Although Jeff Adams has been creating ceramic works of art for decades, in the last four years he has focused his full attention on establishing ANJL Ceramics in North Scituate Village. ANJL Ceramics is an anagram of his children’s names: Aiden, Noah, Justin, and Lily. This studio is where Adams creates fine ceramics and teaches the art to the South Shore community.

For over 30 years, Adams has been working in clay. He was originally taught by Thayer Academy teacher Steven Branfman, a master potter. Adams says, “Branfman was the biggest influence in my life apart from my Dad.” The mentor and student are now friends. After a tough year in college away from ceramics, Adams realized he needed to change his major, and began focusing on art. He flourished. After college, he taught ceramics in evening adult education classes through Braintree High School while working in sales and raising his family.

As a result of the pandemic, Adams lost his day job, but this led him to focus his attention on building ANJL Ceramics. With most of his four kids through college, he had the freedom to focus on his art. Though he says sometimes, “it’s much more difficult than expected,” Adams has created a multi-faceted ceramics studio that offers an array of opportunities for the community.

With six potter’s wheels and plenty of kiln space ANJL Ceramics is organized like a Renaissance master’s studio. Eight-week courses meet for three-hour sessions so that students new to the art have plenty of time to practice and be coached. Several experienced potters and ceramicists have memberships with the studio, which allows them open access to the studio’s resources. Special events such as happy hours and birthday parties give small groups a chance to learn the basics of the art through a brief lesson from Adams himself, and then a chance to produce something on a wheel with help from him. Of course, he also has built-in studio time to focus on his own art.

Adams loves the freedom involved in creating original ceramic works of art. He always approaches time at the wheel with a plan for the overall design and texture. He says, “I have a vision in my head,” of what he wants to produce before he gets started. Adams often uses natural items like bark to add texture to his wheel-thrown works. Experimenting with combinations of glazes that produce appealing finishes reminds him of the abstract paintings he used to do on canvas. In ceramics the colors of wet, unfired glazes often do not correspond to the finish after firing. So new glaze combinations can create surprising effects, even for an experienced potter. Adams appreciates this element of uncertainty in his work; he says, “You never really know with glazing, let’s see how that looks when it gets fired.”

The artist produces a wide range of beautiful ceramic vessels, from original large works of art,
to commissions, and more utilitarian pieces. Because his work is completed by hand and uniquely glazed, Adams is proud to state, “All my pieces are one of a kind.” His favorite pieces to work on are large format works of art that he intends to be centerpieces or displayed on a mantel. Accepting commissions of all types, Adams had the honor of recently creating an urn for a friend of his family who had passed away, but also produces ceramic beer mugs for Stellwagen Beer Company in Marshfield and Barrel House Z in Weymouth. 

The artist’s work is available at locations from the North Shore down to the South Coast: Shore Thing Rockport, Joye in Scituate, and Salt and Sole in the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park Visitors Center. If you’re in Scituate be sure to stop by ANJL Ceramics on Country Way.