Pierre Bounaud Ceramics

08/18/2026

Hi. It’s been over a month since I posted anything so maybe it’s time I reintroduce myself.
My name is Pierre Bounaud. I am a ceramic artist living and practicing in San Diego, CA. My work ranges from utilitarian wares to decorative vessels and sculptures, often using porcelain clay as medium but lately I started to incorporate more stoneware to match the finish I am looking for.
A big part of my work is fired to cone 6 with glazes that I have developed over the years. That includes crystalline glazes and metallic glazes. Part of the fun for me in the studio is to experiment with materials and to come up with new and interesting effects that embellish the ceramic surface.
Some of my decorative and sculptural work is also low fire up to cone 04. The surface treatments include colored terra sigillata and saggar firing, resulting in one of a kind patterns and colors.
Lately, I’ve expanded my repertoire to include ceramic furniture like stools and small tables. This is more intensive work that requires attention and patience. It is also heavy and has to fit in my kiln 🤣 The picture shows my first two stools which were on a gallery show in May.
Happy to answer questions in comments ⬇️

Picture by San Diego Wedding Photographer

07/14/2026

A fantastic weekend was had at Clay and Glass Festival this weekend! Many thanks to the people who stopped by my booth and engaged with me. I love sharing my process. It was great meeting new artists too, like my neighbor who was just a ray of sunshine all weekend ☀️

I finally made it back home after 9 hours of solo driving along I-5. It was me, some cows along the road, and lots of trucks. My mind went all over the place 🤣

I’m going to chill for a few days but if you saw something at my booth that you liked I may still have it. DM me.

07/11/2026

Clay and Glass Festival this weekend. I love doing this show. The people are so nice and engaging.

07/07/2026

It’s that time of year when I do my annual pilgrimage to the Bay Area 😁

I’m excited to again be part of the ACGA Clay & Glass Festival this coming weekend, July 11&12, at the Palo Alto Art Center. This free, outdoor event brings together more than 130 outstanding artists, making it the largest juried clay and glass event on the West Coast!

Throughout the weekend you’ll find lively demonstrations, a pottery throwdown, and plenty of opportunities to meet the makers. Food trucks, coffee, and ice cream vendors make it easy to spend the whole day exploring without missing a thing.

The festival runs from 10 am to 5pm both days at the Palo Alto Art Center located at 1313 Newell Rd, just off Embarcadero Rd. I’ll be at booth 112 on the lawn near the information booth, with a mix of my saggar-fired pieces, porcelain work, and several new additions—including ceramic stools and wall decor.

For more information and event scheduling check out profile and links.

06/30/2026

Here are some of the finished work produced during the plaster mold making workshop at the past two weeks. One part molds are easy to make and a good way to learn the basics of mold making, like mixing/pouring plaster, undercuts, reservoir, etc. Moving on to multi part molds and gang molds makes you think a bit more about the shape and symmetry of your pieces. My cube vases were good learning models!

06/29/2026

This is the culmination of two weeks of mold making class with Daniel Garver and at this month. After making single and multiple part molds from clay models, the ultimate challenge was cracking a big block of plaster and sawing a negative mold from it. I started with a 12x6 block, making 12 parts. I borrowed the bottom plaster slab from another mold. And voila! I love the sawing texture that the porcelain slip picks up from the plaster. This was fun! 😅 Many thanks to the Daniel and John for the instructions, inspiration, and support. And many thanks to my fellow workshop comrades for their support and companionship. A big hug to all 🤗

06/11/2026

It is with bittersweet feeling that I write this post. Tomorrow is the last day for The Natural World show at and there is an inherent sadness that accompanies a show’s closing. BUT it was a great show to put together with the gallery, my co-curator and the wonderful artists that joined us. I very much enjoyed my role as curator and artist and I’m looking forward to more.

On a more personal note, this show was exactly what I needed after a year of loss and grief. It allowed me to redirect those feelings into ideas, goals, and objects. It made me dig deeper into what I want in life. Not that I have an answer yet, but I’ve opened the door to welcome what’s next.

Photo: Grand Vase with orchids, in honor of my late husband, Arnold Gum, a dedicated American Orchid Society judge and fervent patron of the arts.

06/10/2026

05/28/2026

Lovely to see Caroline’s and my work featured in the Summer issue of (middle row) 😍
Go see them in person at gallery! Show runs until June 12.