At a recent show, I sold every pot I made for the show, over 300 pots. I had previously thought this was impossible. Selling becomes harder and harder the more empty your display becomes, because the remaining pots look more and more like "leftovers." It's like trying to climb an exponential curve. But I was proven wrong. Anyhow, the reason I know about this exponential curve is because in the past few years, most of my shows end with only a handful of pots left. At another recent show, the artist across the aisle from me, who had been observing the pace of sales happening in my booth for a ..read more

These days, I get so annoyed when shopping inside retail stores. Namely, I hate it when the cashier asks if I want to join their rewards program, then they don't take "no" for an answer. They ask several more times, using different rehearsed pitches. They know I don't want it, but are hoping to wear me down. When I finally manage to get my "no" message across, they act like I've hurt their feelings. Well truthfully, I probably barked "NO" somewhat rudely at that point. But if they had accepted my first "no" I wouldn't be so triggered. In interpersonal relationships, this behavior is considered ..read more

I am currently taking another break from work. Yes, that's two in one year, and it's only May. I am consciously trying to cut back on working, in order to not neglect the rest of my life. This is one positive outcome of the pandemic for me. Being forced to slow down, then realizing how much happier I am when I am not staring at a long list of things I haven't gotten around to.  This break was mostly planned so my alter ego "Harriet Homeowner" could come for another visit, before the weather got too hot for an outdoor project. Harriet's shed is now 19 years old, and its roof was totally s ..read more

It is now over two years since the pandemic first started shutting down our lives. The virus is still around, but the situation has evolved to where the healthcare systems are not overwhelmed. Art fairs and craft shows have been back since last fall. I still wear a mask when I am in indoor public spaces. And I take an at-home Covid test a few days after I’ve done a show (all negative so far). It’s worth taking these easy precautions, in exchange for being able to run my business using my preferred format again.  I was forced to make one big change. My claybody was a mixture of two clays ..read more

I have one more big announcement for 2021. Some of my work has been purchased by the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum for their permanent collection. This is for a research project titled "Asian-American Foodways in the DC Area." The project focuses on Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese food cultures in and around Washington DC. The museum is collecting artifacts, documents, and histories from local restaurants, home cooks, and producers of foodwares such as myself.  My work was sought due to the strong influence of my Korean heritage in my foodware designs. And that I tend to adapt ..read more

This was my first time holding a sale in my backyard. Being outdoors did have some advantages. Namely, I had so much more space! In the first couple of hours of the show, the crowd is really big and the basement can get really packed and feel claustrophobic. The backyard did not have that problem. In fact, I thought the layout and flow outside was a big improvement. Another advantage is that I did not need to deep clean my studio in advance, which usually takes four days. This means I had more time to make pots. This year in particular, those extra days made all the difference. I ended up do ..read more

The Holiday Open Studio is back in person! This is my 14th one, and it will be held in my backyard this year, for sake of Covid safety. Masks are requested, not required. Everything will be generously spread out. Keep in mind, there are still some hours when the event is very crowded.  READ THIS CAREFULLY ... if you are planning to attend, please do not enter the sale before 10am. Over the years, I've had various people trying to figure out how to sneak in early. This year I don't have a door that I can keep shut until I am ready for customers. Please do not take advantage. Absolutely no ..read more

But when you are offered a chance to put your pottery on TV, you take it! Many thanks to Janine and Lisabeth from the PMA Craft Show's PR team for asking me to be a part of this. This aired on Fox29's Good Day Philadelphia on Friday, November 5. The interviewer is Shaynah Ferreira, and the segment also features show director Nancy O'Meara, and fellow artists Galen Gibson-Cornell and Emily Shaffer. Enjoy!  ..read more

​Welcome to my little corner of The 45th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show! I will at the in-person show November 5-7, and also offering a limited selection of my work online to customers in the Philadelphia area. These online orders will be delivered in person on Monday 11/8. You don’t need to be home for the contact-free delivery. I will leave a package on your doorstep, knock or ring the bell, and leave. I'll have a much better selection of work at the in-person show. I hope to see you there!  Click here to enter my online store. It will be open fr ..read more

I taught a workshop this weekend! It was at the studio of Ray Bogle in Huntingtown, Maryland. It felt really great to be involved in a group activity again, after all this time. I also loved being in a classroom situation again. Ray first asked me about this last October, at a time when the pandemic stats were on the decline. It was originally scheduled for February. The winter surge of Covid cases caused us to push it back to August. How fortunate for me that Ray and all of these students were willing to wait another six months. And that we live in a state with a strong vaccine rollout and l ..read more