Catherine "Kater" Cheek is a writer and artist.
Catherine Cheek
Author's posts
Oct 21
Blue Cane Beads
I don’t really like beads and bead jewelry, but I like making them. I made these (along with a handful of others, which my daughter used for a bracelet) to experiment with cane techniques. The beads could stand to be a little more even, but I don’t really want to use them for anything, so …
Oct 19
Ill-Fated Mixing Bowl
I wanted to make a set of three mixing bowls for my brother and his wife, as a belated wedding gift. I decided to use a technique involving a large wooden paddle that fellow student Michael Voda made. If it works, you can smoothly throw a large bowl with graceful sides. Unfortunately, you have to …
Oct 17
Green Diagonal Hatching bowl
This diagonal hatching is a pattern I’ve used frequently. I have a repertoire of patterns that work well on curved surfaces that I’ve built up after many years of decorating thrown pottery. I draw a grid in pencil, and then paint on the diagonal within the grid squares.
Oct 14
Green Flower Bowl
This is the first of eight bowls I made, sort of a set. The clay body is soldate 60, and is rougher than I like for everyday ware. The green color comes from slip, which I etched away to make the flower design.
Oct 11
Green Fishscale Bowl
This design is a traditional Japanese design. I started to use it while I was learning pottery in Japan, and it remains one of my favorites. The green color is slip, which I scratched away with a scgraffito tool.