MarkChuck

Mark Chuck Aquatic Ceramic Sculptor High Fire Porcelain

Kingsley, Pennsylvania
449 Sales | 5 out of 5 stars

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Announcement    Next Shop Update. December 3rd 9 p.m. (EST). 37 pieces. Variety of mugs, vessels, and sculpture.
Thanks for visiting my shop! I am diligently working on new work and will have my shop updated in the near future. Visit or follow my Instagram account to find out more. Thank you. @markchuckceramics
As a lifelong fisherman and devoted ceramic artist, I love bringing fish to the table in a most unusual way: through original plates, mugs, teapots, and vessels.
My creative process starts on the river – a contemplative time and place where I think of my work, which I see as a reflection of interactions with the fish and the environment they exist in. Guided by memories of these interactions, of what has taken place between me, the air, the wind, water, light, and the magnificent creature that has water as its home which I hopefully find at the end of my line, I bring teapots, platters, and vessels to the table. The gift in fishing is in the element of surprise — the reward which isn’t revealed until you pull the fish from the water. It is in the strike, the action. You marvel at the beauty of the creation you hold gently in your hands. You see it, touch it. I have the same experience each time I pull a newly fired piece out of the kiln.
My work is ORIGINAL and is only made only by me. Each piece takes a countless amount of hours from start to finish and it all happens in my Northeastern Pennsylvania Studio.

Each piece is made individually from a fine cone 6 Grolleg Porcelain made by Laguna called Frost. And some of the glazes are accurately weighed and mixed by me. My pieces take countless hours to create. Each piece is a reflection of my passions, my soul, and my spirit.

Instructions for Care:
Handcrafted porcelain is both beautiful, and delicate. To preserve your cups luster, and increase its longevity, we recommend the following care:
* Handwashing with mild detergent is recommended.
* Limit microwave exposure. Your piece is microwave safe, but limiting its exposure to microwave heat will help to preserve it for many years to come.
* Prior to use, warm your cup by running hot tap water over it before pouring boiling water into it. Hot the pot. We know true tea and coffee aficionados require boiling water for a perfect brew, but handcrafted porcelain is not designed to withstand the shock of going from room temperature to temperatures above 212 degrees (the temperature at which water boils). The simple step of warming the cup first and allowing the bubbles to disappear before pouring will help prevent cracks in your one-of-a-kind piece.
Enjoy!

*No trout were harmed in creating my art, trout are our friends*
The colors and shapes reflect those of the fish I catch and release.


Chinese /Japanese Tea Ceremony History :
Teacup without a handle is a good device to test the
temperature of the tea.
If it is too hot for me to hold the cup, that means the
tea is too hot for my lips. If I can hold the cup and
feel warm and comfortable, that means the tea is ready for
me to drink. Drinking tea this way was meant to warm the hands as well as the soul.

Find more at www.markchuck.com

Announcement

Last updated on Dec 5, 2021

Next Shop Update. December 3rd 9 p.m. (EST). 37 pieces. Variety of mugs, vessels, and sculpture.
Thanks for visiting my shop! I am diligently working on new work and will have my shop updated in the near future. Visit or follow my Instagram account to find out more. Thank you. @markchuckceramics
As a lifelong fisherman and devoted ceramic artist, I love bringing fish to the table in a most unusual way: through original plates, mugs, teapots, and vessels.
My creative process starts on the river – a contemplative time and place where I think of my work, which I see as a reflection of interactions with the fish and the environment they exist in. Guided by memories of these interactions, of what has taken place between me, the air, the wind, water, light, and the magnificent creature that has water as its home which I hopefully find at the end of my line, I bring teapots, platters, and vessels to the table. The gift in fishing is in the element of surprise — the reward which isn’t revealed until you pull the fish from the water. It is in the strike, the action. You marvel at the beauty of the creation you hold gently in your hands. You see it, touch it. I have the same experience each time I pull a newly fired piece out of the kiln.
My work is ORIGINAL and is only made only by me. Each piece takes a countless amount of hours from start to finish and it all happens in my Northeastern Pennsylvania Studio.

