Ceramics Books

500 Plates & Chargers: Innovative Expressions of Function & Style (500 Series)

Lark

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Awesome book! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is wonderful! If looking for creative ideas, methodology, glazing suggestions, or just browsing the photos, this is the book for you! As someone who has just finished my own home studio, I found this book to be incredibly helpful!

Beautiful Design Ideas 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful photographs. VERY brief descriptions are given about the techniques used - so this is not a how-to book. However, it is rich in lovely design ideas and enjoyable to peruse.

Editorial Review:

Plates and chargers can serve as more than just places to put your food: they can be glorious art to show off on a table, sideboard, or hutch. These 500 spectacular pieces chosen by esteemed juror Linda Arbuckle range from the utilitarian yet beautifully glazed plate to dramatically decorated work, and they're crafted from a remarkable variety of materials--including pristine porcelain and bold earthenware. Nick Joerling's stoneware is the perfect canvas for a design: vigorous brush strokes set in wax resist race across its attractive surface. Kelly McKibben's hand-built Going for a Stroll showcases delicately inlaid and silk-screened images. The stunning gallery provides a unique and wide-ranging snapshot of contemporary ceramic arts.

Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques: Raku * Saggar * Pit * Barrel (A Lark Ceramics Book)

James C. Watkins, Paul Andrew Wandless

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I really like this book. The directions are clear and easy to understand. The pictures are great! I borrowed this book from a friend and immediately ordered it for myself.

Alternate Kiln and Firing Help 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I was very glad to get this book for several reasons. Jan Lee had some illustrations, and directions included and I am a big fan of her work. Also, I plan to do some of the Pit firing this summer in the mountains and the directions were clear and exciting.

Editorial Review:

Ceramicists searching for new ways to fire their creations now have a wealth of options. Authors James Watkins and Paul Wandless, along with a group of distinguished artisans, demonstrate in detail how to build low-cost, low-tech, yet high-quality kilns. The plans range from an easy, affordable, and versatile Raku Kiln to a unique wood-fueled Downdraft Stovepipe Barrel one. These clever devices make it possible to produce rich surface effects from alternative reduction firing techniques. In addition to showing the basic procedures for using each kiln, easy-to-follow directions for many fast-fire methods unfold in color photographs: You’ll see how to achieve terra sigillata surfaces with direct chemical application, and how to do traditional crackle-glaze raku and smoke finishes.

500 Animals in Clay: Contemporary Expressions of the Animal Form (A Lark Ceramics Book)

Lark Books

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Wonderful book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Just like the title indicates--it is a great selection of ceramic animals by contemporary artists. There is everything from realistic to bizarre interpretations of domestic, wild and farm animals, even includes a few bees. Like other books in the Lark ceramic "500" series, it is not a "how-to" book but rather a varied collection that inspires. A great buy!

Editorial Review:

It’s simply breathtaking: no other volume has ever presented such a diverse and captivating collection of contemporary animal-themed ceramics. Juried by distinguished artist and educator Joe Bova, this magnificent gallery includes pieces from an international group of artists; the beautifully crafted works range from the representational to the abstract, from artful realism to provocative surrealism (including animal-human hybrids). Ann Marais’ image of a waterfowl painted onto a porcelain dish has a restrained, Asian quality, reinforced by a simple palette of black on white. Laurie Sharkus’ painted and smoke-fired stoneware turtle could easily be mistaken for the living creature. Bova provides astute and illuminating commentary overall, while selected artists’ notes shed light on how and why they choose to interpret this challenging subject.

500 Cups: Ceramic Explorations of Utility & Grace (500 Series)

Lark

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

great idea book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this for a pottery student of mine after she bought the teapot book. Both are great fodder for the potter's imagination, and for me, a wonderful set of examples that get me away from the idea that my own pottery has to be as "perfect" as a wedgwood teacup. The pitcher book will be the next to grace the shelves of my studio library.

