B Cramer Clay, Pittsburgh, PA
At the age of 14, my father taught me to throw pottery on a wheel as my parents were just starting their second stint as potters, after nearly 20 years away. Always passionate about new information, I relished in the lessons and began to understand the physics of throwing and the chemistry of glazes. I discovered that I had a good feeling for clay and I took my father's early lessons to ceramics classes in high school, where I frustrated teachers with my natural ability but lack of desire. After high school I found my way to serving food in restaurants and didn't touch clay for 20 years.
At the age of 38 my parents convinced me that a ceramic side hustle might be a good idea, and soon I bought my first kiln and bag of clay. That first whiff of damp moldy clay that day in my apartment's kitchen ignited a passion for ceramics hidden deep inside me. Those early days, while my wife was at work and before I headed in to the restaurant, I was rolling slabs of clay on my kitchen counters, making magnets and slab vases. 8 months in I was gifted my mother's old throwing wheel, and I moved into a studio space, and I have been centering and pulling mud ever since.
Over the past 3 years I have spent countless hours honing my skills in all aspects of wheel-thrown pottery, never failing to find a new perspective on which to learn about and improve. I aim to make simple, visually appealing items with micro details that elevate the simplicity, giving a functional elegance to what I hope will be daily use pottery.
