Welcome to Barta Ceramics! I'm Mark Barta. When I started this journal in 2021, I was living in Kansas City, Kansas, and had been practicing ceramics for 10 years.
I first got hooked on wheel throwing in high school, where I took every ceramics class I could. I later studied ceramics at Kansas State University under the direction of Yoshiro Ikeda.
Most of my work starts on the wheel, and I make both functional and sculptural pieces. I had just finished setting up my own studio in the garage at home, and I was excited to start making work there.
This journal is where I'll share new ceramic pieces, talk through tips and techniques I've learned, and get feedback that helps me keep growing as an artist.
The first piece I want to share is my signature Twisted Top Bottle. I glazed it with Spectrum's Low Fire Burnt Sugar and Mayco's Copper Adventurine, with accents of Mayco's Magic Flow glaze.
Thanks for checking out my first Barta Ceramics journal post!