Long story relatively short: For almost all pieces I use a technique akin to kurinuki—hollowing and carving without the use of a wheel, slabs, coils, etc. However, I don’t follow the technique exactly. Usually, I carve while the clay is wetter than is traditional for kurinuki. I mix many of my own glazes and apply each of them with consideration for shape, color, and texture. Everything is fired to Cone 6 in an electric kiln. I include some process details in the descriptions, so you’ll know when I’ve deviated from my usual, too (e.g., sometimes I make pinch pots, or fire to Cone 5).

All glazes I use are tested as food safe. However, I do not test literally every individual piece after it is fired. When used properly (e.g., kept whole, cleaned well), each piece can be considered food safe unless otherwise noted in the description.

Once you buy it, you may do pretty much anything you want with it. And it has already survived 2232F in the kiln. That said, I recommend handwashing, not the dishwasher. And I wouldn’t put it in the microwave. Nor use it in the oven, or on direct heat of a stove.

I’ve loved wordplay since long before I loved pottery. “I was stressing so I began making pottery” uses imperfect tense. And my pots are imperfect and I’m tense. Sure, the pots are meant to be imperfect (they aren’t ‘seconds’, they’re just not ‘perfectly round/smooth/even/symmetrical’) and I’m less tense than I was, but the name still fits.

Check out my Instagram feed (@ImperfectTensePottery) for upcoming appearances and information about brick-and-mortar locations that sell and/or exhibit my pottery. And/or buy some online and I’ll send it to you.

You may use your pottery as you see fit, and I love learning how people use my creations. Granted, some uses might be more apt than others. For example, a plant pot with a drainage hole might not be good for soup and a bowl with sharp points on the exterior might be better suited to display fruit than to be held by anxious hands… but the open-topped cylinder might be just as happy holding a toothbrush, a flower, or a drink.

Imperfect Tense Pottery loves being handled with thoughtful intent. It is not, nor is it intended to be, perfectly smooth. Some parts may be bumpy or even sharp. The textures should be reasonably clear in the images, and I try to note in the descriptions if there might be anything on a part you’re likely to touch that could be missed in the images. Even so, I can’t mark every single nip and nodule. How you interact with yours is up to you.

Safely shipping pottery is neither easy nor cheap. Safely shipping nonstandard-sized or -shaped pottery is even less easy. I do my best, and so far, packages have consistently arrived safely. I prioritize safety over speed and size.

Often, some form of combined shipping is feasible. Other times it is not, such as for irregularly shaped and/or heavy pieces, so some of them may be effectively set to not share boxes, even if their size or shape might otherwise appear to lend itself to combination. It is nearly impossible to precisely calculate all potential permutations, so please bear with me as I err on the side of caution.

I endeavor to use recycled and/or recyclable, reused and/or reusable materials when packing and shipping.

I am not responsible for a piece once it leaves me, so if something arrives broken, you may pursue that with the shipping carrier (e.g., USPS). Limited insurance is included with most forms of shipment. If you desire additional insurance, please contact me before purchasing so we can determine the exact coverage and cost.

You’ll have to ask the shipping companies.

I did my best to provide accurate shipping estimates without having to create a different profile for each country. If your shipping ends up costing significantly less than the amount paid, I will issue a partial refund. However, after factoring in shipping, packaging, time to ship (most require additional customs forms, sometimes requiring me to go to the post office, etc.), it is more likely that I will end up under-charging you.

If at checkout your shipping fee is listed as $1000 you have reached the 20lb package threshold, above which shipping options are very expensive and very limited. Please separate your order into multiple smaller orders for feasible shipping.

And yes, I could subscribe to a service that will calculate precise costs, but to afford it I would have to significantly increase the cost of the pottery.

Thanks for understanding.

PS. At this time, shipping to Russia and Belarus are unavailable, regardless of whether the options appear.

Returns are accepted with the following conditions:

a) returns must be initiated within 14 days of your receipt of your order,

b) returns must include emailed photos of the item to be returned to provide evidence of its condition,

c) returns must be received by me within 14 days of the return process being initiated,

d) return shipping is at the buyer’s cost,

e) returned items are received by me in the same condition they were when I sent them to the buyer. (Note: this means that if an item breaks at any point, it is ineligible for return/refund.)

If all of the above conditions (a-e) are met, I will refund the purchase price of the returned item(s). If one or more of these conditions are not met, the refund may be reduced accordingly or refused at my discretion. Shipping costs are non-refundable.

Note: Mystery pieces are non-returnable.

I will consider commissions that leave me enough room to be creative. Reach out and let’s discuss possibilities.

This is but a portion of what I have available for sale. The rest is sold and/or displayed elsewhere, such as at events, shops, etc. Each piece is only available in one place at a time, but I do change pieces from one source to another. Check out my Instagram feed for an idea of what is available where, when, or reach out via the Contact page to inquire about other pieces.