Collecting And Decorating Your Home With Flea Market Style Studio Pottery

Flea Market Pottery Is Fun To Collect

It's so much fun to collect and decorate your home with handmade studio pottery.

I enjoy visiting Flea markets, small Antique shops, tag sales etc. to find different kinds of artist made pottery bowls, vases, pitchers etc. The fun is putting together a collection of pieces made by a variety of   amateur and accomplished artists from different locations around the country and world.

Finding Studio Pottery At Queen Anne Antiques, Canton, CT

One of my favorite haunts for inexpensive studio made pottery is a tiny shop in Canton, Connecticut off Route 44, called "Queen Anne Antiques".  April who, owns this shop is always stopping at tag sales and flea markets to add new pottery collectibles to her inventory. She sells most of her small to medium sized  pieces for $8.00-18.00.  They are not alwlays vintage but they are attractive. I consider that a real bargain for all the work that goes into making a handmade clay piece.

When Artist Sign Their Pottery

I like to find examples of work that have the artist name scratched into the bottom of the piece, I find it very satisfying to know that someone made a piece that i brought home. While I do prefer handcrafted work, in my home I mix artist made pottery with vintage vases and planters from the 1930s and 40s. I enjoy blending different surface textures together from flat to glossy and varying the shapes, sizes and colors.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists

Jim Brunelle And Mike Dennan Feature Functional And Wearable Art At Farmington Valley Arts Center Candlelight Event, Friday November, 16th, 2012

Jim Brunelle And Mike Dennan Open Studio 11 A For The Holidays At The Farmington Valley Arts Center

I'm jealous of the creative types who invite you into their art studio and you immediately feel a sense of calm and peace. Whatever may be going on around them, they somehow have been able to create a Zen like atmosphere  in their precious  artspace. Jim Brunelle is an artist at The Farmington Valley Arts Center who radiates both energy and inner calm.

 Pottery Art Created By Jim Brunelle

Jim Brunelle who you will see buzzing around The Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon, CT is the  tall slender soft spoken presence at the Center responsible for exhibits, classes, events and more.

Although at times Jim  appears to be consumed with the frenetic activity of a busy and exciting art center and school, when you enter Jim's studio (11A) you immediately feel a sense of quiet and appreciation for clay art made from the earth.

Meet Jim Brunelle And Mike Dennan

Sharing his studio with his partner Mike Dennan who concentrates on wearable art and textiles, Jim and Mike are very gracious hosts. During open studios, it is common to find Jim serving hot tea to guests in handmade ceramic vessels  that Jim has made. When you try on one of Mike's Faux-a scarves made from re-cycled silk or other re-purposed fabrics, you can look at yourself in many of the unique and exquisite ceramic framed mirrors that Jim has created.

Decorate Your Home For The Holidays With Handmade Pottery, Mirrors, Ceramic Dishes

As I write about Jim's mirrors and re-read my words, I  realize  I am understating just how unique and beautiful these fragmented ceramic and stone mirrors are. Jim Brunelle's work is varied.  While Jim is primarily a potter, sculptor and ceramic artist producing a variety of handcrafted useable and wearable art  (gorgeous clay and stone jewelry), Jim also is a printmaker and painter who likes to capture the quirky side of cats and dogs.

Farmington Valley Arts Center  Studio Artists Open For The Holidays: Starts November 16th, 2012

With the holiday season approaching, there is plenty of opportunity to visit Jim Brunelle and Mike Dennan in  studio  11 A on the first floor fo the Farmington Valley Arts Center.

This Friday night, November 16th, 21012 is the kick off of  the Candlelight season event when all of the artist studios are open to the public from 6:00-9 p.m. There is a real festival atmosphere as complimentary refreshments are served in all studios and the two galleries are open with holiday gifts  and artwork from local and regional artists.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists