Name: Connie Bush
Holly: What do you do?
Connie Bush: Hand build pottery and sculptural ceramics.
Holly: What kind of items do you sale?
Connie Bush: My hand built pottery and ceramics.
Holly: Where did you learn your craft?
Connie Bush: I have a BFA in fine arts, with concentration in ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Holly: What made you want to learn your craft?
Connie Bush: Entered college to learn metalsmithing and jewelry making. I loved the ceramics, found the metalsmithing too unforgiving for me. Changed my concentration from jewelry making to ceramics.
Holly: How long did you take to learn your craft?
Connie Bush: I have 21 semester hours in ceramics from the university. I am a very ”late bloomer”, entering college at the age of 50. I have been making pottery now for about three years including my college time.
Holly: where do you sale your items?
Connie Bush: Just getting started most of my time is spent marketing myself, looking for contacts and referrals for shows and sales in the future. I have sold work at a large flea market, also a couple large more sculptural pieces were sold through juried art shows. I recently was awarded a first place and an honorable mention from my home area county fair. Two pieces were sold secondary to their exhibit at that fair.
Holly: How is business?
Connie Bush: Fair over the last 5 months since I graduated.
Holly: What are the costs involved to starting a business like pottery making?
Connie Bush: Well there is the cost of my four years in college to learn the craft and get my bachelors in fine arts degree. Really tough question, there can be a lot of variables.
Kiln: I fire my work under oxidation. (electric firing) A new kiln, at least the one I would like to have is a minimum of $2,500 .
I will need to purchase a couple new shelves for my kiln, (furniture) at $35.00 a piece.
I recently had to replace the heating elements in my kiln. Elements can cost up to $200.00 for replacements. If you are not willing to change those on your own, you would have the expense of paying someone to change them for you.
I bought an old used one, for $250.00 but got an excellent price on it. I found it placing an ad on Craigslist.
It is adequate for now, but does limit the size of the pieces I produce.
If one could not afford a kiln, the potter would need to find someone who does kiln firing for others, at a cost. My local clay distributor charges $40.00 per kiln load.
If one has their own studio at home, no kiln, they would have to transport their greenware to the person with the kiln, transport again for the glaze firing. Therefore the expense for using someone else’s kiln would be doubled. You also have the risk of breaking your fragile greenware and or bisque ware in the process of getting it back and forth.
FYI: greenware is the clay, unfired, after it has dried. It is extremely fragile at this point.
bisque ware is the clay after it has been fired once at a lower temp. Still fragile, but not as fragile as greenware. The piece is then ”glazed” and is fired again, at generally a higher temp than the bisque ware. The higher the temp of the final firing, the more resilient the piece becomes.
Clay: The clay I purchase averages 50-55 cents per lb I use a stoneware clay, medium fire. I would say the clay I use is in the medium price range.
Porcelain clays are much more expensive. You get what you pay for.
A large sculptural piece I recently did required 65 lbs. of clay. I am able to drive to a supplier to get my clay. If a supplier is not available directly you have huge shipping fees to purchase through retailers out of your area.
Glazes, under glazes: if purchasing commercial glazes. I will give example of glazes I just ordered. I purchased in pints, with the pints ranging from $11.00-$13.00 a piece. They can be purchased in gallon or as dry glaze by the pound.
To make your own glazes requires all the materials to make the glazes. That is a huge outlay of cost in purchasing, and then storing the items. Equipment such as screens, a scales, drill with stirring arm, buckets required.
Studio: If you have a good place, you set up a studio at home. If not, you rent a studio, (and then probably rent the use of a kiln at the studio). In a home studio, special traps should be set up in your drains to collect the residue from clean up. Pottery is a dusty business. Shelving is required to store and dry your work. You need a work table, perhaps a slab roller, if you have room, perhaps an extruder.
If you are a potter that throws their pieces. A wheel is required. I hand build.
Tools: You can put hundreds of dollars into tools for your work. The tools you use and want depends on the type of work that you are doing. Sponges, ribs, needle tools, wires, paint brushes, bats, carving tools, hair dryer or torch (to quicken the drying process of the clay when needed).
Is your head spinning??? Mine is just talking about it.
I have found I need liability insurance to set up in many of the art/craft venues I am applying for. The best price I found was $300.00 per year.
For the arts and crafts venues, some require you bring your own tables, others you bring your own. I have invested over $150.00 for the few tables I have. Outside venues ideally require a canopy shelter, another $200.00. A vehicle large enough to hold several bins of your work, the tables, and the canopy.
Some states require tax licenses whether or not you are a citizen of that state. With a license you will be required to pay taxes on your sales.
With new legislation, (thanks Obama), every supplier to you of your supplies, over $600.00 a year will require you file a 1099 (?) to that supplier.
Juried shows: In my preliminary research, cost of reserving a spot in a quality arts/crafts how is $200 and up. Average (depending on the area) is probably about $500.00. I am finding if you want to get into these quality shows you make your contact now to get onto mailing lists and or get yourself juried for the next year.
Jury fees: If you want your work juried for gallery shows. There is an entrance fee. This fee is not refundable if you do not get into the show. The fees can be minimal, or in my own personal experience only in my area, $25.00 per item entered. Most gallery shows allow you to put a price on your piece and if sold as a result of the show, the galleries take a percentage of your asking price. Gallery fees average about 50% of the purchase price.
Holly: Any goals you have?
Connie Bush: Not any real set goals. What is important for me now is to keep busy, develop my craft/art, get my name out there, make contacts. Always be mindful and watchful for opportunities to make myself and my work known. It is an exciting journey.
Holly: Any advice for somebody thinking of getting into this business?
Connie Bush: Follow your heart. I am proud to have accomplished college at my age. I never had the opportunity to learn pottery making in my youth. I sometimes wonder where I would be today if I had had that opportunity. I absolutely love what I am doing now.
special note : You can “like” her page on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Seasons-Change-Pottery/119011041489085
