Pottery Making Illustrated Articles (Simple)

When I’m in a studio slump, I focus on working on a form or vessel that will be instantly useful in my home.

To understand glaze faults, you must understand that while many ceramic artists deeply dislike unstable glaze surfaces and are distressed when pieces with such surfaces come from their kilns, many others seek out these characteristics.

Don’t feel limited with regards to what your extruder can add to your studio. Custom dies can make a big difference, and they are easy to make.

My tripod vessels are a signature form that I have developed over many years. I first became interested in the tripod when seeing Pre-Columbian ceramics at the Denver Art Museum.

I create pieces for the countertop, and pots that allow for a vast range of function. Citrus juicers are one of the few forms I make with just one intended use in mind.

A handmade ceramic box or stand with storage compartments can be a special place to store keepsakes—objects with sentimental value or that have a sense of preciousness.

Serving trays, platters, and other forms can start to take on painterly and sculptural qualities when hung, enabling the interactions we have with them to be quite different than when they are on the table and involved with food and service.

This is the 25th Anniversary Contest! This collection showcases some of our readers’ best serving dishes, tableware, and functional vessels made for gatherings..

To celebrate the start of our 25th volume year, we are throwing a potluck and serving up a feast of dishes handmade by our readers.

Hand-drawn illustrations of handles

I recently received the large, formal set of Noritake china that my grandparents purchased in the 1960s while stationed at a military base in Guam.

I’ve been enjoying making medium to large mugs because they feel good in the hand and can hold a substantial amount of liquid.

Holes enrich surfaces by adding absence. I play with this compelling contradiction on a small scale by making pierced tealight holders and nightlights—objects designed to frame light within while casting mesmerizing shadows.

Faceting and altering your pots while they are still wet on the wheel can be a fun and rewarding way to add interest to a simple form.

My dessert-dish forms are inspired by mid-century glass ice-cream dishes that I encountered when I worked at a retro pharmacy and soda fountain while in high school.

For some years, I have been keen on repurposing and borrowing shapes from once-used to-go boxes, commercial food packaging, vintage jello molds, and secondhand pottery for my work.

However, there are times when a customer wants a mug that holds exactly the amount a coffee maker makes, a fermenting crock that holds a gallon, or even a cremation urn with a specific capacity.

As you operate your pottery business, there might be times when cash flow is good and other times where it’s slow. In order to have a steady, reliable cash flow, an artist should invest those extra funds.