Even the most ascetic, least material of monks has need of three things: robes, in which to clothe himself; a temple, in which to shelter himself; and a bowl, with which to feed himself.

The third post in our ceramics studio tour series, this week we'll be looking at the gorgeous Somerset pottery of renowned British potter Mike Dodd.

24 minute documentary with slideshow of pots from his 2011 exhibition at Goldmark Gallery

It can be difficult to spot how different marks on a pot have been achieved. Here's our short guide to ceramic decoration to get you started.

In the third and final part of our How to Spot a Good Pot series we take a look at how character is at the heart of every good potter's work.

If the surface of a pot tells a story, decoration is the potter's language, gestural marks and impressed shapes their vocabulary.