About

Hello and welcome to The Pottery Wheel, a site all about pottery, clay, and ceramics. My name is Lesley MacKinnon and I’ve been making things out of clay since I was a child.

My relationship with clay has changed over the years. When I was little, I loved to make models, and then as a young adult, I got involved in sculpture. My passion was portrait sculpture.

At the time I lived on a canal boat, and I would spend my days making sculptures of the various boating folk who lived nearby. Anyone with an interesting face became my inspiration.

I had used a pottery wheel years ago at school, but somehow the idea of owning a wheel as an adult seemed impossible. But things changed and as time passed I fell in love with making pottery.

Fast forward a few years and I now have a small pottery studio in my garden.

The word studio is possibly a bit grand for what it is. Essentially it’s a decorated shed that is stuffed to the rafters with my pottery, tools, and equipment. But it is my haven and I love it there.

I juggle making pottery with being a mum to my young daughter and working too. Life is full! But there are few things that give me as much joy as going to my pottery shed on a sunny morning, with a mug of coffee, settling down, and getting into making mode.

I know that making things can feel intimidating, but there is something very grounding about working with clay.

For me, I like to try to block out the noise of the world and focus on connecting with the clay. When I can do that, I’m usually happier with what I’ve made and life in general.

I’m also aware that pottery can be pricey. So as much as possible I like to share down-to-earth ways that you can make your pottery without breaking the bank.

In The Pottery Wheel, I share the techniques that I use and the things that I continue to learn about ceramics.

Topics include hand-building, wheel throwing, decorating, glazing, firing, and more.

I hope there is something of interest to you. You will find plenty of step-by-step how-to guides on a range of pottery projects.

As much as possible I supplement these guides with images and videos.

So, why not grab your mug of coffee and join me here on your pottery journey?

Good luck and do drop me a line if you would like to get in touch. If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me here.