July
Welcome to my vision of Pennsylvania Redware. I hand make this pottery in the traditions of the Pennsylvania German potters.
Pottery is meant to be touched and you can feel the design scratched into the surface of my sgraffito pieces. My tulips, birds and hearts are inspired by Pennsylvania German folk art of all kinds. I use a rolling pin, molds for shaping the clay into plates and bowls, a coggle wheel to decorate the edges and handcrafted tin cookie cutters for the ornaments. The pieces are fired in an electric kiln rather than the traditional wood-fired kiln.
I am a Master Artisan with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and listed in the Directory of Traditional American Crafts presented by Early American Life magazine.
My favorite Pennsylvania German saying is "Lieben und Geliebt zu werden Ist die Gröst Freud auf Erden” Translation = "To love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth"
News
New video - Sgraffito a Tree ornament
My favorite part of making redware is the sgraffito technique but there are many steps to complete before I can have fun. Cutting out the shapes with a tin cookie cutter, making a hole for the ribbon, shaping the round ornament into a shallow dish, applying 5 very thin coats of slip, making the coggle marks around the edge and finally, I can scratch my design. Then when the ornament is completely dry it is bisque fired, 3 coats of glaze are applied and it's fired again. Lastly the ribbon is threaded through the hole and a knot finishes it!
Shows!!!
I'm happy to announce that I will be in the Hidden Treasures Tour on November 13 and 14. More details coming soon.
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* Pottery Classes / Workshops *
Learn about and make your own Pennsylvania German Redware
Classes are tailored for age group and private instruction is available. Sgraffito class - three hours - in the studio or on the patio. Two day workshop in the studio. I request that masks be worn if the student isn't vaccinated as this is also my home that I share with others. Thank you for understanding.
More detail is available on the Workshops page
Scheduled for 2021 in Harleysville and Lancaster (Landis Valley maybe!)
Learn the art of scratching on clay to create your special plate - an ancient technique the Pennsylvania German potters' used to decorate their fancy pieces of pottery. All materials, tools and idea books are provided.
September 18th at the Mennonite Heritage Center, Yoder Road, Harleysville, PA Sign up here
I hope to schedule a class later this year at the Landis Valley Museum outside of Lancaster, PA, but in the meantime new pieces will be arriving at the museum store in the next 2 weeks.
* Early American Life Magazine *
I am included in the 2021 Directory of Traditional American Crafts.
My sgraffito plate is pictured on page 66 of the August 2021 issue.
My Peace Dove ornament is available for purchase through EAL beginning October 2020. It is a limited addition and each ornament is signed and numbered
* The Studio *
The studio is located 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 American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
