Laura's Pottery

"I make mostly functional things, things that you would use for the most part in the kitchen, like bowls. I do dinner sets for people, but usually I do that by special order because people usually order special sizes and designs. I do more mugs than anything else. I also make vases, pots, planters, trays, casseroles, and little garlic jars. I like to do pierce work (cutting out). I do some garlic jars where I cut out and design the top. I also do flower holders where I throw a vase and throw a lid, and in the lid I cut out a design so the flowers can stand up. I recently started doing berry bowls where I throw a bowl and throw an inner bowl, and cut out a pattern in the inner bowl. Then you can take the berries and rinse them in the inner colander and set them in the other bowl so the water will fall away."

Original Ideas Most things come because I want one to use for myself. First I decided to make a garlic jar. I'd seen some where people had bored holes in the side, and I thought I'd rather have the holes in the top or the bottom. I made one and brought it to a craft show, and I heard someone say 'Oh look, it's for flowers!' It wasn't for flowers, it was for garlic, but I thought it was a great idea. So, I started making the flower vases also. As for the berry bowls, I had been making colanders and found that they were warping because of the weight of the handles. Then I decided to make an outside bowl to support it. This helped to drain the water and contain the berries. They all came about in trying to solve a problem.

Special Event

As a member of the Potter's Forum Laura attends monthly meetings, including inspirational speeches, movies, and presentations. As a member she is also involved in community events.

"Last fall I was involved in putting on an Empty Bowl Event, which was a fund raiser for a local food pantry. Potters in our group and anyone else who we could find made bowls. We had a local chef help us with the cooking, and we served about two hundred people dinner. They each got to take home the bowl they picked out, and since all the food was donated, we made about three thousand dollars."