When you hear Renoir, Picasso and Monet, the first thing that will come to mind is France. However, painting is not the only art form that comes out of France. Pottery is one as well, although it’s less well known in other parts of the world.
From golden sarcophagi and intricate paintings, to new marvels uncovered beneath the blowing desert sands, a look at Egypt’s past reveals the work of incredible artisans and architects that lingers on, and amazes mankind to this day. Which makes it unsurprising to discover that the humble pottery of Egypt has a long and varied history as not only functional and food storage devices, but as time capsules that hold the literal hearts of some of history’s most well-known nobility.
When making modern ceramics, the easiest way to get a piece’s symmetry to match properly is to create it while it’s spinning, which is why a spinning pottery wheel are so popular among pottery makers. For anyone that’s looked into buying a brand-new pottery wheel, they will know that they can often cost hundreds of dollars, which means a second hand one might be a better option.
Most of the subsoil in the world is made up of clay, a material that has ultimately changed the course of history and allowed the human race to go from living day by day to planning for the future. It’s a malleable and incredibly versatile substance that has a number of intrinsic chemical features that make it perfect for being made into new forms, especially when subjected to high amounts of heat.
Africans have been making pottery in Africa for countless thousands of years, with some of the earliest examples ranging back to the Ancient Egyptians that started to create pottery circa 6000 BC. Many of these practices then made their way south throughout the rest of the continent such as Ethiopia and the Sudan.
For many, the idea of ceramics might mean nothing more than a bowl or coffee cup that they made once in art class, but the histories of the different ceramics and how they came to be used on an everyday basis is exceedingly fascinating. Humans have been making use of ceramics and pottery for thousands of years, and they are a big part of the reason that we have done so well. Pottery allowed us to store our crops for extended periods of time, specifically through the winters, where prior many people would not be able to find enough food.
When we’re deciding on a career to pursue, it usually makes the most sense to follow something that we’re passionate about. This allows us to use our creative skills and designs to earn a bit of money on the side, with the hope of ultimately turning that passion into something that we can live off. Pottery will always be popular in the world, no matter how advanced our manufacturing gets. For those that want to start earning money from the pottery that they make, these are a few helpful tips to get started with.
Pottery is a brilliant hobby that just about anyone in the world can pick and get started on. Spending countless hours learning how to make the perfect bowl, plate, or vase, can eventually lead the artist down the road of selling their pottery. Starting a small pottery business means either taking custom commissions or making home-made creations to sell at a market, which means having to both store the pottery and transport it in a safe way. Due to the nature of ceramics, which are prone to breaking under too much stress, it’s important to learn how to properly store all forms of pottery, and to ensure that there are no breakages after taking the pottery out of storage or the back of a transport van.
Depending on who’s asked, clay can either be a great resource or a sign of a problem. For gardeners, clay signals that their soil isn’t healthy enough to grow any crops, while a pottery lover sees clay as the ultimate tool of creation. Regardless, clay is an interesting natural phenomenon that can be found across the world and is made up of a variety of elements that make it uniquely suited for the creation of pottery. For those that want to know more about clay and how it functions, these are the most important points to remember.
For most artists in the world today, getting a hold of quality clay usually means ordering it from the local artisan shop or even online. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing it, it is often considered a specialty item and may cost a fair amount, especially considering that clay can be found abundantly in nature. For those that want to use natural clay for their pottery while also saving some money, these are some simple steps to follow in order to do just that.