A child's cup

This morning I found a little mug in my damp box that eluded decoration last week. As I started to cover the surface with stars I was reminded of my favorite little cup from childhood.

Just right for my small hands this sweet little mug was highly prized and I treated it as a special object every time I used it.

Whether they are used everyday or just on special occasions, I like the idea of sharing something special from my childhood. What a treat for a child to have a mug, bowl and plate just their size!

I still love tiny cups, perhaps I treat them with more care because of that special little mug I always looked forward to drinking out of.

You can find these dish sets at Penny Lane Cooperative in Jackson, WY and also at my Etsy shop!

Holiday Sales!

It's that special time of year, my days are frantically full of making pottery, finishing orders, and all the time wondering why I didn't get started on everything earlier...

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Sam finished a new batch of "2nd chance pots," pilsners and mugs with funny underglaze drawings. The photos below are from right before they went in the kiln. This batch includes Disco Yeti and Skiing Yeti plus the antics of sea serpents, aliens, monsters, crabs and dinosaurs!

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We will be in one more Jackson sale this month, so if you are in town come by The Rose for a drink and an evening of shopping!

And of course, if you have your eye on something and can't see us in person, give us a shout. We are happy to ship that perfect pottery gift! Just email me at: hello@dowdhousestudios.com

Water Pitchers

Since 2011 I have been making stoneware water pitchers for the rooms in the historic Wort Hotel in Jackson, WY. Yesterday I delivered a new batch for the Silver Dollar Mercantile near the lobby of the hotel. This has been my longest account and I'm happy to have my pitchers featured in the rooms while encouraging less use of plastic water bottles. 

The pitchers and saucers are wheel thrown from stoneware. I usually make them in the ceramics studio at the Art Association where they are also fired in the gas kiln. The Art Association is just down the street from the Wort, so when they are ready I put them on a cart and push it down Glenwood Street. I love deliveries in a small town!

New Pottery at Healthy Being Juicery

I am excited to announce that my pottery is now available at Healthy Being Juicery in Jackson, WY! 

I have been working on a new line of porcelain mugs, teacups & saucers and large bowls to compliment the delicious salads, teas and hot drinks available at the Juicery. Stop in for a nourishing treat, soon the cafe will be serving salads on handmade pottery!

Pottery in Action: Part 1

Just about 2 years ago I had an opportunity that not only changed the way I look at my pottery and how I view myself as a potter but has also opened doors to many more opportunities.

In January of 2015 I met Chef René Stein. He had a vision to create a series of pop-up dinners in Jackson, WY during that winter and spring. Not only was he sourcing local ingredients right down to the salt, creating parings with local wines but he was also looking for local pottery to serve on. After a studio visit, where I was delighted to learn that he was not looking for white dishes, I put together sets of my black & white sgraffito porcelain ware, thinking that this might be a one-time thing.

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Luckily, I couldn't have been more wrong. The first event, Pioneer Pop-Up, was held at the Ringholz Gallery just off the square in Jackson. It was amazing with every detail beautifully realized. After a series of pop-up dinners and a wonderful buzz through our community, René became the Executive Chef at The Rose.

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Photo by Jeffery Kaphan

The magic continued at The Rose, where my black & white plates became part of every special dinner, an evening of 3 - 7 delicious, locally sourced and creative courses.

René brought me requests for dishes: super flat plates, wide pasta bowls, wide based soup bowls as well as ideas for glaze colors. In the summer of 2015 I made a set of shino glazed plates, bowls and cups (in the photo above and to the left.) Shino glazes are notoriously active and hard to predict, the recipe I used could range from orange to white to charcoal to gold. It made me so happy to see how such an active glaze surface could also be activated and complimented by artistic ingredients and arrangements. 

I learned a different way to look at form; very flat plates being good for meat dishes, wider based soup bowls that would be better for plating. Bowls that have very high sides can be difficult to see into once sat on a table... all the little things that I add to my list of "observations that make for highly functional and pleasing pottery."

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This summer I made a series of wide pasta bowls and plates with a curved rim, glazed in snowy satiny white and charcoal. I've enjoyed seeing how René embraces mixing and matching the designs and forms, finding just the right compliment to his creation. The plates may be pretty on their own, but I think they come to life once food touches the surface.

