Clay Blog Review: March 2015

Welcome Back

Back from NCECA. Back to Spring. Back to the Clay Blog Review! To those that made it to NCECA, I hope you are inspired and excited to get back to the clay. To those in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope the warmer weather is lifting your spirits. And for those returning to the Clay Blog Review, I thank you for your support. Let’s take a look at all the great pottery blogging from March!

Don’t forget, you can sign up for the Pottery Making Newsletter! I’m still looking for more clay spaces/studios/workshops to feature in the newsletter. Read here to find out how to get yours in the newsletter.

And if  you have any images, stories, or videos from NCECA send me a link so I can share your stuff! Now, on with the blogs:

The Can’t Miss

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

• good elephant pottery – blog: Two-Day To-Do Lists
• Alchemy of Clay: Designer Liner Tips
• Pottery Making Info: 8 Favorite Pottery Tools
• part time pottery: Three Very Different Firings.
• NCECA Blog: Conference Content in HIGH DEMAND!
• Joel Cherrico Pottery: American Craft Council, “A Potter’s Journey: The Search for 1,000 True Fans”
• NCECA Blog: This Machine Kills Hate

Process and Technique

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

• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Never Too Many
• part time pottery: Saturday’s Throwing
• Jenny Mendes: Yesterday and today
• Dawn Whitehand: Visual Artist: Sunday Studio Visit : Odds n Ends
• part time pottery: Sunday’s Throwing
• Anna’s Ceramics: another challenge underway
• meesh’s pottery: Yearning for Spring
• Pixels And Pencils (and some paint!): Teapots and dragons
• Hughes Pottery: Icy Doom
• lisa w.b. walker: Cup Exhibit – #3
• Blog – Ron Philbeck Pottery: Friday. Getting Ready for the Next Firing
• Kim Murton: process photo’s- Slip painted plates
• Tony Clennell: Reconsidering Marriage
• Hobby Potter – Artist Tammy Jo Schoppet Official Blog: Ep.3.Hobby Potter Weekly- TeaPot-Sculpture – Color Wash Technique

• Sawdust & Dirt: Korean Masters
• Hobby Potter – Artist Tammy Jo Schoppet Official Blog: Ep 4. Hobby Potter Weekly! – Exercise Ball Hump Mold & Gallery Show Proj…
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Workshop : Harper College Clay Guild
• Alchemy of Clay: Off to glaze kiln next
• Barnbarroch Pottery: New work for March
• Fine Mess Pottery: Sling & Slip
• Alchemy of Clay: Second spirit house to go to kiln
• Tony Clennell: Grass altered my mind
• meesh’s pottery: Glazing for a Wood Firing
• Patricia Griffin Ceramics – BLOG: The first cut is the deepest
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Another Batch of Bowls
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: A Dozen : Three Sets of Four
• Down to the Earth Pottery: First Week of Penland
• GretaMichelle Joachim: Pieces Of My World: Weekend Adventures
• Rachel Dorn Ceramic Sculpture: Molds & Cleaning
• Whynot Pottery Blog: Spring
• Kim Murton: Last batch for Texas – 18 hands gallery
• Lucy Fagella Pottery: Getting Pots Made for the Pottery Trail
• Blue Starr Gallery: More Bells
• Bridges Pottery Blog: Just a little extruding – Something for the Yard.
• Sue Pariseau Pottery: Squares
• Kim Murton: small sculptures for 18 Hands Gallery- process shots
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: My First Bisque Kiln of 2015
• Gary’s third pottery blog: fire and brimstone…
• Gary’s third pottery blog: fire and brimstone…: Gary’s third pottery blog: fire and brimstone…
• part time pottery: Plotting & Planning…
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Those luscious lips
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Spoons For Spring
• A Devonshire Pottery: Blog from Devon
• ang design blog: the blobs have left the building…
• Arryn Vogan Pottery: Throwing Earring Trees
• A Devonshire Pottery: Balusters and their buddies
• Jenny Mendes: Living in the moment
• John Bauman: Day 2: A Potter’s Journey
• this artist’s life: artist date
• Clay and Ginger: More sgraffito work today. Its inspured by sea kelp. I have an…
• A Devonshire Pottery: Wet slip
• A Devonshire Pottery: Wedding Day pots

• Rachel Dorn Ceramic Sculpture: Installation Preview, Spring Break Base, and New Work at Oak Hollow Gallery.
• Acorn Pottery: parts
• groszceramika: Na procesie. On a procces.
• Blog – Ron Philbeck Pottery: From the Studio

Tips and Technical

How can I become a more efficient or knowledgeable potter?

