Lots of Reed Handles!

On Saturday, August 1, we wrestled and twisted our reeds into beautiful handles. Many thanks to Carol Wisdom, Vejune Svotelis, Kori Rice, Diana Guillermo, and Kuniko Wallis who took part in the lesson. Here are some of our pots lining up for a group photo (photo by Kori Rice). I can't wait to see all the pots and handles that will be coming to life soon!

Artscape Baltimore 2009: Pottery is like wild bird seed

I recently heard this on NPR ... credit card companies have determined that people who buy premium wild bird seed are the least likely to default on their debts. (On the other end of the scale, people who buy chrome car accessories are the most likely to default on their debts.) I betcha if handmade pottery was sold with trackable barcodes, credit analysts would see that it is very similar to premium wild bird seed. It's something you buy without obligation. It's humble not flashy, though less expensive choices exist. The value comes from daily small pleasures, not from showing off to your neighbors. People like this are probably not living on the edge financially, and more likely to be weathering this recession safely. Which might explain why I just had my record best show ever at Artscape Baltimore this past weekend.

It also helped that the weather was premium too, not the usual mid-atlantic July haze, but sunny and cool and clear. I also had some very entertaining street theatre performances right next to my booth, which made for a big and happy crowd nearby. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself, my pots were a big hit, I saw a lot of friends, I was entertained, I got a tan, all without sweating myself into a puddle.

There was one bad thing ... about $150 worth of things were stolen from my booth. My next door neighbor had some artwork and his iPod stolen. Probably by people who buy chrome car accessories. But this is the first theft I've experienced at Artscape, so I don't hold it against the event, but rather the recession.

Here's a photo of me in my nearly empty booth, towards the end of the show (photo taken by Quianna Douglas, one of my pottery students).

Reed Handle Workshop

There are still a few spaces open in this workshop I am teaching at the Greenbelt Community Center on August 1. 

Learn how to create sturdy, lightweight, and good-looking handles for your pottery by weaving them out of basketry reeds. Ideal for teapots, baskets, trays, and more. Participants may bring their own pot; a cardboard "substitute pot" will be provided for everyone else. Each student will receive enough reed to build one handle during the class, and a second one later on their own time. All materials provided. All skill levels welcome.

To register, call the Greenbelt Community Center at 301-397-2208 and register for the following:

Reed Handle Workshop

Activity #353242-1

August 1, 2009, 1pm - 5pm

Instructor: Mea Rhee

Tuition is $30 for Greenbelt residents; $40 for non-Greenbelt residents

Right now, I am a full-time potter

This is how my studio looks these days, all the tables and shelves are covered with drying pots. And this is the hallway where the finished pots gather, while waiting to be shipped. I have never made pots at this pace before.

My "desk job" as a graphic designer usually takes up most of my time. I've been growing the pottery business on the side in my limited spare time. But this year, 2009, things have changed.

In February, I took my pots to the Buyers Market of American Craft (BMAC) in Philadelphia, fully expecting to earn some experience but not much more, given how the economy has been pretty rough on the arts. To my surprise I came home with a healthy stack of orders, and I've been potting like crazy ever since.

It won't last (sigh), I will finish the last orders next month, after that I probably won't keep up this production pace (my arms are tired). And big design jobs are on the schedule for later this summer and fall, so it's back to the desk job soon. Don't get me wrong, I am ever grateful for my design clients (from talking to other designers, I know I have the best clients), but it was nice to be a full-time potter for at least a few months.