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With store bought clay, you mentioned that you work a lot of sand into it, is there a percentage you look for, or a texture that tells you when you’ve added enough?
You are my saviour! I am poor… like not “I can’t afford my winter vacation to the Bahamas and my summer spa retreat this year” poor… I’m “I barely can afford rent and my phone and groceries every month” poor… and this actually gives me hope that my lifelong dream of making pottery may come true! People like you are the reason people like me have hobbies and can enjoy life. It’s not a big deal… it’s a HUGE deal!! Thank you so much.
I want to reach out to you just to say - keep going . Keep learning from people like Mr Ward . I think you have the wherewithal to make a better life . I've been around for six decades now and I have experienced times of poverty and also great distress including absolute homelessness at times . As of now , I am living a pretty comfortable life, materially speaking . All things will pass . Keep faith in yourself , allow for time and your own will and abilities ( which will increase as you learn ) to help change your situation , if you can and try to discern the good opportunities from the false ones and always accept them ( the sensible ones, obviously ) if you can see them coming around . In the meantime , do as you are doing ; learn things that you can do , things that knowledgeable people are willing to share with you such as Mr Ward here ( and all the other teachers on UA-cam ) . Be curious about the world and I think you will prevail . Knowing nothing else about you I wish you all the best . You can and you will x
I am an unashamed dumpster diver for exactly this reason, its amazing how you can come up with things you need in order to do the tasks you have in hand...Bricks are easy to find and if you get the right dumpster wood is too. go for it.....I also wait until the end of summer and buy up the really cheap lumpwood charcoal that stores don't want hanging around all winter.
If you have it in your area try "Freecycle". Lots of folks give away stuff for free on their that they have no use for but don't want to otherwise end up in a landfill. Old bricks, kids play sand, even wood from tree's they had taken down are all things I've seen given away locally before. All you need for your own clay is a shovel, a bucket, and a pillow case. Hope you enjoy your hobby!
I have realized that companies have made us believe that we can't do things at home without expensove materials / equipment and it really pisses me off. I'm just on journey from making my own watercolor paint including the binder and because of that I stumbled to your videos and so thankful! Thank you for spreading the know how
No offense but how in the but how in the name of God is it company's fault that it requires expensive equipment to do pottery on a professional level? I don't understand that I'm a Potter I stopped handbuilding in grade school no offense to anyone but that's when I stopped being interested in playing Patty cake with clay. Yes pottery at a traditional level is expensive but it doesn't have to be. When I got started I bought a used kiln for $100 it took me about three or four months of waiting and looking and looking and looking and I found one that was in good enough shape to repair and it was only $100 I bought a case of brick for 50 bucks I got lucky and there's a firebrick company about 30 miles from me. And I cleaned up the wiring and got it all nice and clean and it worked so it cost me about $150 give or take for a kiln! I bought a wheel that was on sale for $650 or something like that which is not the top of the line wheel but it was a good professional wheel and it's been lasting me for quite a minute many years already that's really not that much money for the major tools involved in ceramics. If you don't have that kind of money to spend which I didn't I saved up for it but if you don't want to spend money and do that in your home that way there are studios all over the damn place that you can go in and rent time on their equipment and even take classes. I took classes in high school and was told I really had a knack for it so in later years I came back to it and it was like riding a bike I had a couple of rough days remembering getting the muscle memory back and and then I was off and running. I can make a 4 foot tall beautiful ornate base on my wheel and it's so much enjoyment it's so fun I can't imagine not being able to do it anymore it almost happened I broke my wrist really bad I shattered it luckily it healed OK
My Cherokee tribe would use clam shells to smooth out their pottery, and some even had patterns cut into the edges to scrape designs into the pots. The creek near my home has freshwater clams, so I use them. I also use mussel shells that I pick up when I travel to beaches on my vacations. Beaches are a great place to find free polished rocks and shells that can be used instead of a gourd shell.
they did indeed, i have a piece i found in iowa, if you look in iowa creeks you can find broken pieces of pottery on creek banks, just takes time and some good eyes.
It sounds like your college ceramics course was disappointing, but I imagine that most college ceramics courses are not too bad. I took ceramics in high school in the city of Aurora, Colorado; United States of America. It was my favorite class. The best thing I mad was a blue-color desk organizer for my father. Nothing on the desk organizer was round or circle shaped. The desk organizer was made of slabs cut into the shape of trapezoids, rectangles, triangles, and other geometric shapes cut out of clay. My point is to offer an example of somthing other than a bowl which can be made out of clay. Also, you don't have to get good at using a potter's wheel. You can roll clay out as if it was cookie dough. You can cut the clay into pieces which are four-sided. Wait for the pieces of clay to to turn dark, and get hard like beef jerky, so that the clay is not loose or floppy anymore. A person can make ginger-bread houses like things from hard clay slabs where the edges are held together by "slip" (watery clay) and long skinny coils or noodle smushed into the edges and corners. make sure to scratch the edges of the clay with a stiff wire brush or somthing.
As an educator who helps homeschooling parents, often cost is what limits most education. I love ideas that help turn what we have into working models. Thank you for this.
Hi Lynn, Did you have a chance to build the fire yet? I would love to try this project with my kiddos in our back yard. Was that a particular type/brand of charcoal he used?
So generous of you to demonstrate to those who would love to make pottery but don't have specialized equipment. There is a beauty in this type of pottery that doesn't exist in wheel formed pottery. This pottery is more human, has more charm, character, and "soul." Sure, pottery fired in this way isn't vitrified, but frankly, who cares! This way of making pottery is about art, not trying to compete with commercially made pottery.
Could you, I wonder, fire a piece down in a Dakota Fire Pit? Cover the top and slide two pieces of copper pipe through the side holes to facilitate air flow...
I mean this as a compliment: Watching this video reminded me so much of watching public access shows in the 90s. I don't know what it is: the sound, the editing, but all of it culminated into giving it that vibe and I love it! I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Even seeing your cellphone on the table didn't take that nostalgia away :D I'm definitely checking out the rest of your channel when I'm done watching this video. Thank you!
YES!! I think it's the music that has the vibe. Calm, soothing like Mr. Rogers and even Peanuts Gang, reminiscent of when they are walking or doing something where words are not necessary (so thankfully absent) lol. Nice video, thank you.
I'm sculpting with polymer clay, silently wishing we could use real clay, but no kiln, right? A few hours later and no research, this video pops up. I love spirit! Thank you 😊
My next door neighbor's wife got vaxxed, and when she got home and went to get out of the car the chip or whatever malfunctioned and she started floating away and got tangled in the high tension wires south of town and our whole town was without power for a week until they got her untangled. The didn't fasten her down properly, and she got swept away by an updraft and was last sighted just west of Murphysboro IL two days ago. But will the media report it? You know exactly why they won't.
May I complement you sir? I am 79 years old and have taught silver and metal smithing. Also a sculpture teacher. I watch, "HOW TO" videos all the time. I admire your editing to cut out small talk to "get to the point", quickly and precisely. You are a good instructor! Thank you darlin!☺️ Keep crafts alive ... it may keep us alive!!!
