MeghCallie's Pottery Blog

Black Swamp Arts Festival

2011-09-13T16:27:00.002-04:00

Here's my booth at the BSAF!

My husband and dad made the shelves for me. I think I need another small shelf or table in the front to catch people's eyes when they walk by. I'd also like to put a large piece of black cloth behind both of the shelves so the pots stick out more.

Mural Painting in Honduras

2011-07-26T14:05:00.003-04:00

We just got back from La Ceiba, Honduras! I had the opportunity to paint more murals (I also painted one last summer).

Choosing a Kiln

2011-07-07T09:04:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited! My kiln arrived a few days ago...

I bought the D28S-3 from L&L. I chose this particular kiln for a few reasons...

*I like the hard element holders in L&L kilns. It is much easier to change elements and they don't get damaged as easily as soft brick.
*The size was right for me. It's 28'' round by 18'' diameter. I don't make tall work, and I was looking for something that would be easy for me to load since I am 5'2''. The kiln has 6.8 cubic feet of space which is a good size for me. There is an excellent article in the Nov/Dec 2009 edition of Pottery Making Illustrated that shows just how much a kiln will hold.

I purchased my kiln from BigCeramicStore.com. They had the best price. It took about a month to get to my house.

I can't wait to try it out!

April's cup!

2011-04-25T12:59:00.005-04:00

For April, I decided to purchase a cup from another artist on Etsy that I've been admiring for a long time, Stepanka Horalkova. She works with very thin hand-built slabs. The mug arrived complete with a cute little porcelain "Thank you" tag! This mug is very delicate, but not so that I would be nervous to use it.
Here is a shot of the front of the mug:

Here is a shot of the side:

Here is a shot of the carved detail at the bottom:

Cup of the Month

2011-04-15T09:35:00.007-04:00

I've decided I'm going to start treating myself to one new mug a month from Etsy. March's mug came from Jeff Campana. I first saw Campana's work on Etsy when I stumbled upon his store while browsing. Since then, I have seen his work in many of the ceramics publications I subscribe to.
According to his artist statement, Campana "dissects and immediately re-assembles" his pots. This mug is truly gorgeous! It is comfortable to hold and drink out of. Campana diamond polishes the feet of his pots beyond 3000 grit so they are smooth like glass! It's little things like this that show how dedicated and professional he is with his craft.

Parkwood Gallery Show

2011-03-18T18:46:00.003-04:00

Had a great time at the Parkwood Gallery show last Friday!

Postcard for the Parkwood show!

2011-03-07T06:14:00.002-05:00

More Info Here!

My Recipes

2011-02-28T18:40:00.007-05:00

Clay: I fell in love with porcelain the minute I touched it and have never wanted to work with stoneware again. I use Columbus Clays #215 grolleg porcelain cone 4-7. When I was graduating from college and switching over from reduction cone 10 to oxidation cone 6, I tested a lot of porcelains. I found this one to be the best. It is vitreous at cone six and white and smooth!

Glazes: I use a base glaze from "Glazes Cone 6" by Michael Bailey. He refers to it in the book as Base Glaze 1. I tested a few of his glazes and this is the cone six clear that works the best with my clay. I have little to no crazing with it.

Here is the recipe:
Soda Feldspar 45
China Clay 6
Bentonite 2
Whiting 27
Zinc 5
Silica 25

To make my green, I add 2% copper carbonate
To make my blue, I add .25% cobalt carbonate

To make my rutile, I add 4% rutile

To make my yellow, I add 3.5% of yellow mason stain

To make my pink, I add 3.5% of shell pink mason stain

This glaze will settle, so you can check out what I wrote about deflocculating here

Which pottery magazines to subscribe to?

2011-02-21T09:04:00.002-05:00

Currently, I subscribe to Ceramics Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated and Clay Times. I'm going to tell you a bit about each of them.

Ceramics Monthly ($7.90 per issue, $34.95 one year subscription of 10 issues.)

Techno file: this feature explores a different topic each month (interface layer of glaze, mixing clay bodies, solubility of raw materials). Much of this is interesting, but not necessarily applicable in my daily studio life...a bit too technical for me.
Suggestions: these are reader-submitted tips, usually common-sense, but nonetheless helpful.
Upfront: upcoming and current exhibitions with some great photos...about 10 pages long.
Studio Visit: this is probably my favorite part of CM. Each month, they visit a different artist and showcase his or her particular studio arrangement, marketing scheme and routine.
Focus: 2-5 articles centered around a broad topic like technology or function that feature various artists.
MFA factor: a different university MFA program is the focus each month.
There is usually another technical article thrown in and then the requisite call for entries/exhibitions/conferences list.

