Pottery Loved by a Potter

I’ve always been opinionated, especially about what looks good, and really, there should be some sort of syndrome named for how opinionated I am about what is good or bad in pottery. Maybe 2% of all pottery made qualifies as even good, and then only maybe 10% of that qualifies as something I like. So there may be worthwhile pottery that doesn’t make my list but you cannot convince me of that, so don’t even go there!
So here are pieces by a few claymakers whose work enthralls me at the moment:

By Romy and Clare, it’s the organic shapes that push  the barriers of function without being unfuctional that really awe me. And the modern version of hand painted fruit. I just love it, and everything they do!

From HodakaPottery, it’s how harmonious and quiet this piece seems, while using so many design flourishes. Really quite stunning.

By JustMare, it’s the soft, subtle glazes paired with the twig handle- such an original interpretation of a mug!

You know I'm a fan of MarciG! Even if she wasn’t my daughter…. I’d be in awe of this huge emerging talent. Her pieces are magical and functional.

By peifferStudios, the organic shape that utilizes both stained and glazed areas is alive with that peace that comes from knowing nature intimately.

This is someone to watch! She has always had a unique vision and she’s really coming into her own lately. Keep your eye on DBabcock!
By WhitneySmith, this pine cone inspired set of nesting bowls is visually sophisticated and flawlessly executed. Whitney is a creative giant whose work evolves in new directions as if a fine geneticist is cross breeding nature with clay.
When I look at pottery, which has been made by human hands for over 10,000 years, the words of Werner Erhard come to mind:
“Any idiot can walk the path when shown it. But out here, there is no path. The path is made by your walking. “
And that’s what I love to see. Someone following their own muse, forging their own path, speaking in an ancient tongue but saying something that takes you into a yet uncharted inner terrain.

How to ride the trend wave in 2011

The global financial crisis was a game changer in how we spend our money. Before November of 2008, advertising was all about “more, newer, and different” without looking at the substance or deeper significance of what was being sold. Tips and trends were about how to ride a tsunami. That it would inevitably crash and devastate  lives was not part of the advertising conversation.

We were supposed to market our work to consumers with disposable income, who were assumedly seeking satisfaction by having more of what they had, or a newer version, or a different kind of it, or more of a newer thing… you get the picture. It was pretty shallow.

By the end of 2010, we can’t read any substantial forecast for 2011 that doesn’t mention values such as sustainability, simplicity, and the human connection. The very good news for artisans is that we no longer have to find a surfboard to ride the trend wave. This year we are the wave! The trend gurus are predicting that artisan, handmade goods made with sustainability and lasting quality by humans with a story to tell are It. All you have to do to market your work now is to show who you are and what you do. Make a cohesive statement in your presentation; your photos and shop copy, if you sell on Etsy.

Through ArtisansGalleryTeam, we are carefully selecting works from the pool of Etsy shops that are legitimately handmade in an artisan studio by those who bring individual vision and advanced skills to their works. Joining with others who are the real deal is going to make riding the wave easier.

Here are some trend reports worth noting:

I have been working in "ethical" for a long time, because I find humanitarian principles very important, and I hated big fashion's disregard for them. Having said that, I think the global economic crisis has made people re think how things are made, where they come from, and has led to an appreciation of small-scale, handcrafted, tangible, home-made etc.. The human stories behind the products are interesting, the big manufacturing model had become boring, impersonal & mechanical.

Ann McCreath from Kiko Romeo

 

 Organic Waldorf Doll By SewnNatural

IMM Cologne believes that as a result of the financial crisis people are questioning what it is they need to live well. This is leading to the emergence of simplistic, formal or severe designs that combine the basic and old with the modern and the high-tech.

Interior Trends 2011 was recently released by IMM Cologne

Natural Gemstone Cluster by ThePeachTree

Whenever we feel as consumers that the time is right for paring down, we focus on simple designs and simple, warm colors. Plain metals and eco friendly materials: wood, bone, simple and soft semi- precious stones with Earth colors and a simple palette will prevail for 2011.

