Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

  • Virginia Felix: Enlivened by Words and Nature’s Art
    Large-scale natural wonders, the concept of two-ness, and thoughts captured in an always-close-by journal influence the sculptural vessels made by Brooklyn-based ceramic artist and financier Virginia Felix.
  • Studio Visit: Jenn Cole, Cookeville, Tennessee
    Now settled into the basement-turned-studio space of her family’s rental home, potter Jenn Cole shares how she manages the many moving parts of her two-part business, including sales and social media.
  • Clay Culture: Full-Circle Pottery
    Patty Housen and Liz Rosenblatt opened Full-Circle Pottery nine years ago, and welcome an intentional, intergenerational community of makers with an approach guided by a mental-health and gerontology perspective.
  • Clay Culture: Ru Celadon
    A team of researchers is applying high-tech analysis to ancient porcelain shards in order to reproduce the unique characteristics of Ru celadon glaze.
  • Exposure: December 2021
    Images from Current and Upcoming Exhibitions
  • Quick Tip: Easy Kiln Loading
    I love creating round, full-bellied vessels and try to make them as big as possible. These large forms can be difficult to lower into the kiln when they are dry, fragile greenware.
  • From the Editor: December 2021
    The artists featured in this issue strive for an evolving balance in their practices, using their skills to express creativity and ensuring the forms they make maintain both the passion for what they do and function in generative ways for their audiences.
  • Spotlight: Narrative Journey
    Pattie Chalmers shares how her three types of work are linked by her interest in narrative and in suggesting a story that the viewer has an active part in completing.
  • Call for Entries: November 2021
    Deadlines for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals.
  • Recipes: Engobe and Clear Glaze
    Erin Furimsky and Janina Myronova share recipes for an engobe and clear glazes they use on their mid-range and high-fire sculptural work, respectively.
  • Tips and Tools: Light Switch Covers
    After spending more time at home last year, Katie Cameron decided to update her light switch covers to personalize her space. She shares her process for those interested in doing the same.
  • Techno File: Ingredients’ Roles
    Reading, writing, and understanding a glaze recipe relies heavily on knowing what role each individual material plays in the making of the glaze.
  • Three Approaches to Slip Casting Plates
    Have you ever considered making plates using slip-casting techniques? Artist and master moldmaker Daniel Mehlman explains different techniques, as well as the method he’s chosen for making his own plates.
  • Juan Barroso: The Immigrant Experience
    Through realistic imagery rendered in exacting, pointillist style on vessels and sculptures, Juan Barroso humanizes the contemporary immigrant experience and foregrounds immigrant contributions to society and culture.
  • Daily Bread: The Practices of Guillermo Guardia
    Tactility plays a key role in Guillermo Guardia’s creative drive.
  • Clay Culture: Clay Kits and a New Business
    This past year, Katie Cameron took advantage of the extra time she had on her hands by creating clay kits for her community, where a set fee gave participants a bag of clay, some tools, and access to firings.
  • Clay Culture: Craft Takeout
    With in-person classes put on hold due to the pandemic, Erin Furimsky came up with a way to engage her community and provide a creative outlet through projects designed to fit into a standard pizza box and related video demonstrations streamed online.
  • Tony Natsoulas: Inspiration and Independence
    Tony Natsoulas channels his boundless energy, optimism, and love of both art and pop culture into his large-scale figurative ceramic portraits of iconic people.
  • Raven Halfmoon: Contemporary Caddo Stories
    Exploring her personal experience and Caddo Nation heritage in monumental coil-built figurative sculptures, Raven Halfmoon is simultaneously expanding and continuing contemporary Caddo culture.
  • Janina Myronova: Character Counts
    The colorful, expressive figures that Janina Myronova makes reflect her Ukrainian and Russian background, as well as her interest in pre-Columbian figurative sculpture and contemporary graphic novels.