Bottom line: this magazine will interest the "artist" more than the "hobbyist." You won't find step-by-step project ideas, but you will find a lot of information about up and coming ceramic artists.

Clay Times ($7.95 per issue, $33 one year subscription of 6 issues)

"Studio Poster"- a new addition to the magazine and so far, nothing to write home about. It's the size of two magazine pages. The most recent one showcased surfaces (clay stamps, thrown and stretched, etc.)
What's Hot: news/events/calls for entries
Great Glazes: a small column featuring a glaze recipe with photos, usually too specific to be helpful.
The Gallery: photos of ceramics sent in by readers
Slurry Bucket: tips and tricks sent in by readers
As Far As I Know: a monthly column by Pete Pinnel. I'm a fan of this, Pete takes complicated technical things and breaks them down so they are easy to understand.
Beneath the Surface: a monthly column by Lana Wilson
Teaching Techniques: a monthly column by Bill van Gilder with step-by-step instructions for making various projects.
Kilns and Firing: a monthly column by Marc Ward that I usually skip (sorry).
Books and Videos/Tool Times: reviews on the latest books and tools
There are also a few articles thrown in about marketing/ceramic artists/exhibitions

Bottom line: this is a good magazine for ceramic hobbyists looking to learn new techniques. Honestly, this would be the one that I would drop if I had to choose. It's more expensive than the other two and less professional.

Pottery Making Illustrated ($6.00 per issue, $24.95 one year subscription of 6 issues.)

In the Mix: technical or technique focused on a broader scale than CM.
Tools of the trade: recent focuses have been molds, sprayers and underglazes.
Supply Room: recent focuses have been underglaze stamp pads, etching and frits.
Tips from the pros: a different artist each month explains one of their techniques in-depth (handles by Paul Donnelly/stamping by Magda Gluszek)
Feature Articles: Usually focused on a particular artist (about 4 per month) and takes you deeper into their process. Often includes recipes.
Instructor's File- step-by-step instructions for making a particular form by a different artist each month.
Off the shelf- an enhanced review of a book including photos and techniques.
The back page of this magazine is a bit strange...it's always hand-drawn images like "pre-columbian design or spouts." Not sure of the purpose exactly.

Bottom line- this is my favorite of the 3. It's professional and helpful.

I should be unloading a kiln later today if the snow isn't too crazy! I may have spread myself a bit thin with commitments...I applied to two galleries and was accepted into shows at each of them and I am signed up to participate in Artomatic 419. Not a bad spot to be in, but I have been busy!

Mishima on leather hard pottery

2011-02-02T16:43:00.006-05:00

When I first started experimenting with letters on my pots, (this is embarrassing) I was using macaroni letters. Can you imagine how long it took me to hunt down each letter? I finally broke down and bought some metal letter stamps on ebay and over 7 years later, they are still with me! I also did all of my inlay work when the pots were bisque. Usually, the results were fine, but sometimes I couldn't get all of the traces of black underglaze off of the pot.

About a year ago, I read an article by Molly Hatch explaining how she does her mishima work. I decided to try working with leather hard clay instead of bisque. My first few attempts were frustrating because the clay was covering the black underglaze when I washed it away. Over time, I discovered that using a natural sponge and rinsing it off under running water between each swipe has the best results. Here's a step-by-step of how I use mishima on my pots.

1.) I do the mishima after I have trimmed and the pot is on the dryer end of leather hard. I use stencils that I created from old calendar pages and folders. I add some details free-hand also. I use a wooden skewer because the point is not too sharp and they are cheap!

2.) After waiting a few minutes, I brush the crumbs away with a foundation brush.

3.) I use black amaco underglaze that I have thinned a bit with water.

4.) After the underglaze has dried, I use a damp natural sponge to wipe away the excess underglaze. I rinse the sponge off after every swipe under a faucet. This is what the pot looks like after one swipe.

5.) Ready to bisque!

Night of the deflated tumblers

2011-01-30T19:07:00.004-05:00

"If you're not having failures occasionally, you're playing it too safe." -Richard Burkett (a potter from California)

This was what my re-claim table looked like the other day...

