Paintings

What medium are your original paintings?

I always work in oil paint. My surfaces are canvas or cradled hardboard. Drawings are made on acid free paper or board (Arches, Strathmore, etc) and mounted archivally to flat hardboard.

Are your paintings framed?

It depends on the piece! Each listing will include details about whether the painting or drawing is framed or not. If the one you like is framed but you would prefer to buy your own custom frame to suit, I’m happy to remove it. Shipping costs will be less that way too. Many works on paper which are not framed will arrive with a sturdy fomecore backer and protective cover sheet which will allow safe transport of the art to your local frame shop.

Will my painting be ready to hang?

Many of my paintings are ready to hang and have a sturdy hanging wire and hardware attached. You just have to decide where to hang it!

Can I make an offer on a painting and negotiate the price?

Yes, and I’m ready to haggle back! Payment methods and other info here.

How will my painting be wrapped?

Original paintings will be covered in archival paper, wrapped in bubble wrap and sandwiched between boards of rigid foam, and then shipped in a sturdy shipping carton. Depending on the size of the work, if it’s smaller (like a drawing) I may sandwich it between layers of fome core inside a few layers of shipping cardboard.

Do you do special commissions (paintings)?

Yes, indeed. Please take a look at my Commissions page to see some of the unique works I was inspired to make for clients.

Pottery

What kind of clay do you use?

Typically I use Standard Co. stoneware-rated clay in a buff for the Monsterpots and a light brown speckled for the mugs. I’ve also used a dark brown and it’s a lovely clay for the Moonpots. The Ophanim are done in a red or white terra cotta clay which is more lightweight (better for hanging) and more porous.

What Cone temperatures do you fire the ware?

I fire the stoneware to Cone 6 or 2200 deg F. The terra cotta clays are fired to Cone 04 which is 1820 deg F.

Are your glazes food-safe?

For sure all of the interior glazes of my mugs are foodsafe! The exterior glazes are safe too, but you’re not likely to eat off of the outsides.

Can I put my pottery outside?

Fired clay won’t melt in the sun or rain—yay!— but low-fired terra cotta clay is fairly porous. While summer isn’t an issue for clay, winter is. The porosity of clay means that it’ll absorb a fraction of moisture and can crack if allowed to freeze in the winter. It’s best to bring ceramics indoors if you live in a zone with freezing temperatures.

There is, however, a Standard Red clay that I’ve worked with that has a very low absorption rate once fired to maturity. I’ve used this to make outdoor tiles for house numbers with good success.

Do you have a separate pottery studio or do you do all of your work in one place?

My ceramics studio is in my garage— it’s where I keep my kiln and where I make most of my pottery and mix my glazes. My painting work is done in a separate indoor studio in my home which is temperature controlled and a lot cleaner.

I have a third studio that is more of an office where my electronics are parked; I do my digital illustration work there.

How will you ship my pottery piece?

Always double-boxed. I have this down to a science now. Pottery is bubble wrapped and boxed. Then I place this box into a slightly larger box with a layer of bubble wrap. Larger pieces may involve pool noodles just sayin’.

I’m also a big fan of recycling. The majority of my bubble wrap comes from friends who send theirs my way instead of to the landfill or incinerator. I trim off the old packing tape and any shredded edges and reuse it. So if you receive a package from me with some bubble wrap that’s not perfectly intact or the edges aren’t quite perpendicular, now you know why!

Do you take special commissions (pottery)?

I do! See my Commissions page for ideas!