Patty's Pottery =^.^=

How did you make that?

Every piece is carefully handcrafted. I start by throwing the basic form on the potter's wheel. After the piece is partially dry and firm enough to hold its shape (this stage is called leather-hard), the piece is trimmed and then the fun begins!

I do not use templates or patterns for my designs. Each interlacing knotwork or spiral pattern is carefully laid out by hand directly on the piece before carving. Lines are carved into the piece to create the complext knotwork and spirals, or clay is removed from the surface to create lowrelief knotwork. For the pierced pieces, holes are cut through the wheel thrown form.

Once a piece is completely dry, it is fired, glazed, and fired again. I try to keep glazing simple with a single dip of a celedon glaze. These glazes accent the carved designs. After glazing, the piece is fired to about 2300° F. The finished piece is elegant, yet durable and ready to be used. All my work is dishwasher and microwave safe.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the various stages of my process.








Resources

Pottery Instruction

I do not teach pottery classes. If you are interested in learning how to make pottery, I suggest that you take a class from a local art center or community college. The following links are for a few of the local art centers that provide pottery instruction. Unfortunately, I am unable to recommend any places outside the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN area.

Books on How to Draw Celtic Knotwork

I learned how to draw Celtic knotwork almost exclusively by using the book by George Bain. Later, I picked up the books in the Celtic Design series by Aidan Meehan. They are great additions for further learning. I have linked to the first book in the series below. I am unfamiliar with the third title; however, it has received several good reviews on Amazon.com, and I wouldn't mind adding it to my collection.

Patty's Pottery
by Patty Rau
Minneapolis, MN
thropots@prrpots.com