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Clay Resources

A curated list of resources both online and traditional media that will enhance your research or inspirational quest through the world of ceramics.

CSoM Created Content
Surface Symposium Video Series
Clay Studio of Missoula Artists In Residence spent time Spring 2020 creating virtual demonstrations of their own surface techniques.  Through this video series, we hope to inspire and aide students on the discovery of their own voice through creative ceramic making and finishing techniques.

CSoM Surface Symposium

CSoM Surface Symposium

CSoM Surface Symposium
Decorative Surface | Illustrating on Pottery | Lane Chapman

Decorative Surface | Illustrating on Pottery | Lane Chapman

32:50
Play Video
How To Create A Dynamic Surface | Andrew Rivera

How To Create A Dynamic Surface | Andrew Rivera

25:27
Play Video
Plate Demonstration | Christine Gronneberg

Plate Demonstration | Christine Gronneberg

28:38
Play Video
Coil Building a Tumbler for Woodfire  | Ben Blackwood

Coil Building a Tumbler for Woodfire | Ben Blackwood

54:25
Play Video

Clay Comics!

Former Studio Manager, Donna Flanery created these special comics to illustrate fun ceramics projects for kids and adults to enjoy:

Other Videos and Online Tutorials

  • Isaac Button; Country Potter: Parts 1-4:  We found this fascinating documentary uploaded to YouTube by Mark Peters.  This film created in the 1960s depicts the work of Isaac Button of Soil Hill Pottery, a country potter living and working in Halifax, UK.  Parts 2-4 should load automatically after watching Part 1.

Books
  • A Potter’s Workbook by Clary Illian: A requirement for anyone and everyone who loves clay, there’s a reason it’s a classic!

  • Mastering Kilns & Firing by Lindsay Oesterritter: Raku, Pit and Barrel, Woodfiring, and More. This book is brand new, and absolutely amazing! Another must have for ceramicists everywhere. From the back of the book “… join Lindsay Oesterritter for a complete information on the most accessible methods of alternative firing... Drawing on years of experience and extensive interviews with fellow potters there is no comparable resource.”

  • Live Form by Jenni Sorkin: Women, Ceramics, and Community: “Live Form fills a void in the current scholarship on postwar art. Looking closely at the development of pottery, Sorkin is able to redress the dominant narratives that privilege both painting as the dominant medium and men as its primary practitioners. Instead, she offers us the essential roles played by crafts and women in creating the interdisciplinary and performance-based fabric of our current moment.” – Helen Molesworth, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

  • Simply Pottery by Sara Pearch and Geraldine Christy: A practical course in basic pottery techniques.

  • Children, Clay and Sculpture by Cathy Weisman Topal: Sculpture projects and the historical context to go with them, a great teaching tool!

  • Gilded Vessel: the lustrous Art and Life of Beatrice Wood by Garth Clark : A beautiful collection of works and memoir of Beatrice Wood, the famous Dada era artist. 

  • All That Glitters by Duane Anderson: The Emergence of Native American Micaceous Art and Pottery in Northern New Mexico. A beautiful catalog of Micaceous Pottery in collections all over the world and bios about the artist that continue to produce work using this ancient method.

  • I Shock Myself the Autobiography of Beatrice Wood. “reflects the charm, magic and rare spirit of a woman who defied propriety, as well as time, to become a true national treasure.” A great read about a great and inspiring woman in ceramics.

  • Ceramics in America Edited by Robert Hunter: A well put together look into the history of the design and production of American Ceramics beginning in the 1770s. A long read, but very interesting and has great reference images of historical ceramics.

  • Hands in Clay by Charlotte F. Speight and John Toki (Fifth Edition): This is an older higher education textbook, but is appropriate for a student or artist at any level. Containing aesthetic, historical, and technical aspects of ceramics along with History of ceramics, technical guide and step-by-step guidelines for mold making.

  • THE POT BOOK by Edmund De Wall: This book is seriously huge (over 300 pages) and chock full of a beautiful and varied range of ceramic vessels of all periods. Organized alphabetically, this book is like a dictionary of makers and their work. A great book to peruse if you are having a maker’s block.

  • Lucie Rie by Tony Birks: A beautiful biography of one of the twentieth century Ceramic Greats, Lucie Rie. Wonderful photos of her work in both color and black and white. If you haven’t heard of her, you are missing out!

