Through my own journey of progression with ceramics I have become much more interested in combining form with design and texture. For a long time my focus was purely on throwing and shaping clay, making smooth forms and not so much on what I would do with decoration or glaze.
However as I’ve developed more skill and proficiency with throwing and created a solidified style, my interest in doing more to each piece has grown. I think about designs to add that would attract more interest and might make a pot more desirable to own and use. I keep track of these ideas and take note of what might work well with specific kinds of pottery like slip designs on vases, glazes on bowls or patterns on jars.
Now that I’ve added a whole new ‘section’ of design options to my mental catalog the options seem endless and there is never enough time to make all the combinations you want to – but starting is the key.
Whether you use traditional slip designs, carving designs, or even create your own stamps it can add a whole new layer of interest and is something that can boost your work to the next level.
