Zotter The Potter ...As The Wheel Turns

Walt Demonstrating at a Festival

2012-02-09T11:41:00.002-08:00

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Wedding Showers Discount Offer

2012-02-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

We've gotten a lot of happy news of engagements from over this past holiday season. We're sure you have too!

ORDER your special personalized shower and wedding gifts now!

It's a great time of year to check your calendar for upcoming bridal showers, weddings and anniversaries.

www.zotterthepotter.com

Random fact: December is the most popular month to purchase engagement rings, according to data from National Jeweler Magazine, and 19 percent of all engagements take place in December according to data from the Fairchild Bridal Group.

Use our 20% Discount Offer! Expires 3.15.12

Click here to Order!

Just enter the code "WeddingShowers" under

"special instructions/gift message" during checkout (found under "Shipping Information").

Discount will be applied and processed manually.

It will NOT show up in shopping cart when you submit. We will email confirmation.

Our first load of the year...2012

2012-01-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

January is the time we tighten up the kiln for the upcoming year.

The changes we made allow us to fit even more pieces into each kiln load.

We took apart and redid the shelves and fire bricks.

This is a stamped baby gift for Skylar with our shamrock logo.

An anniversary wedding crock for Penny & Fred with our Snowman logo.

They were the first pots put into our first kiln load of the year.

We start filling the load as the pieces dry. They don't go in until they are dry or they'll explode in the bisque fire. These pieces are still drying. You can tell by the darker variations of clay on the pot.

These pieces are dry and waiting to be loaded into the kiln.

Like this....We load the kiln until it's full then we do our bisque fire.

Here's to a Happy, healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Non-Personalized Christmas Pieces

2011-11-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

We are so ready for the Christmas Holiday Season

2011-10-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

zotterthepotter.com

Are you thinking about the holiday season ahead? We are. We are so ready.

We're trying something new...

2011-10-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

We're lucky to have some really talented artisans at Zotter The Potter.

We're thinking about trying something new and showcasing their work outside our standard

Zotter The Potter line.

We'd like to introduce Mike Rozzi.

He not only throws our shapes, but his own as well.

This is a picture of his spice jar.

It's a one of a kind piece.

Once it's gone, it's gone.

Fall Color

2011-10-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

Fall Millstone

2011-10-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Walt at Millstone a few years back. (He's the one in the red cap.)

This group has been camping at the same site for almost 30 years.

Walt joined the group over 12 years ago and enjoyed their spring and fall camping traditions.

For their 25th anniversary, Walt made the group a commemorative Millstone stein, individualized with their special camp names.

Houston Pumpkin Festival

2011-10-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Pick of the Day: MC with Monogram Logo

http://www.zotterthepotter.com/

October is a gorgeous time of year in Pittsburgh.

The leaves are changing, the days are nice and crisp...it's a beautiful time to be outdoors.

This year, we went to the 28th Annual Houston Pumpkin Festival sponsored by the

Houston Fire Dept. in Houston, PA.

It was busy. They had over 175 Unique Craft & Food Booths including Pizza, Funnel Cakes, Hot Sausage, Gyros, Veggies, Kettle Corn, & Much More! There was a Children’s area with

Pony & Carriage Rides, Rock Wall, Bouncers, Pumpkin Decorating, Petting Zoo, Train Ride & Much More.

Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.

We found a vendor who made their own Root Beer and Sasparilla Soda. Delicious.

Who doesn't love a miniature pony?

They had a petting zoo for the kids.

A picture of our Pumpkin Harvest Logo

A Celebration in Black...

2011-06-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Our friend Theresa loves the color black.

And because she loves black, he loves black.

So, we did a special project and personalized some pots in black glaze for her.

She is that special.

We'll miss you Jack.

Waxing & Lining

2011-06-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Waxing the bottom of the pots helps keep glaze from melting and sticking to the kiln shelves.

Each line is hand painted on each pot.

2011-05-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Cobalting...

2011-05-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe the tools you have to combat a kiln load of freshly bisqued pots include a tiny bowl of cobalt and an eye-dropper.

Each letter, logo, and number gets filled with an eye-dropper.

It's a precise (and daunting) process, especially when in a hurry.

It helps to have your own personal cheerleader sitting behind you cheering you on.

Studio Life

2011-05-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

It's still sad to see our little stellar without her mom.

It's hard to get used to.

I can only imagine what she thinks about it.

He looks so handsome in this picture, doesn't he?

Those eggflats don't cut themselves. It's a messy dusty job.

An experiment by Mr. X

As are these....he's always up to something.

Making Our Glaze...

2011-05-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

is a lot like baking.

Our glaze recipe includes seven ingredients in exact measurements.

It is mixed together dry, then mixed with water to the right consistency.

(Measuring dry ingredients)

(Dry mixture)

( Adding water)

(Mixing)

(And mixing)

(And mixing. This is my favorite tool, which is used in glaze making like a food mill)

I love the feel of greenware

2011-05-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Greenware is pretty fragile. One wrong bang, and it can crack like an egg.

It's texture is amazing though. It's soft like brushed suede.

Drying Pots

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Zotter The Potter: Take 1

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Happy Birthday Walt

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Walt in the middle

April Showers....rainy rainy days

2011-04-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

It's hard to get enthused about going out in it, just looking out the window.

Snow would almost be preferable, if the rain wasn't such a huge sign of Spring.

How can kids find so much fun with such a little puddle? in the rain?

Not like these kids...

A lazy, rainy day in the studio for them.
They just couldn't be bothered.

On a sunnier note, our first "Wolfgang" pot. How awesome is that?

April 16th: Opening Day of Trout Season!

2011-04-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is opening day of trout season.

How do we know?

Gear gets pulled and aired out daysssss in advance.

It's one of the first signs of spring for us here.

The pottery studio carts and shelves seem to be as good a place as any to prep the fishing gear. I'm sure it's appreciated at home.

We're also fishing for new ideas at the studio. Some of them are looking really good.

And, wedding season is kicking into gear. That's also another sign of spring.

The loads are filling up fast.

Other signs of spring in Pittsburgh...

Happy Spring!

Glaze Day

2011-04-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

Glaze Day is a big deal. It's one of the last steps of a long series of steps that could go wrong.

The pots have been bisqued, decorated, scoured and lined.

Here they are, awaiting the dunking into our special glaze mix that gives them their finished coating.

Each piece is individually dunked into a bucket of glaze.

Like this...

It's a messy job with the splatter.

But, each piece gets dunked, large and small.

With a pair of glaze tongs.

The dogs have it easy.

Cousin Lulu Princess..

2011-03-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

came by for a visit, and stayed for a photo shoot.

