Meet Wendy Eggerman

We were lucky to catch up with Wendy Eggerman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Wendy, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Turning your hobby into a business can often take the fun out of making. Deadlines must be met, best-sellers must be stocked, bills paid, not to mention all the paperwork and emails.

To keep my creativity engaged I find small ways to mix up my standard pottery production. Every kiln I fire, I try to have a test of something. Sometimes its a new color, or glaze, other times it might be a technique, or form. Occasionally, I make pots explicitly with out the intention of ever selling them. Generally these are for our home or a request from a friend (most often in the form of wedding presents). Maybe someday these will resurface into a for-sale venue, but sometimes, it’s nice to just make a pot.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Originally from Minnesota, I first fell in love with pottery while attending Warren Wilson College in the mountains of North Carolina. I have a degree in History, but I was enamored by what I could make with essentially just my own two hands and some mud. I find functional, handmade objects bring a lot of character into a space and daily ritual, yet are not fully finished until in use. A mug is a lovely object, but a mug with a fresh brewed coffee on a rainy day is much better.

My pottery is primarily influenced by my love of antiques and the duality of my multi-cultural heritage (Mexican and Norwegian). I make everything to be used, while subtly exploring ideas of stories, the past, perfection/imperfection, and when opposites attract.

I currently have a studio at my home in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I hope to open an online shop some day. For now, my pottery can be found at a variety of excellent galleries and shops around the country:
Charlie Cummings Gallery (Gainesville, FL)
The American Museum of Ceramic Art (Pomona, CA)
Gallery 360 (Minneapolis, MN)
Artful Home (Online)
The Gilded Pear (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Santangelo (Thomas, WV)

For full list: https://www.functionalheirlooms.com/shop

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

In my journey, community, persistence, and curiosity have all been played an important role.

I have had a wonderful community of fellow potters, studio mates, and mentors that have helped motivate me, inspire me, answer technical questions, and help direct me when I felt I needed some direction. I highly recommend volunteering, teaching, or meeting peers and potential mentors for coffee. I have found my community to be an excellent resource and is now filled with some of the best friends. I hope to do the same for other artists.

Persistence is essential in any journey, but especially pottery. It is such a long process to make pottery and many things can go wrong along the way. It can be difficult when those mishaps cross your path, but it is all a learning experience.

I think curiosity is what makes my pottery unique. My surfaces and forms are always evolving. I always ask myself, “What if…..” It keeps me motivated and encourages me to make the best pots I can.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

It wasn’t necessarily one thing, but my parents were (and still are) very supportive of me pursuing pottery. After college, they let me start my first studio in the barn (I just had to clean out the horse stall). My dad even built me a kick wheel! Even though my parents weren’t artists, they have been great role models for so many of the things I do every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.functionalheirlooms.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/functionalheirlooms/
• Other: FunctionalHeirloomMaker@gmail.com

Image Credits

Photo credit: Carl Stover