I went to Artisan’s Alley in San Antonio with little hopes of holding on to my pocketbook. I had visited the shops there before and I knew that temptation awaited me.
A collection of delightful shops
The tiny shopping center is located at 555 W. Bitters Rd., and you won’t find it unless you are looking for it. I definitely recommend looking for it! You can spend hours there window shopping.
I hoped I might find something interesting to photograph to distract me from spending money. It didn’t work, y’all; I spent money! My hopes for something I’d enjoy photographing were exceeded, however, when I walked into Sunrise Pottery.
Sunrise Pottery
Sure, I was captivated by the lovely pottery, and my wallet was screaming, “Shelly, I wanna come out and play!” But, when I stepped to the back of the shop, I stopped in my tracks and squealed, “A pottery studio!” Well, duh! They have create their artwork somewhere. But, they offer classes!
Pottery Studio at Sunrise Pottery
As I stood snapping pictures of it, and asking about the classes, a smiling man offered to show me how it’s done. Matt Orlando made a pot just for me Click that link to visit my Posterous site and see the full series of pictures.
Matt Orlando with his finished product
It was great fun to watch, and I was itching to get my hands in the mud. I didn’t have time on this trip. I told the owner, Doug Oian, that I’d love to take a pottery class, but I live in north Texas. The pots take two weeks to cure before they can be glazed and fired … I couldn’t stick around that long.
Doug Oian
“No worries,” he said. “We have vacationers stop all the time. For $25.00 you get 90 minutes of lessons on how to make pottery. Usually folks make from two to four pieces depending on how quickly they catch on to the process. You pick out your glaze colors before you leave and we will fire them and ship them to you!”
What a deal! Next time I’m in San Antonio, my friend Judy had better watch out, because I’m going to make her join me in creating mud pies (that’s about the best I’ve ever been able to accomplish).
If you are in my neck of the woods and want to stop by Sunrise Pottery, give them a call at 210/494-8633. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10-6. But, they are even open Sunday from 12-5. Doug or Matt will cheerfully teach you how to create your own pottery masterpiece.
I hope they are very patient, because so far I haven’t shown any aptitude for making pottery. Y’all know how they call making pots, “throwing pots?” That’s what I did with mine after they were finished!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like fun! Both my parents were potters, so I played a lot with clay growing up. The shop looks very inviting and warm.
looks like a great place to stay and play for a bit. I hope you get to go back and try your hand at the wheel, Shelly.
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