Clay The project dictates my clay choice: currently, I am mostly using Laguna’s mid-range Electric Brown and Moroccan Sand.
Primary forming method Slab and press molding
Primary firing temperature Cone-10 gas reduction and mid-fire oxidation
Favorite tools Besides my kilns, a steel blade fettling knife with a custom-shaped/ sharpened tip
Studio playlist I often work in quiet, but when I don’t: Apple Music, interview-based podcasts, and Audible books.
Wishlist A floor drain for hosing down the floor
Studio
I live and work in Sonoma, California, a small city in wine country, an hour north of San Francisco. My studio is located at the La Haye Art Center, a subsidized studio space for four artists developed and supported by the La Haye family and bronze sculptor Jim Callahan. Originally a mechanic’s garage from 1910 and then the La Haye Foundry in 1937, its decades of industry are felt in the patina of the walls and the atmosphere of the post-industrial space. The years of art making and the legacy of past artists are palpable.
I’ve occupied this studio for three years, after subletting for five years from potter Beverly Prevost, who worked there for 40 years prior. Upon retiring, I purchased her 16-cubic-foot updraft Berman gas kiln and renovated the studio to fit my needs, including adding Skutt KMT-818 and KMT-1277 kilns, sink traps, etc. We have an adjacent gallery for exhibitions and staging large projects, along with a public-facing entry and showcase, which we occasionally open to the public.
My studio is divided into two separate spaces that total 1300 square feet (120.7 m2), connected by a breezeway. The primary wet clay studio has 12-foot-tall (3.7-m) north-facing windows, making it an inspiring place to spend the majority of my time. It was originally the finishing/detailing room for the foundry and offers the most incredible light. I try to keep this space minimalist with a gallery-like airiness, and display finished work alongside works in process.
In this space, I have two large ware carts, two work tables, a 30 × 80-inch (0.7 × 2-m) Bailey slab roller, desk, tool cabinet, sink, and a wall-mounted counter-height work bench.
Nearly everything is on wheels, allowing me to rearrange the studio for large production cycles or events. I design, model, and make all of my wet work in this space before moving it into the kiln room, which is accessed through the uncovered breezeway.
The kiln room houses two electric kilns and one updraft gas kiln, also serving as a space for glaze formulation and application, mold making, packing, and storage for raw materials, hardware, and supplies. The two separate studios provide a logical floor plan for sequencing work as it moves from forming to firing, keeping the kiln gases isolated.
What I love most about my studio is its history and heritage. The layers of industry and making that came before enrich the function of the space, and the factory windows allow natural light to flood in. Some challenges of a historic space within city limits include the logistics of safety, ventilation, and infrastructure. At times, I imagine building a new studio with systems like floor drains and ventilation designed into the architecture from the start.
Conservation is central to how I run the studio. I heat it intermittently and only in the main workspace; there is no hot water tap, so for plaster mixing or tea, I use an electric kettle. The windows and skylights eliminate the need for lighting most of the time, and all sinks are paired with rinse buckets to conserve water. From the glaze sink, I collect all residual particulates, test and tweak them, and make a limited-edition 100% waste glazes that are soft and bright due to the calcium from the plaster content.
Paying Dues (and Bills)
My training in ceramics has been diverse and formative, earning a BFA from SUNY New Paltz and an MFA from Alfred University’s New York State College of Ceramics. After undergrad, I worked as a full-time tile maker at the Moravian Tile Works Museum and Factory in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In a tradition of pre-industrial tile making, we produced hand-cut field tile, mosaics, and bas-relief tile using local terra-cotta clay, which has recently resurfaced as an important influence on my work. A one-year residency at the Cub Creek Foundation led me to apprentice with Donna Polseno and Rick Hensley for two years in Floyd, Virginia, before attending graduate school at Alfred. At Alfred, my thesis focused on mold making, slip casting, and multiples. Post grad school, I taught there as an adjunct professor for five years, also running Alfred’s Cohen Gallery. Afterward, I moved to Sonoma to become director of Sonoma Ceramics, where I led the residency program, the community studio, curated exhibitions, and fundraising efforts. These experiences showed me how to run a studio, make and sell products, build community, teach, and develop and sustain an identity rooted in art with a reverence for craft.
