How to Pick the Right Ceramic Vase for Your Home
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Art 150 Intro to Ceramics
Image by Michael Oh
Ceramics Class: The advanced students from wheel throw and hand building ceramics classes held an art sale to sell some of their prized works at Cerritos College on last Sunday and those are the leftover that will be on display at the classroom and also on sale today. The works are great and uses non toxic glazes and very light to handle with spoon and forks for dinner plates. I bought two for cereal bowl and soup bowl. I just ate off of one of the bowl.
In picking the perfect Ceramic vase to help accentuate the décor in your home, the majority of your selection process will be deeply personal, as it should be.
Price: Obviously, one of the biggest concerns for many of us is price, as money is a standard we all understand. If you can afford it, and you feel like putting down a few thousand dollars for that certain ceramic vase, then by all means go ahead! However, for those on a budget, you can surly find a piece that can compliment your home décor at a price you can afford. That is the beauty of ceramic vases, there is the right one for everyone.
Color: The great thing about ceramic vases is that they come in a huge array of colors that can compliment any room or décor. You will want to know the room you are trying to add accent to before making a purchase. You will want to ask yourself if you are looking to find a piece to begin a new them to a room, or add to an existing theme. When looking to begin a new theme look at the colors of the piece and determine if you can get a close or complimentary color match for your walls or other decorative accents.
Size: Are you looking for an over sized ceramic vase to accent an over sized room? On the other hand, do you merely need to find a small ceramic vase or two to add that final addition to a bedroom? Also, with size comes heft, and the weight of an item is the main factor of shipping and delivery fees. The great thing about ceramic vases is you can get them as large or as tiny as you wish. Keep in mind if you get a massive ceramic vase you may have to move it occasionally for cleaning.
Utility: Some people have a ceramic vase or two just for decorative touches to a room. Others use them for purposeful uses such as a decorative holding container for their kitchen utensils. One of the most common utility uses of a ceramic vase is for displaying flowers. If that is your intent on purchasing a ceramic vase, you will need to make sure that it is non-porous so it can hold water unless you are using artificial floral arrangements.
Ceramic vases make for a beautiful accent to a home, but also make a wonderful gift to give. They make are perfect for a house warming, wedding gift, anniversary, and several other occasions. Any time you choose to give a gift of flowers, you can make that gift extra special by adorning them in a beautiful ceramic vase. You will always look so good when you bring some Italian gifts like some Italian Mosaics, Ceramic Plate, Ceramic Tile, Ceramics jar etc; because their beauty is no compared with other Italian Decor, it is very known for their fine figures hand painted, which it make it different than the other kind of ceramics therefore you will have a treasure at home.
Villaggio ceramics brings you a lot of items about Italian ceramics for all those gifts that you want to give in a special day, or some kind of ceramic that you want for your home decorating. You will find beautiful ceramics from Deruta, Deruta Maiolica and the best masters from Italy, the best quality and the best ceramic in your hands to U.S.A. from Italy exclusively for the décor of your home.
Indian Ceramics
Covers ceramics, glass refractories, cement, electronic ceramics, and enamel allied products.
Top10 Pottery Making Tips for the Intermediate Potter
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Pottery making is a fun but sometimes frustrating hobby. You never know exactly what your results will be when you open that kiln door! Here are my tips to make pottery making that little bit more rewarding……
1. Keep records of everything you do-that way you learn quickly and can repeat your successes and avoid your failures.
2. Label your buckets not your lids- don’t learn the hard way that you have just glazed your speciality piece in the wrong glaze!
3. Buy a kiln with a modern controller. Modern controllers are now relatively inexpensive and give you such freedom to control the firing in a way that best suits your product.
4. Keep drying of your product consistent. Drying too quickly is one the most common causes of glaze or clay faults.
5. Learn something about the materials you use. Armed with a little knowledge you can save so much time.e.g. Does glaze go off? What happens to my clay if it freezes?
6. Keep your clay in good condition by covering it with plastic when not in use. That way it retains its plastic condition.
7. Plaster moulds need to be replaced after 40-50 casts. It is false economy in slip casting to continue to use old moulds. These may give inconsistent thickness, pinholed ware and much more besides!
8. Use Orton cones or Bullers rings in your kiln. That way you know your kiln is performing OK and you can spot potential problems such as element failure before they become disastrous.
9. Give some pieces to your loved ones or to charity. The feel good factor will keep you motivated.
10. Continue to share your passion with others. Go to pottery classes and learn something new or join an online pottery group.
