 pages, published October 2021 by Page Street Publishing, $23

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Ceramics Masterclass: Creative Techniques of 100 Great Artists by Louisa Taylor

This 2020 book by Louisa Taylor (who also wrote The Ceramics Bible) is a great gift for the potter or artist looking to expand their ideas. The book explores 100 works of contemporary and historical ceramic art and discusses techniques, methods, and concepts behind the works. Presented as a two-page spread per artwork with great images, the book also contains info on techniques and glaze recipes. Available in hardcover for $30 or even better for the studio, Flexbound for around $14, this is a great gift.

For more books, check out our recent posts:
14 Best New Ceramic and Pottery Technique Books
and
14 Best New Ceramic History Books and Artist Monographs

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Top Gifts Ideas: Tool Kits

A packaged tool kit can be a great way for a beginner to get going, or for an experienced potter to replenish their tool supply.

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Mudtool Essentials Starter Kit

The Mudtools Essentials Starter Kit includes 9 tools and a storage tube.

MudTools makes innovative tools such as their beloved flexible plastic ribs, and this MudTools Essential Starter Kit includes nine of their most popular tools (plus the tube). A great gift for beginners, experienced potters will also appreciate this kit. Included are three flexible polymer ribs, the Mudshark cutting tool, a cut-off wire with polymer handles, a long plastic scraper/rib, a sponge, the MudTools all-in-one trimming tool, and the MudTools shredder. The kit typically costs around $75.

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Xiem Tool Kits

The Xiem 10 piece beginner’s pottery kit.

Xiem Tools makes two tool kits with some of their best and most popular pottery tools.

The Xiem 14 piece Pottery Essentials tool kit.

The 10 Piece Beginners Pottery Kit actually contains 9 tools (unless you count the tube it comes in as a tool!) including a Foot Shaper, Needle Tool, Heavy Duty Clay Sponge, 11" Pro Wire Clay Cutter, 2 Titanium Fused Trimming Tools, Soft Silicone Clay Rib, Rigid Plastic Clay Rib, and Flexible Stainless Steel Rib. It retails for $61.

The 14 piece Essentials Kit (13 tools plus the tube) has the same tools as the Beginners set with the addition of an extra rib, another loop tool, a metal clay knife, and the extendable Xiem pottery sponge. It retails for $95.

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Gift Ideas Under $25

JJRing Craft and Art Organizer Tote Bag

The JJRing Tote Bag

Potters end up with lots of tools so a simple tool bag is very handy. The JJRing Craft and Art Organizer Tote Bag comes in a variety of colors and has numerous pockets to keep everything in its place. Made of nylon with cardboard supports, this bag is available in a variety of colors.

JJRing Tote Bag, $14-18 depending on color

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Mini Ribbon Tool Kit

The Mini Ribbon tool kit

This set of 6 tools is great for detail work, decorating, and finishing a piece of pottery or a sculpture. At 5 1/2” each, the metal tools don’t take up much room but they can do a lot, especially for detail work or scraffito. Pair this with the following book for a great gift combo.

Mini Ribbon Tool Kit, $14

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Carve Your Clay

This book gives a lot of ideas for surface decoration including carving, inlay, scraffito, wire cutting and more. With easy-to-follow instructions and great illustrations, it’s an inspirational book. Based on Hilda Carr’s signature style but with variations and ideas for every potter, the book is available in hardcover or paperback.

Carve Your Clay, by Hilda Carr, 2020. Listed at $27 but typically available for $19-$25.

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Pottery T-Shirts

Evolution of Pottery T-Shirt at Society6

There’s a lot of fun t-shirts with pottery and kiln themes available from print on demand sites. Most of these sites also pay a portion of the sale price to the artists and designers, so not only are you getting a cool gift, but you’re supporting other artists and designers too. If you see a pattern or design you like, make sure to click around — designs are usually available on multiple products so you can find the right gift.

Pictured here a few shirt ideas with links, or check out our post about pottery shirts.

Pottery Shirts, typically $18-30 each depending on options and styles.

Ceramics Joe by D. Goode Art at Threadless

Kintsugi Broken Heart T shirt at Society6

Electric Kiln outline design at Threadless

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Mastering Ceramics Series

The Mastering Ceramics books are great for beginners and intermediate pottery students. The thorough, straightforward advice covers a variety of techniques in an easy to approach style. All three books are a great addition to any potter’s bookshelf.

The books include

Mastering the Potters Wheel by Ben Carter, published 2016

Shop at Amazon | Shop at Blick | Shop at Bookshop.org

Mastering Hand Building by Sunshine Cobb, published 2018

Shop at Amazon | Shop at Blick | Shop at Bookshop.org

Mastering Kilns and Firing by Lindsay Oesterritter, published 2019

Shop at Amazon | Shop at Bookshop.org

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Xiem Batmate

The Xiem 12” BatMate

The BatMate from Xiem Studio Tools is a 12 or 14 inch diameter piece of synthetic fabric that can be placed in between a bat and wheel head to virtually eliminate any wobble, improving the accuracy of throwing and trimming. Many potters, however, wet the fabric and place it directly on a wheel head to use when trimming pots.

Xiem BatMate, $15

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Slab Mats

SlabMats are Available in a variety of sizes.

Slab Mats are a canvas alternative for use with slab rollers, handbuilding, or even cut up them up and use as bats on the wheel. They are a plastic, fabric-like material, with one smooth side and one that is slightly fuzzy and ideal for working with clay. You can cut with clay knives on them and not worry about damaging your table top surfaces. They are easy to clean — just wipe with a sponge — and result in much less dust than canvas. They are available in a variety of sizes but the larger 22 x 50” size really allows you to spread out.

SlabMats, $6–$23

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Gorilla Tubs

Three sizes of Red Gorilla Tubs / Tubtrugs.

Gorilla Tubs, also known as TubTrugs, are flexible plastic tubs with handles that are available in a variety of sizes. They are great for reclaiming clay, mixing plaster, mixing glazes, or just about any studio task. They are even great for gardening and yard work.

The lower wider options are best for reclaiming clay, and the taller options are great for mixing plaster. They are available from a variety of vendors on Amazon. For me, some ship from warehouses in the U.S. while others took a bit longer as they shipped directly from Spain, where these flexible buckets are manufactured.

Read a full review of these buckets here.

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Small Tools under $25

There’s a lot of small tools that can make a big difference in the studio. Here’s a few that make a nice gift for any potter.

Kemper Clay Drill

The Kemper Clay Drill

The Kemper Clay Drill is the best way to drill holes for spouts or drain holes in planters, or just to make circular holes in any piece of clay. It makes a variety of sizes, simply keep twisting and work the tool deeper for a wider hole. It’s easy to use, easy to clean, and replaces all the other drill tools in one easy piece.

Kemper Clay Drill, $4.50

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Neiko Diamond Bits

Neiko Diamond Bits

Diamond bits allow you to drill through fired and glazed ceramic, and this small set from Neiko is a great introductory set. Pair it with any drill, and you are set. Just be sure to use it with plenty of water so the bits do not overheat. Ranging from 5/32” to 1/2”, the Neiko bits are a good size for tasks such as drilling cord holes in ceramic lamps or adding drainage holes for planters. At $10 or less, the Neiko bits are a cost-effective addition to any ceramic studio.

Neiko Diamond Hole Bits, $10

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Metal Rib Set

The Comiart Metal Rib Set

A variety of ribs can help a pottery easily achieve different shapes on the wheel or handbuilding. This cost-effective, affordable set of 10 ribs includes a wide variety of shapes as well as two serrated ribs that are useful for creating texture or joining clay together.

Comiart Metal Rib Set, $10

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Mudtools MudWire set

Potters always need wire cutoff tools and this two-wire set includes a standard straight wire and a curly texture wire, with the great Mudtools plastic handles.

Mudtools Mudwire Set of 2, $15. Individual wires available at Blick for $9.

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Xiem Precision Applicator

The Xiem 3oz precision applicator

A great decorating tool is the Xiem precision applicator, available in 1 and 3 oz sizes. These applicators have a soft, flexible rubber bulb with a variety of screw-on metal tips. Mostly used for slip trailing and slip-decoration techniques, these bulbs can be used to apply just about any type of thicker, viscous liquid. The larger 3 oz size will be the best option for most. There are cheaper slip-trailing options that are a plastic bottle with similar metal tips, but the rubber bulb in the Xiem applicator provides steady, even pressure that is just easier to use.

