Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in always looking ahead at what’s next and preparing for the next project. That’s why we’ve chosen to take some time to reflect on what’s important to us and why we started our own business in the first place! So we asked you what you wanted to know about us, and we love your questions! Thanks to all for following along on our pottery business journey, and we hope you enjoy getting to know us a little better! (Some of the questions we received were very similar to one another, so we’ve consolidated questions to encompass all of the similar ones).
How and why did you fall in love with making pottery?
Curry and I have very different responses to this question! So I’ll let Curry go first because he was the one who originally fell in love with making pottery.
Curry: I was fortunate to have the experience of making pottery in high school and college. I chose to take pottery classes because, well I was trying to avoid the more traditional classes and I liked working with my hands. I wasn’t interested in taking drawing or painting, but 3-D work really interested me, so I decided to take a pottery class. At the time I never even thought of a career as a professional potter because I thought it was a hobby--I actually didn’t know that there were people out there who made it their full-time career, but when I learned that was possible, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
I love making it because the more you make and practice the better you get. You can actually see the progress of what you’re doing. If you continue to work hard and put in the time, grit, and effort it takes to constantly learn, grow, and experiment with clay you will see the results. That might not be as fast or as linear as you would like, but you will get there. I also love the fact that every time you make something and glaze it it’s always a little bit different than the last time. This is another way you can see the results of the work that you put in to constantly do better and always keep experimenting and pushing the limits.
Me: I fell in love with pottery and making pottery because of Curry. That’s probably the most cliche thing ever said, but it’s true. Before I met Curry I hated pottery. And that’s not too strong of a word to use here! My mom has collected pottery for years and I would always complain that she had way too much pottery stuffed in their cabinets. Maybe I was a little brat, but I was also ignorant. I didn’t realize what it took to make pottery and I didn’t have any relevance or appreciation for it as a utilitarian art form. Once I met Curry he taught me how to appreciate it and how to see it with different eyes.
The first time I actually saw the Curry making pottery I was pretty mesmerized. I think that it’s a good thing that I didn’t like pottery before I met Curry because it allows me to see it in a different way; I’m not clouded by a blind love for pottery and I think that allows me to share with you all in a more raw way. I realize that not everyone likes pottery, but I hope to educate people on its importance as an art form and the work it takes to create a pot. (photo courtesy of Charina Brooks Photography)
Are you both full-time?
Yes! Curry has been a full-time professional potter since 2017. Before that he was a pottery apprentice and before that he worked at the UPS store (which is good because he knows how to pack a box for shipping our items!). I have been full-time with our business since the summer of 2018. Before that I was a banker!
What is your favorite firing technique?
From Curry: I would consider wood firing to be my favorite. There’s so much chemistry that goes into each firing, and results are almost always different. I like the texture that the salt and wood ash produce on the surface of my pots.
Are you both creative?
This is an interesting question, and one that I think I would have answered differently before I chose to go full-time with our business. I would consider myself creative in terms of always thinking of new ways to be creative in business aspects. I also enjoy coming up with designs for my ceramic jewelry!
Curry is, in my opinion, incredibly creative. I’m writing this speaking for him because he wouldn’t say it that way--I think he sometimes questions his creativity level. He is always trying out new styles, glazes, or designs; always working to push the limits of clay. Creativity is a hard identity or word to put into a box because in our opinions it doesn’t just mean one thing artistically; you can be creative and not work in an art related field. You can be creative in business. I often wonder if creativity is a learned skill or an inherent trait. What do you guys think? Can you learn how to be creative? Or are you just born with it?
Will you ever have an apprentice?
Curry had an apprenticeship for 3 years with Joseph Sand and it was crucial to his career as a potter. So, we think we’d eventually like to provide the same foundation for people wanting to learn how to seriously make pottery. Right now, however, we don’t have the capacity to take on an apprentice because our workshop is currently in our 2 car garage and there’s hardly enough room for just the two of us! We’re thankful to have this space, but in order to have an apprentice we’d love to have a larger workshop (which is in the works!!).
Where are you both from?
Curry is from Haw River, NC and I’m from Burlington, NC.
North Carolina is truly our home!
How many animals do you have?
Three! We have 2 dogs and 1 cat. They’re all rescued. (in the photo left to right: Ada, Clover, Merlin. Photo courtesy of Sarah Gillie Photography)
Where and how did you meet?
We met at a Kiln Opening when Curry was an apprentice with Joseph Sand. I reluctantly went to this Opening with my mom and grandma. Want to know more? I wrote a longer blog post sharing all the details about this here!
Now for some fun facts that you probably don’t know about us!
Curry:
1. Besides being an artist, Curry is also an incredibly good cook! Bet you didn’t know that! When we first started dating Curry would cook for me all the time. There’s definitely an art to cooking, so I guess it makes sense that he’s a good cook!
2. Curry is really into the 1980s and 90s. He loves music, movies, and pretty much anything from those decades. His favorite movie is 1989’s Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze.
3. Curry rescued our cat Merlin from a box on the side of the road when he was 3 weeks old. Because of that they have a very special bond! It’s so cute to watch them interact together! Merlin has Curry wrapped around his little paws.
Me:
1. I collect vintage jewelry, clothing, vinyl records, and furniture! I have a whole wall display in my office of vintage vinyl and pretty much our entire house is furnished with antique furniture (and pottery!).
2. I love watching old TV shows and old movies, and Christmas movies! I love any Audrey Hepburn movie, I Love Lucy, A Royal Wedding, The Donna Reed Show, and many more!
3. If I could live anywhere in the world I would live somewhere in Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales. or Paris. If I were anything else besides a business owner, I would be an archaeologist working on a castle dig in any of those countries!
We are both beyond lucky and blessed that we have the ability to make pottery our careers and continue to share with you what we love. Everyone has a story to share and we hope that by sharing ours we inspire you to always keep pursuing your dreams and share with everyone what you love!
We’d love to hear if we have anything in common with you and get to know you better! Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you for reading!
Sarah & Curry
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