FAQs

What’s the story behind the name Red Mule Pottery?

Back in 2001, my parents purchased a brood mare bred to a mammoth jack, and our first ever mule was born on our property. My mom woke me up early in the morning to go down to the barn and see the new youngster. When 4 year old me was asked “what should we name her?”, I replied “Frisbee!” The name stuck, and 2 years later when that mare was bred back to get a second mule, my parents decided to stick with the flying toy theme, and named him Boomerang. Frisbee and Boomerang (Boomer, for short) were meant to be a team, for driving and pulling equipment. But, they turned out to be mismatched opposites in nearly every way: size, color, demeanor. Frisbee is tall, bay, and basically a lap dog stuck in the body of a 17 hand mule. And Boomer is short, sorrel, shy, and just about as skittish as can be. My dad’s plan of having a pair of driving mules foiled, Boomer went on to become my mom’s riding mule. He proved to be, pardon the pun, kind of a pain in the ass. He was cautious, standoffish, and nervous. But mom never gave up on him. She worked with him, helped him grow and gain confidence, and turned him into a fine riding mule.

Finding a unique name for an art business that is meaningful and not already taken is hard! It took me a few months to come up with the name Red Mule Pottery. I wanted a name that honored my mom, who passed away in 2023 from brain cancer. I will forever cherish the memories I have of riding with her, seeing Boomer’s big ears flopping up ahead as we made our way down the trail. I have so much appreciation for the way she raised me, all the lessons she thought me, and the support she gave me. And I miss her every damn day. I wanted a business name that reminded me of her and all things I loved about her.

And so, Red Mule Pottery is inspired by Boomer, and my mom’s strength and perseverance which turned him into a damn good mule.

                 

How should I care for my ceramic pieces?

All Red Mule Pottery ceramics are food safe, dishwasher safe, and microwave safe unless otherwise stated in the product description.  That being said, all pieces are made by hand with care, and so I suggest washing them by hand too!  Regularly washing your handmade ceramics in the dishwasher may shorten their lifespan.

Drinkware glazed with matte glazes are more likely to stain.  If you do not wish your matte pieces to stain, I recommend avoiding drinking beverages such as coffee, tea, wine, etc out of them.  

 

Do you do custom orders?

I do not currently take custom orders, but may in the future.

 

What does it mean if a piece is 'woodfired'?

In order to turn clay into functional pottery, it must be fired to a certain temperature.  There are many different ways to fire pottery.  The most common was is in a gas or electric kiln. Woodfiring is where wood is used as the fuel source to achieve temperature.  In the woodfirings I participate in, we must get the kiln up to roughly 2350 degrees Fahrenheit.  To achieve this, the kiln requires near round the clock stoking with wood, and firing the wood kiln takes anywhere from 15-20 hours.  This means that it takes a whole community to fire the kiln.  My work is typically in the kiln alongside the works of 10-15 other potters.  We spend weeks before the firing splitting and stacking wood.  We spend days glazing pots. We spend hours the day before the firing carefully loading pots into the kiln.  And then we take shifts stoking the kiln the early morning into the late hours of the night.  We always have a potluck the evening of the firing.  After we reach cone 10, we seal up the kiln and let it cool for 2 days.  And when we all get together to open the kiln, it is like Christmas morning.  Getting to participate in such a unique experience with so many amazingly talented potters is indescribable.  It is one of my favorite experiences and I have so much appreciation for the potters who share their knowledge with me.

I also love the unpredictability of the wood kiln.  Once you set your pots inside, there is no telling what can happen.  The atmosphere inside the kiln is unpredictable, and each firing is completely unique.  The flames lick and flow over the pieces, creating subtle effects across the surface.  Ash dances and kisses the pots, leaving distinctive patterns on the pots.  Each piece that comes out of the kiln is one-of-a-kind, and can never be replicated.  

 

Why are your woodfired pieces more expensive?

Simply put, it takes a ton of labor to fire the wood kiln.  Hours and hours go in to splitting wood, glazing, loading, stoking, unloading, cleaning kiln shelves, etc.  The price reflects this extra labor, but I find the outcome absolutely worth it!

 

My order arrived broken!  What should I do?

Hopefully this never happens. When packing orders, my first priority is to make sure your pieces arrive safe and sound, but accidents happen.  If you receive an order that is broken or damaged upon arrival, please take pictures of the damages piece(s), as well as the packaging, making sure to highlight any damage to the box.  Contact me at redmulepottery@gmail.com within 3 days of the damaged order arriving.  If damage is reported more than 3 days after the shipping arrival date, I will not be able to refund you.

 

Do you do returns or refunds?

No, as a small business, I currently cannot handle returns, so please order wisely!  If a piece arrives damaged, and a claim is made within 3 days, a full refund will be issued.