Finishing Touches

It’s been awhile since the last update, it’s been an overwhelming few months. Things seem to be smoothing out and suddenly the studio is making sense.

The electric is finished, no water yet, but it’ll happen. We added insulation to the walls and sure, we still need to finish the walls but it just feels crazy not to make pots and work in our new space. The projects (studio, house, yard, pottery orders) keep piling up, so the strategy has been to work on a little of each at a time.

And oh it feels so very good to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning in the studio!

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One thing we did a little too early was move our small kiln over to the kiln patio. It was fine, it was great to run a load of bisque and feel like we are starting to get something accomplished again. But it rained that night and without any weather proofing we knew the kiln was likely to get very wet. Right before the rain started we scrambled and put together this make-shift guard, which totally worked but wasn’t really the plan.

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So here’s the real solution - a greenhouse plastic sheeting. Sam built a frame and we attached the sheets, then moved the other kiln over. I’m sure we will need to tweak things a bit after the next rain, but everything feels much more protected for now.

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Notice there is a ton of room in this kiln patio / greenhouse? Well, we’ve got another electric kiln on the way and plans to build a gas kiln in this area too. Plus storage for shelves, kiln furniture, a grinding wheel… pretty soon this won’t seem like much space!

Studio Build

It happened! This open side-lot was the feature that made our house that much more appealing, we could easily imagine our very own pottery studio in this spot. The short commute from home to studio is a dream come true.

This is the before and after photo, scroll down for a full slideshow of the build, and more of the story…

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If you’ve followed us for awhile you know we began building our pottery business in Alpine, WY. Dowd House Studios became an official LLC in 2011 and I left my day job in 2012 to work as a full-time potter. After 15 years at the Art Association of Jackson Hole Sam was ready to join me in the studio.

We’d always talked about “someday when we have our own studio” (technically we had a little studio in our 1-car garage in Alpine, but I outgrew it pretty quick.) We realized that “someday” needed to be now and made the tough decision to relocate ourselves and our business.

After moving into our new home in NW Arkansas last summer we started the process of building the studio (this is actually a long and winding story, so I’ll cut to the good stuff.) We worked with Ozark Metal Buildings, a local business that specializes in custom metal buildings. It was November before we arrived at the point of figuring out what we wanted and putting everything on paper, I’m pretty sure we were telling ourselves it would be at least a year before we had a building.

Having lived in the mountains for so many years with very short summers and building seasons we were amazed to see things start as early as the end of January. With supply shortages in mind, Ozark Metal Buildings waited until they had all the materials before they started, so once it started the build went quick!

In this case, photos are much better than words, so check it all out…

Now an even more exciting part starts…. figuring out where everything will go in the studio. The electric and plumbing work will happen soon and we will start moving everything in (we’ve been living with our studio materials and equipment in the house.) Plus building shelves and tables… so much work, but so very exciting.

Follow us on Facebook to see more as we progress with these next steps!

Storytelling

Sometimes custom orders and funny stories turn into illustrated pottery. These are a few projects from recent months:

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These mugs were custom ordered from an Aunt who wanted to celebrate and surprise her twin nieces, they grew up in Idaho and had just moved to New York to attend college on a hockey scholarship. Something to remind them of home but also where they were headed!

For these porcelain mugs I used an inlay technique to create the drawing in the damp clay. Each of the tiny black lines were drawn with an x-acto blade, filled in with black underglaze, and then wiped clean. The crisp black lines look like an ink drawing on the white porcelain clay. Two mugs, similar but different, just like the sisters.

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Chainsaw mugs! A friend recently became certified to assist in disaster related tree removal as well as fire mitigation. WOW! To celebrate she commissioned mugs for her instructors.

This time I drew the chainsaws on bisque-fired clay with an underglaze pencil, this makes these awkward chainsaws just a little more comical. I filled in the drawing with red glaze and grey underglaze.

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This one was unsolicited… I had an idea to turn a scary story into a sweet comforting gift. And it’s a long story, so let’s just hit the main points: house sitting + bomb cyclones & closed highways, mix in some tick infested dogs during a peak in lyme disease season and suddenly a tent pitched in the middle of the living room to sleep in at night doesn’t seem so weird.

This design was also drawn on the clay with underglaze pencils and filled in with layers of watered down underglaze. This time I used a clear glaze that I had not applied to this type of surface before and didn’t realize that some of the underglaze pencil lines would run. After waves of initial disappointment, I realized that the soft lines fit in more with my vision of a dark sky around the edge of the bowl, and perhaps the bunting on the outside is just wet from all that rain.

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These are a few projects currently in progress, or in the case of the little 5-legged octopus (quintopus?) just starting to percolate. The octopus was my example made during the surface design class I am teaching at the Community Creative Center. While demonstrating sgraffito I started to draw a ghost and then mid-draw thought that might be boring and started adding legs. Of course there was not enough room! But this cute little mollusc came to life and now I’m considering adding it to my cast of characters.

The porcelain cups are in preparation for that quickly approaching February day. These lamps might be some of my favorite characters, especially when one finally leans in to admit a secret to the other. (Psst. I really like you.)

New Studios

We knew we would be taking on a huge project with this plan of moving to a new state and building a studio. The thought of both being full time potters and artists has kept our spirits high though!

While each day feels as though not much has been accomplished, that’s not really the case. We started a big huge list / flow chart of what needs to be done, adding to it as we go. The visual helps - it helps to see tasks added - small and large - and to check them off. Tree removal, marking property lines, building design, business license… it’s a start!

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While we work though the realities of building, and projects around the house, Sam and I have started using studio space in Fayetteville at the Community Creative Center. I’ve been making work for Workshop in Jackson, it does feel a bit strange to make mugs that say “Jackson Hole” when I’m nowhere near Jackson… but I do love making these mugs and I am happy to be part of stores that I absolutely love (and miss shopping in!) More on what Sam has been making later!

But what about Studio Cat Merlin? He still has a job, we have a room in the house that we are using for studio storage and sometimes do a little work in there too. He keeps a close eye on decorating (in this case - ring cones) and also oversees the packing of online orders.

We Moved!

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Oh wow, we did it. We packed up the studio, the house, the cat and drove across the country. There’s a reason there are not many photos - this was exhausting.

This is just a tiny announcement that I’ll be reviving my journal with regular(ish) posts - weaving together my life as a potter and artist - now in a new environment.

So what did we do? We decided it was time for a change, a big one. Sam and I are both now fully self-employed artists (yay!) and will be building a studio outside of our new home in NW Arkansas. After 14 years in Wyoming it’s a big change, even having a mailbox in front of our house is different!

Studio Cat Merlin seems to approve, he wasn’t a big fan of the actual travel, but since arrival has overseen all the unpacking and no longer hides inside the closets. The house photo was right before we moved in. There’s lots happening, stay tuned!

QuaraTea Party

One of the first things I missed when we started social distancing in March, was meeting up with friends for tea. Something that I didn’t do that often, maybe only once or twice a month, suddenly turned into a massive void in my life.

While texting a friend, she mentioned the same thing, and asked how can we show togetherness while apart? We brainstormed ideas for cards, ways to send a little love by mail, and she coined the term QuaraTea. That night when I woke up full of worry, that conversation popped into my mind. The worry suddenly shifted to thinking about how to illustrate this idea of a safe distance tea party. (Because, you know, Safe-Tea First)

In the morning, I sketched it out, and sent her the photo:

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This idea rattled around in my brain for the next week or so, was there some way I could offer a sweet gift for friends? I also kept thinking about people who were adjusting to working from home, were they reassessing their coffee / tea mug collection?

Meanwhile, I received a grant from Teton ArtLab designed to provide financial help to local artists. That was a big piece of the puzzle, and helped me to pursue QuaraTea Parties.

My next step was to contact Tea Hive. I felt that their line of Teton Teas would be the final piece in this puzzle. A mug is nice, but a mug with tea is an actual party! I wanted to support another small business and keep the origin of my project local while also offering handmade love from my little corner of Wyoming to people anywhere.

