About

Pam Cummings Pottery
Harrisburg, PA
717-599-5496 | pam@pamcummings.com

I came to pottery about the same time I started growing flowers and enjoying cooking. Each day I enter my studio in the woods and make pots that speak of my surroundings– quietly elegant, functional pots that hint at the leaves whispering outside, or egrets winging along the nearby Susquehanna.

Whether I throw the clay into vessels or roll it into slabs that become canvases, I often finish my pieces with sparse brushwork reminiscent of Japanese sumie. These pots are objects I love to make, over and over again. I work to make the good individual pot that only comes from working in a series of related forms over time. The clay brings challenges and is always teaching me something new, if not about form or technique, then about patience and acceptance.

The way the glaze breaks on a defining edge, the gentle curve of a cup’s lip, the arc of a handle as it reaches above the teapot to meet the user’s hand–these are the touchstones, the pulse, of my daily work.
 
I work alone and produce each piece myself.  I use dark stoneware clay and mix my own glazes from raw chemicals, then fire in an electric kiln to 2130F.  All my pottery is lead free and safe to eat from.  It is important to me that my pots fit comfortably into homes where people use them for cooking and eating and sharing.  From my hands to yours.
 
Trip to Japan
 
I've been fortunate to have traveled to Japan recently for fun and to soak up the essence of such a lovely country.  Visiting studios, galleries, museums, historic sites and wlidflower walks filled the days.  Soaking in traditional hot baths then enjoying sumptuous regional foods served on handmade vessels rounded out the evenings.  I was introduced to the generousity of the Japanese by my Friend Michie Taylor who leads small groups to her native country twice a year.  Take a look: michietrip.blogspot.com/