Clay Tools:
Here is a picture of the clay tools we will be using.
L to R:
* Yellow sponge and light green sponge for smoothing clay
* Wire cutter, for the teacher to cut the clay, big amounts at a time
* Loop tools have a "ribbon" on the top and/or bottom of them
* Wooden tools help to smooth, put texture, cut the clay
* Needle tool helps write into the clay
* Fork and texture tool help create scoring that you add slip to
L to R:
* Yellow sponge and light green sponge for smoothing clay
* Wire cutter, for the teacher to cut the clay, big amounts at a time
* Loop tools have a "ribbon" on the top and/or bottom of them
* Wooden tools help to smooth, put texture, cut the clay
* Needle tool helps write into the clay
* Fork and texture tool help create scoring that you add slip to
Glazing:
How does a glaze work?
Glazes are a liquid suspension of finely ground minerals that are applied onto the surface of bisque-fired ceramic ware by brushing, pouring, or dipping. After the glaze dries, the ware is loaded into a kiln and fired to the temperature at which the glaze ingredients will melt together to form a glassy surface.
The glaze goes through a process called vitrification. This means that the liquid you painted onto the surface changes from that into glass when it's heated to a certain temperature. This glass surface then protects the clay and makes it so you can eat and drink out of it. It can go in the microwave, for a short time, and the dishwasher too!
Glazes are a liquid suspension of finely ground minerals that are applied onto the surface of bisque-fired ceramic ware by brushing, pouring, or dipping. After the glaze dries, the ware is loaded into a kiln and fired to the temperature at which the glaze ingredients will melt together to form a glassy surface.
The glaze goes through a process called vitrification. This means that the liquid you painted onto the surface changes from that into glass when it's heated to a certain temperature. This glass surface then protects the clay and makes it so you can eat and drink out of it. It can go in the microwave, for a short time, and the dishwasher too!
Japanese practice of Kintsugi:
Kintsugi is the golden joinery in ceramic pieces. It embraces the broken. This dates back to 5000 BC (5th millennium BC). We know that the Japanese military commander Ashikaga Yoshimasa is who made this practice popular. He broke his favorite bowl, so he sent it away to be fixed. It came back to him with staples trying to hold the ceramic bowl together. This upset him. So, he ordered his craftsmen to find a more aesthitic way to fix his bowl. They put the bowl back together and added gold paint to the crack. This lead to the practice of Wabi Sabi.
|
Current practice of Wabi Sabi:
Wabi Sabi is the practice of breaking something on purpose just to fix it with gold paint. It is connected to the Buddhist thoughts of impermanence. They believe it's not the end of the object's life when it's broken, but instead it's about how it has become significant in the world. Imperfection/flaws aren't hidden, instead they should be highlighted as perfection.
Hemingway said, "The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken pieces." Was he thinking of Kin Tsugi when he said this?
The real person is hard to see until it's fractured.
Hemingway said, "The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken pieces." Was he thinking of Kin Tsugi when he said this?
The real person is hard to see until it's fractured.