July 2022
Jacquie Brown, not to be confused with the Tarantino movie Jackie Brown, has lived in Fairview for 16 years. She has been making pottery for over 20 years. Jacquie first got interested in pottery thanks to her high school teacher, then went on to study at ACAD. At ACAD she made some very tall (3 to 4 feet) vases! Since moving into her garage, she now makes more functional pieces like teapots, mugs, and a recent commission of a set of pasta bowls.
Throughout the week, you can find Jacquie working at a local pottery studio, but when she is not there, you can find her in her garage – door open in the summer – mixing glazes and creating her own pieces.
Her garage is quite the place! She has 2 kilns; one is 3 cubic feet, and the other is 7 cubic feet.
Jacquie talked me through the process of making some pieces, specifically about 50 mugs and 10 bowls! From start to finish, the whole process of making pieces, cooling pieces, making glaze, and glazing takes anywhere from four to six weeks. Once a piece is made, it is put in a Tupperware container so that it doesn’t dry out. Then, a few days later, it is taken out and handles she has premade are added to the cups, or feet are added to the bowls. Then into the kiln for firing! The kilns get up to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike glass bowing, the heat is kept inside the kiln, so the surrounding space doesn’t get too hot.
Once everything is put in the kiln, it fires for 8 to 12 hours, then it takes another 10 to 15 hours to cool it all down. During this time, Jacquie is kept busy making her own glazes. She takes a few days to make a few gallons of glaze that will last a few months.
Once the pieces have cooled down, Jacquie will spend the next two to three weeks getting everything glazed and ready for sale to the public.
Jacquie said that pottery making was getting more popular even as the pandemic hit. It didn’t really stop the rise in popularity, and some private pottery studios have year long wait lists. A six-week course is usually a good start to get the hang of making something like a cup or bowl, but you’ll need more training to get good at it.
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