Lisa Jesse (Lisa Jesse has the #1 website on Google for trend prediction)

lulubugjewelry: he(art) and mind

Lulubug’s jewelry shop on Etsy has 3568 sales in under 2 1/2 years. Her median price point is $71. She demonstrates how a true studio artisan succeeds on Etsy, and flies in the face of many of those old long standing myths that success means selling lots of small quickly assembled components. I interviewed Sue to find out how her uniquely forged path has unfolded, with the intention that we can learn from this talented artisan and businesswoman.

With 1,642,653 jewelry listings on Etsy, Sue’s work stands out because she has learned unusual techniques:

I currently work in PMC (precious metal clay) which is a relatively new material composed of silver particles in a clay binder, which you form and then fire in a kiln. The clay burns off, the particles fuse and you end up with a .999 silver object.

I had heard about PMC and always wanted to try it, so when I saw a workshop being offered nearby in 2007 I signed up for it. Much like the first jewelry classes I took, I felt like I had found my medium, and within a couple of months had set up a little studio in my living room.

She concentrates on new designs  rather than promotion of her shop, and tracks to see which ideas are marketable:

 

Q: How do you promote your Etsy shop?
I'm not much of a self promoter. I post most of my new designs on my Facebook fan page, I have a very neglected blog, I read but rarely post in the Etsy forums, and I'm always thinking that I should be making more treasuries than I do. About the only thing I really do consistently is renew items, usually at least 10 a day plus relisting sold items.

 

What I do focus on is my product development. Selling on Etsy gives you feedback on new ideas much more quickly than traditional brick and mortar sales. Using Craftcult I can see which items get viewed the most and draw people into my shop, as well as which things may not get the most views but sell consistently. I keep an eye on Etsy trends, and when one speaks to me I'll use it as inspiration for new pieces, but I don't follow all of them. Hence some new fox pieces, but no mustaches! The one thing that is certain is you NEVER can predict what will sell well. When I come up with a whole new concept, I will make 4-6 new designs and watch them closely. If they get a lot of views or sell quickly, I'll build on the concept and add more designs. If neither happens, I let the idea go, even if I love it and think it's great. This way I build up a product line of successful sellers, but I keep adding new ideas to the mix. I read the Etsy forums very regularly, and I rarely hear anyone say to work on changing your products if sales are down. For me this is the first thing to do. I've learned not to take it personally when the design I think will sell like hotcakes is a total dud! There really is no telling what is going to sell well, so I just put it out there and watch what happens, and base future designs on that information.

Sue’s response to this question reveals a great deal:

Q: Do you think that artists are born, or made?
Both! I think we all have creativity inside us, it's just a matter of finding the best medium in which to express it. Some artists will be better than others, but I think anyone who has the desire can learn the techniques and create something meaningful.

She respects the value of hard work and education while still following the call of her inner creative beacon.

Bravo, Sue of lulugjewelry! I appreciate your time in sharing this and trust that other creatives will, too.

Wishing you all a successful journey today!

Creative Weddings

My niece, Cionne, was married on 6/27, under a beautiful hand built outdoor huppa in Chicago. Before I get all sentimental and philosophical, here’s a few pics of our family enjoying Chi town and the reception:

  

So today, Kelly and James dropped by to pick up the gifts ordered from their bridal registry. Here is the set they now own- 10 place settings of my Beach Cottage:

They shared some lovely pics from their wedding, with chic creative flourishes, all handmade, or purchased on Etsy. I am loving this trend towards creative weddings!

 

I loved James’ pinwheel buttonniere, purchased from rule42.  And look at the adorable handmade flower girl tutus!

I love how individual style is the rule these days. I wish both couples all the happiness that their hearts can hold. It’s such an honor to be a part of someone’s wedding- as a guest, and as the maker of their dinnerware, too!

