Pottery

I grew up watching my aunt Viviana, my father’s sister, making beautiful art and beautiful statues and pottery. Early on during my childhood I’d spend afternoons in her studio doing some of her pottery and art classes with other students, and then having dinner all together at her home. After so many decades, I found myself wanting to learn something new - so in 2025 I started a wheel-throwing class here in Lincoln Park, Chicago.

Designing and Making a Berry Bowl

I wanted to make something useful for washing berries, and this bowl has become one of my favourite projects. It works wonderfully! The photographs below follow the design taking shape in clay, through the addition of the openings, to the finished glazed bowl.

The finished berry bowl.
The finished berry bowl.
A view from above, showing the central dome and side attachment.
A view from above, showing the central dome and side attachment.

My berry bowl in action.

From clay to the finished piece

The bowl taking shape, before the openings were added.
The bowl taking shape, before the openings were added.
Working on the side attachment.
Working on the side attachment.
Two versions with their openings added.
Two versions with their openings added.
A close look at the openings and the finished glaze.
A close look at the openings and the finished glaze.

Plates: My Everyday Dinnerware

The plates are now my dinnerware, which makes me especially happy. Something that began as learning a new craft has become part of everyday meals. The blue surfaces, pale branching patterns, and little spots of colour give each plate its own character.

A finished plate, now part of my dinnerware.
A finished plate, now part of my dinnerware.
The decoration before firing.
The decoration before firing.
Branching patterns in the finished glaze.
Branching patterns in the finished glaze.
A close view of the plate surface.
A close view of the plate surface.
Another detail of the blue and pale glaze.
Another detail of the blue and pale glaze.

Mugs and Little Houses

My mugs have become a small collection of little houses. I have been exploring carved outlines, different handle shapes, and blue and cream glazes. It is lovely to see how the same idea changes from one mug to another.

Three mugs with carved house designs.
Three mugs with carved house designs.
A mug during glazing, before firing.
A mug during glazing, before firing.
A pale glazed mug with a broad handle.
A pale glazed mug with a broad handle.
The inside and rim of the pale mug.
The inside and rim of the pale mug.
A closer view of its house decoration.
A closer view of its house decoration.
Blue glaze over the carved houses.
Blue glaze over the carved houses.
The finished blue mug and its handle.
The finished blue mug and its handle.

Bowls and Experiments in Form

The bowls give me room to explore different silhouettes and carry the little-house designs around a curved surface. I have also been trying more unusual forms, including two bowls joined by a shared handle.

A bowl decorated with little houses.
A bowl decorated with little houses.
A bowl during glazing.
A bowl during glazing.
House decoration before firing.
House decoration before firing.
The houses after firing.
The houses after firing.
The foot and underside of a finished bowl.
The foot and underside of a finished bowl.
A detail of the carved houses.
A detail of the carved houses.
Blue glaze and house outlines on a rounded bowl.
Blue glaze and house outlines on a rounded bowl.
The joined bowls before firing.
The joined bowls before firing.
The finished bowls joined by a shared handle.
The finished bowls joined by a shared handle.
A close view of the glaze inside the joined bowls.
A close view of the glaze inside the joined bowls.

How It All Started

I started my first wheel-throwing class around March 2025. These early photographs remind me of learning to make vases and bowls, then adding handles, engraving, and glazing. I like keeping them here alongside the newer pieces to see how things have developed.

A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 1.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 1.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 2.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 2.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 3.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 3.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 4.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 4.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 5.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 5.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 6.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 6.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 7.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 7.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 8.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 8.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 9.
A piece from my first year of pottery: photograph 9.
Week 3: learning to make vases.
Week 3: learning to make vases.
Week 5: trying more shapes.
Week 5: trying more shapes.
Week 7: adding handles and engravings.
Week 7: adding handles and engravings.