As ceramic artists start making plans to flock to the annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference this coming spring in Richmond, Virginia, we took the opportunity to focus this issue on several creative and hard-working ceramic artists from the region.
The history of ceramics in Virginia and the surrounding area is long and rich—think of the immense Native American contributions, Jamestown and Williamsburg potteries, and a shared shard history with reaches up and down the East Coast. Even more impressive are the numerous contemporary practicing potters who continue to carry on the long history of vessel making and atmospheric firing known so well in the region.
Virginian artist Catherine White (1) shares that when she began wood firing, she was attracted to the broad, shallow surfaces she could engage as a canvas for ash deposits. She shares how she has developed her moon-vase form based on pilgrim flasks and traditional Korean moon jars.
Lindsay Oesterritter (2), a Kentucky native now living in Virginia, demos a handbuilt flower brick that allows roadside weeds and wildflowers to look natural and less corralled. Her research focuses on raw materials and clay bodies, which inspires her unglazed wares and allows the clay to play a large role in their wood-fired and reduction-cooled surfaces.
Virginian artist Eileen Egan (3) found that the recent pandemic afforded her time to contemplate the uses of her functional forms and she has shifted their focus from eating, drinking, and serving to preparing and storage. Learn how she builds her cord-tied storage jars, which are either gas fired in reduction or wood fired in a group kiln.
Cameron Blake, who lives and works in nearby Washington, DC, throws and assembles elegant pedestal bowls crafted to be part of the interiors of the historic homes in the area. While each piece appears simple and uncomplicated, its design allows for unlimited variation of proportion and size.
And our own Katie Reaver, a Virginia native now residing in Ohio, shares how she crafted small, pinched sign stands for the tables at her wedding and why you can make similar forms with myriad uses.
To round out the issue, Pottery Making Illustrated is showcasing the winners of the “Set the Table!” readership-wide contest. For this newest iteration, we homed in on the mission of the magazine and are sharing not only images of fired work, but also process shots to help readers see how each pot was created. We have six unique processes, along with the ideas of the talented artists behind the work.
If you find yourself at NCECA this March, stop by the Pottery Making Illustrated booth, say hello, and pick up a copy of the issue that celebrates some of the best Virginia has to offer.
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As ceramic artists start making plans to flock to the annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference this coming spring in Richmond, Virginia, we took the opportunity to focus this issue on several creative and hard-working ceramic artists from the region.
The history of ceramics in Virginia and the surrounding area is long and rich—think of the immense Native American contributions, Jamestown and Williamsburg potteries, and a shared shard history with reaches up and down the East Coast. Even more impressive are the numerous contemporary practicing potters who continue to carry on the long history of vessel making and atmospheric firing known so well in the region.
Virginian artist Catherine White (1) shares that when she began wood firing, she was attracted to the broad, shallow surfaces she could engage as a canvas for ash deposits. She shares how she has developed her moon-vase form based on pilgrim flasks and traditional Korean moon jars.
Lindsay Oesterritter (2), a Kentucky native now living in Virginia, demos a handbuilt flower brick that allows roadside weeds and wildflowers to look natural and less corralled. Her research focuses on raw materials and clay bodies, which inspires her unglazed wares and allows the clay to play a large role in their wood-fired and reduction-cooled surfaces.
Virginian artist Eileen Egan (3) found that the recent pandemic afforded her time to contemplate the uses of her functional forms and she has shifted their focus from eating, drinking, and serving to preparing and storage. Learn how she builds her cord-tied storage jars, which are either gas fired in reduction or wood fired in a group kiln.
Cameron Blake, who lives and works in nearby Washington, DC, throws and assembles elegant pedestal bowls crafted to be part of the interiors of the historic homes in the area. While each piece appears simple and uncomplicated, its design allows for unlimited variation of proportion and size.
And our own Katie Reaver, a Virginia native now residing in Ohio, shares how she crafted small, pinched sign stands for the tables at her wedding and why you can make similar forms with myriad uses.
To round out the issue, Pottery Making Illustrated is showcasing the winners of the “Set the Table!” readership-wide contest. For this newest iteration, we homed in on the mission of the magazine and are sharing not only images of fired work, but also process shots to help readers see how each pot was created. We have six unique processes, along with the ideas of the talented artists behind the work.
If you find yourself at NCECA this March, stop by the Pottery Making Illustrated booth, say hello, and pick up a copy of the issue that celebrates some of the best Virginia has to offer.
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
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