When you have dinner guests, would you rather serve them a frozen, mass-produced lasagna or one that is handmade? Frozen lasagna is great in a pinch, but a made-from-scratch lasagna will touch every heart of your guests.

The same can be said about pottery. Wouldn’t you love to drink out of a mug that seems like it was made just for you, even though the person creating it has never met you? Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with mass production. Some things should be manufactured in tremendous quantities in order to fill a large demand for them (frozen lasagna for busy families for example). But, when you buy something handmade, who you are is reflected in that piece. It could be the color, the shape, how it feels when you hold it, or how YOU feel when you hold it.

My name is Andrea Swift and my pottery journey began, first, with being a collector of it almost 20 years ago. As a customer, I loved that everything I bought was one-of-a-kind. Within the last couple years, my husband and I moved and while I was waiting for a math teaching position to open up, I decided to take a pottery class at a community studio to pass the time. I was hooked instantly. Within the year I had my own wheel and kiln in my basement, and have never looked back.

Pottery by Andrea is completely functional. I use lead-free, nontoxic stoneware clay and glazes for every piece. This means that, yes, every piece you get from me is food-safe. I want it to be used. I want YOU to use it. While I enjoy looking at purely decorative pieces (and yes, I own some), especially beautiful ones, what more can you do with it other than just look at it? To me, your piece should bring enjoyment out of holding it, running your fingers across the texture, feeling the glaze, and in some instances the raw clay. Connecting with the piece you are eating or drinking from can be a mood changer.

While my pottery is functional, I am not a production potter. So, one of the many things I enjoy when I am creating is that duplicates may be related, but they are not the same (siblings, if you will). Two pieces can be glazed in the exact same way, and the results will be completely different. There are variations in color, texture, and shape. My pottery is truly one-of-a-kind, never to be repeated. So start your handmade collection today with a piece made by me or give a piece to someone you love.