All posts by Daniel Bende

Designs and creates under the trade name DFB-ceramics hand-thrown stoneware figurative ceramics.
Glaze, Technique

Ceramic glaze levels for analysis

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As a glaze nerd I like to make rows. That’s why I use the “viewpoints” of Tony Hanssen (digitalfire) when analyzing glazes. From him I learned four glaze levels:

  1. Process
  2. Recipe
  3. Material
  4. Oxide

Copper red glazeIn developing a glaze I have always had this theoretical framework in mind. I greatly benefit from this to achieve desired results, a finish that fits my ceramics.

In recent years more and more public data are available, also in the field of glazes. Can these new insights be incorporated into the existing framework or is it time for more perspectives?

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Inspiration, Personally

Handmade ceramics, a hand-kiss to the past

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Handmade ceramics are thousands of years old. But the paintings that have been discovered in caves in the past hundred years all over the world are much much older.

In 1903, one of the first cave paintings was discovered in Spain: the cave of El Castillo. At this time, hundreds of caves with paintings have been discovered in Europe, but also in the rest of the world.

Hand made ceramic Hand bowls biscuit

The oldest of these images are the hand stencils. These are prints of color pigments, where the hand is used as a stencil. This resulted in a negative hand-print, which to this day kindly waves at us.

Time to wave back….

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Inspiration, Personally, Technique

Terra Sig: Personal Ceramics Projects

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At the moment I am studying the Terra Sig technique. Making time for your personal ceramics projects is important, at least for me.

The last months I have been working hard to give an advice on a local (pottery) clay, on a survey among the readers of my newsletter and following a branding course. All worth my time and effort.

Terra Sig weighing TestesHowever instructive this was, sometimes I encounter a technique that I want to investigate further. Ceramics is a field where many techniques play a role. I always like to read about all kinds of methods. But to “really” get to know a technique I have to put theory into practice.

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News

Minerva’s Owl is Crying

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“Minerva’s owl spreads its wings at nightfall.”

[…] “We are undermined by our universities, our journalists, by the people who receive our art grants and who design our buildings.”

[…] “But we have been called to the front. Because we have to. Because our country needs us.”

Thierry Baudet, 3/21/2019

The goddess Minerva cannot defend herself against this defilement. Minerva’s owl weeps and I cry with her.

Cry for them with hatred in their hearts
Cry for them without awareness
Cry for them

Avé, morituri too salutant

The Owl of Minerva is crying 2

News

Passion for Clay, SKNH Exposition Tuitjenhorn 2019

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What connects all the ceramic artists in the world? A passion for clay. How do we honor the clay? In different ways. The ceramists of North-Holland, united in the SKNH, celebrate this passion the next two weekends in Tuitjenhorn and everyone is welcome at the party!

And how do you start a great ceramic feast? With a cleanup and to stock bee… uh I mean to arrange sculptures. And that’s exactly what all thirty ceramists of North-Holland have done today. And yes that meant I had to work too…Exposition Tuitjenhorn-3

Large Retrospective of the Ceramics of the SKNH members
De OndernemersCentrale (DOC)
Oostwal 2 1747 EZ Tuitjenhorn
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 March
Opening Hours: 11.00-17.00

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News

Art Fusion: The Shop Tattoo All Stars

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Art, Tattoo, Records and Comics: the Shop – Tattoo All Stars. Art Fusion in practice. The store is new, the property is old, vibrant and exciting in the heart of Veenendaal, Achterkerkstraat 24 (100 meters from the market). Curious? Take a look at Instagram, Facebook or just step inside the store, then you’ll see what I mean.

How did I discover this melting pot of art? Because I know all the art hotspots of the Netherlands…. Okay, actually because Connie from “The Shop” had seen my ceramic sculptures and this was a perfect match for her gallery.

