Dag Pottery Sales & Studio Together

Custom orders aren't so fun and I don't prefer them (they take more time and effort) but sometimes they cause me to push myself...and I make something that I really like, and will want to make again! The three below are that way. A woman from Memphis (Shirley) found my website this year and contacted me to make two bowls for her...one bowl for a gift, and one bowl for herself that she will use as a candy dish. For the candy dish, I wired fused glass into holes I had precut to match each piece of glass... I made the glass pieces at a class years ago.  Shirley  wanted pink...I don't have a good pink glaze and it contrasted with the glass pieces... so I added pink beads with the copper wire I used to wire the glass into the holes. This was fun to take pictures of the light coming through the holes. Here is a picture from Shirley of the bowl in use. Here is the other dish I made for  Shirley:  the outside is unglazed and heavily carved with cont

I like to make collections of organic pods. I made a large group and Katya (10 yrs old) came to class one day and exclaimed "megapods!" Since then, that is what it was called...until I had to fire it, then I started calling it "the beast" as it took up most of the kiln. Here is the happy owner who bought it almost instantly when I put it out for sale at the Ashland Farmer's Market this year: See more pods on my website . Here are more pictures of The Beast ...up close and in different environments.  This first two photos are captured by Phil. The Beast looks alive in the grass. See more of Phil's great photography at  philslens.com .

We do holistic happiness. One day after pottery class this fall, we all used the hula hoops we had/brought and had some physical fun outside. It was a blast! (and a work out!) here are more photos to give you a laugh or a smile

I have three friends going to high school and college that come out once a month for pottery lessons and a meal. This is them at a local Mexican restaurant this week. I learn a lot from these wise students about kindness, being a supportive friend, and more.  For example, Stacy renamed a "lazy susan" in the studio to "resourceful susan"...an example of their manner to look at things in a better light. They go (went) to Boston Arts Academy .

I got a lot of interest in gifting classes this year. That is really exciting. Instead of having folks prepay (and maybe the gift doesn't get used by the person who receives it), I made a page available online that folks can print and use as a gift...and arrange for payment later . I already have heard that a gift of this was well received and the future potter will call me in the new year. gift certificate link...print from home

During class last week, Ira (14 yrs old) was doodling while three of us talked and made pottery together. I suggested she transfer that doodle into clay...and I demonstrated some ways to do that. My lesson, and what she did from my lesson, inspired me to add that texture to these things (in the picture below) that I did after that class. I plan to make a round bottom bowl to rest on the base you see on the blue "Resourceful Susan" in the background. see finished student work here see students working, testimonials, and some finished work here

New stuff happening in the new year! I will be making posts of exciting things going on in the studio and related to the pottery classes. I hope you get some joy from this. I added new students working, and some finished pottery and testimonials to my website . Where does this blog title come from? I made it up! mud-i-vate : verb : to motivate others to be creative with clay past tense example : My students mudivated me too! adjective : - a person can be mudivated (inspired to create with clay) - clay can be mudivated (transformed into something unique and special) - pottery classes can be mudivational (inspiring) My website is  dagworks.com . Enjoy!