Until 2016 I was a ceramicist. Nowadays I still consider myself an artist but I no longer have a kiln and work in other materials and other forms of art.
My ceramics was focused mainly on sculptural and abstract forms.
On previous occasions, I wrote about my photography. And made several How-To-articles about ceramics, but here I want to introduce you to my abstract ceramics*.
* Abstract means it’s not recognizable as a real or figurative subject
Working with your hands, and especially with clay, is a great way to relax. It is also a way to develop your creativity and is very satisfying. And it does not have to be expensive at all.
Over the years I had collected a lot of professional tools for my clay processing – wire tools, knives, hole cutters, kidneys. Some were bought new, others in a secondhand shop, and some came from my kitchen drawer.
You can start making ceramics right away because most of these utensils you have in your house anyway. Buy some clay and you’re ready to go.
In this article, I describe how you can combine linocut with clay to make reliefs.
Clay is a rewarding material, both for the professional and the hobbyist. Anyone who is just starting with clay will soon have an excellent result.
Clay can be decorated with all kinds of techniques, ranging from simple to difficult. The beauty is that most techniques can be started in a simple way and gradually become more complicated.
I used smoke firing on objects that already had their first round of firing in an electric kiln, called bisque or biscuit clay. This reduced the chance of breakage, and it also ensured that the objects were fired evenly and well.
Admittedly, my neighbours weren’t always quite pleased when I was firing this way. As you might know from a poorly ventilated fireplace, burning stuff that causes a lot of smoke can smell penetrating.
Yet, the results were so great that I risked their dislike. In this article, I explain how to smoke-firing ceramics yourself.