Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail

It's been a VERY long time since my last retail sales event, but I am gearing up now, slowly and steadily making work for the Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail this April 29-30, 2023 in Western Massachusetts.

 I have been invited as a guest of Tiffany Hilton and will join her at her studio, 221 Pine St., Studio #336, Florence, MA. Many mugs, tiny dishes, tiles and decorative plates, coming soon!

Pop-Up SALE this Sunday Dec 17th!

Joining my friend Jade Moran at her studio this Sunday Dec 17th for a Pop-Up Sale! 257 Highland Ave Somerville. Stop by and say hi- coffee and sweet treats will be served! One day only- love to see you!

New England Folk Art- Weathervanes

I've been bringing my son to a homeschool class at the Museum of Fine Arts here in Boston, every Friday. They have a great program that consists of one hour of discussion in the galleries, followed by an hour of project time, centered around a weekly theme. I haven't spent much time at the MFA and I realize that it is now one of the highlights of my week. I tag along for the gallery portion and always encounter something I've never paid much attention to before. Then I have an hour to sketch and contemplate.

I really love the small collection of weathervanes, especially the animals. They are making it to some plates this week.

Weathervane Sheep Plate- #1, work in progress

Weathervane Goat Plate #2, work in progress

Looking back, Achla Designs

Downspout Trellis, wrought iron

Its been two years since I left being a full-time studio artist to join my family business, Minuteman International Achla Designs. While I continue to work in the studio in fits and starts, I have put a lot of my energy into designing and marketing the products we sell, and also learning to photograph them. I am gardening-obsessed in the summer and use my own garden as well as borrowed landscapes. I get the opportunity to seek out fellow planting enthusiasts, ask them to try out some of the items, and come back to photograph later.

Looking back, I am pretty happy with some of the designs- a good concept does not always result in a successful outcome, given the constraints of production and cost. It's a whole new process with new materials- I am learning...

Some of the 2017 introductions that I designed (and photographed) this year-

African Daisy Birdbath, in brass

Lily Pad Birdbath, brass with colored patinas

Hexagonal Copper Trays,  stainless steel with  copper plating

Deco Watering Can, solid copper

Prints!

Spring Onions

 

I'm taking a break from ceramics and have resumed working on my series of tiny prints. Linoleum and woodcuts, views of the 'Ville, my garden and such.









I hope to show the series of city snapshots at Somerville Open Studios in May, but for now many are for sale through my Etsy shop.

Birds in Nest

18 A Spring, edition of 50

Foray into Fabric

My first fabric collection is finally progressing and it has been quite a learning process for me! Concept and design has been the easy part, but technically, the execution has been tricky. I got some great help from a course I found from Pattern Observer's textile design lab. Got a quick study in the slice of Photoshop needed to put together the design and set up repeats.

This first project, for home furnishings, uses a client-driven concept based on shells, stones and seaweed found on the coast of Maine, using artwork done with watercolor.

Here are some of my painted elements and the first group of digitally printed test swatches. Hope to have the main collage design with two coordinating accent fabrics done soon!

What's new you ask? FABRIC!!!

Besides bringing up bebe #2, (one year old already!) I have been busy with a few new fun projects.

I was asked  to design some fabric prints for a designer I work with using some of my watercolor paintings. That got me dabbling in Spoonflower and the wonderful world of digital printing on fabric! I took some of my clay designs and turned them into fabric prints as well. This came from a wall of tool tiles for a show at the Society of Arts and Crafts I did a few years ago. I used a photo of the wall to create tool tile fabric- perfect for knee patches!

I'm also working with a seamstress to create some home accent items, so look for pillows and tea towels making their debut in time for holiday shopping! Fabric prints are also for sale at my Spoonflower store.

Good News and Bad News...wait, Good News again!

Well first, the good news is, with any luck, I'll be welcoming a baby girl into the world in a few months! I have finished up my studio work and will be taking maternity leave in September.

The bad news is that, shop hours and school hours are essentially opposite and in anticipation of the many years ahead with small kids in school, I have decided to leave the shop and move my studio home. I have had the shop for more than 11 years now! It's pretty sad to think of leaving my cute little spot on Highland Ave. I will continue to sell my work through my etsy store and who knows, maybe go back to doing a few shows here and there.

The other good news! I'm not so sad because I will be passing the shop on to my good friend and fellow potter, Liz Rodriguez. She will use the shop space as her studio and continue to sell my work along with hers. She'll be moving in August 1st and we'll have an opening party in September at some point. Here is a teaser- come by the shop- to say goodbye, say hello, see the new work!

