About Us
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| Frances enjoys people and teaching as well as the art of ceramics. The art and science of ceramics includes all forms of clay, including earthen ware and stoneware. She also has a small area for local crafts to be displayed and sold. The shop displays mainly bisque, as greenware can become too dry to clean and work with efficiently over time. Green ware is normally poured to order. Bisque is readily available at the shop or it too can be poured to order. She also does finished earthen ware to your design. All of her work is original and one of a kind. The stoneware is especially a work of original art and no two leaves or pieces will ever be the same. Stoneware is not done to order. Since she has a great number of molds, not all are poured and fired in bisque for display at any given time. If you want something you do not see, then ask. It is quite possible there is a mold back in the basement at home for the item or one much like it. Since she still pours and fires at home then the hours are restricted at the shop. Call the shop and leave a message or call us at home. The number is given on the machine at the shop number. The shop began in Frances’ basement in her home down on the Mitchell River, thus the name became Mitchell River Crafts. Ceramics and pottery have been a hobby for many years, beginning while she was on a military base with her husband Terry. The business actually began almost as an accident when she saw an ad for molds from a lady closing her shop and thought she might buy a couple to start pouring her own pieces again. Of course she came home with a few (almost 3,000 from that first shop, two pouring tables, and three kilns). Frances is a certified Duncan Instructor and for several years she poured, cleaned, fired and had classes in the basement. Then the rock house in downtown Mountain Park was opened for classes and a retail store. Later she moved to the current location in State Road. She continues to pour, throw, and fire at home in the basement: hence the sometimes, weird hours to cover all the business of manufacturing, cleaning, firing, etc. that must still be done at home. Come by and see the shop and you’ll see there is no room for her constantly growing collection of molds. GREENWARE, BISQUE & FIRING Quality in pouring is accomplished by using a quality slip and by pouring a heavier body with better fitted added parts, and cleaning the bisque to not only totally remove the seams but also to add back in the missing detail and are trademarks of the shop. Firing to not only the proper cones but also with the proper spacing within the kiln and proper build up time for each firing level removes the impurities on bisque and prepares it to be used as well as admired. Proper firing levels and times for glazes again prepare the finished ware to be used as well as a showpiece of your art. A Christian Shop Since 1990 Mitchell River Crafts & Ceramics 1020 Klondike Road State Road, NC 28676 (336) 874-4413 (336) 366-3086 Conveniently located half way between New York and Miami! |
Frances McCaslin - Artist and Owner