One of the nation’s favorite pastimes, ceramics offers bit excitement and practical uses.

In the cold, concise language of Web­ster's Dictionary, clay is "an earthy substance used in making pottery, bricks, etc." To the ceramist this definition seems much too objective and academic—like saying the Hope Diamond is nothing more than a chunk of carbon which has under­gone immense subterranean pressure and heat.Surely this flawless gem is worthy of a more full-flavored description.

So it is with clay.It can be shaped, colored and fired into myriad marvels of esthetic and utilitarian beauty.It has "life" and is capable of playing strange tricks under the influence of fire.Colors, too, are often capricious.Even under the strictest control they may effect results which are, to say the least, unexpected.

Every time you open the kiln, it's like Christmas.For you can never be certain about exactly what you'll get.These sur­prise endings only add an extra dash of spice to an already absorbing hobby.

When you have started to work with ceramics, you will find that the more you know, the more there is to learn about this fascinating creative art.As with any worth­while accomplishment, you will not become an expert potter merely by reading a book.

Left is a practical application of ceramics to a home need.Varicolored striped design was com­bined with sgraffito technique in unusual lamp.

Below, two shelves of many in author's studio are filled with greenware and finished pieces.These can be marketed or presented as gifts to friends.

Photos of finished pieces courtesy Sculptors and Ceramic Workshop

You will have to taste your share of joys and disappointments during your trial-and-error apprenticeship.But don't be too easily discouraged if at first your trials turn out to be mostly errors.

Most educators agree that lessons learned by trial and error are lessons best remem­bered.With ceramics, moreover, all mis­takes are not for the worst.On the contrary, many of a potter's errors result in his most attractive and original works.Usually these are the pieces which can never be duplicated.

Very popular in the ceramist's lexicon of phrases are the words "let's see what happens." The thrill of experimentation is not lacking in this hobby.For example, you could glaze a tray and toss on a few pieces of copper, just to "see what happens." After firing it, you may find the copper completely burned away, leaving a scrump­tious splotch of green from the copper oxide.On the other hand, the copper might scale over the glaze and ruin the tray.You won't know until you remove it from the kiln—and the suspense, as any ceramics enthusiast knows, can be unbearable.

Since the end of World War II, ceramics has mushroomed in popularity until today it is one of the nation's favorite pastimes.Its enthusiastic adherents are outnum­bered, according to latest estimates, only by those of bowling, fishing and stamp col­lecting.As for creative hobbies, there are more ceramists in the country than any other breed of amateur artist.

Actually, it is difficult to put your finger on the reason for this sudden spurt in popularity.Perhaps it can be attributed to the war itself.Existing conditions then made it impossible to import pottery from abroad.Stores were eager to sell locally made merchandise.Critical shortages ex­isted in metals and other materials that normally go into gift ware.But there has always been an abundance of raw material for the manufacture of pottery: clay.And the metallic oxides and carbonates that are used for pottery colors were likewise avail­able throughout the war years.

Americans are traditionally an enter­prising people and it was only natural that hundreds of small potteries developed into lucrative businesses overnight.Many ce­ramists joined the bonanza with little more experience than a correspondence course in pottery-making and a few hundred dol­lars in capital.

Above, class of ceramic hobby beginners work with factory-prepared greenware which sells for as lit­tle as 35 cents; adjoining photo shows hobbyist using small kiln, costing only about $20, to fire work.

Where formerly a potter had to possess the technical skills of a chemist and an engineer to work out formulas for clay bodies and glazes, it was suddenly possible in most cities to buy prepared clays and glazes with easy-to-follow directions.As a result, in the past dozen or so years, American-made ceramics have so im­proved in quality and craftsmanship that many domestic wares have equalled, if not surpassed, those of famous and respected Old World potteries.

The application of modern science has removed every trace of drudgery from the ceramic art.It has been distilled into pure fun.Youngsters are being taught ceramics in thousands of schools.Oldsters are con­verting their sewing machines into potter's wheels for throwing hand-turned pieces.In garages, basements, porches, kitchens, millions of spare-time ceramists are enjoy­ing the pleasant sensation of creating something and then seeing their creations finished in practical, permanent form.

Even the making of a simple pot or bowl, which is not beyond the ken of anyone, is a soul-satisfying experience.Expensive equipments and superior artistic talent are not needed.There is room in this field for every kind of expression.You may enjoy sculpting most, or making jewelry, or painting china.Or maybe you will just want to let your imagination show you the way.

An entire book could be filled just by listing the variety of things which can be made with clay.There are the obvious projects, such as teapots, vases, banks and beer mugs, which usually represent a point of departure for most beginners.But there are other less common ceramic objects— doorknobs, comb tops, chessmen, buttons.Even tile swimming pools!

Some ceramists have used their hobby as a means for keeping a permanent record of their children's development.The kin­dergarten boy or girl brings home drawings made on cheap paper -which in a few years crumble into dust, much to the parent's dismay.However, if these same drawings, so much treasured by parents, were done on tile, they would never fade; the colors would remain vivid and fresh as the day they were made.

Right, modernistic piece combines ovoid vase with decor of stylized fish; avoid photo-like realism.