It was a combination of me trying to pull my tumblers too thin, the clay being too wet, and not liking the shapes I was making. I started to get pretty frustrated, but I took a deep breath, re-centered, and threw some more pots. By the end of the night...success!

On a side note, my gmail was hacked and sent an e-mail to EVERYONE in my history claiming that I was mugged in London and needed $2400. Google disabled my account (including my blog) until I filled out some forms. Big headache, but I have it all back now! Lesson learned, don't use the same password for EVERYTHING!

Throwing Tools

2011-01-26T15:54:00.003-05:00

Here are the tools that I use for throwing (clockwise starting with the red calipers).

1.) Amaco's "Lid Master" Calipers- These are great because one side measures the opening of the pot and the other side measures the lid. I also use these when I'm making sets of bowls or cups to make sure the mouths are the same width.

2.) Wire Cutter- I use this to cut the pots off of their bats.

3.) Stainless Steel Trimming Tool- I bought this at NCECA and am having a hard time finding one like it online. I use this mostly for trimming tumblers.

4.) Small and Large Kemper Loop Tools- I use these for trimming everything else. I only use the small one for doing the insides of the foot for teacups and mugs.

5.) Yellow Sponge- I use this for soaking the water out of the bottom of pots, wetting the clay while I'm throwing, and cleaning off my wheel and tools. Sometimes, I hold it in my right hand when I'm making a pull. I usually only do this when I'm throwing something larger, like a jar or flower pot.

6.) Spatula- I use this for scooping the sludge out from the bottom of tumblers and other tall forms.

7.) Wooden Knife- I use this to undercut the clay before I cut it off the wheel.

8.) Needle Tool- I use this rarely...sometimes to cut the top off of a wobbly pot.

9.) Right Angle Rib- I use this for compressing and squaring the bottom of tumblers.

10). Flexible Metal Rib- This is my favorite tool, the one I use the most! I use it to to compress the outside of pots while I'm throwing and also while I'm shaping the pot. I love the subtle lines it makes and the smooth surface it creates! I also use it on bowls and saucers. It's great for making a crisp edge!

11). Rubber Rib-I use this when I am making bowls to compress the bottom and form the inside curve.

I also use Kentucky Mud Works' Universal Bat System. I don't have a lot of room in my studio, so storing pots on 5 1/2'' square bat inserts is a lot easier than storing them on 13'' bats. I used to use pot lifters, but didn't like the way they would warp my pots. I've been using this system for over a year and it works beautifully! Honestly, I don't take very good care of the inserts. I only clean them right before I use them and they are in great condition still!

Upcoming show!

2011-01-21T14:05:00.002-05:00

Check out Parkwood Gallery's calendar...I have a show coming up!

Fontana, Stroud, Yarnell
Dates: March 7-April 22
Opening Reception: Friday, March 11

I'm unloading a kiln tonight containing a lot of work for the show...crossing my fingers

Glazing Issues

2011-01-19T10:46:00.005-05:00

Full disclosure, I hate glazing. I tend to be an impulsive person who moves quickly, qualities that work against me when I am glazing pots. Actually, these qualities work against me when I'm doing anything with pottery. I tend to have a higher percentage of failures than most. A few examples- last summer, I did some extensive glaze testing with a few mason stains. I found a few colors I liked and went to order them from Columbus Clay. While looking through their catalog, I found colors that I thought I would like better and ordered them. Did I test them? Of course not...I made a 3,000 gram batch of each and glazed some pots. Well, the pink was awful and the yellow was too yellow so a batch of pots were ruined. I probably won't learn my lesson though.

Anyways, I've been wanting to glaze my pots with a more than one color for a while. I've done this with some success by first masking off part of the pot with liquid latex, pouring glaze, then masking the glazed part off with wax resist, then dipping the pot in glaze. This is very time and labor intensive. I thought that I could speed the process up by brushing my glazes on. However, the glazes that I use are formulated for dipping, not brushing. After some research, I decided to try Amaco's gum solution.

Amaco recommends mixing a tablespoon of the solution with a pint of glaze and then adding more as needed. I probably used about 1.5 tablespoons per pint. This actually worked pretty well. The glaze doesn't look as smooth as if it were dipped, but it worked much better than trying to paint with my regular glaze. After it dried, I painted some wax resist over it, let it dry overnight, and dipped as usual. I'll update with the results after I fire! Here are photos of the brushed glaze and then with the wax over it.

