Art Clay

Question 1

Air pockets

Answer 1

Enclosed air spaces within clay that must be removed for they may cause ceramic work to explode or crack.

Question 2

Bisque ware

Answer 2

Clay that has been fired once, at a low temperature. Clay is hard but porous and absorbent.

Question 3

Bone dry

Answer 3

No visible moisture and no dampness to the touch. Clay is ready to be fired.

Question 4

Ceramics

Answer 4

Objects made of clay fired to a high temperature, over 1550 degrees F.

Question 5

Clay

Answer 5

Fine grained earth materials formed by the decomposition of igneous rocks; plastic when wet; strong when dry; and rock hard when exposed to red heat (fired).

Question 6

Coils

Answer 6

Rolled, snake-like ropes of clay, joined together to build pots.

Question 7

Embossment

Answer 7

Raised surface design on a clay piece.

Question 8

Firing

Answer 8

To heat in a kiln (brick oven). Firing is a term used for “cooking” the clay.

Question 9

Form

Answer 9

Three-dimensional shape and structure of an object.

Question 10

Glaze

Answer 10

A combination of miniscule clay and glass particles mixed with water; applied to bisque ware before firing. During the firing process this applied mixture adheres to the form, giving it a hard, durable surface. Glazes can be colored, opaque, clear, translucent, or matte.

Question 11

Greenware

Answer 11

Unfired clay ready or nearly ready for firing.

Question 12

Hand-building

Answer 12

Construction processes that include pinching, coiling or building with slabs.

Question 13

Incising

Answer 13

Surface decoration made by scratching, cutting, or carving lines into clay at various depths.

Question 14

Inlay

Answer 14

Surface decoration created by filling an impression in a clay surface with another clay or slip.

Question 15

Kiln

Answer 15

A furnace or oven built of heat-resistant materials for firing pottery. Heat is produced by electricity, propane, natural gas or wood.

Question 16

Leather Hard

Answer 16

Clay is too firm to bend yet soft enough to carve. It is the consistency of cheddar cheese.

Question 17

Pinch Pots

Answer 17

Starting with a ball of clay, the potter opens a hole with his thumb. Pinching the clay between his thumb on the inside and fingers on the outside, a bowl shape is formed.

Question 18

Plastic stage

Answer 18

Moist and elastic to the touch; clay that is easily manipulated.

Question 19

Porcelain

Answer 19

A translucent, nonabsorbent body fired at high temperature. White and hard, it was
first developed in China during the 8th century.

Question 20

Pottery

Answer 20

Pottery is one of the oldest art forms explored by mankind. There are many now- extinct cultures throughout the world that did not use written language. For some of these civilizations the only evidence of their daily lives comes in the form of pottery, which when left behind provides important archeological records.

Question 21

Scoring

Answer 21

Scratching or roughing-up the clay surface; used in combination with brushed-on slip, scoring is a preparation step for joining two or more separate clay pieces together.

Question 22

Seam

Answer 22

The crack formed where two pieces of clay are joined.

Question 23

Slabs

Answer 23

Rolled flat sections of clay. Wet slabs can be draped over or into forms or rolled around cylindrical or square forms. Slabs may be cut into shapes and joined together using the score and slip method. This is most successful when slabs are dried to the leather-hard state.

Question 24

Slip

Answer 24

Finely ground clay particles mixed with water. 1) Used for joining two pieces of clay; 2) Brushed on (also called underglaze) for decorating purposes (3) May be squeezed or extruded onto the surface for a raised effect. Slip may be colored.

Question 25

Texture

Answer 25

The quality of a surface.

Question 26

Three-dimensional

Answer 26

when all three dimensions (length, height, and width) can be touched and
felt.

Question 27

Underglazes

Answer 27

Colored slip or liquid stain applied to leather hard clay or bisque ware, then coated with a clear glaze.

Question 28

Ware

Answer 28

Pottery pieces in the raw, bisque, or glazed state.

Question 29

Wedging

Answer 29

A kneading process, manipulating the clay to remove air bubbles, lumps, and excess
water.