Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

  • Deconstruct and Reassemble to Discover a New Form
    My Yonic Double Seed Server evolved from thoughts about seeds, their inner and outer hulls, and the shapes of seed chambers in green beans and peanuts. In the vessel, I reference the fecundity, virili
  • Anything but the Expected
    The history of porcelain is a captivating one, steeped in wealth, power, and mystery. Porcelain objects reigned as status symbols representing class and power for the growing 19th-century European bou
  • The Contemplative Curiosity of Gustavo Pérez
    “How do you want to be remembered?” Without hesitation, Pérez quickly responded, “I want to be forgotten, only that my pots survive.” In a time of instant media gratification and easy access to online
  • Pour it On!
    The theme for this year’s contest encompasses pouring vessels; works that focus on movement and flow; and work that is lavish, ornate, or over the top. The artists’ work gracing the following pages de
  • The Tangible and Intangible Tools for Making Art
    Art making entails an understanding of various techniques and applied skills. Initially, this activity is uncomfortably performed—often lacking in grace, ease, and certitude. However, with a faith-lik
  • Spotlight: Slop: Joys and Expense
    Years ago, I opened my own ceramic studio in a commercial space, thinking I had a good sense of what expenses were expected. But as in all commerce, there are surprises. Among those was the cost of je
  • Recipes: Low-Fire Slips, Terra Sigillatas, and Glazes
    Working in the low-fire temperature range? Test layering these slips, terra sigillatas, and glazes in your next firing to expand your options.
  • From the Editor: September 2017
    I think it is safe to say that ceramics is a field that encourages, if not requires, some form of lifelong learning. Figuring out why clay and glaze do what they do (and how to get them to do what you
  • Clay Culture: Gathered
    My Nana (my maternal grandmother) worked in a department store in Buffalo, New York, and when we grew restless, my mom and I would take a bus across town to visit her. Nana and her co-workers would do
  • Clay Culture: Growing Creatively
    A community of artists working together at a non-profit in Oakland, California, is shattering stereotypes by finding ways to overcome disabilities while creating in-demand artwork that helps them to m
  • Tips and Tools: Bicycle Cart
    During the summer of 2015, I participated in a local farmer’s market called the Umbrella Market in Greenville, North Carolina. Though it was quite fun and festive, the hiccup in my weekly vendor displ
  • Exposure: September 2017
    Images from Current and Upcoming Exhibitions
  • Techno File: Gemstones and Glazes
    Typically, a gemstone family possesses a base formula—just as a glaze has a base formula. The base formula is clear or milky without metal impurities to provide it with color. A perfect example of thi
  • Recipes: Pour it On! 2017 Contest Winner Recipes
    Pour It On! contest winners Carly Van Anglen and David Ferro, Alina Hayes, and Justin Donofrio, share the clay, slip, and glaze recipes they use on their work.
  • September 2017 Call for Entries
    Information on submitting work for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals.
  • Studio Visit: Vincent Massey, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
    After graduating from West Surrey College of Art in Farnham, England, in 1982, I set up my first studio, converting an old building on my parents’ ocean-front property in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
  • Clay Culture: Are Kilns Obsolete?
    Environmentally-friendly method of manufacturing ceramics may reduce companies carbon footprint, and render kilns obsolete for some applications and products. The way your toilet is manufactured ma
  • Clay Culture: Zero Waste
    One way to increase efficiency is to reduce waste. And when it comes to manufacturing ceramic tile, there’s some room for improvement. An estimated 1.5 million tons of waste are produced yearly fro
  • Studio Visit: Logan Wannamaker, Taos, New Mexico
    My studio is located outside Taos, New Mexico, on the way to the Taos Ski Valley and an hour and a half from Santa Fe, New Mexico. The property was purchased in 2006 with the dream of expanding a one-
  • Working Potters: Zak Chalmers
    My ceramics degree was only the start of my journey in clay. I knew instinctively that I wasn’t finished with potting when I completed my four years at university. While in school, I spent my honors y