Transporting Greenware

2010-12-30T19:14:00.006-05:00

Unfortunately, I do not have a kiln at my house. I do however, have a wheel, which means that I need to transport my work to a kiln while it is bonedry. Since it is usually very fragile, I have a few tricks...

I use wine/wine glass/vase boxes because they are divided. You can get these at your local wine or flower shop, or Trader Joe's usually has a stack of them sitting out. For bonedry work, I still wrap it with plastic bags or bubble wrap for extra cushion. I also use these boxes for storing fired work.

I also use ornament storage containers. You can find these online or in stores like Target. These are more durable than boxes, however, they are smaller and only good for storing smaller work like teacups and saucers.

No matter how careful I am, things still get broken, usually because I am in a hurry and I squeeze the box too hard when I'm carrying it!

Time to deflocculate

2010-12-16T18:02:00.003-05:00

I went to glaze some pots the other day only to find that my glazes had settled like a rock at the bottom of the buckets. I spent an hour painstakingly scraping the glaze only to have it re-settle a few minutes later. I found an excellent article written by Pete Pinnel addressing this problem.

To paraphrase the article, Pete begins by explaining that glazes are made up of many different sizes of particles. Under a microscope, the large ones looks like boulders and the smaller ones look like flat hexagonal platelets. The platelets like to hook together to form "flocs" that slow the boulder-like particles from sinking to the bottom. A glaze that is held in suspension by these flocs is called a flocculated glaze. Some materials that can cause a glaze to deflocculate are soda feldspar, nepheline syenite, wood ash, lithium carbonate and many common frits. I have a lot of soda feldspar in my base glaze, which explains the deflocculation.

The solution is to add a flocculant to the glaze. One common flocculant is epsom salts. I decided to try this option since it is cheap and readily available! I mixed a few teaspoon-fulls of epsom salts with hot water. I contined to add the epsom salt until no more would dissolve. I added this solution, a few teaspoon-fulls at a time to my glaze (trust me, a little goes a long way!) The glaze might thicken a bit, so it is OK to add more water. This worked like magic, and over a month later, my glaze still hasn't re-settled!

100@100

2010-10-07T19:28:00.005-04:00

I was invited to be a part of BGSU's 100@100 celebration. This was an exhibition of 100 alumni from each of the five studio divisions (art education, 2D, 3D, graphic design and digital arts) from the past 100 years.

They created a catalog which can be viewed and ordered here: LULU

Here's a photo of me with the piece that I submitted!

Taking Photos of Ceramics

2010-09-20T09:22:00.015-04:00

Regretfully, I never got around to taking a photography class in college, so I've had to figure out how to take images of my pots myself. In college, we used slide film, but it seems like everyone now is accepting digital images which is both more convenient and less expensive than slides! I've tried a variety of techniques for shooting images of my pots...here's a few that I've tried:

1.) Portable Photo Studio
I think I bought mine at Best Buy for about $50, but you can find them in other places for more or less depending on size.
*Pros: nice diffused light, easy to set up and store
*Cons: too small for larger work, gray and blue backgrounds not the best colors for pottery
Overall, I think the cons outweigh the pros unless you make small work and get your own background.

Here's an image I shot with this method. It's not very professional looking at all...no gradation.

2.) Inside photography with studio gray backdrop by Savage
I haven't had much luck with this one either. I don't want to invest the money in professional lighting, so my pictures don't come out with the gradation that I was looking for. Also, the paper can crease and scratch easily.
*Pros: more professional looking than w/o a backdrop
*Cons: more expensive to set up, scratches and creases easily

Here's an image I shot with this method. Better than the one above, but still not great.

3.) Gradated background with natural light
This is my favorite method so far. It is also relatively cheap and easy! I used natural light diffused with a sheer curtain and a homemade reflector to light up the dark side of the pot.
*Pros: professional looking photos, cheap, easy
*Cons: can only shoot during daylight

Here's an image I shot with this method and also a photo of the set-up I use.

Attaching decals to pottery

2010-07-28T15:37:00.007-04:00

Here's how I attach laser toner decals to my pots:

1.) Cut the decal leaving as little extra paper as possible attached. Here's a photo of a sheet of decals I printed. I try to use as much of each page as possible because the paper is not cheap!

2.) Soak the decals for a few minutes in a shallow tray of water. You'll start to see the paper backing peel back from the decal.

3.) Peel the paper backing away from the decal.

4.) Carefully position the decal on the pot.

