Kit Cornell Pottery was established in 1975 here in Exeter at 69 High Street. High Street is a main road leading into Exeter and my house is in a historic district just 3 blocks from the town's center. I am fortunate to live and work in an 1880's Victorian house with a garden in the rear. The showroom is in the front of the house, the studio in the back off Gardner St., and the kiln is in the garden. It is a delight to be rooted in this small New England town and part of the community.

I am a potter because I love working with clay. This amazing natural material provides me with the opportunity to form vessels, explore ideas, and experiment with the alchemy of glazes and firing. I am challenged and inspired by all the processes that are the potter’s craft.

The symbol of the hand, pressed into each piece, is my signature. This mark acknowledges my connection with potters throughout history and around the globe from whom I draw inspiration. Beyond that, I like to think that my work speaks for itself and for me.

I make each piece from stoneware or porcelain clay, sometimes a combination of both. Decoration is accomplished mainly with fingers and wooden ribs, leaving expanses and ridges to receive the richness of glaze. I develop and mix my own glazes from ground stone, sieved ash, local clays and oxide colorants, which are poured, swirled, and dipped to achieve depth and movement on the surface. Firing is done to cone 10 (1300 degrees centigrade) in a 40-cubic-foot modified Brookfield-style gas kiln. An average firing takes 24 hours. The kiln is a welcoming presence in the garden behind my home/studio in the New England town of Exeter.

My work is made to be used in the everyday celebrations of life. A concern for function and affordability are rooted in folk craft philosophy. The British craft tradition as practiced by Michael Cardew, and the Asian Mingei movement are the underpinnings of my approach. The bowl is my favorite form, speaking of the inner as well as outer, of meeting of human need while providing beauty and balance.

I am committed to clay education for many reasons. I believe clay to be a consummately expressive material that releases the imagination and inspires creativity. Clay work also develops discipline and an immmediate connection with our planet, both valuable in our time. My interest is in continuing the tradition of handmade pottery, which I believe to be as relevant now as it has ever been, though for different reasons. While other materials can functionally replace clay, the spirit and touch of a clay piece is uniquely satisfying, and makes a connection between maker and user that is significant and irreplaceable.

Residence & pottery at 69 High St. The Victorian house dates from 1880.

Entrance to the kiln yard behind the house on Gardner St.

40-cubic foot brick kiln fired w/natural gas purchased with a grant from the League of NH Craftsmen.

Kit Cornell is supported in part by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.