The Creative Process: Behind the Scenes at Ihalo Studio
From a lump of clay to a finished piece, everything I make happens right here in my studio. This is a look into the meditative, often messy, and always rewarding journey of bringing a design to life.
The best moment for any potter is opening the kiln after a glaze firing. It is a long process to get to this point, but seeing the final transformed pieces is always worth the wait.
Pottery does not always go as planned. This is a funny reminder that even after years of practice, the clay can sometimes have a mind of its own. Happy weekend.
Making colored clay for Nerikomi. I mix mason stains into the white clay body to create a range of beautiful colors to work with.
Sometimes wheel throwing is a real workout. Trying to center and throw a larger amount of clay for the first time is a challenge, but that is how we grow as artists.
A look at the results from a recent glaze firing. Some pieces turned out beautifully, while others were a learning experience. The cloudy finish on some was due to a thick application of clear glaze.
Just a simple, quiet moment of wedging clay and cleaning the wheel before I start throwing.
About this collection
Every piece you see here starts with hours of manual preparation, and honestly, not all of it survives the fire. I do not hide the 'fails' because they are part of the learning process—from the initial wedging to the unpredictability of a glaze firing, it is a slow, meditative journey.
How It Comes Together
Pottery is rarely a straight line. It begins with wedging clay to remove air bubbles—a necessary workout before I can even touch the wheel. Whether I am throwing a classic mug or experimenting with Nerikomi (a Japanese technique using colored clay), the process requires patience.
The Techniques I Use
I love playing with textures. You will often see me using Sgraffito, where I carve patterns into the clay to reveal layers underneath. It is meticulous work, but it gives the pieces a tactile quality that I think is missing from factory-made ceramics. My work is nature-inspired, so you will spot leaf patterns and organic shapes across my collections.
The Final Judge: The Kiln
There is no excitement quite like opening the kiln after a glaze firing. It is the moment of truth. Sometimes the colors come out exactly as I hoped, and other times, the glaze application teaches me a lesson about thickness or temperature. That unpredictability is why I use high-fire stoneware—it is durable, food-safe, and built to last, making the long process worth every minute. If you are curious about how to make your own pieces, I host workshops at my studio in Uttarahalli where we explore these same techniques together.
Ihalo Studio
I am the artist behind Ihalo Studio, where clay is my way of slowing down. My studio in Uttarahalli is less about perfection and more about the quiet, messy joy of making something real with your hands.
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