Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

My practice involves continuous making, and each piece becomes a multi-headed hydra of potential options for each subsequent piece. So, one issue tends to be in synthesis and deciding when and where to impose limitations.

Keep being authentic and making work you enjoy. The more you practice, the better the work will be. The discipline of showing up leads to more practice and new discoveries within the small things that inform the work.

I like to think of what I do as sewing with clay. The thin slabs of clay are the fabric, which I cut into threads to build structures full of seams, very much like a seamstress working at her mannequin.

I pull inspiration from things within domestic spaces such as old wallpaper, textiles, and smaller details that are often overlooked—like a worn seam on an ottoman. Things such as this stir up memories from a simpler time in my life.

My pieces are built using a combination of various ceramic techniques: slab construction, coiling, stamping, press molding, pinching, wheel throwing, and carving.

I make pots that are intended for use in everyday life, and I want everyone to be able to use and experience my work. I think that a relationship can be developed with the work through use.

My forms derive from multiple sources of research and inspiration. I look to historical ceramics as well as the dishes I use in my daily life as the foundation for proportions, practical solutions, and a starting point of my pots.

I hope my artwork both challenges and encourages my audience. While it is not a brand-new methodology, once I started to make multi-media work in my own studio practice, I started to notice and be drawn to that type of work in general.

The pictorial protagonists of my work come from the natural world: winged creatures, bugs, flowers, and fruit. And it is this contradiction between their desires and their abilities that defines the work.

Almost everything I make is inspired by cars, specifically classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s. For my surfaces, I choose bold colors that are reminiscent of cars from that period of time (fun colors like teal, pink, Bermuda blue).

My interest in architecture and mid-century design influences the layered motifs I use to divide the surface and provide contrast to the form. Leaving evidence of the pinched construction creates a weathered-looking surface.

In the studio, I tend to always start out with a loose plan, pinching tons of little parts that I can choose from along the way. I find that having these options helps me to have moments of play where I can explore—stacking and arranging elements as I go.

I take a painterly approach to surfaces, beginning with a rich, red earthenware clay as my canvas. Then, I create colorful underpaintings loaded with motion and movement.

Ceramics Monthly’s 2022 Emerging Artists create innovative ceramic objects and installations that captivate, challenge, and inspire their audiences. The work of these 24 artists demonstrates the strength and skill within the ceramic field today.

From her efficient 200-square-foot studio in a historic cottage, Megs LeVesseur creates a wide range of brightly colored vessels that are inspired by the beauty found in everyday life.

Machine-learning techniques are being tested to help restore ancient and historical artifacts. Despite computational and technological hurdles, this method shows promise for restoring ancient Persian pottery.

Images from Current and Upcoming Exhibitions

Reclaiming clay has always proved to be a messy studio task. Somehow, I always managed to get clay splatter on the ceiling and walls no matter how careful I was.

We start out each new year with the selection process for the Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist competition, which is open to artists worldwide who have been pursuing a career in clay for ten years or less.

Most beginning potters pay little attention to bisque firings until they experience an explosion. More often than not, glaze blemishes can be traced directly to improper bisque firings. Taking a cue f