Birthday Vase with daffodils logo

Stein with monogram initial

Baby cup

Studio in March

2011-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

It got warm enough this month to open a door and let some spring breeze through.

The dogs got to stretch and enjoy some sun, which is rare this time of year.

The pots under natural light.

Grinding the bottoms of each piece is important. We grind each one by hand.

from Sharkey

2011-03-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

We've been lucky enough to have met a lot of friends doing what we do at the pottery studio. One of our favorite customers/friends hails from the beautiful state of Montana. How do we know Montana is beautiful, never having been there ourselves? Sharkey has been kind enough over the years to share his life through pictures with us. We wanted to share them with you.

Hi there,

Just a short note. Mostly for you who don't live up north anymore.
Yesterday was March 1st. Spring is coming so I got out first thing in the morning and took a couple of pictures so you all could see just how nice early Spring is up here in the Montana.

Sharkey

This is the piece Sharkey & Walt put together years ago commemorating Sharkey and Jan's move to Montana. They became friends during the process and email pals since.

Dog People

2011-03-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here at Zotter The Potter, we've often referred to ourselves as "dog people", as in "people who love dogs".

But, as the following pictures show, there really are "dog people" out there, as in

"dogs who think they are people".

Thanks to Mirian, our Fedex Ground driver "dog friend" who always brings treats to the

Zotter dogs at the shop when she comes over. These are her dogs in the pictures.

Thanks Mirian!

We love the cookie jar for dogs AND people.

Here are more personalized gift ideas for your special people out there:

The mulberry tree logo is one of our favorites.

This is the blue hen logo.

You can't go wrong with the grapes on the wine cooler shape.

Shop life...

2011-03-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Cousin Lulu Princess

Wedding Gift Ideas

2011-02-26T09:26:00.000-08:00

Kelly E
Hello,

I am a huge fan of your products! I received a wine holder from a good friend recently as a wedding gift. I love it so much that I recently ordered one for my mom for her birthday. I would like to order one for a good friend of mine for her bridal shower...

Thanks so much,
Kelly

The return of winter...

2011-02-21T09:35:00.000-08:00

After a brief tease of Spring last week, we got hit with another reminder of winter.

We're less than a month away from St. Patrick's Day now however.

Spring is just around the corner.

Here is a collection of Dublin Ohio pieces that we put together for an order.

I bet this town is a fun place to be St. Patrick's Day.

Our pottery looks warm and cozy even in dark lighting...

and bright.

This was the tag at the end of a customer's email to us:

***Love who you are.............Love what you do..........Love every moment, by being in the moment!*** John F. Barnes

Special Requests pieces

2011-02-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

One of our neighbors in the South Side of Pittsburgh is also a dear Zotter customer.

She collected for her daughter personalized pieces to commemorate all the places her daughter has moved and lived. It's a great collection we wanted to share with you.

Handling winter

2011-02-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

The process of handling is pretty neat as each potter has their unique approach.

The wind really whipped the snow into a blinding frenzy.

Then the wind would die down and leave beautiful winter wonderland ahead.

A lot of people get engaged on Valentine's Day...

2011-02-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Month!

2011-02-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

15% OFF EACH POT ORDERED BY MAR.15.11

Your DISCOUNT code is: Valentine15

Enter the code "Valentine15" under
"special instructions/gift message" during checkout (found under "Shipping Information").

We're getting ready for another wedding show next weekend. more later...

2011-02-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog Day: Punx Phil says Early Spring!

2011-02-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

Nice Gift message: Cheers to a beautiful & loving couple! I wish you a life of love & happiness...Love, E

Spring is lovely in Pittsburgh.

If Punx Phil is right, we'll be seeing it sooner than later.

I can't wait.

Happy Groundhog Day.

Posted pictures from last Spring.

@ the Studio

2011-02-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

Each pottery shape has differing weight.

Walt started the tradition of stamping the first pot of the year with the year.

Blue Knob Bound

2011-01-28T05:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when you look at yet another sidewalk of snow to be shovelled, or closet of clothes to be triple layered against the elements, it's hard to remember why you chose to live in western PA during the winter. It's frigid, it's "slippy", and there's no getting around it. Just remember that a winter wonderland is only a relatively short drive away... Blue Knob State Park. Your relationship with snow will then become a lot more tolerant, with every snow dump a siren's call to "head for the hills."

http://www.blueknob.com/winter/

Even the snow covered roads are an adventure.

The backside of Stembogan Bowl.

You can get pretty close to the wind turbines that are a huge part of the landscape in that area.

Things I Love...

2011-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

I love how pretty the greenware pottery looks while drying, even under bad lighting.

This Southern drive thru which specializes in North Carolina BBQ and Premium Milkshakes called the

"Cook Out".

We had bbq pulled pork and got to choose from at least 30 unique milkshake flavors.

Hopefully they'll break out of the Carolinas and franchise into Pittsburgh (fingers crossed).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Out_(restaurant)

http://greensboring.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=221

Gift Message I liked: "Congratulations! Let love never leave your house and happiness stay with you forever! Kathy & Chuck C.

We ran into an old friend the other night...

2011-01-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

We found one of our pitchers at Murray Avenue Grill in Squirrel Hill the other night when we stopped for dinner running errands. It was sitting by the bar at the restaurant. I recognized it as soon as I saw it, but couldn't remember making it. It looked kind of hippyish with the raffia on it.

I looked at the maker's mark on the back and realized that the pitcher was made in 1999 and stamped by Scott S., who used the panther paw as his stamper's mark. When I looked at the bottom, I saw Keith H.'s throwing signature. It was a pretty cool time capsule for us.

http://www.murrayavenuegrill.com/

Dog Day @ the Beach in January

2011-01-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

This was the girls' first trip to the beach. They had a great time.

We met a blind dog friend. It was amazing watching her run around the beach.

From the Tao Te Ching:

Be content with what you have;

rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,

the whole world belongs to you.

Go Steelers!

2011-01-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

We got the following in an email and had to share.

Subject: FW: What's the big deal about Steelers football?

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT STEELER FOOTBALL?

Being a Steeler fan means so much more
than football. It means being from a corner of the world unlike any
other.

It means being from a place where the people are so
tough-minded that they have survived the Homestead strikes, the Johnstown flood and most recently the Etna Floods. These people have the DNA of hard work, in mills and mines, without the necessity of complaint. They live simply, with no frills. They don't have movie stars or fancy cars.

Instead, they have simple traditions like kielbasa, Kennywood,
and celebrations. They live in distinctive neighborhoods like Polish Hill and the Hill District and all of the surrounding counties. These people are genuine.

