Guides
A table made entirely by hand: my journey into themed dinnersLast winter, I pulled every ceramic piece I had ever made out of storage and stacked them on the long table in my Barcelona studio. There were plates warped…
Drilling a clean drain hole in a finished ceramic potA finished ceramic pot can often be given a drainage hole without remaking or discarding it. The key is to use a diamond core drill or diamond hole saw, keep…
Why my best handles come from thinking like a river, not a ropeA good ceramic handle looks simple when it is finished. It curves away from the cup, leaves enough room for fingers, and seems to belong there from the first…
How to throw a tall vase in sections and join seamlesslyA tall vase is one of the most rewarding forms to make on the wheel, yet its height creates practical problems. A single oversized lump of clay can become…
Layered Underglazes for Painterly Ceramic SurfacesA pot can carry colour with the quiet subtlety of a watercolour painting. Instead of covering the whole form with one opaque layer, a painterly ceramic…
My Mother’s Recipe for a Smooth, Low-Fire Crackle GlazeMy mother kept her glaze recipes in a small notebook stained with cobalt, iron oxide and years of studio dust. The formula I return to most often is a low-fire…
Dowel-Rolled Texture for Uniform Ceramic NecklacesA textured clay sheet is a practical starting point for making a coordinated necklace collection. By rolling a slab over a carefully chosen surface with a…
Advice for repairing a greenware bump gone wrongA dent, thumbprint, scrape or collapsed edge can feel devastating when it appears on a piece that seemed ready for its first firing. Greenware is fragile, yet…
How To Find A Local Community Firing Service Without A KilnMaking pottery without owning a kiln is entirely possible when you know where to look. Across Australia, community studios, arts centres, TAFE campuses,…
Candle holders with fluted rims that catch every dropA candle burning low on a Sydney verandah or a Melbourne dining table will always surrender a small puddle of wax. Most holders ignore this reality and let the…