So Many Changes - It's Hard to Keep Up by Melissa Garcia Parry

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The last year has been a total blur of highs and lows and so many projects started, completed and even more still outstanding. It’s been a busy time and we don’t have time to keep up with all facets of this website. So we’ve decided to narrow things down and focus on what works and what we can realistically manage. Our newsletter is now gone because quite frankly - we weren’t doing it. This here blog is trickling off to nothing so don’t expect much more than this post - unless something very phenomenal happens. We do semi-regularly post news to Instagram so we’re making life easy for ourselves and linking up our posts to this website - click on our Instagram Updates page. This is where you’ll find pictures of work and business updates, as well as occasional nonsense. We also keep our online calendar up-to-date so please check it out to see our show schedule for the rest of the year. We’ve learned a lot in the last year and primarily it’s focus on the important stuff and ditch the rest.

New Year, New Location - Still Working On a Studio by Melissa Garcia Parry

We have not fallen off the face of the earth, just moved to Olalla, Oregon. It has been a blur of boxes and unexpected jobs, from small to immense, since we moved. It’s only been 3 months but I think we both look a bit older, maybe we just feel it?!

We are fighting our way through the winter “break” and hoping to have a full show and market calendar for the year. Right now it’s blank but rest assured we have some shows booked and plan at being at Eugene Saturday Market at least once a month.

We just finished a small yurt build project and are still celebrating that feeling of finally accomplishing something. What we’d planned to be a guest space will be our short term studio while we work out the rest of the details. We also await some reliable electric that can power those kilns that are the workhorses of our production. It’s all lined up but we’re now in the hands of the electric company and an electrician and the county - pray for us, perform a ritual, think good thoughts or whatever you do to make the stars align and good things happen.

The pottery is shut right now so we can just focus on life. As ever we hope this time out at the start of the year will help us be ready for what the rest of the year brings. We will be working on orders received at the end of 2018 but not taking on anything new until we get fully equipped. We will be posting updates as pottery life begins to take a shape we can recognize.

We once again thank all you lovely people who came and shared time with us at Holiday Market. We were in dire need of some sanity and camaraderie. There were so many encouraging words, great anecdotes and a sense that we weren’t stuck out in the woods losing our minds. Or if we were we were going down laughing. Thank you.

We hope for 2019 to be a year of progress for us and for you and for the rest of the messy world. Is that asking too much? Maybe we should just focus on the electric supply?

Having a Chuck-It session to celebrate the yurt

Having a Chuck-It session to celebrate the yurt

Eugene Saturday Market - Marketwide Sale by Melissa Garcia Parry

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Have we mentioned lately that we’re moving? It’s been a topic for months but now it is real. We have closed on our new place, old place and there are boxes everywhere. We’re madly trying to lighten our load and make the transition easier. We’re heading into our busiest time of the year so timing is not ideal. But the one bit of serendipity is Eugene Saturday Market is having a marketwide sale this Saturday, October 6. Perfect timing for us to thin out the back stock that we really don’t need to move. We have absolutely perfect pieces that are out of date, seconds and one-offs that all need to go. Everything in the booth will be seriously on sale. Come and see us in our usual booth 346 from 10 until 5 on Saturday, rain or shine come hell or high water.

Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio by Melissa Garcia Parry

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While we’re doing our belated Country Fair wrap-up - Dave was really fortunate to meet Camellia and Mark from Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio. They were kind enough to take a box of our pottery back to their gallery in Wyoming. It looks like the people of Cheyenne have appreciated our work. Thanks, Cheyenne! We are putting Clay Paper Scissors Gallery on our regular rotation and plan to get another shipment to them before the end of the year. We’ll post it on Instagram when the work ships out.

The Wonders of Oregon Country Fair by Melissa Garcia Parry

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What in God's name is this? All going well by 11 AM this Friday this will be the home of Whistle Post Pottery for the next three days. It's one of the chaotic wonders of Oregon Country Fair. We had no plans on taking part this year, then an unexpected phone call from the one and only Michael Bertotti (pictured) meant we suddenly we have a booth share. Umm, okay? It'll be baking hot, mosquito heavy and the usual scramble for space but dammit, who could turn that down? We are sharing Booth L29 near Dharma Gardens. And we sincerely hope by opening time on Friday this view may be slightly more booth-like and graced by some handmade pottery, ready to find a new home. 