MarciG in Seventeen Magazine

Marci is featured in the June issue of Seventeen Magazine, in an article on teens who started their own business. Feature writer Farnoosh Torabi found Marci’s Etsy shop, MarciG, in February, along with many other possible teens on Etsy. She took her time and answered the interview questions thoroughly, telling her story of how she started her Etsy shop as a business after getting turned down for summer jobs last year. Marci’s writing skills undoubtedly helped catch Seventeen’s interest.

Since publication, Marci has had many sales to Seventeen readers, including a mom of a 12 year old who was reading Seventeen with her daughter. She’s gotten lots of fan mail from other teens asking about how they might get started.

Besides fame and fortune, the article gives Marci a unique endorsement of her accomplishments as she applies to colleges. Creativity and entrepreneurial skills are not measured by SAT scores, and this helps show where some of Marci’s talents live. 

Marci turned 17 on May 20, and was published in Seventeen on May 29th. I hope that her year brings more happiness and success, and you must know how proud I am to watch this beautiful flower of a girl unfold.

May Flowers: Poppies

Roxanna, of Illuminated Perfume, has organized a blogorama on the theme of May Flowers, as a celebration of May Day. Please join in the fun for daily reads from writers and artists coming together from all parts of the world with their own unique voice. I’ve chosen poppies.

Who has never marveled at the audacity of raging color, an invitation to abandon sorrow and give in to giddy happiness?

    Orange Poppy Bowl by MarciG
Who has never touched the delicate petals and thought of them as a  lace spun from the heart of magic?
 
         Icelandic poppy by TheFaerieMarket
Poppies are associated with remembrance, with war or peace, with the solemn sorrows of loss. And yet to me they are a call to awakening. And that beckoning towards an unreasonable intoxication, a joyful delight, is a kind of holiness.

         Felted Skirt by Ingermaaike
Each summer they open. No matter how harsh the winter, no matter how many died, they push forth and unfurl as if waving taunting bright flags. Death is not final! And sorrow cannot keep joy from showing it's face again!

MarciG’s flowers

 

                                              

Marci G

at work

I love Marci’s new flower bowls. They have evolved from a bowl that looks somewhat like a flower to flowers that contain the idea of a bowl.

I started in clay as sculpture and transitioned to functional work. Marci’s path is the reverse.

Connection #4

The brilliant woman behind the Etsy shop, marysgranddaughter, stopped by my home and studio when she was in my town. Cindy met with her publisher in Asheville, and came with her beautiful daughter and mom. They were also touring an NC college, which makes her Connections series exquisitely autobiographical. As she writes in her description

"This series explores the connection between mother and daughter and the equally joyful and painful process of a child getting ready to leave home.

"Connection no. 4 is embroidered in slate and plum and dusty olive on beautiful homespun linen that is between 80-120 years old. There is a red and blue thread connecting the hearts of the two women symbolizing that no matter how far apart they are their profound connection remains."

I love the metaphors in her pieces- the threads that connect, the separate frame for each woman, the arm which extends in 3D. She has caught the power of presence  in her folk art style of rendering her figures, chosen a media passed down from her grandmother, and creates conceptual pieces in a sophisticated contemporary vein.

Our visit was way too short! My daughter is the same age as hers, we share similar experiences in our art and marketing, and I loved her descriptions of her hometown of Gainesville, Fl. I hope to have the privilege of spending more time with this talented artist and new friend.

The internet can seem so unreal; impersonal. I have a new sense of what makes human connections, and of how our individual stories live in each other.

Touched Creatively

I was selected for the Fall issue of Touched Creatively, a new online and print mag by the talented editor, Jodi Ulschmid. At her request, I wrote a short article about what inspires me as a clay artist. It reads a lot like my blog here, only more in depth, less rambling, and sans typos!

Here is her concept:

The purpose of this magazine is to form connections and networks, to inspire

individuals of possibilities within their lives, to encourage creativity and promote

the handmade community. I want to give emerging artists exposure for their

amazing talents, promote their on-line shops, and offer support for following their

dreams. Art comes in a variety of forms and is made with special meanings,

whether it is in the process or the end product, there is always a story to be told.

