Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Fossella.
Tina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began taking pottery classes at an eventful and transitional time in my spiritual journey. I study and practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and there came a time where being a monastic no longer made sense and so I began a different approach using the pottery wheel as my meditation cushion and the kiln as my altar. In other words, applying the same inner qualities of self-discipline, concentration, and creative expression to bring something beautiful into form to be able to share with others. In the past ten years, my pottery practice has grown and expanded, and has allowed me to make many wonderful connections with wonderful people, customers, store owners, and other makers. I am excited to see how far I can take it!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My challenge has been around self-promotion since it just wasn’t my focus. I was putting all of my energy into the intention around my pots, the love that goes into them, and the joy they bring to people that I didn’t pay much attention to all of the various things people need to do to market their brands. I have a lot of catching up to do in that area and none of it feels very natural to me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in functional pottery for everyday use. My intention is to create vessels that add a touch of beauty and delight into simple moments. When I hear from customers, “This is my favorite mug! I use it every single day!” I know I have succeeded. One of my unexpected successes and maybe what I am best known for are my berry bowls. I cannot keep up with the demand for these simple ceramic colanders that I made on a whim one time for the local farmer’s market. Right now I am working very hard to make a decent teapot, which is far more complicated than you can imagine and so it is a work in progress!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
The best thing I ever did for my pottery practice was attend a two-week workshop at The Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. I took a functional wheel throwing class with the incredible Minnesota-based potter, Guillermo Cuellar. He is an amazing teacher and a lovely human being. You could ask him to make anything and he would break it down in demo after demo. What a wonderful time we had in the studio with him!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tinafossellapottery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinafossellapottery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaFossellaPottery
Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Greer Rivera @greerriveraphotography.
