I am going to try and post every Tuesday here on out (consistently!) on other people’s ceramics work. Generally I’d like to focus on small handmade designers, but Heath is an exception for a number of  reasons. Their website is fantastic and has so much information on their company policies, mission, process, and work. As someone who makes every piece by hand on a wheel, I found the online tour of their facility and process completely fascinating. At this point I enjoy making everything I do by hand but seeing the scale of the production, with all the molds and machines to quicken and ease the production process, I can’t say that I don’t wish I had access to the same kind of tools. What makes Heath great is their commitment to preserving the legacy of the company, staying true to the original glaze recipes and designs while expanding and modernizing the line. For pieces made by a mold they are very expensive, more expensive than I price mine all made by hand, but then again when you see the size and scale of their studio and the amount of people they must fairly employ to produce all their work in CA, I understand their costing level.

As for Pigeon Toe, I would love to start a more affordable line of designs made by molds that can authentically be sold as matching sets and continue the handmade pieces as a more artistic, expensive line for those that want the handmade touch. The interesting thing is that using molds still requires a lot of hand finishing. In essence it only guarantees that each piece will look exactly the same. For porcelain production it does also help prevent cracking, as porcelain is the most fickle of all clay bodies. Throwing it by hand means longer drying times and more gently handling, which is why work that is not in stock has a 3 week turnaround.

Anyway, Heath Ceramics is very impressive. I saw on Design*Sponge today that they are coming out with a beautiful double dipped glaze line in April. If I’m ever near Sausalito I want to go by and see if they’ll give me a tour so I can drool over their giant studio. If I do I’ll be sure to take photos and post my musings.

New Pigeon Toe Pieces next week including the first pieces from the artist series! Stay tuned…

I made a run to the supply store yesterday for a $2 item and walked out with $50 in glazes – typical Lisa. However, I am very happy to share the color palette for the thread collection that I’m developing right now. The exterior is unglazed, polished porcelain  (it has a lovely stone-like texture and heft) with an interior pop of glossy color. I’m currently running a mind-numbing amount of  frustrating tests to braid strands of thin porcelain to embellish the exteriors — hence the “thread” name. Without further adieu, here is the color family:

(L to R: french grey, ochre, seafoam, and clear crackle)

Expect to see the first glimpses of color in a few weeks, once my next batch of work makes it through the kiln cycles. I’m alomost ready for a bisque fire now…Currently obsessed with things in miniature, I’ve been producing tiny pitchers (proudly standing a 2 inches in height and .75 inches in diameter). They are completely irresistable. I’ve also been toying with a few more pieces that have tapered legs like my new tripod pleated bowl. I think I need to make some plant pots with little feet.

I have many pieces going in for a bisque fire and a handful of others into a glaze fire in the upcoming days, including a large version of the tuck pot, this one with a separate saucer, and 2 pierced votive designs from the furrow collection (with interior color!!). Expect more (quantity and variety) of pieces up next week for sale on etsy.

I’m feeling a little silly now that I’ve spoken with retailers – launching a new line in January is probably the worst choice of months but alas – I was just so excited to get the work that has been percolating for months out there. I know we’re all worrying about the economy and our financial futures (I’m currently planning my wedding for the fall – not the most affordable of events generally or ever) so buying objects right now might seem a bit frivolous to some. However, I am true believer in supporting the small hardworking ones among us and will continue to do so, if for no other reason than being around beautiful things that I love makes me feel just a little bit better. It’s all about the little guys.

Snow has been softly falling since early this morning and it appears that we’ve got a solid 6 – 8 inches on the ground. That’s a lot for Portland, considering that a week ago with less than 1″ of snowfall the local news donned the storm an “Arctic Blast” with seemingly 24/7 coverage. Now we really have snow, it’s very cold and quiet. I’m from the state above us that gets piles of snow regularly — it’s nice to be reminded of a winter wonderland. However (and this is the real tragedy) getting to the studio has been all but impossible since PDX doesn’t have snowplows and I am really missing the clay between my fingers. I’m ready to finish up the collection and work furiously but the weather has other plans. Boo.

I have samples of all but a couple of the 10-piece collection in various stages of completion. I hope to have photos up after the holiday. Since the askew collection has no real post-throwing embellishments it will be finished first. Thread requires hand-painted underglazing and furrow hand-carved designs, so they will come a little later.

Good news is I got the Etsy site set up for listing the work, there’s a link at the right of the menu up top. I’ve also started talking with a few local (Portland) retailers so if you’re in our fair city I’ll be able to tell you where you can go in person to view the work soon! Exciting times are ahead and I cannot wait to launch after the holiday madness.

*Photo from the Mercury Flickr pool.