Our family business was recently featured in AD. The occasion was the 75th anniversary of Montagne Aardewerkfabriek/Dutchceramics. But the conversation also turned to a subject that is just as important for our future: finding skilled pottery painters.
Ceramists, Dutch MBO students and anyone who wants to learn more about the ceramic profession can contact Dutchceramics. In a spacious hall there are mainly three sections: the clay shaping and slipcasting, glazing and kiln firing and the decoration department.
In recent years, we have successfully introduced several interns from the Netherlands and abroad to all aspects of the traditional ceramic process in a pleasant atmosphere. This is instigated from a ceramics education organisation of the interns or the trainees own initiative.
In the slipcasting section, the purchased clay in powder form is first liquefied in a large round steel container, where the clay is brought to the correct thickness and mechanically sieved. Then the plaster molds that have been prepared on the casting tables can be filled with liquid clay by means of air pressure with the casting gun. After a short time, the moulds can be emptied again and opened a little later so that the harder clay can be removed.
After the first (biscuit) firing, the decorating can begin: this can be done by hand painting or by screen printing directly on the biscuit, the latter can be difficult because many shapes are not flat but convex or angular.
Finally, glazing follows. This can be with transparent glaze or with opaque colors and filling one of the 7 ovens between 100 and 1200 liters.
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