Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Great book, easy reading!
This book is great, easy to read & follow. Highly recommend for others to use.

Ceramic Tile
Everyone is doing solid surface & stainless steel. Stand out from the crowd, go with tile! The new grout & thinsets on the market take care of the old regrouting & sealing problems.

Excellent Tiling Book
First let me explain this very lengthy review by saying that I want readers to understand that this book is, by NO means, just a book of pictures, as one reviewer complained. If you're looking for inspiration AND information, this is the book for you. It contains plenty of photographs of tiles of all types used in a full range of settings and uses. It is also full of instructions and details, not just about how to install tile properly, but also how to prep the area where you intend to install it, based on the type of wall, flooring, subflooring, etc., and what you might have to add to your existing floor or wall, based on what's already there. It also contains instructions for removing sinks and commodes before tile installation, removing baseboards, old vinyl, and other such things.

It includes basic tile info, from pictures of the basic sizes and shapes of tile, to "tile lingo," with pictures of all the different trim and specialty tile for corners, edges, etc., so you know what to look for and ask for when you're tile shopping, based on your intended installation area. It also has descriptions of tile types - ceramic, porcelain, stone, glass, terra-cotta, tile borders, painted tile and mosaic tile.

It also contains photographs, descriptions and instructions for use of a wide range of tools you'll need for tiling, both for installation and finish work, as well as tips for making other helpful tools, and gear you'll need to make yourself more comfortable while working.

The book contains diagrams for laying out tile, depending on whether you plan to install tile squarely or diagonally, and whether your room is square, out-of-square, or L-shaped.

Besides full preparation information for the areas of installation listed below, it includes good instructions on the noted subjects:

- floor: strengthening the subfloor, patching concrete, installing underlayment
- wall: extending outlets, removing baseboards, patching drywall or plaster, repairing holes, and installing new drywall
- kitchen countertop: strengthening cabinets and countertops, making and supporting a sink cutout
- tub or shower: removing old tile, dealing with existing plumbing, investigating water damage
- shower: designing a shower enclosure, installing a prefab shower pan or installing your own mortar-bed shower floor, building the shower curb, installing soap dishes, shower seats, grab bars, etc.
- tub: framing and tiling tubs, including floor framing support and platform framing

It also includes instructions for tiling fireplace surrounds and hearths, woodstove surrounds and hearths (including types of suitable tile), range hoods, stairs, pool decks, and existing exterior concrete (and how to build a new concrete base if you don't have one already).

For every area of installation it covers, it shows stunning design ideas that make you want to go tile shopping.

AND, last but not least, it has (1) a section on tile maintenance, cleaning and repair; (2) a section on installation specifications for tile over concrete slabs, for wood subflooring, for radiant heat, and for tile walls; (3) a resource guide; (4) a glossary; and (5) a nice index.

I checked out this book from the library, and after one look through it, I knew I wanted it on my bookshelf. I am certain that it will tell me everything I need to know to prepare for and complete my upcoming tiling projects. Thank you, Creative Homeowner, for an excellent book.

waste of money
This book was worthless and a waste of my money. I do not recommend this book to anyone!! It was mostly pictures.How is a book of photo's with out any real information claim that it is the utlimate guide to ceramic tile and stone.This book was less useful than any magazine with ideas about ceramic tile and stone.

Very beginner helpful
Never having installed tiling before, we felt it necessary to get so info before we started.Book seems to cover almost everything we needed.Still had a few questions about how to cut square holes in the middle of the tiles, how to correctly use nippers. Also needed to talk more about the current types of adhesives avail now. Overall helpful book and informative for the beginner. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is the first to bring together in one comprehensive volume a wide range of key topics in glass and ceramics conservation. Scientific research in deterioration mechanisms and in the methods and materials of conservation processes are dealt with extensively by twenty authors, each internationally respected in their subject. The training available for glass and ceramics conservation is covered in contributions by five course directors at colleges in the USA and Europe.The book is designed for conservators, curators, conservation scientists, and ceramics and glass technologists. ... Read more

Product Description
The Conservation and Restoration of Ceramics brings together the wide range of current information relevant to the practising conservator.The book opens with a discussion of the fundamental nature of the ceramic medium, information which is of primary importance when selecting treatments or considering preventive conservation measures.