I love that you emphasize how valuable your hand are as tools. This gets overlooked so often as people want to buy the best tools, and forget their hands are amazing
I was shocked to hear the high sound of good vitrification on the terracotta bowl you made. It sounded very dense and strong. I expected a more fragile clay. I felt so nostalgic watching this. I grew up in the 60's so your music and general vibe in this video felt familiar. Not only an excellent video tutorial, but it reminded me of home. My parents were ceramists back in India. Their factory was well known. They were studio potters with a small workforce of highly skilled potters, glazers, packers. It was a small production place but supplied major outlets with art pottery for years. My dad made his own glazes, built his own electric kilns with kanthal wires, my mother prepared for art exhibitions. They even exhibited their pieces at the Victoria Albert Museum in London, UK. I still have those two pieces. During the Indian monsoons, the weather cooled down, the rain fell in sheets, the clay dried on plaster slabs on the verandah before kneading, and the smell of baking pottery pervaded the rooms where we worked. There was a hum of activity and creativity that were the most beautiful and peaceful moments of my childhood. My parents were at their industrious best in that environment, my mother getting orders filled, my dad measuring out new glaze recipes on his scale. As the hot afternoon cooled into evening, the sun slanted into the rooms painting everyone golden. I remember each worker like a sepia photograph. I remember feeling sad when the day ended and we had to go home. I wanted to live there among the clay and ovens and glazes and wheels and dust and sweat and slip and molds. I loved that place. For years I felt so sad here without a kiln or pottery, raising kids and working inside a prison of walls, my creativity stifled. Suddenly, I watch this video. I don't need a kiln. I have clay. I have a wheel. I can fire them in my back yard. I can use black and white engobes, and a pebble to burnish the pots to a satin gloss. I don't need glazes. I feel so liberated. I could even make pottery while traveling in my RV. All it takes is a campfire. UA-cam is wonderful. And so are your videos. Thank you. Subscribed.
Thank you for sharing your childhood experiences with pottery, what a wonderful way to grow up. I hope you are able to return to the clay and that my videos might be helpful in that. Thanks for watching!
Goodness what beautiful writing! I must say that as an aspiring writer you are very talented. Thank you for sharing your experiences in such a captivating manner. what an inspiration!
Thank you so much for the video. My daughter's and I have been badly wanting to try pottery but I can't afford a kiln. We are going to delve into this now.
This is so interesting! Of course humans have been making pottery for millennia without wheels and modern tools, but I had somehow never put together just how accessible it could be
Very inspiring. My mom did pottery. She had a second house full of molds, several kilns, and when she died I was young and not aware. My dad sold everything for nothing. When I learned I had none of her art stuff I was devastated. I always wanted to continue her craft.
I can understand your devastation. I have had a taste of that myself. What I learned was that my parents acquired for themselves what they had, and so can I, and so can you if you like. Then, perhaps, I can leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren.
Nice job bringing pottery to the masses. If you can't fire in your yard you can often go to a park especially if you use charcoal in one of their grills. Thanks
@@bambinaforever1402 Admittedly a park is more challenging. I did a surface firing this morning and it took 2 hours from beginning to end. With my temporary brick kiln like Andy used in this video the pots were ready in 7 hours. The bricks were still pretty hot but could have been put in the bed of a pickup. These methods typically hit about 800C and 1000C has been tough to achieve. Some parks are pretty restrictive but some give a lot of latitude.
As someone whose stuck to air clay because of the barriers to trying (mostly financial) this is so educational and is truly opening a lot of doors to grow and play with clay!
I'm USEING my late husband's tablet to watch your video He passed away a few months ago. He was a mater potter for 50 years. Your video is the first time I've been able to watch pottery making without bursting into a waterfall of tears ! I sculpt faces out of clay. I knew about your home firing technique from my own fireings long ago Just wanted to tell you I enjoyed very much your teaching and allowing me a small step in my healing journey of living without him after 33yeats of this remarkable self taught potter. I miss him so very much. But watching you today was like he sent me a sign....." Get busy girl, you have things to do."Much love", Donna R
I love your straightfoward approach to this video. So tired of having videos that say in 30 minutes what could have been said in 5. Yours is refreshingly informative and doesn't waste my time!
Subscribed as soon as you said "I'll put the link down in the dooblydoo." I love pottery, but never looked into anything other than modern methods. I think this method fits me much better and I can't wait to be able to afford the membership to your website to access your master classes! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us! You're amazing and you've gotten an instant fan here
@@nattamused9074the only other people I have heard say that are John and Hank Green, so I also felt a lot of warmth hearing that - I assume this potter has not forgotten to be awesome.
Very helpful. I'm an archaeologist and had learned to make handmade pottery as part of the training (using a mold and coiling) but couldn't take it any further. Making a few of my own ceramics at home would be special if I can even etch a few ancient designs on it in the pre-firing stage! Subscribed and looking forward to learn more. Thanks :)
Reminds me of undergrad at uni, studying anthropology/archaeology - we got to be pros at chipping "points" (technical term for arrow and spear tips or hand-held cutting blades) out of chert - an abundant local mineral of exceptional hardness (Mohs 7) that was used by early (BCE) native Americans. Still have a few "pretty" ones laying around from back in the day, lol.
I loved making pottery, one of my favorite art classes growing up and in college. I got disappointed that my dream of making pottery would never come to fruition because I didn't have a kiln/wheel/glazes. This video has revived that dream ☺
You're a natural born teacher. I truly appreciate your video. It's been years since I've taken a ceramics class. Always wanted to do ceramics again, but never had the money for the equipment. Thank you for this
the way he mentioned that he used to just sit and work with mud/clay in the driveway and porch, it clearly indicates he has lifelong experience with mud/clay. and it just told clearly and innocently here. thankyou. i wanted to start living more wholesome life by adding more clay utensils and earthen pot cooked food. this answers a lot.
lately i am having so many mental health problems and this video is the best thing i have ever seen in a long while, your vibes and passion made me so happy, it is the first time i feel this calm in a very long time, thank you
You have convinced me to try making my first pottery in this manner. I have a kiln already, but no wheel. ( Which I plan to build myself. ) I made some 'wild clay' from material I dug from 8 feet down. Nice orange stuff. lol Learning a lot from your videos, thank you!
This is really inspiring and I wanna do this in our garden. Pottery courses are ridiculously expensive here and doing it at home always seemed impossible. I'll just have to check on our local communities' laws because I don't wanna get fined in case we're not allowed to fire pottery in the garden.
You have no idea how many pottery video I've watched hoping to find the techniques that you give here. They always missed something. Yours is complete, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart! Thank you a lot! Your art and your soul are very special!
I love how passionate you are about teaching pottery basics! And I’m so very grateful that I found your channel. I’ve been called to pottery for so long but never been able to acquire my own resources (and renting can be expensive). Thank you for selflessly sharing your knowledge and wisdom. And quirkiness!! Haha. I feel empowered 🥰
I'm a baby in this area. I've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, and I can't crochet anymore. The first thing that came to mind was pottery, but of course, I don't have any fancy tools and essentials to start. This video is a life saver. I can't wait to try it out. Thank you 😊
I don't even practice pottery but I subscribed just cause you deserve every subscriber for actually using the platform like it was meant to. Amazing work you are doing, truly.
So true about tools! I have bought a lot of tools, but mostly I use my fingers, a knife, a bone folder (from book-binding), and a used-up gift card. I do like the puki I bought from the folks you reference. Not only keeps the bottom round, it turns as easily as a banding wheel.
Your videos have renewed my interest in pottery!! I thought I'd never be able to make pottery again because i can't afford clay or a kiln or to run a kiln. I wonder, do you also have a video on how to make your own glaze for the clay?
I remember making a bowl early in elementary school. Our school had no equipment for pottery at all. We rolled out «sausages» and used them to shape a bowl, then pushed them together and smoothed the clay out before it was dried and finally we decorated and varnished it.
In third grade I made a swan with an indentation between the wings to put keys, coins, and things. Ours were glazed and fired at the local university. I also took classes in college. All were fired in a kiln though. I'm going to watch your videos about how to harvest natural clay. Thank you!
One of the things I like about making pottery is the connection to our ancestors. But until this video, I never thought to make potter just like they did. And the bowl is absolutely beautiful!
Your final product turned out so cute! I have a friend who wouldn't believe me that you could work like this at home, now I have good proof you can. Thanks!