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And so, the QuaraTea Parties came out of my dreams and onto the table.

A QuaraTea Party for 1 is a mug + 2 Teton Teas, or to really enhance the tea ritual - a teapot & cup. Perhaps a sweet self-care gift, or something to send to a friend who needs a little pick-me-up.

Also available are QuaraTea Parties for 2. This is 2 sets: 1 mug + 2 Teton Teas. I send 1 to you and 1 to your friend. Then you can meet up for a video chat / tea party!

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Sam thought the bunting in my photos was extra fun and that they should be included in each set. So we spent a cloudy afternoon making colorful party buntings!

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This project has been a happy one. The first connection I missed was tea with friends, and now I feel like I get to enable long-distance tea parties!

A variety of QuaraTea Parties is available at Wyoming Artists Collective and also my Etsy shop. Sets start at $48 and all include the cost of shipping - although, if you live in the Jackson, WY area, I’m happy to leave a box on your porch!

Sometimes for fun

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Sometimes I make silly things that are just for me... these plant pots were demo pots made while teaching youth and adult handbuilding in the spring at the Art Association. The submarine started out like a regular pot, then transformed into something truly silly that I couldn't wait to get into my garden! The whale came along second as a response to the submarine.

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It might be rare that I have an excuse to use a cake stand, but it's fun to use them! And I do think they get sad when they go too long without cake (oh, and I get sad too.) This cookies & cream icebox cake was extra yummy since the cake stand was involved!

Sometimes cake stands crack in the kiln- in my garden those turn into plant stands.

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I have a few more silly things at work in the studio- starry garlands for my art fair booth and a sea monster paint brush holder... I'm looking forward to putting these to use soon! 

Soda Firing: Part 2

Soda Firing: Part 1 was just the beginning! Here's the rest of the story behind this labor intensive work:

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While Sam and I both have work in this kiln and use some of the same materials, our results are totally different. One thing we both like about this process is that sometimes the pieces come out of the soda kiln awesome and sometimes - Meh. It may be a lot of uncertainty, but it's worth it. This is what I am always telling my ceramics students - there is always another step, and almost always another chance.

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Sam calls these "2nd chance pots."

After they come out of the kiln we draw onto the surface with underglaze. Sam doesn't know what the drawings will depict until he sees the pieces after the soda firing, then he reacts to the surface and glaze oddities.

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I try to be loose with my designs, reacting to the atmospheric effects from the stains, though I have an idea of what will happen from the beginning. Sometimes there are strange glaze or surface flaws that I can work in (shooting star on right.) This is pretty loose for me, but my drawings are always tighter than Sam's crazy ideas.

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Still not done! Now that the underglaze drawings are dry, it's time to re-fire the pieces. Remember how we had to add wadding to the base of the pots so they wouldn't stick to the kiln shelf? Well, that has to happen again. This keeps the pieces lifted up so the residual soda doesn't stick to the shelf when it remelts during the firing. I keep the bits of wadding so I can save time and resources by reusing them. 

Here are a few, still warm from the kiln! All the work, all the little steps... totally worth it. I'll be adding a new tiny cup with a star to my cabinet today.

New Mugs at Workshop

I'm starting the year out with more custom projects! This Jackson Hole mug is now available exclusively at Workshop, just off the square in Jackson.

The design is made using an inlay technique. I hand stamp the letters, which makes them a little wonky, and score the damp clay with an xacto blade. The surface is coated with black underglaze and then sponged off, leaving narrow lines inlaid in the clay. 

While similar, each design is a little different. The variety is fun for me and also makes for sets of interesting mugs- all related but still unique.

Find my mugs, platters, bowls, and cake stands at Workshop, along with lots of unique handmade items- a perfect place to find a gift, for you or someone you love!

There's still time, right?

Every year I think I have tons of time to make pottery for all the December holiday sales... and every year I have lots of unfinished work greeting me in the studio in January. I'm still in denial, it's only December 3rd, I still have tons of time, right?

The studio had a little set back- one kiln needed new elements. Terrible timing, but luckily Sam had Merlin to oversee the repair job.

