Details
| First Name | Michelle |
| Last Name | Herringer |
| Nickname | MichiPottery |
My Ceramics
| In the studio I like to do | Handbuilding, Throwing on the Wheel |
| Pottery Wheel | Brent |
| Clay body | Porcelain |
| Clay Brand | At the moment Kota from Kentucky Mudworks |
| Kiln Type | Electric Kiln |
| Kiln Atmosphere | Oxidation Atmosphere |
| Temperature | 2200 cone 6 |
| Glaze | I don’t use a lot of colored glazes but I use a few celadons and a clear from Amaco, I just started trying out a few commercial glazes from Kentucky Mudworks. I mostly work with underglazes, stains, and colored slip and then sand/polish the exterior and place a liner glaze on the interior of the vessel. It varies from piece to piece. I have stains, powdered UG, and LUG from a variety of manufacturers including Mayco, Amaco, and Pottery Crafts . |
| You can buy my work from | My new website: Michipottery.com, a pop up sale during the holidays in Durango, or at a holiday market sale (first one ever this winter) in Durango, CO. I may partner with another potter next year to do the Open Studio tour in Grand Junction, CO. |
About Me
| Introduction | I am Michelle Herringer from Durango, Colorado, my home now for 29 years. I like to throw and hand-build functional wares (mostly) out of porcelain. I like to add surface design, illustrations, inlay, stencils, sprigs, and text. I am interested in growing my hobby into at least a thriving side hustle… and maybe more. I am looking for help with how to do this without spinning my wheels for too long. My other passion is helping people who have dyslexia and getting others trained to become certified in the field. Of course, living in Durango, I also ski, mountain bike, paddle board, hike-all those mountain activities that people do here. |
| What I Love about Ceramics | There’s always more to learn and experiment with. I feel like I could spend a lifetime learning about ceramics and still need more time. I also find other potters to be such wonderful people. My favorite thing to do is design interesting and beautiful surfaces, but I really love the whole pottery process. |
| How I started with ceramics | I have been throwing for nine years; I first started at the local community studio called Yunomi Pottery Studio. The owner/instructor’s name is Chyako Hashimoto, who has become a good friend of mine. I took classes to fulfill my creative tendencies while I was working as a school director/administrator. I’d never touched clay before and I was awful at first; I couldn’t center and didn’t understand anything about pottery. I couldn’t wait for the class to end because it was so humiliating. But by the end of the class I was hooked and have been throwing ever since. |
| What inspires me | I love to connect with other potters and learn about what they are doing and share experiences and knowledge. People are so generous and kind in this field. I also use my natural environment for ideas such as color palettes and natural objects to illustrate. |
| What I'm working on at the moment | I am trying out some new techniques this past year, such as acrylic resist, designing my own stencils using Procreate/Silhouette Design Studio, and carving/slip inlay. I just started making earrings and wall hangings. This week I plan to try throwing enclosed egg shaped objects off the hump. |
| My Artist Statement | MIchelle Herringer is a potter/ceramicist in Durango, Colorado. ​ Michelle decorates her hand built and wheel thrown porcelain, adding messages, expressions, and imagery that she illustrates, paints, and incises into the clay using various techniques and materials. Her handmade ceramics are intended to subtly enhance lives by surrounding you with thought provoking and captivating functional art.
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| My CV | I sell privately to individuals, I have my work in two shops in Durango, and every other year I am a part of a holiday sale. This past year I became a member of a new business called Durango Sustainable Goods where I sell my work. It is growing into something bigger this summer, when we will move our location into a more central business location. I will partner with my sister this fall (who is also a potter) to do the Open Studio Tour in Grand Junction (assuming we are accepted). I have reached out to two art centers to offer my services this fall as a pottery instructor. Both have expressed interest. I also sell my work online through my website Michipottery.com. I promote it through Instagram, Facebook, in-person sales, Durango Sustainable Goods, Botanical Concepts, word of mouth, etc. Two of my pieces are currently in a local exhibit called Bouquets For Days.
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