Right now pottery can only be purchased in person. Feel free to contact me if you would like to take a look. lessons@maggiebraner.com
About my Pottery:
I prefer to use porcelain but occasionally make things with stoneware which always adds a cool effect to the glazes. Both of these clay bodies are food safe, oven safe, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, etc.
Food safety is based on a number of items. None of my glazes use toxic ingredients (like lead) but occasionally the glaze cracks. If there is a crack in the glaze of any pottery, commercially made or home made, it really isn't food safe anymore as the cracks can harbor bacteria. Personally I wash those items thoroughly and then limit what I put in them to dry goods (like tea bags) or I use them for non-food items like flowers.
Oven safety varies by the clay body. My pottery gets fired to at least 2000F when it is made but it gets heated up and cooled down slowly. SLOW is the key. Put it in a cool oven, heat it up, and let it cool down on its own. Do NOT take it from a fridge to a hot oven, cool it down with water, or anything that will make it change temperatures rapidly. There are clay bodies called "ovenware" which handle rapid changes better but I rarely use them. Personally I use my pottery in an oven but I make sure I have it in the oven as it preheats. *Note* Oven safe is not stove-top safe. The only clays that can be put on a stove top or grill are considered "flameware" and while interesting I have not used any yet.
I spent years without a microwave so its hard for me to give good advice on them and my knowledge is mostly second hand. My items since I started throwing SHOULD all be microwave safe but please check anything you buy following these steps: http://www.overstock.com/guides/how-to-tell-if-something-is-microwave-safe
Dishwasher safety is pretty easy to understand. While all pottery (commercial or hand made) is very durable, it is also in a way fragile. The same abrasives used to get food off of your dishes in the dishwasher will wear down the finish on your pottery. Sometimes its noticeable and sometimes its not. It might only show after years of regular use but putting items in the dishwasher will eventually scuff them up. It makes them more prone to breaking or chipping so when you do accidentally drop it, it will break easier. I've dropped items from 4 feet in the air and had them survive unscathed but I've also dropped items less than 1 foot and had them break. Also, unless you are careful of your placement in the dishwasher the items could get knocked around and break while the dishwasher is being run. Personally I put most of my items in the dishwasher without a second thought.
I experiment with various glaze combinations, slips, oxides, and underglazes. My favorite combination is to use watercolor underglazes and topped with a clear glaze. It provides the crisp edges I need to hand paint the delicate flowers. Individual flowers are hand painted using a tiny paintbrush. Some of the pieces for sale have taken hours to paint.
I prefer to use porcelain but occasionally make things with stoneware which always adds a cool effect to the glazes. Both of these clay bodies are food safe, oven safe, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, etc.
Food safety is based on a number of items. None of my glazes use toxic ingredients (like lead) but occasionally the glaze cracks. If there is a crack in the glaze of any pottery, commercially made or home made, it really isn't food safe anymore as the cracks can harbor bacteria. Personally I wash those items thoroughly and then limit what I put in them to dry goods (like tea bags) or I use them for non-food items like flowers.
Oven safety varies by the clay body. My pottery gets fired to at least 2000F when it is made but it gets heated up and cooled down slowly. SLOW is the key. Put it in a cool oven, heat it up, and let it cool down on its own. Do NOT take it from a fridge to a hot oven, cool it down with water, or anything that will make it change temperatures rapidly. There are clay bodies called "ovenware" which handle rapid changes better but I rarely use them. Personally I use my pottery in an oven but I make sure I have it in the oven as it preheats. *Note* Oven safe is not stove-top safe. The only clays that can be put on a stove top or grill are considered "flameware" and while interesting I have not used any yet.
I spent years without a microwave so its hard for me to give good advice on them and my knowledge is mostly second hand. My items since I started throwing SHOULD all be microwave safe but please check anything you buy following these steps: http://www.overstock.com/guides/how-to-tell-if-something-is-microwave-safe
Dishwasher safety is pretty easy to understand. While all pottery (commercial or hand made) is very durable, it is also in a way fragile. The same abrasives used to get food off of your dishes in the dishwasher will wear down the finish on your pottery. Sometimes its noticeable and sometimes its not. It might only show after years of regular use but putting items in the dishwasher will eventually scuff them up. It makes them more prone to breaking or chipping so when you do accidentally drop it, it will break easier. I've dropped items from 4 feet in the air and had them survive unscathed but I've also dropped items less than 1 foot and had them break. Also, unless you are careful of your placement in the dishwasher the items could get knocked around and break while the dishwasher is being run. Personally I put most of my items in the dishwasher without a second thought.
I experiment with various glaze combinations, slips, oxides, and underglazes. My favorite combination is to use watercolor underglazes and topped with a clear glaze. It provides the crisp edges I need to hand paint the delicate flowers. Individual flowers are hand painted using a tiny paintbrush. Some of the pieces for sale have taken hours to paint.