My income is multi-channeled and therefore my schedule fluctuates based on teaching locally (Bay Area and via Zoom) and abroad (annually in Greece), site meetings, production, property management, and time at my husband’s and my camp (an inherited property with five seasonal cabins and a small house we built) in the Finger Lakes region of New York. My studio assistant, Dan Clauson, works three days a week as an indispensable fabricator, supporting an ambitious pace and increasing capacity. They help keep projects moving when I am not in the studio.
On a typical day, I begin with correspondence around 7am to clear my desk of online tasks. After a hike with my dog, Vida, I begin work in the studio around 9am. Some days, I open the front door to welcome people off the street, depending on my projects and my energy for being social.
Handling multiple projects at once requires careful organization, lists, and recordkeeping. I prefer a daily rhythm rather than setting aside whole days for particular tasks, unless the work demands deep immersion, such as plaster work, developing a proposal, or writing something like this. I love spontaneity and am easily persuaded to get out into nature, meet someone for a drink or meal, or go on a doggie play date.
Marketing
My business is structured around commissions for designers, architects, and private collectors, which make up 60% of my income. The rest is composed of 25% from a wholesale pottery account and 15% from teaching and direct sales to collectors who visit my studio. Most of the work I make is on commission (with a 50% deposit to begin), wholesale, or for galleries. What does not sell at galleries then becomes available at my studio for sale.
I rely on thorough documentation of each project, including research and development, process, and finished work, which will go on my website. This storytelling approach is effective with architects and designers, who especially seek custom work based on my previous work. It helps open doors to higher-value commissions and pushes me to experiment with new materials and methods. For example, I am currently testing coloration and casting of Hydro Stone to reduce firing costs and make a tight-fitting 7 × 5-foot (2.1 × 1.5-m), 21-part mandala commissioned for Enloe Hospital in Chico, California.
Word of mouth remains my best marketing tool, with my website and strong proposals essential to securing the job. I work extensively on comprehensive proposals that include a service package to reassure clients, giving them confidence from ideation to installation. For complex projects, I will hire my husband, Tyler Nagel, and his construction crew for structural needs and installation, or negotiate a budget for art installers.
I rely on my community when hitting roadblocks and problem solving. My network consists of friends and colleagues from throughout my career, and I feel lucky to have many of them on speed dial (Giselle Hicks, Naomi Clement, Joanne Lee, Donna Polseno, Meg Billingham). I do not hesitate to reach out to someone I don’t know for their expertise on a topic or hire a professional who will deliver what I need. On a daily basis, it’s convenient to have neighboring artists and a young, wise assistant in the studio to consult with.
Mind
When I take a break from the studio, my priority is to recharge and reconnect with my husband, family, and friends. I love to get out into nature, whether it is an hour drive to the Pacific coast or a long weekend to the Sierra to ski, camp, and swim. On a more regular basis, I find relaxation and connection in cooking and sharing a meal made from the incredible local ingredients.
Changing scenery always helps if I am stuck or need to shift my energy in the studio. This can mean a quick walk around the block, a visit to Reader’s Bookshop next door, or a drive to the coast. Since I juggle multiple projects at once, I can always switch gears and work on something else if I’m not feeling productive or need a fresh perspective.
Most Important Lesson
The most important lesson I’ve learned as a working artist is to trust myself. There is no blueprint for building a successful studio career, so each of us must cultivate our own. A supportive community, taking risks, learning from mistakes, grit, and persistence are foundational for manifesting the work we dream of making and the life we want to live.
