Mads - Multimedia Artist

About

Hi all! The name is MADS. I'm an Arizona based ceramic artist but I do a little of everything. I teach ceramics (including wheel & handbuilding) and illustration to all ages.

Ceramics

(Click images for info!)

(2023-2024)

Even though I have been working in ceramic arts for about five years now, I still feel like I am endlessly experimenting. I am usually not satisfied with a piece unless I can put some illustrative work on it. I've found a love for using ceramic slips at cone 6, which are much more economical than underglazes. Once a piece is slipped, I can then carve with my Diamond Core "V" tool, or apply illustrations with my Xiem bulb applicator. I've become pretty familiar with my favorite set of cone 6 glazes, but I want to expand my knowledge to cone 10 glazes as well.

Cat and fish plate, sgraffito/slip cone 6

Angel of Anxieties Lamp, cone 6 white clay

Shin Godzilla Anniversary Lamp, cone 6 white clay

(2020-2022)

My early experimentation in ceramic surface decoration stems from my love for drawing humans and animals. 2020-2022 were years where I tested different glaze techniques, including low fire majolica, luster overglazes, and sgraffito (scrafting the surface to create an image or design). I also dipped my toes into underglazes, a challenging task for the cone 10 kilns at the studio I was working at. Sometimes, my colors would come out muted or melt with the glazes in an undesirable way.

This Angel Platter was made using underglaze pigments painted on greenware, then fired to bisque, and cone 6 fired with a clear glaze.

Illustration

I've made graphics for the ASU State Press (2017-2020), Faith and Quinn Fabrics (2020-2022), and a handful of personal projects. My favorite things to draw are characters and creatures!

Programs and equipment used: Paint Tool Sai, Adobe Photoshop, Dithering effects tools, and good ol pen and paper.

The State Press, Literature Helps Us Understand the Past

Graphic for Faith and Quinn, Made With Sew Much Love

Student work

2023-2025

For youth classes I always try to keep the classroom environment fun, focused, and collaborative. Students learn clay basics like scoring and slipping, proper clay thickness. Returning students are challenged to try more complicated projects and given extra resources to expand their clay skills. I teach age brackets from 6-9 (kids), 10-12 (kids), 13+ (teen), and 16+ (adult).

In teen wheel, students are taught step by step how to center, open, and pull clay. This class is technical and detail oriented. We use surface decoration techniques like slip and cone 10 glazing to finish our projects.

In my illustration and world building classes, students are encouraged to discuss ideas with one another. Students spend the 8 week session developing one story for a multi-page comic. On the last week we do a ‘collaborative comic’ where each student draws their characters together.

Contact

Resumes / References

Avalible upon request.

Interested in collaborating, commissions, or hiring me for a long term project?

Email me at Madison.Pennisi.Art (at) gmail.com!

Website theme by W3schools, coded by me!

Mads 2025