Playing Favorites

There are certain dishes and serving pieces in my kitchen that get repeated use. I’ve made some of them and have purchased others from craft shows, clay artists or galleries. I’m curious about why I constantly reach for and use certain dishes. I think there are several reasons.

I like the size:

I made this bowl in 2002 when I was using the potters wheel and a different glaze technique at a community studio. It was one of the few 'bright' colors available. It's the perfect serving size for any side dish I've made for a meal.

 I like the color:

This color combination of Red underglaze and Bluebell glaze makes me happy. I reach for this bowl for my daily morning cereal or yogurt and granola!

I like the shape:

I bought this fun mug at a craft show from Sarah McCarthy. I just love its unique shape in addition to it's wonderful glaze technique. When I'm not using one of my own mugs, I reach for this one.

It’s a reminder:

I recently received this bowl in a trade with another potter. Each time I use it, I'm not only reminded of the potter and incredible food blogger, Deb Bernstein that created it -- but I'm also grateful for the generosity of the clay community I'm lucky to be part of.

It’s functional:

This salt cellar sits next to my cook top. It's such a simple design. I use it constantly to add a pinch of salt to my recipes. I'm working on making more of these in the studio now.

I want to hear about your go-to pieces in your kitchen. It doesn't have to be one I made.  I want to make what you like to use on a daily basis and for entertaining. When you send in the form, you'll receive a thank you gift from me for your effort! Click on photo to submit your feedback!

Watch and Learn

I’m a visual learner. It’s the best way for me to acquire a new skill, remember it and then begin to practice it. The Internet is a whole new resource for learning this way through video tutorials on any topic you can imagine. My phone and computer are now an integral part of accessing new information. When I teach, demonstrations are always the center of a lesson. Talking and written handouts are important tools to reinforce new lessons, but showing how a technique is accomplished helps it become intuitive for students.

I often demonstrate my own hand-building process at galleries and shows. First, it’s an icebreaker and opens the door for people to engage and learn a little bit about pottery. Non-artists are drawn to see (and touch) and watch how a pot is made. Artists like to ‘talk shop’, observe and swap ideas. In both cases, people walk away with a new appreciation for the clay-making process and a new connection to the artist behind the craft.

This coming week I’ll be demonstrating how I make what I call a ‘split bowl’ through an internet feed called Periscope and in person at The Muse in Frederick, Md. in honor of National Craft Month. I use the split bowl technique as a base for many of my finished pieces. They are fun to make and a great shape to demonstrate.

Click on the Periscope logo above to check out this resource and download the App for yourself! Periscope provides live broadcast streaming and additional viewing for a 24 hour period. Viewers can interact by texting in to the show while it's live. Its a great way to showcase skills and interact with an audience near and far.  I will air my first broadcast this Wednesday at 10 am EST. You'll be able to watch how I create a split bowl, ask questions and see my studio.

For those of you living nearby, I'll be at The Muse in downtown Frederick, Md. on Saturday showing the same split bowl process. I'd love to have you stop by, say hello and watch as I create. The Muse will showcase a variety of artists demonstrating their process throughout March in honor of National Craft Month.

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Little Things Make a Big Difference

Shopping these days just isn’t like it used to be. (I can hear my mother coming out of my mouth!) But the truth is, the way we shop now is completely different from ‘way back in the day’ when I was growing up. Now it’s easy to search, click and purchase without leaving home. There are HUUUUGE outlets to buy at a discount or in bulk. Stores are open 24/7.

All these options lack one of the shopping experiences that I miss the most – personal connection. Sure, it might be easier to find what you are looking for and pay the minimum amount for it, but the valuable interaction between a sales person/shop keeper and buyer is missing.

I think the recent movements to buy local produce from farms, support small boutiques in your neighborhood and purchase crafts straight from the maker are an effort to re-establish this connection in our fast-paced world. When you interact with the people directly responsible for the items they sell – growing them, making them or selecting them for their shops – it changes the purchase experience and makes it personal.

Selling my clay art in person is the best. I get to meet people, see how they interact with my pottery, talk and develop a bond. When my pieces are sold in other shops and galleries, I rely on the pottery to attract a buyer, include a short story about the piece with a hang tag and trust the salesperson to help seal the deal. On the internet – it’s a whole new ball game and I’m still tweaking this interaction to make transactions happen.

To make a sale online, I rely on photos and words to create the customer connection to my clay art and to me. Capturing just the right balance is a work in progress. Luckily, on the internet it's easy to find fantastic examples of great product photography and tons of tutorials on making a sale. Attracting people you don't know to make a purchase is a matter of communicating and making a personal connection.

Attention to detail is key for continued sales success online. Making sure the product matches the photo and description goes without saying, but follow through, quickly responding to emails, answering questions and even providing added value to the sale all contribute to building success.

I often include little extras – like recipe cards – to add value to a ClayByLaura purchase. I've found this additional detail provides another layer of personal connection. People often tell me how they use one of my pieces on a regular basis and how it makes them feel good -- that's the ultimate compliment and best connection I could hope for. Now I just need to figure out how to capture that sentiment and spread it to new and potential ClayByLaura customers 'out there.'

