Behind the Scenes: My Studio & Process
Step inside my Indiranagar studio to see how raw clay becomes functional art. Pottery is rarely the clean, quiet process you see on social media.
A warm hello from my studio. I'm Namrata, and my pottery journey began four years ago after a career in banking and the social sector. The endless possibilities of clay keep me energized every day.
People often say pottery is therapeutic, but they don't always see the unglamorous parts, like cleaning the wheel after a long day of throwing. It's a necessary mess to address for a clean start tomorrow.
Glazing is a meticulous process that demands undivided attention. Here, I'm mixing a glaze to the right specific gravity to ensure a perfect coat, a crucial step to avoid firing errors like crawling or dripping.
Sometimes the work happens outside the studio. This month, I spent time in Chettinad, collecting impressions of tiles and history. This quiet noticing is what fills the well I draw from.
My studio is filled with little corners of memories and collectibles from other artists. When I feel unmotivated, these objects ground me, spark ideas, and remind me why I do what I do.
This piece, with its beautiful cracked texture, is one of my favorites from a recent workshop in Bali. The experience was a rebirth for me as a ceramicist, shedding fears and breaking free from myths about pottery.
I recently spent a week learning a new skill: slip-casting. It's a process used for large-scale production and for making complicated shapes that would be difficult to create by hand.
I often face self-doubt, like when I took on my first order of 300 pieces. But I've learned that instead of procrastinating, it's better to experiment, test my hypothesis, and take the plunge.
A day in my life as a maker. My day is filled with rituals of mindfulness, from tending to my plants to kneading clay and spending time with loved ones. This discipline results in the beautiful pieces I create for your home.
A moment of gratitude for the year gone by. 2023 was about finding motivation and joy in my daily practices. This year, my goal is to seek balance and spend more time with friends and family.
About Behind the Scenes: My Studio & Process
People often imagine pottery as purely therapeutic, but the reality involves a lot of physical, unglamorous work. I spend hours kneading heavy clay and cleaning tools before I can even start shaping a piece. When you look at my ceramic work, you are seeing the final stage of a process that includes specific gravity measurements for glazes and careful kiln maintenance to ensure each piece is food-safe and durable.
The Reality of the Studio
Pottery is a physically demanding practice. Between the long hours of wheel-throwing and the constant cleanup of tools, it is a process of discipline. I often joke that for every hour of creation, there is an hour of cleaning to keep the studio safe and ready for the next day. This is not just about hygiene; it is about ensuring that dust does not compromise the quality of the glaze or the integrity of the next piece.
Technical Precision in Glazing
Glazing is where science meets art. It is not just about dipping a piece in color. I maintain strict records of the specific gravity of my glazes. If the mixture is too thick, it peels during firing; if it is too thin, the finish is poor. I carefully wax the bottoms of every piece to ensure they do not fuse to the kiln shelf, a step that makes the difference between a functional mug and a ruined firing.
Embracing the Unexpected
My approach involves experimentation with materials. From collecting earth samples in Coorg to using wood-firing techniques that leave unpredictable flame marks, I embrace the variables of the process. These are not flaws. They are records of the environment inside my kiln. When you hold a piece with these marks, you are holding a record of the firing process itself.
Community & Learning
My Indiranagar space, A Ware Studio, is built on the idea of shared growth. Whether you are looking for functional tableware for your home or interested in joining an 8-month intensive course, my work is about inviting you into this rhythm of making and slowing down.
A Ware Studio
I traded a corporate life for the spinning wheel, and now I spend my days in my Indiranagar studio. This space is where I balance the messy, physical work of wheel-throwing with the meticulous process of glazing, and I love showing people the reality behind the finished ceramic piece.
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