I still have a platter to trim, lots of mugs and bowls to decorate, stuff holders to glaze... some of these items might be seen at the 2 upcoming sales I'll be part of in Wilson and Jackson:

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And in celebration of the last minute, though really, we do still have lots of time, I'm offering free shipping on Etsy purchases from Dec 4 - 18. I'll be adding a few new things to the shop inventory this week as well. This window will allow orders to arrive in time for Christmas! At checkout use the offer code PLENTYOFTIME for free domestic US shipping.

So to all of us procrastinators out there, happy December!

The Studios

It seems I've got a lot of projects going on.

To keep things somewhat orderly, I have been spliting my time between two studios. I work in the ceramics studio at the Art Association in Jackson to produce stoneware projects, and my home studio in Alpine for porcelain. (That way I don't have to worry about splattering the porcelain with brown stoneware... and I don't have to clean my home wheel as much.)

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The studio at the Art Association is public, so I spread out when I can and condense when there are more people using the space.

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The stoneware plates and bowls here are part of the dishes I have been producing for the White Buffalo Club in Jackson (more on that soon!) I use the wheels at the Art Association for these stoneware dishes and also fire the work in the gas kiln. Some of my porcelain work is also glazed and fired in Jackson. These black and white teapots & cups are available for sale at Healthy Being Juicery and the large salad bowls are used in their cafe.

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On the days I'm not in Jackson, I'm in my home studio. Most of this work is fired in my electric kiln, and decorated with sgraffito or inlay techniques. (Home is also where I work on non-pottery projects: sculpture, drawing, and soon... a printmaking studio!)

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At home I'm shadowed by Merlin, the studio cat / Dowd House Studios Quality Control Overseer. Merlin is not very helpful, but he does let me know when I've been working for too long / ignoring him. So when he starts staring at me or attacking my work I know it's time to take a break.

I feel a bit spread out, but this seems to work! Mid-week I get to switch gears and work on different projects while I consider problems I've left behind in the other studio. 

Product Testing

I take my job seriously.

As a potter I make dishes that are meant to be used daily. These items add something special to our daily rituals. And it's a tough job but someone has to make sure that everything works.

So have no doubt, I test my pottery thoroughly.

Will this little plate hold cookies? How many? Even if they are warm from the oven?

Wine cups. Yes, but do they work? 

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Busy studio day? No matter, it's still important to test that coffee mug to make sure it can do it's job. The coffee pour overs always get tested, this is a form I'm still tweaking, I don't want that tricky design to get the best of me! (And nearly every day I use my favorite mug- a puff fish made just for me by Sam.)

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I lost some sleep worrying over this one, but rest assured, when I finally settled on a vanilla lavender cupcake- I meticulously tested the cupcake stand. In fact, it worked so well the poor little cupcake didn't even make it off the stand.

I even had lunch this week at Healthy Being Juicery to make sure my big salad bowls were doing their job. (This tasty Baja Salad totally made my day!)

I work hard to make the pots and will continue to make sure they work, it's a difficult job, but I'm up for the challenge! 

Takin' it to the Streets

Here it is, the last minute... I've been working on some new forms to replenish my pottery inventory and get ready for the fair on Sunday! Tomorrow is Takin' it to the Streets, a local's art fair on the Jackson town square and Sam and I will be there with lots of pottery. And teapots fresh from the kiln... 

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This fair is part of Jackson's Fall Arts Festival, so there's lots going on. The fair is made up of over 40 local artists and will be on the street around the town square. Meanwhile there are a few yummy options also happening in the square. Taste of the Tetons is one of my favorite events of the year- local chefs create awesome culinary treats, it's always fun to try their new and favorite items! Plus, the Rotary Supper Club hosts "Sips on the Square," wine tasting and silent auction. 

It's a great day, if you are in Jackson, we hope to see you there. Grab a little food, a little wine and a little art!

Jackson Town Square, 10 - 4, Sunday September 10th

Art Fair Jackson Hole!

