Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Birchmeier.
Hi Jen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Way back when I took a ceramics class in high school and that’s where I discovered my love for the art form. Fast forward a lot of years and I opened up a photography studio downtown Owosso and one of my nearby neighbors was the Shiawassee Art Center (right next to the Curwood Castle). I started visiting to both view and purchase art and began taking pottery classes myself and signed my youngest child up for weekly art classes there as well. I took a few classes over the period of two years and the addiction rekindled. Earlier this year my husband surprised me with a gift; My own pottery wheel for home. I started throwing every day and getting better and better each time. It didn’t take long for me to find an old affordable kiln on Facebook Marketplace and the rest is history. I wanted to create but quickly realized there was no possible way for me to store this many items and use them myself so I signed myself up for some art and craft shows as well as some local farmers markets and started sharing my love of clay with everyone else.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every artist has their own set of hurdles to overcome. I had to get efficient on the wheel and also rely on forums and local professionals (giant thanks to Linda at Shiawassee Art Center and the kind people at Bunyan’s Pottery Supply in Clio) for help with learning the ins and outs of using a kiln. It’s been a giant learning process but that’s the point – to evolve and grow in this art. Every piece I create is better than the last and that excites me! I’m learning what glaze combinations work (and what ones don’t). It’s definitely been a fun journey!
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’m a full time photographer and a part time potter. In pottery, I’m most proud of the growth I’ve made. Comparing the pieces I created when I first started now makes me most proud. It always makes me happy to hear people are loving my work and incorporating them into their lives. I get to share a piece of me through my art with everyone that brings a piece home.
After doing my first ever craft/art show as a potter the response was beyond humbling. I sold so much more than I expected and was so grateful to hear how people made the trip out just to come shop my booth space! After the show I received a bunch of custom order requests and even an email from a customer at the show that purchased a piece for her special needs child and she went on about how it helped their every day life with meal time. That moved me so much. I’m so honored to get to share my passion of art through both pottery and photography.
What were you like growing up?
I was always the art nerd in school; No surprise there. I was always drawing, painting, exploring with my camera and creating one way or another. I was born to have a career in art and while it’s not always easy, it’s always so incredibly rewarding. None of it would have ever been possible without the support of my husband who’s always pushing me to live this life of my dreams. My younger self would be so proud that I ended up as a photographer for a living or that I ended up hosting poetry nights (another love of mine) or teaching art classes. I’m doing everything (and making money doing it) that I grew up loving and feel very lucky for this life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.birch.kiln/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582750306859
