Welcome to Understanding Pottery, Chapter 22: Pottery and Physics.
Physics is the science of matter and energy and their interactions. When you hear the word “physics” you probably think of things like nuclear power, electronics, or rocket science, but physics is deeply involved in our everyday lives and in such ordinary activities as pottery. In this discussion we will talk about the physical science that is going on behind all the various steps in the pottery-making process. Having a little background can help us to solve problems and improve our techniques. If you have never taken a physics class here is a chance to see how a little science can help us understand our everyday pottery activities.
The next topic in the series is Pottery Figurin’ or Math for Potters.
Understanding Pottery is a series in production by Washington Street Studios. The video series is a digital textbook that will take you through the entire ceramic process from the raw material through the finished ceramic pieces. There are five sections and twenty-six chapters planned in the series and they are:
Section I: The Pottery Making Sequence
Chapter 1: What is Clay?
Chapter 2: Clay Properties and Drying
Chapter 3: Bisque Firing
Chapter 4: Tips for Successful Glazing
Chapter 5: Pyrometric Cones
Chapter 6: Glaze Firing
Section II: Use of Raw Materials
Chapter 7: Chemistry for Potters
Chapter 8: Glaze Chemistry
Chapter 9: Oxides, Washes, Underglazes and Stains
Chapter 10: Geology for Potters
Chapter 11: Use of Local Materials
Section III: Kilns and Firings
Chapter 12: Atmospheric Firings
Chapter 13: Wood-Fired Kilns
Chapter 14: Gas-Fired Kilns
Chapter 15: Electric Kilns
Chapter 16: Raku Kilns
Section IV: Solving Problems
Chapter 17: Kiln Performance Problems
Chapter 18: Clay Body Defects
Chapter 19: Glaze Defects
Section V: Practical Applications
Chapter 20: Pottery Myths, Errors and Misconceptions
Chapter 21: Thixotropy, Quartz Inversions and Other Pottery Mysteries
Chapter 22: Pottery and Physics
Chapter 23: Pottery Figurin’ (Math)
Chapter 24: Personal Safety with Pottery
Chapter 25: Critiquing Your Own Pottery: Design Principles You Can Use
Chapter 26: Tips for Buying Used Pottery Equipment
Show notes, including handouts, can be found at https://www.hfclay.com/the-potters-round-table
The Potters’ Round Table is brought to you by Washington Street Studios, a community pottery studio, gallery, and pottery school located in Harpers Ferry / Bolivar, WV. We exist to provide ceramic artists an affordable, fully equipped studio space for aspiring, emerging and established artists to share their creative energy and knowledge in an environment designed to support the ceramic artist. If you want to learn more about Washington Street Studios, visit our website at https://www.hfclay.com/.
At Washington Street Studios, we believe the sharing of creative energy and knowledge will improve the quality of our art and increase the appreciation of art within our community. We are striving to create an environment where the arts are shared and appreciated. We want to grow as a family of artists and contribute to our community.
This podcast is one of our steps to share our passion for the ceramic arts, creative energy and knowledge with other artists and art lovers. We also created a video version to expand our audience. If you are looking for the video of our show search for ‘Washington Street Studios’ on YouTube or go to http://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStreetStudios.