CATHEDRAL x BIRDIE
We are so excited to be offering beautifully crafted mugs from Cheyenne at Birdie Ceramics!
She runs her entire operation out of her adorable garage, two blocks away from our shop in North Portland! Every piece is handmade, fired, and dreamed up by Cheyenne…it’s her passion and joy to get to share what she does with people. We’re stoked to spotlight her!!!
In fact, we did an interview together, so you can read more about what Birdie is all about.
Check it out below…and come thru the cafe to buy a mug!
Are you from Portland?
I am originally from San Clemente, a beach town in Southern California. After attending school at the University of Oregon I got a job in San Francisco. I lived in the Bay Area for about 5 years and in that time I met my fiancé. After years of talking about moving to the PNW we finally took the leap and moved last June. We now own a home in St Johns where we live with our two sweet dogs, Buster and Baker.
How do you feel your past life experiences influence your art expression now?
I got sober in 2018. When I signed up for my first pottery class, it was mostly to find a positive activity to fill my time. However, I was quickly finding that with every new piece I completed, came a gained confidence and sense of self-worth. Almost like every piece I made was building me back into a person who I could be proud of. I was growing as a human at the same time my art expression was developing. Although myself and my art are in the happiest place, there will forever be growing and improving to do!
So ceramics…how did that happen for you??? How did you get into it?
In 2018, I took a 6-week pottery class at a studio in San Francisco called Dusted and Blue and haven’t stopped since! I fell in love with wheel throwing and found myself in the studio most days after my 9-5 and on weekends! I now have my own little garage studio where I own all of the tools to make my pieces from start to finish.
What’s something you wish someone would have told you as you were first learning?
To be patient and not compare yourself to other artists. Pottery is a challenging art that takes time to improve techniques and to find your own style. It is too easy to see other artists’ work online and fall victim to the comparison game. Instead, focus on enjoying the art and celebrating your own progress.
What’s your favorite thing about ceramics specifically?
I love handcrafting pieces that bring others joy. Getting messages from customers letting me know how much they enjoy drinking their morning coffee from my mugs or watching their plants grow in my planters is the best!
Do you have hopes and dreams of where birdie can go down the road? What might that look like??
Down the road I hope to have a larger studio and more time to dedicate to pottery. I have so many plans and ideas living in my head but simply don’t have the time to do them now! Much further down the road, I wouldn’t mind retiring in a home with some land where I could work from my big studio shed next to a large yard full of rescue pups.