Alternatively why not test your pottery knowledge with my quick pottery quiz http://www.squidoo.com/potteryquiz
More information and other technical articles on pottery and ceramics can be found at my website http://www.pottersfriend.co.uk Go now to sign up for my free newsletter.
Hand Painted Ceramics – The Perfect Sentimental Gift
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Art 150 Intro to Ceramics
Image by Michael Oh
Ceramics Class: The advanced students from wheel throw and hand building ceramics classes held an art sale to sell some of their prized works at Cerritos College on last Sunday and those are the leftover that will be on display at the classroom and also on sale today. The works are great and uses non toxic glazes and very light to handle with spoon and forks for dinner plates. I bought two for cereal bowl and soup bowl. I just ate off of one of the bowl.
Hand painted ceramics make an excellent gift for almost anyone on any gift giving list and occasion you might have whether it is for the holidays, a birthday, or to a newlywed couple. Giving a gift of hand painted ceramics, and not just mass-produced products lets the recipient know that you value them.
There are several excellent reasons to give a gift of hand painted ceramics to your friends and loved ones such as their beauty, class, quality workmanship, uniqueness, value, and personality.
Beauty and class – Hand painted ceramics are obviously beautiful pieces of artwork that are worthy of proper display in the recipients household. Unlike the cheap, mass produced ceramics, sold at so many locations, quality hand painted ceramics show the extra fine attention to detail that, only an artist dedicated to their passion would strive to achieve.
Quality workmanship on hand painted ceramics is truly something to be admired in the artist. So much of any artist’s soul goes into each piece. When you give a gift of hand painted ceramics you are giving something that will bring pleasure for generations to come due to the heirloom quality of the artwork.
Uniqueness – Most hand painted ceramics pieces are one of a kind. Therefore, while you are giving a gift that will add to the beauty to the recipients’ home you are also giving a unique experience that nobody else on earth will possess. A gift of one-of-a-kind, hand made ceramics is not just a gift of yourself, but you are also sharing a particular gift of the artist. “One-of-a-kind” says so much more than you might think.
Increasing value – One of the most interesting aspects of giving a gift of hand painted ceramics is how exceptional artwork almost always increases in value. A well-known artist will increase simply because of popularity. However, even “folksy” types of hand painted ceramics increase in value because of the artwork itself. Over time, a simple gift of hand painted ceramics could possibly grow into an asset for the family.
Personality – When you make your selection of hand painted ceramics, you can match the personality of the recipient with the piece. When you can match a personality through a masterful piece of artwork you give the recipient the gift of them knowing that you due care about who they are as a person and what they value. So you are not just giving a nice gift to someone you care about. You are sharing just the tiniest bit of yourself too.
You will always look so good when you bring some Italian gifts like some Italian Mosaics, Ceramic Plate, Ceramic Tile, Ceramic vase etc; because their beauty is no compared with other Italian Decor, it is very known for their fine figures hand painted, which it make it different than the other kind of ceramics therefore you will have a treasure at home. Villaggio ceramics brings you a lot of items about Italian ceramics for all those gifts that you want to give in a special day, or some kind of ceramic that you want for your home decorating. You will find beautiful ceramics from Deruta, Majolica Deruta and the best masters from Italy, the best quality and the best ceramic in your hands to U.S.A. from Italy exclusively for the décor of your home.
WOOD FRAMED CERAMIC TILE ART FLORAL SPRING TULIPS
 | US $9.99 End Date: Wednesday Feb-22-2012 17:42:08 PST Buy It Now for only: US $9.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Cerulean Blue 2oz Bottle of Enamel Glass and Ceramic Paint By Plaid Folk Art
The Art of Native American Pottery
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Denby Pottery #1
Image by ~Duncan~
For GWUK. The Denby Pottery Company, Derbyshire.
Native American Pottery can come from the pueblos of the southwest or from the Casa Grande area. Mata Ortiz, Hopi, Navajo, Acoma, Zia, just to name a few, are pueblos that make wonderful hand coiled Native American pottery. Indigenous American Indians include those south of the United States borders. (Remember there are no lines drawn on the ground separating North from South America) Some of the best pottery I’ve seen is from the Casa Grande area where they create Mata Ortiz pottery. All of the native pottery is hand coiled and formed with native clays, dung fired and hand painted. Each pueblo has there own unique style of pottery. The images painted onto the pots usually symbolize the various pueblos beliefs and mythos.
