Ceramic wall hangings have always been one of my favorite things to glaze when I’m working in the studio. They allow me to be spontaneous with my color choices and incorporate funky shapes and textures that aren’t always suitable for functional pieces. I like to emphasize the beauty of the raw texture of my clay in many of these wall hangings. The dot pattern has become one of my go-to designs, and I love that each wall hanging turns out to be a one-of-a-kind piece.
I build wall hangings in all different shapes and sizes. I like to make irregular shapes because I often have a small wall area in my home that begs for a unique piece of artwork—a narrow strip of wall where a framed painting or photograph won’t quite fit. I like emphasizing the imperfect, torn edges on some. While certain wall hangings call for a smooth and sharp rectangular or square shape, others have rounded corners. This body of work allows me to play with materials and try new things. Those kinds of projects are so beneficial to a creative mind!
While you’re working with slabs, there are a few things to remember. Drying your slabs slowly and strategically so that they dry flat and aren’t warped is ideal. Having a flat wall hanging means it’ll hang flush against the wall. And don’t forget to include a hole toward the top so you can hang it up. If you do forget the hang hole, you can set these pieces on a shelf and lean them against the wall. They’re versatile and can add a unique pop of art and color to your home in almost any fickle spot.
Ceramic wall hangings are a fun way to express yourself with a more painterly approach to glazing. You can use a project like this to play around with patterns and mark-making, as well as different brushing and squeeze-bottle glaze techniques. It’s a flat, blank canvas ready for your artistic touch!
Tools and Materials
Flat, fired bisqueware, designed to hang on or lean against a wall
Sponge
Bucket of water
Pencil, ruler, stencils or paper templates
Various glazes
Assorted paintbrushes for applying glazes
Squeeze bottles with assorted tip sizes
Optional: underglaze pencils
Initial Design Choices
Begin by gently wiping your bisqueware clean with a damp sponge. Start sketching or tracing your designs directly onto your flat, bisque-fired wall pieces (1). Lead pencil marks will burn off in the kiln when they are fired, so don’t stress if you change your patterns or make a mark in the wrong place.
Next, start choosing your glazes (2). Some of my wall hangings have up to twelve different glazes on them, so don’t be shy with your glaze choices. Go with what feels right.
Glazing Your Designs
When you start brushing or squeezing your glazes onto your designs (3), keep in mind that the color of the liquid glaze will look totally different in its current state than it will when it’s fully fired. So, you’ll have to rely on your extensive glaze-testing knowledge, your sample library, your glaze notes, and your sketchbook so that you can properly anticipate the final results ahead of time. It’s a little bit like thinking and working backward—you’re working with materials that will look different at the end, and sometimes it’s challenging to paint using just your imagination.
Once you’ve finished painting your wall hanging, use your damp sponge to clean up the edges (4), wipe off the back side, and clean up any drips or smears.
If you want, use an underglaze pencil to sign your name on the back. Be careful not to smudge the freshly written signature or flake off any of the glazes on the front. This piece is delicate at all stages, so handle it slowly and load it into the kiln carefully.
Hanging the Piece
Once it’s been glaze fired, admire your handiwork (5), then proudly hang it up with a nail or a screw (6). Make sure it has a solid hold, or position it prominently on a shelf or mantle, propped up against the wall.
Excerpted with permission from The Beginner’s Guide to Decorating Pottery (Quarry Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 2023) by Emily Reinhardt. The Beginner’s Guide to Decorating Pottery is available now wherever fine books are sold. Learn more at quarto.com.
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Ceramic wall hangings have always been one of my favorite things to glaze when I’m working in the studio. They allow me to be spontaneous with my color choices and incorporate funky shapes and textures that aren’t always suitable for functional pieces. I like to emphasize the beauty of the raw texture of my clay in many of these wall hangings. The dot pattern has become one of my go-to designs, and I love that each wall hanging turns out to be a one-of-a-kind piece.
I build wall hangings in all different shapes and sizes. I like to make irregular shapes because I often have a small wall area in my home that begs for a unique piece of artwork—a narrow strip of wall where a framed painting or photograph won’t quite fit. I like emphasizing the imperfect, torn edges on some. While certain wall hangings call for a smooth and sharp rectangular or square shape, others have rounded corners. This body of work allows me to play with materials and try new things. Those kinds of projects are so beneficial to a creative mind!
While you’re working with slabs, there are a few things to remember. Drying your slabs slowly and strategically so that they dry flat and aren’t warped is ideal. Having a flat wall hanging means it’ll hang flush against the wall. And don’t forget to include a hole toward the top so you can hang it up. If you do forget the hang hole, you can set these pieces on a shelf and lean them against the wall. They’re versatile and can add a unique pop of art and color to your home in almost any fickle spot.
Ceramic wall hangings are a fun way to express yourself with a more painterly approach to glazing. You can use a project like this to play around with patterns and mark-making, as well as different brushing and squeeze-bottle glaze techniques. It’s a flat, blank canvas ready for your artistic touch!
Tools and Materials
Initial Design Choices
Begin by gently wiping your bisqueware clean with a damp sponge. Start sketching or tracing your designs directly onto your flat, bisque-fired wall pieces (1). Lead pencil marks will burn off in the kiln when they are fired, so don’t stress if you change your patterns or make a mark in the wrong place.
Next, start choosing your glazes (2). Some of my wall hangings have up to twelve different glazes on them, so don’t be shy with your glaze choices. Go with what feels right.
Glazing Your Designs
When you start brushing or squeezing your glazes onto your designs (3), keep in mind that the color of the liquid glaze will look totally different in its current state than it will when it’s fully fired. So, you’ll have to rely on your extensive glaze-testing knowledge, your sample library, your glaze notes, and your sketchbook so that you can properly anticipate the final results ahead of time. It’s a little bit like thinking and working backward—you’re working with materials that will look different at the end, and sometimes it’s challenging to paint using just your imagination.
Once you’ve finished painting your wall hanging, use your damp sponge to clean up the edges (4), wipe off the back side, and clean up any drips or smears.
If you want, use an underglaze pencil to sign your name on the back. Be careful not to smudge the freshly written signature or flake off any of the glazes on the front. This piece is delicate at all stages, so handle it slowly and load it into the kiln carefully.
Hanging the Piece
Once it’s been glaze fired, admire your handiwork (5), then proudly hang it up with a nail or a screw (6). Make sure it has a solid hold, or position it prominently on a shelf or mantle, propped up against the wall.
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
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