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Category: Pottery
Kiln Opening – Owl Cups
After taking a few months off from making pottery, I just had my first kiln opening! Click any of the photos for a closer look.
cup 1 
cup 2 
cup 3 I decided to work in a series: OWLS
cup 4 
cup 5 
cup 6 These will be available at my studio (#400) this FRIDAY (13 December 2024) at the Pendleton Art Center
cup 7 
cup 8 
cup 9 These are all porcelain cups: food and microwave safe. Carved by me, Ken Swinson. They are $50 each, and only available in person. I want you to pick it up and hold it before deciding whether this is the right cup for you.
I have had a lot of requests for cups, and don’t expect these to stay in the studio for very long–if you make a special trip to Final Friday to get one of these cups, I recommend coming asap.
HOO likes owls?
I’m working on an owl pottery project–just finished carving these owl themed designs. Will be ready for the kiln after they dry. Stay tuned!
Just arrived home after a week at Arrowmont!
I just got back home after a wonderful week at Arrowmont School of Art and Crafts: ‘considering the teapot’ with Yoko Sekino-Bové.
I need some time to process everything I learned, but in the meantime, here’s a snapshot with 5 of my projects from the workshop.
These pots have been fired once, but still need to be glaze fired.
stay tuned and I’ll share more once I get settled back into my home routine.Brushwork on Pottery
You might remember a couple of months ago I made a bunch of forms during the spring pentaculum residency at Arrowmont?
I’ve been blocked, and unable to finish them because they have already been fired. My normal technique is to decorate while the clay is still wet–allowing me to carve and scratch and inlay the surface.
With a fired pot, I have less options-the obvious one is to brush underglaze designs, which is a little bit out of my comfort zone.
After a few hours of painting, I gotten into a flow of using just underglaze and a brush–instead of carving, and I’m really happy with the surface designs I’ve created so far!
stay tuned to see the cups after the final glaze firing!
Updates from the clay studio-sugar bowl lids
I’m getting ready to take a teapot workshop with Yoko Sekino-Bové at Arrowmont later this month. I’ve been making a LOT of cups recently, so I’m confident making handles, but a TEAPOT has more than just a handle.
I want to improve my LIDS, and thought sugar/salt/jelly/honey/spice jars are the perfect way to practice.
All of these jars are unfired, but the surface design is finished. I learned a lot with the first grouping. and feel more confident making a flanged lid.
I’m looking forward to firing these pots soon. Will update when they are ready!stay tuned!
Cappuccino Cup Update
More is more, Right?
Update on my cappuccino cups. Couldn’t help decorating the interior and exterior—really can’t wait to see how they turn out 🙂
interior of Cappuccino cup 
exterior of cappuccino cup Clay studio update – 16 June 2024
It’s pottery season, so I’ve been busy, here’s a little peek at whats been happening in the clay studio:
I’ve been experimenting with new ways to decorate the surface of my pottery. In particular, I want to carve designs and have more than one color
work in progress forms without handles in various stages of trimming 
these work in progress cups have painted patterns (3 coats each) and then are carved for more details
More designs with this technique. I have started to carve into ‘unpainted’ clay in hopes of a variety in the surface once glazed
I just finished assembling these cappuccino or soup style cups. Looking forward to decorating them. The interior is wide enough, there is an opportunity for some artwork!
We are at the beginning of a heatwave here in Kentucky, a great time to work inside and make pots, so stay tuned!Photos by Deni Stanev
Always fun to live in a small artsy town! Was asked to make some pots to help with a video project for the city this morning. The wonderful Deni Stanev Photography was on the job, and she shared these photos so I could document my ‘community service’ for the day!
thanks so much Deni for the photos! and thank you Katelyn Bailey for inviting me to be a part of your project!!! I’m looking forward to seeing the finished video!
you can see more of Deni’s Photography at her website: https://denistanevphotography.com
Lucky Kentucky Derby Cup
it started with this post on social media:
I can’t make any guarantees, but we can all agree, whoever owns this handmade porcelain cup will most likely have the winning horse at tomorrows Derby. If nothing else, they will have a beautiful handmade and functional work of art.
Followed by Kristina Cox being the big winner and owns the lucky horse cup! Thank you so much for your support, and best luck with tomorrow’s derby!!!
I ‘might’ have been bluffing, but it turns out, the Kentucky Derby cup had magic powers all along!!
New Pottery for 2024
Hope you all are enjoying a new year with new creative possibilities!
I just opened my kiln to reveal some of my first porcelain cups of 2024. Many of the designs from this group are inspired by my new color (green) along with a heartfelt wish for us all to have good luck in 2024.
These cups are all thrown on a wheel with hand carved designs and food/microwave safe porcelain, priced at $50 each. Unfortunately these unique pieces are available by in-person sales only.
If you are interested in seeing these (and more) in person, they will be on display from 5-9 on January 27 at the Pendleton Art Center in studio 400. If you are in the Maysville, ky area, you are welcome to get a sneak peek at my studio in Old Washington. Reach out to me to make an appointment.
One of my 2024 goals is to spend more time on my own personal website (and less on social media). If you’d like to help, you can click the button below and leave a comment. I promise to reply!
Here’s to a great 2024!!!
Thanks again
Ken
