Rising Stars: Meet Sylvia Coppola of Indian Trail, NC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvia Coppola

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Learning to make pottery while in college, I became enamored with clay.. 49 years later, I’m still very involved with clay. Creating pottery on the wheel and hand-building is part of my everyday life.
Over the years I have participated in many craft fairs and for 20 years I wholesaled my work across the US in over 50 gifts shops and galleries.
Currently I teach workshops at my studio, Duck Creek Pottery as well as at John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
My work is sold in several galleries and I participate in our Carolina Clay Matters Pottery Guild’s sales.
Several different firing processes are used to finish my pots. Most of my pottery is high fired stoneware and is fired in my gas kiln. I also use a primitive method of firing in a pit. It is a low fire technique wrapping pots in a variety of materials such as plant material, coffee grounds, feathers, copper wire, steel wool, salt, sugar and other materials which fume and create colors and marks .
This technique is very interesting and the results are always a surprise.
Another firing method is raku. My husband built two raku kilns for me which we use to fire and for teaching workshops.
Creating functional and decorative pottery is a joy that I love to share with others.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creating and selling art work is a challenge. One must be able to do a variety of jobs beyond the making. Marketing your work involves photographing your artwork well, writing about it and being able to share your information via social media and to art shops and galleries or at crafts fairs.
When you find a good market for your work you have to be able to produce good quality work for your clients.
There are always challenges with being an artist.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Teapots are my specialty. There are so many different forms that can be used to make a teapot. There are many other things I like to make such as pitchers, platters, vases and more. Most of my work is high fired stoneware and on my pots I use wood ash in the glazes to get rivulets of glaze which run down the pot to create unique looking trees and lines.

What matters most to you? Why?
Well made pottery that pleases people is my goal. It is very satisfying to have people who use your work and use it on a daily basis compliment it. Creations I’ve made that are being used and enjoyed are what matter most to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://duckcreekpottery.com/
• Instagram: @duckcreekpottery
• Facebook: @duckcreekpottery
• Youtube: YouTube//Duckcreekpottery