I mean it’s been going on for the past ≈ 30,000 years. Maybe.. probably.. likely more. The functionality of ceramics alone demands it be apart of virtually everyones life and because of this, peoples from all over the globe have participated in developing the ceramic process. I first came across an interest in ceramics during a survey Art History class; basically every region we covered showcased their way of manipulating earth to create beautiful forms and invaluable functional items. It was only a matter of time until I got an opportunity to explore the ceramic process.

Fall 2020, I enrolled in a ceramic course led by artist, Samuel Jernigan. Check his site here. We were limited to hand building and worked through projects that involved building techniques like pinching, coil building, and some slipping and scoring. Along with the hand building, we went over a variety of surface decorating techniques. The ceramic process in its entirety was so involved with other mediums. It almost seems incorrect to label ceramics as a single medium because the process itself is inherently multi medium.

The variety within the process became something to love about it. Ceramics is slow, and it has to be. It demands a disciplined artist by way of time management, attention to detail, and ability to work through uncertainty. Id be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t keep it up.

Pictured below are some of the pieces I made during the Fall of 2020.