Being self-employed as a potter

We love what we do!

Recently, we did some pottery and poetry workshops for a community groups but tonight, we sent them an invoice. All the costs had been agreed beforehand, but we still felt a little squeamish sending it! It’s hard to imagine that someone reading the costs has an idea of the work involved in running a pottery business which allows the workshops to happen. So, to help myself as much as you, I thought I’d put some thoughts to ‘paper’..

Over the last week, we have..

Run two pottery workshops in the community

Made pottery

Attended the local Open Studios AGM

Supplied clay and glazes for a community group

Invoiced the community groups

Contacted a gallery regarding our work there

Quoted for a commissioned piece of pottery

Collected work from the printers

Done a bisc firing and a number of raku glaze firings

Glazed workshop pots (starting before the sun came up) and

Filled the kiln for a stoneware glaze firing tomorrow

Chosen paint and repainted the stall displays

Wrapped and posted orders

Placed a glaze order

Answered queries about possible orders (all said yes)

Filed some receipts

Done an up to date stock sheet (what has been selling)

Done the last few month’s accounts

Sorted out the letter stamp boxes for future workshops

As well as… exercising, helping our young adults with life stuff and babysitting, attendingthe local community shop AGM, having tea breaks with friends, making birthday cards for upcoming birthdays, taking Mum to A and E (she’s okay), having time with family and celebrating a friend’s birthday and doing a food shop..

I think we earnt the money we invoiced for today!

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Making ceramic artworks with poetry

This is what we do here at seatree argyll – we use Chris’s words in the clay. We started with ceramic artworks with the very first piece we made with the poetry. This is a recent picture, with the swirls chosen as marks on the picture, as they symbolise the fingerprint but also the swirls of the seas.

It’s an interesting process, choosing how to make the words cross the clay – in straight lines or swirls or sweeping across – and how to bring the words to life. In this case, it was very satisfying to swirl around a sharp stick, creating the lines. The clay is then left to dry between two pieces of plasterboard, to help it dry evenly and flat. Once dry, the piece is fired on a light layer of clean sand, to help it expand and shrink in the heat and cooling of the kiln, so no unwelcome cracks appear.

The kiln is fired to 1000c then glaze is added. In this case, reds, oranges and blacks were used to highlight the lines and the words – we think it is very effective.

This is one of the few ceramic artworks we have left as 2025 draws to a close – give us a shout if the words appeal and you would like this to adorn your own wall. It retails at £160 and postage would be free.

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Making for Christmas

We have been selected to take part in the inaugural Potfest in the City (of Glasgow). In our minds it’s Potfest Christmas and it’s being held in the lovely Briggait in the Merchant City. Every Potfest event is good. This one is new so a little unknown but we trust their marketing and the venue is well known for hosting markets.

It led us to wonder what to make. It’s different to previous events as we only have two tables which are going to be arranged to allow a good flow for visitors. So we are rethinking our stall layout but also products.

But – how ‘Christmassy’ do we go? Every year for some time now, we’ve made ‘limited edition’ Christmas decorations and so this year, we’re adding in a small range of tealight holders. Each one will have a seatree scene at the back and a short line of poetry at the front. Here they are just made, not yet fired. The decision then will be how to glaze so they are beautiful for Christmas – but also for the winter months following the festivities, so not too glitzy!

Watch this space to see how we might bring some sparkle to winter…

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