Why Buy?

Why buy? This question probably has a very simple answer and one that delves deeper. I ask it because it’s on my mind. I saw a post in a pottery group recently that asked why a potter would purchase anything from another potter. I buy pottery from other artists all the time. So I started thinking about why I buy stuff. In turn, it makes me think about why someone would pay for items I create. 

I made this series of masks using a quilting technique I learned when we lived in Charlotte, NC. I had fun designing the 'hair' of each one using the bristles from a scrub brush, twigs from the yard, buttons, copper tubing, coiled-wire and beads. I have kept them for my own art collection. I try not to make something just because I think it will sell, I make what I love -- that's usually when sales follow. 

Emotion quickly comes to mind as a reason behind a purchase. When I buy something I want, it makes me feel good. This often includes pottery made by others. I use my own pieces all the time, but I appreciate and covet clay objects created by other artists. I like to support fellow crafters and I cannot make pottery the way they do. 

I've just created a wrap bracelet incorporating a decorated piece of my clay and recycled bits of old jewelry. Here's the prototype I've made. You'll be able to create one of these too in an upcoming class through The Muse in Frederick, Md. If you can't make it, would you like me to make one for you?  Click on this photo to let me know!

Need is another reason to buy. Whether it’s perceived or actually fulfills a necessary function can be debatable. Do I need another pair of earrings? No. Will it complement an outfit I have in mind? Yes. Purchase made. 

I love how these square bowls look and nest together! Now I'm going to perfect the production process. I'll add them to my shop in the Spring. Any thoughts on colors you'd like to see? Click on this photo to let me know. 

Ease of sale. Computer clicks make it incredibly easy to buy these days. It is fast, but you must rely on a written description and a photo. I’ve shopped this way numerous times, but I think I still prefer a brick and mortar experience in person. 

It's hard to believe the same blue glaze can look so different depending on the color that lies beneath! Here are some new mugs fresh from the kiln.

Price. I’ve fallen victim to buying something because I couldn’t pass up the low price. I may not need it or even want it. But feeling as if I’ve gotten ‘such a deal’ has overridden all the other reasons to purchase. 

I’m sure there are numerous studies on the psychology of sales. I’ve even succumbed to some on-line courses on improving my skills in social media and website construction. I'd like to hear your opinions on this subject too. Tell me how I can improve the buying experience for you. Photos of my pieces in use? Pricing? Ease of sale? I look forward to hearing from you! Click this photo to let me know.

Taking An Idea One Step Further

I've spent time in the studio recently making revisions to some familiar shapes and ideas. It's one of the reasons I enjoy going to the studio. Even if I'm working on something I've regularly made before, it's easy to improve, tweak and adjust some of the elements to make it into something new. 

I've revised the shape of my mugs. These are narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. I still feature a seam line and button. The narrow top will help hold the temperature of a hot drink. 

I've had a custom request for pie dishes. I based the design on some of the baking dishes I've made recently. Here, I started with the large deep dish size  (9 inches diameter x 3 inches tall) and then decided to make a smaller personal pie size (5 inches diameter x 2 inches tall) version as well. I can see a beautiful quiche or blueberry pie in the large size. A baked brie might work well in the smaller size! 

I like to use a recipe stand in my own kitchen. So I though I'd create one in the studio. I wanted it to be able to hold a cookbook, iPad or simple recipe card. I alternate between all three when I'm cooking from a recipe. I'd like to hear if you currently use a recipe stand in your kitchen or might consider using one in the future. Click on the photo to send me a quick reply!

It's fun to see the progress of forms I've used over the years. My studio is the place where I make my ideas turn into a piece of pottery for others to enjoy and use. It's my happy place.

Get Used To It!

There was a time when I saved ‘the good dishes’ for special occasions. No more. Now, that seems like an old fashioned concept. I don’t think my kids and their contemporaries share this idea of only using certain special or costly items just once in awhile. I have begun to break this habit by using the items I’ve made, purchased and love on a regular basis. It makes me happy.

In the morning I start each day with a hand-made mug of coffee. Not only do I believe it tastes better that way, the unique feel of each vessel in my hand links me to the maker on a personal level.  Each potter has touched and manipulated the clay into specific form only they can create. I appreciate their attention to design and material each time I take a sip. It’s not necessarily a conscious thing, but the added pleasure to this morning ritual is real.

Throughout the day, I continue to use as many of the pots I own as I can. Beyond cooking or serving food, I like to find other ways to utilize my pottery collection. Bowls can hold mail, spare change or desk items. Trays and plates catch water drips from planters, house collected treasures or a midday snack.

I end each day with a current knitting project. Here, again, I've begun to use one of my yarn bowls to catch and hold the ball of fiber as I build the rows I knit into a finished piece. Using what I make gives me insight into the pot's structural strengths and helps me visualize the piece through the eyes of the user. 

So get out the pottery you love and start using it! I bet it will help brighten your day and even make the food you are eating taste better!

Upon Request

The commission process is a back and forth collaboration between my customer and me. Good communication helps turn the discussion into a successful outcome. The proposed project can be as simple as making a specific color of an existing item from my current gallery repertoire or involve a whole new journey to create a brand new shape or item.

I have made this popular tray and bowl set for many years. Each one is a unique combination of pattern and color. The serving bowl has evolved over the years into the current circle form. If a customer sees a piece of mine that has been sold at a show or is out of stock in my inventory, I can easily make a new one!

When I work on an unfamiliar request, it takes time to formulate the final clay art piece. I sometimes research the creations of other artists, experiment in the studio with various clay combinations and then create a paper template to achieve the final results.

Totems are one example of creations that combine familiar and unfamiliar forms. This special address post was created for the author of the children's book KeeKee's Big Adventures. I knew I wanted to include an image of KeeKee, the hot air balloon and an image of a book along with the address numbers. I studied drawings of KeeKee and then got to work in the studio figuring out how to incorporate the images into a three dimensional format. 

This set of mugs uses a company logo as the basis for the decoration and colors. It took a couple of tries to get this commission to completion, but that's part of the process!

These memento boxes were created recently to hold special personal trinkets to honor the memory of a loved-one.

I love it when I see photos of my creations in their new homes! Here is a custom lazy susan I created ready to 'pass the...!'

Keep in touch and let me know what I can make especially for you!

Revisit

Oh, and she never gives out

And she never gives in

She just changes her mind

(She’s Always A Woman – Billy Joel)

This was a week of looking at the familiar in a whole new way both in and out of the studio. It’s a good exercise for me to recognize in my work and daily life.

I was lucky to attend a Billy Joel concert this week with my husband, daughter and her boyfriend. I’ve seen Billy numerous times over the years. His music and lyrics resonate with me and my family. I love his songs now as much as when I first started listening. Not only does the music evoke memories, but I continue to hear his lyrics in new and meaningful ways as the years pass by. To me, that is art and what I am striving for in my own work.

Part of what keeps me going to the studio is looking at familiar shapes in new ways. And on top of that, when someone tells me that they still use a piece of work I made many, many years back – it’s a good feeling.

My neighbor Candace has a bountiful garden and I am the lucky recipient! Here is a chocolate zucchini cake I made sitting on one of my wheel thrown 'original' cake plates from 2003.

Lucky for me, I have friends with great ideas! In this new rendition of my hand-built cake plate, I've separated and added pieces to include a bowl that can also be used as a stand and an additional smaller plate that can be stacked vertically! 

I've learned to add curves to my hand-built mugs. I think this shape mimics what I used to throw using the wheel. I am also playing with use of matte and shiny surfaces to highlight the texture. 

I made myself a set of dishes using hand-building methods. It's been on my 'to-do' list for quite some time!