Barbara McDonald | Also Known As: Kennedy McDonald, J Kennedy McDonald, Ken McDonald

Nan and James McKinnell were a husband-and-wife ceramic team, known for their joint productions of wheel thrown work and their contributions to the field of American ceramics through teaching and travel. Both Nan and James primarily produced vessel form functional pottery. Although Nan often looked to contemporary industrial design for inspiration, James was heavily influenced by Japanese ceramics,. For the most part their works were collaborations in making, glazing, and decorating. Their common signature is ?McKinnell.?

Nan and James McKinnell were also known for their experiments with glazes. Nan?s recipe for deep copper red is still used by many potters today.

James developed a portable kiln to fit their nomadic lifestyle. It was a loose brick, flat top, double chambered kiln fueled by propane. This flexible kiln design has become widely adopted in the ceramics world as it can be altered to fit the particular firing need or challenge.