Focus On... Flickertail Pottery and a Giveaway!

{{{GIVEAWAY CLOSED}}}

I took a ceramics class in high school, like so many other people. I didn't take it a second year, like so many other people. Ceramics was a hard class! Working on the wheel took such precision, push too hard and it caves in, don't push hard enough and it's just a blob of spinning clay. I have immense respect for those who can make something usable and beautiful out of such blobs of clay. Jim and Sharon are just such a couple; they are behind Flickertail Pottery, a shop based in Columbus, North Dakota. They graciously agreed to an interview and here it is!

Tell me some basic info about yourselves.

Sharon and I went on work/vacation to England in 2003 and took our first pottery classes from Lee Cartledge at Bentham Pottery, something Jim had always wanted to do. Then Sharon bought a pottery wheel for me and we borrowed her father's electric kiln. That was the beginning. Now we live on the North Dakota  prairie in a small town (population 116) and have turned the basement into a studio with wheel and pugger and a shop building into a glazing and firing area with four various sized electric kilns. We work together on designing functional and artistic items. I work on the wheel and Sharon develops the glazes.

{Nutmeg Colored Serving Bowl Stoneware - my fave!}

What kind of mediums do you use and why?

At first we tried several different types of clay and finally settled on a mid-fire stoneware clay. I tried low fire (earthenware) clays and high fire (porcelain)clays but the color and texture of the mid-fire clays felt best on the wheel.

We do wheel thrown pieces, most of which were first done because someone requested them - plates for wedding center pieces, cream pitcher and sugar sets, piggy banks, cereal bowls, and soup tureens with matching bowls. I most like making large decorative bowls, and Sharon says she knows when I get bored because I start making funky items like an elephant teapot (trunk for spout and old bent cones for tusks or a cup with rabbit ears or Jonah being spit out by a whale in a bowl.

{Green Earthtone Stoneware Pottery Shallow Vase}

What made you decide to sell on etsy?

We were selling our pottery at the International Peace Garden Gift Shop and were looking for other ways to sell pottery (basement was getting cluttered) other than craft fairs which seemed to take up a lot of time.

{Garlic Jar Stoneware Matte Blue}

Where do you get your inspiration?

I always liked creating things with my hands and Sharon is a would be scientist and researcher. I like forms and decorated vases - Grecian urns - Japanese and Roman styles.

Sharon likes colors, functions, and feel. She wants people to hold the pieces and feel the texture. I've worked with technology since high school and most of what I know is outdated every three years, but when I see stoneware vases and bowls I know that they could be buried for a thousand years and would still look the same.

{Trinket/Jewelry Holder Split Rim Matte Blue}

What is your favorite music to craft by?

Actually, I usually create some background noise - Law and Order on a TV in another room - and then I start working in the studio and I don't hear anything. For the most part, the feel of the clay drowns out the noise. Sharon goes for silence. Prairies don't make a lot of noise.

{Safari Earthtone Brown Stoneware Pitcher}

If you were an animal, what would you be?

Sharon would be a ferret. I'll take the eagle.

{Bright Blue Hourglass Shaped Lidded Jar}

What's your favorite piece of your own?

Ah, now here's a fun question. I say Sharon has three classes of pieces I make: 1. Those that should never see the light of day. 2. Those that I could improve upon. 3. Those that are too cute to sell. Here are some of our favorites:

 

What are your favorite blogs right now?

Bakerella for Sharon - she likes to create in the kitchen as well as with clay and glazes. I work with technology all day so I escape into books and pottery whenever I can.

Jim and Sharon also like giving tours and demonstrations to local groups - recently they invited a group of Red Hat Ladies to their home. {Katie's note: Red Hat Ladies are SO cute :)}

You can find Flickertail Pottery at the below link:

Flickertail Pottery Etsy Shop

Flickertail Pottery is also offering this lovely bowl to one lucky blog reader! I love the braiding detail!

All you have to do is go to Flickertail Pottery, choose your favorite item and leave a comment telling me what it is!

Once you've completed the above entry, you can also enter in any of the following ways (and please leave a comment for each one):

1. Become a follower of Kate & Oli. If you already are, just let me know!

2. Add Flickertail Pottery to your etsy favorites.

3. RT the following:

{@ichbinseins is hosting a giveaway from Flickertail Pottery! Win a hand-thrown ceramic bowl ($28 value)! http://tinyurl.com/yzn6bwe} Please leave me a link or your username or follow me on twitter, so I can verify!

4. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

*Fine print: Giveaway ends 11:59 pacific standard time Sunday, February 14, 2010. A winner will be selected by a random number generator on the morning of Monday, February 15, 2010 and will be emailed promptly. Flickertail Pottery will ship anywhere inthe United States and Canada!*