Richard and I have been married and partners in clay for 51 years. We live in Putnam County, Indiana. We've made our living from pottery for the past 28 years. And they said it couldn't be done!
In spite of doing many things wrong like living in the country 15 miles from Greencastle, and 7 miles from Cloverdale, our business somehow worked! Over the years we've had guests and customers from all the 50 states. Also people from 51 different foreign countries around the world. Our pottery studio and grounds became the place of interest to take guests for a visit. We met many interesting people this way - have lots of guest books full of names.
Richard built a 40 cubic catanary arch kiln, which we fire to cone 10 (2380º F) reduction. Most of our pottery is turned on the potter's wheel. However, we make a goodly number of hand built pots and sculptures and one-of-a-kind ware. Our main pottery is utilitarian and relatively small. We find that small items fit into wasted space around the larger pieces. Therefore, our kiln is always packed full before we fire. Tiny items, which sell for a small price, add up to enough extra money to pay for the fuel.Richard and I work together, often on each other's pieces. We glaze together, stack together, pack and ship together. It's much easier and more efficient than trying to work alone. We always gave advice to anyone who asked for it. No secrets! Clays, glazes, application of glazes, and the firing processes are all so variable, that we freely gave our knowledge. Probably no one took our advice or could make it work anyway. Pottery ain't rocket science!
How did this partnership start? We met at Tech High School in Indianapolis in art class in 1940. We were the "Big Romance" of the art department for 4 years. Richard was drafted right after graduation. He served in the Army of Occupation of Germany. At the age of 19, he became a Master Sergeant in charge of 35 men who made out a 2 million-dollar pay roll each month. No computer, no calculators, only hand cranked adding machine, pencils, paper and brainpower.
We married in l948. Sex was in, birth control didn't work very well and so we added 4 sons to the "Baby Boom"
Our first kiln was a one cubic foot electric kiln. We made thousands of delicate flower pins and earrings of low fire white clay. Plastic jewelry soon was developed and ceramic jewelry was out. However, we fired bisque, glaze and gold for each piece. Since the kiln was small, we were able to fire every evening.
We experimented with slip casting. Over the years we have fired oxidation at low heat, fired high reduction, fired Raku and pit firings. We've used low fire bright colored glazes and high fired earthy glazes, no glazes, polished clay like the Indian pots. To glaze we've brushed it on, dipped, poured, sprayed, sponged, and even used a bit of room temperature glaze ("paint'). (next paragraph could be omitted)
Richard kindly consented to judge the local 4H clay work. The irate mothers were mad because he didn't award all their children a blue ribbon. They felt that he didn't understand low fired and cast ware. Well, my dears, he had done it all and seen it all and all the kids didn't deserve a blue ribbon. Don't try to judge a 4H project - the mothers are vicious.
Richard and I filmed, edited, narrated, put music to the background of 8 Ceramic Art Films. He traveled. I kept the home and sons running. The films are meant to show how things are made, not to be a strict "how to do it" teaching aid. We made these in 1966. The processes are valid; the clothing and hairstyles look dated. We sold and rented the films and videos for 25 years. Todd Wagoner is reviving them now in video form.
Richard was president of NCECA. He sponsored ceramic shows for DePauw for many years, etc., etc., etc.
Richard was a good teacher at DePauw University. He decided to leave teaching when we were 46 years old. (Mid-life crisis?) We expected to do wholesale potting. We were lucky that handcrafts were "in" in the 60's and we sold to galleries easily. Dumb luck! Good timing! It soon worked out that people showed up at the pottery studio to buy pots directly from us.
I finally got to be a professional potter for 28 years. It was wonderful to work in clay every day. I loved to throw it, pinch it, punch, poke, shape, distort, build, cut, and decorate clay. We had a very full life together. Our house is rammed earth (clay). It is our largest pot or our largest sculpture?? Richard contracted a very rare autoimmune disease, which destroyed his body's, own muscles. How he got it, no one knows? He died December 22, 1998 at age 72. He worked until the very end. I've had to give up clay because of a shoulder problem. It was great while it lasted!
I hope I wrote about what potters and teachers would want to know We worked in so many ways other than clay-building: wood, fabric, photography, painting, illustrating, display Marj Peeler October 11.2000