The Shop Tattoo All Stars-Connie and Daniel

I fully agree, an art fusion without ceramics is not complete. Especially if it concerns my ceramics;-)

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Clay, Glaze, Opinion, Technique

Commercial glazes, pushing product

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This week a blog about a new book by Deanna Ranlett “Off the Shelf, outside the Box”.

Off the Shelf/outside the Box: A Guide to experimenting with Commercial clays, glazes, & UnderglazesI fasten my bike on the Bloemgracht, Amsterdam. On the corner I can score at my dealer, in an old building with a nice glass facade. I step in, my heart rate accelerates, my blood pressure rises. I can’t pull my eyes from all the mysterious powders in many colors on the shelves. Here dreams are fulfilled.

It was in the early years 90 of the last century. And no, it wasn’t a “headshop” where I went in. It was the old shop of Ve-Ka in Amsterdam. Of these powders you do not hallucinate, but you will be happy…… when it is fired in a ceramic kiln.

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Glaze, Inspiration, Technique

Feeling blue, blue glaze magic

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2019 has just started and “I am feeling Blue“. No I don’t have the blues, I really feel blue……… that is to say glaze blue.

The first firing of this year I tried some new glazes. Glazes I developed and tried on test tiles. But you will only get to know a glaze for real when you use it. And fortunately, also “in the real“, this glaze suits me very well.

Glaze Blue-OvenEach glaze has its own origin. This blue glaze started as a muddy kind of brown…

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Clay, Technique

Clay recycling, fooling around with clay

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As a ceramic maker, “the recycling of clay is part of my work process“. To describe it a bit less professional: “fooling around with clay“, is not only throwing behind the wheel. There are also less ambitious activities such as “flinging with mud“…

Clay recycling means in practice, that everything that goes wrong on the potter’s wheel, I “fling in the clay bin”. And when the clay bin  is overflowing I need to get started…

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News

End-Of-Year-Exhibition 2018 St. Keramisten NH

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The first snow has fallen. So time for the End-Of-Year-Exhibition 2018 of the St. Keramisten NH (Foundation Ceramists North Holland). Like last year, Keramikos, (Oudeweg 151 – 153, Haarlem) is our host.

The exhibition only runs until 19 January 2019, so do not wait too long to visit…

“Magda”, “Hokus” and “Penetrating” are the ceramic sculptures that I have submitted this year.Magda, Hokus and primed ceramic sculpturesThis trio isn’t lonely, there are almost 80 works exhibited by 25 colleague ceramists.

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Inspiration, Personally

Living Ceramic Shapes

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Today I was throwing a number of vases, a very direct way to discover living ceramic shapes. I can make sketches, view contours on  internet or in a museum. But when I feel the clay going through my hands, the shapes takes hold of my mind and body as a whole.

Ceramic Shapes SketchesVases are great, they have a function, but they are mainly about form. Why is this vase “in balance” and this one not so much? What is a beautiful shape and why (not)? Visually, a (thrown) vase should have proper proportions, be in balance. Details should serve the shape as a whole. Finish should fit the design, (visual) weight the content. The intention has to match the result.

There are many more design principles that need to be reckoned with or taken into account. But pure shape I see best without glaze, without color, right after turning….

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Inspiration, Personally

Funnelbeakers, ceramic design from the Stone Age

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When I think of ceramic design, I think of Dutch Design, Scandinavian Design or more in general modern industrial design. But modern ceramic design is much more than that. Design is comprehensive and modern is not an invention of the 20th century. Modern design is as old as humanity itself.

In this part of the world you need to dig more then 7,500 years in the past to find design pottery; the Linear Pottery Culture. Typical are the serried  band decorations that are scratched in the outer walls of the earthenware. With this, the Younger Stone Age (Neolithic) was inaugurated in Europe .

Modern Funnel cupsBut for me this is a very outdated design, I  don’t want anything to do with that. As a contemporary world citizen, I prefer to be inspired by modern funnelbeaker ceramics….

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