Artists and Musicians: Shop for Pottery

"Pleasant Bay" Carved Rim Bowl by Margie Skaggs

"Sesuit Harbor" Carved Rim Bowl by Margie Skaggs

This one-of-a-kind piece has a pale celedon glaze that is quite subtle and elegant. It makes a beautiful fruit bowl or side serving dish. It was thrown on the wheel and the rim later carved with a small sharp knife.

The bowl is 8 ½ “ in diameter and 3 ½ “ high. It was fired to cone 10 in reduction.

Price: $55.00. Packing and Shipping: $15.00

"Sand Dune" Ginger Jar by Margie Skaggs

This elegant, one-of-a-kind piece makes a dramatic visual statement and is a useful container as well. Both the body and the lid were thrown on the wheel and details were added after trimming. It was glazed with a dark Shino base glaze, creating rich bronzy tones on the surface. Then a rutile gold glaze was dripped around the shoulder of the piece adding contrasting gold tones and interesting drip decoration. Three lugs applied just above the shoulder add an additional Oriental touch to the piece, as does the separate lid with its strong knob handle.

This piece is 10” high and 6” in diameter. It was wheel thrown in stoneware and fired to cone 10 in reduction.

Price: $80.00. Packing and Shipping: $25.00

"Seascape" Mugs by Margie Skaggs

These pieces are wheel thrown with pulled handles added after trimming. They were first glazed with a pale blue base glaze. Then they were dipped into an Oribe glaze which provides a range of subtle greens on the outside. Oribe is a traditional Japanese glaze formula.

The mugs are 3 ½ “ high and 5” wide, including the handle. They were fired to cone 10 in reduction. Other similar mugs are available.

Price: $25 each. Packing and Shipping: $8 for one; $10 for two.

Celebrating American Pottery

ArtistsAndMusicians will be celebrating American pottery through the summer 2012, and our featured potter is Margie Skaggs of New York and West Stockbridge, MA. Margie Skaggs's work reflects a rich mixture of influences as diverse as America itself, from Native American to Asian. Her work, made from stoneware or porcelain, is both functional and decorative, and includes bowls, covered jars, vases, plates, platters, mugs and casseroles. Margie Skaggs favors traditional glazes from China (celadons) and Japan (shinos) often combined with slips, washes and other glazes. Additional decorative techniques include brushwork, slip or glaze trailing, stamping, and carving.

Most of the pots are fired in a cone 10 reduction atmosphere which produces a rich combination of color, texture and depth of surface, as well as a strong body able to withstand oven temperatures and dishwashers. This firing method also means that finished results can vary quite a bit, even when the same glazes and clay body are used. In Margie Skaggs's own words, "I value this element of surprise – it means that every piece is unique – even in a set of bowls or plates."

Designed for both beauty and utility, Margie Skaggs pottery exhibits a full and lively quality, and each piece retains the gestures of the hands that made it. She creates lush and varied surfaces that invite touch and make even the simplest piece feel luxurious and distinctive.

Margie Skaggs exhibits in various venues in New York and Massachusetts, including Greenwich House Pottery, IS 183 Art School, Nippon Gallery, Graphic Eye Gallery, and Hoadley Gallery. Pottery purchased through Artists and Musicians can be shipped anywhere in the continental United States.