Pottery Making Illustrated Articles (Simple)

As a potter, one of my favorite things to do is reverse engineer interesting and unique forms and find simple ways to construct them in clay. One such challenge I took was with some old octagonal glass tumblers that I inherited.

I have been pushing what is possible with piping techniques and thick, frosting-like slip for the last 13 years while making artwork about desire, wealth, and power.

it was a way of working that I strongly identified with, and that I’d found my creative direction.

The covered trays I make are the byproduct of my stubborn need to push processes beyond the obvious in an effort to make complex forms that amuse me.

I choose simple forms for my pieces to balance the lavish decorations that adorn them. The subtractive nature of carving combined with the raised slip dots produce a rich, tactile experience that is just as significant as the visual one for the user.

This project is my take on what a soap dish should be. It is funky and bizarre, but fun and practical in a weird way.

I’m excited to share with you the handmade tool I use to create all my mug bases.

I study hundreds of photos I’ve taken of pots in museums and archaeological sites across the world, and I often find a new form that inspires me that I haven’t made before.

On the surface, my process for making test tiles may seem like a lot of work.

In this issue, we celebrate our love of tools and tool use. We showcase which tools work best for each project and introduce a few new tool hacks.

I typically think of a memory, something that brings me comfort, joy, or makes me laugh, and illustrate it using animal characters.

In the development of my hanging planters, I played with the idea of giving function to a hanging sculptural object.

Coffee pour-overs were up and coming at that time in the clay community, and while I had never created one before, the challenge of developing new designs, making prototypes, and receiving feedback is one of my favorite aspects of being a maker.

This is a form you can easily adjust the amount of clay you start with to make a container that might only hold two heads of garlic to one that may hold multiple heads of garlic and several shallots.

I have combined the use of both slab building and wheel throwing to make creating plates more efficient and precise.

My altered pots stem from a combination of found-object wood blocks and freehand stretching of the overall form. This pairing gives me spontaneously soft-looking pots.

Diversifying income streams is crucial for making a life as an artist. This means exploring various avenues beyond just selling artwork directly.

I’m inspired by fearless makers, artists who are fiercely independent and confident in their direction. I’m drawn most to artisanal vessels that not only hold a space, but also define that space.

Chattering is a fun and interesting way to elevate a form by adding visual movement and texture.