"Down in the doobillydoo" is my new favourite thing to call the description box haha! I'm 25 and taking up this new interest and you are the PERFECT type of person to teach me! THANK YOU!
Thank you! This was straight to the point! Enjoyed it. Want to start doing my own pottery. But up to now, financially it was not possible. But with this video there is nothing stopping me now!!! Thanks again!
Glad to help. Pottery has been made unnecessarily complicated by modern tools and chemicals, however primitive people were making pottery without any of these things why can't we?
As a kid, my parents' backyard was full of clay, which I used to mix with water and roll into balls, and put them into the backyard fire pit in the hopes that i would find marbles amongst the charcoal the next morning. Needless to say, it didn't work. However, I've always wondered where the link between what i found in the ground and modern art class kilns was, seeing how our ancestors made a great many things out of clay. This video has been super informative, and I hope to use your techniques one day when I have a yard to fire in!
I have nothing to do with pottery, I fabricate nano-scaled sensors and calibration tools for high tech with expensive machinery. Yet I love this so much, so simply explained and easy to follow, even your other video on finding a good clay location. Thank you Andy, I will use this knowledge to go on an adventure with my boy and make ourselves some clay cups :)
Awesome, sometimes, especially when you work in high tech, it is great to get outdoors and do something "primitive". I know, I worked as a computer programmer for many years.
Love this! I've been wanting to make my own clay and do my own firing in my woodburning stove. I'd like to learn how to make my own food-safe firing glaze from scratch. I did pottery years ago using a wheel and kiln and loved it. Now, I would like to learn the economical way by doing it all naturally homemade.
It's all doable, I'm just not sure about the glaze. Maybe think about how our ancestors made and used pottery without glaze, they seemed to do alright without it. Maybe it's not as important as we think.
Thank you so much for this video! I am an art student at the University of Georgia and I just took my last ceramic class and I have been doing a lot of research on how to continue this hobby at home. This is the best video I’ve come across!
You are welcome. Check out my other videos, I have a lot of content related to hand building, alternative firing techniques, etc. Thanks for the great comment!
Thank you so much. I guess I am a little obsessed, I think that makes me a good UA-camr because I can maintain a high level of enthusiasm week after week.
What I like about channels like these is how they keep these universal ancient skills that all cultures would have known. An all.encompassing human knowledge.
Although many might think not having tools an obstacle, I would think way back when ….when making pottery first began, no one had modern day tools… whatever followed was in the imagination of the potter…great tips…btw one can find many different sizes of wooden bowls at thrift stores….if one is willing to wait…love the outdoor firing idea
I am so inspired by your videos-Thank you! I’m an art teacher in the Houston area and I’m always on the look out for clay techniques to share with my middle school students. My love of Native American pottery goes back to the early ‘80s when I wrote a paper about Maria Martinez. I have always wanted to try firing in a fire (or grill) and now I see how easy it can be!
Thank you so much! I can't remember the last time I watched a 'how to' vid that was so informative without being 'teachy'; full of useful information, with a clear presentation and relaxed pace of delivery. Absolutely agree with Rock Collins' comments below, and of course I've subb'd.
This is fantastic! I live in Moapa Valley, Nv and volunteer at the Lost City museum. The pottery always fascinates me. The indigenous people didn't have expensive tools, a pottery wheel, a specialized kiln. But, they made beautiful pottery that was also so useful. I think I'm going to try this.
I think this is just great, I love that this is sort of an older style of pottery thats kind of lost in this new process of pottery. I think its a very beautiful thing to see, thank you for sharing. We come from people that used these sorts of techniques and to see the work is a wonder.
I was expecting everything except the firing at home, that's WONDERFUL! As I'm just a beginner I only make little pieces and this can be such an amazing alternative, THANK YOU!!!
Wow, so happy I stumbled on this video, I had no idea this was possible! I've recently started wheel throwing, but was frustrated by my limited access to wheels and kilns... This video series is so inspiring, thank you for sharing your knowledge in this ancient craft revival!🙏🏻
While digging out flower beds around my home in Florida, I came across big chunks of blue/green clay. My husband and I both have a history of making pottery, me as a hobby/amateur, him as a much more accomplished ceramist, so this find was intriguing to us both. Neither of us have any experience with wild clay so was thrilled to find your channel going thru the whole process. Was wondering if anyone else has any experience with this blue/green clay in Florida. Is it good for firing? Well, I've decided to find out! Will let you know the results.
Sounds intriguing, I have no idea, although I do have students who are digging their own wild clay in Florida, just can't say if it's the same stuff as you have at your house. I hope it works out for you.
I was floored when I heard you live in the same place I do! Lol I feel utterly lucky! Ever since I was a kid I loved to play with clay. I was disappointed I couldn't make larger because I couldn't get ovens or professional equipment... Now I find you. Living in Tucson. So happy!
Dang Andy, I am so glad to have found your channel. I had heard about this technique of firing at home with wood/charcoal when I was a kid. It interested me at the time, but seemed impossible. Thanks to you and your videos I now understand... you've explained it all. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
I am retired, living in Portugal and after a long period of hard work I need some hobby to dive into, that could be lapidary, woodworking or clay. I for now gave up on lapidary, it's just too expensive for what I want to do and I was getting pretty demotivated about clay-working, until I saw your video. Now I have a burning desire to start with it, we have several kinds of clay here on our land, red, yellow, different shades of gray and almost white and it's so easy to harvest... I love diving into it! Thank you so much, subscribed right away!
This is so cool! I was just talking with a friend of mine about pottery and how she's getting a kiln and a wheel soon. Unfortunately I don't have the space to do any firing (apartment/condo life), but even knowing I could set up something just to play around is really cool. I know there are pottery studios nearby that allow community members to fire objects for a nominal fee. Thank you for such an informative video!
Thank you for this! I've been hand-building pottery from clay dug out on my property in the Pacific Northwest and firing it outdoors or in my wood stove. I've found that I can sometimes get it to bisque stage in my wood stove, but it doesn't get hot enough, or hot long enough, for glaze firing. I suspect my blue-gray clay is more of a stoneware clay as it takes very high temperatures. Burnishing it results in a shiny dark gray surface and it fires to a white color. Right now I'm experimenting with wood ash glazing while trying to scrounge enough firebricks to build a small woodturning kiln. I love watching your videos and getting new ideas!
You will probably need a kiln to get hot enough to melt glaze, I don't know anyone who has accomplished that in a primitive setting. Probably true, I have found the brown or red clays usually have much lower maturation temperatures than grey clays. It's probably the iron in them that acts as a flux.
I live in GA and have the blue gray clay. I have fired it and glzed it outside. I put my pottery in between 2 pieces of glass and use fat lighter as my wood or cedar
This is awesome!! I remember trying to turn my mud pies into pots as a kid and not understanding why firing them under the sun didn’t work because the sun was the hottest thing I could think of. Haha. Maybe I’ll try again, this time with a better understanding of the mechanics behind making pottery. Thank you for the informative video!
You had me at dooblydoo. 😅 I never knew ceramic was fired clay, I thought it was a coating. Hands are/and will always be the ultimate tool. Thanks for sharing the know how. Subbed.
Thank you so much there are so many inconsistencies within my memory on how to make these things at home you filled in all the blanks from when I was a child. Take care, and once again thank you.
Hi Andy, Thank you for taking the time to make this video! You are a wonderfully interesting and engaging person to listen to. I hope, in the future, to be able to contribute to society as positively as you are contributing here! Best of luck with your future projects! Tim
I always urged my daughter, if you learn one high-tech skill, learn two low tech skills, those easily enough accomplished without modern tech. Old school. 😊
Love that! I’ve always loved that way. I work in technology in the corporate world but also constantly learn old skills like fermenting and other food preservation methods, foraging, herbalism, raising animals, old school arts and crafts, etc. Important words to live by!
