DebbySchwartz


		Welcome to Hand and Heart Ceramics Debby Schwartz Cherry Hill, NJ

	He who works with his hand is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.


	*He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist."*



			By profession, I am a hand therapist who treats patients with a variety of hand problems. I love everything having to do with hands. However, my passion centers on my pottery. Hence, the name *Hand and Heart Ceramics.*





This winter I began combining my passion for pottery with my husband's passion for bonsai. These are my husband's bonsai and my pottery. They are placed outside our kitchen so we can view them every morning! I love creating special bonsai pots for his beautiful plants and I have started to market these bonsai pots at local bonsai studios.

Bonsai pot #1 The art of creating a pot specifically for bonsai takes a bit of planning ahead. Most of the posts I make are oval, so I first throw them round on the wheel, and then alter Bonsai pot #2 them into the oval shape. Bonsai pots require extra holes for wiring and drainage. They also sit on small feet to allow for air to pass underneath. Bonsai pots are not glazed on the inside or bottom. They do need special care. Please check out my special pots with my newly developed glazes.


Here is a display of my bonsai pots outside a local nursery. You can find some of my bonsai pottery at All Shapes Bonsai Studio in Ringoes, New Jersey (http://www.allshapesbonsai.com) and at Rosade Bonsai Studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania (http://www.rosadebonsai.com).


	These are my newest hand built vases. I roll out clay on a doily to get a unique textured look. The glazes I used to color these vases breaks over the edges of the design for a highlighted effect.


I still love throwing teapots! I like alternative shapes, long spouts and graceful handles. I especially love playful lids!


	My pottery has really developed into a collection and style that represents me. I still love making teapots and lidded containers, as well as trying my hand at new wheel thrown shapes and hand built forms. I am very happy with my beautiful palette of glaze colors, numbering about 25 different bucketfuls already. I use greens and blues, browns and whites, and sometimes purple!


	Each glaze is mixed from a recipe of chemicals which are all various white powders that look alike! Every time I fill the kiln with a load of glazed items, I try to add some test tiles with experiments of new glaze colors. It is very exciting when a new color seems just right for my needs.




I love watching birds of all varieties and our backyard is a haven for them, with birdhouses, a birdbath and feeders everywhere. I love making ceramic birdhouses and my newest design is shaped like a small house! The hole is small to encourage the tiny wrens to move in. I also make tea-light houses in a similar fashion.




This is my current favorite piece. It is a lidded jar with imprints of wheat. I used real wheat stalks to press the design into the clay when it was still soft. The glaze beautifully highlighted the imprints. This glaze is called *raw sienna* from the book Mastering Cone 6 Glazes by John Hesselberth and Ron Roy. The wonderful golden color at the top is where two coats of the glaze are overlapped.


	This creamer set includes a sugar bowl, pitcher for cream and a tray to hold them. It is glazed with one of my favorite glazes- Metallic green which actually breaks red over the edges!!


	I used a wonderful cookie cutter in the shape of a hand to make these colorful pieces for hanging on the wall. I call these creations "Henna Hands" as they are decorated in the tradition of henna paintings on the hands and body.


	You can contact me with questions and comments at claystuff@comcast.net

			Visit soon and often!



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		site last updated Dec. 2, 2006