Ceramics

When you think 'ceramics', what is it that comes to mind?
A cup or vase? Or do you immediately relate to your own experiences with clay?

Ceramics, to me, means just about anything you can make out of clay. I've hand built using clay I've found, I've poured clay slip into molds, I've even dabbled on the wheel.

Sometimes I think people are confused about the differences in the terms "Ceramics" versus "Pottery" and the plain fact is, there is no difference.

Well, I mean there is no difference basically in the materials used but of course, there are differences in the formula and body of clay one is using, at the time.

One can pretty much take the over all subject of ceramics and break it down into 3 categories: clay slip, pottery and hand building.

Hand building and the term 'pottery' (or thrown) uses pretty much the same combinations of clays while clay slip is formulated to make the clay a pourable substance like milk and is poured into molds.

Within each category, one can also break it down further as there are so many different types of clay. There is earthenware, stoneware and porcelain.

Earthenware (the most commonly used by throwers) is basically medium in coarseness and texture. Usually a misture of clays from different parts of the world.

Stoneware is a sturdier clay, rough in texture and formulated with the higher firing clays along with a grit of some sort.

Porcelain is a whole other subject, in that true porcelain clay is only found in China while the other countries have (through the years) perfected blends that come the closest in transparency and texture to pure porcelain. Most of what you see on the market today, is this finely tuned formula.

Porcelain is used for fine works such as dinnerware and dolls faces.

Since porcelain is what I refer to as 'the driest' of clays, it's the hardest to work with as it's less pliable than the others.

Today, you can make a clay slip out of just about any variety of clays including porcelain, the same with ball clays which are used for forming.