• musing about mud: technical tuesday: warm throwing water
• Future Relics Pottery Blog: Handle Pulling Tip
• FetishGhost’s Secret Studio: “Blizzard” Test Tiles
• Matt’s Ceramic Action: Basalt
• Acorn Pottery: tests and tricks
• Clay Club: Is it Food Safe?
• Fine Mess Pottery: Mad Dog Shino
• Clay Club: The Book of (Egyptian) Faience by John Goddard
• Marian Williams Pottery: Gumnuts & Australian Pottery
• Fine Mess Pottery: Fast and Easy
• musing about mud: technical tuesday: An Easy Way to Get the Pulled Handle Look | SANDI PIERANTOZZI

Recent Work

Where can I see inspiring pottery?

• Blog – Clay By Laura: Spring Forward!
• Blue Starr Gallery: Flying and Falling
• Artworks of Johnson Tsang: Still in One Piece
• Sawdust & Dirt: Some Results
• Gary’s third pottery blog: grand opening
• maya makes things: Mugs for a Maine Skier
• maya makes things: Bradbury Mountain Arts
• Dirty Girl Clayworks: spring handles
• Gary’s third pottery blog: I dreamt Uma Thurman was a friend of mine…: Gary’s third pottery blog: I dreamt Uma Thurman was a friend of mine…
• Gary’s third pottery blog: I dreamt Uma Thurman was a friend of mine…
• Future Relics Pottery Blog: A Few From The Kiln
• part time pottery: Fermentation Crocks
• Blue Starr Gallery: Winter Whites
• this artist’s life: the big work
• Bruce DEHNERT: Tug
• Kyle Carpenter Studio Pottery: #yunomi for the Akar Design Gallery’s “Yunomi Invitational” ( These were fired in @karennewgardpottery #saltkiln )
• Gary’s third pottery blog: spring INSIDE even if outside is….!!!
• Blue Starr Gallery: Windowsill Pots – Mini Planters
• Love Sown: Kiln Unloading
• Blue Starr Gallery: Plates and Platters
• Gaea Ceramic Bead and Art Studio Blog: Join My Tribe!
• Blue Starr Gallery: Finally a Cheese Board
• FetishGhost’s Secret Studio: Yep
• Blue Starr Gallery: A Little Bit of Themselves
• Tony Clennell: Poop is Brown!
• meesh’s pottery: “Made in the Carolinas”
• Whistle Creek: Ten Years In
• Lucy Fagella Pottery: Patterns and Optical Illusions
• Blog – Ron Philbeck Pottery: New Pots. Video and Images

