There’s this woman in Design Style Guide named Nancy Monsebroten who sells ceramics. I saw a couple of pieces of her work a few weeks ago and knew immediately that I had to interview her. Now you can judge for yourself whether or not my instincts were good.

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell?

My shop name is White Earth Studio.  I sell one of a kind porcelain ceramic bowls, vases, plates and wall pieces.

2. What long series of events led to you doing this?

My Mom would say it was her tolerance for letting me make mud pies when I was a child. I was very lucky to grow up on a farm in North Dakota. As a child I would spend hours walking over the fields, prairie and woods fascinated by all the wonderful things to look at, the leaves, wild flowers, grasses and berries. In the winter the snow drifts and icicles. I did not realize until [I was] an adult what a visual learner I am.

As a young adult I took an intro to ceramics class at a Craft Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. I was hooked!  The road was set and I’ve never looked back.

3.  Who taught you the particular skills you use in your work?

After Hawaii I moved to Washington D.C. where I apprenticed to a full time professional potter, Eleni Demetrio. It was dumb luck that allowed me to find her at a Craft Exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute. I introduced myself and said I was looking for anything to do with ceramics. She was looking for a second apprenticeship. I was hired on the spot! I learned more during that two year apprenticeship then I have anywhere else. It was a very intense and hands-on experience.

I have also taken workshops at Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC and the Banff Center for the Arts, Banff, Alberta, Canada. After completing my apprenticeship I moved back to ND and worked as Director of the University Craft Center at the University of ND, Grand Forks. I was involved with the visiting guest artist program and was exposed to many different approaches to making and marketing art.

From 1983 to present I have had a full time working studio. During these years I have learned a lot through experimenting and self teaching.

4. How long have you been selling online, and which online services do you use?

One year, two months and seven days! It has been a huge learning curve for me. I sell my work at Etsy.com and I use every online service that I have the time to try to figure out. I have a personal web site, my blog, a Facebook fan page, and a Twitter account. Although, I don’t do much with Twitter as I really don’t get it. I read the forums on Etsy, especially the business and site sections.

5. What is your favorite thing about your online shop?

How great it looks to have all my work featured on one site.

6. What is your favorite thing about what you sell?

I feel very privileged to spend my days doing what I love. So, I’d have to say my favorite thing about what I sell is the process itself. When it sells [that] is the topping on the cake.

7. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why?

I really cannot say what my favorite item is. It is too much like saying which of your children is your favorite. I would say that whatever the most current series I am working on has the most of my energy. That being said, I am currently working on experimenting with the scale of my Thousand (no kidding, I counted) Petal Vase.

8.How does your work differ from the work of other artists in your field?

I think my work differs because of who I am and what my personal influences have been, particularly the visual images and memories from my childhood roaming the prairie. I am by no means the only potter influenced by nature but, I believe I bring my own personal take on what I notice that inspires me.

9.What teams do you belong to and what do you like most about them?

I belong to the Design Style Guide team, the Etsy Mud Team and most recently the new and vibrant Artisans Collective Team. I enjoy Design Style Guide for its targeted interior design energy. My new involvement with Artisan’s Collective has been wonderful as the team is small and intimate. There are currently fifty or so participants with I believe a cap at one hundred. The size has allowed us to support, encourage and promote each other. All of the different team’s treasuries have been fantastic. I must guiltily confess I have yet to figure out how to make a treasury in order to give back for all the times I have been included.

10. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop?

I think having pans in the fire and waiting to see what will bring in the most visitors to my shop is exciting! Recently I tried to write on ten blogs a day for ten days! I only made it to day eight but I did notice on Craftopolis that my site visits went up. I also gave a small Hosta plate as a gift with each sale during last year’s holiday season. It was great to get all of the wonderful Thank you’s!!

11. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers?

I love the thoughtfully nostalgic work of marysgranddaughter. The photography of lucysnowphotography is so beautiful. The bright and innovative baskets from xanadu2you. It really is endless.

12.What to you do in your spare time?

I love cooking, gardening and fishing, Also, when time and money allow enjoy traveling anywhere new. I love the creativity of cooking and I love the impermanence of the result! It is such a relaxing transition to come up from the studio at the end of the day and switch into slow cook mode! My husband and I bought a pontoon boat this summer. It has given a whole new ease to fishing. We live in a lovely location right on the banks of the Mississippi river and now we can get out on the water more often.

Yesterday we caught blue gills, sunfish and perch and had a fish fry for dinner.

13. Do you have anything else you would like to share?

Just this lovely little poem that inspires me:

The Sensitive Plant

A sensitive plant in the garden grew

and the young winds fed it with silver dew

and it opened its fan-like leaves to the light

and closed them beneath the kisses of night

–Percy Shelly

18 August, 2010    | Published by Jay Neale III in Interview-DSG Member, Main