Winter blues are nearly through…
Hey there!
I’m not sure about you, but this winter has been quite strange for a variety of reasons. Mainly, this is my first winter in the Portland area after having moved from Boise, ID last summer. It’s been quite the change, and one that I’ve quickly grown to love. While I somewhat miss the crisp snowy mornings, there’s something remarkably beautiful about the steady drizzle coming down. Let’s be honest though, you aren’t here for my take on the weather, you’re here to get up to speed on what I’ve been up to!
New studio space
I’m excited to announce that I’m leasing a space at the Clay Compound in northeast Portland. It’s a small private studio (good luck finding it!) filled with brilliant artists that I am so excited to learn more from and to get closer with as time goes on. The creative freedom I have there is second to none, and something I will never be able to take for granted. Some of the artists working there are some that I’ve idolized for a few years, and others are small world acquaintances (we went to elementary, junior high, and high school just a year apart!).
Soda firing is the bee’s knees
I recently got to be on the firing team for a soda firing at the compound. For those unaware, soda firing is a type of gas firing that introduces a soda mixture (sodium bicarbonate, soda ash, magnesium carbonate occasionally) near the peak temperature of the sequence. The mixture volatilizes and reacts with the glazes and clay body, providing one-of-a-kind finishes for the work.
In my book, soda firing (or any firing that requires a similar level of effort) to be my favorite. In our case, we had a team of six different artists come together to provide a small body of work, loaded a kiln, and took shifts over the course of 20 hours checking gas pressure, air temperatures, cone readings, atmospheric conditions, preparing the soda mixture, and countless other small tasks that make up this tremendous effort. This labor of love is present in this new batch of work I’ve made available.
Slowly moving away from Etsy
Selling on Etsy has its perks for certain - I’ve gained many customers from their marketing campaigns, and setting up a shop there is quite straightforward. It’s also convenient knowing there’s a sort of middleman to facilitate the transaction. However… the fees on Etsy have only been going up, and it’s gotten to a point that I’ve had to raise prices to a place that I’m not very comfortable with. Over the course of this year, I will be moving towards a “drop” sales system on my website, where email subscribers get a heads up about every new batch of work that I put up for sale.
I prefer this approach for a few different reason. One, it feels a bit more personal to have someone seek out my website to by my work. Secondly, I’ve paid my fair share of etsy click-through ads, and I’ve lost money on those sales. They haven’t created me return customers, either. So, between those two things and the transaction, listing, and “Etsy” fees, I’ve got no better option.
Good news for you! My prices will be a few bucks cheaper on here, to make up for what I’d normally pay Etsy.
Oregon Showcase
This is likely the biggest news in this jam-packed newsletter.. I am proud to announce that I will be joining over 150 other brilliant ceramic artists from Oregon and Southwest Washington for the annual Oregon Potters Association’s Ceramic Showcase! The show takes place at the Oregon Convention Center in downtown Portland April 24-April 26. On Friday the 24th, I’ll be demonstrating some cool throwing techniques at 2pm. If you come to the show, come say hi to me at the demo booth, or at my vendor booth! I’ll have dozens of cups, mugs, bowls, a few pitchers, serving bowls, oil bottles, vases and more to check out.
Getting into this show is a big accomplishment for me. I haven’t stood in front of my work outside a casual context in years, and I can’t be more thrilled. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come as a potter and artist, and showing it to the people who helped me achieve these goals is an opportunity I am so excited to take.
If you made it this far, thanks! Hope you’re well.
Logan