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Just the Facts
Clay
The project dictates my clay choice: currently, I am mostly using Laguna’s mid-range Electric Brown and Moroccan Sand.
Primary forming method
Slab and press molding
Primary firing temperature
Cone-10 gas reduction and mid-fire oxidation
Favorite tools
Besides my kilns, a steel blade fettling knife with a custom-shaped/ sharpened tip
Studio playlist
I often work in quiet, but when I don’t: Apple Music, interview-based podcasts, and Audible books.
Wishlist
A floor drain for hosing down the floor
Studio
I live and work in Sonoma, California, a small city in wine country, an hour north of San Francisco. My studio is located at the La Haye Art Center, a subsidized studio space for four artists developed and supported by the La Haye family and bronze sculptor Jim Callahan. Originally a mechanic’s garage from 1910 and then the La Haye Foundry in 1937, its decades of industry are felt in the patina of the walls and the atmosphere of the post-industrial space. The years of art making and the legacy of past artists are palpable.
I’ve occupied this studio for three years, after subletting for five years from potter Beverly Prevost, who worked there for 40 years prior. Upon retiring, I purchased her 16-cubic-foot updraft Berman gas kiln and renovated the studio to fit my needs, including adding Skutt KMT-818 and KMT-1277 kilns, sink traps, etc. We have an adjacent gallery for exhibitions and staging large projects, along with a public-facing entry and showcase, which we occasionally open to the public.
My studio is divided into two separate spaces that total 1300 square feet (120.7 m2), connected by a breezeway. The primary wet clay studio has 12-foot-tall (3.7-m) north-facing windows, making it an inspiring place to spend the majority of my time. It was originally the finishing/detailing room for the foundry and offers the most incredible light. I try to keep this space minimalist with a gallery-like airiness, and display finished work alongside works in process.
In this space, I have two large ware carts, two work tables, a 30 × 80-inch (0.7 × 2-m) Bailey slab roller, desk, tool cabinet, sink, and a wall-mounted counter-height work bench.
Nearly everything is on wheels, allowing me to rearrange the studio for large production cycles or events. I design, model, and make all of my wet work in this space before moving it into the kiln room, which is accessed through the uncovered breezeway.
The kiln room houses two electric kilns and one updraft gas kiln, also serving as a space for glaze formulation and application, mold making, packing, and storage for raw materials, hardware, and supplies. The two separate studios provide a logical floor plan for sequencing work as it moves from forming to firing, keeping the kiln gases isolated.
What I love most about my studio is its history and heritage. The layers of industry and making that came before enrich the function of the space, and the factory windows allow natural light to flood in. Some challenges of a historic space within city limits include the logistics of safety, ventilation, and infrastructure. At times, I imagine building a new studio with systems like floor drains and ventilation designed into the architecture from the start.
Conservation is central to how I run the studio. I heat it intermittently and only in the main workspace; there is no hot water tap, so for plaster mixing or tea, I use an electric kettle. The windows and skylights eliminate the need for lighting most of the time, and all sinks are paired with rinse buckets to conserve water. From the glaze sink, I collect all residual particulates, test and tweak them, and make a limited-edition 100% waste glazes that are soft and bright due to the calcium from the plaster content.
Paying Dues (and Bills)
My training in ceramics has been diverse and formative, earning a BFA from SUNY New Paltz and an MFA from Alfred University’s New York State College of Ceramics. After undergrad, I worked as a full-time tile maker at the Moravian Tile Works Museum and Factory in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In a tradition of pre-industrial tile making, we produced hand-cut field tile, mosaics, and bas-relief tile using local terra-cotta clay, which has recently resurfaced as an important influence on my work. A one-year residency at the Cub Creek Foundation led me to apprentice with Donna Polseno and Rick Hensley for two years in Floyd, Virginia, before attending graduate school at Alfred. At Alfred, my thesis focused on mold making, slip casting, and multiples. Post grad school, I taught there as an adjunct professor for five years, also running Alfred’s Cohen Gallery. Afterward, I moved to Sonoma to become director of Sonoma Ceramics, where I led the residency program, the community studio, curated exhibitions, and fundraising efforts. These experiences showed me how to run a studio, make and sell products, build community, teach, and develop and sustain an identity rooted in art with a reverence for craft.