These photos are from a special dinner held last weekend in the gallery of the Art Association. It is a special experience to be present while Chef René is in his element.

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René and his family are soon headed to Germany for his next culinary adventure. While I will miss his style, I am grateful for this opportunity that sparked an excitement to be a potter at just the time I needed it most. 

Last night Sam and I enjoyed a final meal at The Rose with Chef René at the helm. What a treat! While I eat off of handmade dishes at home (a collection of many potters, a few of mine and a few of Sam's) it is truly an honor to be served from my own collection. It is also a humbling experience that has solidified my desire as a potter to enhance these daily rituals and continue to learn.

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If you are in Jackson or planning to be in the area, I highly recommend treating yourself to a meal at The Rose, where René's vision will continue and my dishes live happily.

Stay tuned, this series has only just begun!

Ring Cones

One of my newest ceramic products is the Ring Cone. An elegant way to safely store your rings! The ring cones made their debut this summer at Art Fair Jackson Hole, where they posed for a photo with rings made by Sarah Tams.

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Now the ring cones are available in Workshop, where they also display rings made by Susan Fleming! I'm excited to have my ring cones at Workshop, a great shop in Jackson, WY with unique handmade items, made by artists all over the country.

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I've been working on getting new products out and placed before the holiday season. Stay tuned, there are more locations where my pottery will be found coming up!

Save the Dates!

Summer is winding down into fall and that means great local sales and events! I've listed a few coming up that are already on my calendar. Check out the Dowd House Studios events calendar to stay up to date on classes, sales and events.

Thanks For Giving

Sunday Nov 6: 11 - 5 at Penny Lane Cooperative

Bring canned food & toiletries to PLC for the Jackson Cupboard, in return receive 15% off store wide. (This includes my pottery and art!) Plus bring the kids- they can make Thanksgiving themed crafts while you shop!

Teton MudPots Holiday Pottery Sale

Thursday & Friday, December 1 & 2: Time TBA, in the Art Association Gallery

This annual pottery sale features work by over 15 local potters. A great place to find utilitarian and decorative pottery made by students as well as teachers. 30% of all sales benefit the ceramics studio at the Art Association of Jackson Hole, where classes are taught to all ages.

Old Wilson Schoolhouse Holiday Gift Show

Saturday December 10: 10 - 3 at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse and Community Center

The perfect place to find gifts made by over 15 local artists; Sam and I will be there with lots of new pottery!

A Literary Landscape

Last week I traveled to Bozeman, Montana to install an exhibition of my new work at the Ecce Gallery. The show also features work by Shannon Troxler and Valerie Seaberg. Shannon and I installed the work and gave a short talk about our inspiration and process during the opening reception on October 14.

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Shannon is inspired by books and her love of reading. The layers of encaustic, oil and drawing bring the characters from these books to life. 

We had some fun with the installation, I brought a lot of extra "hillettes" (little porcelain hills with flowers) and we scattered them around her encaustics.

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Valerie and Shannon collaborated on a series of vessels; Valerie made the clay forms and wove horsehair around the tops, while Shannon brought the surface to life with birds painted in oil on gold and silver leaf.

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Envy

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Remember when?

I have been creating porcelain sculptures that tell stories and highlight the lives of inanimate objects around us.

Do vases get jealous when one vase is selected for a beautiful bouquet? Could flowers have memories of the fields they came from before landing in a vase?

"That moment" is composed of several small pieces in an attempt to capture the very instant a connection is made between two people. Or, in this case, flowers and an empty vase noticing each other for the first time. 

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That moment

Porcelain, wire, ink

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I saved a little space in the gallery for a new idea I've been considering. What if hills and flowers dreamed of flight?

I imagined hills and hillettes with flowers looking up to a sky full of puffy clouds. One day, flowers and hills merged with the clouds as they learned to fly. 

Where the ground learns to fly...

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The exhibition will be on display until December 3, be sure to check it out if you are in the Bozeman area. The Ecce Gallery is in the Emerson Center, which is also a great art destination in Bozeman with lots of galleries, studios and other art happenings!

