On July 25th at the Pakatakan Farmers’ Market, join local potter Solveig Comer as she shows children how to create unique pendants, which can be used as jewelry or as a decoration.
Weekly Workshops at the Round Barn
Every Saturday, kids are invited to free workshops at the Pakatakan Farmers’ Market. Sessions are taught by members of the Catskill Mountain Artisans Guild. Workshop themes relate to the Pizza Garden, an installation created by Transition Catskills. A Pizza Garden is shaped like a giant pizza, and it’s where you grow the topping ingredients for your favorite food.
Pizza Garden Pendants
Each pendant is made from white porcelain clay, a delicate material that picks up textures and colors. Solveig harvested herbs from the Pizza Garden—oregano, rosemary and thyme—and pressed the herbs into the raw clay. Next, she cut the clay into circular pendants and fired them in her kiln. The high temperatures inside the kiln burned away the herbs, leaving behind a faint impression in the ceramic. The best way to bring out the image of the herbs is to apply a thin layer of paint and then rub it away. This final step is what kids will learn to do at the Round Barn workshop.
Making Pottery is Fun
Solveig began her ceramics journey when she took a pottery class 20 years ago, thinking it might be fun. From the first session, she was hooked. After she finished her Bachelors’ degree in Math, she attended the Worcester Center for Crafts in Worcester, Massachusetts, and earned a certificate in Studio Arts for Ceramics. As a professional potter, she developed a signature style: white porcelain clay fired with a translucent colored glaze. Her focus is on functional items for the home. Mugs, bowls, dishes, pitchers, teapots and wine goblets are formed on the potter’s wheel. She uses a layered slab technique to create dishes that can hold a variety of materials, including soap, candles or snacks.
Maple Leaf Mugs
The natural world has been a recurring theme in Solveig's work. She grew up in New Paltz and stilll has memories of her grandfather's farm, her mother's garden, and the wilderness of the Mohonk Preserve. Now married and residing in the Catskill Mountains, her daily visits to the Catskill Scenic Trail maintain her love of natural, rural beauty.
Solveig is currently creating several lines of porcelain pottery using her signature style. One version incorporates maple leaf impressions, and another uses herbs. These mugs will be available at the Round Barn, and also at the Artisans Guild stores in Margaretville and Delhi.
Farmers’ Market and Workshop Hours
The farmers’ market is open from 9 am to 2 pm every Saturday through October. Please note that the Artisans' Guild workshops are only offered from 10 am till noon. Parents often do their shopping while kids learn a new skill at the workshop. However, children under the age of four should be supervised by their parent or guardian.
The Pakatakan Farmers' Market is located at the Round Barn on Rte. 30 in Halcottsville, about 5 miles north of Margaretville.