They don't have chic internet cafes and cappuccinos, but they have The Original Hot Dog joint, Primanti's, Eat n' Park and Iron City Beer.

People from Pittsburgh don't have sunny beaches or fancy boats,
but the rivers roll gently, connecting the small towns of people whose histories have been built on strength and humility.

People from Pittsburgh don't have the biggest shopping malls or the best nightclubs, but they'll take Friday night high school football and Steeler Sunday over anything.
Steeler football means so much more than you think. It
symbolizes a Diaspora of generations who had the best childhood they could imagine.

They ran free without a care or concern in the valleys of those Allegheny Mountains . Their blue-collar world was easy ... there was no one to tell them that they lacked material things. There was no one to tell them that they needed more.

As the steel mills closed and the jobs disappeared, some of these people had to leave. While the world benefits because they spread their Pittsburgh values, they long for their home where things were simpler and more pure.

They teach their kids about Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jack Ham, L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, and Myron Cope in hopes of imparting not
just the knowledge, but the feeling that they represented.

They are everywhere, those Terrible Towels. They wave, not just for the team, but for the hearts they left behind.
They wave in living rooms in Fort Lauderdale and in the bars of Washington , D.C. They wave all the way to the Seattle Superdome! They wave for the Rooney family, whose values mirror our own - loyalty, grit, and humility.

They wave for football players like Jerome Bettis and Hines Ward, whose unselfishness and toughness have allowed sports to be about the game and the team.

Make no mistake that Steeler football is not just about football. I could not be prouder to be from the Pittsburgh area than I am right now!!

Even if you no longer live in the area, you have South Western Pennsylvania in your blood no matter where you go.

And deep down in your heart of hearts, you can still hear the Super Bowls of times past, the excitement in everyone's voices especially our fathers, cousins, and anyone else who gathered around the TV on Football Sundays!

Make no mistake, its just as exciting right now! It's not just about rivalries and who is better than the other, it's about family, tradition and roots! It's more than football, but its football at its finest! If you now live in Arizona , Colorado , Ohio , Indiana , California , Florida , Nevada , or Texas , be proud of where you were born and who your FIRST favorite football team was!

Go Steelers, Picksburgh GO STILLERS! Ah yes!

"Picksburgh"
Yunz is from the Picksburgh area or maybe you grew up
there if:

1. You didn't have a spring break in high school.

2. You walk carefully when it is "slippy" outside.

3. You often go down to the "crick."

4. You've told your children to "red up" their rooms.

5. You can remember telling your little brother/sister to stop
being so " nebby."

6. You've gotten hurt by falling into a "jaggerbush".

7. Your mother or grandmother has been seen wearing a "babushka" on her head.

8. You've "worshed" the clothes.

9. I ask you to hand me one of those "Gum-Bands" an' you actually
know what I'm talking about.

10. You know you can't drive too fast on the back roads, because of the deer.

11. You know Beaver Valley , Turtle Crick, Mars, Slippery Rock, Greentree and New Castle are names of towns. And you've been to most, if not all, of them.

12. A girl walks up to three of her girl friends and says,
"HEY,YENZ GUYS!"

13. You hear "you guyses" and don't think twice. Example: "you guyses hause is nice."

14. You know the three rivers by name and under stand that "The Point" isn't just on a writing instrument.

15. Someone refers to "The Mon" or "The Yough" and you know exactly what they're talking about.

16. You remember the blizzard o f 1993 (or 1976, or 1950, or 1939,
or...) and remember not being able to go outside because the snow was over your head and you would have suffocated.

17. Someone starts the chant, "Here we go Still-ers!" and you join in.
In the proper cadence, waving the appropriately colored towel.

18. Bob Prince and "There's a bug loose on the rug." hold special meaning for you.

19. You've either eaten a Farkleberry Tart or know someone who has.

20. You drink pop, eat hoagies, love perogies and one of your favorite sandwiches actually has coleslaw and French fries ON it.

21. You know what a "still mill" is.

22. You expect temps in the winter to be record-breaking cold and
temps in the summer to be record-breaking hot.

23. You know what Eat 'N Park is and frequently ate breakfast there at 2:00 AM after the bar closed and made fun of people.

24. You order "dippy eggs" in a restaurant and get exactly what you wanted.

25. You spent your summers, or a school picnic at Luna Park , Kennywood, Westview, Sand Castle , or Idlewild.

26. You've been to the Braun's Bread Plant or Story Book Forest for a school field trip. We went to the Heinz plant and the Isaly's plant for Cub Scouts.

27. "Chipped ham" (from Isaly's) was always in your refrigerator when you was growin'up.

28. You refuse to buy any condiments besides Heinz unless a Pittsburgh athlete's picture is on the side of the container.

29. When you call the dog or the kids you shout, "Kum-mere" and they come.

30. Franco, Roberto, and Mario don't need last names and you can recite their exploits by heart.

31. Food at a wedding reception consists of rigatoni, stuffed cabbage, sauerkraut and polska kielbasa.

You'll send this on to family and friends who used to live in the Pittsburgh area as well as to those who have never lived there, just so they can appreciate how different western PA really
is. Wonder how many of yinz guys actually understood all dat? Some folks just don't.

A nice gift message

2011-01-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's funny how hard it is for some people to decide on a gift message. You can go short & sweet or express yourself in a long paragraph, we've seen it all. A customer used the following gift message on her order and I think I might just poach it for my next wedding gift:
"With love and best wishes for a happy marriage, Love, Aunt L and Uncle B"

Special email from A.C. from Hewitt TX

2011-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Message: I received one of your crocks as a wedding gift and absolutely fell in love! I have received so many compliments from guests. It is something that we will have forever, and will remember our special day every time we look at it.

Christmas Scenes @ the Studio

2010-12-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

Through the peephole of an 1800 degree bisque fire...

The last glaze load of the year

Was it only last year?

2010-12-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

Walt really loved the Christmas Pitcher for the holidays. We think he created it special for his brother Randy's famous holiday egg nog usually delivered in a large mason jar.

What do you use your Christmas pitcher for?

And, almost more than he loved anything, he loved his girls. It hardly took any dog wrangling to get these two Jack Russell Terriers to sit this calmly in his arms, even with their Santa hats on their heads. The feeling was definately mutual.

Holiday Season!

2010-12-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Photos copyright Edward Rieker

Thankful for a feast of food and family...

2010-11-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

Bisque fire

2010-11-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Personalized gift of the day.
Once the weather gets cooler, and the studio doors close against the weather, the girls love bisque and glaze fire days. One of the warmest spots to be is next to the kiln, which is where they got set up. We fire the bisque to around 1900 degrees, so their spot gets nice and toasty.

