New Inlay Wood items

While we were in Portland a couple of weeks ago, we visited the Portland Saturday Market.  We take every opportunity to scout out new things for the gallery and have been wanting to add more "non pottery" items.

Mark especially likes wood boxes and has wanted to get some for the gallery. We were lucky to find Jim at the Saturday Market.  He is a marquetry craftsman. Since 1976, Jim has pursued the art of cutting and fitting together choice wood veneers. Domestic and foreign woods are carefully selected for each unique design.

His designs are inlaid or overlaid on handcrafted boxes, purse mirrors, hand mirrors, barrettes and crochet hooks.

A great gift idea for pretty much anyone!

Shopping Trip to Portland

Most of the art work that we have at Throwing Mud Gallery are from artists who live in Washington and Oregon, with a few outside of that area.  We had some pottery to pick up for the gallery, plus we had a rare week with no pottery classes scheduled, so we closed the store and headed south to Oregon.

We've gone to the Oregon Potters Association Ceramic Showcase in Portland the past couple of years, but they were quick trips...3-hour drive there, look at pottery and drive back home in one day.  This trip gave us a chance to do a little exploring, along with taking care of business.

We've known Charlie Piatt for many years and sell his pottery in our gallery, but we had never visited his studio, Stark Street Studios & Gallery. Charlie started the studio about 33 years ago and rents studio space to several other potters. One of those potters is Don Sprague, whose pottery we also sell. We were able to pick up a few pottery pieces from Don, including a new smaller version of his garden lanterns.

We've had Michael's wall fish in the store and were completely sold out, so we met up with him and got more fish for our walls. (I sold 4 of them already on Monday.)

Mike's mugs come in two different shapes.  The shorter rounder ones seem to me to be a perfect size for a cup of chowder.  He explained to us how he does his designs and it's a lot of work.  I think his prices are extremely reasonable, especially when you consider the time that goes into each item.

We picked up pottery from Rhoda in May when we went to the OPA Ceramic Showcase.  In planning for Christmas I decided it would be a good to get more of her pottery in the store while we were in Oregon.  We brought back some bowls, utensil cylinders (or you could use them as a vase - we won't check up on you), and creamers and small pitchers.

On Saturday we went to the Portland Saturday Market and brought back some new wood items for the gallery.  I'll post pics of them next time....

10 Reasons to Shop at Throwing Mud Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Bowls

We have a customer who has decided that her wedding gift of the season is a beautiful wood salad bowl - and she's giving 3 of them as gifts this summer.  It is a gift that will be cherished for years. 

Washington wood turners, Richard and Gus, use wood that they harvest or salvage. Almost all the wood was removed because it was dying, outgrew its location or was being cleared for other reasons.

Wood salad bowls are extremely functional.  These particular bowls have a food-safe finish that is IN the wood so it will never lift or chip.  After use,  just wipe them out with a damp cloth.  The more you use it, the better it will look!

Did you know that the traditional 5th anniversary gift is wood? A customer earlier this week came to Throwing Mud because he was looking for a wood bowl for a 5th anniversary gift.

I like Richard and Gus' quote on their care and use card:  "From the Tree to Thee"

New jewelry in the store

I've been wanting to get Martha's earrings at Throwing Mud Gallery since I bought some earrings from her last summer.  She specializes in limited edition and one-of-a-kind handcrafted sterling silver and gemstone artisan jewelry.

 Pretty!

Recyled Copper and Brass Cuff Bracelets

These gorgeous bracelets are made by an artist on Orcas Island. She uses copper and brass cut-offs from her local sheet metal shop and transforms them into beautiful, upcycled eco-conscious jewelry.

"Down by the Sea"

Throwing Mud Gallery will be open tonight until 8:00 for ArtWalk. We’re highlighting our location “down by the sea” in Old Town with some of our handcrafted art.

 

Storm Lake Pottery sent new inventory of their amazing crab casseroles, mussel salt & pepper sets and steelhead plates.  We also have a nice deep bowl with an orca whale glazed inside and a couple of fish jars.

 

Dan Barnett’s beautiful salt glazed pottery is decorated with with local wildlife like fish and heron, plus we have a unique garden lantern that would be a beautiful addition to anyone’s landscape.

These raku fish and puffin have a great deal of personality – each one is a little different.  They are making themselves at home on the beautiful driftwood boxes made in Bellingham.

We also have Michael Scriven’s brightly glazed terra cotta pottery and fish wall art, and Fired Up Ceramics pottery decorated with abstract fish.

 

Come on “Down to the Sea” and visit us in Old Town tonight!

 

 

 

Wood turned pens for Dad

I don't know about you, but finding a gift for dads is a bit more challenging than moms. We have a few ideas of things that dad might like that.

In an era of computers and smart phones, the written word is a lost art.  How about presenting dad with a turned wood pen, handcrafted by a local (Tacoma) wood turner:

We only have a couple in the this size left, so hurry in before they're gone!

If dad is a Civil War buff, he also makes pens that include replicas of Civil War era bullets.  The cap is a replica of the 58 CaliberMinie' Ball.  This was the most widely used bullet in the Civil War.  The tip of the pen is a replica of the 44 Caliber 1860 Colt Army Revolver bullet, and the clip is a Model 1861 Springfield Rifle Musket replica.

 

Passiko Jewelry

Passiko is a local jewelry artist that we've known for many years. I have some of her pieces in my jewelry box. She's doing a new line she calls "Mixed Up Metals", featuring unique patterns that are hand stamped into sterling silver and copper accented with gem stones and pearls.