  • Contemporary Tableware by Linda Bloomfield: A great resource for functional potters, covering historical and contemporary tableware. A beautiful book with great images, another good one to flip through if you are feeling stuck in the making cycle.

  • “500” Series Books by Lark Crafts including 500 Prints On Clay, 500 Plates and Chargers, 500 Teapots, 500 The Best of Ceramics, 500 Bowls and more. This great series of books are put together as collections of like works and showcases the best of the best. Large, color photographs with info about the subjects and artists. Wonderful to have in your library to remind you of all the options and different styles of work out there!

Movies

Ghost.  Directed by Jerry Zucker.  Written by Bruce Joel Rubin.  Performances by Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopie Goldburg, Tony Goldwyn, Vincent Schiavelli.  Paramount Pictures, 1990.

Watch this classic, romance-thriller if you like that sort of thing- at least half of the staff is a fan!  Be sure not to miss a very sensual clay scene early on in this film.

Informational Websites

 “The ‘Field Guide for Ceramic Artisans’ is a website of information and resources developed to aid students as they exit school or to help those venturing into the ceramic field.” Developed and maintained by Julia Galloway, this website is a goldmine of useful information for practicing artists.

 “An online community serving active potters and ceramic artists worldwide, as well as those who are interested in finding out more about this craft. CeramicArtsNetwork.org provides a wide array of tools for learning about and improving skills in the ceramic arts, and a place for artists to share ideas and perspectives about how their art and life interact to shape each other.”

This huge resource has an answer for any question and information on any subject imaginable. A lot of the information is free online through Ceramic Arts Daily, but there are also some great subscription options for magazines, Ceramic Recipes, and instructional videos(CLAYflicks).

 This is a well organized “master list” of all things ceramics. Has everything from artists, resources, schools, galleries, historical sources, you name it! Thanks for this gem Ayumi!

 “The mission of Artaxis is to provide a peer-reviewed source of contemporary artwork in ceramics and sculpture. Utilized as a resource by instructors, students, gallerists, curators, the general public, and contemporary artists, Artaxis.org strives to promote and enrich the field, while functioning as a direct and unobtrusive conduit between viewer and artist.”

 

 “This website is a gathering of information about ceramics in Montana. This website features full time active makers, artists, craftsmen, schools, art centers, and galleries that are invested in the preservation, promotion and advancement of the ceramics arts in Montana through shared resources, networking, open dialogue and advocacy.”

 “CFile is a global community of cutting-edge educators, ceramics creatives, critics, curators, collectors, dealers, and brilliant young techies. Our online campus distributes free groundbreaking lectures, classroom material, edgy videos, recent exhibition catalogs, monographs, textbooks—and soon, Critical, a scholarly journal.”

"Helping ceramics technicians around the world fight the dragon since 1980".  A plethora of materials information and calculations for all of your ceramic tech needs.  This resource is technical, no surprise, be unequalled in its thorough content.  Their stated purpose is:  "We are on a mission to help manufacturers and educators who not only want to make beautiful functional objects but have a sense of accountability for their durability, strength, and safety and a desire to take control and not abdicate it to suppliers, consultants, or educators."

Magazines

  • Ceramics Art and Perception & Ceramics TECHNICAL 

  • Ceramics Ireland

    • “The Ceramics Ireland magazine is produced twice a year, featuring the work of Irish and international makers.”

    • This magazine is a hidden gem! Wonderfully written articles and interviews with artists all across Ireland.  

    • http://www.ceramicsireland.org/publications-2/magazines-2

  • Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Illustrated 

    • “As the world's most widely circulated ceramics magazine, Ceramics Monthly lets you indulge your artistic curiosity, instructs you on techniques and styles, and introduces you to the world’s most interesting artists!”

    • “Pottery Making Illustrated is unique because of its total dedication to tips, tools, and pottery making techniques. Every issue presents professional and experienced makers sharing creative step by step pottery projects and advice.”

    • https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/magazines-subscriptions/

  • Studio Potter https://www.studiopotter.org/

    • “Centered in studio practice, Studio Potter promotes discussion of technology, criticism, aesthetics, and history within the ceramics community.”

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