The bisque fire is the first firing of the cycle which hardens the pottery enough for us to decorate with cobalt, lining and glazing. It turns the pottery a pretty pinkish color which you can kind of see in the dark picture below.

Once the bisque fire is cool enough to unload the next day, the kiln and building are still pretty warm. At this point, the girls love to nap INSIDE the kiln. Those girls know all the hot spots.

Here is an example of a customer gift message we liked: "Happy 5th Anniversary, May your crock always be at least half full."

Here's another one written by another customer: "For your wedding, we wanted to share a new tradition with you- we were given one of these for our wedding and love seeing it every day as it sits on our counter holding all of our spoons and spatulas. I hope you love it!"

Halloween Happenings, The Hotel Beacon and our Personalized Pot of the Day

2010-11-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Our personalized pot of the day.

The Hotel Beacon has a storied and haunted past. Located in Renfrew, PA, less than an hour away from Pittsburgh, it's a fun family place to spend a haunted weekend in October. They offer hayrides, a haunted house, a 10-acre corn maze and a restaurant lounge with a good menu. Learn more @ http://thehotelbeacon.com/

Harvest Time: Pittsburgh South Side Farmers Market

2010-10-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

Here is an example of our Harvest Pumpkin logo. Here we show it with a town name.

It reminds me of one of my favorite times of year, the fall harvest season. In the South Side of Pittsburgh, from mid-May to Thanksgiving week, we are lucky to have a weekly Farmers Market on Tuesdays. From May to November, it's interesting to see the evolution of produce that appear every week with May being pretty sparse with booths and selection, to the beautiful August tomatoes and summer fruit, to the abundant root vegetables, apples and cider that prevail in October.

Fresh baked artisanal bread.

Along the way, it's funny how it becomes a place to meet and run into friends as you pick your vegetables for the week.

Tuesdays

3:30 – 7:30 p.m. South Side

20th and Sidney Streets

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/farmers_market.htm

Customer Submission:

2010-10-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite customers took the time to email us some pictures of his "Zotter" collection. We enjoyed looking at them and wanted to share them with you. They really took the time to put together a varied collection of shapes and logos. Thank you Mr. Dodd for sending these pictures to us. They made our day.

South Side Neighborhood Spotlight: T & T Hardware

2010-10-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

We have a neighborhood hardware store that is so classic.

We've been coming here for years.

It has such warm wood and character throughout...

and characters. This is Rege. He'll hold things to the side for us if I call ahead.. I love their paper weight for their paper bags on the counter. Those bags aren't going anywhere.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_704169.html

T & T Hardware Co.

Location: 2114 East Carson Street

Street Location: 21st

Pittsburgh PA, 15203

412-431-5326

Here is a list of other places in our neighborhood:

http://www.southsidepittsburgh.com/businessdirectory.asp?navid=5&buscatID=3#

Here Comes a Ton of Clay...

2010-10-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

We order our clay a ton at a time, that's 2000 lbs! We used to pick it up ourselves, but figured out that they've got better tools to move it than we do. We used to load and unload each box by hand.

Can you believe it?

Camping in Western PA: Have a great weekend!

2010-10-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from Walt's yearly camp spot. It sure is pretty.

Fall is beautiful in Pittsburgh

2010-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Our pottery is looking so very good right now. I am really enjoying the ideas that our customers are putting on our pots because there is a nice mix of logos being ordered.

They look even better in the light of Pittsburgh's fall season.

Very warm and cozy, even with the cold snap we got early this year. We've been kept very busy; and so have the dogs....

kind of....

sort of.

This time of year, every chance we get, it's nice to be outside. There are a lot of natural parks very close to Pittsburgh you can enjoy. Raccoon State Park is within an hour's drive of Pittsburgh. It offers some beautiful and interesting trails on which to hike and go backpacking, especially for beginners.

The park offers shelters for backpackers to use that are clean and comfortable (relatively).

And it is dog friendly, which for us is important.

We found an odd mailbox in the middle of nowhere in which we found random notes from passing hikers.

It's a wonderful part of Pittsburgh.

PittsburghFood & Fun this weekend

2010-10-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

I look forward to the Oakland and North Side Greek Food Festivals every year.They taste of home-cooked Greek Party Food.

stage
TEEN DRAMA
If you can spell, you're never too young to write. The proof: The Young Playwrights Festival, debuting this weekend at City Theatre. Three of these fledgling dramatists are teenagers, and three are in middle school, but you will be amazed at their imagination and ear for dialogue. I first saw the YPF a few years ago, and I could scarcely believe how gifted its authors were. City Theatre matches playwrights with professional actors, who help shape the scripts into sharp one-acts. This installment features works by Surabhi Beriwal, Iain McCormick, Alexis Payne, Emily Smith, Tory Pasternak, and Patrick Gilboy. You can expect everything from cerebral drama to laugh-out-loud comedy. But catch it quick: The Festival plays to the general public on this weekend only. I know; it's hard to keep up with the kids these days.

(City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St., South Side. Sat. & Sun., 1 & 6 p.m. $7-10. Info: citytheatrecompany.org, 412/431-CITY)
-Robert Isenberg, PM Theater Editor

FOOLS GOLD: Opening at Unsmoke - This Saturday, Sept 18, 8-11

2010-09-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

----- Original Message ----- From: Jeb Feldman
To: Jeb Feldman
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 11:29 PM
Subject: FOOLS GOLD: Opening at Unsmoke - This Saturday, Sept 18, 8-11

FOOLS GOLD

A NIGHT OF NEW WORK / NEW PERFORMANCES

By: Agnes Bolt, Julie Leidner, Daniel Luchman, Jennifer Myers & Michelle Gratacos-Arill
Saturday September 18 / 8 - 11 pm
Unsmoke Art Space / Braddock

FOOLS GOLD will showcase three new works by five artists:

2+2=4

Julie Leidner & Agnes Bolt

Made in collaboration with 2 residents of Braddock and combining power, play, and a bit of unfiltered reality, this piece examines different kinds of currencies that exist in Braddock.

Ordeal by Gold

Daniel Luchman

For three hours a wandering continent will circumambulate the gallery, be skewered by rods and arrows, as golden artifacts are collected and mounted onto its back until it collapses from exhaustion.

The Blind Spot of the Dream

Jennifer Myers & Michelle Gratacos-Arill

A tour of a blind dream that leads you to an extinct mammal.

Unsmoke Systems Artspace

1137 Braddock Ave.

Braddock PA 15104

Invisible Work

2010-06-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

"I oversee production, throw, handle, glaze and fire. It’s to the point that everyone’s so productive, my oversight role looks idle. That’s fine with me. I call it the "invisible work". I keep everything in sync with the clay and kiln clocks."--Walt Zotter

When Walt wrote the previous paragraph, I wasn't quite sure what he meant. Most people associate potters' work with the actual act of throwing pottery. Here's our rock star Keith doing what he does so well.

However, there's a world of "invisible" work between throwing, stamping, the bisque fire and the glaze fire. Now that Walt's gone, we are learning that the clay phases do dictate our clock. Once the pot is thrown, we have to wait for it to stiffen up enough to stamp our personalizations without distorting it's shape, but not so hard that we can't stamp into it's surface. Once the pot is stamped, we have to encourage even drying of the pot so the act of drying does not distort the shape. The top of the pot, for example, dries faster that the bottom. To encourage even drying, we have to turn the pots upside down slightly precariously over the edge of the shelf so that the air can be "sucked" inside to help dry the pot. The pots are under plastic to help keep them soft enough to stamp. The stampers hate when the pots fight their fingers when pressing into the clay.

You can't flip the pots too soon. You have to wait for the top of the pot, which dries faster, to become hard enough to support the weight of the pot upside down. You can tell when it's ready to flip when the top is a lighter color than the bottom.

And then, you have to pray a strong breeze, or an inadvertent move doesn't knock any of the pieces perched precariously on the shelves onto the hard concrete floor.

Here are the shop dogs engaged in some invisible work too. I just haven't figured out what.

The Continuum

2010-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Solstice!

2010-06-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Because my husband is a photographer, I never know what to expect when I tag along on his various assignments. June 21st, his work took us to the Mesa Creative Arts Center in Burgettstown, PA where they held their special 6th annual solstice celebration to greet the first day of Summer. We were able to photograph and participate in a Native American Medicine Wheel Ceremony and learn a little bit about it.

I thought it was a special place to be.-Jo --ps sorry, these are my photos, not Ed's, but you get the idea :)

Our test glaze firing was a success!

Father's Day Brunch

2010-06-22T05:03:00.000-07:00

Hofbrauhaus in the South Side was hopping on Father's Day. Besides their centuries old beer tradition, they offer a brunch that complements their beer brewed on site. Sausage, pretzels, spaetzle, red cabbage, their special mustard and Belgium waffles. It couldn't get much better for this dad. Meet the Riekers.

We think they are building a marina behind their summer biergarten. Time will tell.

Summer on the trail

2010-06-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

The pottery studio sits along the South Side bike trail. We love it.

And the wheel turns...

2010-06-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

The studio

2010-06-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

If you look at Walt's pots on the shelves, it's amazing how little deviation in size from one pot to another there is. They are each hand-thrown. There's a lot of beauty in their consistency.

The Cabin

2010-06-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

The girls are fine

2010-06-08T19:27:00.001-07:00

So Long, And Thanks for All the Fish

2010-06-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

I couldn't get the title of this book out of my head for the past few days. I hadn't read it in years so I went to amazon.com and looked it up. The very first customer review I read seemed to hit the nail right on the head. It read like this: "This is basically the story of the young lady who figured out the secret of happiness just seconds before Earth was destroyed by a Vogon fleet preparing the way for a hyperspace bypass. It is also Arthur Dent's story. Sure, we got to know Arthur fairly well in the first three books, but he does spend an inordinate amount of time saying things like: What?, I don't understand, Is it possible to get a cup of tea? and That's it then, we're all going to die. Once you get him out of that well-traveled bathrobe, Arthur Dent turns out to be a real person-a little weird, of course, but real, rather complex, and surprisingly interesting nonetheless." Thank you for writing this Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA)--Jocelyn

Family

2010-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Busy shipping: Coupon Offer

2010-05-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

May is a popular wedding month. We are busy shipping this week. And, we've taken pictures of some of our favorite pieces from the load.

Walt is offering a PRE-4th of July special.
$10.00 off each pot ordered by 6-15-10.
Just put code "BOOM" under special instructions/gift message when placing your order through our webstore @www.zotterthepotter.com

May is a beautiful month in Pittsburgh

Happy Birthday Walt!

2010-05-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Walt loves hockey.

Walt and his friends LOVE hockey.

So, it's a no-brainer when it comes to finding Walt a birthday present. Anything to do with Pittsburgh hockey, especially if it commemorates one of the coolest moments of our Stanley Cup season.

The "Shhhh" heard around the "hockey" world. Talbot # 25.

Livable Pittsburgh: Saturday, May 15

2010-05-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

International Children’s Festival – FREE performances and activities
Location: University of Pittsburgh green spaces and Schenley Plaza
Date: May 12 through May 16, 2010
Time: Weekdays 9:30 am until 2 pm, Weekend 10 am until 5 pm
Description: FREE children’s performances at the Target Community Stage, along with free hands-on activities and carousel rides. There are also performances that require paid admission, but they are not required to enjoy the free festivities.Visit www.pghkids.org for additional information.
Pop Up Pittsburgh Festival – FREEEvent: Pop Up Pittsburgh Up On the Hilltop Community Festival
Location: Warrington Avenue between Beltzhoover & Arlington Avenues
Date: 5/15/2010
Time: 1 pm until 5 pm
Description: Pop Up Pittsburgh Up On the Hilltop is a FREE one-day event that will highlight Pittsburgh’s Hilltop neighborhood and feature a variety of activities for kids and adults. This event will include live music performances, the I Made It! Market, food from Hilltop restaurants, sporting events, face painting, crafts, an art show and more.

A Taste of Oakland – $5 or donation of non-perishable food item
Third Annual “A Taste of Oakland” features local retailers and restaurants in the Oakland neighborhood. This event gives the community a chance to explore the great shopping and food the neighborhood has to offer.

Taste of Oakland is Saturday, May 15 from noon until 3 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, or a donation of a non-perishable food item. Taste of Oakland admission is FREE for Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Members. Tickets will be available the day of the event at the Public Parklet at the corner of Forbes Avenue and South Bouquet Street, or at Eureka Bank, 3455 Forbes Avenue.

“A Taste of Oakland” admission includes samples of food from Oakland restaurants served from the neighborhood’s retailers. Taste of Oakland admission also qualifies attendees for discounts and events in the Oakland neighborhood, including FREE entry into the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History, FREE entry into Soldiers & Sailors, $5 off any full price ticket to the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre’s performances of Othello, No Man’s Land or the Hothouse, Code: OBID; $1 off of one show ticket at the Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival.

Pittsburgh Folk Festival – $6 – $10, FREE for 12 & under
Location: Monroeville Convention Center, 101 Mall Boulevard Monroeville, PA 15146
Date: May 14, 15 and 16, 2010
Description: The Pittsburgh Folk Festival began in 1956 with seventeen nationalities whose purpose was to promote “Unity in Diversity” by presenting an annual festival of cultures. The festival now highlights the cultural diversity of more than 25 nationalities in the Pittsburgh area.