New pottery in the gallery

We went to the Oregon Potters Association Ceramic Showcase on May 6th and brought back some new items for the gallery:

These lanterns are so unique and we knew they'd be a great addition to our gallery.  I can just imagine one of these sitting on our deck table with a tea light candle inside, while we chat and sip wine in the evening.  Some of them have a hole in the bottom so you could put in a light bulb for a little ambiance anytime.

Last year when we went to the showcase, we bought a couple of Rhoda's pieces for our personal pottery collection.  The texture and shapes were very attractive to us and Mark has used them as examples for the pottery students.  This year we brought back inventory to sell in the store. This pottery is so unique and the soda firing gives them even more of an interesting look.

Craig Martell has long been one of Mark's favorite potters.  Again, we have a few pieces in our own pottery collection. His work reflects a great understanding of color and texture achieved from years of experimentation with firing and glazing. 

Events This Week

Thursday, May 17th is Tacoma Art Walk!  We will be open until 8pm

Because of a family wedding this weekend, the studio and gallery will be closing at 3:30 on Friday, May 18th, and at 2:00 on Saturday, May 19th.

We had good response to our student pottery sale over the weekend and will be leaving the pottery up on display in the gallery for another day or two.

First Anniversary Celebration - TONIGHT!

Join us as we celebrate the first year of Throwing Mud Gallery.  There will be food, drinks and prizes......and EVERYTHING in the gallery is on sale until April 20.

Pots with a Purpose

Once humans discovered that clay could be dug up and formed into objects by first mixing with water and then firing, the pottery industry was born. The first use of functional pottery vessels for storing water and food is thought to be around 9,000 or 10,000 BC.

With the invention of the potter’s wheel in Mesopotamia, around 6000 – 4000 BC, potters began to see the need for ‘production’ - especially of more utilitarian wares such as storage jars for oil, water, wine, and grain, as well as bowls, cups, and mugs for eating and drinking usage. Initially the ‘wheel’ was a large, heavy stone, which was placed on a pivot and then spun by means of ‘kicking’, or pushing with the feet while in a sitting position. While the stone was building up momentum, the hands were shaping, or ‘throwing’ the pot on top of it.

Pottery today has come a long way from the simple vessels created by long ago potters for use as food, drink and storage containers. Ceramic artists strive to balance function with form, beauty and decoration.

From March 24, 2012 to April 7, 2012, Throwing Mud Gallery is highlighting the idea of "Pots with a Purpose".  Yes, they're beautiful to look at, but they also serve a function for daily living. We have a wide assortment of mugs and tumblers made to DRINK from.  Plates and bowls are made to hold the food that we EAT.  Food and drink can be SERVED with the variety of trays, bowls, pitchers teapots, and platters.  Of course we have pottery that CONTAINS, such as vases, jars, salt & pepper shakers, oil dispensers and utensil cylinders.

Feather earrings

Feather earrings is a trend that has made a comeback. Lucky for us, Eileen B. brought in some new earrings yesterday, including some earrings she made with feathers she had picked up while on vacation in New Zealand.

Eileen likes to use natural materials that she finds in her travels.  We've carried her unique rock jewelry here at Throwing Mud Gallery since shortly after we opened.

She brought in several pairs of earrings, including a couple that are made with both copper and silver.

Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Today is Dr. Seuss' 108th Birthday. We read a lot of Dr. Seuss when our kids were little. I think the first book that each of them read by themselves for the first time was probably "Hop on Pop".

"Three
Tree
Three fish in a tree.
Fish in a tree?
How can that be?"

The first time I saw this cute tea set that we have in the shop, it made me think of Dr. Seuss - especially the striped spiral lid on the teapot. Wouldn't it be fun to have a little tea party with this set?

 

“I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.”

These pots also have a little bit of a quirky Dr. Seuss look to them:

“It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”

This colorful painted bowl would sure add some fun to your table:   

 

“For a host, above all, must be kind to his guests.” 

This little puffin looks like he belongs in a Dr. Seuss story:

“You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.” 

The Sneetches and Other Stories is probably one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books. Many readers didn’t know that The Sneetches was inspired by Dr. Seuss’s opposition to anti-Semitism. This story is an allegory for prejudice and discrimination, where the Sneetches learn that neither plain-belly nor star-belly Sneetches are superior, and they are able to get along and become friends.  The Zax teaches about compromise when the north going Zax and the south going Zax won't step out of each other's way and they stay there so long that a highway is built over them.

This pot reminds me of another story from that book....can you guess which one?

...

...

“Poor empty pants
With nobody inside them.” 

It's not easy being green

Even though St. Patrick's Day is not typically a big shopping day in the retail business, the window at Throwing Mud Gallery is now highlighting our items that are the color green.

Many of our potters use glazes in shades of green.   I have pots by Quinn, Ron, Mark, Andrew, Susan, Dan, Charan, James and CarolAnn. We've got a hand painted green martini glass, as well as green candles, green soap, and our quirky raku fish with green dots. We have beautiful green earrings and necklaces as well.

It actually was pretty easy to be green at Throwing Mud Gallery!

More Jewelry ideas for Valentine'sDay

Only a few more days until Valentine's Day.  I went through our collection of jewelry at Throwing Mud Gallery and picked out several items that would make perfect gifts for your lady love.