Show season is go - next up Lake Oswego by Melissa Garcia Parry

Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts

We are in the midst of the summer juggle of shows, markets and life. Just got back from Spokane ArtFest (thanks to all who shopped, chatted and made it a very pleasant weekend) and are fully focused on the next show - Lake Oswego. We also plan to re-stock galleries in the next four weeks and will update here as we cross them off our list. We plan to be at the next two Eugene Saturday Markets as well so June will be the month of spreading ourselves around. July we collapse.  

Whistle Post Pottery gets into the spring of things by Melissa Garcia Parry

Wood-fired vase experiment with Howl and Whistle Flower Farm Anemones

Wood-fired vase experiment with Howl and Whistle Flower Farm Anemones

With winter officially behind us we find ourselves coming out of hibernation. We have been busy but mostly behind the scenes. We found some time for experiments, including the vase pictured above. Dave took some time to participate in a wood firing with friends and other ceramic artists at the home and studio of Tea Duong and Nina Fernstrom-Duong outside Junction City. The results are a total change from the usual Whistle Post Pottery wares. We don't expect any pots from this batch to be up for sale but who knows what the future may hold? 

We do continue to work on moving home and studio. In fact, it may be a move of home and a building of studio from scratch. Things are getting slightly more real but we are still in the early stages of tackling all the logistical challenges. Due to this anticipated move we have dropped a few shows from our usual schedule. We hope that the space we've cleared in our show circuit in summer/autumn will allow this move to be as seamless as possible. We'll see. We still really encourage you to check our online calendar if you hope to see us at a certain show to confirm whether we'll be there.

As our plans progress we'll update this blog and also include any relevant information in our newsletter. You can sign up for the very occasional newsletter just to your right on this here page. Handy, huh?

For now it's business as usual and you will find us at the first Eugene Saturday Market of the season when it kicks off Saturday, April 7. We'll be in yet another new booth - 346. It's only 3 booths south of last year's spot, facing Oak Street, near the corner of S Park. Maybe we'll see you there? 

 

Whistle Post Pottery Winter Closure through January 2018 by Melissa Garcia Parry

Winter Sunrise on the Willamette River

Winter Sunrise on the Willamette River

We made it through another Holiday Market season! This year felt a little bit less taxing, maybe after seven seasons we're finally getting some finesse? Or slightly numb? Thank you so much to all of you returning customers who make sure to track us down and add to your collection. Big welcome to all our newcomers - we hope you like what you bought.

As 2017 comes to a close we're reviewing our year and planning what's to come. We hope 2018 proves to be a year of many changes. If all our stars align we will be moving home and studio. Right now we have no precise details of where or when but we have some inklings and hope it all works out. It's going to mean a lot of organizing and no end of adaptability so we can't be sure how the year will look. We will continue to update our website calendar so check and double check if you hope to see us at a particular show or market. Things may change at late notice so can we just reiterate - double check our calendar. 

For the here and now we are taking some time off. We will be closed for the month of January. We need a whole lot of beach time and dog time and fresh air to get us recharged for 2018. 

We hope to see you in the spring. 

Holiday Market is Go! by Melissa Garcia Parry

We are in the Holiday Market zone! It's the end of the year blur where Market neighbors become the most familiar faces in your life. We are all digging deep and using our creativity and energy to make this funny world come to life every weekend of December. We are in Booth 44 every weekend now through Christmas Eve. The booths and vendors are many and varied so come and have a look if you're passing by Lane County Fairgrounds.

Holiday Market Guidebook 2017

For the who, what (possibly why) when and where have a look at the Holiday Market Guidebook. Paper copies are running out fast but the online version is here for the duration of the season. Check it out.  

Building Up to Clayfolk by Melissa Garcia Parry

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We will be heading to Medford later this week to take part in Clayfolk. This show has got to be the most bustling show we've ever been lucky enough to take part in. The people of southern Oregon like their ceramics and show up en masse to support the artists and craftspeople who have been putting on this all clay show for 42 years. This is year two for us and we're excited to be heading back again.

To make sure we're ready and well-stocked for Clayfolk we will only be taking part in Clayfolk this weekend. We will not be at the opening weekend of Eugene Holiday Market. We will return to Holiday Market Thanksgiving weekend.

We also are not taking on any further special orders or commissions for the rest of the year. If we have your order already you're good - it will get done. Anything new will have to wait to 2018. After a bit of rest.

