Etsy Mud Team

MUDDY-SUDS SPRING CHALLENGE and RAFFLE

2008-05-23T08:44:00.002-04:00

▪ ● ▪ MUDDY-SUDS SPRING CHALLENGE and RAFFLE - May 25 through June 1 ▪ ● ▪

Please Join the Etsy Mud Team and the Etsy Green and Clean Guild for our “Spring Themed” dual challenge and raffle. Participants from both teams will choose a word from the list below and create an item that reminds them of or evokes the feeling of that word. Mud Team members will create a soap dish or dispenser, EGCG members will create bar or liquid soap.

Green * Rain * Fresh * Floral * Vibrant * Sprout * Eggs/Babies/Birth * Garden * Sunny/Warmth

Please visit the Etsy Mud Team webite – http://etsymudteam.craft-sense.com – to view all entries and vote for your favorite soap and soap dish or dispenser. Raffle prizes are displayed on our website, as well. Hurry – you don’t want to miss the fun or the chance to win a FREE prize!

▪ ● ▪ No purchase necessary ▪ ● ▪ Void where prohibited ▪ ● ▪ Open to US residents only ▪ ● ▪

Mud 'n' Glass Mother's Day Jewelry Challenge - May 4 through 11

2008-05-03T08:38:00.000-04:00

▪ ● ▪ Please join the Etsy Mud Team and the Lampwork Etc. Street Team for some Mother's Day fun! ▪ ● ▪

Mud 'n' Glass Mother's Day Jewelry Challenge - May 4 through 11

Participating members of each team have created a piece of jewelry for Mother's Day. Please visit the Etsy Mud Team website - http://etsymudteam.craft-sense.com - to view all entries and to vote for your favorite. Your vote will automatically enter your name in a drawing for a free prize!!

EMT Clay Critter Challenge!

2008-03-19T11:15:00.001-04:00

Etsy Mud Team presents –
“CLAY CRITTER CHALLENGE and HIDE & SEEK GAME – March 23 – 30

Please visit our website – etsymudteam.craft-sense.com – and vote for your favorite Clay Critter.

Then join us for a game of HIDE & SEEK. Visit any participating Etsy Mud Team member’s shop and “seek out” the hidden critter. A photo of a clay critter has been hidden in participating Mud Team members’ shops. If you can locate the critter, you will receive a gift with your purchase. Simply include in the comment section of your order the title of the listing or the listing ID number where you found the critter – easy-peasy! A list of participating Etsy Mud Team shops can be found on our website.

This offer is void where prohibited and is open to US residents only.

EMT News

2008-02-28T14:27:00.002-05:00

EMT Post Holiday Sale!

2007-12-30T21:13:00.000-05:00

EMT Mug Swap!

2007-11-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

EMT Autumn Challenge

2007-10-21T00:11:00.000-04:00

EMT Featured Artist!

2007-10-15T08:44:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Mike McDowell of MudPuppy http://mudpuppy.etsy.com .
Click here to read the interview!

And the Teapot Contest Winner is........

2007-10-02T10:33:00.000-04:00

Ginny of GinPins.Etsy.Com!
The contest start on Set 23 and ran through Sept 30.
We had over 14000 views and countless voters!
To see the contest page and check out the other awesome entries click here!

The winners of the Muddy Magnet Give Away are:
MillieDogDesigns
Hurdler4eva
DkPottery
BellaJean
Congratulations and Thanks so much for Voting!

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!

2007-09-30T08:49:00.000-04:00

Name~Jon White

Etsy Shop name/link~oddinq

Any other website URL’s~ www.oddinq.etsy.com www.frontroomgallery.com

Describe yourself (a brief bio)~ I grew up on the north shore of Massachusetts. I studies ceramics at the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA in 1992. After graduation I moved to Portland, Maine and in 1995 started my business Odd Inq Pottery and Tile. In 1997 I moved my business to its current location in South Portland and opened the Front Room Gallery.

How long have you been playing in the mud?~I have been " baking dirt" professionally for 13 years. I would say I have been involved with clay for 27 years.

How did you get involved with clay?~I had loved working with clay since childhood ( like so many of us) however my decision to dedicate myself to the medium was made after taking a handbuilding course at RISD with Annabeth Rosen.

