Clay Blog Review: January 2015

Welcome back to the Clay Blog Review! This is where you can find some of the best pottery blogging from the past month. Thanks for taking a look.

If you missed it, you can see the list of the Top Pottery Blogs of 2014. You can also sign up for the Pottery Making Newsletter to receive more resources, tips and videos about making pottery right in your inbox.

Blog posts are loosely categorized and listed (for the most part) by publish date below. All the pottery blogs that I am aware of are listed here. If you know of others let me know! Also, I’m contemplating ways to add a few more images to each Review. Be on the lookout for ways to get images from your blog added to the Clay Blog Review.

The Can’t Miss

What were the very best pottery blog posts of the past month?

• New Day Pottery: 31 different items in 31 days challenge – day 1
• Joel Cherrico Pottery: American Craft Council, “A Potter’s Journey: Growing a Profitable Pottery Business”
• Pottery Making Info » News: Top Pottery Blogs of 2014
• Peter’s Pottery: Pitchers or Jugs
• Bridges Pottery Blog: Starting with a Buzz – New Helper Accesories
• good elephant pottery – blog: The Hourly Earnings Project: A Follow Up
• Fine Mess Pottery: New Take on a Classic
• MARSHALL COLMAN FIRED UP: RUSKIN AND THE CULT OF ROUGHNESS IN STUDIO POTTERY
• Peter’s Pottery: Pitchers.. More, and Bigger! Decorating with slip. A summer flower!
• Peter’s Pottery: Raspberry, Biscuit or Bisque? High Fired Glazes Q and A.
• The PottersFriend’s blogspot: Inspirational pottery glazes
• Carol Clarkson Pottery Blog: Easy way to make holes in clay

Process and Technique

What do pots look like during the process and how are they made?

• Blue Starr Gallery: Falling Leaves
• weddwould: I’ll protect you from the hooded claw
• Blue Starr Gallery: Bottle or Jug Form
• New Day Pottery: 31 Day Challenge – Day 4
• Whynot Pottery Blog: it’s time
• weddwould: All in a few days work
• Whynot Pottery Blog: Oh honey bee, be mine
• Blogs … & Life its own self | Chris Campbell: Beyond “Marbled” is the place to go
• Blue Starr Gallery: Wind Chill
• Lucy Fagella Pottery: The Pottery Cycle Begins for the New Year
• Michael Mahan: Busier than usual in January
• Rachel Dorn Ceramic Sculpture: Tiny Pots
• DeBuse-On-The-Loose: Chandra DeBuse Underglaze Painting

• Jenny Mendes: Time lapse
• New Day Pottery: 31 Day Challenge – day 11 – making mugs
• Blue Starr Gallery: Mason Stains After the Bisque
• Hughes Pottery: Snow Jobs
• Jenny Mendes: a trip to somewhere special
• Kristen Kieffer: ‘Valenspringtine’ Pots – Jan 30
• Blog – Ron Philbeck Pottery: Quick Post for Tuesday
• part time pottery: Stupid Weather
• New Day Pottery: 31 Day challenge – Day 15 – Butter Dishes
• musing about mud: movie day: A Bowl for Sterling
• Sawdust and Dirt: At First You Don’t Succeed , Try Again (and again)
• Rachel Dorn: Tape Resist Plate
• willow avenue pottery: Blue Ribbon Foundation, 2015
• The Hopeful Potter: 10.11.14
• meesh’s pottery: Vessel Sink Making
• Kim Murton: Black and White studio shots- yesterday and today
• musing about mud: movie day: Clay & Ink
• part time pottery: Planning out Next set of pots
• Dirty Girl Clayworks: adventures in sgraffito
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Patterned Porcelain
• Gard Clay Studios: Thesis Update #2
• Arryn Vogan Pottery: Throwing Platters

