What is the ceramic art ?
The ceramic art or pottery is one of the oldest human
inventions, originating before the Neolithic period. It is the process of
forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which
are released at high temperatures (600-1600 °C) in a bonfire, pit or kiln which
induces reactions that lead to permanent changes including increasing the
strength and rigidity of the object to give them a hard, durable form. Major
types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain in an inspired verve of
shapes, colors, figures. A clay body can be decorated before or after firing.
In the modern
era, new morphologic and technical features have been added to making ceramics.
Storage jars, amphoras, craters, jugs, and lekythoi are the most known objects.
Although much pottery is purely utilitarian, much can also be regarded as
ceramic art.
Our experience in ceramic crafts
In December 2019 we visited the ceramic workshop,
CooCoo creations, where we worked on handmade crafts. Each of us made a ceramic
cup or candle holder with some help from 2 professional ceramists, Lambrini
Karousou and Vangelis Mertzanis. We used white clay to build the body of the
object we chose. It took some time to make the shape as it requires accuracy.
When we finished our crafts, they were let out to dry naturally in the air,
then embellished on the outside and put in an oven at 1000 degrees.
During our
second meeting we decorated and painted our ceramics. We used special paints
for ceramics in different colours and differently shaped tools to decorate them.
Our crafts were put again in the oven at 1000 degrees, were covered in special
glass film and put again in the oven at 1000 degrees. You can see our work at Coocoo Creations workshop in
the following video on you tube:
