About this Product
This hexagonal plate is impressed with a beautiful mandala pattern and hand-painted using underglaze to create a watercolor blend of blues and purples. It's the perfect size for an entryway, couch, or bedside table. It's perfectly suited for holding keys, change, and jewelry while adding a little beauty to the room.
Ceramics By Judy
Meet the Maker
My deep-rooted love for nature and my background as a biologist influence my art practice daily. I draw inspiration from the intricate beauty and resilience of the natural world. You can see this connection with nature in the surface design of my functional pottery. I am fascinated by texture and the variations that can be achieved by using different glazes over the texture. Each piece is formed by hand from start to finish. I utilize hand-built techniques as well as altered wheel-thrown processes to create my work. These techniques lead to beautiful variation in each piece, making them all one-of-a-kind, although the consistency of process also allows these pieces to be collected in sets if desired.
In my sculptural work, I enjoy using recognizable imagery from nature, sometimes combining clay and textiles to engage the senses, inviting viewers to explore hidden narratives through compositions. The mixing of media mirrors the complex relationships within the natural world and illustrates the interdependence and balance needed to sustain life. Material combinations underscore the extensive impacts human actions have on the earth. These connections parallel ties to the world and each other.
I am a lifelong learner. In my early years, I focused on attaining my PhD in Biology to teach at the university level, a goal that I achieved in December 2013. I’m very much an introvert and can be a little bit of a perfectionist. I have an adorable Schnoodle/Dachshund mix named Spencer James. In 2019, I decided to start exploring my creativity and signed up for courses at my university's art department. Since starting that program, my definition of success has changed significantly. At the beginning of my career, I defined success in much the same way as other academics—through the acknowledgment and respect of my peers and by the level of responsibility that I was entrusted with in the department. As I started exploring my creativity and stepping out of my comfort zone, the creative process helped me to embrace the imperfect and to develop a better work-life balance.
How it’s Made
This handmade plate was made using a traditional slab, pressed-plate technique that involves rolling out a clay slab, impressing the pattern of the mandala, cutting it to size and shape, and then pressing it into craft foam with a hexagonal form. The edges are smoothed and shaped and then allowed to dry. Once the platter has completely dried, it is placed in the kiln for its first firing - referred to as a bisque firing. This converts the material from clay to ceramic, leaving it porous enough to accept underglaze and glaze when applied. The bisque piece was then painted with underglaze using a watercolor technique to blend the blues, greens, and purples in the piece. After drying, a food-safe, zinc-free clear glaze was applied over the entire plate, leaving the bottom unglazed so it would not fuse to the kiln shelf. It was then placed back in the kiln and fired between 2118 F and 2165 F to melt the silica (glass) in the glaze and fully vitrify the ceramic, making it water-tight. This process also forms a glossy and durable finish, making this piece beautiful and functional.
Shop Policies
SHIPPING: There is a 5- 7 day processing time for in-stock items. There are 6-12 weeks for commissions or pre-orders, as it takes time to hand make, fire, glaze, and fire pieces. Rushing leads to pieces cracking or breaking in the kiln—pottery (and sculpture) take time. I only ship internationally by request because pottery is heavy, and international shipping tends to be very expensive.
Return Policy: Returns and exchanges on pieces that are NOT personalized are accepted within 14 days. If you are considering returning the item, please keep the original box and packing materials. The safest way to prevent breakage is to ship it back the same way that I shipped it to you. If the item is returned in its original condition, I will refund the cost of the item (not the shipping) within 5 days of receipt.
Breakage / Refund: Because I am very careful about how I package and ship pieces, one will rarely break in transit. However, if this does happen, please get in touch with me within 5 days of receipt and include photos of the broken item, packaging materials and any damage, etc. We will then discuss potential options, including refund or replacement. Please remember that all of my pieces are handmade, and no two pieces will ever be exactly the same, so the replacement may not be identical to the original piece. Additionally, if the replacement is not currently in stock, it may take 6-12 weeks to complete before it can be shipped to you.
Gifts: If you would like an item to be sent directly to a gift recipient, you will need to let me know the following:
1) The name of the recipient
2) The name of the person the gift is from (if it is not you)
3) Any gift message you would like included with the package
Care and Cleaning of Handmade Pottery
Dishwasher safe: I recommend handwashing for the greatest longevity of your handmade pottery. However, all pieces are dishwasher safe. Just remember that, particularly for mugs, handles can be bounced around a lot in a dishwasher and are subject to cracking or breakage over time.
Microwave Safe: Stoneware ceramics are typically microwave-safe. Do not take pieces directly from the fridge or freezer; pour boiling water or put them in a hot oven. Please do not put ice in a hot pottery piece. Thermal shock can cause pottery to break in the same way as it can with glass. Prevent this issue by heating or cooling gradually. Hot liquids can be added to room-temperature pottery without any significant risk. All pieces are tested by pouring boiling water into room temperature pieces to ensure their structural stability.
Food Safe and Non-Toxic: All functional pottery is made with food-safe, non-toxic glaze. Dinnerware pieces are made using dinnerware-safe, food-safe glaze to help resist the effects of silverware on the surface.
Commission / Custom Work: This is only available when the item is available in the shop. I am a one-person show with a full-time job teaching at the university, so my time for commissions or custom work is severely limited. I will announce opportunities for commissions or custom work in the shop, as well as via social media and my email list.
Email List: I occasionally send out email updates. These will include shop updates and sales events, as well as information on how to request commission work when it is available. If you are interested in joining my email list, please visit my website at www.judymetcalf.com and sign up for email notifications.
Privacy Policy: I am a one-person workshop and do this part-time outside of my job as a university professor. I am the maker, the shipper, and the manager. So customer information and email list information stay with me and will not be shared with any other entity, ever.
