Etsy

I learned the basics of making pottery in high school, studied no art at all in college, and after graduating got my own potter's wheel and kiln just to play around with. It's fun throwing pots, but I was much better at, and had more fun, making little clay critters for the rims of a bowl or edge of a mug. So I have pretty much abandoned the pots, and just make the critters now. I've been making mostly kitties since 1996. I start with a lump of white earthenware clay, shaping it into the final solid creature using just my hands, and a few simple metal and wooden tools. The piece dries for about 3-4 days and then I smooth any rough areas and apply underglaze stains to produce all the colors. When I have a good kiln load (anywhere from 30 to 80 pieces) I fire them to 1940 degrees F., which takes about 10 hours, and then 12 hours to cool. Then they're dipped in a clear glaze and fired again. I especially enjoy writing silly things on some of my pieces - the signs, and what I call dioramas or 3-D cartoons with captions.
Other things I enjoy are birding, observing nature, and growing native plants.
People often say to me "So, ya like cats?" Yup, I do.

To read a little more about me, check out this blog interview: http://www.floppycats.com/interview-with-christine-rademacher-of-notjustcats-etsy-shop.html