Clay Guild of the Cascades presents Wildfire by Melissa Garcia Parry

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Very excited to be taking part in this show for the second time. Last year it was a great show full of friendly and enthusiastic ceramic artists and customers. It's been colder earlier here in the Willamette Valley so heading east over the Cascades could be like entering into winter. Must remember to squeeze some gloves in to the crates of mugs and oil bottles.

It's Clay Fest this weekend! by Melissa Garcia Parry

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Clay Fest

All clay, all weekend - over 70 local artists will be offering their ceramic wares at Lane County Fairgrounds starting Friday, October 6 at 5 pm


We'll be at Clay Fest all weekend and will also be at Eugene Saturday Market with a small selection of pottery and a whole lot of mini-pumpkins, gourds and flowers as Howl and Whistle Flower Farm does a booth takeover. Come and see us! 

Tuesday Market by Melissa Garcia Parry

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We've been taking part in Tuesday Market for the last month and love the chance to enjoy the totally different feel of downtown Eugene on a weekday. Tuesday Market is predominately booths from Lane County Farmer's Market so there is a great array of produce and food. A small but dedicated group of us Saturday Marketeers come and fill in the gaps selling handmade crafts/homegrown wares. We set-up as Howl and Whistle Flower Farm, usually on Oak Street, with our locally grown seasonal flowers and a selection of Whistle Post Pottery ceramics. Our pottery selection on Tuesdays is smaller than Saturdays so if you're heading down on a Tuesday with a particular piece in mind email us first to check availability and make sure we bring it.  

Tuesday Market runs from 10 am to 3 pm every Tuesday now through Halloween.

Annual Sale by Melissa Garcia Parry

2017 Sale

We are switching our annual sale from mid-October to this Saturday, July 1. We've got too many goodies to hold on until the autumn so we're bringing them all to Eugene Saturday Market. We will be in our usual booth, #322 on Oak Street on the east park block. Every last piece will be 50% off the marked price. There are a few seconds but overall this is first rate stuff that we just need to shift to make way for more creations. Expect to find platters, bowls, mugs, oil bottles, plates, saucers, candle sticks and candle blocks. And one very special butter dish. We will be there 10 to 5.  

We're back! by Melissa Garcia Parry

After a speedy but enjoyable trip around the UK seeing all and sundry we are back and busy as ever. Our schedule is full and we're updating our online calendar to reflect our commitments. If you want to know where we'll be have a look. We've been making a few appearances at Whiteaker Community Market but mostly with our flowers from Howl and Whistle Flower Farm and a few select pottery pieces. We're taking a break until we can get more flowers blooming but hope to be back later in the year. It's a great market in its second year that is being put together by a small group of energetic and visionary women who are pouring loads of love into this mission. If you've got some time on a Sunday it's a great space to eat some food, buy some veg, do some yoga, listen to live music, support local artists and chat with some lovely people. What more could you want on a Sunday? https://www.whiteakercommunitymarket.com/

We're Closed Until May 13 by Melissa Garcia Parry

Dave, the girls and Yachats

We're heading off to the UK for the shortest trip ever to connect with family, attend a wedding and see much missed friends. It's been a long time since we've ventured further than the Oregon Coast so let's hope we remember our passports, the rest can take care of itself. All operations are now closed. We will be re-opening Saturday, May 13 when we return to Eugene Saturday Market - all going well. If you have any pottery emergencies please consult our many friends and colleagues up and down the Willamette Valley who can provide you with beautiful wares in our absence. 

Ceramic Showcase Returns to Oregon Convention Center April 21 - 23 by Melissa Garcia Parry

Preparations are well underway for the return of OPA's Ceramic Showcase to the Convention Center. After two years of making do at the Coliseum we are heading back to the same weekend and same location most of the public were used to. We will also coincide with the Gathering of the Guilds, which means way more craft than simply ceramic so there should be something for everyone. Hopefully this change/return to form heralds good things. Find us in Booth 14. For hours, directions and listing of artists - http://oregonpotters.org/Ceramic-Showcase

Kicking Off 2017 with Celebration of Creativity by Melissa Garcia Parry

We've emerged from the basement and got up the I-5 to deliver our work to Celebration of Creativity. If you're in the Beaverton/Portland area from this evening through Sunday go and have a look. Would love to add some promo images for the show but don't seem to have the skills to do it at the moment. I think we're still a bit encrusted with hibernation dust. For some far more useful information and photos http://www.celebrationofcreativity.com/