I've been dreaming of getting back to pottery for YEARS now and didn't do it because I didn't have access to a kiln, but this video was really helpful! Thank you so much, gonna try out your techniques pretty soon :)
I had no idea it was possible to make pattery at home without a kiln :O Thank you. I always wanted to try to make some pottery but don't have a kiln...or a wheel but I knew there was techniques for not having tools.
Thank you so much for making these videos. I only saw your video as UA-cam suggestion. I loved pottery classes at university and am so encouraged to try your methods as I no longer have access to a wheel or kiln.
Thank you. It’s a great video. Would love to try it out in my studio. Few things that if you could guide with : 1. How long did you fire your bowl for? 2. How much coal did you use for a bowl that size? 3. Were there hot coals inside before you placed the bowl in? Looking forward to your answers.
You are welcome, here are your answers. 1 - Just until it had cooled enough to be handled, maybe 2 hours or so. 2 - I bought a 15 pound bag of lump charcoal at Home Depot and I used about half of it. 3 - Yes, I started the fire before I put the bowl in because it had rained the night before and the bricks and sand were wet so I wanted to dry it out before I started firing pottery.
Wow this was great! I've always wanted to try pottery, but the kiln part always stopped me. In NC, my backyard has clay layers: red, white, and sandy brown. I can't wait to try these techniques. I'm wondering if you can use a lazy susan as a turning base instead of the plywood? Or a barbecue for a kiln, if it's insulated properly. My brain is wired now! This is so cool.
I am beyond excited to have discovered your channel. This is a dream…exactly this kind of pottery making a the way my Ancestors did. So grateful! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 New Subscriber
I have a little bucket that I sit in the sink when I am washing the clay from my hands. So all the water I use doesn't run down the drain but is caught in the bucket. Then I carry the bucket outside and use it to water the flowers. Good point that should have been covered thanks!
I also use a bucket for it, however as I live in an appartment it is easier to pour it to the loo, as the diameter of the pipe is bigger there and therefore would likely not cause clogging Btw not every plant likes clay in the soil, so it is better to enquire about if the plant can deal with it well.
Thank you for demonstrating how our ancestors 20,000 years ago brought us out of the Paleolithic and into the Neolithic. I can see from this demonstration how those folks could have accidentally discovered pottery and then learned how to reliably obtain a temperature high enough to create durable pottery without first inventing a kiln.
I get so excited when I see a new Andy Ward video in the morning. I watch with coffee and get totally inspired to get busy with clay. Thank you for another great instructional video!!! I'm working with the additional challenge of zero "hobby money" so all your videos about "making do" with simple techniques and materials are making this possible for me.
New comment 12/11/23 Thank you Yay!!! I can actually fire my own pottery!!! I can’t wait to watch more and learn about collecting natural clay!!! In high school I loved art class and especially when we did pottery of course it was kiln and my kids loved the local art teachers pottery class she also had a kiln and glaze My quest is still making food safe things bowls cups etc and how to add color, if anyone knows please share your knowledge!! Thanks so much This is amazing!!! 👍🏼
This video is so relaxing, refreshing to watch. It gives me hope that I can indeed have the enjoyment of working with clay without spending a fortune. Thank you so much!
Does the clay not stick to the wooden bowl puki? Did you take it out to dry as soon as you were done shaping? Thanks again for all your great work and any great video!
Thanks. Yes, the inside of the bowl is sanded down to bare wood so it is slightly absorbent causing the clay to dry and pop out. Do not leave it in the wooden puki for too long or the moisture could ruin the bowl.
New here? Subscribe to learn how to make pottery simply and easily with basic tools. If you are a regular viewer and have questions go ahead and ask them here, I try to answer all comments.
What if you used a self cleaning oven to fire your pottery?
With store bought clay, you mentioned that you work a lot of sand into it, is there a percentage you look for, or a texture that tells you when you’ve added enough?
Another Tucsonan here. Is it possible to find clay sources in the city?
at 18:49 what are you adding on top of the fuel?
@@sophiaolup2026 It looks like pieces of broken pottery; non-flammable, and will hold in heat but still let smoke escape.
You are my saviour! I am poor… like not “I can’t afford my winter vacation to the Bahamas and my summer spa retreat this year” poor… I’m “I barely can afford rent and my phone and groceries every month” poor… and this actually gives me hope that my lifelong dream of making pottery may come true! People like you are the reason people like me have hobbies and can enjoy life. It’s not a big deal… it’s a HUGE deal!! Thank you so much.
I want to reach out to you just to say - keep going . Keep learning from people like Mr Ward . I think you have the wherewithal to make a better life . I've been around for six decades now and I have experienced times of poverty and also great distress including absolute homelessness at times . As of now , I am living a pretty comfortable life, materially speaking . All things will pass . Keep faith in yourself , allow for time and your own will and abilities ( which will increase as you learn ) to help change your situation , if you can and try to discern the good opportunities from the false ones and always accept them ( the sensible ones, obviously ) if you can see them coming around . In the meantime , do as you are doing ; learn things that you can do , things that knowledgeable people are willing to share with you such as Mr Ward here ( and all the other teachers on UA-cam ) . Be curious about the world and I think you will prevail . Knowing nothing else about you I wish you all the best . You can and you will x
I said hell yeah!
I am an unashamed dumpster diver for exactly this reason, its amazing how you can come up with things you need in order to do the tasks you have in hand...Bricks are easy to find and if you get the right dumpster wood is too.
go for it.....I also wait until the end of summer and buy up the really cheap lumpwood charcoal that stores don't want hanging around all winter.
If you have it in your area try "Freecycle". Lots of folks give away stuff for free on their that they have no use for but don't want to otherwise end up in a landfill. Old bricks, kids play sand, even wood from tree's they had taken down are all things I've seen given away locally before. All you need for your own clay is a shovel, a bucket, and a pillow case. Hope you enjoy your hobby!
@@pmac5934great comment ❤
I have realized that companies have made us believe that we can't do things at home without expensove materials / equipment and it really pisses me off. I'm just on journey from making my own watercolor paint including the binder and because of that I stumbled to your videos and so thankful! Thank you for spreading the know how
I feel the same, we all need to reconnect with the earth. Thanks.
very true!
whoa cool. how are you making your own watercolours?
No offense but how in the but how in the name of God is it company's fault that it requires expensive equipment to do pottery on a professional level? I don't understand that I'm a Potter I stopped handbuilding in grade school no offense to anyone but that's when I stopped being interested in playing Patty cake with clay. Yes pottery at a traditional level is expensive but it doesn't have to be. When I got started I bought a used kiln for $100 it took me about three or four months of waiting and looking and looking and looking and I found one that was in good enough shape to repair and it was only $100 I bought a case of brick for 50 bucks I got lucky and there's a firebrick company about 30 miles from me. And I cleaned up the wiring and got it all nice and clean and it worked so it cost me about $150 give or take for a kiln!
I bought a wheel that was on sale for $650 or something like that which is not the top of the line wheel but it was a good professional wheel and it's been lasting me for quite a minute many years already that's really not that much money for the major tools involved in ceramics. If you don't have that kind of money to spend which I didn't I saved up for it but if you don't want to spend money and do that in your home that way there are studios all over the damn place that you can go in and rent time on their equipment and even take classes. I took classes in high school and was told I really had a knack for it so in later years I came back to it and it was like riding a bike I had a couple of rough days remembering getting the muscle memory back and and then I was off and running. I can make a 4 foot tall beautiful ornate base on my wheel and it's so much enjoyment it's so fun I can't imagine not being able to do it anymore it almost happened I broke my wrist really bad I shattered it luckily it healed OK
@@ClownWhisper mad because you didn't need to? Some of us don't find deals.