What type of clays and firings do you specialize in?~ The clays I use are earthenware and stoneware, and I fire electric oxidation.

What is your favorite part of the production process? Why?~ I think that like so many, opening the kiln after a glaze firing is very satisfying, when things have gone well. Why? Because it's a culmination of skill and chance.

Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. (Artist statement)~ I make pottery and tile influenced by early 20th century history and aesthetic. I enjoy making things that will be passed on in history, I'm inspired by what we leave behind.

What makes your ceramic art unique?~ I have a specific language that I want to express with my work, everyone has a unique "voice of hand".

What would you like to experiment with more?~ I'm always experimenting, translucent porcelain is the next material that has piqued my interest.

Etsy Mud Team Teapot Challenge!

2007-09-23T00:12:00.000-04:00

The contest is up and running. Click here to enter or vote! Dont forget to leave a comment in the post or on Votigo, to be entered in the
"Muddy Magnet Give-Away"!

Teapot Contest!

2007-09-19T19:55:00.001-04:00

ATTN: Etsy Mud Team Members!

2007-09-17T17:26:00.000-04:00

* September 23 through 30 - TEAPOT CHALLENGE

Team members create a teapot, functional or non-functional, in any media. Teapots will be posted on a contest hosting site for anyone to vote on. The teapot with the most votes wins and the artist will be awarded a teapot generously donated by PhenixPottery. "Voting" will require voters to leave a name and mailing address which will automatically enter the voter in a magnet give-away drawing. Four lucky winners will be chosen randomly from the list of voters. Four participating team member shops will be selected to award the magnet prizes (randomly selected from shops who have volunteered to donate) - these shops will be contacted with a winner's name and shipping address.

TEAPOT photos are to be posted in the Votigo site http://votigo.com/contests/viewallcontests/art/ on September 23. There will be a link to the actual contest posted on the blog. You must join this website to enter the contest. If you have any problems joining the contest you can convo me, JMNPOTTERY on the Etsy site and I will help you in any way I can :) Good Luck!

2007-09-16T09:12:00.001-04:00

Name: Pam McFadyen
Etsy Shop: lurearts - http://lurearts.etsy.com
Blog: http://lureartsceramics.blogspot.com

Describe yourself

I am addicted to anything ceramic and would love to live in my basement studio if I could. I began my career as an artist by falling in love with Oil Painting but have gravitated toward clay ever since my first class in University. I currently teach art and ceramics to highschool students who are quite inspirational but exhausting. I am most productive at 2 am but can only stay up that late during the summers when I am not teaching.

How long have you been playing in the mud?

I have always made stuff but my passion for clay didn’t hit until University about 10 years ago. At first I took classes at local studios but finally bought a wheel and a kiln about 2 years ago.

How did you get involved with clay?

I remember making a clay dog in grade 4 art class but fell in love with it in university while I was getting my degree in Arts Education.

What type of clays and firings do you specialize in?

I mainly use Cone 6 cream stoneware but play with Raku, low fire and porcelain from time to time. I would love a gas kiln but have a little electric one at the moment.

What is your favorite part of the production process? Why?

I love throwing and trimming and of course opening a freshly finished glaze firing. Throwing is fantastic because I am still amazed at what my hands can create. I enjoy trimming for the hypnotic precision of it. I love how my brain turns off when I work with my hands. Its like therapy to me.

Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. (Artist statement)

I am inspired by natural colors and the simplicity of Asian design but I also love the excess of the Baroque and Rococo Periods. Balancing the two sensabilities keeps me creative and interested.

What makes your ceramic art unique?

I would like to think that I stand out for my use of a neutral palet combined with organic and intricate textures. I like to think of my work as Zen. I find that too much color distracts from the form of the work.

What would you like to experiment with more?

I would love to do more slipcasting if I had the space for it. And of course playing with creating new glazes is a bit addictive for me and I never have enough time to really get into it.

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!!