New Pottery at Market

This week I delivered a batch of new pottery to Market, located inside Vertical Harvest in Jackson, WY. Just in time for fall: large soup bowls plus salt jars with little spoons.

Market features lots of locally made products, including a variety of my black & white pottery. And great produce! Be sure to stop by for tomatoes, lettuce, basil...

Aesop's Fables

Sam and I are part of an exhibition that will open on Thursday October 13th at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY. The reception is from 6 - 9pm and all are welcome!

25 Fables: Aesop's Animals Illustrated is an invitational exhibition curated by Bronwyn Minton. 25 artists were each assigned a fable to illustrate in black and white. The show will start with a sneak peek and artist talk on Thursday from 11:30 - 12, Sam will be one of the artists speaking about his process. 

I illustrated "The crow and the pitcher" and Sam illustrated "The two crabs." Our interpretations and the fables are below: 

THE CROW AND THE PITCHER  

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.

Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.

In a pinch a good use of our wits may help us out.

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The Two Crabs

One fine day two Crabs came out from their home to take a stroll on the sand. “Child,” said the mother, “you are walking very ungracefully. You should accustom yourself to walking straight forward without twisting from side to side.”  

  “Pray, mother,” said the young one, “do but set the example yourself, and I will follow you.”

   Example is the best precept.   

The show is on display until April 23, 2017, so if you are in the Jackson, WY area be sure to stop by and check it out!

Pathways Timeline

Yesterday, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Garaman Park, I was invited to create a chalk timeline to depict the history of Pathways through Jackson Hole. This park is a nice stop along the 49 miles of pathways through Teton County. With access to Flat Creek, a picnic pavilion and open grassy space; Garaman park is a peaceful and open space tucked between neighborhoods. 

It's been rainy lately in Wyoming, so this was a risky project. Once the pathway dried off, I got to work marking out the timeline- from 1991 to 2017. I worked all afternoon to write the highlights from each year and added in some graphic elements to illustrate the story.

With large grey clouds looming, I focused on the process- legible handwriting, interesting and simple graphics. I learned a lot about the history of Pathways and all the elements and work that have made these areas possible.

And then the rain came... I didn't take any photos of my work before this point yet I was surprised at how the chalk held up! 

Projects don't always go as planned, but there is always something to be gained. 

The anniversary celebration was from 4 - 7 and was well attended. The chalk timeline was just one element during the evening and was a great way to invite people to walk the years of work behind Pathways projects. A lot of people experienced the timeline while I was working on it and also before the rain washed it away.

Shop Updates!

Between waiting for a part to fix my broken wheel and what felt like an abrupt seasonal change, I was prompted this past week to pay some attention to my Etsy Shop: Dowd House Studios. The outdoor art fairs have finished for the year and we have a few months before holiday sales start, so it was a good time to (somewhat) organize the studio and list new items in my shop.

This summer I started working on pottery sets just for kids: little plates, bowls and mugs, all child sized!

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Etsy is always a good place to find kitchen organizers, the sponge holder has been my shop's most popular items for the past few years. I love that I'm helping to organize kitchens all over the country!

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And now that my wheel is working again, I'm off the computer and back to work in the studio!

Pottery at Paper & Grace

I am excited to announce that Paper & Grace in Jackson, WY is now carrying my pottery. I have been working with them to create the perfect desk organizing items: pencil holders, magnetic bowls and little stuff holders- just the thing to tame the clutter! 

Western Design Conference 2016

Earlier this year Agnes Bourne invited several Jackson artists to work with her on a project for the 2016 Western Design Conference. We were asked to create artwork for the foyer of the Designer Show House, on display during the conference, September 8 - 11.

The theme of the room, Flying West in Summer, served as inspiration as we met and discussed our vision for the space. Sam committed to making a coat rack and I took on the challenge of a chandelier.

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The cool end of summer / early fall weather was perfect; we turned our driveway into an extra studio for welding, fabrication and even wood burning.

