Crystal Glaze Pottery

Father-and-son team Jim and Jamie Kozlowski have spent years developing and formulating the interesting textures, colors and designs for their pottery that set them apart in their craft--incorporating leaf impressions into the clay and causing majestic crystals to form in their glaze! Each vessel exudes timeless beauty.

Jim developed his skills as a potter during his 12-year teaching career and taught his son the craft. They began making pottery in the basement of his home. Eventually they built four geodesic domes in upstate New York to use as a studio and house thousands of their pieces, giving them a natural woodland environment in which to create their unique works. All of their pottery is hand-thrown in the ancient pottery tradition using porcelain clay as well as stoneware clay, depending on the item they are creating. Their functional art consists of bowls, vases, platters, steins, pitchers, lamps, music boxes, clocks, mirrors and more.

To begin the process, soft clay is centered on the spinning wheel and formed into functional shapes. Excess clay is then trimmed from the bottom of the pot. Many of their pieces are embellished with leaf impressions by pressing leaves onto the soft clay. When the piece has completely dried, it is fired in the kiln and the leaves burn off, leaving beautifully fossilized imprints.

A crystalline glaze is then applied by pouring and dipping using a silica glaze with zinc, a formula that Jamie redeveloped from an old glaze. He found that zinc has a chemical reaction during firing, which actually forms crystals in the glaze. Those crystals are what give all of their pieces a unique shimmer and captivating design. The slightest movement causes light to dance across the surface of the crystals, revealing layered depths of color and texture that bond together in a constantly changing rhythm. Jim and Jamie have learned how to capture a little piece of Mother Nature in each treasure they create.