The Care and Feeding of Handmade Pottery
Most of my work is made of stoneware, though I sometimes work in porcelain, and all of it is fired to a very high temperature (cone 10 - or 2380 degrees Fahrenheit) to make it hard and durable. Because of this, all of my work is safe for use in the microwave, and the oven. (In fact microwaving your leftovers in a pottery bowl is probably better for you and the environment that reheating that plastic or Styrofoam container.) You can also wash them in the dishwasher, but pots, being the sensual things that they are, prefer hand washing. (Particularly pots with sculptural elements, handles etc.)

All pieces are glazed in food safe, lead-free glazes.

About Copper Red Glazes
Copper Red is produced by a strong reduction atmosphere in the kiln (by adjusting the flame to burn more of the oxegen out). It is dicey to produce, but very beautiful when it turns out well. It also doesn't take to dish washing. Regular dishwashing will fade your beautiful red piece and make it dull, so handwashing ONLY is recomended for the Poppy bowls, and any other piece with red glaze.

Green Pottery?
By and large, pottery is a relatively low-impact art if proper care is taken. My work is glazed in a kiln using natural gas, and bisqued in an electric kiln. As previously mentioned, the glazes are lead-free and care is taken to minimize the amount of glaze materials going down the sink. The art and craft of Pottery embraces a resusable asthetic rather than a disposable mentality. Stoneware is great for baking in the oven and reheating in the microwave. With recent findings about the potential problems with heating plastics, pottery is a good option for reheating those leftovers. Fired clay has been used to make tableware for thousands of years! That some of this work survives today in usable condition is a testament to the durability of clay objects. So, use it again and again in good health!