Friday, April 27, 2012

First Etsy pot shipped to Texas

A couple of weeks after setting up my Etsy online shop (with the IM advice of North Carolina potter and friend Ron Philbeck), the first pot has gone out the door via UPS. An artist in Houston will soon have the Shino platter with a pour of copper red across it. I'm hoping that is the first of many pots sold through Etsy. It's a more complex way of selling than I had anticipated, but so is almost any other way, and I'm slowly getting into the routine. Glad to see that first pot sold.
I spent an hour yesterday afternoon in the ceramics room at Falmouth High School, doing a throwing demonstration for the clay club there and for a number of other art students who stayed long enough to watch me throw mugs and bowls and talk about some pretty basic throwing principles. On the shelf behind me were several Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew pots, made a year ago during their workshop presentation in the same classroom. Tough work to live up to.
I volunteered a few weeks ago when teacher Corine Adams came out to the studio and she promptly got me in there and throwing. The audience was a quiet and attentive bunch and it appeared none of them fell asleep during the presentation, or had a long cellphone conversation.



It's possible that the 20 students and the hour or so of attention was because Corine had promoted my visit as an appearance by "world-famous local potter Hollis Engley." World-famous? Ummmm ...
I will also add a selection of teabowls from the POTS gallery in Seattle, set up during NCECA. Most of these pieces are, I think, by Steve Sauer of Port Orchard, Washington. Nice stuff.

9 comments:

Linda Starr said...

congrats on your first etsy sale.

Anna M. Branner said...

Those "sold" emails are awfully gratifying. Heres to many more sales!

Tracey Broome said...

Oh no, you are making want to give etsy another go! Congrats on the sale, it is fun to get those sold emails, like Anna said. Love that platter, I have some similar bowls :)

gz said...

Yes you have to o to the bother of photographing every pot you post, from different angles, and measuring it and packing and weighing and doing the sums....but once that is done, it is easy!! Congratulations!

You are a world famous local potter...glad to see you're being appreciated

Melissa Rohrer said...

My first etsy sale was to Hawaii- a little outside the average shipping cost I had figured on. I googled the address and saw that my pot was going to a very beautiful resort. I will picture that jar as being on permanent vacation.

cookingwithgas said...

they love red in Texas- we shipped off a nice iron red vase that direction last week- love Texas.
this week Pa- Etsy sales come and go.
It is time to list more on ours.

ang design said...

well in blogland you have travelled the world Hollis! congrats on your first sale :))

yolande clark said...

Good choice, Texas artist! What a lovely plate. Congrats Hollis! Here's to many more--and yes, I think the key to doing well on etsy is to continuously post work...I'm aiming for a piece a day, but...I figure I can manage a couple a week, for sure.

Michèle Hastings said...

congrats on the first etsy sale, listen to Ron he has great advice. It gets easier with practice. etsy sales helped Jeff and i get through the slower home gallery sales this winter.