Meet the Artist
Hello and welcome to my website! I’m an artist who works with fiber and clay. I knit and make gorgeous jewelry! My knit beanies and accessories use the softest, most beautiful hand dyed merino wool and I actually make my own luxury faux fur poms. Although I’m known for my Raku fired ceramic jewelry and accessories, I’ve started working with polymer clay and am enjoying the properties and fabulous bright colors of this very versatile medium. Look for new polymer clay earrings at future shows. My show career has spanned 17 years and been so enjoyable. I sell my finished jewelry and knits at local and national juried art shows as well as online in my Etsy shop.
Raku Process:
Jennifer Pottner is a self-taught ceramic artist who creates and designs a distinct line of raku jewelry and components with a rustic, modern edge. All pieces are hand-made by her one at a time and then Raku fired, using the traditional Japanese technique which involves fire and combustible materials. This results in beautiful, metallic colors and lusters unique to each piece that are only achievable through this process. She promotes and sells her work at shows locally and throughout the United States. Jennifer resides in Mason, Ohio with her family.
Here is a longer story about how it all started with a trip to the casino…
OK…Most of you know me from my 12+ years selling gemstone beads as Rock Candy Beads. THAT all started with a trip to the casino for my 37th birthday when I won $300 out of a slot machine. Like many new mothers, I wanted to find a job that I could do from home while raising our children so I decided I was going to make jewelry and sell it. And I quickly realized that although there were many people who wanted to make jewelry, there were not many people selling good, quality beads. So I decided I would sell beads instead of make jewelry. I used the money I won at the casino to buy my very first lot of gemstone beads which were sold on Ebay. Over the years I went on gemstone bead buying trips and brought my mom and a kid or two. We went all over buying turquoise in New Mexico, gemstone beads from favorite shows vendors and I had a pearl farmer I bought regularly from in China. From Ebay I went to Etsy where it just got crazy and next thing I know, 10 years went by.
So …..during this time I discovered a passion for ceramics, which includes glass and clay. In 2007 I became a lampwork bead artist and shortly after started making ceramic components (mostly buttons) and raku firing them. I’ve always loved raku and am fascinated with the process. From the minute I started selling my raku components and jewelry at shows and local stores, everything came together. I’m able to use all of the skills that I’ve learned over the years combined together into this one incredible art form. I cannot express enough about the joy I get from working with clay and creating and firing these beautiful one of a kind raku pieces!
Now I have a distinct line of raku jewelry and accessories that has evolved over many years and continues evolve and change in design with new additions, glazes and techniques. I sell my finished jewelry at local and national juried art shows as well as online.
