So, you’ve got your clay. Now what? Ceramics may look complicated from the outside, but the basic process is actually quite simple. Everything revolves around shaping the clay, firing it, and then adding color and protection through glaze. Let's go through the different steps. Step 1. Forming, i.e. turning a lump of mud into something This is the fun, messy beginning. You take your raw clay and shape it into whatever you want, however you want. This can be done by hand-building (pinching,...

I turned 40 this year, and my husband got me a kiln for my birthday. I was so excited— is a kiln not the best present a person could ask for? I quickly got on the internet to order clay and glazes, and that's where I ran into my first problem: I had no idea what to buy. My only experience with pottery was from middle school, and I couldn't remember a single thing from art class. I started googling, became overwhelmed, and ended up ordering all the wrong stuff. I began experimenting with my...