When I tackle a new piece, I’m rarely trying to perfectly recreate a traditional story. Instead, I find myself hunting for a specific visual language—especially when it comes to snakes. I really wanted to steer clear of traditional, textbook-realistic reptiles. I wanted something that looked genuinely different. That search led me straight to the iconic,…
Meet the Blue Lobster: The Ceramic That Refused to Die We’ve all been there. You’re at the wheel, totally in the zone, feeling like a pottery god… until you push your luck just a little too far. That is exactly how this piece started. I was throwing a cylinder, got a bit too ambitious, and…
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a deep fascination with Chinese dragons. While a lot of my ceramic work leans toward specific fan art and pop culture icons, the powerful, fluid imagery of the traditional dragon is something I always find myself coming back to in my private sketchbooks. This time, I…
This little cup is a survivor. Every maker knows that moment of “potter’s heartbreak”—the sound of a handle snapping off while a piece is still in its greenware stage. The handle didn’t make it through the build, but I couldn’t bring myself to give up on it. There was something about the cute round shape…
Check out this hand-painted ceramic journey! This cup tells a full-circle story in three delightful chapters: Whether you’re feeling grumpy, greedy, or just plain full, this panorama cup has a mood for every sip! Which one of these three represents your “before coffee” mood? I started with the cat. Then the mouse lying on a…
For this latest series, my daughter (tiny.mud) took to the wheel and threw a beautiful collection of mugs and bowls for me. Having her provide the “canvas” gave me the perfect opportunity to focus entirely on experimenting with carving and glazing. I had a blast playing with different application techniques—layering glazes, brushing, and dabbing to…
There is a specific kind of magic that happens when a piece leaves the studio and starts a life of its own. Usually, that means finding a home on someone’s dining table or mantle. But this week, one of my pieces took on a slightly different job—as a “spokes-horse” for our local pottery community! I…