JOHN RILEY POTTERY
About MeI live and work in the District of Columbia where I have resided for over 20 years. I began my creative practice as a painter and started taking pottery classes in 2008. From May to November 2011, I served as an Artist-in-Residence at Omaha Clayworks in Omaha, Nebraska. I apprenticed with Jill Hinckley at Hinckley Pottery in DC from January 2014 to March 2015, and subsequently taught classes and assisted in firing the studio's kiln each week.
I currently work out of my home studio located east of the Anacostia River in the Penn Branch neighborhood of the District of Columbia, as well as at District Clay Center in NE DC, where I have been a Community Artist since January 2017. I also wood fire at a variety of wood kilns in the DC metro area. I have participated in specialized ceramics workshops with potters across the U.S., including with Akira Satake, Linda Christianson, Simon Levin, Lori Katz, and Kevin Crowe. When my hands are not in clay, I like to cook, travel, play guitar, bike around DC, and watch Washington Nationals baseball. |
|
About My Pottery
I think the individual voice of each piece of pottery interacts with the beauty of nature's bounty and lovingly prepared dishes. Ceramics is one of the few arts and crafts with which the user will have an intimate and frequent interaction. This is my guiding thought as I make each piece.
Building on my previous creative practice as a painter, I sometimes paint, carve designs, make stamps by hand casting twigs and flowers, and apply slips in order to enhance the surface of the piece. My work is inspired by both the rural and urban elements around me: the fields and grasslands of my home state of Nebraska, the cherry blossom trees and water lilies in Washington, DC, the hard edges and colors of buildings and sidewalks, and the beautiful energy and diversity of my city. I spend a lot of time biking around the city and along the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, as well as walking the wooded parkland trails near my home.
I work primarily in stoneware but also create porcelain pieces from time to time. I throw on the potter's wheel using both an electric and treadle (human-powered) wheel, and continue to expand my hand building and sculptural designs. My pieces are high fired either in a gas kiln to cone 10 or in a wood kiln and, therefore, are impervious to liquids (including those pieces left unglazed, as they become vitrified when high fired) and very durable. With proper care, high fired ceramics can last generations.
Building on my previous creative practice as a painter, I sometimes paint, carve designs, make stamps by hand casting twigs and flowers, and apply slips in order to enhance the surface of the piece. My work is inspired by both the rural and urban elements around me: the fields and grasslands of my home state of Nebraska, the cherry blossom trees and water lilies in Washington, DC, the hard edges and colors of buildings and sidewalks, and the beautiful energy and diversity of my city. I spend a lot of time biking around the city and along the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, as well as walking the wooded parkland trails near my home.
I work primarily in stoneware but also create porcelain pieces from time to time. I throw on the potter's wheel using both an electric and treadle (human-powered) wheel, and continue to expand my hand building and sculptural designs. My pieces are high fired either in a gas kiln to cone 10 or in a wood kiln and, therefore, are impervious to liquids (including those pieces left unglazed, as they become vitrified when high fired) and very durable. With proper care, high fired ceramics can last generations.
Care Instructions
All glazes that I use are non-toxic and lead free. My pottery is food safe and can be used in the dishwasher and microwave.
While some stoneware potters encourage users to hand wash their pottery, I find that there is a greater chance of chipping or cracking pieces by dropping them into the sink with wet hands while washing. High fire, stoneware pottery is durable and can typically withstand frequent washing in the dishwasher when placed correctly between (not over) the dishwasher rack tines.
With pieces that are used in the oven, care should be taken not to expose the pottery to extremes in temperature change. For example, a bread baker or pie plate should be left to cool completely before washing or placing in the refrigerator. As my stoneware pottery is not flameware, pieces should not be used on the stove top or next to a direct flame or heating element.
While some stoneware potters encourage users to hand wash their pottery, I find that there is a greater chance of chipping or cracking pieces by dropping them into the sink with wet hands while washing. High fire, stoneware pottery is durable and can typically withstand frequent washing in the dishwasher when placed correctly between (not over) the dishwasher rack tines.
With pieces that are used in the oven, care should be taken not to expose the pottery to extremes in temperature change. For example, a bread baker or pie plate should be left to cool completely before washing or placing in the refrigerator. As my stoneware pottery is not flameware, pieces should not be used on the stove top or next to a direct flame or heating element.
Where to Buy
John Riley Pottery is available for sale through my Etsy shop and at a variety of local markets and pop-ups in and around the District of Columbia.
All of the pottery listed in my Etsy shop is ready-to-ship. Unless my Etsy shop is on vacation, orders typically ship via USPS within three business days of being placed and will arrive in 2-4 days (weather permitting). Orders placed after the close of business on Thursday typically ship the following Monday. All orders are carefully packaged; packaging and insurance are included in the cost of shipping. Buyers will receive tracking information within 24 hours of shipping.
If you require expedited or international shipping, please contact me for a quote. I am unable to hand deliver purchased items; however, from time-to-time, I can arrange in-person, no-contact pick up at my home studio.
All of the pottery listed in my Etsy shop is ready-to-ship. Unless my Etsy shop is on vacation, orders typically ship via USPS within three business days of being placed and will arrive in 2-4 days (weather permitting). Orders placed after the close of business on Thursday typically ship the following Monday. All orders are carefully packaged; packaging and insurance are included in the cost of shipping. Buyers will receive tracking information within 24 hours of shipping.
If you require expedited or international shipping, please contact me for a quote. I am unable to hand deliver purchased items; however, from time-to-time, I can arrange in-person, no-contact pick up at my home studio.
Custom Orders
* Due to a high volume of orders, I am not able to accept new custom orders at this time.
If you would like to discuss a custom order or you are interested in carrying John Riley Pottery in your store, please email me. You can also message me on Etsy or via social media.
For custom orders I require a non-refundable, 50% deposit upon placing the order; the balance and shipping/delivery costs are due upon completion of the order, before delivery. There are no returns or exchanges on custom orders. I will work with customers to ensure that they are happy with the final product. Dependent on my current studio schedule and the seasons, the turnaround time for custom orders will vary, though a minimum of eight weeks is customary for a small order and four to six months for larger and wholesale orders.
As with all handcrafted goods, slight variations in size and design will occur. While pieces are similar (including sets) they are each unique and in no way identical. I think the differences give each piece their own personality. With gas-fired pieces, natural conditions in firing atmosphere and glazes will yield some variation in color or glaze finish, and with wood-fired pieces, the result is truly unknown until the kiln is unloaded. To many, these variations add to the charm, look, and feel of each item. This is all a part of what makes handmade ceramics so special.
If you would like to discuss a custom order or you are interested in carrying John Riley Pottery in your store, please email me. You can also message me on Etsy or via social media.
For custom orders I require a non-refundable, 50% deposit upon placing the order; the balance and shipping/delivery costs are due upon completion of the order, before delivery. There are no returns or exchanges on custom orders. I will work with customers to ensure that they are happy with the final product. Dependent on my current studio schedule and the seasons, the turnaround time for custom orders will vary, though a minimum of eight weeks is customary for a small order and four to six months for larger and wholesale orders.
As with all handcrafted goods, slight variations in size and design will occur. While pieces are similar (including sets) they are each unique and in no way identical. I think the differences give each piece their own personality. With gas-fired pieces, natural conditions in firing atmosphere and glazes will yield some variation in color or glaze finish, and with wood-fired pieces, the result is truly unknown until the kiln is unloaded. To many, these variations add to the charm, look, and feel of each item. This is all a part of what makes handmade ceramics so special.