The Hopi pottery generally is decorated with a feather style, but also has many intricately painted geometric shapes on the surface. Acoma style is generally a light weight whitish clay with very finely detailed geometric lines and dots. I have quite a few with geckos and different types of insects. Zia pots usually have birds and flowers and a wavy line or two. Maricopa tends to be more utilitarian. The red clay pots are my favorites. The Santa Clara and San Ildefonso pueblos make some of the finest blackened pots around. Many are carved out into avanu or water serpent designs.
My newest discovery has been the Mata Ortiz pots. Most are made in the Casa Grande plateau by some very talented artists. The blackened pots rival the Santa Clara and San Ildefonso pueblos of the north. The intricate paintings are so precise and meticulous that it will make your eyes cross just looking at them.
All of these talented artists are Native Americans although people sometimes forget that Mexico is part of that grouping.
Create Pottery For Your Business
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If you are looking for a great creative outlet or a new hobby that can bring in a little spare change while you are at it, you may want to consider learning to make your own pottery. It is a great and fun hobby that isn’t terribly expensive, once you have the initial tools of the trade and is a lot of fun for many people around the world. Moreover the results of your efforts when it comes to pottery making are actually useful items to have around the house or to bring in a little extra income selling on Ebay or at local craft fairs and flea markets.
Well-made and carefully selected pieces of pottery also make excellent gifts for friends and family. If you are one of the millions of people around the world who really feel the pinch around holidays then learning to make your own pottery can really help to soften the blow while providing great gifts for those you love. There are many useful purposes for pottery not the least of which is as bowls, baking dishes, containers, pitchers to hold liquid, vases, pen and pencil holders-the possibilities are virtually limitless for what can be done with pottery once you have the basic tools in your possession as well as a few primary skills that are necessary to create the wonderful works of art.
One thing to keep in mind is that making pottery is not a one size fits all process. There have been many different methods for the creation of pottery that have been utilized throughout history by many different cultures and the results are all similar in many ways while remaining quite unique to the culture, the clay, the people, and the history of those who have created the pottery. Well beyond the actual tools used in the making of the pottery there are different markings that are placed upon the many pieces that often represent the artisans that created it or the tribes that were responsible for a particular style of pottery. In today’s pottery the tool markings are often symbols of the artisan and are almost all unique to that particular artist. This eliminates the likelihood of forgeries and gives credit to the artists who craft individual items where credit is due.
When learning to make pottery it is important that you are willing to learn several different styles of creating beautiful art with ceramics in order to have more versatility. The more styles and techniques you familiarize yourself with the more likely you are to find a style that you most enjoy and have a wider range of skills from which to draw when creating new works of art. Pottery is an immensely useful skill to know and there are many amazing and beautiful styles that can be learned for creating these beautiful pieces. Take the time to learn as many as you have access to learn.
Another thing that must be done when learning to make pottery is not only learning different styles of pottery but also learning to use your imagination when creating pottery so that you can see new and useful creations to be made. Those little touches are the very things that allow one artist to stand out from all the rest. If you can create a style that is uniquely your own when it comes to making pottery then you will enjoy far greater commercial success as an artist. Even if you are only learning to throw pottery as a hobby the more styles you have mastered, the more you will enjoy making your own beautiful pieces and the more versatility you will have in their creation.
Whether you use your skills to create platters, bowls, cups, plates, bake ware, spoon rests, vases, or any number of other delightful creations you should find great pleasure in the creation of these pieces first and foremost. The more you enjoy making pottery the more you will find that you want to make.
Green/Brown Stoneware Glazed Square Pottery-Unmarked 8" x 7.5" x 3.5"
 | US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-22-2012 16:41:20 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Bunzlauer Polish Pottery Mini Oval Baker, DU60 Design
- Bunzlauer stoneware mini, oval shaped baker made in Boleslawiec, Poland
- Fired at temperatures above 2,300 degrees F for long-lasting beauty
- Displays artisan's initials and unique Zaklady back stamp
- Lead-free; safe in oven, microwave, and dishwasher
- Measures 6 x 4 x 1.5 inch
Best Buy and Sell Roseville Pottery From Art Pottery place
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Village Pottery
Image by Maia C
A display of hand-made pottery in the Greenfield Village gift shop. The pottery is made in a workshop in the Village. Visitors can watch the potters at work.
