At Cactus Canyon Ceramics we offer wide range of Spanish ceramics and pottery which include tabletop, kitchen, decorative and garden pieces at wholesale prices. Enhance your online shopping experience by purchasing Spanish ceramics online.

1. Ceramics that Handmade and Hand Painted in Spain
Spanish ceramics has hundreds of years of history. Since the beginning of time, dishes and
utensils have been used for the preparation and serving of food. Early bowls may have
been made of wood, or very rustic bowls fired over an open fire. As time marched on, a
natural division in labor occurred and communities with a access to good potting clays and
expertise would gain a reputation for producing ceramics. Such is the case in Spain. There
are certain areas and pueblos in Spain that for centuries, have produced ceramics.
Today, potting clays can be loaded on
trucks and shipped to any point on
the globe. Colleges, Universities and
Trade Schools can teach best
practices for potting and painting
ceramics. Still, many of the Spanish
pueblos enjoy a natural advantage to
date. Hand painting techniques are
passed down from generation to
generation. In each of these pueblos,
there is an extended network of
painters and contacts.
Painting teams form loosely based on
family, friendships, and
work (or
demand).
Usually, each team is
composed
with
several
very
experienced and talented painters,
with
several
younger
or
less
experienced painters. In some cases,
one artisan completely paints the
dish. This is true to a large extent
with talavera.
The quality of the
Mug - Alegria Azul
talavera piece depends on the quality
of the artist producing the piece. In Andalusia, many times several artisans will share the
production of pieces. For example, a less experienced painter will put on the underlying
colors. Then the piece goes to a more experienced painter for the detailing, before it is
finished and ready for glazing.

2. Much of the Spanish ceramics for sale, is marked with “handmade in Spain”. And, many
times, this needs to be qualified. In a few cases, bowls, plates, cups and other pieces are
“hand thrown” on potting wheels. Each piece is a different size to a degree, and there will
be small differences in the bevel and size. In many other cases, factories use forms to
either press the pieces or pour the ceramic pieces. Artisans have their hands on them
during this time, extracting them from the mold or press. Many times, small edges are
trimmed at this time, but the clay is still crude.
After the production, the crude pieces are dried, usually in a large drying room. Once the
ceramic pieces are dried through, artisans smooth them off with either small knives or a
type of sandpaper. Once this is done, the pieces are ready for painting and they are moved
to
the
painting
room,
or
stacked
and
organized
for
future
use.
Soup Salad bowl - Eve
In Andalusia, a painting wheel is used for the production of much of the Spanish pottery.
This is true for tabletop, kitchen, decorative and garden pieces. Painters will place a piece
on the wheel and then spin the wheel around as they apply paint in circular patterns. Many
times the painter will pick up the piece and hold as they apply details with a brush or a
perra (for application of colored liquid clay). The technique is called “slip trailing” in English.

3. Once painted, the pieces are moved to an area where the pieces are submerged in a glaze
and left to dry. There are many types of glazes; some can be used to add tones or
surfaces to a finished product. Of utmost importance for the market in the United States, is
that the glazes comply with regulations controlling lead and heavy metals. In many
countries such as Mexico and Morocco, beautiful finishes are created, but the glazes do not
comply with US regulations. European regulations are less strict than US regulations.
If you have any questions or concerns about handmade and hand painted pottery, or if you
are worried about Spanish products and lead or heavy metals, do not hesitate to contact
Steve at Cactus Canyon Ceramics, LLC.
Steve has years of experience working with
Spanish factories and knows many of the owners and managers of the factories.
Contact for us:
Cactus Canyon Ceramics, LLC
15650 SW Dove Road
City: Terrebonne
State: OR
Zip: 97760
Country: USA
Tel: 541-526-1008
E-mail: cactuscanyonceramics@gmail.com
Web: www.cactuscanyonceramics.com
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