about
Hartspotterì
Hartspotterì is honest handmade bespoke pottery. Not only is each piece individually hand crafted and made from the inspiration that my heart gathers from nature and the textures she inspires but each and every piece is 100% functional and dishwasher as well as oven safe. These pieces are made on a working apple farm in the Koo Valley on R318 outside Montagu. It is situated at the feet of the Langeberg mountains and literally surrounded by nature at her most breath taking. On the Langeberg side the Ericas and other Fynbos thrives in the sandy rocky soil and on the other side of the valley the vegetation turns into typical Klein Karoo flora where Rhino bush and Pepper trees flourish. I love to forage for fresh plant material to inspire new work.
The patterns of North Africa and India and of course the traditional doilies of the Afrikaans culture is also near to my heart and always finds a way back into my work.
The Hartspotterì studio is a small independent studio and my escape from the hurried pace of life. Here every piece is conceptualised and brought to life. I have two trusted ‘angels’ that help me with sanding and glazing of large orders. Without them, I would have been lost long ago. They only work on a temporary basis but I hope to employ them full time as my studio expands and to create even more work in future. In a valley where agriculture is the main income, the winter months when there are no fruit to pick and the packaging facilities have closed down are hard on many families. More possibilities for permanent work will change lives.
I give classes, to make sure that I do lose myself in my work and forget about the outside world. Two times a week these ladies bring new life and laughter into the studio. One is a morning “tea and cake class” and the other is an evening class or rather the “Wine appreciation and pottery class” where we bring together two passions, that of great wine and clay.
Throughout the year I try to give at least four special workshops. These usually include lunch and wine or MCC. These workshops stretch over 4 – 5 hours and cover different aspects of pottery. My favourite of these workshops are in summer when I can take my classes outside into the mountain and share my love of nature with others. I host the open-air classes next to a farm dam under huge old Pine trees. Due to the extreme temperatures we have in winter, workshops in the colder months are confined to the cozy studio where new students are welcomed with a glass of Montagu muscadel.
The workshop are ideal for parties (kids to adults) as well as for team building and can accommodate up to 10 people per class. On special request I also ‘travel’ with my workshops as long as the venue can accommodate me and meets my requirements.
Ranges
Even though all Hartspotterì items have been fired in temperatures up to 1200°C and can withstand high temperatures, care should be taken not to expose them to sudden changes in extreme temperatures. Eg. never fill a casserole with cold ingredients and put it in a hot oven, or take a dish out of a dishwasher before it has started its cooling process.