For years, we have given away beautiful pots in our monthly giveaways. This month, we took it a step further and decided to choose pieces that rarely are for sale, or have never been available for purchase.

One of three winners will receive a one of a kind “Experimental Mug” paired with the book “Originals” by Adam Grant. Joel’s Experimental Pottery are all unique and unpredictable pieces. From his splatter designs that seem to hide fun and interesting visuals, to his pieces that blend shades of Iron and cobalt for an interesting contrast.

A gorgeous “Cobalt Soup Mug” is another piece included in our giveaway. This larger sized mug is paired with a very educational book written by Ben Carter. Ben Carter is a studio potter, educator, and the author of “Mastering The Potter’s Wheel” . Ben also hosts a podcast that features weekly interviews with other ceramic artists from around the globe. Cherrico Pottery supports the Tales of a Red Clay Ramblers Patreon and hopes to see this insightful podcast continue to flourish.

The third and final winner will receive a custom made “Lunar Cup” paired with a copy of “Cosmic Queries” by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The book ,Cosmic Queries, was sent to Joel personally from the author himself. Inside you will find, scribbled within the first few pages, Neil’s autograph in vibrant purple ink.

If you have been following Cherrico Pottery for a while, you may have seen Joel’s blog post he wrote for StarTalk, or the short interview clips from StarTalk Radio we like to share with our fans. Truth is, Cherrico Pottery has supported StarTalk Radio’s Patreon for years. By continuing to support, Joel is able to draw more inspiration from the cosmos, and then filter it into art.

This custom made “Lunar Cup” was designed for Star Talk Radio. Unlike the other two pieces in this giveaway, this cup is limited edition, and no cups like it are available for purchase. This fun piece has the classic shape and texture of Joel’s other Lunar Cups, but has “Keep Looking Up” scribed on with black glaze. If you listen to StarTalk, you’ll know that this uplifting reminder is how Neil deGrasse Tyson ends every episode.

The team here at Cherrico Pottery hopes you all have an amazing summer and that you’ll enjoy this month’s giveaway.

 

 

This month, 3 winners will receive a beautiful pot paired with one of our favorite books. These books have guided the work of Joel as an artist, business owner, and individual, as well as the members of our team. Each of these pieces were hand picked by Joel.

Here’s what he had to say about the books we are giving away this month:

In regards to “Practical Pottery” by Jon Schmidt, “Jon‘s perspective on making beautiful, useful pottery is helpful for anyone who is curious about how to make pottery themselves.”

“Steven Pressfield’s writing is so powerful that the city of Sparta in Greece declared him an honorary citizen. He reveals truths about how all of us struggle in our own lives, but we all share the power to conquer those struggles with dignity and honor.” These are Joel’s thoughts on Steven Pressfield‘s work, including “The Warrior Ethos” and “A Man At Arms.”

Finally, the last book we are giving away this month, “Mastery” by Robert Greene. “I reread this book every year. There’s this idea that 10,000 hours spent on any task will make you a master. But after you spent 20,000 hours, that’s when magic really happens. Robert Greene gives you steps on exactly what’s necessary to create something worthy of being truly original.”

We hope you enjoy this giveaway!

 

 

After a few confusing weeks of Minnesota weather, it seems we finally have entered the spring season. The air is getting warmer and the lovely spring colors are vibrant. This month, we chose pottery that reminded us of these spring shades.

Our cobalt glaze is reminiscent of spring showers, the darker shades like the roaring thunderclouds above and the lighter hues like rain.

The Iron glaze is bright and vibrant like the sun which, thankfully, is now shining brightly daily.

Our mixture of glazes for our classic Cosmic Mugs is bright and colorful. Normally, these colors make me think about what they are inspired by, the cosmos. However, with the changing of the seasons, these hues make me think of the brightly colored flowers that will soon be popping out of the ground.

This month 4 lucky winners will win beautiful pottery absolutely free. Hope you enjoy this giveaway and good luck!

Last week, about 2,400 people responded to this Facebook Survey Request/Giveaway. Our goal was to test whether or not people might want a new feature: a low priced, pottery subscription service that gives them a more affordable way to get a Cherrico Pottery cup.

73% of people wanted this! I was super surprised, because subscriptions can be really tricky. None of us need another monthly bill. It’s also a TON of extra work for our team to keep track of subscriptions, to guarantee everything is organized, that pottery gets crafted, packed and shipped in a specific timeline.

But shipping handmade art straight to people’s doorsteps is something special. We’ve gotten better and better over time, and been able to get costs down. Our team has broken only about 3 pots in shipping in the past 3 years– out of about 9,000 total pots!

So today, we’re announcing a HUGE change to our Patreon “Fan Club” subscription service– everyone gets a pot!

NEW FEATURE: Every Patron Gets Pottery

QUESTION: “Why should I subscribe?”

Answer: You’re getting lowest possible prices, while helping Cherrico Pottery evolve. Your subscription is a HUGE help for us. It means that we don’t have to worry every month about what pottery we need to craft, kiln fire (while crossing our fingers that the firings go well) and figure out how to sell. More subscribers means that we (Sienna and Joel) can spend more time making art, and far less time selling it. We can spend longer periods of time crafting pots for once yearly mailings as our main support source. Consistent monthly support also let us be more generous with gifts, giveaways and coupons every month. Please consider subscribing here: patreon.com/cherricopottery

QUESTION: “I’m already a Patron. What changes?”

Answer: Nothing! Except that now you are getting at least one bonus piece of pottery mailed to your doorstep at no extra cost, once yearly. View all details in our “Reward Tiers” here: patreon.com/cherricopottery

QUESTION: “Can I still get pottery from your free newsletter if I don’t subscribe?”

Answer: Yep! Patrons will get first pick and consistently better coupons, but lots of great deals will still be available in the free newsletter.

QUESTION: “Can I send you a one-time payment instead?”

Answer: No, sorry. Thank you very much for considering this, though. The best way to do this is to simply buy a piece of pottery, at full price or with coupons, from cosmicmugs.com or store.cherricopottery.com.

QUESTION: “I have more questions!”

Answer: No problem. We created a detailed “Patreon Frequently Asked Questions page”  on our website so you can learn all about how to create a Patreon account, update billing, learn about cancellations, refunds and more: cherricopottery.com/patreonfaq

Patreon started out as a way to support something very specific: Facebook Live videos of me making pottery. 

It felt like people were simply supporting us out of the kindness of their hearts, because they loved watching the Facebook videos so much– and it also felt like a success. Our initial 200 supporter goal was reached in just a few months. 

But somehow, it always comes back to the pots. People kept telling us that what they really wanted was pottery– not just to watch it being made, but to use and enjoy it in their homes.

Patreon.com/cherricopottery is now the most affordable way for you to get a piece of pottery for yourself or as a gift. Simply subscribe, sit back, and wait for your pottery to arrive, while watching it come to life on Facebook Live.

“Art: that’s what we call it when a human being makes something, something that might not work, something generous, something important. That’s what art is.”

– Seth Godin, qtd. in “Your Job is to Make Art”