I want to share these inspiring stories to form a connection between the viewer,

artist, and handmade creation so a special meaning will always be remembered.

You can preview the issue for free here. It is quite affordable for a high quality mag (only $5.17 til the end of the month!), and also available as a download for only $1.89. The layouts are gorgeous, and i can't wait to get my printed copies!

One reason I'd go to Hotlanta

I'm a big fan of chARiTyelise, who makes the extraordinary hand built textured trays and jewelry on Etsy. What I love best about her work is the unusual and quite sophisticated way that she uses color. It's bright, it's bold, but it's never garish. She's just opened a tea house in Atlanta called TahCha, and I'm captivated by the way that her sense of color and texture translated into her restaurant design. I tell you, it's just genuis!! Look at her FlickR photos and marvel at the sheer amount of color and art flowing through the room, which maintains a serene and uncluttered feel.

I also read some of her restaurant reviews, and it made me want to make a road trip to Hotlanta! Iced black tea with coconut in it. Strawberry/Lemongrass tea. English breakfast cupcake. Raspberry tarts. And the one that really rings my bell- basil lemonade.

Three artists

These vine silver earrings are made by Anakim in Tel Aviv. I can see the years spent as a graphic designer in Anakim's jewelry. Each piece has this stark simplicity and meticulous craftmanship. As her bio says, "Living in a country located at a crossroads of diverse cultures, history and landscape, and as a constant traveler throughout the world, I'm inspired by people, scenery, local aromas, colors and shapes."



Veroque is another Israeli jewelry artist with a very unique style. How can you not LOVE her Volcano bead woven pendant!!!! I've tried a bit of bead weaving, and can so appreciate the hours and skill that went into this beautiful creation. I especially love how Vered's pieces have strong colors that work successfully by nuetral surrounds. Her bio says, "Beads and needlework tap into my inner peace and I hope I can share that with you." Shalom!



Cocoa Ocean, by sharonclancydesigns, has exquiste Peruvian blue opals and faceted smoky quartz gemstone beads, with a hammered silver chain. I can see the influence of Sharon's Sedona, Az home in her work; each piece is breathtakingly beautiful. I've priced gemstones for my own creations and think that the quality of materials and craftsmanship offered by Sharon Clancy designs is unsurpassed at her Etsy prices!

These are three jewelers whose shops I check often, and you'll see their work repeatedly in the treasuries I curate on Etsy. It is like a journey into an enchanted inner landscape to look through their new works, or to revisit older favorites. These are women who chose carefully and knowlegably, whose work has a radiance within. I am dazzled but not assaulted by the sparkle, and this is the true artistry of jewelry. It is easy to make something pretty, but to make something of true beauty, the piece must hint that behind all outer beauty there is a unifying inner light. A true work of art always has that quality of something deeper.

Kindness

Since my world came crashing in late last October, as my husband lost his job, I've been privileged to see a quality of humankind that I hadn't noticed as poignantly before. Many, many, many people are kind. I don't mean nice, which here in the south can mean having the grace not to say what you really think. I mean having a thoughtful, sensitive nature that offers whatever this world has given to you freely to others.

As Naomi Shahib Nye wrote, in her poem, Kindness (excerpts):

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
...........................................
Before you know kindness
as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow
as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness
that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day
to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you every where
like a shadow or a friend.

I posted on a thread yesterday, entitled 'Out of work? I'll buy something', started by VintageCarolina, whose alphabets are posted above. It was a generous offer, and what particularly prompted me to post was the expressed sentiments of some that "you've just opened up the door to more sob stories than any human should have to endure." and " I thought Etsy was some sort of loser magnet." I thought I'd stand up for myself and the other millions of families who are dealing with unemployment. So I posted:

'For Bruce, and any others who feel like they are reading sob stories from losers, read this:

http://thebeautyyoulove.blogspot.com/2009/04/spring-snow.html

We did not become losers or pathetic people when my husband lost his job, in my opinion. That you see it that way says everything about you and nothing about me.'

------Then left the computer. Hours later, having forgotten about this altogether, I had 3 sales in my shop! They were all from lovely Etsy sellers who had read the thread. My other two customers are hwinfield, an amazing abstract painter with beautiful triptichs, and jetflair, a jeweler working with high quality gemstones set in silver.

Thanks to these people for making a difference in my life- and to eachbeautiful soul out there who shines the light of kindness. May you all get back whatever you give through kindness tenfold! As well as the really sweet pieces of pottery that you will soon be recieving!

Etsy noticed

I made the Front Page of Etsy in a list made by Etsy admin. It feels good to know that out of hundreds of thousands of shops, one of my pieces actually stood out and got noticed! My piece is bottom center- my two mugs with large handles. I've been working really hard at revising my old copy and tags, and have even reshot some of my photos. This is like a signpost saying "Yes, you are going the right way!"

Unfolding

Whitney Smith opened a Pandora's box with her blog post, The Double Edged Sword of Etsy, in which she wrote about how she took action regarding another Etsy hobbyist potter who is copy catting her work. With 35 comments now posted, and a spillover discussion onto the Etsymudteam thread spanning 30 pages, about the only noncontroversial thing to be said is that this is a hot topic with indignation, passion, defensive stances, and lines in the sand. (I made my soapbox stand here, bottom of page, as OneClayBead, if you are interested).

The subtext that causes so much controversy is in how we use the word 'inspiration.' If I say 'I am inspired by Martin Luther King', it means that I want to become as much like him as possible, and we generally think of this as a good thing. I want the things that I do to look like the things that he did, and that, too, is a viewed as a good thing. There is a messy carry-over from this to saying that I am inspired by Whitney Smith, or a particular piece that Whitney made, and so I want to make pieces of pottery just like hers, or so rawly derivative of hers that they are knock-offs.

To think like this is to interfere with a process of unfolding that takes place within every artist if you let it. There is a source inside you that drives you to create, to make something, to rearrange pencils on a table even, until they are just right, and the whole thrill and payoff from being an artist is to let that unfolding happen. Pottery is only fun when I'm lost in becoming myself.

This iris ^ may look somewhat like the one next to it when it reveals itself down to the anther hidden within, but the beauty and splendor of nature are in infinite variables, of an evolution from one generation or season to the next.

There was a time period of 2 years when I cancelled subscriptions to pottery mags, and refused to let my eyes linger on other artist's work. It is when my unfolding began.

little shoes

Little handmade felt shoes! What is it that pulls me irresistibly towards tiny shoes? Is it a memory of the first steps, a metaphor, perhaps, for all the journeys begun with innocence and wobbly courage? I don't truly know. But these shoes made by Humblebea make me smile every time, no matter how tense or brooding my mood has been before I've stumbled into their view.

to celebrate Earth Day

There are Earth Day celebrations everywhere I go. I love living at a time when people are coming together to understand, celebrate, and protect the interconnectedness of each precious life on planet Earth. Here are some of the most wonderful photographers I've found recently. Each honors the life around them by their precise attention. And the last is an excerpt from the poetry diva Mary Oliver.

Enjoy!

by Milemarker

by Everyday Moments

by Gary Heller Photography

From Mary Oliver, the Summer Day:

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?

WANTED: specialists in the impossible

I named my first ever Etsy treasury You KNOW You WANT IT!!! (As Much As I Do!!). I had an unexpected reward for doing this seemingly selfless act of promoting other people's much deserving work. Besides the obvious result- the satisfaction of seeing my patchwork project online- I was so touched by the thank-yous I got from the artists. Some let me know that they had been in a bad place of discouragement, and felt lifted up by my simple act of acknowledgment. I thought about how badly we all need encouragement from time to time, how a few words or gestures can make a difference for someone else, and how easy it is to offer. I also wondered if artists are more prone to the ill effects of discouraging words, and I think this may be true.

Think of the goals that we encourage in children. A child who says "I will be president someday" is praised as if it were practical and a wise choice. Whereas a child who says 'I want to be an artist' is immediately told how impractical and nearly impossible that is. Yet there are hundreds of professional artists in every city right now, and only 44 US presidents in 200 years.

It takes more positive words to counteract all the negative ones we've recieved. I'd like to know your thoughts on this, too.

Here is some manna for any parched creative souls out there:

Art provides a healing force which aids both the maker and the viewer-
Richard Newman

Being an artist means not numbering and counting but ripening like a tree, which doesn't force its sap, and stands confidently in the storms of spring, not afraid that afterward summer may not come.
Rainer Maria Rilke

What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible.
Theodore Roethke

(Please take a moment before Tues to visit and click on the artists in my Treasury. Spread a little of the good stuff today, please!)

Pricing Handmade Work Successfully

Pricing art and handcraft can be as confusing as reading the small print from your stock broker....no wait....nothing can be as confusing as that. Maybe it's more like parenting- confusing because we all eventually come up with our own unique way of doing it. While my way is not the only way to do it, I'm managed to earn a fair living as an artist, including 8 years as a single mom, so it works for me. Pricing art can be maddening because art is worth what people will pay for it. But if you haven't sold anything before, how do you know what they'll pay for it????

Start by finding similar pieces in places that have a good sales track record. Established galleries, boutiques, or Etsy stores with good sales are great places to look. Note the highest to lowest prices, and find a median price. That should be your Bread-and-Butter price. Price anything that you want to make in multiples, or large sets, at that price.

When the demand for your work at Bread-and-Butter prices exceeds what you are capable or willing to make, raise the price in 10% increments, until you have the cash flow that is right for you. For instance, I want my Bread-and-Butter work to pay my yearly expenses, and leave me with half my workday to experiment, or make One-of-a-Kind (OOAK) pieces. Because I want so much free time, I keep my Bread-and-Butter prices low. That way, there is always a high demand, and I have a steady income stream.

I price my OOAK pieces (experiments that turned out really really good) with the advice of trusted gallery buyers. They live in a mysterious world- just let them do their thing!

My third category of work is samples. These are experimental pieces that are prototypes for my Bread-and-Butter line, and I price them 25-40% below retail. Here are some examples of mine on Etsy.

I said another confusing word, there- retail... I know....the whole retail price, and wholesale price is like trying to pretend you understand your kids' New Math. Galleries mark up your price by 100%- 120%. If you think you can't possibly cut your price in HALF, well, you may not realise how much time you spend selling. I know that I didn't! If you are selling wholesale for the first time, look at raising your retail prices, buying supplies wholesale, and developing production methods. Some combination of this WILL work for you. And set a Wholesale Minimum. Mine is $450. A gallery must buy at least $450 at one time to get the wholesale price. Most of my galleries order $1200 at one time, so I only have to make a few sales a month. $1200 wholesale = $2400 retail, so if you are selling on Etsy, think of the time it takes you to list, pack, and ship that much work, and you may begin to think of selling wholesale as more doable.

The above bean pot is $26 wholesale, $52 my retail (100% markup of wholesale), and $58 gallery retail (120% markup of wholesale).

I wish you great success in all your creative endeavors, especially if you are trying to find a way to make a living being creative. I will answer all questions if you leave a comment.

New Works

These came out of my kiln this morning, just in time to show to one of my favorite buyers. Her word for this turquoise glaze was "tranquil." I'm really liking it. The ikebana vase may have to stay on my dining room table awhile. I like to live with a few of my new pieces before they get sold. I have 1 month before I develop this glaze into a new line of work and my head is swimming deliriously with ideas.
So what do you think? I love the turquoise by itself the best, and in combo with the yellow and earthtones, but I'm not as crazy about the turquoise and white. Don't quite know why.