5.) With your finger or a sponge, press out the air bubbles. This is really important because the design will not transfer where there is a bubble. Here is the bowl after firing!

Painting in Honduras

2010-07-20T08:50:00.004-04:00

I just got back from an amazing missions trip to La Ceiba, Honduras with my church! While I was there, I had to the opportunity to paint some vines and doves on the outside of the heath clinic that the La Ceiba church runs.

Stamping Wet Pottery

2010-06-18T17:09:00.004-04:00

Lately, I've been stamping my pots to add some interest and variation to the surface. I do my stamping when the pot is no longer tacky to the touch, but before it is ready to trim. You don't want the surface to be tacky because the stamp will not transfer as well and it will be harder to get the pot to stay circular. You don't want the pot to be too dry because stamping will create too much stress to the clay and cause it to crack. Mug ready to stamp:

I make most of my stamps out of sculpey clay. It is a plastic polymer clay that you bake in the oven. This way, I can make my stamps rather quickly and have a new, completed stamp in about 30 minutes. It's also very smooth and non-porous. Bisque-ware, buttons, beads, etc. also make great stamps! Here are some of my stamps:

When I stamp, I support the inside of the pot with my left hand and stamp with my right. Be careful not to stamp too far down if you are planning on trimming! Remember also to leave room for a handle! Stamped mug:

Oops

2010-05-31T14:32:00.006-04:00

So I've been working lately with the theme of loneliness...mostly that we are more connected than ever before, (with planes, satellite, wires, etc.) yet we are also more lonely than ever before. I recently did a cup with buildings, a satellite and some planes that I was excited about...

Well, I must not have been paying attention when making the second plane...

...because it looks like it's going to crash into the buildings. So instead of being a commentary on loneliness, it looks like I made a piece about suicide bombers, or even worse, September 11th. Next time, I will point both planes up!

My Sketchbook

2010-05-26T20:41:00.007-04:00

I've had a sketchbook for as long as I can remember. When I was in grade school, I filled up my notebooks with drawings of people and made up stories about them during class. I was kind of an odd kid I guess. I still keep a sketchbook today, and I have it with me most of the time. Here's a few pictures of it.

This is the cover. I taped pictures of art and things that I like or inspire me to it, like a Notkin teapot, a Julia Galloway pitcher, a big pill, red coral, and the smokestacks from BGSU to name a few.

Here's some ideas for pots I have. Sometimes, I write ideas down on post-it notes, or napkins, or random bits of paper and I just tape them in as-is. Sometimes, I look at my ideas later and hate them and cross them out.

I also cut out pictures of pots I like.

I keep glaze recipes and other technical things, like this Molly Hatch article on mishima, in the back.

I'm pretty attached to my sketchbook. I don't really think this is normal, but I just like it so much!

Laser Toner Decals

2010-05-25T10:43:00.006-04:00

I think I first got the idea for incorporating laser toner decals into my work from reading Paul Andrew Wandless' book, Image Transfer on Clay. I've always been interested in imagery. I was a painting major before I switched to ceramics and I've been trying to successfully combine images and pots since making that switch. In his book, Wandless talks about a few different ways to get images onto pots. Decals were the best choice for me because they are permanent (won't scratch after they're fired), food safe, inexpensive and easy to produce. They also show minute details extremely well. I try to use mainly my drawings by scanning them into my computer and opening them with Macromedia Fireworks.

Things you'll need to make decals:

1.) Waterslide decal paper-I bought mine from ebay. It's about $1.oo a page. Basically, the paper is 3 sheets; a protective cover, clear binder and paper backing. Make sure the paper you get is for laser toner printers.

2.) Laser toner printer-this is the KEY to the whole process. It works because some laser toner ink cartridges contain iron oxide. When you fire the decals in a kiln, the iron oxide is absorbed into the glaze permanently. The final color will be between sepia and black depending on the iron oxide content of the ink. I use the hp laserjet 1300 with good results. You can check the MSDS sheets for hp printers here.

3.) Image editing software like Photoshop or Fireworks. This is important, but not essential. You want to squeeze as many decals as you can onto the page because the paper is not cheap. You can create a document with these programs to be a specific size. I have also used the eraser tool to erase edges and other things I do not want printed to save space.

How to get the images on your pots:

1.) Once you have the images ready to print, you have to peel the protective film off of the decal paper. Make sure you know which direction to put the paper in! You want the images to be printed on the same side that you peeled the film from. Feed the paper one sheet at a time. It is thicker than normal paper and may get jammed if you don't do this.

