Custom Stoneware Works and Objects d'Art | Pittis Pottery | Daniels, WV
I had the opportunity to visit the Pittis Pottery and meet the potter, Diana Pittis. The hour I spent with her was fun, educational and yes of course, I bought some pottery... it is mountain made!
Diana Pittis received her Degree in Ceramics from The Ecole Des Arts Decoratifs in Geneva, Switzerland in 1976. She was a studio potter for many years in California, before moving to West Virginia in 1993. She creates her unique and award winning works in her private studio and showroom in Daniels, WV just outside of Beckley.
Diana works from her studio and showroom located next to her beautiful 105+ year old farm house where she creates custom stoneware items and one of a kind raku pots. For her pottery, Diana works with the elements ......earth, water, air and fire.
"I love water," says Diana. "I've lived on or very near water all my life except for this current phase in West Virginia. I try to give my work an understated look of elegance influenced by the fluidity of water and the motion of reeds and plants moving in the wind. I overlap two or more glazes to add depth, and then decorate to add color. Surface texture is my current interest. I'm not a production potter, I never make more than a dozen of the same item because the forms need to evolve."
The below photo is Diana's studio/workshop:
The first room has:
two potter's wheels -
and an extruder that recycles the scap clay. It de-airs the clay so that it is ready to use.
One slab roller - a table with adjustable rollers that compresses a slab of clay to the desired thickness.
The second room is the glaze room that contains raw chemicals and has a spray booth.
The Kiln room has two kilns..... a down draft cart load kiln (27 cu. ft.) made by Paul Geil in California. There is also a small (9 cu ft) updraft kiln. The Raku kiln is located outside made by Laguna Clay. (It was too dark for me to take a photo of this kiln). All the kilns uses propane gas.
The top floor is her shop where her pottery is sold. All Pittis Pottery's high-fired works are crafted with lead-free glazes and are oven, microwave and dishwasher safe.
Check out the below video about Diana and her experience as a potter.
For private studio showings, ordering her work or to commission a special piece, call or email Diana at:
(304) 763- 4065
Daniels, WV
Email: pittispottery@suddenlink.net
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