Here at Tessworks we hand paint each piece of ceramic pottery, therefore each piece has its own uniqueness. Each piece is made from ceramic clay, which begins in a liquid form. This liquid form is called clay slip. The slip is then poured into molds, which create many unique and fun shapes. Once the clay has been molded and dried it is then called greenware. While in its greenware form it is hand painted by professional artists. The paints we use here at Tessworks are non-toxic. Each of our patterns includes roughly 5 to 15 different colors. We use a layering technique with a variety of colors. By applying multiple layers of paint a raised effect is produced. You can actually feel the raised effect on each piece at the touch of your fingertips. Once the piece is painted it is fired in a kiln. A kiln is a brick-lined oven. The first firing reaches thousands of degrees. The first firing turns the greenware into a form called ceramic bisque. We then remove the bisque pieces from the kiln and dip them into a clear glaze. The glaze we use is also non-toxic. After the pieces are glazed we put them back into the kiln and fire them for a second and final time. This second firing also reaches thousands of degrees. When finished and cooled down the glaze creates a beautiful shiny effect, somewhat like glass.

All of our pieces can be used for decoration or used for each particular shapes' intended purpose. It is good to note that like china or glass, ceramic can chip or break if not used with care. Although Tessworks stands by our quality products, we are not responsible for chipping or breakage due to misuse. Since each piece is hand painted and individually unique, there may be a slight difference between pieces in texture, color, pattern style and or shape...