Home & Real Estate
Clay & glass
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The desire to have their pieces actually used also drives Wolff and others to sell their wares at lower prices than might otherwise be expected for hand-made art. One of her birdhouses — this one nearly spherical — is featured in the extensive “Affordable Beauty� line, an under-$100 collection that festival organizers are promoting in hopes of attracting budget-conscious art lovers. Keeping the work interesting and traversing the
functional/fine art line aren’t the only challenges faced by today’s clay and glass artists, however, nor perhaps the most pressing. In the time since Zilber and Wolff began their artistic careers, the Internet and social media have become game-changers. Not all who work in clay and glass market their creations online, of course. Fischer-Colbrie said she has been “thinking about it,� but hasn’t reached that point yet. For many, however, including Sonoma ceramicist lyn swan, the art is also a livelihood — one she pursues for an
estimated 60 hours each week. As such, swan has found it necessary to adapt to the imposition of modern technology. For her colorful tableware, which she describes as utilitarian and playful, swan makes use of Etsy, a popular online marketplace for arts and handicrafts. “If it comes out nice, you have an instant audience, instant feedback,� she said. “Sometimes, I take it out of the kiln, and within two minutes, it’s already on Etsy.� That’s not to say that swan views her work as an artless moneymaking ma-
chine. “When you do what you love to do, it doesn’t seem like a job,� she said. She does feel pressure to repeat and replicate bestselling items, a process, she admits, that becomes mechanical. In the end, though, since all of her work is handmade, no two pieces are exactly alike. This, swan said, highlights the importance of shows such as the Palo Alto festival. Since each work is unique, customers gain a great deal by being able to handle each plate and bowl to ensure that they mesh well and stack well, if they wish to assemble a set. For
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swan, the shows and the online marketing build on each other. “People see my work at a show, and then buy it on Etsy. I think it works really well.� N Editorial Intern Jeff Carr can be emailed at jcarr@paweekly.com.
What: Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival When: July 9-10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Rinconada Park, 777 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto Cost: Admission is free. Info: www.clayglassfestival. com
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