“Size does matter,” writes Tacoma, Washington artist Jon Almeda on his pottery website. Tiny hand thrown ceramics at 1” (2.54cm) scale are now Almeda’s specialty, despite starting his career with much bigger pieces. He describes the critical moment online:
“While browsing a book store, I came across a book called ‘Creating Ceramic Miniatures‘ that really changed my whole outlook and approach,” Almeda writes. “Throwing small really allows me to focus on the shape and form of a piece. It is a very meditative form of creation.”
Almeda’s pieces look exactly like their larger versions, and are often small enough to sit atop a coin or matchbook. A custom designed motorized curio wheel is needed to achieve the level of precision necessary for such small scale ceramics.