• Alchemy of Clay: Spirit house with bird
• Gary’s third pottery blog: tempted to eat it….: Gary’s third pottery blog: tempted to eat it….
• Carol Clarkson Pottery Blog: Mayco Silkscreen
• createniks: Orphan Black Clone Club Mugs
• FetishGhost’s Secret Studio: Assessing Missteps
• Jose Maria Mariscal – Ceramicas Mariscal: Hornada estresante
• Phil Rogers Pottery, Rhayader, Wales: PR256 Wood fired Bowl.
• Gary’s third pottery blog: Mugshot Monday: I didn’t do the crime!
• Anna’s Ceramics: The Matchbox Show now open – runs to 21 March 2015
• The Rabbit Muse: Shop update WEDNESDAY, March 18th!
• FetishGhost’s Secret Studio: BoneOrchard
• Sawdust & Dirt: The Chosen Ones
• WALLYWARE: Wally Goes To NCECA!
• Gary’s third pottery blog: from dreams to pottery reality in just 2 1/2 months…..
• groszceramika: Jakies jasne wazony. Some wases clear of colours.
• Euan The Potter: Mashiko Mingei
• Jose Maria Mariscal – Ceramicas Mariscal: Papel Fotográfico
• Gaea Ceramic Bead and Art Studio Blog: New designs…
• Sawdust & Dirt: AKAR Yunomi Preview
• Tony Clennell: The leaves have fallen!
• Zygote Blum: Shake’em Up
• Zygote Blum: Follow the Rule
• Zygote Blum: Sweet, Sweet
• Pixels And Pencils (and some paint!): A Hitch in my Get-along…
• Dawn Whitehand: Visual Artist: Sunday Studio Visit
• Anna’s Ceramics: Garden Show coming up
• meesh’s pottery: Results
• groszceramika: Nowe podstawki. New coasters.
• Peter’s Pottery: Demonstrating, Teaching, Cups and Fan Mail!
• Learning to be Fearless: Gifts of Hope
• Blue Starr Gallery: Bell Bottoms & Oil Spot
• meesh’s pottery: Wood Fire Love
• flyeschool.com: March 26th 2015
• John Bauman: Day 5: Journey Through Clay
• John Bauman: Day 4: A Potter’s Journey
• John Bauman: Day 3: A Potter’s Journey
• John Bauman: Day 1: A Potter’s Journey
• Alchemy of Clay: Getting my groove back
• Anna’s Ceramics: Your Invited
• Blue Starr Gallery: Tall Tower with Stopper
• meesh’s pottery: and now for something completely different…
• Blue Starr Gallery: Meditation Bowls
• Phil Rogers Pottery, Rhayader, Wales: PR 264 Chawan.
• Phil Rogers Pottery, Rhayader, Wales: PR268 Shino glazed yunomi.
• Gary’s third pottery blog: a BAKER, not really a bowl, or even a bucket…
• Arryn Vogan Pottery: Rings Stands
• Jenny Mendes: Coffee break!
• Blue Starr Gallery: Flora and Fauna Trays

Thoughts

What can I ponder while making pottery and ceramic art?

• Teaching/Craft: Cups, Questions, and Pedagogy
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Favorite things
• DirtKicker PoTTerY: patience and mindful creativity
• Mikkelsen & Pope Pottery 2014: Functional Pottery? You’re kidding!
• Sawdust & Dirt: Playing The Pro
• Acorn Pottery: functional pottery in a small town
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Maximum beauty
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: The potter as midwife
• HaldeBlog: What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: What art and taxes have in common
• John Bauman: Why Pitcher?
• CARTER GILLIES POTTERY: Hooking up with pottery
• Teaching/Craft: Cups, Implication, Intention

Interviews and Podcasts

What do potters have to say?

• The Potters Cast: A Story to Tell | Jennica Kruse | Episode 89
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Carter Pottery: Charlie Cummings on developing a gallery and embracing new technologies
• The Potters Cast: Saving the History of Potters | Debra Sloan | Episode 90
• Rae Dunn … clay » clay.: merci berkeleyside.
• The Potters Cast: Ceramic Artist | Pepijn van den Nieuwendijk | Episode 91
• The Potters Cast: Dear Human | Jasna Sokolovic and Noel O’Connell | Episode 92
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Carter Pottery: Gustin, Long, and Balistreri on wood firing and community
• The Potters Cast: Old School | Mark Goertzen | Episode 93
• The Potters Cast: Wood Fire Potter | Emma Smith | Episode 94
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Mckenzie Smith on Mingei, Miami and making a living as a potter
• jenallenceramics: Sue Tirrell: Potter of the Month
• The Potters Cast: A Potter for 1812 | Penni Stoddart | Episode 95
• The Potters Cast: I Belong Here! | Bede Clarke | Episode 96
• The Potters Cast: Discovering the Journey | Jack Welbourne | Episode 97
• NCECA Blog: Clay Stories: special surprise guest, Robin Hopper

The Rest

What do potters blog about other than pottery?

