FAQ: Experimental Pieces, Prototypes,and Seconds

A. EXPERIMENTAL PIECES: I was never a great production potter because my mind, hands, and heart drift into unknown territory when left to their own devices. Strict replication over endless hours doesn’t appeal to me. A case in point: while making a Raven and the Halloween Moon luminary, this owl slipped in almost on its own. Other experiments are more intentional, like trying out new materials or techniques, mixing glaze tests, or gathering objects to see what kind of textures they make as stamps. I devote at least 5 hours a week to this kind of playful experimentation.

B. PROTOTYPES: Out of the chaotic creativity of experiments come ideas that I want to explore in more depth. Prototypes are made in small series with minor differences over a period of several weeks or months. I first try out different glazes and shapes that may not be repeated, and then work on perfecting the balance and function. Now in prototype are Arabesque, the Fox Casserole, and Nebula. I sell these pieces both in my Saturday Sale and Sale section on Etsy, raising the price incrementally. Once I am sure what the market price should be, I decide whether it is worth my time to continue that prototype as a new series. If so, it is listed for sale exclusively on my website at LeeWolfePottery.com. You can check New in 2014 for the latest pieces. My newest pieces are always at the best prices for first quality work. The more popular something becomes, the more the price rises.

If you are looking for a piece that used to sell on Etsy, it may be available on my website- be sure to check. Here are the website’s categories:

bowls

casseroles

dinnerware

goblets and mugs

keepsake box

luminary

ornaments

planters and vases

platters and trays

soap dish

wedding

C. SECONDS: Seconds are flawed or intended as a set but mismatched in some way. The issue can be as minor as a small glaze bubble, slight warp, or teeny crack or major issues such as large cracks, glazes that have run off the pot so that bottoms require repair, or large bare spots. Seconds have a charm of their own and I often like the quirky pieces even more for their peculiarities. Still, I sell them for significantly less than firsts. If you want to catch these bargains, like me on Facebook where sales are pre-announced, check my Saturday Sale and SALE section on Etsy.

Thanks for your interest!

Battle of the bowls

My eye is drawn to pattern and so the flower shaped bowl, with its complex symmetry, has become a signature form. The second bowl is the flower bowl just before the rim is altered into the waves. Something inside me has been wanting to stop there. So, in the middle of my busiest season, I took  time out to throw 4 of each.

There is no clear winner yet. The flower bowls sold out faster but those who bought the round ones loved them a lot.

When you love pottery as I do, certain pieces appear as if I've been searching for them a long time only I've just remembered that I lost it. They feel both utterly new and utterly familiar all at once. Both bowls evoked this type of reaction, so I don’t know if I should choose just 1 to continue, even though that is far more practical.

Which do you like better?

New Works

Love Birds Luminary

When snow falls deep and fat in January, i give myself time to experiment. I’m trying out some new glazes, and this one above, Rust, has some great possibilities. It has that organic woodland feel that I have been pursuing the last few years.

Birds Nest casserole

I also reformulated my cobalt blue glaze, made it more opaque, and lighter. Here it is on a casserole.

Bird Yunomi

And here it is on a tea bowl (yunomi),

under Flow (a glaze that creates fluid flowing).

 

Here’s another glaze I plan to use this year: Root Beer Brown

Bee Yunomi

I’m working on a few new designs, too. Today I made a few soap holders, which will have doves, ravens and owls. It’s important for me to take this time to work without a rigid schedule. Some days I've just read and not worked in the studio at all. It feels so luxurious! November and December were 80 hour work weeks so this is a nice balance.

A Whole New World

I dragged my "vintage" table, lightbox made of a cardboard box and tissue paper, and point and shoot camera outside on a beautiful balmy day to photograph some new pieces. I think I'm getting somewhere with my homestyled setup. These look pretty darn near to what I used to pay $20 an image for.

They are all tagged, described, and listed in my Etsy shop, if you are interested. I was up until 4 a.m. photoshopping, resizing, catalogueing, and uploading. Ack! When you read all those articles about Etsy's success, they never mention that you must be a near pro photographer, copywriter, language specialist, and techno whiz to participate! Or that you'll fall so in love with everyone else's work! Or that it will completely change the context you have for what it means to be a maker of handmade things.