I'm excited to share some process details about the pine marten sculpture that I completed last month. This project felt like a big leap for me, since I more often...
Baxter Creek Pottery is named after a drainage ditch. There's more to it than that, but not much more. I wrote up the full story of how this business came...
So here's the news I've been excited to share: the shop is back, and it is stocked. Twenty-five new pieces are live on the website right now, each one made...
A look inside the ceramics process. Every piece of handcrafted tableware takes a slow, intentional path through the studio.
1
Kneading the clay. Wedging removes trapped air and makes the clay homogeneous so it is ready for the wheel.
2
Centering and shaping the spinning clay. Steady hand pressure transforms a solid lump into a functional, hollow vessel.
3
Trimming away excess clay once the piece has partially dried. This creates a clean, professional foot so the piece sits flat, and removed any excess weight in the bottom of the pot.
4
Pulling fresh clay strips and attaching them to the mug body. Each handle takes great care to attach strongly and dry slowly to prevent cracks. This step turns a simple cup into a comfortable, everyday mug that is more suited for use with hot beverages.
5
Adding visual details. Each piece is embellished with nature-inspired carvings, dried completely, and bisque-fired to prepare it for color. It is then hand-brushed with multiple layers of liquid glazes. Because raw glazes look absolutely nothing like their final colors, this step can feel like a high-stakes guessing game.
6
Every piece is fired in the kiln twice. After the initial bisque fire, the second "Glaze Firing" reaches a roaring 2,180°F to melt the raw materials into a finished, glass-like surface. Stacking multiple levels of heavy shelves and posts to maximize a kiln load is a delicate, nerve-wracking balancing act, but opening the lid to see the finished treasures makes it all worth it.
About Baxter Creek Pottery
I'm Rachel, the owner & artist at Baxter Creek Pottery. I came to pottery the way a lot of people seem to do—sideways. My actual training is in biology and ecology, which turns out to be excellent preparation for ceramics: you spend a lot of time observing, taking notes, getting dirty, and accepting that your subject has its own agenda regardless of your expectations.Today, I bring that love for the natural world into the studio, creating cozy treasures designed to bring a little quiet joy to your daily routines.