Lawrenceville Little Flea (weather permitting) – FREE event w/ affordable shopping
Looking for a weekend Pittsburgh flea market that even offers shoppers some lively entertainment? Lawrenceville Little Flea opens April 3, 2010! It’s a neighborhood marketplace located in Lawrenceville, featuring a variety of flea, thrift, craft, and food. You’ll find furnishings, housewares, clothing, collectibles, books, jewelry and more.

Little Flea is located at the corner of 36th St. and Butler St. in the Goeller’s Parking Lot in Lawrenceville. Hours are Saturdays from 10 am until 5pm, weather permitting. Check the Lawrenceville Little Flea blog for up to date info.

Super Saturdays at Arsenal Bowling Lanes – $7.00 all you can bowl

Dr Alex

2010-05-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Alex is a South Side neighbor. She has the most amazing red hair and precocious personality.

Here she is playing doctor with her baby doll. I love her attention to detail. She writes out a prescription and has a clipboard of paperwork she spends a lot of time on.

It's Go Time: GO PENS!

2010-05-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

One of the best Penguin bobblehead collections we've ever had the pleasure to see.

Mother's Day: Race for the Cure

2010-05-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

It's a Mother's Day tradition to participate in the annual Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure at Schenley Park. Besides being one of the largest events of it's kind in the country, it is also an amazingly inspiring event that takes over the Oakland area. Over 30,000 thousand people participated this year. Our tough looking Steeler mascot even represented in pink.

Even the dinosaur outside Carnegie Museum was dressed to reflect the day. Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day.

Our city

2010-05-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

The walk to PNC Park

2010-05-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things about Pittsburgh is PNC Park. It makes even the most heart-breaking Pirates loss bearable. And, as long as you have the wonderful city views, delicious food options, The Great Pittsburgh Pierogy Race N'at (which I am convinced Jalapeño Hannah has a harder time winning carrying her handbag) and the occasional after game fireworks show, you can't spend a more relaxing evening with friends--unless you actually watch the games. We know we are not alone in thinking this. Click on the following link to read other visitor reviews or our beautiful baseball park--Jocelyn

http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/pirates/a/pnc_park.htm

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/reviews/pncreviews.htm

We like to park in one of the plentiful parking garages downtown if no street parking is available and walk over the Roberto Clemente Bridge that they close to auto traffic during games so pedestrians can walk to and from the park. It's a great walk to the park from downtown Pittsburgh.

If you don't feel like walking, you can take the water taxi from one side of the bridge to the other.

The same guy has been entertaining game day pedestrians with his saxophone for years.

Last Day tomorrow

2010-05-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

Every year, this is something we look forward to. The whole event is so colorful and delicious.

The whole city must feel the same way because they mail this flyer out weeks in advance so we can mark our calendars. Tomorrow is the last day. I hope we make it.

A great gift message

2010-05-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

I love when we get an order with a great gift message. Here's an example of one we got the other day:

"Congratulations Kristin & Ryan! A Fipp family tradition for generations, every couple in the family has a Marriage Crock on the kitchen counter. It's a nice daily reminder of your anniversary! Much Love, L & R"

Special Tax Day Discount!

2010-04-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Special Tax Day discount! zotterthepotter.com would also like to offer you 15% off all items in the shop now through april 30th! just enter the code "2010zotter" under "special instructions/gift message" to zotterthepotter.com during checkout.

Unloading last week's glaze firing marked the return of the HPFs, the hand painted flowers. The 2010 marriage crock, the first thrown pot of the new year, turned out great. It's been over twenty years since we decorated by brush. All our personalized wedding gifts are stamped one letter at a time and accented with one of our custom logos. Hand painting was one of the techniques used back in the 19th century by the potters in the historic salt glazed Pennsylvania potteries that inspire our work. Along with brush stroke painting, stencils of words, eagles and other designs were used to make their functional wares more enjoyable. If you are interested in ordering this special 2010 hand painted pot, please click the following link. You can place your order through our paypal account:

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001zmrtXGWWEwZmygGsBOQXhmvOS40fCSnZCSgnO7p-jgmeYyYx2CizEkKXgbOrjn5QJa3m3YkSrri_iZWNOe1gTx2mOVJ8jv2S8eYlKmajql8rVIzDODXDeA%3D%3D

z: Signs of Spring

2010-04-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

While working last night I watched a Dave & Dave, a show on local PBS about PA eateries.

They had a thing on the Sturgis Pretzel Co and showed their showroom and it had one of my old crocks with their name and pretzel logo. The tour guide's name was Jason Rieker and looked just like Mike.

They also did a thing on Texas Hot Dogs in Altoona. Have you ever been there?--Walt

Happy Spring!

2010-04-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

This picture was sent to us by a neighbor. Henry is just one of the reasons why we love our neighborhood in the South Side of Pittsburgh.

March Madness: Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh

2010-04-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

Our stoneware Stein and Mug are functional and beautiful. Good for both hot and cold liquids, dishwasher and microwave safe, you can enjoy using them every day.

http://www.zotterthepotter.com/personal.php?item=ST&cat=0

http://www.zotterthepotter.com/personal.php?item=MG&cat=0

Like most of the country, Pittsburgh is going through some unseasonably warm weather. It feels like we went from the dead of winter to mid-summer..Zotter The Potter got a touch of spring fever and decided to kick up our heels a little at Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh which we are lucky enough to have in our South Side Pittsburgh neighborhood. One of only three in the world, Hofbrauhaus continues an almost 500 year old festive German beer hall tradition. Both Walter and I have been lucky enough to have gone to the original Hofbrauhaus in Munich. Being primarily of German and English descent, Walter looks like he fits right in, especially with his beard and Oktoberfest shirt. The restaurant's handcrafted beers, German menu and entertainment make this place a great celebration destination. We invite you to find out for yourself.

http://www.hofbrauhauspittsburgh.com/about

The newest Zotter

2010-03-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

My niece Jennifer was in Pittsburgh recently and stopped by with her daughter Emma. My grand-niece is the newest Zotter and is even cuter than her photo. It is funny how children even as young as Emma fixate on my beard. I wonder why?

I am hoping to visit all of my brother Paul's clan this Summer. They have a nice little chunk of upper Bucks county PA with plenty of room to live and play. Hopefully, I can get out there soon enough to help with their gardens.
You may have noticed the undecorated Christmas tree in the background. I left it up for Mr. Sparrow that wintered with us this year. Last week, when it warmed up I let him out, but he knows where the seed is and I'm sure he'll be back with friends. I don't know what it is about the local sparrows but in the Summer they fly in the shop and just walk around, even with my Jack Russells watching.-Walt
Walt

We thought it would be fun to put a Santa hat on Walt and have Emma imagine him as Santa.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

I consider St. Patrick's Day in Pittsburgh to be the unofficial kick-off for Spring. Both people and this logo come out of winter's slumber this time of the year.

It's hard to imagine a more Irish personalization than on the pot below.

A Pittsburgh tradition since March 17, 1869, our annual St Patrick's Day Parade is one of our rites of Spring. Traditionally held the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, rumor has it that we have one of the largest parades in the country. The weather was actually decent this year for the parade. And by that I mean that it only rained "lightly" for the most part. I never knew we had so many bagpipe groups in our city.

The kids love the candy and beads. (ps so did we.)

We wish there were more floats in the parade. This was one of the few.

The parade "pros" know this parking garage is one of the best spots to watch a Pittsburgh parade rain or shine.

We do have Three Rivers

2010-03-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh is usually not known for being particularly "boatie", but we do have Three Rivers. The sight of boats heading toward Heinz Field and PNC Park during sports seasons is fun.

A sign of spring for us is when we see boats heading towards the public boat launch at the South Side Riverfront Park down the street from our studio; and when we start seeing these "boatie" logos appear.

The bridge below is the Birmingham Bridge. It was seen in the movie "Striking Distance"

with Bruce Willis.

Here is a link to more info on Pittsburgh's water life: http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/recreation/a/water_sports.htm

March 14th: It's Walt's mom's birthday today!

2010-03-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mother,

If you've been lucky enough to grow up in a family like mine, you know it's all about parents that are all about their children.

Mom is still charming our every day, and as you can see, she looks incredible. Mother wrote on the back of this photo: "Not bad for an old broad". Well said mother!

Happy Birthday Mom,

from your favorite son,

Walt, Jr.

I'm your fault and your Walt, your loving son, Walty

Happy Birthday to the incredible woman that brought this world so many wonderful Zotters!!! to the mom of my best buddy Walt, edrieker.com

Happy Birthday, love Anna Rose

Mrs. Zotter, I'm continually in awe and admiration of your zeal and zest for living. I love you, Jocelyn

Spotlight On: Our Distelfink Symbol

2010-03-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

In the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch areas of Zotter the Potter's home state, it was common practice to decorate homes and barns with hex symbols. Chosen by each family for it's aesthetic and meanings, the symbols were used to represent and decorate. It is from these hex symbols that we got our "Distelfink" logo.

MC with Distelfink logo

While it's always funny to me when it is referred to as that "chicken" thing, the Distelfink was the good luck bird of the Pennsylvania Germans. It actually was a stylized version of the goldfinch. The goldfinch eats thistle seed and uses thistle down for its nest and was called a thistlefinch from which comes the Pennsylvania Dutch "Distelfink". This single distelfink sign is a symbol of good luck and happiness. The heart adds a measure of love. We wanted to include the Distelfink to our logo selection because of it's meaning, and because most people don't have barns to decorate.- Jo

One last salute to winter...

2010-03-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

Before we say hello to Spring, we wanted to give one last lingering look at the beauty of winter as seen outside of Pittsburgh in Washington County. Even when it's too frigid to be out and about, there's always a warm cozy drive available to us Pittsburghers any time of year.

Cows in a snowy pasture

MC with Cow logo

I am always interested in how our customers pick one logo over the other. Because most of our orders are placed online, we very rarely have the opportunity to ask. The "Cow" logo is used on this "Howard & Mary" piece. I imagine it going to some bucolic setting much like the pictures shown below. But, it could just as easily end up in some big city apartment whose owners enjoy a collection of "cow" themed memorabilia. We'll never know.-jo

Snow covered field

Cow and condo

Silo

Blue field

We are live!

2010-03-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

Our blog has been added to our website. It's official. We now have an interactive link to our website visitors, and we are excited by the possibilities. Feel free to bookmark our blog and visit often. We'd like that.

Hawk on Cactus @ Organ Pipe Cactus National Park, AZ, Jan2010

The Blue Hen logo

2010-02-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Blue Hen logo is the one that I personally collect for myself. Walt has put them on a collection of dinner plates for me. I like how the customer used this logo for this welcome piece.--jo

Our City is All Snowed Up!

2010-02-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

Pittsburgh is just one of the eastern cities that got a ton of snow this past weekend. Because we live and work in the same neighborhood, the historic South Side of Pittsburgh, the snow did not affect our work so much. We are able to keep up with our work and still enjoy (for the most part) the beauty of a surprising winter blast. Here are some pictures from around our town.

We're able to keep working on those upcoming March weddings, even with all this snow.

This is the view from the Birmingham Bridge! Not too many people were willing to brave the unplowed roads.

This is a picture of a coal barge, a familiar sight in the Pittsburgh rivers, but you can't see the coal for all the snow. It looks like a snow barge.

The snow ladened trees sure look pretty, until you see how low the branches are hanging above the cars underneath.

From the Fort Pitt Bridge into town, a major artery into the city, snow-bound and practically deserted.

If you don't have anywhere urgent to go, and your pantry is well-stocked, snow-bound Pittsburgh is a lovely place to be.We wanted to share this picture of an order using our log cabin. We hope you feel as cozy as this logo looks.

So Excited!

2010-02-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

We are unloading a glaze today and I am so excited. I cannot wait to see what comes out. I am expecting an interesting collection of ideas put together by our customers and some new ideas from Walt. We can't wait to share them with you. This is a picture of an anniversary crock (AV) using the log cabin logo. Keep an eye out for more ideas!--Jo

Phil Day

2010-02-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog Day,
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow which means six more weeks of Winter. I disagree. I'm calling for an early Spring. I saw a very frisky squirrel dancing on a telepone pole clucking loud and clear for all the squirrely girls to hear and see. I call him Mr. Squirrel. He's been hanging around my buildings for years. And, before this last cold snap, Wilma and Stella were sniffing the ground as if Spring is only a few weeks away. Before I had my Jacks, I raised bird dogs. Working dogs like Jack Russell Terriors and my Hungarian Viszla Jacob, the greatest dog that ever lived, can smell Spring's onset even through frozen snow. I'm planting early.

I am glaze firing today, I'm looking forward to unloading it tomorrow. I squeezed some new pieces in with our first orders of 2010. They are hand painted with a floral design that I haven't used for over twenty years, more on the new stuff after I see how they look finished. It has been so long since I've made these designs, I'm not sure if any adjustments need to be made. I'll know tomorrow morning.
Walt Zotter
Zotter The Potter

Tuning In, turning back

2010-01-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

The video links we've provided have triggered some questions from readers, and recollections for me.