• Jenny Mendes: It’s going to be a great day!
• part time pottery: Shortening Sabrina
• Hannah McAndrew: Long time no blog now it’s 2015!
• Diving into the clay: Claybucket – another online resource
• Linda Starr: Floral Platters
• FetishGhost: Oh Darn
• Dirty Girl Clayworks: new stencil
• musing about mud: movie day: Gail Trunick

• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Wednesday : 5 x 5 Challenge #1
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Wednesday : 5 x 10? Challenge #2
• Whynot Pottery Blog: Making bowls
• Kim Murton: Greenware and bisqued cat behemoth
• Marian Williams Pottery: What Keanu Reeves And I Have In Common
• Rachel Dorn Ceramic Sculpture: Latest Gear Stack Piece
• Sawdust & Dirt: Plates
• Bridges Pottery Blog: A Little Carved Up
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Another Bag of Clay. Another Batch of Mugs.

Tips and Technical

How can I become a more efficient or knowledgeable potter?

• DirtKicker PoTTerY: What is a perfect cone bend?
• Karatsupots Blog: Crazy stuff
• DirtKicker PoTTerY: Test Fire #5 – about to call it quits
• musing about mud: technical tuesday: “Ball Opener” by Tom Whitaker
• DirtKicker PoTTerY: New Kiln Calibrations
• meesh’s pottery: Do You Like a Smooth Bottom?
• Nanban ceramics: Test firing for the next nobori firing.
• Matt’s Ceramic Action: Fiske ^6 Celadon
• musing about mud: technical tuesday: mixing plaster
• DirtKicker PoTTerY: Bowls for St. Jude’s and a Couple Studio Tips
• Carol Clarkson Pottery Blog: Silk Screen on Pottery

• Carol Clarkson Pottery Blog: Photo Transfer onto Pottery
• Matt’s Ceramic Action: Zinc Things
• Carol Clarkson Pottery Blog: Why do pottery plates warp and crack?
• musing about mud: technical tuesday: methods of fixing cracks, from greenware to fired clay

Recent Work

Where can I see inspiring pottery?

• Ayumi Horie Pottery LLC: Slow Pots
• Anna’s Ceramics: Promise and knolling
• Alchemy of Clay: 2014 clay journey
• Kristen Kieffer: Reticulated Baskets
• Kim Murton: Happy January 2015
• The Smart Cat: Ideas
• Mom Cave Pottery: Cookie jar
• part time pottery: Current Greenware and preparing for January!
• Phil Rogers Pottery, Rhayader, Wales: PR232 A wood fired Chawan.
• The Rabbit Muse: VALENTINE’S Shop update TOMORROW, Friday January 9th!
• Gary’s third pottery blog: a tale of two teapots: first of twenty fifteen!
• Gary’s third pottery blog: mug shot Monday: struck with an idea or 2….
• Kim Murton: Plates for etsy
• Gary’s third pottery blog: mug shot Monday: struck with an idea or 2….
• The Smart Cat: Monday
• Nanban ceramics: Gold leaf kohiki
• meesh’s pottery: Back to pots…
• Blue Starr Gallery: Game Set Match
• Pots and Tea: Gems number twenty four, twenty five, twenty six…
• Blue Starr Gallery: Here, But Not There, Yet
• Phil Rogers Pottery, Rhayader, Wales: PR233 Salt Glazed Chawan.
• Phil Rogers Pottery, Rhayader, Wales: PR239  A wood fired and ash glazed Chawan.
• weddwould: A bunch of lonesome heroes
• part time pottery: Purples and Marbled Clay
• part time pottery: The Shop is UP!
• Dawn Whitehand: Sunday Studio Visit – Valentines Day
• Gary’s third pottery blog: hippos and crocs, dogs and cats….mugshot Monday!
• Clay by Laura: LOVE
• WALLYWARE: 2014 Holiday Custom Order Wrap-Up
• Art by Fuzzy: Top Pots of 2014

