Today we’d like to introduce you to Vickie Shue.
Hi Vickie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Upon moving to Clemson in 2019, I realized that I needed more things to do to keep myself busy. I learned about the Clemson Arts Center from a neighbor who encouraged me to take pottery classes. I signed up for an introductory class and loved it! Besides classes, I participated in open studio hours and learned so much from more experienced potters who were generous with their knowledge and time. Unfortunately, that’s when COVID-19 shut everything down.
My husband bought me a pottery wheel, and we carved out a nook in our garage so that I could continue developing my new hobby. Since I didn’t have classes or Clemson Arts Center friends to learn from, I turned to YouTube, watched many instructional videos, and tried making many different kinds of pottery. I made pottery on my wheel, hand built on my kitchen counter, and even got my husband to participate.
When everything opened again, I returned to the Arts Center and resumed pottery classes and open studio hours. It was so great to see my pottery friends again! My goal for 2022 was to make teapots as Christmas gifts for my family. I was making teapots turned out to be more difficult than I imagined. Spout problems! I changed course and decided to make porcelain earrings as Christmas gifts. It was so much fun to make different earrings, and my friends encouraged me to start selling them. I stepped outside my comfort zone and signed up for the annual Clemson Arts Center Holiday Market. The response was tremendous, and so encouraging that my husband and I decided to start a small business! I got into my first juried art festival and learned all about setting up tents, handling bad weather, displaying merchandise, and eating quickly. It was so much fun meeting all the other artists and festival goers.
People have asked about the name Linden Street Pottery. My mom and dad passed away recently, and my siblings and I decided it was time to sell our family home of over sixty years. That home was on Linden Street, and I wanted to honor my parents and hold on to all the wonderful memories of growing up there. By the way, my daughter designed the Linden Street Pottery logo. Be sure to visit lindenstreetpottery.com.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes, it has been smooth. One obstacle I have encountered is having balance in my life. I love coming up with new designs and creating them. It is very time-consuming. I need to know when to take a break and carve time for my home life and my other passions.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am working with porcelain clay to make beautiful and creative earrings. I love experimenting with different techniques, whether with glazing, making my own stencils and silk screens, creating my own ear wires, or designing new shapes. I am most proud of just going for it! I started playing cello in my early forties and decided to work at it to join the local community orchestra in which I played for five years. Then in my late fifties, I started learning pottery. Last Fall, I began making earrings, and at age sixty, I started my first business Linden Street Pottery LLC. Crazy, but I just started a stained glass class. Who knows where that will go?
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of my cello teachers told me that in learning the cello, you will always have something new to learn. I found that to be true in working with pottery. It is endless what you can create.
Contact Info:
- Website: Lindenstreetpottery.com
- Instagram: @Lindenstreetpottery
