Beautiful art should be part of everyday life and not just something hanging over the couch. Art nourishes our spirit the way food nourishes our body. That’s what makes functional pottery so special; it combines the two. Pottery is part of our rituals: the start of the day with a morning beverage, or special occasions around the dinner table.
Ken’s pots are made, using a technique (called sgraffito) that is similar to relief printmaking. Unlike printmaking, there are no copies. Each piece has to be individually carved by hand. The time consuming process requires a special touch, because the clay is still unfired and extremely fragile.
Ken’s latest pots are made from porcelain, the finest of clays. It’s able to be thin and translucent, while still being strong and durable. They are made with non toxic materials, and are safe to use with food. These are unique and one-of-a-kind, so treat them the way you would the rest of your fine china. Use caution with microwaves or dishwashers.
First time I’ve been in on the wheel for 2023. (yes, this is my idea of a wild and fun friday night)
I’ve been working removing pots from the wheel with my hands-instead of using bats. Still smooshing some of them, but getting better!
Will trim and add handles tomorrow. Hope you all have a great weekend!
The new year isn’t starting out the way I had hoped.
Spent the day making screen print underglaze transfers based on two of my block prints, only for them to be a disappointment. Oh well, will try again another time.
Hope your year is going better than mine!
UPDATE:
Sorry for being a crybaby earlier when my project did not work on the first try. In my experience, neither pottery OR printmaking work perfectly on the first try. Not sure why I thought combining the two would be easy.
After a little more practice, The transfers are a little bit better. Will make more pots and try again later. Thanks again everyone for the encouragement!
I had a very small kiln firing to wrap up 2022.
2022 was a great year for pottery. I learned a lot and made a lot of pots. To end the year, I had a very small kiln firing. Here are the results!
click arrows or swipe to see all the photos
After almost 3 years of working in porcelain, I’m exploring a new clay/glaze combination. It’s a dark red stoneware made here in Kentucky. I’m able to combine my love of clay, carving AND PAINTING for this new surface design.
I’ve been trying something new with clay, and going through some trial and error to get the clay/glaze combination to work right.
I finally have the chemistry working! Here are my latest test results:
they are all food/microwave safe. As always, they are not available online, you will have to visit my studio in person to add one to your collection!
Today the kiln decided to be really nice to me, and didn’t make rubble out of any of the porcelain plates and bowls that I spent so much time to decorate. (none of the plates seemed to warp either. Lots of bears inspired by my summer at Arrowmont. Also a NEW COLOR!!! I little darker than I expected, but I can adjust it to be more of a bluegrass blue!
If you are familiar with me, you know I ONLY sell my pots in person. No online sales, no shipping. If you would like to have one of these (and support my work) come see me this friday (29 July) at the Pendleton Art Center Cincinnati from 5-9pm. I’m at studio 400.
Hope to see you soon!
Earlier today, I opened the kiln and welcomed some new porcelain pots to the world!
They are all food/microwave safe, and made to be used.
Swipe/use arrows below to see all the pots in a slideshow
Unfortunately, I ONLY sell pottery in person. You can come see me every Final Friday at the Pendleton Art Center in Cincinnati. OR by appointment at my home or studio in Old Washington, KY.
PRICES FOR YOUR REFERENCE
cups and simple bowls: $45
Spice Jars: $60
Bowl Carved inside/out and Goat plate: $100
Some new porcelain pottery from my most recent kiln opening.
Come to one of my upcoming events to see them in person, or click/swipe the photos above for a better look at all the pots from the firing. Sorry, I don’t sell pots online-in person only.
Ken is a self-taught artist from rural Kentucky, whose work includes painting, printmaking, and pottery. He considers himself to be a 'lifetime learner' and uses art to explore and learn more about the world around him. Much of his work reflect his optimistic views on rural folk culture, river life and simple pleasures.
