Saturdays With Sharleen - Book Review

Good morning and happy Saturday. Today I am writing a book review on a new book called Ceramic Jewelry by Joy Bosworth.

I purchased this book a couple of months ago on the Ceramics Arts Daily web site. As soon as I saw the title I had to have it.

The book is one of a series called "Ceramics Handbook". There are 26 other titles in the series that would be worth checking out. The back cover has this to say about the Ceramic Handbook series:

"The Ceramic Hnadbook series was conceived as an introduction to various topics and techniques relating to the use of clay. The books are aimed at the student or the practised ceramicist who is experimenting in a new area."

This is a small paperback book of 112 pages. Packed with lots of good information and ideas for those days when one might need a little creative boost. While the info is not in-depth, the ideas could be researched further if more detailed instruction is needed on some of the techniques that are mentioned.

The chapters include

1 Design Considerations for Jewelry

2 Decorative Clay Surface Techniques

3 Forming

4 Color

5 Firings and Kilns (there are even directions for building a Top Hat kiln)

6 Simple Metal Techniques

7 Findings

8 Gallery (The gallery includes some unusual pieces that are arty.)

Here is the synopsis about the book from the back cover

"Ceramic jewelry is an ever growing area of the ceramic world. Although ceramic beads have been around for as long as pots have, the idea of ceramic jewelry has been making a comeback in a much more glamorous and professional form than ever before. This book shows how clay can be combined with other materials such as silver, gold, leather, textiles or stones to create some unique and innovative pieces. The book looks at how to source or create your own fittings and findings, the problems of design and the practicalities of joining the various elements to create a successful piece. The book is well illustrated both with practical images and beautiful photos of finished work from an international range of artists."