#MadewithaBailey

Ephraim Pottery's Kevin Hicks tells us about the collaborative studio he founded, "Right now is a profound time of appreciation. My studio has spent the last 24 years refining our collaboration model and the mood in the studio is dynamic and thriving. The future seems as wide open as it has ever been."

"I love that working with clay is a metaphor for life and involves important life skills such as patience and being “centered”. I’ve learned and re-learned these lessons and sure enough, pretty much every time I try to force something or move too quickly to the next part of the process, the results are not satisfying."

"I find the frustrating part with ceramics is also the exhilarating part. All could be lost in the kiln if a glaze doesn’t work out, or if something was too wet or too dry. It doesn’t happen often but it is also the addicting part — that moment of opening the kiln is like Christmas morning! Did all my hard work pay off? Did something exciting happen that I wasn’t expecting?

Tania Rustage's photos on Instagram @taniarustageceramics capture the charm of her whimsical ceramics with attitude. Tania uses commercial glazes, underglazes, and stains; sponging, brushing, dipping or spraying them to get the effects she wants. She generously shares before and after pictures of the glazing process on Instagram.

Fifteen years after graduating from High School, Tom Guell returned to the pottery wheel that he had loved so much during a senior year Independent Study in Pottery. He tells us about his journey juggling a full-time job as a union ironworker, a young family, and aspiring potter in rural Wisconsin.

Thomas TC Staton's photos on Instagram capture the sheer beauty of crystalline glazes. Starbursts of indigo, violet and pink are perfectly frozen in time. His glazes, developed by Matt Katz of Ceramic Materials Workshop are created with the help of a handful of Bailey Equipment items. We caught up with TC to find out more about his ceramic process after he tagged his work #MadewithaBailey.

Barry Rhodes is a North Carolina based ceramic artist who has been working in clay for over 30 years. His thrown and hand-built forms combine beautiful patterning and organic glazing. The results are a dynamic combination of form and surface reminiscent of Japanese Oribe ware with a modern sensibility.

"The desire to try every possible iteration of an idea keeps me living in my studio," says Cheyenne Mallo, who is immersed in her studio, her community, and in nature. We love seeing how those worlds coalesce in her pottery work.

"I am inspired by the thought of someone using my pottery. That makes me excited to work." These motivations are from South Carolina based artist, Darin R. Gehrke. Darin makes pottery forms that are both soft and bold, architectural and natural. We especially love how Darin adds dimension to his pottery through speckled clay, faceted surfaces, slip brushwork, and lively glazes.

Shoshona Snow has been working in clay since her days as a student at our nearby SUNY New Paltz. She is also a long-time Bailey Showroom Customer. We caught up with Shoshona for a brief interview after she used the hashtag, #MadeWithaBailey on Instagram. Here, she talks about what inspires her intricately carved, and high-contrast, whimsical ceramics.