This is old news! If you are looking for a more recent version, check out The Top Pottery Blogs of 2016!
What were the best pottery blogs in 2014?
If you have asked yourself this question or you just enjoy reading pottery blogs… Welcome! Below you will find the best pottery blogs of the past year. Does your favorite pottery blog make the list?
This is the 5th annual list of top pottery blogs. You can find winners from previous years here: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.
Now, the top 14 pottery blogs of 2014:
14. Liberty Stoneware
- Author: Brenda Hornsby Heindl
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 33
- Blog address: http://libertystoneware.blogspot.com/
Brenda offers a great variety of posts on the Liberty Stoneware blog. You can find a lot of great images of finished work and work in progress. There are also some good tips and she also researches historic pottery and shares her findings.
13. Future Relics Gallery
- Author: Lori Buff
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 36
- Blog address: http://futurerelicsstudio.blogspot.com/
Lori shares a wide range of information on the Future Relics Gallery blog including technical information, interesting ideas and some photos of her own work.
12. Rachel Dorn Ceramic Sculpture
- Author: Rachel Dorn
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 37
- Blog address: http://racheldorn.blogspot.com/
Rachel creates fantastic little sculptures out of clay and other materials. She shares a lot of images of her process and the finished pieces.
11. Alchemy of Clay
- Author: Barb Rogers
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 39
- Blog address: http://blackmtnbarb.blogspot.com/
Barb had 167 blog posts in 2014 and many of them were images of her sculptural or functional clay pieces.
10. Fine Mess Pottery
- Author: Lori Watts
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 41
- Blog address: http://finemessblog.blogspot.com/
Lori had 114 entries in her blog in 2014. She shared a wide variety of information, from thoughts on finances to pottery tips and information, to images of her finished work.
9. Gary’s Third Pottery Blog
- Author: Gary Rith
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 42
- Blog address: http://garysthirdpotteryblog.blogspot.com/
Gary is a dedicated blogger. He is on his THIRD pottery blog! In 2014 he averaged just short of a post per day. Most included a look into his personal life and some of the pots that he had finished.
8. Tales of a Red Clay Rambler
- Author: Ben Carter
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 43
- Blog address: http://www.carterpottery.blogspot.com/
Ben is the founding member of the (fictitious) Pottery Podcast Association. He is the man behind the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast which make up most of his blog posts. If you are a potter and haven’t listened, make that your resolution in 2015.
5 (tie). Carter Gillies Pottery
- Author: Carter Gillies
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 57
- Blog address: https://cartergilliespottery.wordpress.com/
Carter is the go-to-guy if you’re looking for insightful thoughts about pottery, art, creativity and other great subjects. He also has some great images of his pottery as well.
5. (tie) Clay Club
- Author: John Britt, others
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 57
- Blog address: http://ncclayclub.blogspot.com/
The Clay Club is actually a group of potters from North Carolina but the blog offers a lot of great technical information from a variety of members including author John Britt.
5. (tie) Musing About Mud
- Author: Carol Epp
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 57
- Blog address: http://musingaboutmud.blogspot.com/
Musing About Mud is must-read if you work with clay. Carole shares a range of great content including work in progress, news from around the clay community and even things that aren’t mentioned in the Clay Blog Review such as call for entries, emerging artists, and inspirational posts.
4. The Potters Cast
- Author: Paul Blais
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 58
- Blog address: http://thepotterscast.com/
Paul started sharing the Potters Cast podcast in 2014 but has already shared 72 episodes! A lot of great interviews are available.
3. Blue Starr Gallery
- Author: Linda Starr
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 60
- Blog address: http://bluestarrgallery.blogspot.com/
Linda shared over 250 blog entries in 2014 including a lot of images of her work in progress and some great food recipes.
2. Tony Clennell
- Author: Tony Clennell
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 65
- Blog address: http://smokieclennell.blogspot.com/
Tony had 238 entries in his blog in 2014. Most of them were concise, humorous and often thought provoking while accompanying images of his pots or his views on pottery.
And now, the top pottery blog of 2014 is…
1. Fire When Ready Pottery
- Author: Gary Jackson
- Mentions in the Clay Blog Review: 78
- Blog address: http://firewhenreadypottery.com/
Gary is like a blogging machine. He is also a fantastic potter, avid bike rider and expert sunrise photographer. Check out his blog for some great photos of his pottery making process, the sunrise over Chicago and much more. Congratulations Gary, and thanks for sharing so much with us!
