Category: Collect Art

Reasons to Buy Handmade Pottery: Tameria Martinez

7/12/2019

About Tameria:
"I am a potter and instructor living in Boonsboro MD where I create decorative and functional ware fired in wood burning kilns and I experiment with atmospheric effects in electric kilns."

Do you collect handmade pottery?
"I have collected handmade pottery for over 40 years resulting in an extensive collection of works from hundreds of my favorite potters."

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery?
"I acquired an Onion Box from Lisa York at the NCECA Ash & Flash exhibition in Pittsburgh, PA where our work was displayed at Sweetwater Center for the Arts"

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
"My love of handmade pottery is driven by the knowledge of the 'making process.' I understand how much thought, design, labor, and especially heart and soul goes into creating a work in clay. The feeling of the spirit of the creator is in every piece that I own. Some pieces that I have collected are used daily, others are used for inspiration and observed for superior craftsmanship that I can strive for in my own work. Still other pieces surround me in every room of my home to fill those spaces with the spirit of the Makers. It seems to me that these pots have breath of their own and fill me with the joy of seeing beautiful handmade work every day."

Learn more about Tameria on her website and her page on instagram.

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Reasons to Buy Handmade Pottery: Anna Jacobson

7/8/2019

About Anna:
Printmaker, Painter, Artist

Do you collect handmade pottery?
"Yes, as much as I possibly can."

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
"Art comes in many forms. Some art hangs on the wall, some art is seen and heard, and some art is held in your hands. Life it too short to not be able to enjoy art everyday, so why not buy and use handmade pottery?! As an artist I want to support my fellow artist. Buying handmade pottery helps me to minimize the existence of “stuff” in my life. Each piece has it story, purpose, and brings me joy in some way (ie. the color/pattern, texture, how fits in my hand, or the potter who create it).
For me using my handmade pottery everyday is a form of storytelling. What character created it? How far did travel? What kinds of adventures accompanied this plate, bowl, mug, etc? I love holding the bowl that its perfectly in my hand while eating breakfast and thinking back on who made it, how many different apt cupboards it has occupied, and the miracle it doesn’t have a chipped lip."

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery?
"Lisa and I meet in Graduate School. In the tradition of artists: we bartered. I got ceramics and she got a print. Since then I have added to my Lisa York collection. Lisa has a great eye for pattern and shape."

Learn more about Anna on her website: www.annakjacobson.com

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Reasons to Buy Handmade Pottery: Andrew Linderman

6/24/2019

About Andrew:
"I live in Milwaukee, WI. My wife and I foster rescue dogs, and I am a former high school chemistry teacher turned full-time potter."

Do you collect handmade pottery?
"We fairly respectable collection of over 100 handmade pieces of pottery/ceramics; the majority of which are functional and get used on a daily basis."

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
"Handmade pottery is, at the simplest, artwork for daily living. As a collector and maker I believe that incorporating handmade objects into our routines enriches our lives in both perceptible and intangible ways.
I have a very fond memory of eating ice cream with my Grandpa when I was a small child. When I would get to the bottom of my Praline-Pecan ice cream I would start to scrape at the last morsels of vanilla and caramel lingering in the bowl to reveal the rooster decoration painted in the bottom. My Grandpa would always say, "Quit scraping like that, you'll scratch the rooster right off the plate!". I would argue, completely missing the point, that I could scratch the rooster off. Food memories with family and friends are some of the best memories I have. In this instance, and others, I can distinctly remember the ceramic dishes on which the food was served.
Less tangibly, the love, care, and effort that the maker has poured into the ware also enhances the user experience. I drink a cup (at least!) of coffee every morning and using handcrafted mugs make the coffee taste better. Not the actual flavor, but the experience of drinking the coffee, reflecting on the day to come, is greatly enriched. When I think about holidays or family meals, it makes sense that body-nourishing food that was prepared with care ought to also be served on vessels that are soul-nourishing.
I buy handmade pottery because it makes the menial and mundane moments in life more ritualistic, meditative and enjoyable. I buy handmade pottery because it makes the special and cherished occasions in life more memorable and nourishing."

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery?
"I first met Lisa in person at the Minneapolis NCECA and purchase a triangular bowl from her at The Room Show."

Learn more about Andrew on Instagram, Facebook and online at www.lindermanpottery.com.

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Reasons to Buy Handmade Pottery: Madeline Anderson

6/19/2019

About Madeline:
"I work in R&D at a 3D printing company and I spend most of my free time volunteering with a charity costume group."

Do you collect handmade pottery?
"I have a pretty large collection at this point. I use almost exclusively handmade pottery, I’m not even sure where my commercial dishes ended up after I moved a couple years ago."

