Who is BlackTree Studio Pottery?
Greetings, my name is Louise and here's are story.
Steven and I opened BlackTree Studio Pottery in 2008 after moving to rural northwest Indiana from Chicago, where we had lived for 30 years. We are both trained artists, but neither of us started out as potters.
We operate the studio as a team, discussing the concepts, designs, and business behind our pottery nearly daily. At times, we take distinct roles: Steve creates most of the pottery, and I manage the business, marketing, and relationships with customers and stores. However, the times we appreciate the most are the hours spent in the studio together, creating our distinctive styles and critiquing each other's work, welcome or not, although we try to save these discussions for the 5:00 beer hour.
We use two gas kilns to fire our pottery. The process takes 14 to 16 hours to reach 2400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the firing is complete, the pottery is left to cool for three days. It's important to wait until the pottery is cool enough to handle with bare hands. If the pottery is removed from the kiln while it's still hot, it can crack due to the sudden change in temperature.
There's always a sense of anticipation and excitement as we wait for the kiln to cool. We want to see the results, especially new work. However, the time to open the kiln always arrives, and when we unbrick the kiln's opening, the results can be spectacular.