Alison Ryczek Pottery

05/11/2026

Oil jars are fun to make, but tricky to accurately measure for stoppers since wet clay will shrink once fired. I find that if you measure the inner rim of the bottle to the widest width of the cork or stopper, the bottle will shrink just enough to give a snug fit.

04/11/2026

Pebble salt shakers combine a simple shape with a not-so-simple design. When turned over, they reveal an inner cone that holds salt inside— sprinkling it out only when shook. The curved form allows for glazes to seamlessly coat the shape. When set on a surface, it looks like a simple pebble. Multiple colors now available in my shop. Link in bio.

04/11/2026

Pebble salt shakers are fun to make and to use. The inner funnel with an enclosed top allows the salt to come out once you shake it. Functional and unique. See link in bio for the shop.

03/11/2026

Clay scraps can be reclaimed back into a workable material from any stage before kiln firing. I put all my clay scraps in a bucket and soak them down initially. Usually, after a day they have soaked to a muddy slop. I spread that out onto plaster boards and allow the clay to dry off much of the water overnight. When it is drier, but still soft, I wedge the clay out in sections, working more manageable pieces until the consistency is even.

02/11/2026

Sometimes I have to tap a lid and base apart after a glaze firing. The glazes haven’t fused together since the gallery and fl**ge were clear of drips. Instead the small particles of clay can stick as they vitrify and a light tap can separate them without damage to the pieces.

31/10/2026

Getting in on the Halloween festivities with a quick tutorial of the ghost luminaries taught at the studio. These are simple to make and the open base allows for candles or fairy lights to bring them to life. halloween2026

30/10/2026

29/10/2026

Tricky or unusual shapes sometimes force us to come up with new techniques. When I trim a shape such as this pebble salt shaker, the inner cone shape at the center has to remain clear of debris. I use a paint brush with a rubber stopper from an oil jar to act as a plug without preventing me from trimming the inner walls. Yesterday’s video showed the throwing process of making these salt shakers.

27/10/2026

There’s very little wasted clay in a pottery studio. After trimming many pots in a morning, I’ll have a mountain of clay trimmings surrounding the wheel. All of these scraps go directly into my reclaim bucket. Even the pieces scraped off the bottom of the bats from the bowls being wired off are perfectly good pieces of clay that will eventually be reworked back into a soft shapeable clay body. Once my reclaim bucket gets full and all the clay is a wet, muddy consistency, I’ll spread it out on plaster boards to dry slightly. Then I will re-wedge the clay and use it to make new pottery.