The Potter's Wife's Blog

I should be in the Studio making pots for our upcoming show in Peoria, Illinois, at the end of September, but instead, I'm outside hunting for the fruit of the PawPaw tree.  These trees, native to North America, grow wild all over our five acres. I can smell the intense, sweet, thick smell of the ripe pawpaw fruit hanging from branches or fallen to the ground where ants devour the custard-like flesh. The flavor of pawpaw fruit is often compared to bananas but with hints of mango, vanilla, and citrus.  We could have named ourselves after these trees—PawPaw Pottery—instead of our black walnut...

Thank you for stopping by our booth at the Journeyman Artisan Market this weekend. It was the first time that Steve and I showed our work in the Valpo area. We especially enjoyed meeting and talking with you. We hope you enjoy your pottery purchase, and if you have any questions about it, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. You are always invited to...  Visit us at our home studio and gallery. We are usually open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5 PM EST during winter. But PLEASE feel free to call us anytime if...

We call this bowl Mimi's Soup Bowl. I think it was a very imaginative choice for a soup bowl. You can see the spot where the stem was connected to the melon.  We made a stoneware bottle from an oval watermelon. The exterior surface has been cared by the potter to create a texture. This is a Terra Firma Jug that was inspired by a very round watermelon. The exterior is again carved by the potter to create a texture that criss crosses around the shape.

What's a Whiskey Cup? Here's the story. From its beginning, the design of this small cup evolved naturally out of Steve's previous work (like his stoneware Wrapped Bowls). He refined the cup's wrapped construction and developed textured exterior finishes to contrast with each cup's rich, smooth interior glaze. When I removed one of the new cups from our kiln at the completion of its first test firing, I enjoyed feeling its weight and texture in my hand. I enjoyed using it to share a toast with Steve after the day's work in the studio. I named it a Whiskey Cup....

Inspired by those gourds and squash that I grew, year after year, in my garden, Steve created the FAVORITE BOWL.  The design also grew out of Steve's interest in natural forms which he "documents" by making handmade molds of these forms. A few of the molds, because of their unique shape, are set aside for FAVORITE BOWLS.To make a bowl, Steve begins by pushing clay into one of the designated molds. He determines the bowl's height, texture, and undulating top edge. Steve may apply porcelain inlay on the bowl's exterior (an influence dating back to the potter's printmaking days at...