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to grow. Please tell your friends and family about ClayByLaura by signing them up to receive regular notifications from the studio!

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Take Note

I started writing this weekly studio diary about 3 years ago. Throughout my life, I have kept private notes of events and special activities. These written triggers help me remember the past more clearly when I read back and revisit those words. When I began this journal, my goal was to document the artistic process I experience and share it with my friends and customers so they would gain some understanding of who I am and what I do in the studio. So, writing down and recording my creative time in words and photos has now become a natural part of my weekly routine. 

Tumblers are a new shape I'm developing in the studio.

My memory is not my strongest attribute. I readily admit that. But, when I can look back at pictures and written reminders, I can revisit the past easily and continue to share it with others. 

I completed the set of dishes I have been working on in the studio. I'm happy with the results!

This blog is my attempt to share a slice of time with the reader. Hopefully, you’ll gain insight into the time and creative effort that goes into the clay art made in the studio. Sharing the process on a regular basis has helped me refine and define what I love to do. I go and create in my studio because it makes me happy. By sharing this diary of my studio time, I hope to communicate that joy and hopefully inspire the readers own creative juices.

Despite the fact that snow and cold seem to be lingering, I know that Spring is just around the corner. If you'd like to create your own wind chime for your garden, check out the craft class schedule at The Muse in Frederick, Md. I'll provide the materials, you bring along your creativity!

Another goal of the blog is to spark ClayByLaura sales. Maybe you have a special gift to purchase or desire a clay creation for yourself. By showing you what I make, how I create it and the type of pieces that are possible, you'll remember to visit the ClayByLaura website next time you want to make a purchase.

I'm experimenting with creating some new baking/serving dishes. I'll continue to play with size, shape and the handles in the coming weeks. Here's one of my first attempts.

Finally, I'd like this blog to inspire and pay creativity forward. I encourage you to take notes, snap pictures and keep track of your memories. It does not have to be formal or complicated. Begin by writing one sentence a day on your calendar. I think you'll like it!

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Got Heart?

Valentine's Day is less than a week away. I like this particular holiday because it gives me an opportunity to remind people in my life how much I care about them. I may not remember every anniversary or birthday, so Valentine's Day is my chance to reach out to friends and family with a message of love. Plus it often includes chocolate. What could be better??? Hearts have been an ongoing theme in my clay creations. So here's my Valentine gift to you: receive FREE SHIPPING when you purchase a ClayByLaura item with a heart this week for your Special Someone. Flowers eventually wilt and chocolate gets eaten, so consider a gift that lasts far beyond February 14 as a continual reminder of your love. 

I've been working on some new promotional print materials in the studio this past week. I combined my signature logo and the family typewriter where I first learned the keyboard to create the type that will be used on new printed recipe cards and product hang tags.

A week in the studio often involves more than making items out of clay. My computer, phone and camera have also become integral tools for my creative routine. I enjoy the clay time the most, and I’m learning as I go to hone the other important skills utilizing electronics and social media as best I can. It’s a required balance of making and promoting a clay/creative business these days. I learned some new tricks with Photoshop thanks to the patient guidance of fellow clay artist Lyndsay Meiklem and shot numerous product photos in my studio light box to get just the right photo for my new print designs. 

I fired a glaze kiln this week containing some tray and bowl sets and several new items like tumblers.

I've been experimenting with the use of a single color on my pieces. I apply an underglaze to the clay before it is fired and use a wet sponge to wipe some away. After it is fired once, I apply a clear glaze with either a shiny or matte finish. I like how the color pools in the stamped areas as well as showing the marks of the canvas I use to flatten the clay in the slab roller. I feel this portrays the making process in every finished piece.

Of course I've been working on my own Valentine's Day gifts too! I'm using colorful paper clips to create the kickstand for the heart photo frames I made. They'll be in the mail later this week.

There's a piece of my heart in every ClayByLaura creation I make. Over the years, I think my clay creations have revealed this passion more and more as I've found and developed my artistic voice. My goal is to share this enthusiasm with you!

Who Are You?

There are many, many potters making pots in the world. As I’ve explored the business side of clay and listened to other clay artists' experiences through interviews and podcasts, there are numerous similarities in our transition from passion for this medium to making it into a profession.

Once we’ve made an abundance of pottery pieces and gifted them to family and friends, someone inevitably asks us to make them something special and offers to pay for it. ‘Light bulb moment.’ From there, the business journey often begins for many of us and the question, “Who Are You?” becomes important on several levels.

Finding your own personal voice in clay -- your style -- is a guide for creating a specific body of work to sell. Defining who you are through your art is part of the path of this journey. Type of clay, style, shape, form, technique, glaze and color choice all influence the final outcome of clay art. All these creative choices help make each potter’s work unique to them. It can be a fluid development as skills improve, new choices are explored and creative decisions change. As an artist, it’s a good question to keep asking. "Who are you?"

