BizWeek By: Jiya Doctor

Hi everyone. Welcome to my article BizWeek. This week I interviewed a local pottery owner and his pottery studio is named Hot Rock Pottery.

Jiya: What inspired you to open a pottery studio?

Mr. Daniel: It was not as much inspiration as it was opportunity. I was able to go to college and come out of college with no debt, and then I pursued more education, I was taking a lot of pottery classes, and I graduated with a degree in fine arts. After I went to college I didn’t want to go into education because when you’re doing art in college, the teachers, professors, and everyone directs you into an education to utilize your skills and I decided not to go that way. I decided to go a different school of craft in North Carolina.

Jiya: How long have you owned your studio?

Mr. Daniel: Well, I built it 10 years ago, when I built my house here in King George. I built this studio right next to the house and the barn where my kilns are.

Jiya: What do you do at the pottery studio?

Mr. Daniel: I mass produce pottery.

Jiya: So you produce the pottery?

Mr. Daniel: Yah, I make pots, I make the glazes, then I fire the pots. Before COVID I used to travel around and have art shows, and I’d sell my work there and over the internet. I’d even put them in galleries.

Jiya: Do you sell your pottery to customers or sell it to other pottery stores?

Mr. Daniel: I’d do a lot of individual sales directly to the customers. I have many galleries and coffee shops, places that would carry my work and facility.

Jiya: What changes have you made due to Corona Virus?

Mr. Daniel: Nothing has really changed other than not being able to do my art shows and being able to sell my work. Because I have to get lots of people together to see the work to be able to sell it. The internet only does so much. Doing art festivals was where I was making most of my income.

Jiya: Do you do deliveries?

Mr. Daniel: yes, sometimes I make large pottery that weighs 150LB, so then I have to take a road trip.

Jiya: How do you make your pottery?

Mr. Daniel: I work primarily at the pottery wheel. Most of the things I make are round. I make a lot of bowls, mugs. I make a lot of seasonal things. On holidays, I really get creative like on Valentine’s Day I make heart shaped bowls, on Halloween I will make pumpkin shaped bowls, I’d make glazes to fit these holidays. Just yesterday I was imprinting a jackolantern face in a mug, so you always have to think ahead when you’re making the pots.

Jiya: What kind of equipment do you use to sculpt your pottery?

Mr. Daniel: I use a pottery wheel, a slab roller, a clay extruder, various kilns. I have several electric kilns, but I fire my pots. Then I make my own glazes. I fire them in a large gas kiln, and then I have big kilns outside in a big barn. It’s probably a 110 cubic ft gas kiln, and it’s meant to fire over 3500 degrees.

Jiya: Why did you decide to name your pottery studio Hot Rock Pottery?

Mr. Daniel: It was a big play on. I do high fire stone ware, it’s a range temperature. The clay is called stone ware, it’s meant for really high temperature firings. I take my clay to a temperature of 2,350 degrees.

Jiya: What items do you sell?

Mr. Daniel: I sell a lot of mugs that’s something I can never stop making, serving bowls, tea pots, large platters, vessels. I sell my vessels for about $150, and my mugs are around $30. It’s that range. The clay costs less then 18 cents a pound. The amount of pots I make it doesn’t cost me very much to make them. It helps when I have to stay home and take care of my two kids and I have to home school them.

Jiya: Do you give classes to kids or adults?

Mr. Daniel: Not currently, but I have done classes. I have also had intentions on doing travel firings. I’ve adapted with some kilns, so I’m able to put them in my trailer and do travel kilns.

Jiya: What would you say to other businesses during this time?

Mr. Daniel: I would say stay strong and increase profits.

This interview was so interesting. I hope the readers of this article found the information on pottery from Mr. Daniel Christie of Hot Rock Pottery. If you would like to see his work check out his Facebook page, Hot Rock Pottery.