Materials and Techniques

For the past several years I have been working with red earthenware and porcelain clays. In the popularly perceived hierarchy of potters' clays, these two stand in stark contrast to each other; one "common", the other "refined". As, I hope, the images throughout this site will attest, this is a false distinction. The varied techniques and rhythms of work that earthenware and porcelain require are, for me, what keeps the creative process fresh and the finished pieces rewarding.

My earthenwares are wheel-thrown and brushed or sprayed with colored slips. The pots are once-fired to 2175F. The result is a warm, low luster surface over a vitrified, burnt umber body.

The porcelains are also wheel-thrown, using a grolleg based body. The pots are reduction fired to 2340F with celadon, wood ash, copper red, and saturated manganese and iron glazes. The finished pieces have jewel-like depth of color that floats over a milky white body.

 
Many of the pieces pictured on this site were made with a sectional throwing technique similar to one I observed in the work of Inoue Manji in Arita, Japan in 1971.