Vendor Q&A with Chaya Tile Works & Pottery

How did you get started in your craft?
I took my first pottery class in 1996, where I learned primarily to throw on the wheel. Since then I have taken a tile-making class at the Corcoran School of Art. My current focus is hand-building and tile-making.



What inspires you to make what you make?
I am inspired by the arts and crafts tradition, my Jewish heritage, as well as patterns I find in nature.



What techniques do you use?
Some of my functional pottery is made by rolling out slabs of clay and pressing or adding texture to the clay before forming it into its final shape. I create other forms using the pinch pot technique.

My tile making process begins with a single pattern, which I carve into plaster. I press clay into the carved design to create a prototype. This is then used to make a second mold. Once this mold is dry, I press clay in to make the finished tiles. I usually glaze my pieces in a single color to emphasize the beauty of the design.



Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart?
My pottery is available at Art Spring in downtown Silver Spring.

Visit me at booth #15!