A ceramicist is a professional artist who uses clay to create objects that are sold to the general public. The ceramicist creates an object out of wet clay molding it on a potter’s wheel or hand-building it, and then firing it at low temperatures in a kiln, or ceramic oven, so it can be glazed or painted. When the ceramicist creates cookware or dinnerware, the glazed piece is frequently fired in the kiln again at high temperatures.
Clay artwork can be made using a wheel to mold a form, building it freehand, or combining the two methods. A ceramicist can make symmetrical cylindrical shapes suitable for bowls, plates, cups, teapots, vases, and other functional items molding or “throwing” clay on a potter’s wheel. The use of the wheel also allows a skilled artist to create pieces faster.
Coil building is one method a ceramicist might use to make a vase without using a wheel, for example. Clay coils can be made hand rolling clay or using an extruder. Another method of hand-building requires the artist to flatten the clay into thin sheets, which he or she can then use with molds or shape into objects. Clay can also be used to create sculptures, particularly of the human form.
The final product, whether earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, or china, is often determined the type of clay used. Once a wet clay piece has been created, it must be allowed to dry slowly until it reaches a leather-hard state. The clay is slightly damp but not very pliable when it reaches this stage. The piece is usually loaded into the kiln for bisque-firing at this point, which involves slowly removing the water from the clay until it solidifies to the point where it can no longer be reconstituted. When the kiln reaches 1100°F (about 590°C), water is usually forced out of the clay.
Glazing is frequently the last step a ceramicist takes before completing a piece. Depending on the look the artist wants to achieve and the final piece’s purpose, different glazes can be used. Low-temperature firing and raku firing, for example, necessitate special glazes and are not suitable for dinnerware or cookware. For use as dinnerware or cookware, clay is typically fired at temperatures ranging from 2200 to 2400°F (1200 to 1300°C).
A professional ceramicist can sell his or her work in a variety of ways to the general public. Shows and sales may be held at local cooperative artist schools and studios, or a ceramicist may sell directly from his or her studio. Many ceramicists travel to regional craft shows, which could be another way to sell their work. There are also stores that specialize in fine art and crafts.