Among the most popular do-it-yourself projects today is the tile-topped coffee table.In a fine furniture shop such a table would cost an absolute minimum of $100.Yet, the ceramics hobbyist in his spare time can produce just as fine a table quite simply and at one-fourth the price.

Similarly, when gift-giving time rolls around, you can present your family and friends with things no one else could pos­sibly give them—things you have created especially for each of them.Your gifts, though inexpensive to make, will bear the personal touch that will be treasured by the lucky recipients.

When the holidays arrive, you will be able to add lots of extra highlights to your family's enjoyment.

Christmas? Well, you can make unique ornaments for the tree and outstanding table decorations that will enhance any Yule turkey: Santa Clauses, reindeer, holy figurines, wreaths, and so forth.

You can, if you wish to do something rather spectacular, make your Christmas cards on tile with a personalized greeting to the special people in your life.This will be one Yule card they won't discard after New Year's Day.For one thing, it can handily be utilized as a hot-plate if the addressee has a practical turn of mind.

Easter again offers the opportunity for adding eye-appeal to the dinner table, with ceramic bunnies, chicks and egg baskets.If you want to delight the youngsters in your household, make them a few dozen Easter eggs in your ceramic workshop.Valentine's Day, Fourth of July and Hallo­ween also offer opportunities for showing off your clay-working prowess.

Need a new lamp in the living room? Instead of shopping around and hoping that you'll find something which only resembles what you desire, make it yourself.It's not hard, really, once you have mastered the basic techniques of making ceramic wares.Once started, you'll find no end of things which can be made for the home and your own personal adornment.The most ordi­nary article can be given real, lasting beauty with a bit of imagination on the ceramist's part.

Take, as an example, a commonplace kitchen knife.Let's say the handle is broken.The blade, however, is fine steel and it would be a shame to throw it away.For the ceramist, this is no problem.Rather, it's an opportunity.All that need be done is to make another handle out of clay, striving, of course, to make it hand­somer than the original.

These are but a few of the things you can accomplish after gaining a little back­ground knowledge and practical experi­ence.Stop and think for a few minutes and you'll be able to come up with many, many others.

Just to run through the alphabet, there are: ash trays, bells, cigarette boxes, dresser sets, egg cups, figurines, gravy dishes, hat pins, inkwells, jam jars, lockets, mirror frames, napkin rings, ocarinas, pipe holders, quatrefoil wall plaques, razor holders, saltcellars, thimbles, umbrella handles, vases, window boxes, Yule cards, zipper tags for children which bear the wearer's name and address.

You could probably compile a similar list in short order.Perhaps, you'll even think of a ceramic something that begins with the letter X.Many ceramists have turned their hobby into profitable sidelines by conceiving of new ceramic forms.

The vast majority of professional clay workers today got their start as amateur hobbyists, just like you.After they ad­vanced far enough, they found that people were willing to pay for the ceramic goods they produced.

Beautiful candlesticks with tear-drop motif of black underglaze over white ceramic body could hare been glazed in high-gloss finish if desired.

Squat white-body clay vase was textured on wheel with use of rough-edged clay-working tool; top and bottom were smoothed, center decorated.

Of course it is nice to be able to make your hobby pay for itself.And it's even nicer if you can earn a living by doing something you enjoy.Many part-time potters entered the professional ranks when they found there was a market for molds of their original wares.Other hobbyists wanted to duplicate the pieces and they were willing to pay for the molds in which to cast them.

Besides selling their creations and the molds thereof, many professionals gain added income by teaching classes.Besides the tuition, which is generally very modest, they sell the necessary supplies to their students, and greenware, which are un-fired pieces ready to be decorated, glazed and placed in the kiln.

There's no reason why you cannot turn your pastime into a profitable venture.However, unless you are some sort of wizard, the likes of which has yet to be discovered, it will be only after several years of practice.Though you may pro­duce a perfect example of ceramic art on your very first attempt, which is not un­usual, it requires study, patience and dili­gent application to do it time after time.

Besides gaining the sure-handed tech­nique required of the professional, you will also have to develop the spark of inventive ability exhibited by the pace-setters in every field of endeavor.There is one more prerequisite for professionalism, by far the most important: You must get genuine pleasure from working with clay.If you do, there is a good chance that in the future you will be able to pad your regular in­come by selling the products of your studio.

The primary objective of most begin­ners, though, is to have fun and at the same time create fine ceramic items to enrich their homes.If this is your main target, you will find this a fascinating, rewarding pastime.Best of all, you'll be amazed at how soon you are turning out work you will be proud to show off.

This book is intended to be a guide for those who want to learn about ceramics for their own pleasure, first.The problems which are most likely to be puzzling to the tyro will be explained in pictures and down-to-earth language.

Step by step, you will learn about the tools and materials you will need; about molds, kilns, the potter's wheel, colors and glazes.You will be introduced to the vari­ous types of ceramics and learn the tech­niques in making each.You will learn how to plan and furnish your ceramics workshop.Finally, throughout the pages of this book are special do-it-yourself proj­ects explained in detail, and most of these can be handled competently by the begin­ner.Let's get started.•

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...