Surface Design for Ceramics (A Lark Ceramics Book) [Hardcover]

Maureen Mills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008 | Series: A Lark Ceramics Book

For ceramists of any level, surface design is an essential skill for creating beautiful work. And this comprehensive and invaluable studio reference captures all the popular techniques available for embellishing clay. A wealth of practical information and detailed images lead you through every phase of the process—from the wet and leather-hard stages (faceting, carving, burnishing) through bisque ware (terra sigillata and slip work), to firing (glazing methods) and post-firing (decals, lusters, and raku). Because the procedures shown all require the same basic skill level, readers can dip in at any point. Time-tested recipes are offered in abundance, photos of fired demonstration pieces show the final effect, and top-quality contemporary gallery pictures display the fabulous results.  Sidebars throughout offer options for further exploration.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MAUREEN MILLS is Chair of the Ceramics Department at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, and also runs a studio in Portsmouth with her potter-husband, Steven Zoldak. She has won the prestigious Artist Advancement Grant from the Piscataqua Region of the New Hampshire Charitable Fund. Maureen's pieces have appeared in 500 Pitchers (Lark, 2006), and she has written for various ceramics periodicals. Maureen lives in PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579908446
• ISBN-13: 978-1579908447
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, July 8, 2008

By 

Michele Damico (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Surface Design for Ceramics (A Lark Ceramics Book) (Hardcover)

I'm a potter. I love Lark books and refer to them often for ideas and techniques. I was looking forward to this book and pre-ordered it several months ago. It arrived today and I have to say I was very disappointed with it. It's not a bad book but I found it uninspiring. There's really nothing new in it and I've seen all of the information presented in other books in a much more dynamic way. I was hoping for more.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, useful book!, September 8, 2008

By 

Kit Cornell (Exeter, NH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Surface Design for Ceramics (A Lark Ceramics Book) (Hardcover)

If you're looking for techniques to try as you work in clay, the recently published Surface Design for Ceramics may be just your cup of tea.

No how-to book showing how to execute someone else's ideas, New Hampshire Institute of Art Ceramics chair Maureen Millls' book exxposes the reader, with helpful detail, to a wide range of decorative processes. Close-up photographs show her hands at work demonstrating at every stage of making, from freshly-thrown clay, through biscuit to post-firing. Her finished pieces are fine illustrations of process. The layout of pages is balance and attractive. While the tools employed are simple, possibilities for their use are many, as are the examples of pots and details of pots showing how the effects are achieved. I found myself drawn in, wanting to know which tools and techniques were used, and in what sequence. There is plenty of explanation.

Mills' own pieces are augmented by photos of other artists' work, both contemporary and from historic periods. Inclusion of pieces by potters in New England, both well and lesser-known, is refreshing, as it reveals her interest in and personal connection to other people's work and style. It's a delight to see so many New Hampshire potters represented!

After the (too short!) chapter on design, dividing the book into clay stages is useful, as it avoids the confusion of figuring out at what stage which technique is appropriate. You can jump right in, and imagination is stimulated, not to copy, but to move through and past, to one's own expression. Options for firing and post-firing finishing are thought-provoking, as one sees the results and can identify the methods of firing. Truly, we are being taught to make our own choices, and the possibilities are endless.

Maureen Mills' considerable experience as a teacher informs the book. She and her husband, Steve Zoldak, are remarkable as educators. Helpful hints abound, clear and concise, never with the pedantic verbosity that has often made me turn the page to escape an author's self-centered intrusion on process.

There is something in this book for most potters, and discreet but crucial suggestions are what intrigue me the most, such as: "It's best to take time to visualize the finished piece before you get started."

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, December 3, 2008

By 

D. Aromando (Cumberland, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Surface Design for Ceramics (A Lark Ceramics Book) (Hardcover)

I found this book full of great ideas and techniques. I have been a "potter" for 12 years, and sometimes find myself in creative ruts. This book came to me at a time I really needed to explore some new ideas. There is nothing "new" in pottery. But there are new ways to present techniques and I think Maureen did this very well. She works in slip-trailing like no one else I've seen. I was really excited by her latex resist techniques as well. Since receiving this book as a gift, I have tried several of the decorating techniques. I've been energized to try new things, and share them with my students as well.
This book is a great addition to most potter's libraries, something I look forward to browsing for many years to come.