Details on techniques are given in a series of chapters covering the restoration and conservation processes, but the emphasis is on the basic principles involved in the choice of materials and methods.The nature and properties of materials commonly in use are fully discussed and guidance is given on the facilities and equipment needed.

Also covered in the book are old restoration materials and methods, the ethics of ceramics conservation, examination and recording, display treatments and emergency procedures.

Now in paperback, this book will be invaluable to practising conservators and readers of conservation as well as of interest to museum curators and collectors.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Adequate from Great
Very briefly, we have been disappointed with this book.Although recommended, we were shocked to discover that all images were in black and white, and of poor "grainy" quality.This is a subject that is all about detail, which is impossible to note with the images used.I am only pleased that this book will be used as a third source of information rather than primary source.

I think that this product is over priced.It is certainly one of the more expensive books I have bought, and I cannot see the reason for this.The authors, through their place of work, have obviously had access to the best of the best, both in using ceramic examples to illustrate their techniques, and tools, and yet they failed to produce a book that mirrors what restoration and certainly the V and A Museum is all about.This book is dull, uninspiring and I fear shall remain on my book shelf, unused.

A poor show.I would not recommend this read to anyone, even those with money to burn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

lucretia's reviews of weekend painters
yes i really did enjoy your weekend crafter i was thrilled with thepictures to help me along with my projects i had never seen silverwarewrote on before or painted on to match the plates and dinnerware. i reallyam glad i ordered this book thankyou lucretia ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

never found such a useful book
If you are looking for varied and facinating ceramic decorating techniques, this is the book for you. With the notable exception of stain wedging, this book has it all. As a high school ceramic instructor I am always looking for versitile and inexpensive decorating techniques. This book is the jackpot! ... Read more

Product Description
This large-format, superbly illustrated volume is guaranteed to become the standard work of reference for all ceramic artists and designers. Packed with information and glaze recipes, each of the hundreds of glaze recipes is reproduced pictorially so readers can see the colour and surface responses it has to offer, and features a brief description, its firing range, and the uses to which it can be put. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good if you already know something about glazes
I fire at Cone 5-6, and a lot of the recipes in this book are listed for use at Cone 10 and up. However, if you know something about glazing and use a glaze calculation program, you can see that many of these glazes are within Cone 6 limits (and, in fact, aren't within Cone 10 limits despite being listed for "domestic" use!).

Also, this book is useful insomuch as it provides color combinations in certain types of glazes, which could be applicable to any stoneware temperature if you know a bit about glaze formulation.

Lastly, if you do purchase this book, search the clayart archives at potters.org for the errata sheet.

Not a great book, but I don't regret purchasing a used copy.

Better Used for Kiln Fuel
This book contains no valuble recipies. All of the earthenware stuff is lead based and most of the other recipies use stains and other pre-made colors, one "recipie" specifies to use 100% of a commercial red glaze, with no modifications at all. This book is such a waste.

Huge disappointment
I bought this book because I confused it with another title and I was so disappointed with it I felt I have to warn others. Since I work with stoneware in the temperature-region of 1240-1260 °C I wanted a book with lots of stoneware recepies - but almost all stoneware glaze recepies in this book are adjusted to 1290-1300 °C !!! I don't know a single potterer that fires stoneware at those temperatures and have never heard of one either. I feel bewildered and cheated. And the book brags about having over 700 recepies but many of the recepies are the same with only a slight slight change in the amount of colouring oxides! There are also recepies in the book that are exactly the same.
I don't know how such a bad book could ever have been published to be frank.

Do not buy this book if you fire at low temperature!!!
Although the book is nicely presented with durable material/cover/binding, it was a major dissapointment. I would have returned it back to Amazon, but unfortunately I have opened the shrink wrap packaging! Almost all the earthenware formulas have Lead Bisilicate in them!!! The remaining few are made up of colourants/stains and ready made mixtures! The stoneware and porcelain parts look good, but hey.. most of the hobbyists and amateurs like me fire at low temperatures! I don't recommend it at all.

Not as good as I thought it would be.
While doing research for some new earthenware glazes I came upon this book which has a large section dedicated to that subject (as well as raku, majolica, stoneware and porcelain).

The test tile examples are beutiful and it is laid out in a different fashion than normal; by color not colorant. I found that to be helpful.

