Road trip

Yesterday my SO and I took a (LONG) drive in the Michiana area, to hit up the Michiana Pottery Tour, or at least part of it. We have gone on this tour before, sticking to the area around Goshen, so this time we decided to venture farther afield. The first stop was in Constantine, MI. Then we visited a studio in Bristol, IN, and two more in South Bend. We were going to go to Shipshewana, too, but pooped out and had to stop and eat.

Each stop featured a host and between four and seven guest potters. So there was a LOT of pottery in a LOT of forms in a LARGE range of prices. I bought three pieces.

This jug is about 6" tall. The funny thing is we had seen a bunch of these at the maker space where I fire my pottery, and I was surprised that there would be two potters with the same idea. Turned out it was the same potters - Briggan and Jeff Mueller - from Fort Wayne. Briggan was generous enough to explain how they were made - she created a plaster slip casting mold, then used a combination of Mayco and Spectrum glazes on them.

This mixing bowl is about the right size for scrambling eggs or mixing up a small batch of pancakes. The whisk came with it, too. Made by Mark Goertzen of Goshen.

Cristal Sabbagh, who describes herself as an "interdisciplinary artist" and is from Chicago, creates lovely cups with original artwork, but I opted for one of her necklaces.

It's so inspiring to meet all these potters and see their studios. There are a LOT of mugs at these events, which has gotten me thinking that maybe I should upgrade my coffee mugs. The mugs I make are more like bricks, while the ones at these fairs are usually porcelain, light-weight and thin. Per usual, our jaunt has left me with lots to think about.