My income is multi-channeled and therefore my schedule fluctuates based on teaching locally (Bay Area and via Zoom) and abroad (annually in Greece), site meetings, production, property management, and time at my husband’s and my camp (an inherited property with five seasonal cabins and a small house we built) in the Finger Lakes region of New York. My studio assistant, Dan Clauson, works three days a week as an indispensable fabricator, supporting an ambitious pace and increasing capacity. They help keep projects moving when I am not in the studio.
On a typical day, I begin with correspondence around 7am to clear my desk of online tasks. After a hike with my dog, Vida, I begin work in the studio around 9am. Some days, I open the front door to welcome people off the street, depending on my projects and my energy for being social.
Handling multiple projects at once requires careful organization, lists, and recordkeeping. I prefer a daily rhythm rather than setting aside whole days for particular tasks, unless the work demands deep immersion, such as plaster work, developing a proposal, or writing something like this. I love spontaneity and am easily persuaded to get out into nature, meet someone for a drink or meal, or go on a doggie play date.
Marketing
My business is structured around commissions for designers, architects, and private collectors, which make up 60% of my income. The rest is composed of 25% from a wholesale pottery account and 15% from teaching and direct sales to collectors who visit my studio. Most of the work I make is on commission (with a 50% deposit to begin), wholesale, or for galleries. What does not sell at galleries then becomes available at my studio for sale.
I rely on thorough documentation of each project, including research and development, process, and finished work, which will go on my website. This storytelling approach is effective with architects and designers, who especially seek custom work based on my previous work. It helps open doors to higher-value commissions and pushes me to experiment with new materials and methods. For example, I am currently testing coloration and casting of Hydro Stone to reduce firing costs and make a tight-fitting 7 × 5-foot (2.1 × 1.5-m), 21-part mandala commissioned for Enloe Hospital in Chico, California.
Word of mouth remains my best marketing tool, with my website and strong proposals essential to securing the job. I work extensively on comprehensive proposals that include a service package to reassure clients, giving them confidence from ideation to installation. For complex projects, I will hire my husband, Tyler Nagel, and his construction crew for structural needs and installation, or negotiate a budget for art installers.
I rely on my community when hitting roadblocks and problem solving. My network consists of friends and colleagues from throughout my career, and I feel lucky to have many of them on speed dial (Giselle Hicks, Naomi Clement, Joanne Lee, Donna Polseno, Meg Billingham). I do not hesitate to reach out to someone I don’t know for their expertise on a topic or hire a professional who will deliver what I need. On a daily basis, it’s convenient to have neighboring artists and a young, wise assistant in the studio to consult with.
Mind
When I take a break from the studio, my priority is to recharge and reconnect with my husband, family, and friends. I love to get out into nature, whether it is an hour drive to the Pacific coast or a long weekend to the Sierra to ski, camp, and swim. On a more regular basis, I find relaxation and connection in cooking and sharing a meal made from the incredible local ingredients.
Changing scenery always helps if I am stuck or need to shift my energy in the studio. This can mean a quick walk around the block, a visit to Reader’s Bookshop next door, or a drive to the coast. Since I juggle multiple projects at once, I can always switch gears and work on something else if I’m not feeling productive or need a fresh perspective.
Most Important Lesson
The most important lesson I’ve learned as a working artist is to trust myself. There is no blueprint for building a successful studio career, so each of us must cultivate our own. A supportive community, taking risks, learning from mistakes, grit, and persistence are foundational for manifesting the work we dream of making and the life we want to live.
www.kalastein.com
Instagram: @kalasteindesign
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