December
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 traditional techniques and tools – a rolling pin, molds for shaping the clay into plates and bowls, a coggle wheel to decorate the edges of the pottery and handcrafted tin cookie cutters for the ornaments. The pieces are fired in an electric kiln rather than the traditional wood-fired kiln, and I use food-safe glazes. My pottery is made in a stone house built in the mid-1700s where I have found shards of redware in the garden. I am a Master Artisan with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and am 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
I have 2 pieces in “Thrown, Fired, and Glazed: The Redware Tradition from Pennsylvania and Beyond” at the Landis Valley Farm Museum. I am the only woman whose work is represented in this exhibit for 2019. For 2020 I have 2 Sgraffito workshops scheduled here on April 25th and October 24th.
* Upcoming Shows *
December 7 Historic Family Christmas Day hosted by the Governor Wolf Historical Society.
Location: Wolf Academy Historic Site, 6600 Jacksonville Road, Bath, PA 18014. I will be demonstrating the sgraffito technique on clay plates and selling my work during the event.
December 7 & 8 Pennsylvania German Christmas Market hosted by the Goschenhoppen Historians at the Red Men's Hall, 116 Gravel Pike, Green Lane, PA 19446. I will have a selection of pottery for sale but I will not be on site for the event.
Beautiful handcrafted items are for sale. New craftspeople have joined our regulars this year and the selection of gift items must really be seen to be appreciated. We have several tables of vintage, collectible Christmas ornaments, decorations, toys, vintage books and postcards as well as our own Goschenhoppen books and cards. All of the items make wonderful gifts for the season to either give or keep for yourself.
December 7 through the 31st Fine Craft Sales & Market hosted by the Mennonite Heritage Center, 565 Yoder Road, Harleysville, Pa 19438. I will have a selection of pottery for sale but I will not be on site for the event.
** The weekend of December 7 & 8 Please visit these other interesting sites as part of the Christmas Market Joint Holiday Tour:
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, Pennsburg
Goschenhoppen Historians, Green Lane
Peter Wentz Farmstead, Lansdale
* Pottery Classes / Workshops *
Learn about and make your own Pennsylvania German Redware.
Classes are tailored for age group and private instruction is available.
Scheduled for 2020
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.
March 28 and October 10 Sgraffito Workshop at the Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, PA
April 25 and October 24 Sgraffito Workshop at the Landis Valley Museum, 2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster, PA 17601 website
* Early American Life Magazine *
I am included in the 2019 Directory of Traditional American Crafts
My sgraffito bowl is featured in the August 2017 issue.
* 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.