My Cherokee tribe would use clam shells to smooth out their pottery, and some even had patterns cut into the edges to scrape designs into the pots.
The creek near my home has freshwater clams, so I use them.
I also use mussel shells that I pick up when I travel to beaches on my vacations.
Beaches are a great place to find free polished rocks and shells that can be used instead of a gourd shell.
they did indeed, i have a piece i found in iowa, if you look in iowa creeks you can find broken pieces of pottery on creek banks, just takes time and some good eyes.
Could you post a picture of what you created from those already
I have Cherokee ancestry through both grandmothers. I’ve always been proud of that. I love traveling to Cherokee.
I just learned more in this 19+ minute video than I did in an entire semester of college ceramics. Thanks!
Thanks
There needs to be a youtube college, people are constantly commenting about learning way more in 1 or 2 videos than whole semesters in college!
I second that, my Ceramics teacher in HS was terrible.
It sounds like your college ceramics course was disappointing, but I imagine that most college ceramics courses are not too bad. I took ceramics in high school in the city of Aurora, Colorado; United States of America. It was my favorite class. The best thing I mad was a blue-color desk organizer for my father. Nothing on the desk organizer was round or circle shaped. The desk organizer was made of slabs cut into the shape of trapezoids, rectangles, triangles, and other geometric shapes cut out of clay. My point is to offer an example of somthing other than a bowl which can be made out of clay. Also, you don't have to get good at using a potter's wheel. You can roll clay out as if it was cookie dough. You can cut the clay into pieces which are four-sided. Wait for the pieces of clay to to turn dark, and get hard like beef jerky, so that the clay is not loose or floppy anymore. A person can make ginger-bread houses like things from hard clay slabs where the edges are held together by "slip" (watery clay) and long skinny coils or noodle smushed into the edges and corners. make sure to scratch the edges of the clay with a stiff wire brush or somthing.
As an educator who helps homeschooling parents, often cost is what limits most education. I love ideas that help turn what we have into working models. Thank you for this.
You are so welcome.
Hi Lynn, Did you have a chance to build the fire yet? I would love to try this project with my kiddos in our back yard. Was that a particular type/brand of charcoal he used?
So generous of you to demonstrate to those who would love to make pottery but don't have specialized equipment. There is a beauty in this type of pottery that doesn't exist in wheel formed pottery. This pottery is more human, has more charm, character, and "soul." Sure, pottery fired in this way isn't vitrified, but frankly, who cares! This way of making pottery is about art, not trying to compete with commercially made pottery.
Thank you, I agree wholeheartedly.
Could you, I wonder, fire a piece down in a Dakota Fire Pit? Cover the top and slide two pieces of copper pipe through the side holes to facilitate air flow...
@@suecollins3246 I HAD THAT SAME THOUGHT.
this non vitrified pottery is what we usually use in the philippines for flower/plant pots.
You would believe the pottery the American Indians make back in the woodland period with no modern tools and that was thousands of years ago
I mean this as a compliment:
Watching this video reminded me so much of watching public access shows in the 90s.
I don't know what it is: the sound, the editing, but all of it culminated into giving it that vibe and I love it!
I was hit with a wave of nostalgia.
Even seeing your cellphone on the table didn't take that nostalgia away :D
I'm definitely checking out the rest of your channel when I'm done watching this video. Thank you!
Someone else recently said that this video reminded them of the 90s. Funny, it wasn't intentional.
Reminds me of a simpler more wholesome time, I get what you mean. So pure
Yes!!! I love it!
YES!! I think it's the music that has the vibe. Calm, soothing like Mr. Rogers and even Peanuts Gang, reminiscent of when they are walking or doing something where words are not necessary (so thankfully absent) lol. Nice video, thank you.
@@AncientPottery Whatever you're doin don't change it. This is an absolute vibe, I'm enthralled, soothed and educated simultaneously.
I'm sculpting with polymer clay, silently wishing we could use real clay, but no kiln, right? A few hours later and no research, this video pops up.
I love spirit!
Thank you 😊
My next door neighbor's wife got vaxxed, and when she got home and went to get out of the car the chip or whatever malfunctioned and she started floating away and got tangled in the high tension wires south of town and our whole town was without power for a week until they got her untangled. The didn't fasten her down properly, and she got swept away by an updraft and was last sighted just west of Murphysboro IL two days ago. But will the media report it? You know exactly why they won't.
What in the name of Sam Hain just I just walk into? 😂
@@BobDeGuerreAre you ok now? Do you have someone to reach out if you need to?
May I complement you sir? I am 79 years old and have taught silver and metal smithing. Also a sculpture teacher. I watch, "HOW TO" videos all the time. I admire your editing to cut out small talk to "get to the point", quickly and precisely. You are a good instructor! Thank you darlin!☺️
Keep crafts alive ... it may keep us alive!!!
I love that you emphasize how valuable your hand are as tools. This gets overlooked so often as people want to buy the best tools, and forget their hands are amazing
So true!
I was shocked to hear the high sound of good vitrification on the terracotta bowl you made. It sounded very dense and strong. I expected a more fragile clay. I felt so nostalgic watching this. I grew up in the 60's so your music and general vibe in this video felt familiar. Not only an excellent video tutorial, but it reminded me of home. My parents were ceramists back in India. Their factory was well known. They were studio potters with a small workforce of highly skilled potters, glazers, packers. It was a small production place but supplied major outlets with art pottery for years. My dad made his own glazes, built his own electric kilns with kanthal wires, my mother prepared for art exhibitions. They even exhibited their pieces at the Victoria Albert Museum in London, UK. I still have those two pieces.
During the Indian monsoons, the weather cooled down, the rain fell in sheets, the clay dried on plaster slabs on the verandah before kneading, and the smell of baking pottery pervaded the rooms where we worked. There was a hum of activity and creativity that were the most beautiful and peaceful moments of my childhood. My parents were at their industrious best in that environment, my mother getting orders filled, my dad measuring out new glaze recipes on his scale. As the hot afternoon cooled into evening, the sun slanted into the rooms painting everyone golden. I remember each worker like a sepia photograph. I remember feeling sad when the day ended and we had to go home. I wanted to live there among the clay and ovens and glazes and wheels and dust and sweat and slip and molds. I loved that place. For years I felt so sad here without a kiln or pottery, raising kids and working inside a prison of walls, my creativity stifled.
Suddenly, I watch this video. I don't need a kiln. I have clay. I have a wheel. I can fire them in my back yard. I can use black and white engobes, and a pebble to burnish the pots to a satin gloss. I don't need glazes. I feel so liberated. I could even make pottery while traveling in my RV. All it takes is a campfire. UA-cam is wonderful. And so are your videos. Thank you. Subscribed.
Thank you for sharing your childhood experiences with pottery, what a wonderful way to grow up. I hope you are able to return to the clay and that my videos might be helpful in that. Thanks for watching!
What wonderful writing...
This may be the best piece of writing on the internet for today.
Goodness what beautiful writing! I must say that as an aspiring writer you are very talented. Thank you for sharing your experiences in such a captivating manner. what an inspiration!
Write a book. Please.
Dude where have you been all my life? I love your videos! You're the perfect balance of goofy/informative/concise/pleasant
Where have you been MY whole life. Thanks, I needed this comment today, someone misinterpreted my goofy as cringy.
I totally agree! Subbed
Thank you so much for the video. My daughter's and I have been badly wanting to try pottery but I can't afford a kiln. We are going to delve into this now.
@@canterlilyfarm This guy is great, eh? :)
well said! He's a breath of fresh air!
This is so interesting! Of course humans have been making pottery for millennia without wheels and modern tools, but I had somehow never put together just how accessible it could be
Glad I could open your eyes. Thanks!