2007-09-09T09:26:00.000-04:00

NameDeb Babcock . My shop is Blue Sky Pottery

Etsy Shop name/link www.dbabcock.etsy.com

Any other website URL’swww.steamboatclayartisans.com -- it’s a group site for the local pottery guild
Describe yourself (a brief bio)
I am married, no children and moved to the mountains of Colorado (7000 ft elev.) from my home state of Michigan (0 ft elev.) in 2000 when my husband and I decided to quit working and start having fun. I spend most mornings hiking in summer; skiing in winter and most afternoons in my pottery studio which has a gallery open to the public when I’m in. (My hours are posted as Open Thursdays and Fridays noon – 5pm; Other Days by Chance.) The gallery contains my work as well as pieces from other potters in the Steamboat area and is visited by local collectors as well as visitors to our tourist town.

How long have you been playing in the mud?I took my first pottery class in 2002 from the local community college, and each summer take one or two workshops, usually at Anderson Ranch in Aspen , Colorado .

How did you get involved with clay?I needed to find something to do when I moved here and began volunteering at the local Arts Council where they offered a training program in the arts. Pottery caught my interest, and there was a local program available.

What type of clays and firings do you specialize in?Now I work mostly in porcelain since I enjoy the smoothness and how bright the glazes look on this body. My firings are electric, cone 5-6. I make most of my own glazes and experiment a lot with layering to achieve the melty richness of gas firings.

What is your favorite part of the production process? Why?It depends on the day and my mood. I love all aspects from throwing and hand-building to texturing on soft clay. All kinds of surface decoration. I love majoilica using pottery stains on bisqued ware. And playing with glazes, layering, wax-resist, sgraffito, etc. I guess I’m all over the board.

Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. (Artist statement)
Most of my work is functional, with the exception of the bird sculptures that I’ve been making lately. I love the idea of people using my pottery in everyday life, and try to make it sturdy and priced so that it isn’t so ‘precious’ that the buyer hesistates using it.

What makes your ceramic art unique?I don’t know…maybe the bright colors. The whimsy found in many pitchers and especially the teapots. Certainly all the handmade aspects – they certainly don’t look machine made, lots of handling and ‘imperfections.’

What would you like to experiment with more?I just started buying some beads and pendants from etsy artists and am starting to incorporate those into my functional pieces…dangling from boxes and vases. I’m sure I’ll discover other ways to decorate my pottery with these pieces.

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!!!

2007-09-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

Name: Cherie Giampietro

Etsy Shop: cdbc (ceramic designs by cherie)

Any other website URL’s: none

Describe yourself: I am a mom of two, and I love to create! When I am not working in my studio, I enjoy gardening, taking care of my many orchids, and outdoor fun with my family. I feel grounded and calm when I am throwing pottery. My yoga practice is essential as well!

How long have you been playing in the mud? I've loved playing in mud since I was a little girl (, but learned to throw in 1994. I wish I had learned much, much sooner!

How did you get involved with clay? I moved to Dover, Delaware from NYC in 1994, and had an apartment next door to the art league. Lonely after the move, I thought I would take a pottery class and fell in love! So much so, that my instructor gave me a key to the door, and I could come and go whenever I found time to work. Thank you Kris! After buying my first home, I made a studio for myself, beginning with a wheel. Now, I find myself in Tallahassee, Florida. I am still using my first wheel, slab roller, and electric kiln, working now out of a little shed with a dirt floor. I am a very happy mudder indeed!

What type of clays and firings do you specialize in: I use a stoneware clay and porcelain fired in an electric kiln. The temperature reached is about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is your favorite part of the production process? Throwing at the wheel, is my most favorite! Forming spouts, knobs, or lids that have a perfect fit are also rewarding. I am often so pleased with the completed form, I am very anxious until it is successfully fired and glazed!

Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. I have always enjoyed trying different forms, so I have many, many styles. I like to create functional as well as more abstract pieces. One constant over the years, has been my surface alterations. Many of my pieces are stamped, impressed, carved, or incised to enhance and compliment their shape. I use objects that are personal to me to make these textures. I use found shells or coral from favorite beaches, a favorite woven shirt I once wore, the raised decoration on my baby spoon, stamps from a market I found in Barcelona, and my own free-hand carvings. I feel that using these personal objects and decorating without a template makes my pieces more "me" and more unique. In this regard, sometimes an oxide wash paired with a metallic glaze over the textured surface is the perfect combination. Other times, I use an oxide or rutile base to interact with the glaze to pool the textured surface.

