Mini Pott

I have always loved art and making things since I was little, drawing, knitting, sewing were all hobbies I picked up when I was small. When it came to choosing a career path, I decided to study Design at Concordia University, and finished with a BFA. I loved going to art school and having access to so many different art practices. When I left university, I worked as a graphic designer for several years. I liked having a job that was creative, but I found myself wanted to do something with my hands again, as I spent most of my day in front of the computer. I took a pottery hand building class with some coworkers after work and it really clicked with me. I had worked with clay before and done ceramics as a kid and a bit at university, and I just instantly connected with the medium again. It was so nice to be able to transform an idea you had into something tangible.

Flash forward several years and I had continuing to take classes as a hobby and wanted to find a studio where I could spend more time working on this craft. In 2019 I decided to open an etsy shop and sell some of my pieces, and a few sales trickled in over the year. I was still working full time at Ubisoft as a graphic designer. Then the pandemic hit, and all of a sudden my online sales absolutely took off. I would work all day at home at my computer, and then bike to the studio to work until 12 making pottery for my etsy orders! I finally decided that I should just go for it, I went a bit crazy. I left my stable job in the middle of the pandemic and told myself “I’ll just try making pottery for a year and see how it goes” 4 years later, and I wouldn’t want to do anything else! I guess it’s been a success, though with a steep learning curve at times.

How would you describe your business?

I am a potter who makes functional ceramics out of clay, using primarily handbuilding techniques, though I also use the potter’s wheel for some forms. I work with several different stoneware bodies, all firing to cone 6 in my electric kiln that I have in my studio.

My work is really vintage inspired, and I want to create timeless pieces that have a heirloom quality. They may look a little bit like they are from a different era but with a contemporary spin. I love colours but I also love earthy and rustic tones. I try to marry the two together.

I studied fine art with a major in Design at Concordia University. However I ended up learning a lot of my current skills from taking evening classes at art centers here in Montreal. I then rented space in a studio where I could spend more free time honing my skills. I was lucky to be in the studio of Creations Li, another Montreal potter who had been working on their craft for a decade by the time I rented space in their studio. I learned a lot from watching them work and they were so generous sharing their knowledge on how to run your own pottery business. A lot of what I have learned over the last 4 years is from other potters I have met.