Xiem 3oz Precision Applicator, $26

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Gifts Under $50

MudTools Double Ended Trimming Tool

The Mudtools double-ended trimming tool.

This steel trimming tool from MudTools is a great studio tool, allowing potters to trim in a flat plan or in a curve. It’s a toolbox essential tand is also available as part of the MudTools kit, mentioned at the top of the post.

Mudtools Double Ended Trim Tool, $27

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Wooden Clay Mallet

This handmade wooden clay mallet, by CompanionWorks of Brooklyn, NY, is well proportioned, comfortable, and beautiful. With a maple mallet and poplar handle, it will only get more beautiful with use.

It’s available for $40 from CompanionWorks on Etsy. Also check out their beautiful clay anvils for making bowls from slabs. The anvils are available in widths of 3” ($40) and 6” ($50).

The CompanionWorks clay mallet (top) and clay anvil are beautiful and functional handmade tools.

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10,000 Years of Pottery by Emmanuel Cooper

This lavishly illustrated book is a great addition to any potter’s bookshelf and will provide years of inspiration. With 360 pages and full-color pictures on almost every page, it traces the history of ceramics from the Ancient Near East through contemporary times from all parts of the globe. Originally published in 1972, the book has been updated continuously since. The most recent 4th edition is available as a paperback for $40-$50. Unfortunately, it seems to be out of print at that moment so it’s only available used.

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Underglaze Sampler Packs

The Speedball Underglaze Sampler Pack

Underglazes are studio favorites and are great way to get vibrant, saturated colors on ceramics. They can be applied by brush, sponge, or spraying. Use alone for a matte finish, or in combination with a clear glaze for a glossy finish. Sample packs are a great way to find the underglaze colors that work best, and are available from a variety of manufacturers.

The Speedball sampler pack includes 12 colors in 2 oz bottles, $45.

AMACO Velvet Underglazes are available in 4 different sampler sets of 2 oz jars for $52 each. Shop at Blick

Mayco has a 10 pack underglaze sampler for around $40. Shop at Amazon

Sax True Flow Underglaze has a 12 pack sampler set for around $43. Shop at Amazon

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Wooden Rollers

Set of 5 wooden rollers

These sets of wooden rollers allow potters to quickly and easily add relief textures and patterns to slabs, pots, or any piece of clay. The wood is long-lasting, durable, easy to clean, and can really add that extra-special touch to elevate handmade work.

Wooden Rollers set of five, $27, set of 8, $40.

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Creative Pottery by Deb Schwartzkopf

Whether you are a handbuilder or work on the wheel, this book is a guide to taking your ceramics to the next level. Add complexity to your projects with simple changes, learn how to make bisque molds, or choose from other projects in this self guided book from potter Deb Schwartzkopf, founder of Rat City and Rain City studios in Seattle.

Creative Pottery, Hardcover, 192 pages, published June 2020 by Quarry Books, Listed at $30 but typically available for $25-$27.

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3M Respirator

3M half facepiece respirator with P100 filters.

A quality dust mask is a must have for anyone who mixes glazes from scratch, makes their own clay, or works with plaster. The best option is a 3M respirator. A basic model is about $15 plus the filters, but for a few dollars more you can get the “rugged comfort” mask which has a more comfortable liner and a few extra features. Pair it with P100 filters or P100 cartridges, and you’ve got high quality protection against silica and other airborne particulates.

For more, visit our complete guide to dust masks.

3M Respirator, $23-$40 depending on model

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The Ceramics Reader

This book brings together texts, extracts, and other pieces of writing on the field of ceramics. Covering past and present, it’s recommended for serious hobbyists, ceramic students, professionals, or anyone that wants to read more about this amazing medium. At 616 pages long, there’s something in there for everyone. Don’t read it front to back—just flip it open and find what interests you.

The Ceramics Reader, paperback, $36.

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Anker Soundcore P2 Earbuds

These Anker earbuds have an absolutely amazing 40-hour battery life, above-average sound, and are cheap enough that they’re suitable for studio use and possibly getting dirty with clay. I’ve had a pair for almost a year and they are the best wire-free earbuds I’ve ever had.

Anker Soundcore Life P2 earbuds, $45.

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Gifts Under $100

Nidec-Shimpo Banding Wheels

The Shimpo 8 3/4” x 2 1/2” tall banding wheel is one of five options from Shimpo.

