☕✨ We’re fortunate to be working with so many thoughtful people as we move closer to opening. One of them is Ava from @trapdoor_studio and @taoofclaysd .
Together, we’ve taken the time to develop a piece shaped with care, something crafted by hand to bring intention and beauty to the everyday ritual of coffee.
Little by little, it’s all coming together.
#LittleWhileSD #SanDiegoCoffee #SpecialtyCoffee
🐈⬛🐩
Jars and candlesticks for the pit fire with @taoofclaysd tonight. These have new Terra sig slips with Mason stains that @judecastilloceramics prepared - super excited to see the results after firing.
Come join @trapdoor_studio for a special Nerikomi workshop at Tao of Clay on July 8th from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
Limited spots available, register online through our website. Link in bio🔗
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#taoofclay #ceramics #clay #pottery #ceramicstudio #nerikomi #potterystudio #sandiegoevents #sandiegoceramics #sandiegolife #sandiegoart #potteryworkshop
🏁 patterns in clay 🏁
I discovered Nerikomi through trial and error. As I experimented with different clay bodies in the studio, I accumulated scraps in a range of natural tones. Rather than discard them, I began exploring ways to combine them, letting the unique character of each clay come through. I’ve always been drawn to the inherent beauty of raw, unglazed clay. Nerikomi became a natural extension of that appreciation.
As I developed my own Nerikomi practice, I found it to be both soothing and creatively energizing. The process invites a balance between structure and spontaneity. Scraps from one project became the seed of the next, and what began as a planned pattern often evolved naturally into something unexpected. It’s a rhythmic, intuitive way of working—one that encourages both control and letting go.
I will be teaching a series of classes on nerikikomi at @taoofclaysd - great for beginners and advanced potters alike. See you there!
📸 @theo_hirschfield
Small production moments with a lot of heart.
Each piece is made by hand, with the belief that it will outlast me—and so it should be made with care and intention. This water set has gone through many iterations. I’ve adjusted the form, the measurements, the pour, the feel in the hand—chasing that quiet “just right.” I’m sure there will be more changes, but I’m proud of where it’s landed.
There’s something powerful about making the same form over and over. It shows you how far you’ve come, and how much more there is to learn. Clay humbles me daily. It’s a lifelong practice—and I hope that love and effort is something you can feel in the finished work.
📸 @theo_hirschfield
✨new work for the @taoofclaysd holiday sale!✨
I made these little village houses after ones I remember under my tree that my dad inherited from his dad:)
I’ll have oldies and new work at the sale like this new sale set in my new favorite glaze from the studio - iron dust
This holiday sale is going to be so fun with work from staff, @joshhermanceramics@idreamofrats@theo_hirschfield members and friends of the studio. We’re going to have food, @babebeverages kombucha on tap and live music from @edgar.alejandre@kidkulu@whosreana
Open to everyone! Come by and say hi!
OPTICAL ILLUSION WATER SET
I'm officially back at it in San Diego! Excited to be back on this platform that sometimes I hate but mostly I like when I remember that it has connected me to so many artists and crafts people. Can't wait to show you what I've been working on.
This glaze is my current obsession- iron rich and variable in the best ways. My work is a constant balance of the hand, the tool, and the material. I love seeing the variation in "identical" wares and I had alot of fun seeing the "mistakes" in these pieces become the parts I was most drawn to when they emerged from the glaze firing.
This water set was made to explore a tool and one of many that I made one night as I was exploring a form I love so much- a water set with carafe and cup as lid. The ridges of the tool create an optical illusion of a stack of tapered cups- the lid for this vessel. I had intended to explore forms in search of a spout that poured differently, but ended up finding a fun new form that will inspire another round of exploration.
In the end my original water sets are still the ones I return to when throwing and drinking, but it is my goal to continue to push each form and find ways to improve them incrementally. It makes the throwing process more engaging and I find I am more present when I make in this way. Production- making the same form over and over- is not something that everyone likes but for me it suits my style of craft in that I can learn about the form in depth and continue to grow as an artist.
Morning 🌞🏁🔥
Working on new graphics for our classic water set:) these sets were inspired by the iconic Tokyo Sasaki water Carafe design which my parents have always kept by their bedside. I wanted to honor the ritual of drinking water and make a vessel that called back to the earth.
#toyosasakiglass #water #carafe #handmade #ceramics #functionalceramics