The Cherub Cameo collection has often been attributed to the Roseville pottery; however, there are some collectors who believe the pattern was made by Weller or Owens. It’s a beautiful line with a matte fern color base and gold leafs that extend upwards. White columns provide symmetry and the faces of white cherubs are placed in raised circles on the pieces. The result is an elegant collection that stands strong on its own or as part of the Roseville line. There are umbrella stands, window boxes, jardinières, fern dishes and other various shaped bowls. Depending on its size and condition, the pieces from the Cherub Cameo range from 0 upwards to 00.
In Mark Bassett’s book, Understanding Roseville Art Pottery, he outlines the justifications for the Cherub pattern belonging to the Roseville. Many of the shapes found in this line, and especially the gate, were created only by Roseville Pottery at this particular time. In addition, the clay bodies and glazes are very similar to that used on Roseville Donatello and Ivory Tint. The issue with the Cherub Cameo pottery line is the absence or inconsistency of markings.
Cherub pieces have been found with a factory shape number (584) die-impressed on the bottom of various sized jardinières. However, Roseville historically placed the numerals indicating the size of the jardinière immediately after the shape number. For some reason all the marked Cherub pieces have been found with the size notation below the shape number. To further add to the debate, it is interesting to note that Owens Pottery sometimes marked its pottery with the size below the shape number as well. However, Owens shape numbers and sizes are set in italic font unlike the marks seen on Cherub.
At this point we are firmly in the camp that believes the Cherub pattern was produced by Roseville Pottery. However, if you’re like me, you might discover you’re more interested in this remarkable collection for the beauty it adds to any collection or as a stand alone rather than who made it. The greens and golds are simply striking as they play off the other and the cherubs centered in the circles only add to the unique look of this line of pottery. And too, the mystery behind its maker makes for great dinner conversation and only adds to its charm.
BAUER POTTERY VINTAGE c.1933 MATT CARLTON "ORIGINAL" ORANGE-RED RUFFLED LIP VASE
 | US $275.00 End Date: Wednesday Feb-22-2012 16:39:07 PST Buy It Now for only: US $275.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Stunning Raku Pottery Will Enhance Any Decor
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Raku pottery has become a popular interior design accessory that is becoming more popular as a technique with professional potters and hobby pottery enthusiasts and more widely used to enhance any décor because of the mutant color qualities that blend with existing decorating schemes.
Raku pottery takes its origin in Japan, where the family of Japanese potters from the16th Kyoto created the style and distinctive characteristics of low temperature and interrupted firing, because their firing was wood-fueled kilns, since there was no propane at the time.
While some lore believes that “smoking” gave Raku the name and characteristics, that myth comes from the fact that the pottery was allowed to air-cool after the traditional fire started to die down, and the smoke formed the variant color details.
It has become popular again in the last twenty-five years as the Raku pottery techniques involve drawing red hot pots from a kiln and the subsequent “smoking” of the pottery is done in sawdust for the effect. In fact, Hamada, the famous Japanese potter, once said he wanted to wait until the end of his life to learn how to make Raku pottery, because it was the most important and difficult technique to master.
Raku pottery techniques are done in various ways and originally earthenware was used, although any clay body can be used in the process, because it is the glazing and firing technique that makes it distinct. Much of the characteristics of this pottery come from the glaze that is used and it will cool with a “cracking” appearance, also called crazing, that gives the pottery vibrant color contrasts, which are mutable, and may have strong simple shapes and random crazing.
Because of these characteristics, they make a stunning collection of elegant pottery that can fit a wide range of interior decors and have colors that mutate to harmonize with the surroundings of a room. Pleasing to the eye, calming to the spirit and bringing joy and harmony to your heart and life are part of the Raku tradition. Traditionally, Japanese used Raku for their Japanese tea parties for these reasons in ancient centuries.
Today, Raku pottery comes in a variety of finishes and patterns. Bright colors like lapis, aqua, persimmon, red, coffee, amethyst, egg plant gray or gun metal blue are examples. Finishes turn out with different patterns that vary with the color of glaze used. Pottery that is Raku inspired is often inspired by primitive ritual and ceremonial ceramics from around the world. Examples would be a fetish pot, volcano seed pots or volcano bowls.
These unique pottery shapes, colors and finishes can turn a room into an artistically pleasing palette that features the aesthetic and relaxing Zen-like traits that make this type of pottery more than just another vase. If you have never seen Raku pottery, then you will certainly recognize it for the unique glazing patterns, vibrant colors and unusual shapes it can have. It is these characteristics that have made it so popular in decorating today.
