Sunflower platters
Navy and off-white stoneware, carved line by line. The big ones run about 15 inches across with an undulating rim, plenty of room for a family salad or the dish everyone asks about at the potluck.
Wheel-thrown stoneware · Matthews, North Carolina
Carved by hand for the everyday table.
Sunflower platters, carved mugs and whimsical vases by Jenn Carroll. Every piece is thrown on the wheel, carved by hand and fired to cone 5–6, so it's ready for the microwave, the dishwasher and the oven.
- Microwave safe
- Dishwasher safe
- Oven safe
- Fired to cone 5–6
The work
Made to be used
I'm a functional potter. I want my pieces on your table: a platter for the family pasta, a mug for a slow Saturday coffee, a vase for whatever is blooming in the garden.
Carved mugs
Patterns you can feel under your thumb. My favorite place to carve them is a lakeside pavilion in Lake Lure.
Whimsical vases
Speckled white vases with little curled handles. They usually come to market full of flowers from my garden.
Seasonal pieces
Celadon pumpkins with twisting clay stems for fall, and trees built up scale by scale for the holidays. Details matter.
How it's made
Throw. Carve. Fire.
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Throw
Every piece starts as a lump of stoneware on the wheel. Some stay round. Others get altered while the clay is still soft: pinched, stretched, given handles.
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Carve
When the clay firms up, it gets a coat of navy blue. Then I carve through it, line by line, until the pale clay shows through. The technique is called sgraffito, from the Italian word for “scratched.”
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Fire
Pieces are glazed and fired to cone 5–6, roughly 2,200°F. That makes the stoneware tough enough for everyday cooking and cleaning.
Where to find me
Come pick one up
Pottery is better in your hands than on a screen. Here's where you can see it in person.
My studio & shop
47K Marketplace
My studio is now inside 47K Marketplace in downtown Monroe, an artisan shop with more than 80 local makers. My work is on the shelves whenever the shop is open, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–6pm.
My favorite market
Matthews Community Farmers' Market
Select Saturdays, 8am–noon from April to November and 9–11am in winter. Come say hi.
Festival
Carolina Clay Matters Pottery Festival
I'm a member of Charlotte's pottery guild, which puts on a festival every May and October with 80+ local potters. Free admission and free parking.
Calendar
Markets & events
Markets, pop-ups, festivals and demos. If it's on here, I'll be there with a table full of pots.
I'll be there Today
About
Hi, I'm Jenn.
Clay has been part of my life since art school. I graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2002 with a BA in studio art, focused on ceramics, and a minor in education.
After moving to Matthews I took classes with Leon Nichols at Carolina Clay, set up a studio in my garage, and bought my own kiln in 2013. The garage has since given way to a real studio, now inside 47K Marketplace in downtown Monroe, and I'm part of the Carolina Clay Matters guild.
When I'm not at the wheel you'll find me at a Saturday market, out in the garden, or packing up orders under the watchful eyes of my two toughest critics.
“I like the shapes and forms. Colour and texture used intelligently.”
100% recommend · 13 Facebook reviews
Say hi
Looking for something?
A particular piece, a gift, or wondering if I could make something special? Send me a note. Email is the fastest way to reach me.
- Emailstonethrownpottery@gmail.com
- Phone(704) 737-3337
- Instagram@stonethrownpottery
- FacebookStone Thrown Pottery