What makes your ceramic art unique? Because my art is a reflection of me, it is always changing because my likes and dislikes are always changing. I am always challenging myself to try different things, not to be content with what I have already done. I enjoy playing with forms, and I treat each piece as a new canvas.

What would you like to experiment with more? I enjoy mixing my own glazes, but certainly have a lot more to learn!

2007-08-26T08:23:00.000-04:00

1.Name Jessica Sharrah

Etsy Shop name/link Handcrafted Jewelry by Jessica Sharrah (www.jessicasharrah.etsy.com)

Any other website URL’s www.jessicasharrah.firedclayartists.com

Describe yourself (a brief bio) Upon turning 30 – I found my creativity!!! My creativity and supplies have taken over the house, barley leaving room for my wonderful husband and 7 year old son.

How long have you been playing in the mud? Less than a year

How did you get involved with clay? LONG, but interesting story. See my blog – (www.jessicasharrah.blogspot.com) It was a complete accident….or fate.

What type of clays and firings do you specialize in? Earthenware, usually low, fire red clay. Lots of recent experiments with underglaze and raised glaze.

What is your favorite part of the production process? Why? Since my focus tends to be more toward the completed piece, I love the entire process. An idea in my head – mud in my hands – to wearable art!

Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. (Artist statement) Goal and motivation are creating wearable art. I want to create pieces that can be worn, not pieces that wear you! My style is often more simple than intricate because I believe that simple can be breath taking.

What makes your ceramic art unique? Unlike most pottery – you can wear my ceramic art…..ok…seriously…combining a passion for making jewelry and my new found passion for clay is pretty unique.

What would you like to experiment with more? Everything – as $$ permits. I haven’t necessarily found my niche yet….so nearly everything I create is an experiment ☺

BUYER INCENTIVE SALE ♥ ◦ ♥ ◦ ♥ August 27 - August 31

2007-08-19T09:24:00.000-04:00

BUYER INCENTIVE SALE ♥ ◦ ♥ ◦ ♥ August 27 - August 31
Visit any participating Etsy Mud Team shop listed below - Look for the "Buyer Incentive" item - Make your purchase and get the "Buyer Incentive" item FREE!

Purchase requirements vary within shops- please check each shop for details!!

Ant's Pottery ◦◦◦ Averly ◦◦◦Baily Bowls ◦◦◦ Blue Sky Pottery ◦◦◦ Ceramica Botanica ◦◦◦ dgordon ◦◦◦ DK Pottery ◦◦◦ Earth 'N Elements Pottery ◦◦◦ Elm Studios ◦◦◦ GinPin's Shop ◦◦◦ Into The Fire ◦◦◦ Jessica Sharrah◦◦◦JMNPottery◦◦◦ JudyBFreeman ◦◦◦ khphillips ◦◦◦ Montezuma Mudd Pottery ◦◦◦MudPuppy◦◦◦ NKP Designs ◦◦◦ Tara Robertson Pottery ◦◦◦ Vegan Dish ◦◦◦ Vessels & Wares

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!

2007-08-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

Name: Lynn Barnett

Etsy Shop name/link
http://LynnBarnettPottery.etsy.com

Describe yourself (a brief bio)
Lynn Barnett is a ceramic artist who lives in Henderson NV. She and her
husband relocated to the area from Gulfport MS after Hurricane Katrina.
She had a thriving pottery business on the coast and is now building a new
clientele of collectors in the Las Vegas area.

Lynn’s first introduction to making pottery was a wheel class at
George Ohr Museum. From that time on she has been deep in clay. She studied
ceramics at Gulf Coast College. She has continued her studies traveling around the
country to workshops given by well-known ceramic artists such as Kathy
Triplett, Virginia Scothie, Lana Wilson, Michael Sherrill, and Peter Callas.

Lynn’s award winning work has been in many local and national shows.
Her pottery is in private collections across the country.