Editorial Review:

In the hands of an expert ceramist, the once-simple cup can become an extraordinary work of art--as these 500 magnificent examples so beautifully prove. The exciting pieces come from an international array of artists, each with a unique perspective. The stylishly varied collection has a little bit of everything: the cups range from handbuilt to wheel-thrown, practical to sculptural, round to square. Benjamin Schulman's "Stacked Teacup Set" takes a strictly functional approach, while Heather O'Brien's "Dessert Cups on Stand" focuses on aesthetic form rather than usefulness. Annette Gates' "Espresso Shot Cups with Rubies" has a surface design of simple abstract lines and dots of glaze and jewels. Some are whimsical, others starkly conceptual. Every one is a treat for the eye.

The Complete Guide to High-Fire Glazes: Glazing & Firing at Cone 10 (A Lark Ceramics Book)

John Britt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An Excellent resource book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a brilliant book with great technical information and fabulous pictures. Most importantly for me though is getting good glaze recipes that have materials that are easily found or can be adapted to what I have. I have trialled many recipes in this book and have found good success. John Britt writes well and gives good firing information. Also most helpful is where he shows the same glaze used on different types of clay, this is a critical factor in the success of any glaze so a most important point that needs to be shown.
If you are wanting to learn about glazing, then this book is a must for you. If you follow through each section and test as many of the glazes as possible, and follow the different firing methods, you will at the end have a comprehensive understanding of glazes and firing.

Editorial Review:

With hundreds of recipes for some of the most popular and enduring high-fire glazes, this reference will prove a boon to ceramists who want to master this complex and versatile aspect of the art. Author John Britt, who served as Clay Coordinator at the respected Penland School of Crafts, has personally tested many of the recipes, and carefully reviews every one. He offers a thorough examination of glaze materials, chemistry, and tools, and presents the basics of mixing, application, and firing procedures. There’s a wealth of information on various type of glazes, including copper, iron, shino, salt/soda, crystalline, and more. An exhaustive index of subjects and a separate index of glaze recipes will help ceramists find what they need, quickly and easily.

Wheel-Thrown Pottery (DIY): An Illustrated Guide of Basic Techniques from the Hit DIY Show Throwing Clay (DIY Network)

Bill van Gilder

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Anyone who has ever imagined plunging bare hands into cool, moist clay and shaping it into a vase, platter, or tile can now experience the pleasure of pottery. Lifelong potter Bill van Gilder has a bounty of time-tested advice on all the basics, and a plethora of fantastic techniques. That means novices will enjoy the advantages of a master teacher guiding them through each stage of the process—while intermediates will eagerly soak up every new idea he has to offer. With van Gilder’s help, beginners can try hand building, and progress onto the fundamentals of wheel-throwing. They’ll get expert tips on shaping spouts, handles and feet; adding texture, color, and luster; and combining techniques to create a variety of attractive projects.

A production potter for more than 30 years, Bill van Gilder, host of DIY Network’s Throwing Clay, has traveled around the world to learn, teach, and exhibit his craft. He is a regular contributor to Clay Times magazine, and is on the faculty of The Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2000, he founded the Frederick Pottery School in Maryland.

500 Tiles: An Inspiring Collection of International Work (500 Series)

Lark Books

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I concur, Inspiring it is! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I must agree with the previous reviewers, the work in this volume certainly merits "Inspiring" being in the title.

As the juror states in the book's introduction, so much of the fun of this book is seeing the widely varied approaches the artists have taken with this format: figurative, abstract, painterly, sculptural, small-scale, architectural.

Full disclosure: my work is also included (p 409), and I am honored to have been selected and published next to so many visionary artists.

What a pleasure it has been to explore the works contained here, some by artists I know personally, or by reputation, and still others I am encountering for the first time. Highly recommended!

Editorial Review:

From press-molded pieces to carved works showcasing spectacular surface treatments, these magnificent tiles will inspire beginners and professionals, as well as collectors and enthusiasts. Some of the larger handcrafted displays here were made to decorate public and private spaces; others use single tiles to interpret nature, tell a story, or make a bold cultural observation. As always in this acclaimed series, all the contributors are accomplished artists, renowned in the field. Mary Lynn Buss creates the ultimate kitchen backsplash: a field of mosaic-tiled long-necked irises. Peter King and his wife and working partner Xinia Marín fashion large, expressively rendered, and sculptural installations. And Melody Ellis’s low-relief earthenware tiles pack intriguing narratives into every tile.