Same! I thought I would need so much stuff, glad to have seen this channel. It really opened my eyes! Thank you for what you do!!!
A beautiful mix of John Denver and Radar O’reiley❤️
This man has the wonderful heart of a teacher.
Very inspiring. My mom did pottery. She had a second house full of molds, several kilns, and when she died I was young and not aware. My dad sold everything for nothing. When I learned I had none of her art stuff I was devastated. I always wanted to continue her craft.
You can walk in her footsteps even if you don't have her equipment. Maybe the clay is in your blood.
So continue!
I can understand your devastation. I have had a taste of that myself. What I learned was that my parents acquired for themselves what they had, and so can I, and so can you if you like. Then, perhaps, I can leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren.
Do so, do continue. You will work in her memory, but create from your own heart and perfective. Sometimes that is the only legacy left to us! Do it!
Why do you not put slurry between the base and the coil? I would think that would make it stronger and prevent any air bubbles.
The moment he said “doobleedoo”, instant subscribe. That and something about pottery.
Ha ha, thanks
Nice job bringing pottery to the masses. If you can't fire in your yard you can often go to a park especially if you use charcoal in one of their grills. Thanks
Thanks Wes and for the tip as well. Where there's a will (to fire pottery) there is a way. It looks like your latest video is blowing up, good job!
Excellent thought! I like that!
NO U CAN NOT. it should burn FOR HOURS. In a kiln with 1000 degrees celsius it should burn 24 hours.
@@bambinaforever1402 Admittedly a park is more challenging. I did a surface firing this morning and it took 2 hours from beginning to end. With my temporary brick kiln like Andy used in this video the pots were ready in 7 hours. The bricks were still pretty hot but could have been put in the bed of a pickup. These methods typically hit about 800C and 1000C has been tough to achieve. Some parks are pretty restrictive but some give a lot of latitude.
Campground? Beach firepit? Hibachi on the patio?
As someone whose stuck to air clay because of the barriers to trying (mostly financial) this is so educational and is truly opening a lot of doors to grow and play with clay!
You give off Bob Ross vibes, but with clay.
10/10.
I'll take it, thanks
I'm USEING my late husband's tablet to watch your video He passed away a few months ago. He was a mater potter for 50 years. Your video is the first time I've been able to watch pottery making without bursting into a waterfall of tears ! I sculpt faces out of clay. I knew about your home firing technique from my own fireings long ago
Just wanted to tell you I enjoyed very much your teaching and allowing me a small step in my healing journey of living without him after 33yeats of this remarkable self taught potter. I miss him so very much. But watching you today was like he sent me a sign....." Get busy girl, you have things to do."Much love", Donna R
Fireing notgo
Fireing not foreign
That's wonderful, I am glad that my videos can help you in your healing.
I love your straightfoward approach to this video. So tired of having videos that say in 30 minutes what could have been said in 5. Yours is refreshingly informative and doesn't waste my time!
Thanks, glad you got something out of it.
Subscribed as soon as you said "I'll put the link down in the dooblydoo." I love pottery, but never looked into anything other than modern methods. I think this method fits me much better and I can't wait to be able to afford the membership to your website to access your master classes! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us! You're amazing and you've gotten an instant fan here
Thank you so much. I hope you get to make some pottery and enjoy it.
Literally the moment I hit subscribe. Old habits die hard and it's still a community I love
I’d love to know what a doobleydoo is.
It's just his funny way of saying the video description :)
@@nattamused9074the only other people I have heard say that are John and Hank Green, so I also felt a lot of warmth hearing that - I assume this potter has not forgotten to be awesome.
Very helpful. I'm an archaeologist and had learned to make handmade pottery as part of the training (using a mold and coiling) but couldn't take it any further. Making a few of my own ceramics at home would be special if I can even etch a few ancient designs on it in the pre-firing stage! Subscribed and looking forward to learn more. Thanks :)
Excellent, we need more archaeologist potters
Reminds me of undergrad at uni, studying anthropology/archaeology - we got to be pros at chipping "points" (technical term for arrow and spear tips or hand-held cutting blades) out of chert - an abundant local mineral of exceptional hardness (Mohs 7) that was used by early (BCE) native Americans. Still have a few "pretty" ones laying around from back in the day, lol.
I loved making pottery, one of my favorite art classes growing up and in college. I got disappointed that my dream of making pottery would never come to fruition because I didn't have a kiln/wheel/glazes. This video has revived that dream ☺
So exciting! I hope you're able to make some cool stuff now! I know I'm excited now to try!
You're a natural born teacher. I truly appreciate your video. It's been years since I've taken a ceramics class. Always wanted to do ceramics again, but never had the money for the equipment. Thank you for this
Thank you
Same! I took Ceramics in High School and it was my favorite class. I definitely plan on getting back into it.
the way he mentioned that he used to just sit and work with mud/clay in the driveway and porch, it clearly indicates he has lifelong experience with mud/clay. and it just told clearly and innocently here. thankyou. i wanted to start living more wholesome life by adding more clay utensils and earthen pot cooked food. this answers a lot.
lately i am having so many mental health problems and this video is the best thing i have ever seen in a long while, your vibes and passion made me so happy, it is the first time i feel this calm in a very long time, thank you
So glad I could help you in that way. Thanks
You have convinced me to try making my first pottery in this manner. I have a kiln already, but no wheel. ( Which I plan to build myself. ) I made some 'wild clay' from material I dug from 8 feet down. Nice orange stuff. lol Learning a lot from your videos, thank you!
That's great, I'm glad my videos have helped you.
This is really inspiring and I wanna do this in our garden. Pottery courses are ridiculously expensive here and doing it at home always seemed impossible. I'll just have to check on our local communities' laws because I don't wanna get fined in case we're not allowed to fire pottery in the garden.
I love the small bowl is called a Pookie, it just fills me with joy
You have no idea how many pottery video I've watched hoping to find the techniques that you give here. They always missed something. Yours is complete, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart! Thank you a lot! Your art and your soul are very special!
You are so welcome! I'm glad you found this information useful.
Subscribed off the strength of this video. I love experts who share their knowledge for free
Thanks, I have a lot more videos similar to this.
I love how passionate you are about teaching pottery basics! And I’m so very grateful that I found your channel. I’ve been called to pottery for so long but never been able to acquire my own resources (and renting can be expensive). Thank you for selflessly sharing your knowledge and wisdom. And quirkiness!! Haha. I feel empowered 🥰
Awesome, glad you are getting value from my content. I hope you're able to start making pottery using these videos.
I'm a baby in this area. I've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, and I can't crochet anymore. The first thing that came to mind was pottery, but of course, I don't have any fancy tools and essentials to start. This video is a life saver. I can't wait to try it out. Thank you 😊
I don't even practice pottery but I subscribed just cause you deserve every subscriber for actually using the platform like it was meant to. Amazing work you are doing, truly.
Holy shit, this dude literally replies to every comment on his vids, instant subscribe. PBS 80's vibe, I love it.
Maybe some day I will have so many views and comments that I won't be able to reply to them all, that would be awesome!
@@AncientPottery Hopefully! You're well on your way, getting 100k+ views on multiple vids is no small feat!
So true about tools! I have bought a lot of tools, but mostly I use my fingers, a knife, a bone folder (from book-binding), and a used-up gift card. I do like the puki I bought from the folks you reference. Not only keeps the bottom round, it turns as easily as a banding wheel.
It is easy to get carried away with tools that will see little of no use. I have been guilty of that. Thanks!
Thanks for teching us these ancient skills, adding this to my summer bucket list!!
Your videos have renewed my interest in pottery!! I thought I'd never be able to make pottery again because i can't afford clay or a kiln or to run a kiln. I wonder, do you also have a video on how to make your own glaze for the clay?
