Beginning with raw clay, David hand forms each piece of his ceramic pottery. From his home studio in Port Republic, New Jersey, David has amassed over 30 years of fine art experience in ceramics. Working from his potter's wheel, David forms and trims the clay to uniform shapes. The colorful glazes and detail work come later.

The initial results are referred to as 'greenware', ceramic ware that has not yet been fired. Each piece must slowly dry before being kiln fired to ensure uniform moisture levels and proper stability. It is during this stage that handles, decoration and other details are usually added to the piece.

David's vast experience in ceramics has enabled him to build and maintain his own personal kiln and studio. Due to the time and fuel energy required to fire the kiln, pieces of the same build are grouped together and the kiln fired only when it reaches near maximum capacity.

Ceramic pieces that have properly dried and visually inspected for any deformities, cracks, or potential problems are then loaded into kiln racks in preparation for firing. An initial glaze may be applied at this time.

David Voll's stoneware pottery is normally fired at temperatures of about 2000 to 2400 degrees Fahrenheit. However, simply heating the the kiln to a specific temperate does not ensure functional ceramic pieces. The duration of the firing process is key to maturing the clay to it's final form and thus the complete firing process can take many hours to complete. Improper firing can lead to melting, warping, or if the temperature is too low, water absorption and the inability to resists freezing temperature. If decorative or protective glaze is to be added to the piece a 2nd firing will take place at a lower temperature to finalize the piece.

The finished products are the results of hours of work. After the initial creative spark, each step of the process requires attention to detail and a mastery of the clay's potential.

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