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The Designer Show House is composed of 9 rooms, each featuring a different designer. The foyer celebrates "New Arts" in Jackson, with new and repurposed objects offering a welcoming space full of ideas and reflections. Visitors are met with a large shelving unit filled with fascinating objects: a Cabinet of Curiosities. To the right in the lower bank of photos, Ben Roth's Aspen Coat Rack, fabricated from steel and spoons. At the top and lower shelves of the Cabinet of Curiosities is The Grand Pan, created by Bland Hoke. Small paintings by Lee Riddell are tucked between the curiosities. 

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Inspiration for Sam's steel and wood coat rack came from the current fire season in Wyoming and throughout the West.

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My inspiration for the Wyoming Sky Lantern came originally from the little white birds seen at a distance in Yellowstone National Park, usually around Grand Prismatic. I also incorporated the silhouette of the ever present mountains and stars that pierce the night sky.

Also in the image below is a plein air painting by Kathryn Mapes Turner. And surrounding the room is a giant image from Triangle X Ranch, printed on fabric.

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This project stretched the imagination- the first time we saw all of the components together was during the installation on Monday before the show opened! With a bit of magic and a lot of trust this project came together to offer a space full of vision, as written by Agnes Bourne:

listen to the light

in the tent of early dawn

under the cover of quiet sunrise

the Wunderkammer of deepest dreams

reflects the shadows of living memories

in the museums of our minds

flying West in summer

listen to the light - listen to the light

Passages

A few weekends ago, with the help of Jackson Hole Public Art, I installed Passages over the patio of Persephone Bakery. This installation will be up through Jackson's Fall Arts Festival, so if you are in Jackson be sure to stop by!

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Passages is part of a series I have been working on since 2009, each installation is unique with its own challenges (see them here.) This is the first opportunity I have had to install these pieces outdoors, I found the main challenge to be working in a public space. I strove to find a balance between visibility while not creating hazards in a busy, popular restaurant. 

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Each form is welded steel that has been dipped in Egyptian Paste and fired in a kiln. I strung them from a spiderweb of wires stretched between the canopy of trees that makes this patio so cozy and inviting. The boats (or leaves or fish or birds or bats...) form lines and groups, drips when they meet a tree and swirl around overhead. Sometimes they seem to hide in nooks between branches, offering moments of discovery.

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I am so happy to have been able to add something extra to one of my favorite spots in Jackson; every installation of Passages offers new ways to activate space. This has been beautifully written about by Katy Niner on the Persephone Blog. 

Next time you are looking for a coffee or beautiful baked treat, be sure to stop by Persephone... then see if you can find all the boats!

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Spiders!

Last weekend I participated in a unique project: Spiders! Interconnectedness, Innovation and Stewardship. Organized by Sarah Kariko, Research Director of Gossamer Labs, this project brought together a team of artists and scientists with the mission to explore the biodiversity of spiders found in Grand Teton National Park.

The setting for this exhibition was the Berol Lodge at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. The pop-up exhibition was kicked off last weekend with a talk at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY as well as an opening reception on August 21st. While I helped with some of the installation, I ended up missing the reception, so unfortunately I did not take photographs of the exhibition. 

These tiny sculptures were my contribution to the exhibition. I took inspiration from the daily lives of spiders:

Crab Spiders hang out on bright yellow clumps of Arrowleaf Balsamroot while they watch for prey:

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This detail of a layered velum drawing is my representation of the afternoon activities of orb-weaving spiders as they repair and rebuild webs. Then in the evening, between hunting and repairing webs, I imagine that a spider would admire her collection of silk wrapped prey- reminiscing over large captures and particularly tasty meals.

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DG House created a painting of the Crab Spider sunning itself on the Arrowleaf Balsamroot and Chef Oscar Ortega fabricated a beautiful solid chocolate spider sculpture!

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I learned a lot from this project, from the daily spider activities that inspired my sculptures, to venom research and spider silk synthesis innovation. I even had the opportunity to see a recently discovered spider in person.

The Mason Spider is currently being studied, yesterday I met up with Sarah Kariko to see Maggie Raboin's research site. After the Mason Spider attaches her egg sac of spiderlings to a rock, she builds a mound of objects around it: pebbles, grass stalks, seeds, flower petals... These tiny mounds (1 - 2 inches) blend right in with their surroundings and are beautifully built. As an artist who takes inspiration from collected objects, I found this fascinating! (Look closely in the center image for a tiny snail shell)

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This project has only just begun, in 2017 the exhibition will travel to the University of Wyoming in Laramie. I hope to have the opportunity to see these artists and scientists again, who knows where this inspiration will lead!

