Firebox Instructor
Mira Etingof
she/her
Mira is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. As a lifelong ceramics hobbyist with a background in graphic design and illustration, she is drawn to detail as well as utility, focusing her ceramic work on intricate surface design on vessels designed to be used and handled.
About The Artist
Detail & Utility
Mira Etingof (AKA MiraIRL) is an artist and educator based in Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York. Her journey with ceramics began in childhood, evolving from a lifelong passion into a full-time practice.
She holds a degree in design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn (Class of 2020) and discovered her love for teaching early on, guiding kids in classical drawing and studio art at the educational startup The Uni Project while completing her degree. Today, she is a private multidisciplinary art teacher working on opening her home studio practice, The Yellow House Studio, while also fulfilling her role as founder and co-editor of Chill Magazine, an indie art and literature publication based in New York.
As a ceramicist, Mira is drawn to detail as well as utility, focusing her work on intricate surface design, underglaze painting, precise carving, and rich textures on vessels designed to be used and handled. Having spent years instructing kids across diverse fields—from visual art to music and skiing—her approach to the pottery wheel and handbuilding table is grounded in patience and clarity. She believes in building foundational skills step-by-step, giving students the space to master core techniques without feeling rushed or overwhelmed while maintaining a hands-on learning environment.
Selected Work
From The Studio
In The Classroom
Teaching Approach
Teaching, to me, is about creating a calm, structured space where patience meets creative confidence. My journey with ceramics started in childhood and grew into a lifelong practice centered around a simple belief: functional art should be rich in detail, deeply tactile, and made to be used and handled every day. Whether working with a brush, a carving tool, or a slab of raw stoneware, I view clay as a medium of intention—one that demands we slow down, pay attention to the details, and respect the process.
Having spent years instructing students across visual art, music, and even skiing, I’ve learned that whether you are navigating a slope or building your first coil vessel, mastery comes from breaking complex skills down into clear, approachable steps. I meet students exactly where they are. In my studio, we don't rush through the fundamentals to get to a quick result; we take the time to truly understand the physics of the material—from studio safety and shrinkage rates to the non-negotiable rhythm of scoring, slipping, and smoothing.
Ultimately, my goal as an educator is to foster a hands-on, supportive studio environment where adult learners feel empowered to make objects that carry character and personal utility. I am not here to tell students what to make, but rather to give them the technical clarity, patient guidance, and foundational tools they need to bring their own intentional ideas into physical form.
Learn With Mira
Fall 2026 Courses
Handbuilding Functional Forms
There is a distinct magic in taking a raw slab or coil of clay and turning it into something you use every single day. This six-week course is designed for anyone who wants to slow down, build with intention, and make functional pottery packed with personality. Whether you’re totally new to handbuilding or looking to refine your technique, we’ll focus on building pieces that feel as good in the hands as they look on the table.
We’ll start with the fundamentals: learning studio safety, understanding how clay shrinks, and mastering the non-negotiable 3 S’s—Score, Slip, and Smooth—so your handles, feet, and seams stay attached for good. From there, we’ll move through pinched mugs, structured slab boxes, and composite pouring vessels, using stamps and ribbon tools to carve deep, tactile textures into the wet clay.
The second half of the class is all about surface magic. Once our pieces are bisque fired, we’ll dive into playful decoration techniques—painting crisp patterns with wax resist, wiping oxide washes into carved grooves to make details pop, and layering glazes for unexpected depth and color.
View Fall ClassesClay Explorers – Figures, Vessels & Mini Worlds
Get ready to get your hands messy and turn raw lumps of clay into incredible three-dimensional art! Designed specifically for young creators, this six-week course guides students through the fundamentals of ceramics. Through playful, step-by-step projects, kids will learn how to build with intention, bring imaginative characters to life, and create real ceramic pieces they can keep forever.
We begin by establishing core studio habits: learning how clay moves, understanding how it shrinks in the kiln, and mastering the most important rule in the pottery studio—the 3 S’s (Score, Slip, and Smooth)—so arms, roofs, and handles never pop off in the fire. Young artists will build three main projects: a hollow fantasy figure, a functional stamped vessel, and a 3D architectural model.
During the second half of the class, students step into the shoes of a ceramic designer, exploring wax-resist painting, oxide washes, carved textures, and colorful glazes.
View Fall Classes