A functional object can become a beautiful moment.
SARAH BARTHOLOMEW
HI, I’M KELSEY!
I make ceramic housewares in my basement studio in southwest Missouri.
Way back in 2009, I took a ceramics class as an elective for my degree in graphic design. I immediately fell in love with the medium and made a thousand tiny wonky bowls throughout the semester, many of which are still sprinkled around my house today. Eventually, my time and career was pulled back towards graphic design, and the pottery tools got tucked away.
Enter 2020, we’re all deep in pandemic mode, and I was feeling super burnt out in my design business. I was itching to try some new things and experiment. I wanted to get away from the screens and truly MAKE something with my hands. As I mulled over this need to create, ceramics kept coming to mind.
Long story short, my basement became my studio and the inspiration has been flowing ever since. I can’t wait to see where this new/old hobby takes me.
When I’m not playing with mud or pixels, I’m a single mom to my daughter Poppy and a very large border collie in southwest Missouri.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The thing I love most about ceramics is the longevity. A bowl that I make today can literally last for generations, being passed from house to house, family to family. I have a million little items in my house that once lived in my grandparents’ houses. And so when thinking about a name for this little ceramic endeavor, I looked to my own family tree and the women who came before me. Two stuck out — my late great-grandmothers on each side — Clara Maud and Docia Faye.
the ceramics process
If there’s one thing I’ve (re)learned about ceramics, it’s that the process is slow. Like, SLOW slow. There is almost no instant gratification, and though that adds to the challenge, it’s a nice change of pace from all the scrolling and clicking. We could all benefit from slowing down, yes?
Ceramics starts with a lump of clay. To make the clay workable and remove air bubbles, you have to wedge it, which is like kneading. Then you slap your lump of clay into a ball and throw it down on the wheel. Throwing on a pottery wheel is a challenge all it’s own! Once the form is made, I’ll remove it from the wheel and cover it to dry slowly. If it dries too quickly, it’ll crack.
When the form is leather-hard (about halfway to dry), I’ll flip it over, put it back on the wheel, and trim the bottom. This phase lets you sculpt the final shape of the form or even carve designs into it. Then I’ll cover it back up and let it finish drying (slowly!) all the way.
With the clay form is completely dry, it’s time for the first firing. I take my pieces to a community kiln for firings, so this step includes a car ride for me! About a week later, I’ll pick up the fired piece, and bring it home for glazing. Before glazing, each piece has to be sanded, rinsed with water, and dried completely. Glazing is like paint for pottery, and this has been a fun place to experiment with layering and colors. The glaze dries quickly, and then it’s ready to head back to the kiln for the second and final firing.
Another week later, and my piece is officially ceramic and ready to use. The satisfaction of seeing the finished form is even sweeter considering how long it took to get there. Ceramics is the ultimate teacher in patience.