Soda Firing

In the past few years Sam and I have become interested in soda firing a portion of our pottery. The process is layered and time consuming, but the results have been totally worth it, even if we rarely know what will happen!

To prepare for the firing I glaze the inside of my pots and stain the exterior, each piece must also be wadded (a rough mixture of clay and sawdust) in order to keep the pots from sticking to the shelves. We get creative with the stacking; sometimes bowls look like UFO's in order to keep any kiln junk from falling into the inside.

Loading the kiln takes some patience, besides making sure nothing is touching the shelves, we must also be aware of how close the pieces are in order to create optimal air and flame movement. This is a gas fired kiln and when it is nearly to temperature a soda ash solution is injected into the kiln. This solution sticks to the very hot pots reacting to the surface and also creating a glaze. 

The results after firing are never what we expect, yet that is something we have both grown to really love! We started out calling these our "second chance pots." Drawing and painting underglaze onto the surface of pots that were rather ho-hum and then firing them again in an electric kiln gave them new life. Sam reacts to the atmospheric affects and draws monsters, UFO's and animals while I react to the surfaces with stars and houses and linear patterns.

After this final firing the pots look much more interesting, with layers we could not have planned.

Lots of work... totally worth it!

Art Fair Jackson Hole - August

This is the first year Dowd House Studios participated in both of the summer art fairs in Jackson Hole. Despite all my planning, this one really snuck up on me! 

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Our booth is a fun mix of utilitarian pottery by both Sam and me, with a few quirky sculptures thrown in. I like to think of our pottery as useful and interesting solutions to everyday problems (kitchen helpers) as well as enhancements for our daily rituals (coffee & tea breaks).

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Sam has a variety of pottery that has been soda fired (more on that next week!), funny animals as well as UFO's playing out a variety of scenarios (delivering the mail, observing cows and dropping off alien passengers for beach vacations).

We both like to unveil new work at fairs, Sam's animal mugs were fresh from the kiln and I finally had all the parts for my new children's pottery sets! Little mugs, bowls and plates made especially for little hands, and of course, featuring stars.

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This time I've included a few terra cotta bookshelf sculptures in our booth. Each shelf is stacked with lots of tiny books with lots of detail. For more photos and a little info on these pieces click Here.

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We have a short break to restock and get caught up on other projects. Our next fair will be Sunday, September 11 on the Town Square in Jackson, WY: Takin' it to the Streets.

Tiny Art Show

This week a mobile pop-up gallery opened its doors at the Jackson Hole People's Market. The gallery features a Tiny Art Show composed of tiny art created by 10 local artists and curated by Alissa Davies and Meg Daly.

For this show I played off the theme of a Farmer's Market and made a 16 x 16 inch flower stand out of corrugated cardboard. The stand includes tiny porcelain vases and flowers and customers are invited to make their own bouquet or select from a variety of handmade vases with arrangements.

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The Tiny Art Show will also be at the People's Market August 10 & 17, from 4 - 7pm. Be sure to come by and check it out! I'm not sure what flowers will be available next week, perhaps some different colors will pop up in my studio.

A few details from the Tiny Art Show, plus work by a few of the artists:

Wall hangings by Lisa Walker

Encaustic by Pamela Gibson

Coasters by Walt Gerald

Studio Cat

It's been pretty busy in the studio lately and I think someone has been trying to tell me that he hasn't been getting enough attention. So it's about time I introduce Merlin, the Studio Cat.

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Merlin is always close by, helping pack boxes, watching me work and overseeing studio operations. Of course there is also the occasional paw swat. 

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Merlin would like for you to think that he is adorable and totally helpful. While he is quite entertaining he also is very good at breaking things (lots of my stuff and luckily only 1 piece made by another artist.) I encouraged Merlin to find another job, but I guess this really is his thing. I just still can't let him into my drawing studio.

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Of course there is always the opportunistic nap. Anytime.

So now you know all about my studio helper!