Then I started reading the glaze recipes.... a MAJOR percentage of the earthenware recipes use lead bisilicate.I was sceptical, but since some of the glazes were marked for "Domestic" use I decided to try them out.

That ended up being a colosal waste of time, energy and money. All eight glazes that I tested for "Domestic" use leached lead in testing at home. I don't know how one would begin to use or sell glazes that leach lead.From a practical view I don't think I would ever be able to tell a customer that it's a lead glaze, but not to worry '""cause this book I got the recipe from said it was okay to eat off of."

I'm quite disappointed. For people who do low-fire ceramics (which would be about every grade school , junior high, hobby-ist...I know of) this is most definately NOT the book for you. The author needs to be a little more up front about what's in the recipes and exactly what kind of lead leach test those recipes passed to be considered for "Domestic" use.

Someone out there needs to write a very comprehensive book in the same style for just low-fire ceramics that may include these glazes (along with alkaline glazes etc....), but be more realistic about usages. ... Read more

Product Description
Durable, honest, and handsome, Heath ceramics are design icons. Much collected, these signature tableware and tiles are still made according to the artisanal tradition that Edith Heath conceived in the mid-1940s, when she founded the company—it is one of the few remaining mid-century American potteries—in Sausalito, California. Now the remarkable history, legacy, and craft of these ceramics, as well as the story of the woman who created them, are told for the first time in word and hundreds of archival and newly commissioned images. Heath's work has been an inspiration to numerous luminaries in diverse fields. Among those contributing their insights to the book are dwr.com founder Rob Forbes, restaurateur Alice Waters, design maven Agnes Bourne, and many more. Heath Ceramics is the celebration of this classic pottery that is still part of today's design scene. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An appreciation of modern ceramics.
Definitely not a "coffee table" dust collector but a book that I have spent many pleasant hours enjoying.It gives the reader an appreciation of how the multi-faceted potter Edith Heath brought classic design into the home through her ceramics. This book is a wonderful addition to my library and it makes gift giving easy.

Beautiful and Finally Available
The book for anyone with a passion for Edith Heath's designs as well as people interested in ceramics from the 40s until today. What the book lacks is a catalog of Heath's ceramic designs. But this shortcoming is not a big deal. What this wonderfully designed and produced book boasts is the vision of a singular woman who will forever be a part of the design landscape. The book is an absolute steal at the amazon.com price. Dense editorials, fantastic photography. A beautiful tribute.

A big thanks to the authors!
Finally, a respectable book on Edith Heath! Klausner's work really stands out in the small but discerning crowd of Heathophiles. The more I tuck into this extraordinary book the more I become fascinated by the miraculous and timeless techniques of the House of Heath. I recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in ceramics. ... Read more

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Product Description
This volume features 28 fresh and pretty designs influenced by the well-known motifs of petal and flower ceramics, William De Morgan red and white lustreware, traditional European embroidery, Toiles de Jouy textiles, Scandinavian and Northern European folk art and many other popular red and white designs and patterns. These ideas should make decorative and useful projects for living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, gifts and accessories. Each design includes easy-to-read comprehensive instructions and colour charts for each project and can be adapted for other soft furnishings or accessories. ... Read more

Product Description

A growing number of ceramic artists now choose not to glaze their work. Instead, they use an unglazed—naked—surface to express their ideas and concerns. From slips and terra sigillata to burnishing, engobes, oxide washes, and additions to the clay body, there is a wide range of techniques artists can employ to achieve the finishes they desire. As these techniques are suitable for a broad spectrum of processes, subject matter and context (from slipcasting to handbuilding, from high to low firing temperatures, from figurative to conceptual, from domestic to public), the scope of the work produced by the artists represented in this book is enormous.

In Naked Clay Jane Perryman not only presents the finished ceramics and techniques of an international group of artists, she also investigates their ideas and areas of inspiration to further an understanding of their work. Each artist presented here has a unique style and way of working, but they are all connected through their committed relationship to the material and their desire to express their ideas using "naked" clay.

This beautifully illustrated book will inform and inspire not only students, professionals, and teachers, it will fascinate collectors and, indeed, anyone with an interest in contemporary ceramics.