image via Brandon Schwartz / Art by Fuzzy

• Kourtney Stone: Pottery
• Kourtney Stone: Figure Sculpture Series 2
• Gary’s third pottery blog: pitcher-a-palooza!
• The Rabbit Muse: Jewelry & Button SALE tomorrow!
• Gaea Ceramic Bead and Art Studio Blog: Gem Cuts and Polka Dots and Stripes! OH MY!
• Acorn Pottery: Well she wrote me a letter
• making | jackie sedlock pottery: seedware
• Peter’s Pottery: Pictures of Pitchers! An alkaline blue glaze for cone 2 – 4, and a steam engine!
• Blue Starr Gallery: Three Trout Platters
• Blog – Clay By Laura: Upon Request
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Tuesday : 5 x 5 Challenge #1
• WALLYWARE: Limited Edition Valentine’s Day Art Pots!
• Bulldog Pottery: Pottery Selection: Samantha Henneke: 3×5 facebook challenge
• Kristen Kieffer: ‘Valenspringtine’ is Friday!
• Jenny Mendes: Look inside
• Gary Jackson: Tuesday : 5 x 5 Challenge #1
• musing about mud: Featured Artist @ Charlie Cummings Gallery
• part time pottery:A handful of pots from an oxidation firing, the rest are from the soda firing.
• Kim Murton: Large piece commission one of 4
• andrewwiddis: My new bowl.
• WALLYWARE: Resolved: 52 Amazing Mugs In 52 Weeks!

Thoughts

I need something to ponder while making pottery and ceramic art!

• Clay Club: The New Artist – article from the Atlantic Magazine
• Tony Clennell: Mistakes and disadvantages
• Centered – Focus on Clay and Creativity: For 2015 – Wishing Everyone that Creative High – The Joy of Making
• Loma Prieta Pottery — Terry Parker: Why three words?
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Innocence
• Cynthia Cusick: Expression interrupting obsessive thought
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Finished
• Learning to be Fearless: Creativity
• Future Relics Pottery Blog: Lasting Pleasures
• Today, Not @ St. Earth: Day 23: eclipse
• Blog – objective clay: Where To Start?
• City by the Sea Ceramics: Why I’m closing my Etsy shop
• JEANETTE MANCHESTER HARRIS: Thinking Without Words
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Learning craft
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Our man in Jarland (that’s jar land)
• this artist’s life: how to be alone
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Teaching halitosis

Interviews and Podcasts

What do potters have to say?

• Sawdust & Dirt: Episode 7 : Ron Philbeck
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Carter Pottery: Daniel Ricardo Teran and Naomi Cleary on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler
• The Potters Cast: A Carefree Approach to Marketing | Re Jin Lee | Episode 73
• The Potters Cast: I Choose Clay | John George Larson | Episode 74
• The Potters Cast: Marketing and Selling Pottery | Ben Carter | Episode 75
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Carter Pottery: Sam Taylor on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast
• The Potters Cast: “Ceramics Isn’t Art.” Wrong! | James Seet | Episode 76
• The Potters Cast: Cook on Clay | Robbie Lobell | Episode 77
• The Potters Cast: An Indonesian Artist | Nia Gautama | Episode 78
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Carter Pottery: Mark Shapiro on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast
• The Potters Cast: PIMP Marketing Pottery | Hadrian Mendoza | Episode 78
• The Potters Cast: The Son of a Potter | Gerry Wedd | Episode 80
• Future Relics Pottery Blog: Work Your Art Interview

The Rest

What do potters blog about other than pottery?

