Katie Susko

I work with both porcelain and terra cotta clay (the terra cotta is a recent addition). I throw most forms on the potter's wheel and then alter it at a drier stage, or hand build on the thrown form. This allows me to play/ work through ideas and branch out from the simple round thrown form.

The porcelain pieces are high fired to cone 10 (2380 degrees F) in a reduction atmosphere in a gas kiln. The terra cotta pieces are low fired to cone 04 (1940 degrees F) in an electric kiln. The difference in clay bodies and temperatures is an interesting way for me to keep things fresh and moving in the studio.

I was born and raised in Evanston, Illinois (suburb north of Chicago) I have been a maker for as long as I can remember. As a child I was always drawing, painting, coloring, sewing, and crafting anything and everything I could get my hands on. In 2008 I took a clay class as a creative outlet, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

My love of pottery and clay not only comes from a need to create, but a love of home. My designs and patterns are from textiles and patterns usually associated with domestic life. Wallpaper patterns, furniture fabric and patterns, bed sheets, pillows, decorative rugs, and of course, the garden are all sources of inspiration for my pottery.