The different look you achieve by using Raku pottery, versus normal ceramic pottery with standard glazes is dramatic, as the Raku pottery has an almost ancient pottery look that gives it an old world character, yet has shapes that are unique, edge techniques that are free formed or different patterned and can become the focal point of any room, regardless of other decorating styles in a room. You can enhance any décor when you use this pottery to compliment your interior design.
Betty Selby Signed Selly Footed Pottery Bowl Vase Native American Style
 | US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-22-2012 16:41:15 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
500 Vases: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Form (500 Series)
Is Craft Really Art?
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Art 150 Intro to Ceramics
Image by Michael Oh
Ceramics Class: This is Mark Javier from the class and he made the Xbox 360 with slab box technique with clay/ceramics. He’s about to glaze the piece with dimestore which results in very bright white color and apply special green glaze for xbox 360 logo.
During my 21 years of teaching art and craft in secondary colleges in Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria, I have constantly heard hot discussion on what constituted art and what was craft. Questions fly around: is painting fine art? Is craft really art? The answer often depended on what medium the debater was using when expressing their own creativity.
I made the distinction thus: art is when you generate an image, idea, concept or design using your creative skills; and craft is the medium that you choose to express your creative design with. Craft includes painting in various mediums, sculpture, ceramics, fabric, photography etc.
Those who believe that Art should simply come from a deep seated soul and simply burst forth, using whatever is at hand to create it, may have trouble with my definition.
Another regular question I get asked is Can you teach creativity? My response is yes. Of course there are people more skilled than others and some have greater natural abilities than others. But basically, creativity can be taught.
My experience with teaching is that the more structured you are, the greater the creative skills become. I no longer believe that you simply have to express yourself, whenever and however you wish. Those who are prepared to build on basic skills such as observations, drawing, colour, and tone, will more quickly come to a creative solution to a problem.
And that brings me to another point. If you have a problem to solve, you not only are more likely to be creative, but you can also expect more satisfaction from your endeavours. So how do you find a problem when all you want to do is paint a picture? Van Gogh certainly had a problem he wanted to solve. He wanted to capture the aggressive movement of light and colour in an ever changing landscape of wind and rain and dust. He did not go out simply to paint a landscape, he wanted to solve a problem.
I think this is the biggest dilemma of teaching art in schools. Teachers try to teach a skill such as ceramics or silk printing, but the results are often most unsatisfactory because students were not given a problem to solve.
Let me give you an idea of what I mean. I wanted to teach a class to use air brush to create a strong design image on a large canvas. They were not told what the medium was going to be. First of all I collected a large number of balls and had the students draw groups of balls for 4 hours (over two weeks). This was their research. I specifically made them aware of drawing the negative space (background) as well as the positive space (the actual balls).
Once the research was completed I gave them the problem to solve. They had to create a design using two colours only which emphasised the negative space. The best designs came from those students who began to treat both the positive space (the balls) and the negative space (the background) as abstract shapes. By using a light box, they got the shapes more and more simplified until a truly beautiful and creative balance of two colours was achieved. The final job was the craft, the airbrush and tape technique.
So,is craft, art? Well, I do not think so, as I see a lot of good craft with no real art awareness. But I do believe for you to be successful and produce worthwhile work you have to marry both art and craft in a sensitive and insightful end product of your Work of Art.
Unfinished Frame Trivet for 4-1/4 in Ceramic Art Tiles
 | US $12.00 End Date: Wednesday Feb-22-2012 18:21:34 PST Buy It Now for only: US $12.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
The Beautiful Egyptian Pottery
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Ancient Egypt is a place of wild beauty and great fascination to many people today. Once, a hotbed of intrigue, commerce, and industry there is much about Egypt that remains dark and mysterious even in the modern world in which we currently live. One thing is certain however, the ancient Egyptians were artisans in their own right and one type of art in which they excelled was pottery. The pottery of ancient Egypt is often imitated today for many reasons.
Scholars have come to some sort of consensus of belief that the ancient Egyptians may have been the first to use enamel in pottery-a practice that adds great beauty and value to the pottery pieces, making them a true work of art. The amazing thing is that this is something that was introduced, we believe, nearly four thousand years ago and is still valued in today’s modern society.
To illustrate just how important pottery was to the ancient Egyptians there are actually pieces of pottery that are included in the ancient hieroglyphics that depicted acts of day to day living in this ancient civilization. Pottery was included in more than a few of these glimpses into history establishing its importance and the commonality of its use.