No I don't because I never use glaze. Check this one out ua-cam.com/video/V5eiGaFdeuw/v-deo.html
I remember making a bowl early in elementary school. Our school had no equipment for pottery at all. We rolled out «sausages» and used them to shape a bowl, then pushed them together and smoothed the clay out before it was dried and finally we decorated and varnished it.
I did that in elementary school too and mine came out horrible. I still have it around here somewhere.
In third grade I made a swan with an indentation between the wings to put keys, coins, and things. Ours were glazed and fired at the local university. I also took classes in college. All were fired in a kiln though. I'm going to watch your videos about how to harvest natural clay. Thank you!
One of the things I like about making pottery is the connection to our ancestors. But until this video, I never thought to make potter just like they did. And the bowl is absolutely beautiful!
Thanks.
Talk about useful content. I'm not even into pottery, but I love the way this guy thinks and engineers.
Thanks
Pookies & doobly dos I'm so in!
Your final product turned out so cute! I have a friend who wouldn't believe me that you could work like this at home, now I have good proof you can. Thanks!
Thanks
"Down in the doobillydoo" is my new favourite thing to call the description box haha! I'm 25 and taking up this new interest and you are the PERFECT type of person to teach me! THANK YOU!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
@@AncientPottery ffcg
@@edithtomlin2364 Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling?
Thank you! This was straight to the point! Enjoyed it. Want to start doing my own pottery. But up to now, financially it was not possible. But with this video there is nothing stopping me now!!! Thanks again!
Glad to help. Pottery has been made unnecessarily complicated by modern tools and chemicals, however primitive people were making pottery without any of these things why can't we?
I AGREE!!
i'm down here in the doobly-doo
I was lookin for this!😭
@@Thalia.o4 me too :) !
You sure are, we see you 😂❤
As a kid, my parents' backyard was full of clay, which I used to mix with water and roll into balls, and put them into the backyard fire pit in the hopes that i would find marbles amongst the charcoal the next morning. Needless to say, it didn't work. However, I've always wondered where the link between what i found in the ground and modern art class kilns was, seeing how our ancestors made a great many things out of clay. This video has been super informative, and I hope to use your techniques one day when I have a yard to fire in!
I have nothing to do with pottery, I fabricate nano-scaled sensors and calibration tools for high tech with expensive machinery.
Yet I love this so much, so simply explained and easy to follow, even your other video on finding a good clay location.
Thank you Andy, I will use this knowledge to go on an adventure with my boy and make ourselves some clay cups :)
Awesome, sometimes, especially when you work in high tech, it is great to get outdoors and do something "primitive". I know, I worked as a computer programmer for many years.
Love this! I've been wanting to make my own clay and do my own firing in my woodburning stove. I'd like to learn how to make my own food-safe firing glaze from scratch. I did pottery years ago using a wheel and kiln and loved it. Now, I would like to learn the economical way by doing it all naturally homemade.
It's all doable, I'm just not sure about the glaze. Maybe think about how our ancestors made and used pottery without glaze, they seemed to do alright without it. Maybe it's not as important as we think.
Thank you so much for this video! I am an art student at the University of Georgia and I just took my last ceramic class and I have been doing a lot of research on how to continue this hobby at home. This is the best video I’ve come across!
You are welcome. Check out my other videos, I have a lot of content related to hand building, alternative firing techniques, etc. Thanks for the great comment!
Awesome video. Your excitement for the medium is palpable. I’ve been working in clay for 20 years, and this video is honestly a breath of fresh air!
Thank you so much. I guess I am a little obsessed, I think that makes me a good UA-camr because I can maintain a high level of enthusiasm week after week.
What I like about channels like these is how they keep these universal ancient skills that all cultures would have known. An all.encompassing human knowledge.
Although many might think not having tools an obstacle, I would think way back when ….when making pottery first began, no one had modern day tools… whatever followed was in the imagination of the potter…great tips…btw one can find many different sizes of wooden bowls at thrift stores….if one is willing to wait…love the outdoor firing idea
Thanks, good tip.
You are appreciated by a lot of people, rightfully so. Thank you for sharing your art with us, and furthering the creativity. We thank you
Thanks!
I am so inspired by your videos-Thank you! I’m an art teacher in the Houston area and I’m always on the look out for clay techniques to share with my middle school students. My love of Native American pottery goes back to the early ‘80s when I wrote a paper about Maria Martinez. I have always wanted to try firing in a fire (or grill) and now I see how easy it can be!
Awesome, glad to help.
Thank you so much! I can't remember the last time I watched a 'how to' vid that was so informative without being 'teachy'; full of useful information, with a clear presentation and relaxed pace of delivery. Absolutely agree with Rock Collins' comments below, and of course I've subb'd.
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it.
This is fantastic! I live in Moapa Valley, Nv and volunteer at the Lost City museum. The pottery always fascinates me. The indigenous people didn't have expensive tools, a pottery wheel, a specialized kiln. But, they made beautiful pottery that was also so useful. I think I'm going to try this.
I think this is just great, I love that this is sort of an older style of pottery thats kind of lost in this new process of pottery. I think its a very beautiful thing to see, thank you for sharing. We come from people that used these sorts of techniques and to see the work is a wonder.
I was expecting everything except the firing at home, that's WONDERFUL! As I'm just a beginner I only make little pieces and this can be such an amazing alternative, THANK YOU!!!
You're welcome, glad I can provide some inspiration.
Wow, so happy I stumbled on this video, I had no idea this was possible! I've recently started wheel throwing, but was frustrated by my limited access to wheels and kilns... This video series is so inspiring, thank you for sharing your knowledge in this ancient craft revival!🙏🏻
Glad it helped!
While digging out flower beds around my home in Florida, I came across big chunks of blue/green clay. My husband and I both have a history of making pottery, me as a hobby/amateur, him as a much more accomplished ceramist, so this find was intriguing to us both. Neither of us have any experience with wild clay so was thrilled to find your channel going thru the whole process. Was wondering if anyone else has any experience with this blue/green clay in Florida. Is it good for firing? Well, I've decided to find out! Will let you know the results.
Sounds intriguing, I have no idea, although I do have students who are digging their own wild clay in Florida, just can't say if it's the same stuff as you have at your house. I hope it works out for you.
I was floored when I heard you live in the same place I do! Lol I feel utterly lucky! Ever since I was a kid I loved to play with clay. I was disappointed I couldn't make larger because I couldn't get ovens or professional equipment... Now I find you. Living in Tucson. So happy!
Cool, glad you found me.
New here and I’m glad I subscribed …
56 yrs old love art & clay since I was
Young and now that I have time I’d love
to learn from you .
Thank you
Dang Andy, I am so glad to have found your channel. I had heard about this technique of firing at home with wood/charcoal when I was a kid. It interested me at the time, but seemed impossible. Thanks to you and your videos I now understand... you've explained it all. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
You are very welcome, glad you found this video helpful!
This was a beautiful example of a simple form of pottery. I love the home grown feel and look of your pottery. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you
This is so pleasant, and so informative. Like, the Bob Ross of pottery, and I thank you for it
You are welcome, thanks for watching.
LOL... I was thinking the same thing! :D
I am retired, living in Portugal and after a long period of hard work I need some hobby to dive into, that could be lapidary, woodworking or clay. I for now gave up on lapidary, it's just too expensive for what I want to do and I was getting pretty demotivated about clay-working, until I saw your video. Now I have a burning desire to start with it, we have several kinds of clay here on our land, red, yellow, different shades of gray and almost white and it's so easy to harvest... I love diving into it! Thank you so much, subscribed right away!
Thanks, have fun!
This is so cool! I was just talking with a friend of mine about pottery and how she's getting a kiln and a wheel soon. Unfortunately I don't have the space to do any firing (apartment/condo life), but even knowing I could set up something just to play around is really cool. I know there are pottery studios nearby that allow community members to fire objects for a nominal fee. Thank you for such an informative video!
