Wilz Pottery

Denise Wilz
P.O. Box 434
Macungie, PA 18062
215-260-1133

Home Gallery of 1-of-a-Kind Wedding and Custom Orders The Online Store made to order Show Schedule Shops About the Artist

Wholesale Email Links Use and Care Commissions

May

This folk art embodies a passion for life with its birds, hearts and tulips.
Perspective, proportion and perfection were not a requirement to the Pennsylvania German makers but the joy was!

Upcoming Shows
If you are interested in viewing a piece from the Gallery please let me know before the show so I can bring it along !

May 11 & 12 - Byers' Choice Ltd. Craft Show - 4355 County Line Rd., Chalfont, PA 18914 - Purchase admission ticket

June 15 - 9am to 4pm - Stahl's Pottery Festival - 6826 Corning Rd., Zionsville, PA 18092 - website

Sgraffito Classes
At my location or yours - contact me for more information - 215-260-1133

Become a fan on Facebook

The studio has a new home on the outskirts of Macungie, Pennsylvania
The original portion of this one and a half story house was built in the mid-1700's;
before the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights were written.

Juried member of the Directory of Traditional American Crafts presented by Early American Life magazine for 2012

Twelve Drummers Drumming

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 - the next issue number is 78. 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"

How to Decorate Pottery in the Pennsylvania Redware Style video featured June 13, 2012 on the Ceramics Arts Daily site

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

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

Thank you for visiting my online showroom! My name is Denise Wilz, and I founded Wilz Pottery in 2003. I craft one-of-a-kind pottery, inspired by the traditions and techniques of Pennsylvania German potters from the late 1600's to the mid 1800's. My collections include custom clay art and original pieces of decorative pottery.

The technique for many of my pieces uses the ancient art of Sgraffito, which is a form of scratching clay through layers to create custom and traditional Pennsylvania German designs. This technique is popular on home décor as well as slipware plates, cookie jars, and mugs. I make my pieces entirely by hand from red earthenware clay. These pieces, which I decorate one at a time, are known as Redware or Terra Cotta, which means ‘baked earth’.

The plates and ornaments originate from rolled slabs of clay; I turn the cookie jars, pitchers, and bowls on a pottery wheel. I sculpt my whistles and banks by hand, making each a unique work of art.

I am a proud juried member of the Directory of Traditional American Crafts presented by Early American Life magazine, the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, the Lehigh Valley Chapter PGC and Reading/Berks Chapter PGC. My custom artwork is found at shows and shops located near Allentown, Pennsylvania.

If you are interested in my handcrafted pottery for your home or establishment, please visit my online store! There you will find made-to-order creations. Alternatively, you can browse through the gallery of unique art that I have available for immediate shipment. Please send an email should you have any questions or concerns about ordering.

Juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Lehigh Valley Chapter PGC, Reading-Berks Chapter PGC and the Directory of T raditional American Crafts

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

Speaker's House Plate

"The mission of The Speaker's House is to celebrate the heritage and home of Frederick Muhlenberg, first and third Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and first signer of the Bill of Rights."

Located in Trappe, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

website

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

I am not accepting new wholesale accounts at this time. If you have already contacted me by December 1, 2012 I will contact you soon. Thank you.

Minimum order is $350.00 for plates and larger pieces for the first order plus shipping charges stated below. There is no minimum if the order contains only Ornaments and the shipping cost will be $15.
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 by check
No credit cards accepted for wholesale orders
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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