A special project
I'm building a worldwide directory of wood kilns
Flash & Ash is a directory of wood kilns, meant to strengthen the woodfiring community by providing resources to ceramic artists, kiln owners, and educational institutions.
The project took a long pause during the pandemic, when anxiety (about everything) and lack of motivation (for anything) took hold. It's coming into motion again, though—as am I, and hopefully you, too.
Please take a look at the project and sign up for updates.
Ling Chun: What Belongs With Clay
Read My article for Ceramics Ireland about Ling Chun, NCECA 2020 Emerging Artist
Ling's work is incredible. She's thoughtful and smart, and spending time with her for this assignment was a delight. I hope you enjoy reading about her.
NCECA 2019
My talk at NCECA is up on YouTube
Click Below to watch
Is Etsy the right online platform for your business? Hear about its amazing potential and unique challenges for ceramic sellers, from the perspective of a former Etsy employee (and current potter) who spent seven years helping independent makers start and run creative businesses of all sizes.
Thanks Mandi for the loveliest intro of all time!
CONTAF 2019
I gave a talk at CONTAF, the Brazilian ceramics symposium, and it was a blast
Great event, great audience. Unfortunately I don't have video, but a summary deck (in Portuguese) can be downloaded here.
To the organizers, huge thanks, and I hope to see you again next year!
My interview for The Potters Cast
Listening to myself talk is awful, but being interviewed was great
I gave an interview to the Potters Cast, and even though my voice is horrible (why haven't people told me I sound like that?), you should definitely give it a listen. I had a great time chatting with Paul Blais about Etsy—its potential (and challenges) for clay businesses.
Let me know what you think!
To begin, the first
This is my first post sharing pieces I own and love, so I'll start with these two pots by Yasushi Mizuno, the first ones I bought with the intention of starting a collection. I got them in December of 2016 at Sara Japanese Pottery, a New York City gallery specialized in Japanese ceramics, lacquerware, and glass.
I was drawn primarily to the motifs—dogs and tiny furniture? yes, please—the unevenness of the forms, and the humor. Art can always afford to take itself less seriously, and Yasushi Mizuno does that with elegance and skill.
The little dog head on the bud vase is the piece's strongest point of interest, but to me it's the uneven tab at the top that makes the piece. Then there's the finger mark on the glaze, and I'm a glaze-finger-mark enthusiast, so that, too, works for me.
The katakuchi is my favorite of the two, though. The curve from the bowl to the spout flows beautifully, but there's also a pleasant awkwardness to the proportions that, to me, makes the piece even more likable. I love the texture and the color; the slip on the outside is a dream to hold in your hands.
And then there's the chair, so freaking unexpected and cute. That little chair is like an act of kindness by the potter. The pot was already perfect—the potter didn't have to give us anything else, but he did. He gave us a tiny chair. Ugh, I love it.
(I'm assuming this was made as a katakuchi because the potter is Japanese, but for all I know it could be used simply as a spouted bowl. It would make a great netilat yadayim cup, too. If only I kept the Shabbat...)
Looking at these awesome pots for the hundreth time, I don’t think I could have chosen a better place to start my collection. If these little guys don’t make your heart sing, you’re dead inside.
Yasushi Mizuno (Kyoto, 1973)
Purchased at Sara Japanese Pottery, New York, December 2016
Selling Online: How to find the right platform for your business on the web
I will be talking about the pros and cons of different online sales platforms for clay artists, providing resources to help you decide which online model would work best for you.
This event will be held in Seattle at Rat City Studios, and will be limited to 25 attendees. Please RSVP here.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
11:00 AM 1:00 PM
Rat City Studios
2410 Southwest 106th St
Seattle Washington
Additional Information
In this presentation, Any Guelmann, Washington Clay Arts member and former Senior Maker Specialist at Etsy, will talk about strategies to help you select an online platform to sell your work.
Any worked at Etsy for many years during her time in NYC. Now living here in the PNW, she is sharing her knowledge and providing resources to help you decide which online model would work best for your business.
An exclusive free presentation for WCA members only.