Articles on Pottery-Making and Related Crafts

Making spouts on pitchers or teapots that don't drip or dribble is something not all potters know how to do. This article was published in the January/February 1997 issue of Clay Times.

The second article I wrote on the craft of pottery was on the subject of minimizing cracking and warping of pots as they go from "mud" to a finished piece. This was published, with minor editing, in Clay Times in two parts in the November/December 1997 and January/February 1998 issues.

I have also written on the subject of taking professional quality photos (slides or prints) of pottery. Although focused on pots it would be equally applicable to other craft objects of similar size where photos suitable for juries or publication are needed. This article is written in two parts and was recently published in the March/April and May/June 1998 issues of Clay Times.

1. Part 1 discusses the equipment needed to take photos of this type.

2. Part 2 discusses techniques, film selection and processing.

Most recently I have become interested in glazes and specifically in glaze stability. I got curious about the research that was started by Herman Seger in the 1880s to define not only how to think about glazes, but also what constitutes a good glaze. Many other researchers have expanded and extended his work. I have done an extensive literature search and documented my findings in an article on glaze stability.

If you want to have your glazes tested by a professional lab, I have instructions for having tests done by Alfred Analytical Laboratory.

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Copyright 1999, John Hesselberth. All rights reserved.