Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

  • Considering Chato: Utakata
    The word chato literally means Japanese tea-ware ceramics. Sado, the Way of the Tea, is based on Zen philosophy and shows the path to the ultimate spirit of Japanese hospitality. Even though the pract
  • Be Still, My Beating Heart: Morandi and de Waal
    One arrives by ferry. The dark pines rise up from the water’s edge, sheltering from view the light-filled art museum at the top of the hill: Artipelag—its name an amalgamation of Art, Activities, and
  • Expectant Pitchers
    These pitcher forms began as a tribute to my wife and daughters. With the baby years in the rear view mirror for our family, I can better reflect on what transpired within our home during that season
  • Working Potter: Jo Severson, Clearwater, Minnesota
    Making things by hand is an amazing way to make a living! I find inspiration in the fact that my pots will be put to use in the simple traditions of everyday living, such as setting the table, sharing
  • Working Potters: Christoph and Ines Hasenberg, Siegburg, Germany
    The decision to settle in Siegburg was not difficult for us. On the one hand, the distance to school, where the work day was filled almost daily with classes and workshops, was not too far. More impor
  • Working Potter: Hyu-Jin Jo, Seoul, South Korea
    Originally, I only wanted to use the potter’s wheel and sculpt pieces in clay using handbuilding techniques, but after graduation from Staffordshire University in the UK, I wanted to learn more about
  • Working Potter: Geoff Pickett, Athens, Georgia
    My introduction to pottery was at the local art school, taking evening classes, while studying mechanical engineering at another local college by day. At the end of the first year, I abandoned enginee
  • Working Potter: Hanako Nakazato, Karatsu, Japan, and Union, Maine
    I make pottery for daily use, so it has to be affordable and I need to sell a large volume. I don’t like to fuss around in making pottery. My training allows me to work fast.
  • Working Potter: Finn Dam Rasmussen, Tisvildeleje, Denmark
    I have made ceramics on a full-time basis at two different periods in my life: first, for 5 years, as a young man beginning in 1967 and then again starting in 2007. Each time, my intense need to spend
  • Clay Culture: Old Models, Made New
    In the 1946 seminal text, A Potter’s Book, Bernard Leach declared the following: “A potter’s prime need is good clay. Whether he be industrial, peasant, or studio potter the raw material of which pots
  • Studio Visit: Nick Moen and The Bright Angle, Asheville, North Carolina
    The Bright Angle Design Studio is located in the Refinery Building on the south slope of downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The building hosts 18 artists working in a variety of mediums as well as th
  • Exposure: June/July/August 2018
    Images from Current and Upcoming Exhibitions
  • Quick Tip: Pac-Man Sponge
    I saw my first cut sponge in a friend’s kitchen next to their sink. The sponge was cut and propped up vertically, which allowed it to dry evenly.
  • From the Editor: June/July/August 2018
    While we’re all fascinated with the idea of life as a full-time artist, our annual focus on working potters helps to explain, through multiple artists’ perspectives, what it actually takes to make tha
  • May 2018 Call for Entries
    Deadlines for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals
  • 2018 Emerging Artists' Recipes
    Justin Donofrio, Mike Gesiakowski, Ben Jordan, Patrick Kingshill, Adam Knoche, YehRim Lee, Mac McCusker, and Jamie Bates Slone share some of the clay, slip, and glaze recipes they use to make their wo
  • Spotlight: Honoring a Career
    I have a profound gratitude for this (nearly) lifelong companion: my studio practice. My life has been touched deeply by this gift, this blessing.
  • 2018 Emerging Artists' Recipes
    Allison Cochran, Adrienne Eliades, Adrian King, Shalya Marsh, and Didem Mert share slip, underglaze, and glaze recipes that they use to make their work.
  • Techno File: Bloating and Coring
    Bloating and carbon coring form from a reaction of sulfur and carbons. The percentage of contaminants and the kiln environment determine which of the two occurs. Both tend to happen almost exclusively
  • Tips and Tools: The Right Haircut
    When I first attempted adding decoration onto my ceramic forms, the task was daunting. I was interested in translating some of my drawings and patterning to my clay, hopefully with reasonable similari