{"id":15742,"date":"2022-12-20T12:58:51","date_gmt":"2022-12-20T12:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.cursist-courses.com\/pottery-get-a-head-start-with-this-handy-overview\/"},"modified":"2023-12-07T11:01:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T11:01:19","slug":"pottery-get-a-head-start-with-this-handy-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.cursist-courses.com\/en\/pottery-get-a-head-start-with-this-handy-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Pottery: get a head start with this handy overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Want to start drinking your daily coffee from a unique mug you’ve made with your own two hands? Want to arrange freshly picked flowers in a special vase that you created from scratch? Want to fill your sunny terrace with bright flower pots that have exactly the colour and decorations that you wanted? Want to serve a lovely salad in a home-made bowl at your next summer barbecue?<\/p>\n

All of these scenarios make my heart beat faster. Because anything to do with clay, ceramics and pottery, genuinely makes me happy. It’s a passion I love to share, through the Cursist. Because maybe pottery and you is also a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Want to give it a try? Check out our pottery overview below. Or jump off the deep end and sign upfor one of our online video courses<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have fun on your pottery journey!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Pottery: is it for you?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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You like working with your hands
<\/strong>Getting the clay all over your hands, feeling its texture between your fingers, kneading it, pulling it up on the pottery wheel… You can feel the creative ideas flow from your head through your shoulders straight to your fingers. And that excites you: making something by yourself, improving your technique and letting your imagination run free.<\/p>\n

You’re interested in meditation
<\/strong>I often say that making ceramics and pottery is a form of meditation. When you’re making pottery all of your attention is completely focused on the clay, your movements, the technique, the shape you want to create … In other words: you’re completely in the zone<\/i>. This has many benefits, which you can read about in the article“Pottery, a form of meditation”<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You’re looking for peace and fulfillment<\/strong>
Making pottery is peaceful. The meditative and creative aspects make a very powerful combination. One that brings a feeling of fulfillment. No matter whether your latest creation is a success or a failure. The clay is quick to forgive.<\/p>\n

You know that failure equals learning<\/strong>
When you’re first starting to learn pottery, you should expect to create a bunch of failed pots, or at least ones that have some funky<\/i> shapes. And that’s a good thing, because trial and error is essential when it comes to pottery. Every time you fail, you learn. And every potter knows what to do in that moment: you take a deep breath, and you simply try again. Failure gives you the opportunity to grow and continue to improve your creations. And your failed pots? Those end up as recylced clay<\/i><\/a>!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How do you get started with pottery?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Apart from eager hands and a passion for creating, you also need a few supplies and materials to get started with pottery. Below you’ll find a helpful list.<\/p>\n

Clay<\/strong>
It all starts with clay. After all, pottery is nothing more than clay that has been fired. But before it goes into the oven, you knead and shape it to create a specific form. And not every type of clay is suitable for every form and technique. The first time you enter a pottery shop, you might end up overwhelmed by all of the different types of clay you can choose from.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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You choose the right clay by looking at its specific properties<\/strong>: Plasticity, strength, water absorption, texture.
Based on these properties, clay is divided into three categories<\/strong>: Earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain.<\/p>\n

As a beginner, make sure you choose a clay that is plastic and slow to absorb water. What type of strength and texture you need, depends on the size of the project you’re working on. Beginners are better off working with stoneware. It’s quite strong and plastic, but it also holds its shape quite well.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The label should tell you everything you need to know about the clay. Once you check the label, you’ll have a good idea of whether the properties of this clay match the project you have in mind. In the article “choosing clay for beginners<\/a>” you can learn even more about the different types of clay available in the pottery store.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Supplies you already have at home<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you plan to make pottery at home, gather the following supplies: <\/span><\/p>\n