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 The Creative Process
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.
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