Banding wheels are very useful for coil building, sculpting, and decorating. Nidec-Shimpo Banding Wheels are the best on the market, made of cast iron with sealed bearings. They are on the heavy side, but this added weight gives the wheels a smooth, even spin. Shimpo banding wheels come in five different sizes ranging from $60 to about $120. The 8 3/4” wide x 2 1/2” tall model ($80) is an all-purpose size that should work for most studios. For more info, read our complete review of banding wheels.

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Stadea Adjustable Diamond Hand Pad Set

The Stadea adjustable diamond hand pad system.

Stadea is a go-to brand for quality diamond tools, and this new option is great for potters! It features a 5 inch long foam pad with velcro and 6 different diamond pads, ranging from 50 grit to 1500 grit. It’s perfect for light-duty cleanup such as smoothing the bottom of pots and sculptures. And the adjustable pads means you just have to store one foam block, not six, so it can save space too.

Stadea Adjustable Diamond Hand Pad, $54.

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JBL Bluetooth Speaker

JBL FLip 4 portable speaker.

It’s always great to have tunes in the studio, and a portable bluetooth speaker makes it easy to play anything from your phone, tablet, or laptop. The JBL Flip 4 is slightly older (meaning it’s available at a discount) but is still a great option that sounds great, is easy to pair with devices, and comes with long-lasting build quality. For something bigger and louder, check out the JBL Charge line of speakers. The JBL Flip 4 is waterproof, available in a variety of colors, and usually retails for around $80.

JBL Flip 4, $80

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Magna Cart

The Magna Cart roller. A classic!

Potters need to move heavy stuff all the time. Whether it is boxes of clay, packaged ware for shipping, or large sculptures, the Magna Cart is an invaluable tool that folds up for efficient storage when not in use. The cart can hold 150 lbs, has 5” rubber wheels, a 15” wide base and the handle can extend to 39” tall. There are a lot of folding carts on the market now in all shapes and sizes, but the classic Magna Cart is still the best option.

Magna Cart collapsible rolling car, $60-$65.

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Nidec-Shimpo Handheld Extruder

The Nidec-Shimpo Handheld Extruder comes with 5 dies and a blank die, which can be drilled to any shape.

A handheld extruder is one of the best ways to make handles or other shapes in a quick, efficient way. Clay is placed in the barrel, a die is screwed on, and through squeezing, the plunger pushes the clay through the die. There are a variety of handheld extruders—all about the same—but the Nidec-Shimpo Handheld Extruder is compact and well built and comes with a few dies. The key is getting dies that work for. In addition to the basic dies, a great add-on is the hollow-form dies (at Blick via link below) and the Scott Creek Handle Die kit, which should match up with any small handheld extruder.

Shimpo Handheld Extruder, $58, extra die sets $40-$45.

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Nidec-Shimpo Potter’s Stool

Nidec-Shimpo Potter’s Stool

Another great gift idea from Nidec-Shimpo is the Shimpo Potter’s Stool. It’s the most versatile, comfortable, and functional pottery stool on the market. It has four adjustable legs with nine slots on each leg with a range of 19 to 26 inches high. The legs can be adjusted independently, allowing for the stool to be set at an angle if desired. It also has a comfortable, padded seat. It’s a great upgrade for any potter.

Shimpo Potter’s Stool, 16 x 16 inches and ranges up to 26 inches tall. It generally costs around $90.

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Sony Bluetooth Boombox

The Sony Bluetooth Boombox

This little Sony unit is a great for studios. It can stream via bluetooth, or use the digital tuner to pick up just about any AM/FM station in your area. While it doesn’t have audiophile quality, the sound is decent and for me personally, I just like having the option of listening to the radio without fussing with my phone. It seems to be the best, most functional option for a Bluetooth boombox that is priced under $100.

Sony Portable Bluetooth Boombox: $90-$99
Power: AC cord or 6 C batteries

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Mudtools Rib Set

Mudtools Ribs, some sets of six available at Amazon or buy them individually.

Mudtools ribs are used and loved by many potters. There are four different firmness levels, and each level has six different shapes. There are sets of all 6 on Amazon, or head over to Blick to pick out individual ribs.

Mudtools ribs:
Red — very soft
Yellow — soft
Green — medium
Blue — firm

Mudtools Rib Set, $51 for six ribs at Amazon, or individual ribs at Blick, $9 each.

