Pottery Making Illustrated Articles (Simple)

When handbuilding covered jars, it can be difficult to make a lid that fits well. Over the years I’ve devised a few ways to make handbuilt lids with flanges that fit snugly into the opening of an oval

Many Japanese pottery tools are highly specialized and sometimes look a bit different from the ones in the US. When you’re throwing off the hump, it’s not easy to cut the bottom of the finished piece

I make pots that bring together a range of influences, while the surface textures and colors I use to decorate my pots are largely influenced from the landscape of South-central Alaska where I grew up

Incising patterns based on favorite plaids provides both depth and personality to these plates.

I know many artists who have discovered how to make an object, and they make it, or a version of it, extraordinarily well. Through trial and error, with prototypes, testing materials, experimenting wi

In 2010, I participated in the 12-week residency exchange program at Tainan National University of the Arts in Taiwan through Baltimore Clayworks. During the time I spent there and the short visit to

Begin by throwing an 8-inch tall, bottomless cylinder. There’s no need for a foot since this cylinder will be shaped into an oval. Open up the clay into a ring with a 4-inch interior diameter. Then ra

During my residency at Baltimore Clayworks in Baltimore, Maryland, I developed a body of functional porcelain work inspired by the bold, stylized, floral images found in traditional Japanese textiles.

Try using DIY carved and bisqued cylinders to roll textures onto slabs and add variety to your forms.

Want to know a secret? I don’t mind washing the dishes. The task represents a bit of down time, often later in the evening after the hectic activity of the day has long subsided.

Pottery Illustrated: Talavera Patterns

The first time I shipped pots to an exhibition many years ago all five pieces arrived shattered. In retrospect, I did a terrible job packing them, using layers of cardboard with a few pieces of maskin

Potpies are the epitome of comfort food. They remind me of dinners as a kid, when my mom would bring a creamy, bubbling potpie to the table. With this in mind, I created personal potpie crocks that br

My interest in crystals in saturated metallic glazes led me to travel to China several times to research a 12–16th century black-pearl glaze, a component of the tenmoku glaze family. The four remainin

When we have visitors in our studio at MudFire, the most frequent comment is “this place is so clean” followed by “I wish my studio was this clean.” With over 150 people using our studio each month we

Want to bring a cold dish to a picnic on a hot day but afraid it will spoil? Make your own ceramic cooler with this three-piece picnic set.

Use simple printmaking techniques to create a repeatable pattern and increase your studio production.

Inspired by textiles? Incorporate mishima, water etching, and watercolor glazes for fabric-like surfaces.

Combine thrown forms with handbuilding techniques to create architectural-inspired forms.

Try wrapping your pots with sheets covered with slip and underglaze for a fresh surface design.