2.) Let the ink dry for a few minutes.

3.) Cut the images apart, don't leave a lot of extra paper around the edges.

4.) Soak the images in a clean container with clean water until the backing begins to fall away.

5.) Peel the backing off and discard. Carefully apply the images to you pots (they need to have been glaze-fired.) You will be able to wiggle th images around for a few minutes until the water dries. Press out all of the air bubbles with a plastic rib or sponge. The ink won't be absorbed into the pot on air bubbles!

6.) Let the decals dry for about a half hour or until they won't wiggle any more. I fire my decals to cone 06 successfully, but you may want to do a few tests! The glaze needs to get "soft" enough to absorb the iron oxide. I just fire mine with a bisque load so I don't have to do a separate firing only for decals.

My "Studio"

2010-05-19T18:40:00.008-04:00

Other than firings, (which I do at the Toledo Potters' Guild) I do all of my work in my basement. While it may not be glamorous or luxurious, it is convenient.

I use a Brent Model B wheel which I love.

My dad made me the wedging table and we poured the surface with potters' plaster.

I bought one of those plastic garage cabinets from Meijer for around $40 and put a plaster slab in the bottom. I use this as a damp box and it almost works too well! Things stay workable for weeks, but sometimes I have to take them out to speed up the drying process!

I keep my sprigs, molds and templates on a little shelf to the right of my wheel.

That's about it...it's not much, but it gets the job done!

Bansky

2010-05-19T11:40:00.016-04:00

How did I get this far in life without ever hearing of this graffiti artist? Thanks to Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2010, I now know who Banksy is!
After reading Time's article, I ordered Wall and Piece from Amazon. So many of his paintings and ideas resonate with me and what I'm trying to say with my work! Have you ever had that feeling before when you see some art and it just grabs you?

Reasons why it grabbed me:

1.) It's funny! He climbed into the Bristol Zoo and painted "I want out. This place is too cold. Keeper smells. Boring. Boring. Boring." in the elephant pen!

2.) It's sneaky. He has covertly placed his artwork in MOMA, The Met and the Museum of Natural History in New York. In Wall and Piece, he notes how long each piece remained on the wall, sometimes for as long as two weeks! (In 2005, he hung a "primitive" cave drawing of a man hunting while pushing a shopping cart in the British Museum in London. When they discovered it, they added it to their permanent collection!!) I love this one he hung in MOMA...a spin-off of Warhol's Campbell's soup.

"To actually [have to] go through the process of having a painting selected must be quite boring. It's a lot more fun to go and put your own one up" -Banksy

3.) It's Edgy. He painted various spots on the Israeli West Bank barrier. Some of these paintings were of "holes" in the wall through which tropical paradises could be seen.

4.) It's clever. Banksy stands up for the values that so many people seem to have forgotten. This is what I'm trying to do too.

"I like to think I have the guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in - like peace and justice and freedom." Banksy

My Top 10 Clay Books

2010-05-19T10:30:00.005-04:00

I'm a book person...I may break down and get a Kindle some day, but I'll always prefer "hard-copies." Pictured is a small (very small) fraction of my books! Here's a list of some of my favorite books about clay (in no specific order).

1.) Clay and Glazes for the Potter by Daniel Rhodes
**A must...loads of information.

2.) A Potters Workbook by Clary Illian
**Worth re-visiting every once and a while. Really helps you to think about why you are creating what you are. Helps you to visualize and create variations of common forms.

3.) Electric Kiln Ceramics by Richard Zakin
**Nice pictures and helpful information about electric firing.

4.) Confrontational Ceramics by Judith S. Schwartz
**Ceramics that make a statement.

5.) 500 Cups by Lark
**Actually, all of the 500 series books are pretty good. They have great images and decent quotes. It's amazing how many interpretations of one form there are.

6.) Image Transfer on Clay by Paul Andrew Wandless
**A handbook of many different techniques for creating imagery on clay. I'm a big fan of the laser toner decal technique.

7.) Glazes Cone 6 by Richard Zakin
**This book really helped me fine tune some great glazes. Tons of technical information and recipes.

8.) Masters: Porcelain by Lark
**Great photos and quotes from some of the best known porcelain artists.

9.) A Potter's Dictionary of Shape and Form by Neal French
**A great reference tool for the different forms and techniques potters can use.

10.) The Craft and Art of Clay by Susan Peterson
**Another must-have.