GOOD TO BE BACK ON THE WHEEL
Peter Sheldon is a skilled ceramicist who runs a pottery studio in East L.A. After months away from his studio – hiking, biking, reading, and drawing - Peter is now “back on the wheel”, hand-throwing his beautiful minimalist vases, like the Oval vase in Charcoal shown above center. We reached out to see how Peter and his staff are coping in our interview below.
Peter Sheldon
ABOUT SHELDON CERAMICS
Inspired by his rustic Vermont heritage, Peter Sheldon hand-throws simple, functional pieces that are made to last a lifetime; utilitarian things with clean lines and subtle details. In keeping with the rich history and tradition of ceramics, and the handmade nature of the products, Peter formulates and develops all glazes from scratch in the studio.
Sheldon Ceramics

We caught up with Peter at his studio in East L.A.

What’s your biggest challenge as a maker?

Right now, the biggest challenge is keeping staff healthy. If we can stay healthy and safe, then hopefully we will be able to continue making pottery. I feel really lucky that people want to support the studio!

How are you staying strong and resilient?

What keeps you calm, balanced, and grounded? For me, exercise is a great way to stay balanced and grounded. There is some amazing hiking around LA. Also, there have been way less cars on the road these past few months, so biking has also been great.

Sheldon Ceramics
Where do you find moments of joy? What nourishes you creatively?

For ceramics, I am always inspired by looking through books. People have been making ceramics for thousands of years, all over the world. If you can pick up books from a library, I would definitely encourage it. At home, I've been doing some drawing, mostly with graphite. It's been a great way to relax and do something outside of the studio.

What are you grateful for? Any special silver linings?

I think with so much uncertainty, it's important to be thankful for small things. I am really grateful to be healthy right now, and I feel lucky to be able to do my work.