Carving Pottery: 3 Reasons Why

The last reason is why I can’t stop.

1. Imprint.

Every piece I throw on the wheel is handmade, so naturally, each piece has an element of uniqueness. But a cylinder is a cylinder is a cylinder, and I want my art to be recognizably mine through sight and touch.

Carving surfaces gives each piece an individualized imprint that truly makes each piece stand apart. No two carvings are the same. Ever. I can’t duplicate an identical carve even if I tried — my body just won’t let me.

And the imprints I want to leave? Blossoms. Joy. Curves. Blooms. Nature.

2. Texture.

I like to make pieces with visual and tactile texture. Carving allows me to give a piece valleys and depth, which I then often accentuate by glazing the inside of each crevice and leaving the surrounding surface bare.

My carvings are meant to be touched, traced — with one’s eyes and/or hands.

3. Focused Flow.

I only get one chance to carve. There are no erasers.

I carve in a focused flow state — and whatever happens, happens. Sounds stressful, maybe, but I find the concentration meditative. And if I do fail a carve, even if it took me an hour, I just exhale and simply recycle the clay — it likely wanted to be something else anyway. I’ll carve again tomorrow. (I’m still amazed that I can get frustrated by things in life like being late for school pick-up, but not at all when I have to scrap a creation that took me hours…)

My number 1 favorite carving tool? Diamond Core Tools - FP1 Fine Point U Tip 1 mm X 1 mm Carving Tool. (This is not a sponsored post, I’m really just sharing my favorite tool). Want more carving tool recommendations? I’ve got you covered here.