I'm tired and a little sunburned, but I made it through another Artscape Baltimore. My streak of having improved sales every year at this show is still going. In fact, I surpassed last year's sales by over $500! I actually think I could've done better if I had brought more pots. I nearly ran out, my display looked pretty measly on Sunday. Meanwhile the artist next to me had by far his best day on Sunday. Duly noted for next year. I'm trying to piece together the factors that resulted in such good sales. The weather was sparkling, not the usual mid-summer Baltimore stew. I'm still reaping rewards from my article in Ceramics Monthly. Not only has my mailing list grown dramatically since then, but the article sent several people to this show specifically to meet me and buy my work. The show assigned me a sweet corner booth (I wonder if that's because I said nice things about them in the aforementioned article). Possibly my newfound use of facebook has connected me with new pottery fans, and made my company seem more modern and accessible. 

I have lots of people to thank. First of all, to all the customers who come to see me every year at this show, your repeat business is dearly appreciated. And even those who don't need more pots, but just want to tell me how much they love their pots, or things like "my sister is impossible to buy gifts for, but she still talks about the vase I bought from you!" Stuff like that really makes me feel good. 

And big thanks to fellow potter Michael Cho, who traded with me at the end of the show. His lidded jar is my reward for all the hard work I did this weekend!

And finally, I owe a huge "thank you" to a smart and friendly stranger named Steve, who helped me get safely back to my car on Saturday night when the light rail system broke down. Not a good feeling to be stranded on a dark and eerily quiet Baltimore sidewalk at 11pm, surrounded by strangers, and none of us know why the trains have stopped or if any more are coming. Facing the prospect of walking a couple miles to a more populated place. While carrying the proceeds from two days of pottery selling. I felt like I was wearing a sign that said "rob me, you'll be glad." But happily I made it home in one piece that night, and now the incident is just another memorable story. 

Just because I've been cranking out wholesale orders for the last four months, doesn't mean I haven't been working on new designs. In fact, here's some unsolicited advice for any working potter ... you should always be developing new work. It's good for business, and good for your mental health. When do I find time for this? Occasionally, it happens by accident, when I screw up on a wholesale pot, then realize I like the result. But most of the time, it is a conscious, proactive effort, that takes place in my classroom. I push my students to explore new ideas, and I try to set the example. Another reason to appreciate my teaching job. 

So in addition to old favorites like Chopstick Bowls and Personal Teapots, I will be debuting some new work at this weekend's Artscape Baltimore festival:

Bath Accessories Set, including a tumbler and two jars, set is $78. NEW stamped bamboo surface design. The new bamboo design will also be found on a serving platter ($75) and a teapot ($90) at the show. 
 

Small Round Plates, 6.5 inches across. $18 each or 4 for $65. Lots of multifunctional uses, but the dimensions were designed around a sandwich.
 

Chickadee Tea Lights, $22 each or 2 for $40. You can use their tails as handles to carry them around during a power outage.
 

Tea Set for Two People, $95. I hope the minimalist design will inspire everyday use. And unlike most of my teapots which have woven reed handles, this one can go in the dishwasher.


This is my first show of the year, looking forward to it! As I've said before, Artscape is my favorite art festival, and the weather forecast looks great for being outside. Visit the event's website to plan your visit. Hope to see you there!

I've been thinking about taking "food photos" of my pottery for a while. I don't know very much about food styling, which is a very specialized field, but I decided to try it anyways. I don't have a proper lighting setup for photographing food, so I took these shots outside, using natural materials as simple backgrounds. My food styling strategy was to make the dish look as pretty as possible (even hand-picking every leaf of the salad), then run outside and shoot the photos quickly before the food started to look dry or limp. Here are my first attempts:

I incorporated these photos in a 4ft. vinyl banner, which I finished just in time to use at the Artscape Baltimore festival next weekend. I'm hoping this banner can be seen from a much farther distance than the signage I was using before, but without screaming for attention the way a lot of art festival booths can. I also retired my previous slogan, which was "Thoughtful Design, Honest Craft". The old slogan definitely reflected my values, but maybe seemed like I was taking myself too seriously. The new banner sports my new slogan: