Welcome to Wilz Pottery - Denise Wilz

Wilz Pottery

Denise Wilz
P.O. Box 447
Green Lane, PA 18054
215-260-1133

Home Gallery Wedding and Custom Orders The Online Store Show Schedule Shops About the Artist Wholesale Email Links Use and Care Commissions

August

The GALLERY page is now up and running to offer unique one-of-a-kind pieces for sale.

The ONLINE STORE carries plates made to order.

*** Sgraffito Class at the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, PA - October 9th ***

Upcoming Events

September 11 - Colonial Day - Booth number 303A, West King Street, East Berlin, PA 17316

September 18 - Colonial Fair - Hartzel-Strassburger Homestead, Bethlehem Pike and Keystone Drive, Hilltown, PA 18927

September 19 - Dublin Arts Festival - Located at the TEC Center and Simon's Fine Art, Main Street, Dublin, PA

October 1, 2 and 3 - Waterford Homes Tour & Crafts Exhibit. Visitors may try their hand at the sgraffito decorating technique during the festival. Waterford, Virginia

October 9 - Sgraffito Class - 9 am to 3 pm - In this class you will learn about Pennsylvania German Redware and you will have the opportunity to sgraffito a 7 or 10 inch plate. Class size is limited to 12, cost is $50 members/$55 non-members with a materials cost of $20.00 per 7"plate, $28.00 per 10" plate with a maximum of 3 plates per student, as time permits. Contact the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, PA to register at 215-256-3020 or visit their website. Mennonite Heritage Center, 565 Yoder Rd, Harleysville, PA 19438-1020

New plate made for the Peter Wentz Farmstead Society.

Plates may be purchased in the Gift Shop.

Shearer Road, Worcester, PA. 19490
610-584-5104

My Youtube video using tools made by Bambootools.com may be viewed here

Music by Mary Kay Mann

Pennsylvania Redware by Denise Wilz
Pennsylvania Redware is one of the oldest pottery techniques in the U.S. Denise shows how you can get the same timeless results by using up-to-date materials and techniques. Pottery Making Illustrated March/April 2008 issue
Photos by Lisa Short, a Fraktur artist

This article is also included in Electric Firing: Creative Techniques published by the American Ceramic Society. Download article

Ceramics Arts Daily
Potters Council
available in the March/April 2008 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated

Inspired by Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art by Wendy Komancheck
photos by Denise and Aaron Wilz

available in the April 2008 issue of Antiques and Collecting Magazine

Six Geese a-laying - 2009

Seven Swans a-swimming - 2009

Purchase now

"Twelve Days of Christmas"
Limited Edition Plates

Each plate is created individually and is titled and numbered. Up to 100 plates per title will be made. For guaranteed December 23rd delivery orders must be placed by October 30th. Gift boxed.

"Two Turtle Doves" was selected by Early American Life to be included the 2007 Christmas issue. This design was inspired by a 1833 fraktur house blessing by Francis D. Levan.

"Partridge in a Pear Tree" was selected by Early American Life to be included the 2006 Christmas issue.

2006 - "Partridge in a Pear Tree" - available now
2007 - "Two Turtle Doves" and "Three French Hens" - available now
2008 - "Four Calling Birds" and "Five Golden Rings" - available now
2009 - "Six Geese a-Laying" and "Seven Swans a-Swimming"
2010 - "Eight Maids a-Milking" and "Nine Ladies Dancing"
2011 - "Ten Lords a-Leaping" and "Eleven Pipers Piping"
2012 - "Twelve Drummers Drumming"

Custom House Plate of the Sumneytown Hotel,
Main Street, Sumneytown, Pennsylvania

Custom Orders

Personalized with name and address
name not shown per request

My Work

I create pieces using the traditions and techniques of the Pennsylvania German potters. The designs and images are inspired by antique pottery, Fraktur and painted furniture, to name a few of the Pennsylvania German folk arts. The collection includes sgraffito and slipware plates, ornaments, cookie jars, pitchers, covered jars, mugs and more. These items are made entirely by hand from red earthenware clay and are decorated one at a time. The plates and ornaments are made from rolled slabs of clay and the cookie jars, pitchers, bowls are turned on a pottery wheel. The whistles and banks are sculpted by hand making each a unique work of art.

Juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and the Lehigh Valley Chapter PGC

Definitions of Redware decoration techniques

Sgraffito ware (also spelled sgrafitto) - Slip (liquid clay) of a different color is applied to the red earthenware clay, then the slip is scratched away to reveal the clay beneath to create the design.

Slipware - Slip of a different color is drawn on the red earthenware clay in pleasing designs

Commissions

Goschenhoppen Historians

2008 Goschenhoppen Folk Festival Redware Pie Plate

Plates may be purchased through the Goschenhoppen Historians, Inc.

email redmens_hall@goschenhoppen.org or
call (610) 367-8286

Hope Lodge

Commemorative sgraffito plate of Hope Lodge in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Plates may be purchased in the Gift Shop

553 S. Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034
215-646-1595

Peter Wentz Farmstead Society

Commemorative sgraffito plate of the Farmstead in Worcester, Pennsylvania

Plates may be purchased in the Gift Shop

Shearer Road, Worcester, PA. 19490
610-584-5104

Haycock Historical Society

Commemorative sgraffito plate of the Bucks County Latvian Baptist Church in Applebachsville, PA

Plates may be purchased through the
Haycock Historical Society, P.O. Box 715, Quakertown Pa 18951

The Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County

Commemorative sgraffito plates of the properties they maintain.
These plates depict buildings in Morlatton Village,
Douglassville, Pennsylvania

2004 - Mouns Jones house
2005 - Covered Bridge Keepers house
2006 - White Horse Inn

Quakertown, Pennsylvania's Sesquicentennial celebration - 2005

Commemorative replica of a slipware plate found in Quakertown

Plates may be purchased at Lion Around Books
302 W. Broad Street,
Quakertown, PA 18951
215-529-1645

Wholesale accounts

Current accounts - Please place your Holiday order by August 15th for guaranteed November delivery.
I am not accepting new wholesale accounts at this time. Please contact me to be placed on the list for next year.

Minimum order is $350.00 for plates and larger pieces. There is no minimum if the order contains only Ornaments.
Re-orders of less than $300 may incur additional shipping charges. I will let you know if this will be the case for your order.
Most items shipped within 3 to 6 weeks, noted items may take up to 10 weeks
First order prepaid check, credit card or money order
Subsequent orders net 30 days from ship date
Shipping/handling is based on UPS Ground service zone and rate charts from Pennsylvania. This will be discounted if actual charges are less.
     Zone 2 - 9% of merchandise total
     Zone 3 - 10% of merchandise total
     Zone 4 - 11% of merchandise total
     Zone 5 - 12% of merchandise total
     Zone 6 - 13% of merchandise total
     Zone 7 - 15% of merchandise total
     Zone 8 - 17% of merchandise total
Returns accepted within 15 days of receipt
Orders are accepted by email, mail and phone

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