Click to set custom HTML
Porcelain and Pottery Articles
Every piece of porcelain carries a story, and this blog is where those stories begin. Through her writing, Antoinette Badenhorst opens the door to her creative journey—sharing discoveries, experiments, successes, and the occasional misstep that leads to something unexpectedly beautiful. Join a community of makers who believe in learning, exploring, and celebrating the art of porcelain.
One of Antoinettes' earlier bowls.
I am sure you will know what I mean when I say that decisions can sometimes cause big storms in one’s life. Koos and I put our house in Illinois on the market in late August and had it sold 2 weeks later. In these economic times that is almost unheard of, so when it happened, the storm was on and it came like a tsunami down on us. We had to move out of the house in less than 2 weeks, because the initial closing date actually happened on time and was not delayed like it so often times happen.
|
Open bowl by the late Robin Hopper.
The Agateware technique in pottery is popular among potters. The process appears to be simple: mix two different clay colors together and you have a marbled effect that mimic the agate stone.
|
Porcelain is one of the strongest clay mediums if it is well designed, well glazed and fired. It has just like any other clay body its challenges. Maybe cracking and dunting of the clay, is among the most important problems that potters have to overcome.
|
There are many ways to create a base for a balloon bowl. In this short post Antoinette gives potters ideas of how to create foot rims for balloon bowls.
|
During the very early days in Antoinettes' career.
Malelane was paradise. Our children were young preschoolers; in fact, Tinyke was a 9 month old baby when we moved there. Koos was working at the sugar mill, a booming new industry for a region that previously relied on vegetables for their daily bread.
|
I used salt in my pit fire. I arranged the salt and copper around the pots that were nested in sawdust and I put on fire. Once it burned down, the fumes created beautiful reds and oranges on my pots.
|
When the clay edge touches first, you thin the edge and not the whole slab. Do not use force. Move your body like swinging a golf club when you throw the slab. In doing so, turn somewhat sideways and let your body swing along.
If you slam it down too hard, the clay will stick to the table.
|
Ai Weiwei, a contemporary artist and activist was born and grew up in China while his dad was in exile.
Why did Ai Weiwei break a million-dollar Han Dynasty vase? Why did Maximo Caminero broke a Weiwei vase?
|
I was awarded a fellowship grant from the Mississippi Arts Commision. See how the grant money opened my eyes for new opportunities. Never did I realize how big influences of birds could be in my art.
|
Slab built porcelain cereal bowl. This is a video clip giving you information about my online dinnerware workshops.
The focus is on porcelain and its design, but this class is suitable for any type of clay; if you want to use a smooth clay body, stoneware or earthenware, you can do it.
|
Arts integration in schoolsArts integration in schools
Small hands learn to touch clay.
With parents, grandparents and neighbors who go to a supermarket for all their needs, children do not get examples of sewing clothing, baking bread and many other activities that were just normal and spontaneous ways of learning earlier on. Evening meals and even gardening became instant projects, depriving children from a way to get insight of how the world operates. Learn how to help students to obtain insight in normal class projects.
|
How to throw a clay slab.
Ceramics is a broad term used for earth materials, like clay and glass, that are shaped and fired in kilns to create pottery and glass objects as art and craft projects. The ceramic industry is highly developed to create products for the paper, metallurgical, chemical, mechanical, and energy production.
|
|
Pinch pots; Is it beginners pots or a good place to begin.
In this blog post I offer a series of images in which I demonstrate the process that I follow to create professional pinch pots. The basics of this instruction can be used to create any type of object, from bowls and teapots to animals and other small sculptural objects
|
Make a musical instrument from clay
Making ocarinas is a perfect project to teach people to make. Not only is it a perfect project of arts integration in schools, but it is one of those projects that teach the importance of precision.
I have created a very basic one as the beginning of what may become another hobby. |
|
|
How to package and Ship your pottery and artwork safely
All artists are confronted one or other time with shipping of their work. Often they end up disappointed and discouraged. The success of any shipping of artwork, start with the artist self. Too often they will spend expensive materials and dedicated time to the art process, but ship the work off to its destination as an afterthought
|
Differences between various kinds of porcelain.
