Progress Update: March’s Mug of the Month: Peters Pottery- Brandon and Kathleen

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March marks the third installment of POCG's Mug of the Month program, and this month’s piece is a true celebration of both nature and craftsmanship. Peters Pottery has curated a beautiful design inspired by the Black Capped Chickadee, a bird beloved by Kathleen and bird watchers alike. With a thoughtful and intricate design, each mug captures the grace and beauty of this tiny, resilient bird in a way that will make each sip of your morning coffee feel like an encounter with nature itself.

A Thoughtful Design Inspired by Nature

The mug features a tall, elegant shape designed to perfectly balance form and function. The design is framed around the beautiful Black Capped Chickadee, a species known for its bold black cap and distinctive markings. 

Kathleen’s  process began with an in-depth bird study, where she closely observed the Chickadee’s positions and postures. These studies involved sketching the bird in a variety of natural poses, capturing the essence of its playful nature and agility. The end result was a series of intricate, fluid drawings that perfectly translated the bird’s motion and life onto the surface of each mug.

From Sketch to Final Piece: A Labor of Love

The transition from study to final design was a meticulous process. Once the bird studies were complete, she translated these initial sketches into detailed, refined drawings. These designs were then individually hand-under-glazed onto each limited-edition mug. This hands-on approach ensures that every mug is a unique piece of art, showcasing the subtle differences and textures that make handcrafted pottery so special.

Each mug in this limited series carries its own little piece of nature, as the Black Capped Chickadee is portrayed in various natural poses that evoke a sense of peacefulness and connection with the outdoors. The overall design is framed, allowing the viewer to appreciate not just the beauty of the bird but also the flow and balance between the bird and the natural world it inhabits.

Kathleen and Brandon Share the Following from their Experience:

“Once we finalized the design concept for our collection, we turned our attention to breaking down the steps required to bring it to life. Brandon, as always, jumped straight into ‘design mode’ and began creating the digital files that would guide the creation of the profile rib, handle, and medallion. While he’s experienced in crafting these tools, this time, he had the added challenge of ensuring all three components worked in harmony to support our overall vision.

The first step in our process was to determine the proportions of the vessel. It needed to be tall enough to fit the picture frame medallion, but not so tall that the handle would feel out of place. The medallion had to be large enough to give me the space I needed to paint, but small enough to keep the mug balanced and visually appealing. This delicate balance required a lot of thought and trial-and-error, as we had to consider the way each element would complement the others.

Once we had a solid plan, Brandon got to work designing the tools. He 3D printed the profile rib and the handle template, which were crucial for shaping the body and handle of the mug. These printed tools would give us the precision needed to execute our design. For the medallion, our initial idea was to 3D print a picture frame and create a mold from plaster. The goal was to make a reliable mold that we could use to form the medallion shapes in clay.

However, when it came time to make the medallion, things didn’t go as smoothly as we had hoped. I tried using my hands to press the clay into the plaster mold, but the results weren’t clean enough. So, I turned to the manual hand press machine, hoping it would give me the precision I needed. Unfortunately, the pressure of the press caused the plaster mold to crumble under the strain, leaving me with a messy, chalky pile and a feeling of frustration. Suddenly, the clock was ticking, and I had to figure out how I was going to sculpt, cut, and apply the medallions to every mug without them losing their shape.

That’s when Brandon came to the rescue. He quickly designed a new mold in the 3D file and printed it out in plastic. This new plastic mold was sturdier than the plaster one, and it provided the reliable, precise impression we needed for the medallions. With this new mold, we avoided the need to make another plaster mold, saving us both time and resources.

With the tools now in place, we moved on to assembling the mugs. I carefully shaped the clay for each mug, ensuring the proportions were just right. The profile rib helped me get a smooth and consistent curve along the sides, while the 3D-printed handle template allowed me to form the handles perfectly to fit the design. Each medallion was carefully pressed into the clay, and I painted the Black Capped Chickadees, which would serve as the focal point of the design.

At this point, the mugs were coming together nicely, each element supporting the other to create a cohesive and functional design. Mugs are now undergoing a bisque firing and then glaze will be applied. The last step in the process will be to fire the mugs in the kiln to cone 6.

It was a long journey, full of problem-solving and collaboration, but seeing the mugs take shape in their final form was absolutely worth it. The process of creating these handmade pieces brought the vision to life, one thoughtful step at a time.”

You can find more information about Peters Pottery Shop via Facebook & Instagram. Their pottery is available for purchase via their website www.peterspotteryshop.com and at two retail locations (Downtown Kittanning Central Market in Kittanning, PA and AO Market in Butler, PA). Any questions or inquiries can be directed to peterspotteryshop@gmail.com.