• Leslie Farin: Cold Weather and Creativity
• NCECA Blog: First Film Fest?
• Sofia’s Dad’s Pots: 6 Year Blog Anniversary and Miscellany…
• Big Dog Pots Pottery Blog: Tools of the Trade…..
• meesh’s pottery: Mugs for Moving
• NCECA Blog: Complete Index to Blog articles on 2015 Conference Programming!
• paul the potter: Pottery Making & Changes for 2015
• Diving into the clay: ancientart: By the late 6th century BC, black-figure artists…
• NCECA Blog: Renee Brown: More is More
• Mikkelsen & Pope Pottery 2014: You too can be a potter
• Hughes Pottery: Looking back at Wholesale
• Liz Crain Ceramics « Liz Crain Ceramics: Making Mistakes Right: The Artist’s Talk, T Minus 5 Days
• Carol Clarkson Pottery Blog: Reorganizing your ceramic studio
• Blog – Clay By Laura: “Go To Your Studio And Make Stuff”
• Sawdust & Dirt: MSM MS
• NCECA Blog: NCECA Gallery Expo
• Rachel Dorn Ceramic Sculpture: Salmon Bells
• Sawdust & Dirt: Tom Sachs
• Sawdust & Dirt: Ayumi’s White Pots

• Clay Club: March Clay Club recap
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Ayumi Horie : White Pots
• Bella Joy Pottery: Etsy
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: My Talented Friend : Steven Hill
• Sawdust & Dirt: Reflection
• NCECA Blog: Inside NCECA, Vol I, Issue 8: Who’s Who Part 2
• Euan The Potter: The Ides of March
• NCECA Blog: A Quixotic Life: The Workmanship of Risk
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Citizens of Craft
• Liz Crain Ceramics: Artist’s Talk: Omissions (But Not Errors) Addendum
• NCECA Blog: Meet the 2015 Emerging Artists
• musing about mud: technical tuesday: How A Puzzle Jug Is Made, And What It Does
• NCECA Blog: Announcing the 2015 NCECA App (with video!)
• NCECA Blog: Across the Table, Across the Land
• DeBuse-On-The-Loose: Just Beyond Grasp: Chasing a Life in Clay
• Blue Starr Gallery: Gypsy Potters Mugs for Moving
• Diving into the clay: A New Craft Manifesto
• musing about mud: “VASES ARE PEOPLE TOO”: Fed up Ontario crafters issue 10-point manifesto to ‘reclaim’ the word craft
• NCECA Blog: Go ahead, talk to someone famous!
• Joel Cherrico Pottery: YouTube Video, Cosmic Mugs: Pottery Inspired by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope
• NCECA Blog: A little bonus: networking fun with the NCECA App…
• Blog – Clay By Laura: Let It Go
• Tony Clennell: The Potter’s Dilemma
• musing about mud: help support Centered: Mud and Movement Arts at Taos Clay
• andrewwiddis: Potters tools.
• Diving into the clay: Arts Advocacy Day 2015
• musing about mud: technical tuesday: Graphic Clay by Jason Bige Burnett – Pre-order on Amazon
• blog: The handmade difference
• Sawdust & Dirt: Stories Potters Tell: Clay and Community in the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour

• musing about mud: Obituary: Peter Stichbury 1924 – 2015
• Tony Clennell: Skyrocketing to the bottom!
• GretaMichelle Joachim: Pieces Of My World: Going Where this Potter has Never Gone!
• Tony Clennell: Yi
• Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery: Reclaim Clay : Layering. Pounding. Stacking. Bagging.
• Fine Mess Pottery: Loot from the Conference
• Leslie Farin: Get Unstuck. How to Unblock Your Creativity
• DirtKicker PoTTerY: Pottery studio tip – Forbes Wax Resist

And this brings our review to a close. Check back in a month to see some more great pottery blogging. Check back even sooner to see some great content from NCECA. Sign up now to get on the email list and get sneak peeks at new content, monthly newsletters and an opportunity to get your tips and photos shared.