Pottery in ancient Egypt was almost always made for use rather than made for decoration. Even the smaller pieces were meant to hold perfumes with the larger pieces of pottery holding grains, water, wine, and even meat for later use or consumption. The pottery of ancient Egypt could also be found in many sizes to accommodate the different needs the pottery filled. It was common to find various pieces ranging in sizes from inches tall to three or four feet in height. Pottery was as common to the Egyptians of old as appliances are today and it did serve to make life go much more smoothly for the people who used it.
In ancient Egypt pottery was also used for some of the most sacred rites of burial. Pottery pieces were used to hold certain organs after they were removed from the body during the embalming process to prepare the body for burial. Each of the following: heart and lungs, liver, small intestines, and the stomach were placed in four separate containers made of pottery and buried along with the body. It should be noted that the Egyptians are not the only civilization to use pottery in relation to the dead. The ancient Greeks also stored the ashes of their dead in ceramic containers.
To understand the true beauty of the pottery of ancient Egypt one doesn’t really need to understand the lack of sophisticated tools available to the ancient Egyptians to realize how stunningly beautiful many of the pieces really were. The fact that so many have managed to survive nearly four thousand years and many of them are quite well preserved allows us to glimpse not only the rise of pottery during that period of time and in that part of the world but also the evolution of this pottery as new methods were discovered and enhanced and as artisans improved and honed their skills.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit a museum that has an exhibit dedicated to Egyptian pottery and have any interest at all in modern pottery I urge you to attend and learn about the fascinating techniques utilized by this ancient civilization to create works of art that are nearly impossible to rival today despite the wealth of technology that is at our disposal. If that isn’t impressive to you, I would be inclined to believe that you are quite difficult to impress.
Whether you appreciate history as much as the next guy or gal or not is not as important as whether or not you appreciate beauty. The ancient Egyptians had beauty down to a science rather than an art when it came to creating beautiful pieces of pottery. We are quite fortunate that so many have managed to survive the ravages of time, greed, and war to be enjoyed all these years later.
Clay Art Tuscan Sunflower Dinner, Set of 4
- 4-Piece Stonelite Plate Set
- Includes Dinner Plates
- Dishwasher and Microwave Safe
- Golden, Sunny
- Perfect for dining
Guide To Collecting Native American Pottery
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Native American pottery is fun to collect. There are so many different pueblos, and each one has its own style of pottery. While collecting the pottery, you are also learning a lot about Native American art and culture.
This form of art has been practiced for thousands of years. Yet it is constantly improving as modern artists are experimenting with new techniques and designs. You can purchase antique pottery or modern versions, and each has its pros and cons. Of course, the older pottery is much more expensive, if it is in good condition, because of the value as an antique. But the newer pottery can be just as beautiful or even more so. It is important to collect what you like and can afford.
The first thing you should do is visit some websites and look at photos of Native American pottery. WHen you see enough good quality pottery, you will train your eye to recognize what is good. Be sure to read some books on the subject as well.
If you can visit New Mexico or Arizona, be sure to visit some of the pueblos where the pottery is made. Often the pueblo will have a cultural center where they display works of the local artists, along with a lot of information about their history and crafts. This will help you get a feel for the pottery as well.
You can purchase pottery at these cultural centers, but you might be better off buying the pottery directly from the artist. For sure, you should not buy the pottery at the expensive shops in the tourist areas of Santa Fe or Albuquerque. It will be marked up a great deal there.
You can also purchase pueblo pottery online. You can often get some good discounts at online sites. Of course, you can’t handle the pottery then, so be sure that they have good photos of the pottery at the website.
Try to get the largest examples of pottery you can afford. It should not have any chips or cracks, as that will reduce the value. Also, some pottery is made from molds, which is ok, but the hand made pottery is more valuable. In any case, even the pottery made from a mold should be hand painted beautifully by the potter.
It is fun to collect pottery from the different pueblos. It is amazing how different they can be. The differences could be in the color of clay used, the shapes of the pottery, the subject matter of sculptures, the amount of carving on the piece, the style of painting, and so on. Get a good book showing the various styles. It wll help you a lot.
There are many different types of pottery too. Some are ollas, bowls, seed pots, traditional wedding vases, story teller figurines, figures of animals, and many others.
Some of the Native American potters have become quite famous, and their work can be very expensive, but it is also extremely beautiful. But the work of lesser known potters can be lovely as well, and is much more affordable. You can always start out simply and purchase more expensive pottery as you get more familiar with it.
Enjoy your new hobby of collecting Native American pottery!
keep looking »
