Editor's Note: Mental Clarity Holly Goring

Appears in the Jul/Aug 2022 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

Do you notice that when people discuss the timeline of their lives lately, they often do so in terms of before and after the COVID-19 pandemic began? As an editor who reads many stories submitted by artists, I have found some common threads in artists’ experiences during this time. One profound example is the evolution of an artist’s work, often in wonderfully curious ways, as a result of how they spent their time during and after the height of the pandemic—a kind of mental clarity after a fog. 

This issue, focused on low-fire ceramics, includes a few such stories about transformation of work and perspective over the past two years. David Scott Smith, like many who teach, struggled to create meaningful, remote content for his students. He wanted to show them it was still possible to create atmospheric surfaces without school resources. Using a little creativity and recycling prowess, he took on the challenge of converting an old electric kiln into a low-fire wood kiln. The result not only gave his students viable firing options they could replicate on their own, but also reinvigorated Smith’s own creative path. Before the pandemic, he relied on soda firing at higher temperatures to develop his surfaces, but found himself pleasantly surprised with the results of his low-temperature wood firings, and is now developing a new body of work.

Bernadette Tuite, who lives in South West Ireland, took to her kayak during the pandemic to de-stress and explore the jaw-dropping coastline around her. Day after day, she observed and documented the County Cork coastline. Although trained as a production potter on the wheel, she discovered that the slower method of handbuilding was the perfect approach for conveying her observations in clay. The results are a more considered vessel with marbled clay mimicking tectonic forces and bits of sand and stone representing the coastline. 

Also in this issue is Angelo di Petta, who teaches us how to build up surfaces in layers and then break them back down into patterns through water etching. Kimberly Hilligoss introduces us to the coil-built chocolate pot, while Elizabeth Ruskin forms a cake stand from low-fire white earthenware. And, Hannah Graeper Carver demonstrates how to create flat cheeseboards that won’t warp in a firing.

So, as you read this issue, think back on what you did during the in-between time. You may be inspired to create new forms in a whole different way. Cheers!