The KDKA video is about a commemorative crock we make to celebrate the naming of our city. The Pittsburgh region was vital to our nation's move west. From our three rivers, the expansion was downhill all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Take a boat down the Ohio to the Mississippi, buy a Conestoga wagon, a team of horses, a ton of supplies, maybe a cow, and it was flat land all the way to the Rockies. Because of this strategic location, the point was an outpost, then a fort, and later a city, long before it was named Pittsburgh. The city's semiquincentennial celebration was spectacular. The Allegheny Conference organized a series of events culminating with a fireworks extravaganza that made even Pittsburgh's heralded pyrotechnic displays look commonplace. See for yourself. The year long celebration was so comprehensive, we decided to participate with a commemorative of our own that is available at zotterthepotter.com and at the Sen. John Heinz History Center .

We are currently doing a 250 piece for Culpeper VA, if you or your organization has a special anniversary or celebration give us a call, our crocks are fantastic fundraisers. One of our outlets sold about 1,000 pieces for the Frederick MD Bicentennial and an historical organization in Falls Church VA sold 400 pieces for their 200th anniversary.

The Pittsburgh 250 Crock is a throwback to our "town commemoratives" years, and so is the You Tube video. From the mid-seventies to the early nineties we made pots with a town name, an appropriate logo, and sold them through gift shops in all fifty states. Our largest client was the Leggett Department Stores, a Mid-Atlantic States based chain. The Ron Hankison video played at our pottery displays in 28 Leggett Stores. It was received so well the Leggett brothers had me give live demonstrations, with a lot of media exposure, in many of their stores. I packed up my wheel, some clay, and headed off to cities as far north as Frederick Md and as far south as Wilmington NC. It was quite an effort, a huge success, and a lot of fun. One thing is for certain, Ron's video played a big role in our pottery displays' success, but when all is considered it is only one of many ways Ron has helped us along the way. Thanks again Ron.

I hope this window to the past filled in the blanks, it sure has triggered memories. I have a lot of "tour stories". The tour was the beginning of our personalized pottery line that celebrates weddings, anniversaries, and many other special occasions. It was the Leggett Stores that had the first display where you could order a personalized marriage crock. From there, several national mail order catalogs picked up the line and before we could have anticipated, the town line was phased down to major celebrations like Pittsburgh 250 and corporate level promotions. The personalized line has been our primary effort since the mid-nineties.

Thanks for tuning in,

Walt...
Zotter The Potter

Old friends, New Friends...Made with Love

2010-01-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

One of the very nice things about Walt is his ability to keep in touch with old friends. He recently was able to watch one of his beloved Penguins hockey games (our Pittsburgh Pens are the current Stanley Cup Champions!) with some of his childhood friends from way way back....

and some of his new friends : ) Don't you love it when you can get your old friends and new friends together? Walter Zotter is the guy wearing the hockey jersey and "the beard".

Both Walt's friendships and his pots are "made with love". If you are lucky enough to have Walt for a friend, then you know you will have a friend for life.

This is a picture of a cookie jar ordered from a customer. We can only imagine the goodies that will be put in it. --Jo

From the archives

2010-01-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

Our friend Ron H. made this video for Zotter a long, long time ago. The more things change, the more some things stay the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsEKqD78z98

This video clip is interestesting, I hope you take the time to check it out. Thanks, Jo

The Kiln

2010-01-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about January after the Christmas rush is that I have time for special projects. Along with starting new things like the blog, I can also take care of old things like the kiln. We have what is called a forced air, reduction fire, shuttle kiln.

"Forced air" refers to the gas burners that have fans for increased airflow. "Reduction fire" refers to a firing process that creates an atmosphere that makes a clear glaze on a tan pot, a gray glaze on a brown pot. Our "shuttle kiln" stands seven feet tall with equally sized six foot walls. The roof is flat not arched. This is because the walls and roof are made with a light weight high temperature fiber that is attached to a heavy duty steel mesh frame. The front side of the kiln has the burners and chimney. The rear wall is welded to a steel cart that supports the kiln's heavy brick floor. This L-shaped shuttle is on wheels so with just removing two clamps, the door and floor rolls away with all the shelves and pots.

This design makes loading and unloading much easier. I built this third generation kiln twenty years ago. It requires very little maintenance mainly because I used a fiber with a very high temperature limit. If I had used a lower limit fiber the liner would have needed to be replaced years ago. This is because temperature limits change with repeat firings. If I refire a finished pot to the same temperature the pot will look overfired. In the same way the ceramic walls will eventually lose its fireability and become brittle and begin to flake.

A kiln of this design has very even temperature and atmospheric circulation and is easily disassembled which came in handy when we moved to our expanded facility a few years ago.

Walt

The star of the show

2010-01-14T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is our signature Christmas piece. The picture is a little dark, but I think it looks cozy. We mark the time by changing the year and the names. Different years mean different things for each person. We hope that a special memory evokes every time the recipient looks at it. Who would you like to give one to next time?-jo

We love our neighborhood

2010-01-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

We love where we live and work in the historic and eclectic South Side of Pittsburgh. It is our very own "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood". We wanted to share some of the people, places and things we enjoy about our neighborhood in this and future blog entries.

First up, The Double Wide Grill, located on Carson St, South Side. The Double Wide Grill offers wood-cookin' dining, a popular weekend brunch, and a great beer selection in a converted retro auto repair garage. Outdoor seating in warmer weather is a great place to see and be seen. http://doublewidegrill.com/

-jo

This picture of our pot is a little crooked, but you get the idea. We love our monogram logo design that's shown in the middle. You can opt to personalize the center with an initial or number. Some customers have even left it blank. I'm guessing that the "C" is the first letter in their last name, right? -jo

First stamped pot of the year

2010-01-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

When I threw my first pot of the year, it occured to me that it marked the beginning of my 5th calendar decade of throwing. Since the seventies, it has been the same pots, the same process, the same efforts, but that is where the sameness ends and why my blog is called " Zotter The Potter...As the Wheel Turns". Everything else can turn like a potters wheel; location, staff, clientele and markets change and have shaped me as much as I have shaped the pots: the trick has been to not let the turns and changes spin out of control.

-Walt

It is tradition for Walt to stamp the first pot of the year this way. What changes is the year on the maker's mark on the back. This is the way a pot looks when it gets stamped. Once stamped, we let the pot harden for it's first bisque firing. Happy 2010.

Our friend Darryl, and avid skier and one heck of an accountant.