Honorable Mention
More amazing blogs that are worth checking out:
- Meesh’s Pottery – Michele Hastings
- Sawdust and Dirt – Michael Kline
- NCECA Blog
- A Love Affair With Clay – Marian Williams
- The Rabbit Muse – Round Rabbit
- Part Time Pottery – Mejiaop
- Whynot Pottery Blog – Mark and Meredith Heywood
- DirtKicker Pottery – Cindy Gilliland
- Hannah McAndrew
- Shambhala Pottery – June Perry
- This Week at St. Earth (RIP) – Scott Cooper
- FetishGhost’s Secret Studio – FetishGhost
- JSB Arts – Shawna Barnes
- Karatsu Pots – Michael Martino
- Kim Murton
- Wedd Would – Gerry Wedd
- Art by Fuzzy – Brandon “Fuzzy” Schwartz
- A Devonshire Pottery – Doug Fitch
- Brian R. Jones
- Joel Cherrico Pottery
- Hobby Potter – Tammy Jo Schoppet
- Ceramicas Mariscal – Jose Maria Mariscal
- Carl Clarkson Pottery
- Peter’s Pottery – Peter Gregory
- Paul the Potter – Paul Jessop
- Whistle Creek – Dennis Allen
- Lisa W. B. Walker
- CleanMud – Jeffrey R. Guin
- Jen Allen Ceramics
- Matt’s Ceramic Action – Matt Fiske
And don’t forget to subscribe or return to the Pottery Making Blog for future Clay Blog Reviews and other pottery related posts.
So, did your favorite pottery blog make the list? Let me know if you think I missed one!
The Selection Process
If this is your first visit, here’s how it works: I love reading pottery and ceramics blogs. I scan a huge list of pottery blogs and compile a list of the best blogs each month and call it the Clay Blog Review. At the end of the year I look back and see which blogs were mentioned most in the CBR. Blogs that were mentioned most make up the lists above. (If you know a pottery blog that isn’t on the big list, let me know about it here or email me.)
Instead of doing a “top 10” list I had to include a few extra blogs. Since it was 2014 I decided to make the cut at 14. To make it on the Honorable Mention list a blog had to average at least one “mention” in the CBR per month (12 total).
Bragging Rights
If your blog is on the list feel free to show off your accomplishment with one of the images below. Download it, change it, put it on your blog, print it out and send it to a rival blog… whatever you see fit. Click the image for a larger version.
It is also completely acceptable to share this page on the social media platform of your choice. You can tag/find Pottery Making Info on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.
Starting Your Own Blog?
Are you thinking about starting your own blog or website? There are plenty of great options including wordpress.org, wordpress.com, blogspot.com and Weebly (affiliate link). Weebly is probably the easiest for non-tech people but it can also create an entire site and help you set up a real shop to sell your pottery. WordPress and Blogger offer more of the “blog” experience but there are many other options. Let me know when you get your blog started and maybe it will be on this list next year!
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Thanks for reading!
Thanks so much for including my blog in the top pottery blogs of the year; I’ll post about it tomorrow in my post. Thanks again, I see I have more reading to do on other blogs.
HOT DAMN thank you!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for the honorable mention! I look forward to your lists each month.
Thanks as always for putting together the list of posts every month! I always find so much to read in the links you provide. This is a great community to be a part of 🙂
And thanks too for including me on the list of top blogs of 2014! Its an honor to be included with so many hard working potter bloggers.
Keep up the good work!
Carter
I’m so very grateful to be included with other potter bloggers, many of whom I learn from daily. Whoopee!
Hobby potter for 10 years. Not too active now due to health concerns but plan to be “getting dirty ” soon
Wow, what an honoring surprise! Thank you so much for including my blog in your list and what an excellent resource of blogs you’ve found here! (I just added more my follow list!) Again, much thanks!
Here is my pottery blog, takataceramics.blogspot.com
I have been doing ceramics professionally since 2011. Feel free to add this to your lists of blogs. I am enjoy your compilations and reviews.
Hey Cheryl,
Thanks for posting your blog! I have added it to the blog list and my reading list.
Thank you so much, it’s an honor to be included in this list. I really look forward to seeing and reading the blogs you’ve chosen each month.
Thanks so much for including my blog in your list. You have compiled a great resource for all. Looking forward to reading some new blogs.
Carol
I am interested in going to a pottery class if anything is available. If there are classes, how much and when?
Sincerely,
FLW
Thanks everybody for the encouraging comments. It is fun to put together this list and highlight some of the great pottery blogs.
And thanks for sharing so much on your blogs! I continue to learn so much.
Also, thanks to everyone who who linked to this page or shared it on social media. All the support is amazing!
Thanks for putting together this very informative list of blogs!! I recently started focusing on my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JLCPottery and created a website: JLCPottery.com. I have considered creating a blog as part of the website but there is just so much to do! Do you have any other tips on how to get noticed when trying to run a business online? Thanks so much!!
Hey Jenn,
Thanks for your comment. I actually started to put together a series of posts about setting up a blog. It will still be a while before it’s done. But thanks for your interest! For now, one suggestion would be to make as many connections as you can online and offline. Talk to other potters, share what you know and try to offer value of some sort.
And try to find some people that really like your work and encourage them to share. Your “biggest fans” will be the people that really give your work the extra reach online.
Also, if you can find a niche where your work fits take advantage. For example, if you make a lot of planters, find groups or communities of gardeners/plant lovers/house plant enthusiasts etc.
Hopefully that helps a little bit. Good luck!
I wanted to thank you for the compilation of great blogs and resources of you have put together here regarding “HOW TO WITH CLAY “. My girlfriend’s new hobby has me going crazy . I’m trying to learn as much as possible regarding terms and material and anything that will help me sound not so oblivious. I want to surprise her in a conversation and give her.Cheeers! – Vishal Kawatra
Great list of blogs! Thanks for sharing.