Lynn produces pottery and sculptures in stoneware, preferring to hand
build rather than throw on the wheel. Although coils are her favorite method of hand building, she also builds pieces working with an extruder and
slabs. She has expanded her body of work to include making beads, pendants,
and jewelry from the clay as well. She finds that working in the clay has a
very meditative quality that is quite relaxing. Lynn’s work is
organic and is inspired by nature.
How long have you been playing in the mud?
I started in clay 13 years ago.

How did you get involved with clay?
I saw an artist throwing pots on the wheel and knew I wanted to play in
the mud.
What type of clays and firings do you specialize in?
Currently I work only work in stoneware, and usually fire to cone 6
electric.
What is your favorite part of the production process? Why?

I enjoy the coiling process. It’s slow but you can build it anyway
you want. I smooth both the inside and outside so you can’t ever tell that it
was coiled.

Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. (Artist statement)
Lately I have been making mostly pendants and beads. I am just starting
to make jewelry with the pendants. They all have lots of texture or
abstract designs. I am enjoying exploring different designs. I’m making
miniature wearable art.
What makes your ceramic art unique?
I think that I have a unique style because I do all hand building and
have a couple of fabulous glazes, especially my red. I do abstract designs
that seem to be popular.
What would you like to experiment with more?
I would like to go really, really large. I don’t have the kiln right
now to go super big but I find it intriguing.

Etsy Mud Team on the Front Page!!

2007-08-15T09:35:00.000-04:00

EMT makes Etsy's front page again! Thanks to CeramicaBotanica for the treasury she created!

Thanks also to Averly, who captured this screen shot :D This picture will be available on our FlickR page.
Keep up the great work team!

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!

2007-08-12T11:10:00.000-04:00

Name:Judi Tavill
2. Etsy Name:juditavill
3. Websites:
www.jtceramics,com
www.juditavill.blogspot.com

4.Describe yourself (a brief bio). (I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1968.
I received a B.F.A. from the Washington University School of Art (in St. Louis, Missouri) in 1990. Formerly I was a fashion and textile print designer, (last job of that career was head designer for Lilly Pulitzer) I live in Rumson NJ. with my husband and my two boys(7 and 10 1/2) When we built our house, I was able to incorporate my studio and kiln into the development¦ so its VERY accessible. I am obsessive at times,,, I love to work,,, I just doâ€¦my kids and husband know this, and for the most part they get it. But, they also know I can always drop what I am doing if they need meâ€¦ and I do.

5. How long have you been playing in the mud? I have been working with clay for about 5 years

6. How did you get involved with clay? After deciding to leave my fashion design career(last position was head designer of Lilly Pulitzer) behind (and having 2 children), I began experimenting with clay while trying to find my voice as an artist beyond my work in fashion and print design. I had started to paint pottery but I wanted the tactile experience of touching and manipulating the medium with my hands. So a friend suggested I take a class and I was hooked.

7. What type of clays and firings do you specialize in? I tend to work with stoneware and porcelain at the cone 5-6 range however, I still do some raku and I tend to play around with different clay bodies for color and texture.

8. What is your favorite part of the production process? I love the entire process except maybe making glazes¦ Its great when I discover a new one I love but I am not in love wit the sieving repeatedly and the outcomes that are gross!!!

9. Describe your current work and your motivations in making it Artist statement)
I tend to stay within the confines of the functional vessel in the bulk of my work. It forces me to face design challenges regarding use as well as beauty. In this way, the creative process is similar to that which I experienced as a fashion designer.. Bringing function and art together is a balance that I strive to achieve. My hope is that the piece has a positive influence on the collector. Whether it brings some sort of joy to the collector simply by its presence or by causing one to see form and color a little differently that day, this completes the creative process for me.

10. What makes your ceramic art unique? Throwing on the wheel allows me to create a custom blank with the right sense of volume and form. My process has evolved by ripping the edge, twisting, cutting, turning, and shifting of the walls. Carving or texturing is the most recent development. I like to create a piece that forces the eye to flow through the piece 3-dimentionally with subtle movement. I also try to bring this feeling to my jewelry work as well.

11. What would you like to experiment with more? I would like to experiment more with unglazed portions of the clay,perhaps working in a looser manner and also creating new and fun uses for the clay!

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!

