Susan Halls is the author of Ceramics for Beginners: Animals & Figures (9781600597060). Her work has exhibited widely throughout the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe, including: The Sackler Foundation, New York; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Aberystwyth University, Wales; the Shigaraki Ceramic Center, Japan and the Contemporary Art Society, London.
“Pottery in all its various shapes and colors is infinitely
appealing, but the crafting can be daunting considering the
materials and time needed. Potter and author Halls (Ceramic for
Beginners: Animals & Figures, 2011) solves that dilemma through
pinch pottery, when not wheels but hands (and occasional household
implements) are used to create ceramic things of beauty. Traced to
3000 BCE, pinch pottery is accessible to all crafters, and the
author makes it even more so through her instructional methods.
First, she covers mastering essential shapes, such as spheres, wide
bowls, spouts, and cylinders, followed by customizing
elements—lips, edges, feet, handles, lids, and knobs. Not only are
there multiple forms to consider, she also explains the how-to's in
simple language accompanied by close-up color photographs—whether
it's to achieve a sgraffito or inlaid effect or to attach a braided
or coiled handle. Bereft of decorating ideas? Halls teaches the art
of surface treatments—color and glaze—through words and pictures
and provides actual art patterns (straight line, foliage, and
square motifs) to emulate. Once she explains the basics, the nine
designs appear, each with the same attention to detail as pottery's
ABC's: a hearty mug-tankard shows off bold stripes while a cozy
monochromatic teapot is elegant in its simple lines. Galleries,
sidebars, and appendixes (glaze and slip recipes, glossary,
reference material, author bio) fill in any conceivable information
gaps. Pinch perfect.” —Booklist (STARRED review)
“Pottery in all its various shapes and colors is infinitely
appealing, but the crafting can be daunting considering the
materials and time needed. Potter and author Halls (Ceramic for
Beginners: Animals & Figures, 2011) solves that dilemma through
pinch pottery, when not wheels but hands (and occasional household
implements) are used to create ceramic things of beauty. Traced to
3000 BCE, pinch pottery is accessible to all crafters, and the
author makes it even more so through her instructional methods.
First, she covers mastering essential shapes, such as spheres, wide
bowls, spouts, and cylinders, followed by customizing
elements—lips, edges, feet, handles, lids, and knobs. Not only are
there multiple forms to consider, she also explains the how-tos in
simple language accompanied by close-up color photographs—whether
its to achieve a sgraffito or inlaid effect or to attach a braided
or coiled handle. Bereft of decorating ideas? Halls teaches the art
of surface treatments—color and glaze—through words and pictures
and provides actual art patterns (straight line, foliage, and
square motifs) to emulate. Once she explains the basics, the nine
designs appear, each with the same attention to detail as potterys
ABCs: a hearty mug-tankard shows off bold stripes while a cozy
monochromatic teapot is elegant in its simple lines. Galleries,
sidebars, and appendixes (glaze and slip recipes, glossary,
reference material, author bio) fill in any conceivable information
gaps. Pinch perfect.” —Booklist (STARRED review)
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