Pottery Making Illustrated Articles (Simple)

I’m known for my tall ceramic chalices and though I’ve explored many forms over the years, these forms are the nearest and dearest to me. I’ve been inspired by the chalice form since I was a young chi

When I transitioned out of wood firing to soda-fired earthenware about five years ago, I was aware that new making techniques would open up, as my forms wouldn’t be subject to the extreme environment

To create a basket to accommodate a cane handle, begin with a bottomless cylinder on a bat with 1–2½ pounds of clay, depending on the desired size. When shaping the cylinder, it’s best to create a for

Opening begins the throwing process. The potter must maintain the strength of the clay, optimized by wedging and centering, during opening and throwing. Opening is the process of throwing to create th

Students ask me hundreds of questions daily when I’m teaching, which keeps me on my toes. Constant repetition, demonstrating, and lecturing have forced me to be able to make mostly anything quickly. A

What potters do best is touch. Thick or thin, groggy or smooth, warm or cool, I imagine most potters' fingers can feel these differences and know which to adjust for.

Many of us have had this experience: You’re at a show, selling your work, drinking out of one of your cups (because what else would you be drinking out of?), and a customer, not knowing that your cup

Recently I’ve turned my attention from traditional, functional forms to forms specific for use in the microwave—an appliance often used by many time-strapped people. Most bakeware can be used in a mic

Many of my friends, some potters but most common folk, have purchased a DSLR camera within the past 10 years. Most have mentioned at some point that they wished they knew how to operate the thing so t

Throwing lids adapted from Functional Ceramics by Robin Hopper.

I have grown to love terra sigillatas for their versatility in color, sheen, and because they’re a relatively low-tech way to make a ceramic surface. I’m drawn to the waxy surface of the terra sigilla

The comforts of home, food, and family are indivisible from one another, and dinners with family and friends bring a refuge of food and good conversation. The experience often starts before most of th

Letter from the editor.

I started the Mug Club about a year and a half ago to raise money for my art-school tuition and it rapidly evolved into a key foundation of my budding ceramics business. Besides providing periodic rev

In a way, glaze calculations and mixing are very much like cooking. Both fields require a good balance between art and science, experience and inspiration, and in both, the results are magical and ver

In the Fall of 2015 I began testing clay body additives, looking for alternatives to glaze for finishing my ceramic sculptures. During that time, I happened to see an exhibition of Japanese ceramics a

Used indoors or out, candle lanterns and votives offer soft light and protect the flame from breezes. My lantern design is a twist on the old-school paper lantern project—some of you may remember thos

I have been a huge fan of Mata Ortiz pottery ever since I learned of it quite a few years ago through a children’s book about Juan Quezada Celado, one of the first Mata Ortiz potters. When an opportun

For several years I’ve been making variations of this plate. It’s a set of 3 elements: the plate face, the girdle, and the foot. The plate size and shape are easy to vary. For this wide and only somew

The butter dish, no matter how elaborately designed, in essence, is an informal form reserved for informal dining. The butter dish is the first pot I touch in the morning for making toast, a daily rit