Category Archives: Clay

Pottery sale this weekend (!)

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Carter Gillies

I am almost done glazing and firing for the sale this weekend at my studio! If the rain holds off today I will get the last load in and be able to start cleaning the studio (don’t want to kick … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ceramics, Clay, Pottery | 3 Comments

Don’t be a tool

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Carter Gillies

Just some things to consider: A friend picked up one of those fancy Sherrill Do-All trimming tools for me and the different design made using it as if I were almost a novice potter again. I have been so familiar … Continue reading →

Posted in Ceramics, Clay, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery | 2 Comments

Repost: Defensive potting

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Carter Gillies

Defensive Potting: The story of Michael Simon’s evolution out of the round Posted on July 31, 2013 by Carter Gillies So I just got back From the Michael Simon gallery talk at the exhibition of his work, “Pick of the Kiln’, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Beauty, Ceramics, Clay, Creative industry, Creativity, Pottery, Teaching | 1 Comment

Advice for beginning potters

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Carter Gillies

This morning I received a question from a beginning potter worried about clay coming off as she was thinning the walls. She also revealed that she was learning to trim her pots. What advice do I have for her? This … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ceramics, Clay, Pottery, Teaching | 2 Comments

Repost: The bitter truth about professional standards in pottery (and art)

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Carter Gillies

(From April of last year) “Talk about equality gets off on the wrong foot if we start from the assumption that it expresses an immediate moral demand to treat everyone the same. Of course, there are thousands of legitimate reasons … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Beauty, Ceramics, Clay, Creative industry, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching, Wittgenstein | Leave a comment

Responding to Tom Sutcliffe on The Great Pottery Throw Down

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Carter Gillies

A friend and stellar student of mine shared an article on fb from the Guardian and asked me what I thought of this quote: “Pottery, rather literally, brings the philosophy of beauty down to earth and lets you turn it … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts advocacy, Arts education, Beauty, Ceramics, Clay, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery | 3 Comments

On handles, with Eric Botbyl

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Carter Gillies

Eric Botbyl posted this on facebook: “The last handle in a very long day of handle making. There is no rushing this part of the process. I resolved long ago that good handles take time and quicky handles are dumb. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts education, Beauty, Ceramics, Clay, Creativity, Imagination, Pottery | 1 Comment

Pete Pinnell – Transcending the Naked Truth

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Carter Gillies

Not doing a great job following through with my intentions to post on the things that make ceramics and pottery in particular things worth saving in schools, but I suppose I have a few too many irons in the fire … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts advocacy, Arts education, Beauty, Ceramics, Clay, metacognition, Pottery | Leave a comment

Passionate teaching

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Carter Gillies

Just read a blog essay that describes a teacher’s experience critiquing students, and it brought to mind some issues I have been thinking about lately. So in a brief departure from my adventures with Saving Ceramics in Schools, here are … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts education, Ceramics, Clay, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching | 1 Comment

Share your thoughts on why clay matters

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Carter Gillies

So last post I ended by inviting folks to share why they thought clay specifically was important to the experience of arts education and why clay art offered something unique and worth encouraging. Scott chimed in with: In a word, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts advocacy, Arts education, Ceramics, Clay, Creativity, Pottery | 15 Comments