Pottery, or at least my pottery, is all about form. I use minimal decorative techniques, drawing lines in the wet clay, and I single-glaze most of my work and let the kiln do the rest. The shape of the pot – not just the way it looks but the way it feels in the hand, is everything to me.

I spent a long time developing the form of my coffee mug, testing various ideas in my kitchen laboratory, before I came up with the perfect form.

The size and weight of the mug and the placement of the handle yield a perfect balance, whether you hold it by the handle or wrap your fingers around the body of the cup. An earlier version was shorter and fatter, but I like this one. And I’ve been using more clay for thicker walls and bottoms since my brother complained that his coffee was getting cold while he read his email in the morning.

The bowl form is another I’ve given a lot of thought. The ice cream bowl, popular with small children at my house, fits perfectly into the palm of an adult’s hand. Its smooth walls and perfect interior curve allow you to get that last drop of chocolate fudge brownie…
On other bowls, I cut the rim into a flower shape when the pot is wet on the wheel:

I make this bowl in seven sizes, ice cream, soup, noodles, fruit,
mashed potatoes, pasta and salad. This picture shows the first five:

When I was working at the Vermont Clay Studio, Ara Cardew taught me how to make pitchers and teapots that pour. The pitcher spout with its sharp edge works on the same principle for a tiny 3” creamer:

Or a giant, 21” two-handed pitcher:

The teapot is the most challenging pot for any potter – it’s a four-piece pot that has to be assembled, and each of the elements has to work harmoniously with the others. I’m happy with my current model, short and stout as the rhyme has it, but I’m always working on new ideas:

Most Western potters offer an interpretation of the ancient Japanese tea bowl form, and I am no exception. It’s a two-handed cup, meant to warm your hands on a cold winter morning. Damn, I wish I were Japanese.

Finally, there are pots that are made just to look good on the mantelpiece. It would take a lot of whiskey to fill up this jug:

And this bottle is too big for salad dressing, though it sure
looks good with some dried flowers or peacock feathers in it.