Each piece is made individually from a fine cone 6 Grolleg Porcelain made by Laguna called Frost. And some of the glazes are accurately weighed and mixed by me. My pieces take countless hours to create. Each piece is a reflection of my passions, my soul, and my spirit.

Instructions for Care:
Handcrafted porcelain is both beautiful, and delicate. To preserve your cups luster, and increase its longevity, we recommend the following care:
* Handwashing with mild detergent is recommended.
* Limit microwave exposure. Your piece is microwave safe, but limiting its exposure to microwave heat will help to preserve it for many years to come.
* Prior to use, warm your cup by running hot tap water over it before pouring boiling water into it. Hot the pot. We know true tea and coffee aficionados require boiling water for a perfect brew, but handcrafted porcelain is not designed to withstand the shock of going from room temperature to temperatures above 212 degrees (the temperature at which water boils). The simple step of warming the cup first and allowing the bubbles to disappear before pouring will help prevent cracks in your one-of-a-kind piece.
Enjoy!

*No trout were harmed in creating my art, trout are our friends*
The colors and shapes reflect those of the fish I catch and release.


Chinese /Japanese Tea Ceremony History :
Teacup without a handle is a good device to test the
temperature of the tea.
If it is too hot for me to hold the cup, that means the
tea is too hot for my lips. If I can hold the cup and
feel warm and comfortable, that means the tea is ready for
me to drink. Drinking tea this way was meant to warm the hands as well as the soul.

Find more at www.markchuck.com

Items

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Reviews

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5 out of 5 stars
(133)
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Quality 9 Shipping 23 Customer service 6

About MarkChuck

Sales 449
On Etsy since 2010
  • This is my favorite spot to start my creative process.
  • Releasing a chinook salmon back to the river.
  • This is part of the firing process, stoking a wood kiln 24 hrs a day every 4 to 5 minutes.
  • My other passion. 23" Wild Brown Trout

Inspiration

I love bringing the fish to the table in a most unusual way. Either as cups, teapots, plates, or vases, making fish fans out of who have never given the creature much thought --but who will never again ignore the passing flicker in the stream.

Each and every piece goes through a lengthy process. After creating a piece my work must go through a lengthy drying process. Usually 2 to 3 weeks or maybe longer depending on the size and the number of joined slabs. I never push the drying time because that process will show up in the end results as warping, cracking, and a loss of a piece. After drying comes its first firing (Bisque Firing (1850° degrees F) to harden the piece but still porous for glazing and to get rid of any organic material left in the clay. Each piece takes hours to glaze by hand and is then ready for its last firing to cone 10 (2350° F). Kiln firings is a 3 day process from firing to a 2 day cool down to prevent thermal shock. After each piece is meticulously inspected the bottoms are then wet sanded with a diamond wheel for ultra smoothness to the bottom of the piece so it does not scratch any surface it comes in contact with.

My work marries an outdoorsman's appreciation for the colors, textures, and shapes of common sport fish- notably the brown trout / brook trout with a porcelains master's ability to meticulously capture those details in sculptural objects that are elegant and humorous by turns. My work is more about the surface of the fish than the shape of the fish capturing the essence of what a fish actually is.

"Please keep in mind that all monitors display colors and tonal qualities are differently. All images are photographed by me and are close as possible to the actual piece , but I must say that your truly have to see the work in person. The photographs are uploaded and are perfect color on an Apple products"

Find more at markchuck.com

Shop members

  • Mark Chuck

    Owner, Maker, Designer, Photographer

    With each work, I strive to evoke the unique essence of the original subject, marrying nature with the intellectual and tactile reality of my creative efforts. Each piece is a reflection of my passions, vision and spirit.

