The Tools Behind the Work - The 2026 Studio Edition

The Tools Behind the Work - The 2026 Studio Edition

 

For new students at TOC and beginners looking to expand their clay practice,  the studio can feel overwhelming: wheels, ribs, kilns, trimming tools, what matters, what doesn’t, and when do you invest? Hearing directly from a working artist and our founder Josh Herman about the tools he actually uses (and why). 


Let’s pull back the curtain and make the path forward clearer.

In 2026, what tools are you reaching for the most in your studio, and why?

The tools I reach for most are actually very simple: my hands, a flexible rib, a metal rib, a trimming tool, and a good sponge.

Over time I’ve learned that fewer tools create more sensitivity. When you use the same tools repeatedly, they become extensions of your hands and your attention. That consistency allows you to feel the clay rather than manage the tools.

I also spend a lot of time with basic handbuilding tools such as  wooden knives, scoring tools, and ribs especially for my sculptural work. These allow for slower, more responsive decision-making, which is central to my process.

Relative to glazing,  I am experimenting with brushing on my glazes in a more painterly way. The tactile quality of using brushes feels fresh and direct. It's given some new life to the process of glazing. For me, the most important “tool” is attention. Everything else supports that.


Learn About Tao of Clay Custom Glazes

Has your relationship to the wheel changed over time? What does it allow you to do that handbuilding doesn’t, and vice versa?

Yes — dramatically.

Early on, the wheel was about control and technical mastery. Now I experience it more as a collaborative process with the clay. The wheel creates momentum and symmetry. It allows forms to emerge quickly and reveals subtle shifts in pressure and movement that are difficult to achieve by hand.

The wheel gives you:

  • speed and efficiency
  • fluid continuous movement
  • natural symmetry
  • sensitivity to pressure and touch

Handbuilding offers something different:

  • structural freedom
  • asymmetry and variation
  • slower reflection
  • more direct relationship with form

My sculptural work depends heavily on handbuilding because it allows forms to evolve organically. The wheel is powerful, but handbuilding allows more openness and discovery.

Both practices inform each other.


Explore Our Classes in handbuilding and throwing 


What is one ceramics tool you consider essential that most beginners overlook?

The most essential tool beginners often overlook is mindfulness.  It is mindfulness that brings a deeper quality of attention to the clay making process.

It’s not a physical tool, but it shapes everything you make.

When you work mindfully, you begin to feel subtle changes in pressure, moisture, resistance, and movement. You notice when the clay is asking for support, when it’s becoming stressed, or when it’s ready to move further. This sensitivity helps prevent problems before they happen and leads to stronger, more alive work.


Read: Ceramics and Mindfulness - The Tao of Clay Way


Many beginners think progress comes from acquiring more tools, but real growth often comes from slowing down and refining attention. A simple rib or sponge, used with presence, teaches more than a drawer full of equipment used unconsciously.

Mindfulness also changes your relationship to mistakes. Instead of forcing the clay, you begin to collaborate with it. The process becomes less about control and more about listening and responding.

At Tao of Clay, we see attention itself as a studio practice. When awareness deepens, every tool works better, every technique improves, and the creative process becomes more meaningful.


 

Are there any tools you’ve modified or customized to better suit your process? 

Yes. The most important tool I have developed is not physical. It is an orientation toward Organicity.

Over time I have shaped my process around listening to the clay rather than imposing a fixed outcome. This means working with what is emerging in the moment and responding to shifts in form, texture, gravity, and material rather than forcing a predetermined idea.

In that sense, I have customized my relationship to the process itself. I practice slowing down, sensing, and allowing the work to evolve through small adjustments rather than control. This orientation guides every decision. It informs when to push, when to pause, when to support, and when to let something change direction.

While I occasionally reshape or adjust physical tools, the deeper customization has been training my awareness and responsiveness. That sensitivity becomes an internal tool that supports a more natural and collaborative relationship with the material.

For me, Organicity is not just a concept. It is a practical way of working that continually shapes how the work unfolds.

 

Learn about our Clay and Organicity course with Josh

 

How do you decide when to invest in higher-quality equipment, like kilns, wheels, or specialty tools?

I suggest investing when three things are true:

  • You’re practicing consistently.
  • You understand your needs through experience.
  • The equipment removes a real limitation in your process.

Early in your journey, access matters more than ownership. Shared studio equipment is usually the best path. And having a community of like minded people is  central to your development as an artist. 

Higher-quality tools become meaningful when they support reliability, consistency, and deeper exploration, not when they promise better results.

Good equipment doesn’t make better work, but it can support a deeper practice.



 

What role do simple tools (ribs, trimming tools, knives, sponges) play compared to larger equipment?

Simple tools shape the work directly. Large equipment supports the environment in which the work happens.

The wheel spins. The kiln fires. But ribs, knives, paddles and trimming tools actually create the form, surface, and detail.

Mastery in ceramics often comes from refining how you use simple tools, not from accumulating complex ones.


For members building their own studios, what would you prioritize purchasing first, and what can wait?

I recommend building gradually.

Prioritize first:

  • a solid work surface
  • basic hand tools (ribs, trimming tool, knife, sponge)
  • good lighting
  • proper clay storage and moisture control

Next steps:

What can wait:

  • expensive equipment you don’t yet fully understand

A simple, well-organized space supports better work than a room full of equipment.


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