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
"I like that all my dishes are unique and many of them come with a story. On several occasions I’ve had friends compliment a piece from my collection and I love being able to tell them about the show the pieces came from or about the artist that made it. I have several pieces made by friends from school that I don’t see any more so I especially enjoy having their work in my home."

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery?
"I have handful of her pieces. One teapot and a few cups I got from her while we were at UND together. I also have a pair of mugs I bought from her online a couple years ago, and a plate of hers that I got at the Northern Clay Center."

Learn more about Madeline and her Mad Props Cosplay check her out on Instagram.
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Reasons to Buy Handmade: CJ Niehaus

6/14/2019

About CJ:
"I’m a ceramic artist and adjunct professor at McHenry County College"

Do you collect handmade pottery?
"I have been gathering a family of pottery for years. It is everywhere!"

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
"I love the essence of the creator in each piece. It never fails to amaze me that we all use the same materials and come up with totally unique interpretations. I prefer the touch of handmade and enjoy good food, so I believe that it deserves a good “frame” to be set in."

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery?
"I was fortunate to meet Lisa and purchase a lovely piece from her at an NCECA room show."

Learn more about CJ at:
www.cjniehaus.com and on Instagram.

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Reasons to Buy Handmade: Jim Champion

6/13/2019

About Jim
Also known as “Jimmiooooo as Lisa would announce when entering our shared studio space. I’m the Ceramic Professor at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and a former studio mate to Lisa.”

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
“As a potter I understand the making process and enjoy the diversity of individual pieces that can only be seen/felt in handmade objects. Each piece has a specific memory and story. I think about these memories each time I use them. The pieces are referred to by names like the Lisa Cup or Dan the Man Van Tassel, which I have to proclaim each time I take from the cupboard. It’s Dan the Man Van Tassel! In my best WWF voice. The pieces I own gain memories with interaction as their stories became more full with use. The piece is chosen by mood, by what is being consumed or both. Each meal or use in between meals has its own character and unique experience.”

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery?
“I have a number of pieces from a number of potters. The individual pieces have come to me in different ways. I have purchased some from potters and have traded my own work amongst friends who are potters. Other pieces have been gifted to me. My Lisa Cup (one of my daughter’s favorites) I mentioned above was a trade for something of mine as I left North Dakota. Lisa and I have shared studio space in a couple of locations. At Hood College in Frederick MD and at the University of North Dakota. During our time together at Hood College one of the many small buildings I make for cityscape fell into one of Lisa’s thrown and altered cups and was fused inside during the firing. This cup was known as the Cosmopolitan. The Cosmopolitan was gifted to me by Lisa in appreciation for the many long and additional hours it took to load the soda kiln. Sadly, the Cosmopolitan is no longer with us, broken while I was in North Dakota. This story also illustrates the difference between handmade and mass produced objects as the Cosmopolitan still holds a special place in my heart. Can you say the same about any mass produce ware you may have owned?
Loading kilns together with Lisa continued in North Dakota where we were known as the York and Cork team. Because of my size I could only enter face forward on my knees and back out of the kiln’s opening in the -30 degree temperatures. Lisa had the luxury of sitting sideways while loading and could almost stand up inside the kiln.
As a studio mate/classmate I have a fuller experience of the pieces I have of Lisa ‘s. Seeing her work go from raw clay to leather-hard ideas and finely finished pieces. These pieces are filled with memories of laughter, tea time and animal crackers shared in the studio.”

Learn more about Jim on his website.
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Reasons to Buy Handmade Pottery: Garrett Baldrige

6/12/2019

About
"I’m a potter from Elliottville KY, and I’ve been working in clay for 4 years."

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
"I buy pottery because as a student I believe it’s important to be able to analyze work and use work that you like or admire. It gives you a whole different perspective on making work. I also buy work because I feel that it’s important to help drive the economy that I also wish to be a part of."

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery?
"I acquired my piece directly from Lisa during a workshop at Morehead State University."

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Reasons to Buy Handmade Pottery: Amy Song

6/11/2019

About Amy:
"A functional potter in the western suburbs of Chicago. She enjoys wood firing with a great community of artists at her new train kiln in Plano, IL."

Do you collect handmade pottery?
I enjoy my small but growing collection of pottery!

Why do you buy handmade pottery?
"Cooking—and eating—are a huge part of my life. I am so glad handmade ceramics are in my everyday use to finish the dish with great presentation, and enrich the experience."

How did you acquire a Lisa York piece of pottery:
"We unloaded a kiln together, and I looked her in the eyes and beseeched her to pick out a piece for me!"

Find out more about Amy on: Instagram, Etsy, and Her Website

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