Holly McKeen has enjoyed managing and marketing a busy studio practice specializing in crystalline glazed porcelain as well as a full line of functional wares. Holly has delivered workshops and presentations on crystalline glazes to potters in Canada, the USA, and by invitation in La Bisbal, Spain. Her works have been published in Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times Magazine, 100 Tips, Tools & Techniques and Terr Art – Revista Ceramica of Barcelona, as well as other pottery network and guild publications.
Holly is intrigued by complex surfaces and the in-depth study of glaze formulations which combine unusual materials and rare-earth elements with dynamic firing schedules and processes, in both oxidation and reduction. This study of special effects glazes has included technically precise, in-depth testing and contemplation which suits her “precisionist” personality. Coupled with a keen interest in forms that create a quiet, elegant pallet for these often dramatic surfaces, Holly especially enjoys her time working in porcelain on the wheel.
Moving into semi-retirement, Holly continues to make new works, teach workshops and mentor emerging artists in the field of crystalline. She will be instructing a sold out 5-day “Deep Dive into Crystalline and Special Effects Glazes” workshop at MISSA this summer.
