In this two-day workshop, Steven Hill will throw and alter pots and work with slip, all the while communicating his enthusiasm for functional porcelain, spraying glazes and single firing. Steven considers form the most important single aspect of his pottery, paying particular attention to rims, feet, lids, spouts, and handles. Discussions will cover philosophy, design, technique, and making a living in clay.
“I have been inspired by the variation that occurs naturally across the surface of salt, soda and wood fired pots. In my own pottery, I have been creating atmospheric surface qualities through careful blending and layering of sprayed glazes for over 40 years!”
Until December of 2008 Steven fired exclusively gas reduction, but he has discovered that his cascading rivulets of ash-like glazes and mysterious microcrystalline mat surfaces work just as effectively in oxidation as they do in reduction! Even the rich brown and orange colors that he always attributed to reduction firing are possible in oxidation. These days Steven fires exclusively ^6-8 electric oxidation.
Steven has also single fired his pottery since the early 70’s and he will also touch on how this technique has influenced and inspired his work over the years. (The following is optional) The workshop will end with Steven raw glazing pots he made the first day. Steven will bring fired examples of his pottery to discuss with students and they will be available for purchase.
Steven Hill received his BFA from Kansas State University in 1973 and has been a studio potter since 1975. Steven's work is exhibited and sold in nationally juried shows and is featured in many ceramics books. He has conducted over 200 workshops throughout the United States and Canada and has written 11 ceramics articles; "An Approach To Single-Firing" (January 1986, Ceramics Monthly), "Long Distance Runner" (December 1989, Studio Potter), "Don't Put The Flames Out" (February 1994, Ceramics Monthly), “Pulling Handles”, (Spring 1998, Pottery Making Illustrated), “Where You’ve Been Is Good And Gone, All You Keep Is The Gettin’ There” (April 1998, Ceramics Monthly) , “Spraying Glazes”, (March 2002, Pottery Making Illustrated) “Common Ground: A Showcase of National Artists-In-Residence” (Ceramics Monthly, January 2006), and “An Approach to Single Firing – Further In”), (January 2006, Ceramics Monthly), “Rethinking Ceramics Workshops”, (Ceramics Monthly, May 2007), “The Eight Month Workshop: A Journey of Discovery”, (Ceramics Monthly, June 2008). Steven’s most recent article, “Atmospheric-Like Effects for Electric Firing” is in the March 2012 Ceramics Monthly.
In 1998 Steven co-founded Red Star Studios Ceramic Center in Kansas City, MO and he co-founded Center Street Clay in Sandwich, IL in 2006. Currently Steven is doing what he does best… Making pots, writing about ceramics, teaching workshops and letting someone else take care of business! His new home is 323 Clay in Independence, MO.