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A day in the Life: Beardbangs Ceramics
My name is Alicia Zwicewicz, and I’m the creator and owner of Beardbangs Ceramics. I make cutesy functional ceramics that are influenced by Scandinavian design, many of which feature animals. I try to make simple pieces that brighten everyday moments, and make routines special.
In university I focused mostly on painting but I became quickly obsessed with ceramics after taking a community class in pottery. I’ve been running Beardbangs since early 2014, after I graduated from university. I started out working at a friend’s home studio part-time, and designing the pieces with my husband, Josiah, who studied illustration and design.



When I get to the studio each day, I’ll often start up the kiln to either fire my work or my co-op members’ work. The rest of the day is pretty open, and based on whatever needs to get done. I try to keep organized with lists of pieces I need to create for Etsy and wholesale clients, and I usually will start by cracking open a bag of clay and wedging out balls so that I can continuously throw new pieces for a few hours. I sell a lot of three-legged planters, so some days I’m just throwing the same form, one after another. When I’m satisfied with the number of pieces I’ve completed, I usually move on to trim some of the pieces I threw the previous day. Trimming the bottoms is one of my favourite parts because the clay is firmer and is shaved off in a lovely, satisfying swirl. After that’s done, I’ll attach handles and legs and let the pieces sit covered again until the next day.

The decorating happens on the third day. Everything is sponged down to make sure the surface is totally smooth. I use engobes (which is basically tinted, liquid clay) to paint on the shapes, often using wet newspaper to resist the colour in the places I want the natural clay to show through (all the white sections on my pieces). For the black and white pieces, I usually use a few different brushes and hand-paint each design (for example, on the cat mug with tail handle). Fine tools help me touch everything up, by allowing me to scrape away any unwanted engobe, and also to sometimes carve faces.








A huge thank you to Jill Agustin for all of the lovely studio photos!
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A huge thank you to Alicia for sharing with us what a typical day looks like to Beardbangs Ceramics. I love getting glimpses into peoples lives, and seeing her work space, her pieces in progress, and even of her in action, really inspire me a lot. Thank you so much, Alicia. This fox plant pot was the very first thing that I saw come out of Beardbangs Ceramics and so it is definitely the first thing I need to purchase. Followed by this planter, this hanging planter, this teapot, and this mug. Now, I need to as you - what is your favourite piece from her Etsy Store?
If you would like to be a part of the Maker Series or if you know of someone who you think should be showing of their creations, please email me at knottedhome (at) hotmail (dot) com. The Maker Series is a place of inspiration, encouragement, and support to those who want to craft, create, or live a homemade lifestyle. This series is all about creating a comfortable and inspirational place in which Makers can share their talents and inspire those who have ever dreamed of living a life supported by what they love to do. Creating.
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