Back Country Artz on Pottery 02/17/2010
We sell handcrafted functional pottery but did you know that pottery has been around since the Neolithic Revolution? It’s amazing to think that something that mankind has been using since such early times is still very functional today, in our techno-savvy world. Where pottery was once placed in a hole in the ground then covered in dirt and a bon fire lit above it, now it is fired in electric kilns were temperature is more easily controlled, although some artist still use older methods like outdoor wood fired kilns. The potter’s wheel that many of us are familiar with today came to be, around 3000 BC, prior to that clay was moulded by hand into the desired shape. Glaze was developed in the 9th century BC for use with decorative tiles but was not used for functional pottery like vesicles to hold water, until much later in the 1st century BC. The first glazed pots appear in the Middle East and in China during the Han Dynasty circa the 1st century BC. These are just a few interesting facts about pottery. I find it fascinating that much of this ancient pottery still exists and sometimes is all that is left at archaeological sites. I love that we can learn so much from the remnants left behind, about the civilization that was there and how they used that pottery. Today we like pottery for very different reasons. We no longer rely on it as our only way to store water. Now we buy it because we love it, and for its beauty and decorative quality. Pottery allows us to have something made from a chunk of clay from the earth, shaped by an artist’s hand, glazed and fired so that the finished product is its own unique creation and is a little link to our past. When we buy local handcrafted pottery we reduce our carbon footprint by shopping local. We support local artists and we have a beautiful, unique and well made accessory to show for it! Add Comment First Post! 02/11/2010
Tough economic times foster new beginningsJust over one year ago if you had asked me if I would consider starting a home based business I would have laughed and said NO WAY. I loved my job and the people I worked with. Sadly last one hired as they say. My how the times have changed!!! Out of work like many of you I found myself scrambling thinking of what to do next. I was at a friends house, she is a potter and we were in her pottery shop. We were chatting about the people we knew that had lost their jobs and wondered where it would all stop. She asked me what I was planning to do and I told her I didn't really know. I mentioned that I was trying to think of some way to start a small business from my home but had no idea what I would do. Just then one of those light bulb moments hit!!! In a very casual manner she said "you could sell my pottery on line" and well the rest is history. I don't think she thought I would take her idea and run with it but I did and here we are today. Back Country Artz comes from my love of shopping and finding really unique and interesting things. I have always loved stopping at small stores off the beaten path in little towns. You find things you don't see anywhere else. That combined with my love of hand made things. There are so many talented people around and we never get the chance to see what they create if we don't go to their little town. I hope you love what you find on backcountryartz.com as much as I do. I have learned so much which sometimes happens when you are forced to go outside your comfort zone. I have to remember to thank my pottery friend again for launching me on this new adventure. I can hear her now saying" are you sure it's an adventure and not a curse' and chuckling. I'm sure there will be days that I curse her but for the most part I think I'll appreciate the push in a new direction. So if you find yourself in a tough spot take a deep breath and step forward in a new direction it's amazing what you can do if you put your heart into it. | About UsOur name was inspired by where we live. Rural British Columbia. Canada is largely back country, we are on just over five acres and often have deer, moose and bears in our back yard. ArchivesAugust 2010 |
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