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Book! a Must Have for Potters!!!!!
This is one of the best books about contemporary ceramic practice, it has beautiful photos and great information. The book contains a small intro talking about the tradition of ceramics without glazes through history, mainly during the XX century. Then it has like 30 great interviews with potters arrownd the world that work without glazes, excellent artist choises. If you are just a little interested in pottery as a way of life, as an complete and fulfilling art, buy this book, you will get highly inspired!!!!!!

Excellent Book
This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in beautiful, non-glazed surfaces. Topics covered: saggar firings, smoke firings, clay mixed with aggregates, colored clay, slip, terra sigillata, etc., etc.. A very generous amount of technical, how-to information is given by each artist represented. Lots of ideas, very inspiring.

Naked Clay Exposed
Beautiful book.Covers a wide range of artists and their different approaches along with photographs of the artists and luscious ones of the work. Every page held my interest, I found it a good referrence book for inspiration. I have a lot of ceramic books and this is in my top five.

Favourite Book of all time
This has to be the best book about naked clay around.It is filled with inspirational artists who have been very generous with sharing their working methods and knowledge.The photographs of the art work are fabulous and show good detail of the work. A must in any collection.

EXCELLENT!
This book is quite a spiritual book, a holistical approach to clay, art and human beeings. I did love it! It shows people achieving his own voice in clay, out of glazes. A real treasure! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Grueby's Tiles at Scranton PA's Lackawanna Station Hotel
I just found this information in a newsletter and thought I'd pass it on:The Lackawanna Station Hotel (currently the Radisson, formerly the Lackawanna Train Station) in Scranton,Pennsylvania has thirty-six Grueby Faience tile panels.The Grueby murals, which portray scenes along the railroad's lines, including New Jersey landscapes and railway stations, formed a frieze around the rail station's waiting room, now a restaurant. Susan J. Montgomery is an independent decorative arts scholar, specializing in the New England tile makers and potters of the Arts & Crafts movement. She holds a B.A. in art history from Smith College and a Ph.D. in American & New England Studies from Boston University. As a free-lancecurator and researcher, she has contributed to exhibitions at the Addison Gallery of American Art, PhillipsAcademy; the Davis Museum and Cultural Center; Wellesley College; the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College; and the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at St. Petersburg College. Since 2005, she has been a consulting curator to the Two Red Roses Foundation in Florida and has written a catalogue of the foundation's Arts & Crafts tile collection. She is the author of numerous articles on pottery and tiles and published The Ceramics of William H. Grueby: The Spirit of the New Idea in Artistic Handicraft in 1993. ... Read more

Product Description
The Best of New Ceramic Art features the 100 winning entries - chosen from almost 1,000 submissions - for the Monarch National Ceramic Competition, North America's premiere showcase for new ceramic art. The book serves as an exhibition on paper, showcasing a splendid collection of diverse objects that are a testament to the strength of ceramic art as a modern art form. The superb illustrations are a rich source of inspiration as well as a permanent reference. This book will be welcomed by practicing artists throughout the world, along with those who find pleasure in looking at and collecting ceramics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

beautiful book of contemporary work
This book is mostly a picture book, full of images of strong and interesting ceramic creations.Truly inspirational! ... Read more

Product Description
The most popular of all the decorative arts, pottery has established itself as a modern art, form universal in its appeal and language. This presentation of ceramics worldwide has been updated to reflect the latest developments in a fast-evolving field, revealing a blend of tradition with new ideas, and spectacular use of ornament and colour. Dormer discusses the nature and roots of today's trends, and examines form and decoration in an authoritative compilation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pretty book.
This is a beautiful book that illustrates the amazing multiplicity of styles found in contemporary ceramics.It is always nice to see what others in your field are doing. ... Read more

Product Description
Of the various art forms in Japan, pottery is one of the best illustrations of Japanese individuality. In contrast, the porcelains of Japan have stereotyped shapes and patterns. The two art forms together go far in sustaining Japan's reputation as the cultural melting pot of the Orient. This guide indicates how to distinguish Japanese porcelains from Chinese and how to recognize modern reproductions of genuine old wares. ... Read more

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The 2004 issue features many important articles including the first color publication of America's earliest stoneware factory-The Poor Potter of Yorktown.In addition, other articles feature previously unpublished information about several important American Salt-glazed stoneware potters.The redware products of Morgantown West Virginia are presented along with information about English porcelain, Maryland tobacco pipes, and a wonderful essay about Bernard Leach's travels in America. ... Read more