2007-08-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

Tara Robertson

trpottery http://trpottery.etsy.com
www.tararobertson.com
A committed stay-at-home mother and potter, I create my artwork from my home-studio in my garage. My pottery is mostly hand-built, with vessels painstakingly formed from long coils or slabs of clay pinched together. A single vessel can take days or months to complete.

Inspiration for my work comes from an eclectic array of sources: my active two-year-old, my numerous houseplants, the hills around my house, and friends' work at the lab where I am a teachers’ assistant.

I started seriously working with clay during my first year in college in 2001. With very rare breaks, I’ve been mud-slinging ever since.
I took a ceramics course “just for fun” in college because I had played around a bit with the wheel in high school and thought it would be an easy way to get an arts credit. It was definitely not easy, but I found a new obsession and outlet in clay.
I work with high-fire stoneware and specialize in primitive pit-firing (i.e. putting my pots in a camp-fire with banana peels and miracle grow and watching them burn), and high-fire glazing for functional work.
My favorite part of the process is surface decoration. I adore carving. I could sit with a pot and my favorite wire carving tool for hours. Sometimes I carve very distinct motifs, mostly leaves. Other times, I carve random wavy or angled lines in a repeating pattern. Pottery is a very tactile art form and I love to exploit that by giving my vessels a lot of texture.
I am currently working on two major series: Leaf Pots, and Offspring Sculptural Vessels.

My Leaf Pot series explores the relationship between the organic and artificial elements inherent in the making of pottery. Built of clay and solidified in fire, it is a very natural process. Even so, it is the potter that determines the form and creates the work. This is why I place screws and stamps next to loose, organic leaf carvings and earthy-toned backgrounds. In this way, I juxtapose natural and man-made elements to create a unified whole.

My new Offspring series explores the relationship between parent and child in vessels that, though separate, literally rely on each other for balance and completion.

The funky shapes of my hand-built pieces coupled with hand-carved surface textures make each vessel unique and one-of-a-kind.
This summer, I will be participating in a series of barrel-firing experiments with my local clay organization, Clay Arts Utah. I look forward to trying this exciting finishing technique. The pots will receive no glaze, but instead will be layered in a barrel with salts, metals, and combustible materials, lit on fire, and allowed to burn off.

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!

2007-07-29T00:36:00.000-04:00

1. Name: Jeanette Zeis

2. Etsy Shop name/link: www.vesselsandwares.etsy.com and vegandish.etsy.com

3. Any other website URL’s: jeanettezeis.com

4. Describe yourself (a brief bio): I am a country-girl at heart, living in the big city. I grew up in rural South Carolina, lived in Madison, Wisconsin for 6 years. Went to college in Massachusetts and New York. Now I live in the south once again. I am a bit of a homebody, that struggles to wake up in the morning. I love to read and I hate Atlanta summers.

5. How long have you been playing in the mud?: on and off for 15 years

6. How did you get involved with clay?: I had to take summer school one year in high school. I took pottery and typing. My two most useful skills.... From there I took classes from various people for the next few years as I moved around and went to college to study chemistry. I worked closely with a potter in Warwick, NY. She really taught me alot about pots and life. After college, I worked in a couple of ceramic studios but then got side-tracked for the next 5 years. I took it up again in 2002, after moving to Atlanta and feeling really lost in life. I fell in love all over again and became a struggling, full-time potter 6 months ago.

7. What type of clays and firings do you specialize in?: I mostly use a white stoneware body, but enjoy throwing with porcelain every now and again. I fire to cone 6 in an electric kiln.

8. What is your favorite part of the production process? It depends. Right now I am really enjoying throwing.

Why? It is a way to escape from the current stress and pressure that I am feeling right now. Sitting down at the wheel and throwing a bunch of bowls, makes me feel like I am accomplishing something. The act of throwing (almost) never fails to relax me. It is my form of meditation, I suppose.

9. Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. (Artist statement) I strive to make functional pots that cannot be found in Target or Pier 1 or IKEA. Pots that are obviously handmade with a love for the medium. My current obsession with detail and flourish comes out in my patterned work. I have a real appreciation of depression glassware, victorian ornament and Native American pottery/tribal art. I love that I can put all these great influences into these pieces and it comes out cohesive. My other line of "wonky ware" comes from really wanting to see how I can push the clay. More of that line can be found on jeanettezeis.com. I haven't gotten around to listing much of that on etsy, yet.