Shop policies

Last updated on June 20, 2021
Hello and Welcome to Mark Chuck Ceramics. I try to make each customer comfortable with their purchase and only photograph each piece of work accurately. If at any time a problem may occur please contact me and I will make it right.

All of my items are original, handmade, and one of a kind. Each cup is made from high fire porcelain. And some of the glazes are accurately weighed and mixed by me. My pieces take countless hours to create. On average it takes me three days of glazing before I can even think of loading and firing a kiln. Sometimes I fire a piece multiple times before I am delighted and satisfied with the results.
With the immense chance of cracking and warping my cups are meticulously attached and dried for weeks. Slow drying will prevent my pieces from stressing. Stress will most likely cause them to twist , crack, and warp during firing of the kiln. All my ware is fired to a cone 10- 2400 degrees fahrenheit in a natural gas kiln. Bringing the clay to the maturity point making my clay body translucent.

Accepted payment methods

Paypal Mastercard Visa American Express Discover Apple Pay Klarna Giftcard
Accepts Etsy Gift Cards and Etsy Credits
Returns and exchanges
I gladly accept returns
Contact me within: 3 days of delivery
Ship items back within: 7 days of delivery
I don't accept exchanges or cancellations
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
  • Custom or personalized orders
  • Perishable products (like food or flowers)
  • Digital downloads
  • Intimate items (for health/hygiene reasons)
Returns and exchange details
Because of the material that was used (clay). Accidents sometimes do happen. Its inevitable. Even though I package them securely you will not have any trouble from me to make things right. If it is broken I will replace or give a refund back to you (minus shipping). Just send me a photograph of the broken piece and I will begin the claim. Each party must be in contact with each other throughout the process. I either will send you a new piece or give you a refund after the claim has been completed and cleared with the post office.
If you are not pleased with any item I will accept it back within 3 days and in sellable condition and I will refund your purchase price minus the shipping. Shipping and insurance at the costumers expense*
Payment
PayPal and credit cards are the easiest for me and the quickest for you. I can get your item or items to the post office as quickly as possible within a few days it was purchased. I can also take money orders or checks but would have to wait for them to clear before any shipping takes place.
Shipping
I ship United States Postal Service. Larger items such as the sculptures would be crated and shipped UPS. I do put insurance on my pieces and if the shipping cost goes over I will pay for it out of my pocket just so my costumers do not get ridiculous prices on shipping costs. I do package them very well and only take insurance out for lost items and if an item is broken, (international shipping excluded). Fragile items will be boxed with packing peanuts surrounding the item making it snug.
*If anyone would like to make a international purchase. Please convo me with your name, address , and as well as the piece and I will weigh it and get the exact cost for shipping.
*Any piece that was unclaimed , purchaser is responsible for the piece to be shipped back to the owner. If at any time the customer who does not want it returned will be charged a "holding fee" that will be refunded only half the price of the piece. Shipping is not refunded.

*Not responsible for returned items 20 days after the initial sale.

Please be sure when you order an item to be in the location it has been sent. The longer the package is in the process of shipping back and forth the more of a chance the item is to be loss or broken. If the package is returned back to me the shipping will be charged to the customer for the item to be shipped back.
Additional policies and FAQs
Even though my work is functional, handmade teapots can never be put directly on the stove. You must warm up the vessels and cups with hot tap water before putting in boiling hot water from an additional source. If this process is not completed the piece may crack. I test cups regularly and all teapots are tested thoroughly. My work is handmade and original and deserves extra care in washing, even though the work is microwavable. Hand washing is recommended for perfect condition and long-lasting. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Thank you.

CONDITIONS OF USE
When you purchase anything from Mark Chuck you agree to hold Mark Chuck harmless from any loss, damage or injury due to any products purchased from us. Our maximum liability to you is the amount you paid for the item(s) purchased.

Note: I reserve the right to update these policies at any time.
Purchasing a piece from Mark Chuck does not mean reproduction rights. All rights and commercial advertising reserved to the artist.