I create bowls, small/bud vases, spoon rests, berry bowls, small planters, serving dishes, individual dipping bowls, mugs, plates, etc.  

My pottery process begins with the measuring and wedging (removing air bubbles and forming it into a bell) of the clay. Every type of pottery piece that I make starts off with the same amount of clay before throwing it or rolling it out. Then I take the wedged balls of clay to my throwing wheel, which is where I begin forming my thrown pieces of pottery.

Some of the pieces are rolled out from “slab work” and formed into their finished products (which are usually embellished with stamps and carving). Pieces that are thrown and require no more work, sit on the shelf until they are dry enough to trim a foot in them.

After that, they go back on the shelf to finish drying out before they can be put into the kiln for their first firing. Some pieces require carving or need attached handles, which can be done after I trim the foot into the piece and before they completely dry for first kiln firing.

The first kiln firing is called a bisque fire. After those pieces come out of the bisque fire, I wipe them down and wax the part of the piece that will be sitting on the kiln shelf (so glaze doesn’t attach the pieces and to my kiln shelf). Then I mix up my glazes and decide how I want to decorate them.

Once everything glazed, I load them back into the kiln, this time the kiln fire is called the glaze fire.

Finally, when these come out of the kiln, the pottery gets sanded down for a smooth finish and priced. After photographing the pieces, the process is complete!