Your opinion might be different, but I really do think that (mini) pottery is Art as well. As you can clearly see in this blog post on people selling them.
Let me tell you all about it in my newest blog post of this week.
But First: What Is Pottery?
Pottery is an art form where crockery is made by ceramists. It actually is baked clay and that is why we call it ceramic. The objects made can be pots, but also bowls, cups, etc. The word "ceramic" comes from the Greek word 'Keramos', which means drinking vessel or earthenware vessel.
Originally, the word was referring to objects made of baked clay. Therefore, traditionally, ceramics are based on clay (or silicates). They are made from a large variety of clays, various additives, and all kinds of processes (different temperatures of the oven for example).
Now a potter or ceramist is someone who makes ceramics from clay that has been shaped on a pottery wheel.
Artisanal Ceramics: More Than Meets The Eye.
As the title of this article said: miniature pottery is Art as well. So it takes some time to make.
Crafting ceramics, like other crafts, are making a comeback, especially during a Covid19 epidemic. There is a growing interest in the work of people with a passion for the materials, learning for the old techniques, and the stories behind them. It is a great thing that the tradition is kept alive by modern artisans and their customers.
So, the traditional process is being appreciated, but what people don't seem to realize that it is also very labor-intensive. Most customers realize this, but not everybody does....
Some people are surprised when they see the prices of ceramics when they see somebody spinning pots on a pottery wheel and ask: " how can you ask so much money for work that is going so fast?"
But turning the clay on the wheel is only a small part of the whole process. According to ceramic artists, it is only a fifth of the total work! So what are they doing the rest of the time?
The 3 parts of the job!
1. The ceramics process.
- Develop designs / get ideas
- Make and test the glaze
- Shaping the clay: kneading and twisting
- Turning and finishing the shape (cutting it out)
- The first firing (biscuit)
- Glazing / decorating
- The second firing (end product)
2. The workshop process.
The first thing you need to know when working with clay is that things can get messy, so you need to keep your working space clean. In my opinion, that means:
- clean up regularly
- Maintenance tools and equipment
- Inventory management
3. Administration process.
Last but not least is the administrative part of the job. By this I mean anything that is not directly related to the production of the artwork.
- émail/correspondence
- Photography
- social media
- blog
- sales (Etsy)
- registry and taxes
So stop for a while and think about all the time and energy that these artists put into their work!
This pottery artist has great video's on Youtube:
More into depth with a tutorial.
Let's dive a little deeper into the process itself in 9 steps. This goes as well for our miniature pottery off course!
1. Think about what kind of pottery that you want to make: functional or non-functional.
If you want to make a decorative piece, then making it by hand is probably the way to go. A bowl however is best made with the help of a potter's wheel.
2. What is the purpose, size, shape, and color of the object you want to make? Decide on that first.
Think carefully about the type of object you want to make. If you want to make small objects like miniatures, beads, and animals, they are a good start. The possibilities regarding vases, plates, pans, crockery, and wall decorations are basically endless.
3. Once you have decided on what to make, you can then choose the type of clay.
In the pottery class, all kinds of clays are being used, but as we are making small objects, the easiest one is to use Polymer clay, because it doesn't need to be heated in a special pottery oven, just in your regular oven at home!
Real size clay objects are often pre-baked at 500-600 °C to prevent any cracks. After that, simple objects are then baked at 900°C and objects used every day in the household at 1000-1300 °C. So that would need a real pottery oven.
4. Decide on the method that works best for the objects you want to make.
There are a few methods you can choose from :
- use a pottery turntable or potter's wheel: ideal if you want to make symmetrical and round objects. Be aware that although this method is suitable for both small and large projects, in the beginning, mistakes are easily made and then the reshaping of the clay can be difficult.
- If you want to make other small things from clay then pottery: Crafting by hand is the most suited. The process is quite simple: start with a small piece of clay that you can mold in the palms of your hand, using pressure and heat. Use a cloth to wipe the surface smooth.
- Build the project up with clay rolls. This should work the best with hollow or asymmetrical objects. There are interesting textures or patterns to create by building up layers of clay rolls and bonding them together. ( I made the 'salad' in the vegetable garden of my backyard shed in that way ) . You attach them by sliding over the clay rolls so that they form a mass.
If I remember correctly, I used this video from Angie Scar.
- This works best with flat objects: put slides of clay on a flat surface. As it dries, it shrinks on the surface but keeps its shape.
5. Just improvise with clay.
It all depends on you and your level of pottery. If you have a potter's wheel: great, and go ahead. If you don't, you can try it all out as described in the previous points.
If you are totally new to this, you can always follow a workshop or watch some videos on Youtube. But remember that it is an art that requires skill, more than you realize.
6. You could put the pottery in an electric potter's oven.
Set the temperature at 850° C for 12 hours to bake unglazed pottery aka 'biscuit'. This first heating removes water and chemicals from the clay so that the project can be glazed without breaking. (source)
Let the oven cool off and remove the pottery from it 48 hours after it has completely cooled off.</