The Complete Potter's Companion

Tony Birks

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Pretty book, but shallow 3 out of 5 stars.
17 of 21 people found this review helpful.

This is a very pretty book, and it does cover a breadth of material, but it's very shallow. An entire book could be devoted to each chapter. It provides a good overview of what can be done with clay, but in the end, I have to turn to other books to get more than a cursory understanding of individual processes.

Great for beginners! 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

I'm new to pottery and found this book to be informative. I also found many creative ideas that sparked my own creativity.

Editorial Review:

Revised and updated, this classic potter's volume explains everything from preparation through firing, with stops along the way for detailed coverage of working on the wheel; coiled, slab, and pinch pots; mold making; slip casting; and glazing and decorating. The comprehensive text ranges from basic (wedging and kneading, beginning wheelwork) to advanced (spray glazing, raku firing). The no-frills design of the book packs almost too much information on a page, but the instructions are clear and thorough, the photos (more than 450, all in color) are straightforward and helpful, and the stunning examples of work by contemporary potters provide additional inspiration.

Encyclopedia Of Mosaic Techniques: A Step-by-step Visual Directory, With An Inspirational Gallery Of Finished Works (Encyclopedia of Art Techniques)

Emma Biggs

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best Basic Mosaic Manual 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I found this book to be an excellent primer for the person getting started in mosaics. The various techniques are well illustrated with easy to understand text. I found the designs interesting, colorful, and the type I could put to use. All of this is laid out in a spiral bound book that lays flat for easy reading and reference. I own several books on mosaics, but this one is my favorite.

Encyclopedia of Mosaic Techniques review 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is one that should be on the shelf of any and all mosaic artists. More likely, they will be found in use on desktops and workshops. From some basic history of mosaic art to actual technique and fundamental information for creating your own mosaic masterpiece, this book has it all. I loved the many images that were inspirational and informative. Overall, I loved this book and would recommend to artists interested in mosaic.

Editorial Review:

A new edition to our Encyclopedia of Art Techniques series, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MOSAIC TECHNIQUES shares the ancient methods for creating decorative artwork with mosaic tiles. This visual directory helps you transform your pottery, furniture, walls, and floors with fabulous creative mosaics. Learn foolproof techniques for getting colors to work together to create dynamic designs. It needn't be expensive: find out how to work with improvised mosaic tiles, such as pebbles, colored glass, and other found materials.

The Stained Glass Garden: Projects & Patterns

George W. Shannon, Pat Torlen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent book, informative and creative. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book has all kinds of information, from basic tools, materials and procedures used, to instructions for making your own light table to work on. Includes patterns from simpler plant stakes and candle holders, to really extravagant lawn sprinklers. Awesome book, good for beginners and the more experienced. Don't know why they chose that cover photo, it is nowhere near the best or prettiest project in the book.

The Stained Glass Garden: Projects & Patterns 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this item for my mother, who is a stained glass enthusiast that put aside her craft when my brother and I were children (children and shards of glass don't mix very well, apparently). Recently, I've encouraged my mother to resume her interest. Since she is also interested in gardening, "The Stained Glass Garden: Projects & Patterns" was a perfect fit. Among the projects detailed in this book are lanterns, a bird feeder, and a sprinkler. The instructions are clear, and the projects are interesting. I would recommend this item for other stained glass enthusiasts!

Editorial Review:

Grow a glass garden—and beautify any space with the exquisite decorative items you’ve created. George W. Shannon and Pat Torlen, two master teachers and artists who run the On The Edge Glass Studio, offer an array of glorious patterns for stained glass flowers, butterflies, birds, birdfeeders, planters, lanterns, and mobiles. Using dozens of close-up photos, they teach all the basics of both copper foil and lead came construction, from materials and tools to how-to techniques.
A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.