John Bollow has been working with clay for 15 years, after 30 years as an elementary teacher. He is self-taught for the most part, reading ceramics magazines, observing the works of others, and a liberal use of Youtube. His work is usually wheel-thrown, but he does some tile and slab construction. He works predominantly with porcelain clay and stoneware. He likes to try new things, carving shapes and borders, experimenting with surface textures, and creating new glazes.