• Fine Mess Pottery: Goal Setting 2015: Prospero Año y Felicidad
• Clay Club: Ostracon and Kintsugi
• Gary’s third pottery blog: winner!
• Alchemy of Clay: Runner Up #11
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: And The Votes Are In… Yeah Me!!!
• Art by Fuzzy: Onward to 2015!
• PHOENIX: FINALLY! YOU CAN NOW PRE-ORDER MY LATEST BOOK, ” A POTTER’S GARDEN”.
• Around and About with Bulldog Pottery: Apothecary Albarello, Bernard Palissy, Karl Blossfeldt
• Clay Club: Top 5 pottery blogs Yo
• Clay Club: Smithsonian database!!
• Tony Clennell: Gone, gone, gone
• lisa w.b. walker: Happy 2015
• Blue Starr Gallery: Top Pottery Blogs 2014
• Liberty Stoneware: Don Carpentier Tribute- the Half Saggars
• Rachel Dorn Ceramic Sculpture: Top Pottery Blogs of 2014
• Future Relics Pottery Blog: Top Pottery Blogs for 2014
• Carol Clarkson Pottery Blog: Pottery Making Info….list of blogs
• Karatsupots Blog: Red Lungs
• Hobby Potter – Artist Tammy Jo Schoppet Official Blog: 2015! – Pottery, Goals, Life & What Not!
• Mikkelsen & Pope Pottery 2014:
• Mikkelsen & Pope Pottery 2014: An Asheville Studio 1998-2012
• Jenny Mendes: African Pottery Forming and Firing

• Gary’s third pottery blog: visit ME!
• Learning to be Fearless: Baby, It’s Cold Outside!
• Hughes Pottery: I’m so excited for this year!
• Clay Club: Supplier of Silicon Carbide – various grades
• Tony Clennell: Circle the wagons
• Clay Club: CLAY STORIES – come tell yours
• Tony Clennell: Mad dogs and Englishmen
• Bulldog Pottery: To Twist or to Turn, Yoshiki Onoyama, Beauty and the little woolly Beasty
• Diving into the clay: Bowling Green State U. is making headway with ceramic 3D…

• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Warning : Very Contagious
• Blog – Ron Philbeck Pottery: Reduce the Scope…
• musing about mud: worth a read: Art of Ceramics – E-Book
• Tony Clennell: I quit!
• Anna’s Ceramics: Visit to see Andrei Davidoff’s pots at Vaucluse House and a history lesson
• Dahlhaus: Starting the year off on a new note
• Future Relics Pottery Blog: Flower Bowl
• Tony Clennell: Pot- The Gateway Drug
• Shambhala Pottery: New Clayart archves now available
• Molly Hatch: News and Projects: From Hand to Screen to Surface
• NCECA Blog: A Social Media Primer
• meesh’s pottery: Tea Time
• Gary Jackson: New Year. New Stamps.
• meesh’s pottery: Is it still hand made?
• Bulldog Pottery: Hippopotamus, Quiet Inspirations, Meadham Kirchhoff
• Diving into the Clay: How to be a better potter, part 37: know your…
• City by the Sea Ceramics: Pottery by Karen Mahoney Blog: Way to still shop for handmade on Etsy
• Diving into the clay: How to be a better potter, part 37: know your contemporaries
• lisa w.b. walker: Pots on Wheels!
• Marian Williams Pottery: Ohr and Britt – Getting Me Back On Track!
• Blog – Emily Schroeder Willis: Studio Visit from Ceramics Monthly
• Tony Clennell: The Candy Store
• Clay Club: Great deal on scales for weighting glazes
• Blue Starr Gallery: Clay Supplies, Check Your Order
• Pots and Tea: Notes from Qiu Shan Tang ???
• Around and About with Bulldog Pottery: Tsuchi-Aji, Sandy Simon, Anna Atkins
• Shambhala Pottery: Another Clayart archive
• Blog – Function – by Jennifer Creighton: The time has come … for Etsy.
• Liberty Stoneware: Influences
• Clay Club: Hand Built Studio Work Tables Available
• Gary’s third pottery blog: “man are you DUMB”
• lisa w.b. walker: Cup Exhibit – #2
• meesh’s pottery: News from the shipping department
• Carol Clarkson: Turn your Creative Passion Into Profit
• Molly Hatch: Re-centering

So, the clay blogs are off to a great start in 2015! Thanks to all those that make pots, blog about it, and read blogs about making pots.