About Andy, the Studio and the Future.
At Boswell Studios, we value quality, beauty, precision and a focus on the long term. Our work is built to last aesthetically and physically. We are improving, innovating and investing in our future and in the future of the ceramics community as a whole.
Andy originally learned how to work with clay from his father and life long potter, Ray Boswell. Ray taught Andy the fundamentals in the American Folk Pottery tradition which emphasized personal skill, efficiency, consistency and the subtle details that help make pottery more ergonomic and durable. From 2003 - 2007, Andy formally studied ceramics at the Rochester Institute of Technology under Julia Galloway, Rich Hirsch and Liz Howe. Under these instructors Andy further developed his understanding of the timeless qualities hidden in historical ceramics and the meaningfullness of contemporary art works. In 2007, Andy started his own business as a solo artist and befriended a Ceramic Engineer named Phil Hamling. Phil taught Andy to be more scientific with his glazing and introduced him to Crystalline Glazes. Phil’s mentoring completed the foundation of Folk Art, Fine Art and Ceramic Engineering to make Andy into an artist whose knowledge and skills are as deep as they are wide.
Despite getting an introduction to Crystalline Glazes from Phil in 2007 with a multitude of follow up collaborations, Andy didn’t make the leap to really focus on them until much later. At the time, the beauty of Crystalline Glazes were undeniable, but the consensus of the community was that they required extra steps involving glaze catchers because they couldn’t be controlled, had a high loss rate because results were incosistant and they weren’t food safe because they leached metals into food. These were major problems for a young potter who valued a healthy dose of functionality and efficiency to go along with beauty. But in 2014 something clicked and Andy started to view these as solvable.
In 2014 Andy bought his first programmable kiln, specifically for crystalline firings, and began a thorough exploration with the goal of solving all the listed problems. By 2017, he had done it and was working with Crystalline Glazes exclusively. Glaze catchers were no longer required, the glaze could be controlled, results were consist and food safety was greatly improved. Typically, innovations like these become closely guarded trade secrets, but that was not in line with Andy’s values.
While running his studio, Andy has also put in considerable effort to share all of what he has learned with the community. He gives workshops, provides classes and has created comperhensive video tutorials sharing his techniques. In March of 2023, Andy will even be giving a lecture at NCECA, which is the largest and most prestigious ceramics conference in the world. Andy believes that being a potter is one of the most difficult ways to make a living and desperately wants to make it easier for the next generation.
With this desire to be a creator, an innovator, a teacher and a leader in the community that he loves, Andy realized that he simply could not do it all alone. In 2023 he ended his 15 year run as a solo artist, dissolved his business Kaolin Tiger Studios and created Boswell Studios.
Simply put, Boswell Studios is a bigger and better business that can move more quickly and have more to offer. With a team of other skilled artists, and the use of slip casting to compliment Andy’s skills on the potter’s wheel, Boswell Studios will be able to offer a wider product line, more frequent restocks, more video tutorials and more advanced explorations into the glaze research and the creative forms they are put on. Andy hopes that Boswell Studios can be an example that aspiring potters can follow, and in time he is hoping to have tutorials that cover every aspect.
Hopefully, we can get make it easier for more people to get involved in this wonderful community. Whether it is so that they can have a new creative outlet in the serenity of wheel throwing or as thriving professional artists, we hope to help lead the way.