Tell us a bit about yourself name, location,
affiliations, personal stuff.
My name is Catherine Reece. I live in Dublin, California, an inland suburb of the bay area. For the last nine years I have been living and breathing pottery with my husband Scott. We had a dream to turn my clay creations into a business where we work at home and spend time together as a family. We quit our day jobs and jumped into this business with a lot of faith and hard work. Five years ago our son Jackson was born. He is a very creative child who has always shared our studio with us. He likes to make what he calls “belly button pancakes” and sells them along side our work at art festivals. Three years later along came Kennedy a bundle of creativity and pure emotion. She likes to follow in her brother’s footsteps. It is truly a family affair.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
When I am not in my studio I enjoy cooking for my family, being silly with my kids, tending my garden, planning camping trips with my family in our ‘78 Coleman tent trailer and buying handmade on Etsy.
What first made you want to become an artist?
I have always been an artist. As a young child I would sit and draw. It was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I took some art classes in college and experimented with a lot of different mediums. Some years later I discovered clay and I never looked back.
Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
I throw and design each piece and my husband does all the trimming and final glazing. I use a black under glaze pen to draw each design and I paint the details with bright under glazes. I got tired of the usual “dip and dunk” method of glazing pottery so I began to look at each piece as a blank canvas to draw and paint on.
Many years ago I first saw a dragonfly on a lake in Cable, Wisconsin and was fascinated with its flight and vivid colors. I began to draw them and other insects including the "dung" scarab beetle and praying mantis. God created each beautiful and intricate insect and I feel compelled to draw them and tell their stories.
I try to make my process of creation as "green" as possible. I fire all of my work in an electric kiln that is supplemented by solar panels on our roof. In addition we travel to various art shows in our diesel truck that runs on recycled vegetable oil from a local Mexican restaurant. It really does smell like tortilla chips!
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
A Christmas stocking that my mom made me when I was a child. When I think about that stocking it reminds me of how I enjoyed the wonderful Christmas traditions my family and I had. I hope to give my kids the same joyful memories.
Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
I really don’t have much time to read for myself.
So here are my favorites to read to my kids
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back
Bunny My Honey
Miss Spider’s Tea Party
Summer
Quest For Fire
Never Cry Wolf
A Room With A View
Amelie
Delicatessen
Peter Frampton Live
Feist
Jack Johnson
Doug MacLeod
Keith Green
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Get involved in the Etsy community and see who some of the other artists are. See who is successful and look at their photos and descriptions. Read the interviews and storque news. There is so much information and helpful advice for artists. I am still learning and trying to improve my store.
What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?
I just discovered Pounce! I enjoy browsing the Undiscovered shops and being the first buyer. It’s nice to be able to make someone‘s day a little brighter. I also try to keep up on the “sneak attacks” listed on TheHandmadeMovement. I am committed to shopping Etsy and giving back some of my success to other artists.
I would love to be able to arrange the items in my shop.
How do you promote your work?
I sell my work at art festivals and I hand out business cards that have a link to my website, where I have added an Etsy Mini link. I also send out monthly reminders to all my fans about the shows where I will be selling.
In ten years I'd like to be...
Living a simple artist life with my family in a small house with a big yard so I can grow lots of flowers and vegetables. |