Potters often want to know what the differences are between cone 6 and cone 10 porcelain, and how it is affected in the type of kiln they have, or have to buy. To answer these questions, it is necessary to look at the character of porcelain.
|
|
Tips for throwing strong successful porcelain bowls on the pottery wheel
I always teach potters in my online and hands-on workshops that porcelain is the Diva of clay that wants to be treated like the queen among queens. Art students are normally amazed at what can be done with porcelain if it is approached with understanding and confidence.
|
17 The Art of teapots.
Teapots come from many years ago when the need developed to create a vessel in which tea leaves could be steeped to obtain an aromatic and soothing liquid to drink. Over the years the container developed from jugs or ewers to objects that have a spout and later a spout and a lid.
|
Starting a pottery studioAs a ceramic artist and potter my most important workplace is my studio. Without that, I will have very limited opportunity to work.Anyone that would like to become a potter will be faced with the task to put up a clay studio or will have to rely on community studios to be able to create their pottery.
|
Building a community pottery studio |
Buying or making dinnerware |
|
We all have to set up a kitchen at some point in our lives and when that happens, we have to make some clever decisions or else we will find ourselves very quickly in the position to buy again, either because we do not like what we have, or because it is unpractical, dated or it simply starting to break.
|
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit and present a porcelain workshop at the London Ontario Potters Guild. What I found there was a huge surprise. It is one of those stories that sounds unreal, but that many of us would love to be part of. I was in awe as I walked into this long two story, 7,000 square foot facility, housing a members’ store, studio facilities, private studios, resident artist studios, glaze kitchen, kiln room, members’ resource materials, and, wheel throwing and hand building class areas
South africa a country of beauty and rhythm
|
Koos and I recently visited our birth country, South Africa. Traveling, visiting and working throughout the country for about 6 weeks, we had the opportunity of a lifetime to review all the places that founded our lives
|
Understanding the character of porcelainDuring her "Understand Porcelain" online training, Antoinette points out the differences between stoneware, earthenware and porcelain. She explains why understanding porcelain is so crucial when it gets to the firing process
|
|
|
The many faces of porcelainThe qualities and authenticity of porcelain is a popular subject among potters. When the topic of handmade porcelain is raised among the general public, knowledge is often limited.
|
18. How to throw a tall porcelain bottleThere are different approaches to throwing a tall bottle on a potters wheel. It is mostly strength, technique and lots of practice. When you learned how to throw a bottle, you will also know how to throw a big jug and how to make a large urn. The key is that you first have to know how to make a tall cylinder.
|
|
|
Pottery in PretoriaI am sure you will know what I mean when I say that decisions can sometimes cause big storms in one’s life. Koos and I put our house in Illinois on the market in late August and had it sold 2 weeks later. In these economic times that is almost unheard of, so when it happened, the storm was on and it came like a tsunami down on us.
|
.19. .. and so my pottery career begun ...Malelane was paradise. Our children were young preschoolers; in fact, Tinyke was a 9-month old baby when we moved there. Koos was working at the sugar mill, a booming new industry for a region that previously relied on vegetables for their daily bread.
|
|
|
20 Porcelain Workshop at TouchstoneEvery once in a while, all of us experience something that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. I had such a chance this past week at the close of our porcelain workshop in Pennsylvania.
|
The beginning; my first experience with clayI was raised in an ordinary house with extraordinary parents. My dad was a policeman, an ambulance driver and a handy man; in my little eyes the best and biggest man out there. He loved music and had a beautiful voice himself. Everyone always asked him to sing and his favorite was “O Solo Mio”.
|
|
|
A legend, a life story, a love storyI have pondered long about my life and career and when and how to start dropping my story in the clay water. There are so many stories of potters before me, potters with humble lives, potters with huge lives; masters and beginners that all helped to shape my life.
|
|
So many days, so many stories dropped in the clay water ...So many days, so many stories dropped in the clay water ...It took me forever to decide what the format of my blog will be. A huge part of my life is taken up by family, friends and my pottery career and I have gathered so many stories and life experiences to tell; I will talk your ears full!
|