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Gift Ideas From $100 to $250

Milwaukee M12 Cordless Drill

The Milwaukee M12 Drill Kit comes with a drill, one battery, charging station, and a bag.

The Milwaukee M12 compact cordless drill is a studio favorite. It’s strong enough for most jobs, but small and light so that it’s comfortable for just about any user. Paired with the right mixer blade, this is an ideal drill for mixing glazes, plaster, or other tasks in a ceramics studio. Milwaukee also makes a wide variety of tools that fit the M12 battery. Click here to read a full guide to cordless drills.

Milwaukee M12 Drill kit, typically retails for $125-$140.

Recommended drill accessories for ceramics:

Jiffy LM Laboratory mixer for mixing small glaze cups.

Plastic helix mixer for mixing 1-2 gallon glaze buckets.

Jiffy ES Mixer for mixing 2 to 5 gallon bucket.

Dewalt 14 piece bit set for drilling holes and the Dewalt 45 piece screwdriver set.

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My Weigh iBalance 5500 Scale

My Weigh iBalance 5500 scale has a 5500 gram / 12 lb capacity and is accurate to 0.1 grams.

The MyWeigh iBalance 5500 is a precision scale that is accurate to 0.1 grams while maintaining a large capacity of 5500 grams or about 12 pounds. It has a stainless steel top, optional AC power adapter, simple and intuitive buttons, and a 3 year warranty. The four feet can be independently leveled too. It’s one of the best options on the market and is a great gift for the potter who also mixes their own glaze.

My Weigh iBalance 5500 Scale, $249

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Gift Ideas $250-$550

Giffin Grip trimming tool

The Giffin Grip in use, holding a pot in place for trimming.

The Giffin Grip is a trimming tool that attaches to any pottery wheelhead, and various arms allow you to easily hold vases and pots in place for trimming. It sure beats trying to attach pots using small bits of a clay. It’s not cheap—typically around $270—but it lasts for ever and once a potter has one, they’ll use it all the time.

Giffin Grip trimming tool, $270

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Speedball Artista Tabletop Wheel

The Speedball Artista Tabletop Wheel

The Speedball Artista is a great tabletop wheel that is strong enough for most potters but is also portable and can be stored with ease. It’s the perfect option for an at-home practice wheel or for someone looking to try out pottery with a professional machine. It has an 11” wheelhead, a 1/3 horsepower motor, is compatible with standard 10” bats, and weighs just 26 pounds, so it can easily be put away when not in use. You can also add an optional foot pedal or legs. For a complete overview, check out our guide to tabletop wheels.

Speedball Artista Tabletop Wheel, $520

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Gift Ideas $550 and up

North Star Portaroller

The North Star Portaroller is a great tool that can instantly upgrade any studio. Designed for artists who are on the go, it’s also ideal for small or home studios because it quickly breaks down into three pieces that can be stored when not in use. The Portaroller has two metal rollers, a crank, and two tabletop pieces that fit on either side of the roller. The top roller can be adjusted for slab thicknesses up to 2.5 inches and it can make slabs that are 16 inches wide. It’s a well thought out piece of equipment that is backed by North Star’s impeccable record of quality. There’s also a larger model in the same style, the North Star Polaris, that can make slabs up to 22 inches wide.

For a complete guide to portable rollers, click here.

North Star Portaroller, 16” wide slabs, $726
North Star Polaris, 22” wide slabs, $829

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Full Size Pottery Wheel

A professionally quality pottery wheel starts around $800 and ranges up to around $1,500 to $2,000. Most potters use a wheel in the $800 to $1,500 range from quality brands such as Nidec-Shimpo, Brent, or Speedball. We’ve got a complete pottery wheel buyer’s guide here, but just know that as the price goes up you are paying for a stronger motor, a sturdier tabletop and legs, and a few other features.

Here’s a quick overview of a few wheels that would be great gifts.

Nidec-Shimpo Wheels

Nidec makes three full size wheels:

Shimpo VL-Lite

Shimpo RK-Whisper

Shimpo VL-Whisper

VL-Lite is a motor-driven model that retails for $793

RK-Whisper has the classic Shimpo metal body and fixed foot pedal, 12” wheelhead, and the ultra-quiet magnet driven wheelhead. It retails for $1,208

VL-Whisper is many potter’s favorite with a 14” wheelhead, the same ultra-quiet magnet drive as the RK, and a moveable foot pedal. It retails for $1,399

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Brent Pottery Wheels

Brent Model B.

