As you know, for the last ten years or so I have been pushing the studio forward by focusing mainly on my dinnerware and collaborations with chefs. Now that I'm working alone, the idea of production output is a constant conversation inside my head and a metaphorical see-saw in the studio.

When I think about scale in my studio now, I focus on how to use my time in the studio to work deliberately and how to stay focused on new work. I think about what kind of space my work will hold in the world once it's out of the kiln. Can a small piece speak to you with the same intensity as a centerpiece bowl? Can a large vase hold its ground, yet create space and allow other objects nearby to shine? Can my work impact your life with simple joy on a daily basis and also still try to inform you of my intent, my dedication to my craft, my history, and the history of others that have made work before me.

Following last year's efforts, I have continued to focus on my one-of-a-kind pieces. This type of work has more in common with the pots that I made right out of college rather than anything else. The amount of time that my hands are in clay and on the wheel is exponentially greater than the past few years. The work I'm doing is obviously informed by that fact. 

After the holidays, I didn't think I'd make mugs again for a while. Yet something kept drawing me towards them and a fresh round is included in this drop. My new collection is firmly rooted in my old work, mentors, and the influences of my early days. What a treat it is to focus on these things. I'm not sure why, but these cups are the inverse of my most recent mugs and are much more linear than the cups I've made for the last five or six years. Tapering something in when throwing is distinctly different method than making something by swelling it out. The handles that this shape calls for is a direct line to my friend and mentor, Mark Shapiro, who shared his technique with me back in 2001-2002.

It feels so good to be home in my studio making things like this. It's hard work. It's work I love.

My friend, Aaron Pinkston, came by the studio recently to shoot some photos and video. He's an incredibly talented, creative human and I'm so honored that he wanted to spend some time here while I worked. I envisioned it being a quick visit. Instead it turned out to be a five hour making session full of conversation and inspiration. I gained so much from spending time with Aaron talking creativity and feel so lucky to have these photos from that day.

Everything you see in these behind the scenes images are of work that is coming up in my next drop– mugs, vases, jars, and tumblers.

Make sure you check your inbox on Tuesday 5/3 for the pre-sale link to my new work.

Thanks for following along with my studio journey.

-Keith