Pottery Making Illustrated Articles (Simple)

Functional ceramics provide a unique opportunity for collectors to interact with fine art on an intimate level. These pieces are often designed to be held in the hands or placed against the lips. They

Glazing large work requires some special techniques. For work that’s larger than any bucket you may have, there are still several ways to get an even coat of glaze. These techniques can require more t

The sound of an entire stack of pots falling over in a wood kiln at peak temperature isn’t as bad as you’d think. There’s no loud crash. Instead it’s a low, hollow sound dulled by the sticky, pyroplas

When I first walked into the clay classroom at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, I was simply clay curious.

Applying for and getting approved for a business loan can be challenging. The more you’re prepared and the lower your overhead is, the better. Your largest expense is mostly likely the location of you

Drawings adapted from Robin Hopper’s book Functional Pottery, published by The American Ceramic Society and available on the Ceramic Arts Network Shop.

An invitation to participate in the exhibition “Decadence of Display: Ceramics for Dessert” at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, in January 2017 provided a sweet distraction from my production work

Envision a cabin or a woven basket: both are constructed in a linear manner and demonstrate a labor of love. In the cabin, one log is stacked carefully atop the others, while in the basket, one pass o

I began painting as a child, learning oil painting before I was 10. Although I took a lot of ceramics courses in college, I majored in painting and printmaking. A few years after graduating, I found m

When I switched to handbuilding from wheel throwing, I had to rethink how to make handles that best reflected the feel of my handbuilt work, so I began exploring. A few times a year, I set aside a pla

In all of my ceramic work, including glazed stoneware bowls with faceted planes and cut feet, I seek to integrate form with surface design and glaze color. The form of a bowl and the cut foot guide an

Everyday tasks are more enjoyable when using tools that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also excellently perform the tasks for which they were designed. This versatile bottle was designed for

I’ve always appreciated ornamentation and its ability to elevate the ordinary into something magnificent. I’m driven to create work that’s beautiful in its precision and attention to detail and I appr

The coloring oxides are the transition metal oxides vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper. Transition metals can combine with different numbers of oxygen atoms to give differe

A community/group studio, by its nature, has a significant number of variables—not least of which is the glaze palette. Different students will want different colors and properties for their glazes. T

The first stage of pottery making is the one you learn by trial and error through countless hours spent practicing forms after class and by watching endless online throwing videos.

Inlaid tile design illustrations

I love to combine handbuilding and slip casting because the finished work is often much lighter in weight and easier to replicate, yet retains the touched pinchy appearance of being entirely handbuilt

No matter how eager you might be to begin splashing on your newly concocted glazes, there are a few details that must be put in order first. The surface of the clay form must be cleaned of any dust or

After much experimentation, I was able to throw porcelain with feldspar and molochite inclusions and alter the forms with the addition of plain porcelain parts. Throwing with inclusions in the clay is