In the episode, Mike sits down at the potter’s wheel and walks us through the process of making a mug from start to finish. During the process, he’ll give us some tips and tricks for working with clay. Want to give it a try? If you’re in Gatlinburg, come see us and take advantage of our pottery experiences!
For years in the Great Smoky Mountains, and Appalachia as a whole, pottery has played an important role in the lives of people who’ve lived in our beautiful mountains. Before the rise of industry and machines took the world by storm, making your own vessels was far easier since the mountains made it difficult to get into town, as well as provided a cheaper option than buying one that was already made.
(more…)
Watching someone throw a piece of pottery on a potter’s wheel can be a mesmerizing experience. It may even make you think about what it would be like to throw a piece on the wheel yourself. Fortunately, ceramics are almost universally beloved, and classes to help you get started on your ceramic-making journey are generally offered somewhere near you. If you do find a pottery-making class that you want to sign up for, here are a couple of tips that will help you as you prepare to head into your first pottery class.
(more…)
On this episode of Around the Potter’s Wheel, hosts Mike Fowler, owner of Fowler’s Clay Works, and Fred Hess, Smarketing, sit down with artisan Woods Hippensteal. Woods is a second generation artist and during our conversation with him we discuss the thriving arts and crafts community in Gatlinburg and how it’s evolved over time.
(more…)