Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

Curated by Martina Lantin for NCECA 2025 in Salt Lake City, “Beacon,” highlights artists who “hold the light” through activism and vulnerability.

Mayumi Makino Kiefer shares her thoughts and techniques on throwing and altering a large vessel into a bell jar, which is inspired by a Buddhist Temple Bell.

Want to try a different firing type, learn some new glazing techniques, meet fellow ceramic artists, or just get away and immerse yourself in a week or two of all-day, hands-on clay making?

Most of us know that we need to remix our shop glazes every time we use them, but did you know that most of us are not mixing them enough? Learn the science behind a better mixed batch.

Reds can evoke passion, caution, and good fortune, among other things—they vibrate and draw us in. Whether you drench your work or use it sparingly for emphasis, these recipes are sure to bring energy to your next firing.

Protecting our bodies as we work is key to longevity in the studio. Whether you prefer throwing while standing, sitting, or a mix of both, this tool can enable your wheel to be fine-tuned to fit your needs.

Deadlines for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals.

Katy Stubbs’ practice oscillates between 2D and 3D, but a keen eye for observation, humor, and the magic of the detail are always present.

Processing studio detritus and the ways in which ceramic material usage should lean toward sustainability, Claire Ellis’ work has given new life to sink-trap sludge and studio seconds.

Current and Upcoming Exhibitions

If you’re anything like me, you’re pretty good at pouring the glaze in, but when it comes to pouring it out again, the glaze drips and runs onto the outside of your pots.

What I find particularly compelling about the artists in this issue is how they have embedded their stories into their work.

Deadlines for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals.

Whether you want to achieve maximum vitrification for increased strength in functional pottery or find the perfect earthy glaze, check out these recipes from fellow high-firers.

Sometimes, the best option to showcase your surface decoration is a clear glaze. Tinted or not, these recipes will provide a transparent view of the clay, slip, and texture work beneath.

Two pieces of fabric, a needle, spool of thread, and sand are all you need to make a reusable tool to help keep your plates flat.

Want more flashing color in your soda-fired kiln? Learn to adjust the silica-to-alumina ratios, choose appropriate fluxes, and manage soda exposure and cooling rates during firing.

Pinched, stacked, and sgraffitoed, McKay’s vessels are built and decorated layer by layer. She shows how combining unique footprints, rich raw surfaces, and narrative illustrations creates tactile vessels ready for use.

“Treading Lightly: Walking the Talk,” curated by Lisa Orr, highlighted the work of fourteen artists who, each using their own approach and visual language, use clay to speak to pressing ecological and environmental issues.