About the work

My process

All of my pottery is thrown and trimmed on the wheel, with a small exception of a few hand-built pieces. Any added details, decorations or carvings are finished by hand. I use two clay bodies, a white clay and a brown speckled clay; sometimes I throw the two clay bodies together to make agateware (also known as marbling) or I use the clay bodies blended together as recycled clay. My goal is to throw pieces as similar in size and shape as possible. All pieces will have slight variation as they pick up character throughout the process. I fire my work at home in small batches and I’m currently working on nailing down a few glaze recipes. I share parts of my process and pieces on my Instagram, be sure to give it a follow!

About me

How I got into pottery

When I was a kid, I was always drawn to activities that involved using my hands and getting dirty. I was lucky that this occasionally meant I could get my hands into some clay. When I was in college at SJU (Go Hawks!), I was able to formally acquaint myself with ceramics and pottery through my minor in Art. After graduating, I took a 6-year hiatus from throwing, but thankfully my wonderful husband gifted me an adult pottery class. Since then we’ve been fortunate enough to build a studio in our basement. For those of you wondering, getting back into throwing on the wheel is NOT like riding a bike. At times, it has been frustrating and/or comical undertaking, but it has also been a rewarding and fun adventure.

My passion lies in creating functional vessels that are visually appealing, as well as fun and quirky pieces. I draw inspiration from everyday household items, creating and transforming them into unique creations. My hope is that you’ll discover a piece that not only enhances your home, but also sparks joy.

Thank you for reading; please get in touch if you have any comments or questions or head over to my Shop to check out available pieces.

Katherine-McClain “KMc”