Brent wheels are workhorses and come in a few models where everything is the same, except the motor. Some models are also available in black in addition to the distinctive “Brent yellow.” The most popular Brent models are the Brent B with a 1/3 horsepower motor, or the Brent C, with a 1/2 horsepower motor.

Brent Model B, 1/3 HP motor, $1,660
Brent Model C, 1/2 HP motor, $1,740

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Speedball Wheels

Speedball Clay Boss Wheel

In addition to the tabletop model mentioned above, Speedball makes two full sized wheels. The Clay Boss has a 1/2 HP motor with a 14” wheelhead. It’s reversible, but only via a plug and not a switch. The Big Boss has similar features except it comes with a 1 HP motor.

Speedball Clay Boss 1/2 HP wheel, $989
Speedball Big Boss 1 HP wheel, $1241

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Other Gift Ideas

Kilns: Read our guide to Skutt kilns here.

Tools: We’ve got a lot more ideas in our tool guides such as:

Scales for glaze mixing

Accessories for glaze mixing

Tools that can be used in the kitchen or the studio.

Classes: A set of classes at your local ceramics studio can be a great gift. If you can’t find a studio, ask a local clay supplier if they can recommend local studios.

Magazine Subscriptions: Magazines are great sources of ideas and inspiration. Check out The Studio Potter, Pottery Making Illustrated, or Ceramics Monthly.

Tours, Trips, or Conferences: Look for pottery-specific travel tours, retreats, or conferences.

What ideas do you have for pottery gifts? Let us know in the comments.

Gift Guides

Posts that may interest you:

Gift Guide for Young Artist and Creative Kids

Gift Guide for Artists Who Paint and Draw

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14 Best New Ceramic History Books and Artist Monographs

There are so many great new books on pottery and ceramics history! Here’s a round up of 14 top books from 2021 and 2022.

You might also enjoy our list of New Pottery and Ceramic Technique books.

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Ceramic, Art and Civilisation by Paul Greenhalgh

A major new history by Paul Greenhalgh, this textbook-sized book traces the evolution of ceramic art along with culture and civilization, looking at every aspect of the medium from ancient art to contemporary ceramic art. Even if you have read other histories of ceramics, this fresh take deserves a spot on your bookshelf.

Hardcover, 512 pages, published March 2021 by Bloomsbury Visual Arts, $50.

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Shapes From Out of Nowhere: Ceramics From the Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection by Adrienne Spinozzi, Glenn Adamson, and Robert A. Ellison

This catalog documents Ellison’s collection and donation of 150 works of non-representational ceramic art to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum. It’s an interesting collection, inspired by George Ohr’s vessels and including lots of information on contemporary makers such as Kathy Butterly, Betty Woodman, and more. Along with essays by Glenn Adamson and others, it’s full of images.

Hardcover, 272 pages, published February 2021 by August Editions, listed at $69.95 but usually available for less.

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Contemporary Black American Ceramic Artists by donald a clark and Chotsani Elaine Dean

This survey combines interviews and info on 38 contemporary Black ceramists, along with historical information and over 300 images. An important book that will fill in many gaps in ceramic scholarship, this book will be published in October of 2022.

Hardcover, 256 pages, published October 2022 by Schiffer Craft, $60.

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Listening to Clay: Conversations With Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Artists by Alice North, Halsey North, and Louise Cort

This volume shares interviews with 18 Japanese ceramic artists who have been working for decades; the subjects range in age from 62 to 92. Sharing their stories, processes, and ideas about clay, this is an excellent introduction to Japanese ceramic art in the Post World War II period to present times.

Hardcover, 352 pages, published February 2022 by The Monacelli Press, $65

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Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery by the Pueblo Pottery Collective, Elysia Poon, and Rick Kinsel

This survey of more than 100 pieces of historical Pueblo Pottery was selected by Pueblo potters, artists, and community leaders. This group of 60 was then invited to comment on the pieces in prose, poetry, or any form, resulting in this amazing book that examines the rich history of ceramics in Pueblo communities.

Hardcover, 288 pages, published September 2022 by Merrell Publishers, $70.

