This article is sponsored by our good friends at Dewdrop Gift Shop & Tea Room. Not only do they have some of the most inspiring teas you will find anywhere, they also have a huge collection of locally made items from passionate local artists that are available for purchase!
After my first interview with Sarah and Cady from Dewdrop Gift Shop & Tea Room in Monaca, I couldn’t have been more impressed with what these women have put together over the past year. These aren’t just nice ladies who are passionate about local artists.
Well…I guess they are, but they are nice ladies who are passionate about local artists that also have a solid business plan. After exchanging a few exciting emails, Sarah and I both agreed that it would be an awesome idea for us to work together to highlight some of the amazing local artists that have their work available for sale at Dewdrop.
The first artist Sarah suggested we profile was Susan Ireton, who spends all of her free time crafting handmade pottery. Susan actually found Dewdrop after reading the about Sarah & Cady on Your Beaver County!
About Susan and Her Pottery
Susan Ireton is originally from Wisconsin, but has lived in Beaver County for years. If you have ever taken a pottery class at Merrick Art Gallery in New Brighton or the Center for Creative Arts Expression in Beaver Falls, she was probably the one teaching the class.
As for her qualifications, Susan has a degree in Fine Arts and Art Education, has experience working in the commercial art world, and has been making her own pottery sine she bought her first pottery wheel almost four decades ago.
When it comes to local pottery, Susan is one of the best in the business.
Susan’s Pottery
Susan specializes in working with ceramic pottery. She believes that form should follow function, so most of her pieces are able to be used in one way or another. She does a lot of vases, coffee mugs, plates, and bowls. She also makes a lot of tea pots, which are a perfect fit at Dewdrop!
She uses her own custom glaze recipes that she developed herself in college. This assures that her work could never be copied or replicated. Each piece is truly a one of a kind work of art.
Susan went into great detail with me about the kiln setup she has at home. I found this whole conversation to be incredibly interesting because, as you might expect, there are a lot of details that go into having a kiln installed in your basement!
She also taught me some of the basics of how to tell the difference between well made pottery and things that were clearly made by amateurs. There are small details like the height of the spout on a teapot, the size of the handle on a coffee mug, and the detail in the foot ring of a piece that will tell you weather a piece was made by a rookie or a seasoned pro.
Handmade Original Art
Because every piece of handmade pottery is literally made by hand, no two pieces are ever going to be alike. That means that even in a tea set that is made to go together, there are going to be some differences. Susan explained that this adds character to the pieces, just like your brother and sister add character to the overall look of your family.
While you can certainly get any number of the exact same coffee mugs for a few dollars at you favorite big box store, these handmade pieces are going to cost more because someone actually put time and effort into making them from scratch.
If this type of handmade one-of-a-kind product is what gets you excited, then Dewdrop Gift Shop & Tea Room is the perfect place for you. You can purchase a great selection of Susan’s pottery there, as well as tons of other great hand-made products from other local artists.
While you are there, make sure you sample some of their fabulous tea drinks! During this interview, I had their Citrus Sailor, which is made with Orange Spice Black Tea and House-Made Rum Flavoring. It was fantastic.
Dewdrop Gift Shop & Tea Room is located at 1309 Pennsylvania Avenue in Monaca. They are open from 11 am to 8 pm on Monday through Friday, and from 11 am to 9 pm on Saturday. If you are looking for some creative influence to brighten your life, this is definitely the place to find it!
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