Id like to mold and paint my own garden pottery?..........?

Question

What kind of clay would be best for this...and what kind of paint...ive heard that the paint on pottery peels easilly so what do i need to use to prevent that from happening....

Answer 1

'Molding' pottery is called slip-casting. Slip is watered down clay that is very liquid. You can buy this at any pottery supply store. You pour the slip into your molds and then you can fire it in the kiln after it's dried out.
If you are looking to paint more then make ceramics, I would go to Michael's or some other such craft store. You can buy terracotta pots and a specific acrylic paint for outdoor-painting. I think it is made by Delta. Good luck.

Answer 2

Others have answered the question well except for one thing to think about and that is that when water freezes it expands. If your pots are at all able to absorb any water, and you leave them outside in freezing weather, they will break or spall. the same will be true if there is any water or wet soil in the pot.

Those big terra cotta Italian pots are great but they are not used where they are subject to hard freezes.

The Talc clays normally used for molded ceramics are quite weak and they tend to be thin as well unless you leave them in the mold extra long.

If you are making big open vessels and can find a shop that will have the clay and do the higher firing of stoneware (cone 10) you can make much stronger pots, by pressing the clay in slabs to the inside of a mold or throwing them on a wheel.

Answer 3

Since your pots will be outside, and thus exposed to the elements, you'll need to use a high fire clay. Be sure to put a drainage hole in the bottom of each pot. Besides the obvious reason (drainage), it will keep your pot from cracking during extreme weather changes (water freezing in winter).

As already stated, glaze would be the best way to finish your pots.

It might be a good idea for you to stop by your local clay supplier/studio and enroll in some classes. This would help you to learn all about handbuilding and/or throwing, check out the vast array of glazes that are available, and perhaps even learn about firing your own wares.

I love your idea of creating your own garden pots! What a great project during these cold Winter/pre-Spring months! Good luck to you!

Answer 4

You should use a good 'pottery clay' and you should 'glaze' it and 'fire it on' in a kiln rather than just 'molding' and 'painting' 'clay' that you don't intend to 'fire' in a kiln. The reason you should use ONLY 'fired pottery' is because the 'unfired' pottery will break down when it gets 'wet' ... and even if you grow only 'cactus' you are still going to have to 'water it' occasionally.