Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

Looking for a weathered, crackle surface? Check out Sam Taylor’s slips for atmospheric firing. Inspired by potters who use local materials? Read how Matias Braun uses materials sourced near his studio in Costa Rica.

Akira Satake shares his journey from a career in music to one as a full-time potter, emphasizing the benefits of experimentation, embracing mistakes for creative growth, and the usefulness of adapting to industry shifts.

Home studios often struggle with costly plumbing solutions. Hannah Watts shares clever, open-source instructions she used to transform a camping table with a built-in sink into a budget-friendly setup for her garage workspace.

I love using commercial brushing glazes for their wide selection and potential for glaze combinations, but I want to have a clean look, which is often achieved from dipping glazes.

This issue focuses on Working Potters, artists who make a living through their ceramic practices.

I was in love with every little idea when I first found ceramics—I wanted to try everything, from mold making to glaze mixing, handbuilding, and wheel throwing.

I start by researching antique textiles and wallpaper. Surveying the motifs and patterns, I create my own interpretations of the decorative elements found in these furnishings.

My ceramic research concerns the intersection of gay identity, fetish, kink, and symbolism—themes not typically discussed in “polite” society.

The comparison to quilts is very fun to me—my work can definitely have the same kind of fluid movement as cloth—but unlike a quilt, which is soft and warm, my work is cold and hard to the touch.

Through constant evaluation and experimentation, the work naturally comes along. I also enjoy finding historical pieces that interest me, learning about the ways they function, and borrowing proportions I find interesting.

My work explores themes of immigration, identity, and culture, weaving a narrative shaped by my personal experiences.

I was greatly impacted by the fables and rich illustrations of Ukrainian storybooks as a child. I recently revisited them and this led me to research Ukrainian embroidery.

My research and work are deeply rooted in my desire to capture the vibrancy of the Mexican landscape and culture that shape my perspective of the world.

My work is inspired by my desire to make both sculptures and functional pottery. This is fueled by my curiosity to understand reliable building structures and details that make a successful functional object.

The iterative process continually reveals new work for me, a truly inexhaustible source to draw on.

My artwork is driven by my curiosity about the rhythms of the natural world and the intersections of landscape and home.

Negative spaces play a huge role in how I develop forms. I often look at the inner space of handles and use that shape to parallel the swell of the belly or the spout.

My work focuses on the parallels and interconnectivity of environmental and social issues.

There’s a fine line between forms that feel good in one’s hand versus one that is purely there to interact with glaze and the kiln.

My work in clay is inspired by utility. More specifically, it is an ongoing observation between historical ceramic, metal, and stone implements, as well as the modern tools used in my day-to-day life.