Glad you found it helpful
Thank you for this! I've been hand-building pottery from clay dug out on my property in the Pacific Northwest and firing it outdoors or in my wood stove. I've found that I can sometimes get it to bisque stage in my wood stove, but it doesn't get hot enough, or hot long enough, for glaze firing. I suspect my blue-gray clay is more of a stoneware clay as it takes very high temperatures. Burnishing it results in a shiny dark gray surface and it fires to a white color. Right now I'm experimenting with wood ash glazing while trying to scrounge enough firebricks to build a small woodturning kiln. I love watching your videos and getting new ideas!
You will probably need a kiln to get hot enough to melt glaze, I don't know anyone who has accomplished that in a primitive setting. Probably true, I have found the brown or red clays usually have much lower maturation temperatures than grey clays. It's probably the iron in them that acts as a flux.
I live in GA and have the blue gray clay. I have fired it and glzed it outside. I put my pottery in between 2 pieces of glass and use fat lighter as my wood or cedar
This is awesome!! I remember trying to turn my mud pies into pots as a kid and not understanding why firing them under the sun didn’t work because the sun was the hottest thing I could think of. Haha. Maybe I’ll try again, this time with a better understanding of the mechanics behind making pottery. Thank you for the informative video!
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
You had me at dooblydoo. 😅 I never knew ceramic was fired clay, I thought it was a coating. Hands are/and will always be the ultimate tool. Thanks for sharing the know how. Subbed.
Thanks!
Just sent this to my daughter. She and my grandson are artists who do a lot of digging in the garden too. PERFECT! ❤ So glad I tripped over you!
Thanks
Thank you so much there are so many inconsistencies within my memory on how to make these things at home you filled in all the blanks from when I was a child. Take care, and once again thank you.
Hi Andy,
Thank you for taking the time to make this video! You are a wonderfully interesting and engaging person to listen to. I hope, in the future, to be able to contribute to society as positively as you are contributing here!
Best of luck with your future projects!
Tim
You are very welcome.
I always urged my daughter, if you learn one high-tech skill, learn two low tech skills, those easily enough accomplished without modern tech. Old school. 😊
Love that! I’ve always loved that way. I work in technology in the corporate world but also constantly learn old skills like fermenting and other food preservation methods, foraging, herbalism, raising animals, old school arts and crafts, etc. Important words to live by!
Incredible video. Not only was it informative, it was super entertaining. You have a great personality and make a great teacher.
Wow, thank you!
I've been dreaming of getting back to pottery for YEARS now and didn't do it because I didn't have access to a kiln, but this video was really helpful! Thank you so much, gonna try out your techniques pretty soon :)
You're welcome
For a beginning student in ceramics, You have great enthusiasm and your energy reflects that. Thanks for sharing, you’re a gem💎
Thank you so much!
I've always really wanted to make my own plates.... you've really inspired me! Thank you!
Glad to help, thanks for watching.
I had no idea it was possible to make pattery at home without a kiln :O Thank you. I always wanted to try to make some pottery but don't have a kiln...or a wheel but I knew there was techniques for not having tools.
Glad I could help!
You could also try the Japanese Raku technique. All you need is a garbage can with a lid. It comes out gorgeous.
Dude you are insanely cool. i love your vibes. I'm gonna try all this stuff out one day!
You should!
Thank you so much for making these videos. I only saw your video as UA-cam suggestion. I loved pottery classes at university and am so encouraged to try your methods as I no longer have access to a wheel or kiln.
Awesome, I am glad to help
You are AWESOME sir. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and talents.
Thank you. It’s a great video. Would love to try it out in my studio. Few things that if you could guide with : 1. How long did you fire your bowl for?
2. How much coal did you use for a bowl that size?
3. Were there hot coals inside before you placed the bowl in?
Looking forward to your answers.
You are welcome, here are your answers. 1 - Just until it had cooled enough to be handled, maybe 2 hours or so. 2 - I bought a 15 pound bag of lump charcoal at Home Depot and I used about half of it. 3 - Yes, I started the fire before I put the bowl in because it had rained the night before and the bricks and sand were wet so I wanted to dry it out before I started firing pottery.
Love your way of working with clay, it’s so free!
Thanks so much 😊
Wow this was great! I've always wanted to try pottery, but the kiln part always stopped me. In NC, my backyard has clay layers: red, white, and sandy brown. I can't wait to try these techniques. I'm wondering if you can use a lazy susan as a turning base instead of the plywood? Or a barbecue for a kiln, if it's insulated properly. My brain is wired now! This is so cool.
Probably yes on both counts, but I haven't tried it myself. Have fun
I love how quick to the point and clear he is. Also I love “how to make a puki in the doodlidoo” all these names make me happy haha
Thanks! 😀
I am beyond excited to have discovered your channel. This is a dream…exactly this kind of pottery making a the way my Ancestors did. So grateful! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 New Subscriber
Thanks, glad to help.
Thanks for the great tutorial.
Do you use a water filter for washing your hands from the clay or cleaning with water to prevent clogging the drain?
I have a little bucket that I sit in the sink when I am washing the clay from my hands. So all the water I use doesn't run down the drain but is caught in the bucket. Then I carry the bucket outside and use it to water the flowers. Good point that should have been covered thanks!
I also use a bucket for it, however as I live in an appartment it is easier to pour it to the loo, as the diameter of the pipe is bigger there and therefore would likely not cause clogging
Btw not every plant likes clay in the soil, so it is better to enquire about if the plant can deal with it well.
Thank you for demonstrating how our ancestors 20,000 years ago brought us out of the Paleolithic and into the Neolithic. I can see from this demonstration how those folks could have accidentally discovered pottery and then learned how to reliably obtain a temperature high enough to create durable pottery without first inventing a kiln.
Thank you my Grand Daughter wants to make clay things at home. I think we can use my barbeque oven with coals to fire the clay things she makes.
That's great!
I have always wanted to make pottery but didn’t want to invest in the expensive equipment. Now I feel like I can make it myself. Thank you.
You can do it
Wow, great video, thoroughly explaned and very nicely put together!!!
Thank you so much!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@6:22 What are chimenayas? Is that a type of chimney? I'm not sure how to spell it, so Googling isn't helping!
It is a little portable fireplace, here is a link amzn.to/3LJGIgS
I get so excited when I see a new Andy Ward video in the morning. I watch with coffee and get totally inspired to get busy with clay. Thank you for another great instructional video!!!
I'm working with the additional challenge of zero "hobby money" so all your videos about "making do" with simple techniques and materials are making this possible for me.
Thanks GrannyGoose, that's what I'm all about, you can make beautiful things without spending a fortune on tools and materials.
New comment 12/11/23
Thank you Yay!!! I can actually fire my own pottery!!! I can’t wait to watch more and learn about collecting natural clay!!! In high school I loved art class and especially when we did pottery of course it was kiln and my kids loved the local art teachers pottery class she also had a kiln and glaze
My quest is still making food safe things bowls cups etc and how to add color, if anyone knows please share your knowledge!! Thanks so much This is amazing!!! 👍🏼
I have videos about all of that. Try this one ua-cam.com/video/SXxH9eQP8i8/v-deo.html
This video is so relaxing, refreshing to watch. It gives me hope that I can indeed have the enjoyment of working with clay without spending a fortune. Thank you so much!
Does the clay not stick to the wooden bowl puki? Did you take it out to dry as soon as you were done shaping? Thanks again for all your great work and any great video!
Thanks. Yes, the inside of the bowl is sanded down to bare wood so it is slightly absorbent causing the clay to dry and pop out. Do not leave it in the wooden puki for too long or the moisture could ruin the bowl.