News

Thinking of getting a kiln? Things to keep in mind

While we wait for the arrival of our second kiln (name TBD), we thought of writing a little article about the things to keep in mind when deciding to get a kiln.  A kiln is a rather expensive piece...

A day at Kleistone Studio: what it means to run a community ceramic studio

    What does it mean to run a community ceramic studio? This little reel shows you what we get done in a day’s work, as the first preview of our series “A day at Kleistone”. We will go into more...

Demystifying glazes, their contents and the firing process

We are often asked by students about the contents of glazes. The assumption is always that glazes contain “toxic chemicals” and that they work in somewhat mysterious ways. Our approach to teaching ...

What we do with all that glaze waste

One of the least talked about aspects of ceramics is dealing with glaze waste. Members and students in our studio often hear us explain that nothing should go down the drain: glazes often contain h...

How to make slip out of clay

Slip is very useful in hand-building when attaching pieces and constructing. We recommend using the slip of the same clay you are working with, to avoid bad surprises in the drying and firing proce...

How to sand bisqued pottery pieces safely

We sometimes sand our pieces to remove any sharp bits of clay or rough edges before glazing. This will help give your pieces a smooth finish and better end result. We always wet sand our pieces in ...

How to clean glazed bottoms

Glazing can be a messy endeavour. In this post we show you how to efficiently clean up your glazed bottoms when you are dipping your pieces in glaze. Remember: the bottoms need to be completely cle...

How to get a rounded lip on a mug

When hand-building mugs, there can be a tendency that the edge or the lip / rim of a mug can be hard, slightly sharp or pointed, making it not such a pleasant experience to drink from. Once you ha...

How to prevent warping in clay

As clay dries, depending on the shape and how you have manipulated it, it will tend to warp. This is especially frustrating if you are trying to make perfectly round vessels, like mugs or cups.  Of...