10. What makes your ceramic art unique? Because I made it! All artists bring something different to the table and it inevitably comes out in the final product.

11. What would you like to experiment with more? Slip-casting and mold-making have been side projects that I would like to work on some more.

Also, I would love to try my hand at alternative firing methods. Wood and soda and salt, specifically. So if you know anyone in the Atlanta/Georgia area that would be willing to share kiln space or trade kiln space for labor, please let me know!

Etsy Mud Team Featured Artist!

2007-07-21T18:52:00.000-04:00

Name Sheila Loggan
Etsy Shop name/link Sheilasthings http://www.sheilasthings.etsy.com
Any other website URL’s http://imakefish.blogspot.com/
Describe yourself (a brief bio) I grew up in western Washington State in the rain, (near the Columbia River) where your shoes never dried out from evening until the next morning. I am a sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. My grandchildren are both beautiful and smart of course. Clay is my friend and mentor, I have learned a lot from clay, it tells me who I am and defines me and keeps me true to myself. I live in the San Francisco Bay area just a few blocks from the beach. I spend as much time as I can there; collecting odd things that wash up on shore, beach glass and rocks that appeal to me by their color or shape.
How long have you been playing in the mud? In the 2^nd grade I made my first fired piece of ceramics, a soap dish for my mother. She used it in her bathroom until she died, I have it now. There is a thin spot on it that I have the memory of overworking but it survived. In adulthood it began about 1980.
How did you get involved with clay? Living in Idaho Falls for a brief time I attended some craft classes where clay was offered as a medium. I chose clay it started a love affair with mud that has not ended. My move from there included a kiln! I took classes to learn how to throw at a community college in Illinois, I wanted to learn more than anyone in the class and I was the last one to successfully center my ball of clay. My move from there included a wheel.
What type of clays and firings do you specialize in? I like a clay body with a small amount of grog that is a warm toasty color and I usually do cone 5-6 firings because that is how high my kiln will take me! The color palette is nice at that temperature range too; I can still get bright colors that are often denied at higher temperatures. Having recently fired some successful reds at low fire temperatures I will continue to play with that, it is such a treat to open the kiln and see that drop-dead red color!
What is your favorite part of the production process? Ah, I am most fond of the construction of a piece whether it is hand built or thrown on the wheel. Why? When I touch it there is an immediate effect, it moves; I can see what is happening. (I have heard this referred to as instant gratification). Whatever it is I like it. I also find that the feel of the clay in my hands very therapeutic in the same way that meditation is therapeutic.
Describe your current work and your motivations in making it. (Artist statement) For the last few years I have been making fish. When people ask why I make these fish - I don’t have an answer. They wonder about symbolism, and yes, of course there is symbolism in fish but mine hang on kitchen or bathroom walls and I don’t see much symbolism in that! However those questions have prompted me to make some 3 dimensional fish which I will raku fire and arrange with loaves of bread for the “loaves and fishes” story from the Bible. I look forward to this – it is something new. My love of watercolor has prompted me to begin using underglaze on bisque tiles; decorating them in a watercolor fashion. I will be exploring this application for a while….until I am finished exploring it, you know?
What makes your ceramic art unique? Hmmm, that’s a tricky question. We all use the material; clay and yet we all come up with a unique fingerprint. Once we get to know a person, we can look at a thrown or hand built piece sitting on a shelf and know who made it. I don’t think we can help but be unique. If I tried to copy someone else’s work, it would probably still look like mine.
What would you like to experiment with more? One of my goals is to learn a raku firing method called “naked raku”, which is a raku process without glaze. All raku firing is a source of inspiration that I may never end experimenting with.

Mudders Featured on Etsy's Front Page!!!

2007-07-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

Several members of the Etsy Mud Team were featured on Etsy's homepage!!
A big THANKS :D goes out to Almapottery, who created the treasury that was chosen!
Also, another big THANKS :D to Lisa Brown of Pottery by Lisa, who took the screenshot!