We recently connected with Alex Walter and have shared our conversation below.

Alex, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Pottery is a craft that take an intense amount of practice to perfect. Most of us have had a pencil and paper available to practice 2D art since we were babies but 3D art is often less accessible. As such when you start throwing pottery, even if you have a particular talent for it, you’re bad.

I started in high school taking a beginner pottery class. My teacher, Barb Janssen, practiced pottery as her main art and took me under her wing. She saw my interest and inclination towards clay and encouraged me. She let me come in during lunch and work on my pieces every day. She fed the fire that I had the spark for.

When I started attending the University of Northern Colorado, I knew I wanted to take more pottery classes so I built up the prerequisites and signed up for the class my second year. Over and over I heard the experienced potters say they practiced day after day until they were good. Once I asked my college professor, Mike Lemke, “how do I make better handles?” He replied “make 100 handles.” He came in the next day to 100 mugs with handles. I said yes to every opportunity to learn to fire different kilns and see visiting artist demos.

When I was in my senior year at UNCo I was Tim Preston’s apprentice at the Clay Center of Northern Colorado. Some of the best moments I had were seeing him open the big kiln in the back of the studio and being surprised by the results. It hit me that even after decades of being a Potter you will still continue to see things that have never happened before, learn, and continue to get better at your craft. The incredible depth and width of knowledge there was to learn made me all the more hungry to gather it all.

I feel that hard work and putting in the time is the best way to get good at pottery. Listening and watching demos from artists you like continues to fuel the fire. Learn as much as you can about the widest variety of skills that you get the opportunity to gather; you never know when you will want to make work with it later in your journey. Continue forward! Never give up on your art!

Alex, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Alex Walter and I’m a Potter based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. I got my undergraduate in ceramics at the University of Northern Colorado and was a resident artist at the Clay Center of Northern Colorado. I am currently a resident artist and instructor at Smokestack Pottery in Fort Collins.

I mainly make functional tableware with a focus on bringing fine craftsmanship and art to the everyday and elevate the quality of life of the everyday person. I create pots with tender craftsmanship in gratitude and celebration of the beauty of connection.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We need to create places and studios where artists and communities can gather, particularly for the arts that require more shared machinery and equipment, such as pottery. Sue Collentine has done a lovely job curating a community at Smokestack Pottery in Fort a Collins.

We also need to welcome and foster a wide skill range, I’m a big believer that those who are further along the path can benefit from teaching those who are beginning and those beginning can learn lots from those who are further along the path. It’s is also helpful to remember where you have been and see where you can go.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to create art objects that are accessible to the everyday person. So much of the art market is priced so that the everyday person cannot afford to have handmade goods. It is also usually meant to only be looked at, never interacted with directly. Pottery breaks these barriers, with a mug being an accessible price range and an active participant in the daily rituals of their life.

With the advent of mass produced items it’s more important than ever to have handmade work. Human recognizes and connects with human; connection is one of our most valuable skills. Handmade objects celebrate and reveal the universal beauty and joy in the midst of everyday life.

Contact Info:

• Website: alexwalterart.com
• Instagram: @AlexWalterArt
• Facebook: @AlexWalterArt
• Other: Tiktok: @AlexWalterArt

Image Credits
Chris LeRoy and Alex Walter