I grew up in England and frequented a local youth workshop after school to practice guitar with my friend.  It was a small youth center, but it offered a place for the community to come together and create.  They had a single wheel tucked away in a corner, and I remember watching people throw various items on the wheel effortlessly, almost like magic.  Molding this wet material first into a hockey puck and then up and down into varying size cone shapes and eventually into a finished form. 

Over the years, I would think back to this memory and, on occasion, tell the story to my wife. It looked fun, and I have always been pretty good with my hands. This may be something I should try.   We researched local studios and signed up for an eight-week beginner’s pottery class. 

To say I fell in love with clay would be an understatement. It was week six that I put in an order for a wheel and kiln.  I could not get enough of it.  I needed 24/7 constant access to hone my centering skills, and our local store couldn’t offer that level of access.  I could not pull myself away and knew I had found something special.

I jumped in without really understanding all that was involved. Not realizing that being a proficient thrower, hand builder, or slip caster only gets you part way to a completed product. There’s glaze chemistry, mastering kiln firings, and all these new disciplines that need to be learned to turn that beautiful white canvas into a piece worthy of becoming a centerpiece. 

While I wish I had started this journey much earlier in my life, I am grateful to have found this creative outlet.  There are many lifetimes worth of knowledge and skills to gain within the field of ceramics, and had I begun this journey sooner, I would be further down the path, but I don’t believe this path has an ending.

It’s been six years since I first sat down at the wheel.  I had no intention of starting a business and I was making so many vases that our house was rapidly filling up.  We needed a solution. If I could sell a few of the pieces, I might offset some of the cost, so I started small selling on Etsy and eventually launched my own online store.  Now I travel around the east coast attending art festivals, which I never anticipated but love doing. 

While I started this journey throwing on a wheel, slip casting was something I wanted to try primarily because I wanted to make mugs and the thought of throwing the same object a dozen times in a row just sent shivers down my spine.  I love technology, and with all the advancements in 3D printing, I decided to make my own molds rather than buy one premade.  This was another one of those jump-in feet first without fully understanding the complexity moments.  I like the outcome; the mugs and tumblers are adorable, and I am proud of them.  I wasn’t anticipating learning CAD, 3D printing, and clay chemistry.

If I had to pick one aspect of ceramics that I am most excited about, it would have to be crystalline glaze development. I get asked a lot if the crystals are painted on, and I can understand why people think that.  The idea of a crystal growing on the surface of molten glass that’s heated above 2300F does seem farfetched, but that’s precisely what is happening.  The primary crystals are zinc; if you look closely, you can see where the crystal seeded and began to grow.  The crystals have growth rings like trees; each ring indicates a change in temperature, while the distance between rings shows the time the temperature was held steady.  By modifying glaze chemistry, it’s possible to add secondary crystals, manipulate the background color, and even add a touch of iridescence.  It’s truly remarkable.

I was browsing my Instagram feed and came across an artist from Argentina.  I wasn’t sure what I was looking at, but I knew I needed it and must have it.  Bubbles appeared to float on the surface of the vase. Rings of varying shades of blue and silver burst from the center like explosions above an ocean.  I had no idea at the time what type of glaze I was looking at. It turned out to be crystalline.

I was still using commercially made glazes then, and the thought of making my own, working with dangerously sounding chemicals, was discouraging and out of my reach.  But I knew I would have to overcome this hesitation if I wanted to create my own floating bubbles.  

I signed up for a chemistry class at an online university, spent hours researching glaze chemistry, read SDS data sheets, purchased a respirator and gloves, and began the lengthy process of glaze testing.  It took about a year to see results that I felt proud of.  Now, when I am at a show and people walk by my booth, I get to see people discover crystalline glazes for the very first time.  It’s very satisfying, and I love talking about the process and explaining how crystals are formed. It’s a great feeling to share something you work hard to accomplish.