Some Advice for Beginners and My Collection Part 1- Roger Harley Ceramics
Hello hello hello!
How are we all doing so far this year? I get the general feeling that people are going into 2026 with a *little* more hope than they did in 2025, and I certainly am too. I’m not really one for New Year’s resolutions but I’m aiming high for this year, starting with my little business. I’ve entered 2026 feeling ambitious- let’s hope it stays that way.
As you can probably guess, I love pottery. But not only do I love making my own pots, I also love seeing other people’s pottery. Having my kiln up for hire has been great because I get to see what people of all skill levels are making, not just what I might see in a shop or museum. I think sometimes people worry that I might judge the things that they make when they’re renting space in the kiln, in case I’m some sort of snobby ‘professional’. In reality, I’m just happy that I get to see people’s creations!
Those of you who hire space in my kiln also often ask me for advice. Please continue to do so- I really love it (maybe I should make some beginners/advice blog posts here, what do you think?). Anyway, the most common advice that I’m asked for is advice on how to get better at making pots. I’m flattered when people ask that, because I think it implies that I’m somebody who knows how to make good pots (thanks x). One of the biggest things that I’ve found helpful in my making is to start buying pots that you like- especially from smaller makers, rather than big-box manufacturers.
I promise this isn’t just some elaborate scheme from me to get you to buy my pots (although you’re obviously more than welcome to). I think it’s so important to see other people’s works- whether that’s in a museum or in a shop or online. But when you actually get to hold a pot in your hands, I feel like you get to see a totally different side to the pot.
In this series of blog posts, I’m going to show you a few pots from my little pottery collection. It’s funny in a way, because I don’t think that the pots that I make look even remotely similar to the pots that I have in my collection. But regardless, all of these pots have taught me something about pottery that I didn’t know before, or have shown me a different way of thinking.
Also, a disclaimer. I know pottery is expensive. It’s expensive to make and because of that, it’s expensive to buy. However, I can almost guarantee that your local charity shop is absolutely packed with the pottery collections of grannies gone before us. There’s always something to be found, and they’re usually pretty cheap too.
Number 1: Roger Harley Ceramics, Westport, County Mayo.
A few years ago, my Girlfriend (T) and I were in Westport, Co. Mayo. Westport is a nice town, very close to the sea and the mountains (notably Croagh Patrick, which we absolutely did NOT climb barefoot, or at all for that matter). Westport struck me as a town very similar to the likes of Dingle, by which I mean that they are extremely reliant on tourism. We were there in January and a solid 70% of the village shops/restaurants were closed, with signs on their doors telling us that they’d re-open in March or April, or open with very limited hours. I was a little bit disappointed that I wouldn’t get to see much local pottery. Until one night, as we were driving through the town, our car chugging up an incredibly steep hill, we passed the baby-blue façade of a shop called ‘Absolutely Pottery’. Obviously we had to go straight back the next day to have a look.
When we returned the next day and entered the shop, we saw rows of pots neatly stacked on various shelves along the walls. There was a counter with a cash register on it, and at the other side sat a man at a pottery wheel facing us, surrounded by mountains of very neatly arranged tools. This man was Roger Harley, owner of Absolutely Pottery.
Here’s how I expected our interaction to go-
Me: Hi I’m Órla I want to be a potter when I grow up (mind you I’m 22)
Roger: Okay cool that’s nice good luck
Me: Thanks [buys a pot and leaves]
What I wasn’t expecting was Roger to take the time out of his clearly very busy day to chat to me about being a potter, take me on a tour of his studio (including the behind the scenes stuff that nobody else could see), and give me some tips and tricks that he uses to make his pots (and tools!). We were chatting in his studio/shop for maybe an hour (sorry T), and at no point did Roger make me feel like I was impinging on his day (even though I’m sure I absolutely was). He showed me the loop tools that he had made himself using some metal strapping that he had recycled- something that I have since tried and found to be extremely useful. He showed me his wheel, his many paint brushes, his kilns, the racks that he built to store/dry his pots, and spoke very candidly about making pottery as a career. I can’t quote him exactly (because this was all many years ago), but he said something along the lines of pottery being a very tough but very rewarding career. Now that I’m in the business myself, I can attest to that sentiment.
After taking up way too much of his time, I picked up a small vase that I had seen as soon as I entered the shop. I remember this pot standing out a little because it looked very different to the other pots that he was selling. While a lot of his other work featured bright coloured slips, this vase was more earthy and plain (I mean this in a good way, obviously). The lovely white clay colour is surrounded top and bottom by a neck dipped in (I’m assuming) an oxide wash of some type, as well as some blue-ish blushing around the base of the pot. I have no idea whether the blushing was intentional or not, but I love it. There’s a kind of movement in the vase, the way the crackles and the oxide wash and the ‘R’ stamp are all slightly tilted in the same direction. Even though these features all would have been added after the pot was removed from the wheel, they’re reminiscent of the axis that developed while on the wheel.
^My attempt at drawing what I mean about the pot’s movement.
Roger was kind enough to give me a discount, before he wished me luck in my endeavours. Before we left the shop, I embarrassed my entire bloodline by telling him that he might hear my name at some point in the future- “You’ll see me on Nationwide in a few years!”. Yes, this is actually what I said. Nationwide is clearly the pinnacle of Irish television, don’t question it. 🤦.
Anyway, that’s the first pot in this little series of mine. Roger Harley hasn’t yet seen me on Nationwide, so perhaps that needs to be my New Year’s Resolution (Anne Cassin if you’re reading this feel free to hit me up). Happy 2026 to you all and you shall (hopefully) be hearing from me soon.
-Ó
(disclaimer: can’t believe I have to say this, but NO PART OF THIS WAS WRITTEN USING AI. I wrote it all by myself like the big girl that I am.)
