About Isaac Howard

• LOCATED: Seattle, WA
• MATERIALS: Porcelain
• SURFACE: Flashing Slips
• PROCESS: Thrown & Altered / Gas Fired to Cone 10 w/ Soda

Making pots for me is a balancing act. I relish the challenge of making objects that successfully synthesize aesthetic idea, materials, firing process, and utility. Many of the forms, mark making, and textures I use in my work are derived from the extensive time I have spent enjoying nature. I am also continually fascinated by historical ceramics. There as a rich history in our field where adapting form, decoration, and utility are concerned. When looking at Chinese T’ang ware, English porcelain, Japanese wood-fired pottery, and the ornate construction of French Rococo slipware, representations of nature are ever present. I try to mine history for different perspectives, and pay homage where I can.

Loading a kiln and the choices made when considering materials is critical to how the pots interact with the atmosphere during a firing. I think of the pots that go into a wood or soda kiln a bit like building blocks. The ability to design the blocks increases the predictability of these unpredictable firing methods. The shape and structure of a pot literally dictates what sorts of mark making can be accomplished with the piece. When you build objects with multiple options for orientation you end up with more creative license when loading the kiln. Simple shapes like spheres, ovoid cylinders, cones, etc. are a great place to start thinking about form and physical structure.