Pottery with Poplar Branch Pottery

Have you ever seen a wonderfully unique piece of pottery and wondered about who made it - their inspiration and how they designed it? Or are you looking for one of a kind pottery with different themes? Saundra of Poplar Branch Pottery has created beautiful pottery with her daughter. Together their shop has anything from ocean themed plates, farmhouse cups, maple leaf pottery, and so much more! You can find rain gauges shaped as mushrooms or a single mushroom for your garden. :). Saundra talks with us about her inspiration for her pottery pieces as well as her encouragement for new potters and entrepreneurs and much more.

Note - This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you, should you click through and make a purchase. Please note that I do not recommend products or websites unless I use them or would use them myself. I have spend countless hours on Etsy and love seeing all the small creative businesses on there. :)

Pottery with Poplar Branch Pottery

By Michele of VAMICreations and Saundra of Poplar Branch Pottery

You can find Saundra's wonderful artwork and different pottery pieces in her Etsy Shop and behind the scenes as well as the lates projects on her Poplar Branch Pottery Instagram profile and Facebook page.

What gave you the idea/inspiration to start PoplarBranchPottery?

My inspiration to start Poplar Branch Pottery was a promise to myself to be more creative after my retirement from the corporate world.   I had majored in art in college but had only dappled in it for over 40 years.  I started taking courses in pottery again and knew this is what I wanted to do.

How do you choose the clay and colors you work with?

I’ve always loved the speckles that show thru the glaze when I use Highwater Speckled Brownstone.  My favorite glazes are Amaco Potter’s Choice Blue Rutile and Snow Celedon.

How do you choose the designs you create – ie is there something that you take inspiration from when you start a design?

I get also inspiration from other potters, galleries, Etsy and Pinterest.  I’m always trying new shapes and designs and make many prototypes before I make a series of a chosen design.

What is your favorite design to create? Favorite clay and color to work with?

I love doing something new each time I sit down at my potter’s wheel or when doing a hand-built project.  I have many favorites and those are the things I repeat and continuously improve upon.

What would you tell a new potter for encouragement?

Pottery is not easy and it takes serious practice.  I am always learning new things from other potters.  For example. I had the opportunity this summer to study under some Seagrove potters and learned many new techniques.  Practice, practice, practice is the key to improved techniques.

What is something you are passionate about and why?

I am passionate about supporting the arts in my community.  I, along with a group from my town, founded the Person County Arts Council.  I also wrote numerous grants, served as the Uptown Roxboro Group’s Design Committee Chair, opened and operated An Artisan’s Emporium (a shop for artists to sell their creations) with 2 other business partners, and coordinated eight local Arts Festivals, just to mention a few.  In addition, I operate my Poplar Branch Pottery business and have an Etsy store.  I also sell my pottery in six area galleries.

If you had one (or several) things to share with a woman entrepreneur, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?

If you would like to become an entrepreneur, just know it isn’t easy but do something you love.  Then at least it’s fun and fulfilling.  Be prepared for long and grueling hours to make it a success and be sure you can get along with your business partners.

How has COVID changed or impacted your vision/strategy?

COVID-19 has definitely impacted my business and luckily I’ve been able to survive.  I’ve even received a few grants.  This down time gave me the opportunity to reflect on my work and concentrate on what I enjoy most.  Also. custom orders from previous customers kept coming in.

Fun question – if you could meet one person in history or present, who would it be and why?

If I could meet someone in history, it would be hard to choose because I have such a variety of interests.  Unlike many potters who have a particular style, I’m more interested in a variety of shapes, functions and style.

What is your dream for PoplarBranchPottery to be (where do you see PoplarBranchPottery in 5+ years)?

Currently my daughter works with me at Poplar Branch Pottery.  She does most of the hand-built pottery  while I do the wheel-thrown pottery and detail work.  I also have a series of recipes using my pottery that can be found on my Instagram site.  Since I am retired, I want to continue and enjoy my pottery for many years. However, I participate in less vendor fairs and festivals these days because they are so physically demanding. The main event I participate in is The Shops of Hall’s Way Holiday Vendor Fair in Roxboro, NC.

Thank you for joining us in this interview with Poplar Branch Pottery and thank you to Saundra for giving us this interview opportunity! We would love to see what you have chosen from them and if there are makers you’d like to have interviewed and topics you’d like to see here. Please comment below or email me and wishing you a wonderful, safe day my friend!