Pottery Making Illustrated Articles (Simple)

Teco Pottery, an Illinois-based company, was started in 1885 by William Day Gates.

I think a lot about the environmental impact that pottery making has on the earth. Potters make objects that are permanent. Sometimes I have a problem with this, and other times I’m okay with it. We n

I’m captivated by the processes and experiences that are associated with ceramics. The material can exhibit vitality, spontaneity, and tension, all the while being understated. I’m inspired by histori

I’ve always been interested in the various ways that humans navigate the mysteries of our natural world. Specifically, folklore, ritual, and sympathetic magic based in nature have long inspired my wor

Teapots are common utilitarian forms made by many studio potters. British potter Seth Cardew regarded teapots as having profound social importance, providing a focus for intimate exchanges between peo

I love throwing bulbous bottle forms with elegant, narrow necks all in one piece. However, when teaching some of my students, many of them find this form too challenging. I devised this simplified, st

Ever since I started my journey with clay, I have lived in a rural place. After college I moved to the Smoky Mountains to live with some friends, where I stumbled upon Arrowmont School of Arts and Cra

Twenty years ago I promised my wife that I would make us a new dinnerware set. I finally made good on the promise and got it done! Well, not totally done. The set has been made for over a year, just w

Besides the covering (or uncovering) of your work, the biggest factor in how fast your work dries is your studio environment. I have been lucky to live in places with a dry climate, so work tends to d

When preparing a piece to be fired again, the already fired, glazed surface can be difficult to reglaze because the surface is sealed and won’t absorb water, causing newly applied liquid glaze to drip

I imagine I’m in the minority here, but I do not feel stuck at home. I really enjoy the space that is my home.

At the beginning of each pottery class, I like to introduce one or two fresh projects for my students. Coming up with new ideas can be challenging. Recently, I found inspiration for a new project in t

Ming vase design and decoration illustrations by Robin Ouellette.

I believe that using a one-piece plaster press mold is the most effective way to create handmade tiles. Tiles made this way are less likely to warp than tiles rolled out by hand or with a slab roller.

I’ve found that handbuilding using a compressed slab to form plates and bowls ensures that the form will be less likely to warp. The inspiration for making these forms came from wanting to be able to

My porcelain pottery combines traditional functional forms with decorative surface design through hand-painted brushwork. I use a direct and spontaneous method of brushwork for its fluid and graphic l

The pots I make are an exploration of how sculptural form, function, and simplicity can exist in the everyday, utilitarian object. The soft-slab handbuilding process is a direct reference to the const

The idea for my flower boats originated in a workshop given by Jacquelyn Rice who, at the time, was a professor of ceramics at Rhode Island School of Design. I was a potter, just starting out, working

Mercury Mosaics is a collective of artists, craftspeople, administrators, and graphic designers linked through a common purpose to create something meaningful with tile. We make a curated variety of g

I explore themes of structure, shape, pattern, and multiples through 3D printing and plaster mold making. I’m drawn to forms featuring sharp angles, twisting, layering, and stacking. Combining these e