I seem to be making lots of neck warmers these days. They are useful, fun and fast to knit. I made the mug in this photo in 1981. The yarn bowl was made in 2015. I love seeing the history of my clay journey in the pieces I've created along the way. I'm glad I signed and dated each one. It helps me identify the past year's pots that have lead me to the present.

On the flip side, when art becomes a business, artists also start to ask “Who Are You?” about our customers. Why are people drawn to our creations enough to pay money for them? There are analytics to determine the specific demographics to this question. But I think with purchasing art, there is also a binding emotion that plays into a purchase.  A buyer connects to us on a personal level. And since many clay creations are functional, there is a useful application for the purchase.

Many of my friends have also become my customers. They know me and they know what I make. There is a connection there. Taking my creations into the world through craft fairs, private home shows, galleries and the internet has opened up another avenue for sales. In this case, I don’t necessarily know the purchaser.  I rely on my clay creations to communicate who I am to make the connection resulting in a sale. And sometimes, I'm lucky to have my customers become my new friends!

With A Nod To Mother Nature

The winter weather we experienced this past weekend along the Eastern Seaboard is one of those storms that is hard to fully appreciate until you are living through it. I’ve weathered snow, rain, blizzards, a small hurricane and even a derecho in my lifetime, but the appropriately named Blizzard of 2016 called Jonas – has been jaw-dropping. So what does this have to do with art or clay? The simple answer is: nothing and everything.

I finished one mitten and have begun the second.

The storm did not deter me from my regular routine. I was able to continue to create in my studio and sit by the fire and knit even while three feet of snow (give or take) fell and the winds whipped outside for about 36 hours straight.

When the sun finally came out, and we could venture past our driveway (which has been continuously shoveled by my husband and ‘snow-blowed’ by our next door neighbor throughout the storm), the reality of limited movement in deep snow was quickly evident. Even snowplows were getting stuck so only a patchwork of moveable paths are available for maneuvering. It’s going to take days to dig out completely. During this sort of crisis, people –-neighbors –- band together and the community spirit is in full force.  Walking the dog has led to numerous conversations with neighbors I’ve never met before.

So back to the connection between nature, art and clay.  I have an affinity for achieving an organic feeling to my clay creations. When I first learned to throw pots on a wheel, I worked to eliminate any evidence of finger marks on the clay. There was rigidity in my pieces. But I liked the more natural shapes that I saw and aspired to interpret that in my own pieces. Once I began hand building and loosening my stringent tendencies, I’ve begun to achieve a more natural feel for my finished art.

I've been in the studio working on a new tumbler shape for an upcoming yarn pop-up show in a few months. Here are two prototypes I created based on an idea I had. Once I glazed and fired the one on the right, I realized I wanted to tweak the design. The newer model on the left has a narrower base (easier to hold) and a button on the middle (instead of the top) to act as a thumb rest.

This week, I’m reminded of the power of nature in our lives. It can disrupt our routines and shake us out of our habits. It can help neighbors meet new neighbors. It can band people together with a common goal. Nature is powerful, beautiful and sometimes unpredictable. Reflecting those attributes in my clay art is an ongoing practice.

Strength In Numbers

I’ve been thinking of the value of numbers this week and this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. above sums up the power a group of people can wield for a positive outcome. 

Although the business of clay -- and really any craft for that matter -- boils down to one person creating and communicating through an artistic medium; it really ‘takes a village’ to move that art form into the world. Teachers, students, fellow artists, patrons, shop owners and other artistic promoters all share a hand in the life circle of any artistic endeavor. 

I'm working on a new tumbler shape to sell during a yarn pop-up sale in a few months. It took me several attempts to get to the size, shape and design I desired. After these are fired, I'll continue to tweak with glaze application to achieve a final product. 

Numbers are important to me in the studio, especially if I am developing a new shape. It may take me several attempts to achieve the form I imagine in my head. Risk, failure and ultimately success are all part of the process. Once I achieve a desired outcome, the repetition in making multiples helps refine the process and the artistry. 

I've been working on another project in the studio this week. I'm preparing wind chime pieces for a class I'll teach through The Muse in Frederick, Md. in May. Pieces will be bisque-fired, painted with acrylic colors and assembled with beads and buttons. It will be a fun project!

I’m learning that numbers matter in the business side of clay art as well -- and not just the hard numbers of sales and supplies. Making connections to other artists and art organizations has become an integral part of my journey. Discussions, idea exchange and goal setting with other potters through groups like The Potters Mastermind are helpful in gaining new insight into how other clay artists approach their business. 

This weekend, I joined a trade association called CRAFT (Craft Retailers & Artists For Tomorrow). This group extends my number of art connections, opportunities and education on an even broader scale. It is another great organization of people dedicated to promoting the business of art. I'm looking forward to exploring more new connections I make with this group.

Finally, I'm thankful for the number of customers who purchase and support my art endeavor. Hearing from the many people that are using and enjoying ClayByLaura creations is my ultimate reward.