It's almost here, and I've been working super hard to get ready for the August Art Fair! Hosted by the Art Association the fair will take over Miller Park with 160+ artists from all over the country.

Stop by and say hi, we are in booth #156

Friday Aug 11: 10 - 6

Saturday Aug 12: 10 - 6

Sunday Aug 13: 10 - 4

Sam and I both have lots of our favorite forms and designs, plus some new ideas... read on for a sneak peek...

I just loaded a kiln with a big batch of soup bowls, teacups and saucers... no matter how much time I have before an event, I'll always be working up till the last minute.

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Sam made a fleet of funny new animal mugs, they have some great personalities! And I've been working on some new design ideas: octopus + clouds + UFO = succulent planters. I just potted a few to get them ready for the fair.

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Plus... sneak peek! I've been making Jackson Hole ornaments exclusively for Workshop, and I'm making a limited edition run of ornaments commemorating the upcoming eclipse. I'll have some of these at the fair, then they will head back to Workshop.

The Blank Canvas

Often a blank canvas will give pause. 

I set up January as a month full of the dreaded blank canvas- with the challenge of new design ideas in both ceramics and drawing. 

Just over halfway into the month, this week came together as the most productive. I have nothing to show for it, yet. What I do have is a kiln full of test tiles and several damp boxes full of small plates and cups. I also have a clean (ish) drawing studio with (mostly) organized pens, pencils, bottles of ink and new brushes.

I like to have a few projects going at the same time, in this case a new drawing project overlaps a little into the clay studio.

A few years ago I made stacks and stacks of "paper" out of thin sheets of clay. I was teaching at the Interlochen Center for the Arts as the Ceramics Artist in Residence and I had used up the small roll of drawing paper I'd brought with me. At the time I was encouraging my students to use materials in unexpected ways- so I started making my own paper out of porcelain paperclay. 

While the papers have been collecting dust in my studio, I've been rolling around ideas for the past year. It's been a struggle to balance my time between these two studio practices- something I'm working on this year. 

I finally fired the papers and now I'm testing the surface; trying out different inks while thinking about what kind of relationship I want to develop between the canvases and the random objects I'll be filling them with.

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These canvases (pots & papers) won't stay blank for long!

A child's cup

This morning I found a little mug in my damp box that eluded decoration last week. As I started to cover the surface with stars I was reminded of my favorite little cup from childhood.

Just right for my small hands this sweet little mug was highly prized and I treated it as a special object every time I used it.

Whether they are used everyday or just on special occasions, I like the idea of sharing something special from my childhood. What a treat for a child to have a mug, bowl and plate just their size!

I still love tiny cups, perhaps I treat them with more care because of that special little mug I always looked forward to drinking out of.

You can find these dish sets at Penny Lane Cooperative in Jackson, WY and also at my Etsy shop!

Holiday Sales!

It's that special time of year, my days are frantically full of making pottery, finishing orders, and all the time wondering why I didn't get started on everything earlier...

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Sam finished a new batch of "2nd chance pots," pilsners and mugs with funny underglaze drawings. The photos below are from right before they went in the kiln. This batch includes Disco Yeti and Skiing Yeti plus the antics of sea serpents, aliens, monsters, crabs and dinosaurs!

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We will be in one more Jackson sale this month, so if you are in town come by The Rose for a drink and an evening of shopping!

And of course, if you have your eye on something and can't see us in person, give us a shout. We are happy to ship that perfect pottery gift! Just email me at: hello@dowdhousestudios.com

Water Pitchers

Since 2011 I have been making stoneware water pitchers for the rooms in the historic Wort Hotel in Jackson, WY. Yesterday I delivered a new batch for the Silver Dollar Mercantile near the lobby of the hotel. This has been my longest account and I'm happy to have my pitchers featured in the rooms while encouraging less use of plastic water bottles. 

The pitchers and saucers are wheel thrown from stoneware. I usually make them in the ceramics studio at the Art Association where they are also fired in the gas kiln. The Art Association is just down the street from the Wort, so when they are ready I put them on a cart and push it down Glenwood Street. I love deliveries in a small town!