Etsy Shop

I have been contemplating opening an Etsy shop for several months now.  It's a place I've gone to look at the work of other potters, and there are many out there.  I've gotten ideas for forms and new pieces that I want to make.  It's also a way to reach people who are looking for a special handmade item that you may just be selling.  So, I made the plunge.  It is a small investment to list a few items, so that is what I have done.  I have a lot to learn about this endeavor, but I'll give it a go.  If you are curious to check it out, you can find it here.  Feel free to give me some feedback.  I would love to hear your opinion.

Raku Workshop

My finished piece

I attended a raku workshop today that was given by my lovely friend, Miya Endo of Miya Pottery here in Dixon, NM.  Six of us braved the snow and cold temperatures to do this outside firing in a homemade kiln made out of a metal garbage can.  This was my second time doing a raku firing with Miya, both with spectacular results.  A raku kiln is the next accessory I plan on adding to my studio and I will build it myself, with a little help from my friends.

Glazed pieces before the firing

The glaze bubbles during the firing
process near the end

Metal cans lined with newspaper
awaiting the fired pieces

The finished pieces are placed in the metal cans
 and sealed for reduction

The finished pieces from the workshop

New Products

salt pig

I have two new items available for sale.  The first is a salt pig.  I have made them in various shapes, sizes, and colors.  It was fun experimenting with the shapes.  I'm not sure which I like best, so I guess my sales will tell me what is attractive to others.

match-strike dish

The other item is a match-strike dish.  I threw it on the wheel, then altered it into a rectangular shape.  While it was still on the wheel, I roughed up the outside texture so that a strike-anywhere match could be used on it.  It looks a lot better on top of my fireplace than an ugly cardboard box of matches.  

bud vase

All of my new products will be for sale at the Espresso Gallery in Embudo, NM from now through Christmas.  I will also be listing a few pieces on Etsy, including the bud vase to the left.  I will post more about that later this week.  My chip and dip platters will be at the gallery and I will also have several on hand at my own studio for those of you that contact me directly.  Thanks for checking in and please let me know what you think of the new items!

chip and dip platter

Holiday Bazaar

My pottery is currently for sale at the Espresso Gallery on Highway 68 in Embudo, NM next to the Embudo Post Office.  The gallery will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-5 pm from now until Christmas Eve.  There are five other local artisans showing their work.  You can find jewelry, glasswork, creams, perfumes, honey, and other bee products there along with my pottery.  I have pottery in the kiln that will be unloaded tomorrow, so the chip and dip platters should be ready then.

My First Dixon Studio Art Tour

My first Dixon Studio Art Tour was quite a success.  I met a lot of wonderful people, had a great show of support from the community, and sold a lot of pottery.  The weather on Saturday started out with wind, then came the rain, then the ice, and finally the snow.  Still, there were the brave souls that ventured out.  We all commiserated over the small crowds, but it was the arrival of our locals that kept the spirits high.  Sunday was a cool, but sunny day.  And the people arrived.  It was a pleasure to share my work and interact with all of you.

I sold all of my chip and dip plates, pictured to the right.  I promised many that I would be making more soon, and that is just what I intend to do this afternoon.  My next firing will be full of them.  Anyone that would like to secure one of these plates, please send me an e-mail and I will be sure to have one set aside just for you in the glaze of your choosing.

Masks

I unloaded a couple of masks today in my most recent glaze firing.  They had been sitting around on a shelf for many months due to a lack of inspiration on how to finish them.  Initially I thought I would raku them when I finally got around to building my raku kiln, but that hasn't happened yet.  One of my children has a mask that I made hanging in his room and it has been a family favorite.  It was also glazed with a glossy glaze in an electric kiln, so I figured I would go ahead.  I would like to have a few items that are different than the other functional pieces that I make.  So, here they are. And I feel quite pleased with them.  My children are hoping that they don't sell and I'll put them up in our house.  It's always a tough call.

Glaze Firing

I unloaded the kiln this morning after a glaze firing that I started Tuesday night.  I always feel like a child waiting for Christmas morning.  You never know what you are going to get when you open the lid of the kiln.  The wait is excruciating.  I keep checking the temperature to see if it is cool enough to open.  When the moment finally comes, there is always a mixture of excitement, satisfaction, and disappointment.  This firing wasn't without its casualties.  The glaze ran on three pieces, one of which was a carved piece that my husband put a great deal of effort into.  It will live on top of my kiva fireplace with the flaw to the back.  I'm almost glad that it happened, because now I have a reason to keep it.  The cup that ran will sit on a low shelf where my small children can access it.  The lidded jar that ran and sealed itself will go out to the pottery graveyard which graces the garden off of my portal.  The rest will be packed up for the Dixon Studio Art Tour.

Studio Tour

I am currently preparing for the annual Dixon Studio Arts Tour.  This will be my first year to participate in an event that will attract hundreds of people to our tiny village.  My studio happens to be located on a rather rough dirt road that rambles in and out of an arroyo, so I won't be showing my work in my own studio.  I will have a booth at the Embudo Mission located right in the center of town.  This is the 30th year of our fall tradition and we are hoping for a great turnout.  I have been working hard the past month to have a broad inventory to show.  I have new glazes sitting in my buckets, just waiting to be applied.  I have greenware drying on the shelves hoping to make it into a bisque firing before the end of the week.  A friend just commissioned some children's mugs that need to be made in order to get into this firing.  It has been a little hectic, but exhilarating at the same time.