Art - Hand-built Pottery

• Clay is natural
• It has plasticity, easy to mould and shape
• Malleable is another work for easy to mould shape
• Clay undergoes a chemical change when subjected to intense heat
• Dry or leather hard clay is very fragile
• When 'fired', it becomes a hard durable piece of pottery
• Clay falls into three categories. Earthenware, Stoneware and Porcelain;
   
• Earthenware is in its raw state
  • Highly plastic reddish brown in colour. Normally fired at 1100°c
  • Still porous after Bisque firing, make it ideal to be covered with an impervious layer of glaze
     
• Stoneware is very popular with craft potters
  • Fired at 1300°c - turns grey after firing
  • Non-porous after firing
  • Glaze colours subtle, not bright
     
• Porcelain is the finest kind of pottery
  • Fired at temperatures above 1280°c
  • Contains high proportion of China clay
  • Pottery is hard, non-porous, close textured, white colour
  • Its is translucent and very thin. Fine and delicate.

   

  Artwork made by Gilberd Students to demonstrate Hand-built pottery.
  Please click the thumbnail to see the full version of the image.