Disclaimer: I am not a writer!

I have spent the last few days adding the new beautiful French collection to the Emilia Ceramics website.  It is a time-consuming and emotionally exhausting process for two reasons: First, I am not a writer!  Sure I have done some writing in my past, you know things like a senior thesis on racial disparities in education and... umm... a lot of journal writing while living abroad.  But I've never written for a magazine or newspaper.  And as my friends know, I don't even send long emails.  I am more of a 'get the point across' kind of writer. 

The second reason writing about these ceramic pieces is hard is because I feel such an emotional connection to them.  I sit here, looking at this stunning bowl, analyzing how it was thrown by hand (maybe even by someone who welcomed me into their home and cooked me dinner) and how it was then individually painted, following the artist's creative inspiration.  And all this occurred in a far-off  corner of Provence, before it was packed up and sent halfway around the world.  No wonder these descriptions take me a little time and energy.  And no wonder I often find myself thinking, "maybe I shouldn't sell this one.  Maybe I should just keep it for myself."  I love these pieces... each for its own imperfections, special glazes and unique story. 

I'm not really complaining.  I am grateful for the opportunity to share these truly extraordinary works of art with all of you and writing about their beauty is just part of that.  All I ask is that you cut me a little slack when I write too casually or too passionately or make grammatical errors.  I haven't been formally trained and I'm way to attached to each piece to be held responsible for my mistakes. 

Here's my most recent description of an awesome large bowl by Sylvie Duriez called Moody Blond.  (My exhaustion is probably most apparent in the ridiculous names I give these pieces).  Please keep in mind that I've been doing this for hours now and I do truly love this bowl. 

Check out all that has made it to the website so far -- The Emilia Ceramics French Collection. (There will me more!!)  And don't forget to click on "About the Artist" to learn more about each piece's history.

Talavera Vázquez - In Hot Demand!!

While my mind has been preoccupied by French pottery lately (shipment to arrive any day now!), my customers are still very much focused on my Mexican collection, especially the contemporary pieces from Talavera Vázquez.  In the last few months, their work has emerged as my best sellers... both among peers living in small, sparsely decorated apartments, as well as among seasoned collectors from around the country.  Needless to say, it's time for a new order.  I've attached photos of a few pieces that have been in especially hot demand lately.  To see the current Vázquez collection, click here.

And please feel free to offer me your thoughts on sizes, colors, styles, etc. if you'd like to influence my new order.  I always appreciate suggestions!!  You can write a comment below or email me directly.

Blue Striped Tibor - Currently Sold Out (was $128)

Orange ZigZag Lamp - Currently Sold Out (was $185) 

 Small Candle Holders - Currently Sold Out (was $36 a pair)

Small Cristina Vase - $68

Paloma Serving Dish - $148

Patrice and Sylviana Voelkel

It's freezing in Provence.  Seriously, I'm not kidding.  It's rainy and cold and windy and, did I mention cold?! The last I checked it's supposed to be sunny and warm in the South of France, at least from April on.  Well, not this week.

With only one day left in France and having already exceeded my pottery budget, I planned to spend today hiking.  But, as I mentioned, the weather did not cooperate.  So I did what seemed most logical: wine-tasting and shopping.  Lucky for me (and you!) I happened to drive by Poterie Voelkel and because it was pouring rain, I stopped.  Here's a shot of my little VW at their back door, as well as a photo of their interior yard... all so picturesque.

 I knocked on the front door of the house and met Patrice, who led me to the little store (below) and claimed he didn't speak English.  Not true.  He spoke and understood just enough English to charm me into buying quite a lot of his beautiful stoneware. 

 Patrice and his wife Sylviane work together.  They use black clay, but when it is fired it comes out looking just like the red clay we're more used to seeing.  Here's Sylviane, hard at work.

The Voelkels glaze their pieces with a variety of liquid-like colors, but I was especially attracted to the marbled blue and celadon, as well as a contemporary chalk white. These pieces are totally different from what I'm accustomed to buying, but I think they will make a great compliment for the more traditional pieces in the collection.

I had a great time in Patrice's store... the artwork was beautiful and the artist could not have been more humble or helpful.  Plus, it was a great distraction from the cold outside.

Tomorrow I leave Provence and head to Valencia, because you know, when it's cold and rainy in Southern France there's only one place to go, Southern Spain : ).   

Merci et au revoir!

Aigues-Vives

I could not have planned my late arrival better.  I had of course gotten myself quite lost a few times on the drive from Arles to Aigues-Vives, so I showed up a little frazzled and very hungry.  Richard and Sylvie Esteban had just sat down to lunch and I was immediately given a handmade plate from his collection, a large serving of rabbit and potatoes, as well as a glass of the town's red wine.  I felt better immediately.  After the hearty lunch, a cafe and some amazing roquefort cheese (I mean, melt in your mouth and just strong enough), Richard announced it was time for us to go to work.  He led me through the various rooms and buildings of his combination home/workshop and introduced me to the two people he employs.

Below is Cristophe, who works the wheel with a smile, and Katia, who manages the store-room and does some of the intricate design work.

Richard himself does it all.  He started working with pottery when he was 16 years old.  As he explains it, he was planning to be a race car driver, but decided to get a summer job to earn some money in the meantime.  He worked at one of the famous (and no longer existent) a'teliers in Vallauris, where he learned the traditional way of throwing, firing, and glazing ceramics.  Two old women owned the a'telier and they would hobble around on their canes, inspecting the work.  If they saw an imperfection on the wheel, they would smash it with their cane, forcing the artist to start over.  It's no wonder he decided to start his own business a few years later!   Here's Richard showing off his work:

I cannot wait to get the pieces I chose home to San Francisco and share them with everyone.  They are incredible: each bowl, plate, and vase has so much personality.  They're one of a kind expressions of Richard and his team and you can literally see and feel the love that they put into each piece.

Below is one of the tables I filled with pieces for the Emilia Ceramics collection.  It took me all day to make my selections... talk about a hard day of work : ).  Richard stopped working around 7pm, when he brought Katia and I a bottle of wine to celebrate the end of the day.  Pretty soon Cristophe and Sylvie joined us and we toasted to beautiful pottery and our new friendship.

When all the work for the day was finished, we went inside, where Richard (unbeknownst to me) had already begun roasting a chicken over his kitchen fire.  Add cooking to one of his artistic talents!  We enjoyed a great dinner (and more wine) with his three children, who hesitantly practiced their English and laughed at my attempts to speak French.

This will forever be one of my favorite days in this adventure we call Emilia Ceramics!  Thanks for reading!!

Oh and for those of you anxiously waiting to hear about Sylvie Duriez, I will be visiting her home and workshop today.  I'll keep you posted!