Liz Rodriguez, Sugar and Creamer

Liz Rodriguez, Fleeting Heart Wall Tile

Liz Rodriguez, Chopstick Bowls

Liz Rodriguez, Candy Dish

2 Spring Tile Shows

The 2013 6 x 6 x 30 Invitational Handmade Tile Exhibition at the San Angelo Museum of Art, San Angelo, Texas features 150 Handmade Tiles by 30 artists, all 6x6 inches square. Since I was only sending 5 tiles, I decided to make them more three-dimensional so they would stand away from the wall. I really like the format so I've made another mold for a hexagonal shape. I'm hoping to have more ready for Somerville Open Studios.

I also sent off some tiles to artTILE 2013, at Indigenous in Cincinatti, OH, a great annual show featuring a vast array of tiles in a wide range of style and technique.

30x5: The Dessert Plate At AKAR

30 clay artists make 5 pieces each, which is actually, 10 plates because some are sets, so...300 dessert plates! The show is currently running at AKAR Gallery in Iowa City, but if you're not in the neighborhhood, all the work is online! I made some extras that I have for sale in the shop. The Holiday Open House is coming right up- Dec 9th, 11-4, so stop by to see the new plates and have some refreshments.

Sweethearts

My friend Zach, who is a slug mug fan, came in to the shop to buy a birthday present. He was thinking maybe it was weird to say "Happy Birthday Mom, here's a slug for you!" so he decided to go with a snail mug instead. I had one with a cute pair-" like your parents!" I said, and it gave me the idea to do the slug and snail "sweethearts" mugs. I"ll be featuring "New Work" at AKAR Gallery, opening Oct 19th so I sent them off to Iowa today.

I have been working on dessert plates for  30x5, The Dessert Plate Show, at AKAR in November, so I made a set. Stay tuned for more plates!

SEPTEMBER SALE!

The shop is feeling crowded so I've decided to have a September Etsy sale to make room for new work. I'll be adding things daily and it will run at least until the end of the month. It's not too early to start holiday shopping!

Boston Summer Arts- Pompanoosuc Mills, July 27-29

This coming Fri, Sat and Sun, July 27-29, I've been invited to show my work at the Pompanoosuc Mills showroom on Boylston Street in conjunction with Boston Summer Arts Weekend.

Pompanoosuc Mills is a Vermont company that makes beautifully crafted wood furniture- a great complement for some nice Massachusetts pottery! They will be having an artist's reception for me on Sunday 12-3. Come have some wine and cheese and say hello. The Arts festival features free performances of live music in Copley Square, ranging from classical and jazz to bluegrass and soul, dramatic theater and street performers, all weekend long.

Sawmill Pottery Workshop & Show

I currently have a show in conjunction with the workshop I taught at Sawmill Pottery in Putnam CT, July 7 & 8. The show runs through the end of the month, so there's still time to catch it if you're in the neighborhood. It's a great little studio run by some lovely people. Monthly shows open during the "First Friday" event in town and the artist gives a talk about the work. It's quite a lively scene, with live music and a lot of the local businesses participating. The weekend workshop was a lot of fun. We focused on plate and platter forms from molds and I introduced a lot of new surface techniques to try.

They did a great job of displaying my work

Dot Burnworth, founder

 

 

This weekend is Somerville Open Studios weekend in the Ville! About 400 artists will be participating this year- more than ever! The weather is going to be ok- not good enough for sunbathing, but perfect to stroll around and see some great art. You can preview locations and artwork on the SOS web site. 

The studios will all be open  
Saturday and Sunday from 12-6, with some of us participating in a  
Friday Night Preview from 6-9pm. Jade Moran next door and I will be open and serving refreshments, so stop by for some wine and cheese in your travels!

artTile 2012

I just shipped my tiles to Ohio for the artTile 2012 show at indigenous in Cincinnati. Thirty-five artists send over 1000 tiles- wish I could be there to see them all. Makes me want to quit making everything else, I love tiles!

Craft Boston 2012

I'm glazing like mad to have work ready for Craft Boston in a couple weeks!

Continuing with my Homegrown series- bees, blossoms, beans- I've been experimenting with a new technique, oxide transfer, that allows me to make a decal of my own  drawings and apply it on top of the glaze. I love the color, a rich brown, and slightly scratchy texture of the line quality.

I'll have an octopus platter or two from the Coast of Maine, maybe even a sample from my next series, Domestic Arts.

The show is at the Seaport World Trade Center on Boston's Waterfront, March 23-25. Print out a postcard (On the right sidebar) for a discount at the door. Hope to see you there!