Making Pottery in My Garage Studio Since 2007
I design, create, and finish all of my handmade pottery myself, in my Chicago suburban garage/pottery studio.
I use a white clay without grog, which gives me a smooth, light surface to draw and paint on. I throw pieces like bowls and mugs on my wheel, and I roll out clay on a wedging board to make handbuilt pieces like my trays.
I make my rectangular trays by rolling out a large rectangle of clay and then cutting it into pieces with my pin tool. I smooth the edges of each tray and bend up the edges a little. I flatten the trays out several times while they dry, because they have a tendency to warp during drying.
To make my leaf trays, I place a leaf on the clay and roll it into the clay with a rolling pin, and then I cut out the leaf shape. I paint the leaf with underglaze and glaze it with a glossy clear glaze before the final firing. The hardest part about making leaf trays is getting the leaves! I started what I call a "leaf garden" a few years ago to provide leaves for the trays. I grow oakleaf and regular hydrangeas and large-leafed coleus plants for their leaves.