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Commeraw’s Stoneware: The Life and Work of the First African-American Pottery Owner by A. Brandt Zipp

This book presents the life and story of Thomas Commeraw, a New York City potter who was also an abolitionist, craftsman, and near the end of his life, a founder of a new Africa republic. Written by A. Brandt Zipp, a partner with the auction house Crocker Farm, this is the first major survey of Commeraw’s life and work.

Hardcover, 311 pages, published September 2022 by Crocker Farm, $95.

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Gifts from the Fire: American Ceramics, 1880-1950: From the Collection of Martin Eidelberg by Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen and Martin Eidelberg

Another entry from the Met, this book covers more than 180 ceramic works donated to the Met by Eidelberg from a 70 year period that ranges from the Arts & Crafts period through Modernism to abstract work from the mid-20th century. Lusciously illustrated along with essays, this is an excellent overview of Eidelberg’s collection and work from that era.

Hardcover, 256 pages, published November 2021 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, $65

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Morten Løbner Espersen: Triumph and Catastrophe by by Morten Løbner Espersen, Jan de Bruijn, and Glenn Adamson

Colorful and variegated glaze surfaces are built on a variety of vessel forms in Espersen’s work, and many are included in this first monograph surveying the artist’s multi-decades long investigation of the ceramic vessel.

Hardcover, 160 pages, published June 2022 by Nai010 Publishers, $45

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Jamaican Ceramics: A Historical and Contemporary Survey by Norma Rodney Harrack

Spanning from pre-history to the present day, this survey covers all aspects of ceramics in Jamaica including European influences and African Jamaican work. The book is by Norma Rodney Harrack, a ceramic artist and professor in Kingston, Jamaica.

Paperback, 212 pages, published April 2022 by The University of the West Indies Press, $50.

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Unearthed: Twentieth-Century Ceramic Art from Portugal by Pedro Moura Carvalho

Portugal is known for azulejos, or blue and white tiles, but this new survey shows all the other developments in ceramics by Portuguese artists. With a deep focus on the the 1950s and 1960s, this is the first book to examine the complete history of ceramics in Portugal in the 20th Century.

Hardcover, 312 pages, published January 2022 by Arnoldsche Verlagsanstalt, $70

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Griot Potters of the Folona: The History of an African Ceramic Tradition by Barbara E. Frank

A story of resilience and cultural heritage, this book traces more than 700 years of pottery history in Mali through a focus on the Folona women potters of Southeastern Mali. Using a comparative analysis of styles and techniques, Frank traces the history and evolution of this style of pottery.

Paperback, 526 pages, published February 2022 by Indiana University Press, $40

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Mutable: Ceramic and Clay Art in India Since 1947 by Sindhura DM, Kristine Michael, and Annapurna Garimella

The first major survey of ceramic art in India, this book grew out of a 2017 exhibition and includes information on potters, industrial ceramics, and ceramic art and sculpture. The book also examines clay within the post-independence craft revival. Throughout, the mutability of clay and its varied contexts are a main focus of the book.

Paperback, 204 pages, published June 2021 by Mapin Publishing, $45.

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Pewabic Pottery: The American Arts and Crafts Movement Expressed in Clay by Thomas W. Brunk

The most extensive study to date on the famed Michigan pottery, Pewabic Pottery examines the entrepreneurs who founded the company, the unique glazes, and the pottery’s contribution to the Arts & Crafts Movement. Written by the expert on Pewabic Pottery, this book is must for anyone who is interested in the exquisite forms and glazes produced at Pewabic.

Hardcover, 496 pages, published May 2021 by Michigan State University Press, $56

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Alice Mackler by Matthew Higgs, Kelly Taxter, and Joanne Greenbaum

The first monograph on this New York artist who was born in 1931, this book covers Mackler’s work in painting, collage and especially ceramic sculpture. Still pushing the medium forward and creating new work, the book also includes writings by Mackler and an interview with painter Joanne Greenbaum. It’s a lovely book that celebrates the exuberance and beauty of Mackler’s work.

Hardcover, 184 pages, published February 2021 by George R. Miller and Company, $45

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You might also enjoy:
14 Best New Ceramic Technique Books 2022
Ceramic Textbooks and Guidebooks
A Potter’s Workbook by Clary Illian

Any recent ceramic histories or monographs that you have enjoyed?

Let us know in the comments.

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