Tell us a bit about yourself name, location,
affiliations, personal stuff.
My name is Shawna Pincus and I am the potter behind Pinkkiss Pottery. I live and work in Baltimore, Maryland with my husband Michael and our 2 cats, Mexico and Stranger. I have a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a teaching certification from Towson University. I am a full-time potter as of very recently but before that I held a day job as an elementary school art teacher. I loved the job but needed more time to devote to my studio work. I work from my basement where we have a pottery studio and a screen-printing studio for Michael’s business, Spaghettikiss. I am also part of a fantastic craft group here in Baltimore, the Charm City Craft Mafia. We host two craft shows a year, as well as a few workshops aimed at helping crafters to further their businesses.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I love to cook and go to the farmer’s market. I have a slight obsession with food and love to try new tastes and create new dishes in the kitchen; it’s my other creative outlet! Recently I have started to document my kitchen adventures and have been studying and practicing food styling and photography. Someday I would like to put a book together combining my cooking, photography and pottery. Look out Martha, here I come! My husband and I love to travel and explore new places. I like to go for walks, watch lots of movies and read whenever I have time. I wish I was a better gardener but I do like to try to grow my own herbs and veggies.
What first made you want to become an artist?
I think I always knew I was going to be an artist. Either that or a marine biologist! My mother always encouraged me to be creative and we spent many hours together sewing, cooking and crafting while I was growing up. I fondly remember having a life size doll that she made with a matching outfit and blue yarn wig for me! She is a hairstylist who owns her own business so she’s been a great inspiration to me and I am very thankful to have a parent who is so encouraging and understanding of my dreams.
Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
My process starts with a lump of beautiful red clay which I either shape on my pottery wheel or throw into a slab using my big rolling pin and drape over molds to create a form. I try to come up with shapes that will have many uses in your home. I use my pots on a daily basis so I want them to be super functional and easy to clean as well as pretty to look at. Once the piece has set up I paint a layer of white slip over it much like a painter would use gesso. I like to leave a large portion of the pot untouched to show off the lovely red clay underneath. Once the pot is totally bone dry I lay out my collection of underglazes, stamps, found objects, stencils, block carvings and gocco screens. I work on my pots the same way I would work a collage, painting some areas and then stenciling over that. Printing some areas and painting over that. Adding layers and layers until I have the image that makes sense to me. I think of little stories as I work, imagining that one creature is running from another or that a bunny was just caught nibbling on some radishes in the garden. Once the pot has been painted it goes into the kiln for the first time, which is called the bisque. Sometimes I add a wash of stain after the first firing to add a little rustic distress to the surface. Then it is glazed using my own studio made glazes and into the kiln a second time. I choose to work with lower temperature red clay because firing my electric kiln to the lower temperature saves a lot of electricity and energy. I try to be as green as possible in my studio and this was one of the ways I could do my part. The dishes are very strong and hold up to daily use. A lot of time goes into each piece but I like to think of them as a painting (or collage) so they can be displayed as well as used in the kitchen. I’m really inspired by the slow food movement. Of course a pot is not totally finished until someone takes it home and puts it to use!
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
That’s tough because I have so many handmade items around my house. Having a mother and husband who are also crafty make for a very handmade home! If I have to pick a favorite though I think it would be the book Michael made me for his marriage proposal. He wrote a graphic novel (his true passion) telling the story of a robot that became a man to be with his true love and on the back page was a trap door with my engagement ring in it. He planted it in our local indie bookstore and waited for me to find it. It was so sweet! The book has a special place in our living room. Other than that I would say my collection of pottery from other potters and these really comfortable blankets my mom made us.
Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
Books:
Great Food Fast by the Martha Stewart Company (truly a great cookbook)
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Image Transfer on Clay by Paul Andrew Wandless (great resource)
The Boss of You by Emira Mears and and Lauren Bacon (a must read)
The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling
Movies:
Cry Baby (My favorite as a kid and hey, I live in Baltimore!)
Labyrinth (Another favorite from childhood that I can still watch today.)
Pan's Labyrinth (beautiful!)
Battlestar Galactica (the TV Series)
The Wire (also a TV Series)
Music:
Death Cab for Cutie
Grandaddy
Ok Go (great for the gym!)
The Shins
Rilo Kiley
Websites:
101 cookbooks
design sponge
indiefixx
smitten kitchen
Lillyella Blog
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Make what you believe in and enjoy. It’s a lot of work and it doesn’t happen over night. Buy something from another Etsy seller to check out the process your customers go through. Take awesome pictures and list items frequently. Think of your shop as a real store and keep things consistent but fresh. Have a nice business card and ALWAYS have it with you, hand it out to anyone who seems interested. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know how to do something, or ask for advice. Don’t be afraid to say no if you can’t do something or make a deadline. Only promise what you can deliver. Always be polite even if you don’t feel like it, it’s good karma. Have great customer service. Remember that different things work for different people, you have to find what’s right for you. Critique yourself often and always try to push yourself to do a little better but don’t forget to have fun! Buy yourself something nice with the money from your first sale, something you can look at and feel good because you bought that with your own creativity.
What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?
I really like the gift guides. I also enjoy the Storque and reading the articles. I always learn something new and feel connected to the Etsy community and I like the new Facebook button, that’s way cool. I think your doing a wonderful job and I know I couldn’t do even half of what you all do. I’m just thankful that Etsy is here!
How do you promote your work?
I keep a blog and a newsletter. I participate in lots of craft shows and have been lucky enough to have a few blogs and magazines interested in my work. I’m also on Facebook and have a group for my business. I have a twitter account but I just can’t seem to get into that. My hands are usually too dirty to update very often! Oh, and I have a business card that I hand out as well as a recipe card with all of my information and a cookie recipe!
In ten years I'd like to be...
Making more money from my pottery than my teacher’s salary that I just left :) Working in a studio with more windows next to Michael who will also be a full time artist. And maybe be a mom... maybe. |
