by KP | Dec 23, 2020 | Ceramics, Education, Pandemic
Recently, I’ve admitted to myself that most of the ceramic cups I’ve made over the years are too big. The ten-ounce setting on a Keurig only reaches halfway on mugs that line my parents’ cupboards. I always make some forgettable jokes about this when I visit. Not only...
by KP | Sep 6, 2018 | Ceramics, Instagram, Random
On your first time in the new studio, you’ll feel uncomfortable and out-of-place. Every studio has its own systems, and what once made sense in your old space will seem like jibberish in a new one. When I first sit down at a potter’s wheel, I step on the pedal and...
by KP | Jan 15, 2018 | Ceramics, Empty Bowls, Empty Bowls, Thoughts
Thank you so much to everyone who attended Cups for Caritas this year. We are incredibly grateful for your support. Please stay tuned for photos and announcements of our plans for the ‘leftovers.’ We had a few requests to post the remarks that were part of...
by KP | Dec 9, 2017 | Ceramics, Education, Empty Bowls, Thoughts
“Yo, can someone put a handle on this one for me?” Ben set a delicate marbled porcelain cup on the studio table. He’d just finished trimming the piece, and trimming had enhanced a swirled pattern of mixed clays. (Since a recent shopping trip, we’ve all been on a...
by KP | May 30, 2017 | Ceramics, Education
On the day I returned to teaching ceramics after almost leaving the studio for good, Ben arrived after school, eager to learn to throw a pot. When he departed a few hours later with clay on his shoes, he left me with much to consider about my approach to teaching. Ben...
by KP | Sep 11, 2016 | Ceramics, Education, Journalism, Social Issues
On the morning of September 11, 2001, all the color had drained from Kim’s face when she flung open the office door. She came from the residence hall’s community center, where there was a TV that always seemed to be on, even when no one was watching. Out of breath,...
