Book Reviews

This is a practical book that could send your art career to new heights. Having a business card is only the start. Alyson Stanfield has many excellent steps for you to take, starting with Your Definition of Success.  She guides you through goal setting and making a plan of action, and along the way demolishes those nagging excuses such as I'm an introvert. Alyson explains why it is important to use the internet to reach your customers and provides on-line forms and examples to get you started. Once you've read the book, you will want your own reference copy to turn time and again to the 16 steps to action.

This is a collection of papers and lecture notes by Val Cushing. Contains a lot of valuable information on glaze formulation not commonly found in other books. It also contains several of Cushing's glazes with the corresponding unity formula. This book is available from The Potter's Shop (http://thepottersshop.blogspot.com).

The methods, materials and aesthetic appreciation of Japanese wood firing are explained in exquisite detail in Japanese Wood-Fired Ceramics. This ancient technique is a favorite among ceramic artists and instructors around the world, and this superior resource offers artists valuable insight into this nearly 1,000-year-old tradition.

Techniques, traditionally passed on through apprenticeships that last nearly a decade, are explained in detailed instructions, including more than 700 illustrations and color photos. The complexities of loading and firing a wood kiln, unique glazes and firing techniques used to obtain surface effects, and experimental approaches are discussed in this reference. This optimum resource offers artists an additional bonus with instructions for creating two kilns, including the authors' famous Dancing Fire Wood Kiln.-Details of ancient Japanese wood-firing methods are covered-Features 700+ color photos to guide artists in learning methods

Reviewer Notes - Great book that explains the details of wood firing as well as the Japanese approach to classifying wood-fired effects. Kusakabe designed the Dancing Fire Kiln and the Sasukenei Smokeless kiln.