The Pottery Process

Each piece of pottery I make has been touched by my hands 8–10 times as it moves through the process—from mud to glazed ceramic functional art. It truly is a labor of love. What starts as a lump of clay becomes, hopefully, something others will treasure for years to come.

I pour my heart into this work. It’s my joy, my therapy, my creative outlet, and often my time to contemplate, pray, and process. As an introvert at heart, sharing my pottery can feel a little vulnerable. Sometimes I hold onto pieces for weeks (or even months) before I’m ready to let them go or share them on social media. And yet, sharing is also part of the joy.

Not every piece makes the cut. Some don’t survive the process, and others simply don’t represent my best—so they don’t leave my studio. But the ones that do make it through carry a story of patience, skill, and a whole lot of care.

As you read through the pottery process, I hope you gain a deeper appreciation for the love and work that goes into each finished piece. In the days to come, I’ll also use this space to share thoughts on how the pottery process mirrors life and faith—how we’re shaped, refined, and formed over time. I hope you’re inspired to find something creative that brings you the kind of joy pottery has brought to mine.

How It's Made: Step by Step

1. Clay Preparation

   My clay is purchased and wire-sliced into lumps that I weigh to specific amounts, depending on what I’m making. Then the clay is wedged—similar to a baker kneading dough. Wedging eliminates air bubbles and helps homogenize the clay while aligning the particles.

2. Forming

   I form the clay by throwing it on the pottery wheel and/or hand-building.

3. Drying (Under Plastic)

   From there, the piece is placed under plastic so the water can slowly evaporate. As the clay dries, it begins to shrink—slowly and carefully.

4. Trimming + Carving

   Once the clay reaches “leather hard” (firm but still workable), it’s time to trim the piece to remove excess clay and refine the form. This is also when I carve and often add underglaze designs.

5. Drying into Greenware

   Next, the piece must dry completely before it can be fired. Any remaining moisture can cause a piece to crack—or even explode in the kiln and damage other work. Patience is truly a virtue in pottery.

6. Bisque Firing

   Once fully dry, pieces are fired to about 1800°F. This full cycle—heating, firing, and cooling—takes a couple of days. The pottery becomes hard, but it remains porous, which prepares it for glazing.

7. Glazing

   Glaze is made of glass-forming materials, clay, minerals (including colorants), and water. I apply glaze by painting, dipping, or pouring—often in layered combinations. The bottoms must be wiped clean so they don’t fuse to the kiln shelves during firing.

8. Glaze Firing

   Then comes the second firing, where the kiln reaches about 2200°F. After the kiln cools enough to open safely, I finally get to see the finished results—always a mix of excitement and holy anticipation.

9. Sanding

   After firing, the bottoms are sanded smooth so the pieces feel good in your hands and won’t scratch surfaces.

10. Finishing Touches

    Finally, I inspect each piece for unacceptable imperfections and jot down notes about how the glazes behaved (or didn’t) on particular clay bodies for future reference. If the piece is acceptable, it’s photographed and loaded onto this website. And then comes the happy/sad goodbye: when someone sees the love poured into a piece, purchases it, and I wrap it up and ship it off to its new home.