Heritage Vision Creations Updates

I am currently taking a break from pottery making and sales. You can read more about this below.

Brasstown Pottery Shop Closure

I previously operated a small pottery studio and gift shop in Brasstown, NC, near the John C. Campbell Folk School. I enjoyed giving demonstrations and selling directly to customers, but several factors influenced my decision to close my shop. In February of 2020, after a series of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall, the Jenkins Branch Creek behind the property flooded the building and lot. The gift shop flooring had to be removed, and pottery kiln equipment was damaged by the floodwaters. The following month, the COVID-19 pandemic came to town and disrupted daily life and the economy around the globe. Around the same time, my aging father began developing dementia and other health problems, and I made the decision to relocate to the Greater Myrtle Beach area in SC to become his full-time caregiver.

I still miss the mountains, my creative friends and patrons, the wonderful Brasstown community, and that little red barn I called home. I learned so much from my fellow potters and artists in the region. I truly appreciate everyone who supported and helped me during those years. The opportunity to have my own shop and studio, and to live full-time as an artisan, was a pleasant, productive, fun, and memorable time in my life. Thank you so very much!

Etsy Shop Closure

For a few years after closing my physical store location, I continued to sell my existing pottery through my online Etsy shop. As my father needed more care, I found myself with less time available to process, pack, and ship orders. I also discovered that Etsy’s “Vacation Mode” does not prevent customers from being able to place orders. To truly take a break from the pottery business, I had to close my Etsy shop, although it is possible to reopen it at a later date. Again, I appreciate all my Etsy patrons and regret that I don’t have the time or the inventory to provide the selection and fast service that my customers are used to.

2026 Update

Late last year, my father passed away after a long battle with congestive heart failure. My mother had passed several years prior from Ovarian Cancer. While I am grateful for every moment we shared, grieving the loss of one’s parents is a difficult process. I am still living and working in the Greater Myrtle Beach Area. I am sharing a home with my elderly aunt, my father’s sister, and trying to make time for gardening and spending more time in nature. I am paying off debt and saving money to use towards future pottery equipment purchases, such as a new kiln and pug mill, and the possibility of building a new pottery studio. Inflation has increased the costs of building supplies and nearly doubled the cost of pottery equipment, so it will take time. Without a ceramic studio to work in, I am not yet able to create any new work, but I am still passionate about working in clay and making art. We never know where the road of life will lead us, but with patience, perseverance, and a little luck, my journey in clay will continue.