Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Schaperow.
Hi Leah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I got into ceramic art by learning at community studios around the DC area. I rented space at District Clay Center in DC at the same time as teaching at the University of Maryland student union and working as a studio technician. I was really lucky to have a wonderful friend that shared her garage studio space with me when I left the District Clay space. Recently, I’ve been learning the chemistry behind glazes and making my own glaze recipes on Glazy.com
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, but definitely an exciting and wonderful path. Milk Oolong Pottery opened March 2020, right as Covid shut everything down.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in custom glazes and sculpted surfaces. My work tends to be with porcelain, white clays, and black clays. I tend to apply glazes in pinks, purples, blues, and turquoises. Afterwards, I sometimes add a luster firing with gold or mother of pearl. My pottery would feel at home in a fairy tale. Dark purples, tiny porcelain roses, and elegant swans ride on top of mugs and teapots. Each piece I create is a new canvas for a story of rivers of glaze and tiny crystals.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I would say I have good luck in the people that I meet at the studio. There are so many great people interested in pottery and being a part of the studio. I also had luck in finding the perfect studio in Liberty Station Arts District. The studio that was available when I was first looking had the large windows that I still enjoy every day.
Pricing:
- Workshop $75
- 5-week pottery Course $325
- Clay @ Home $35
- Gold Repair Workshop $85
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.milkoolongstudio.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/milkoolongpottery/
- Facebook: facebook.com/milkoolongpottery
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeahSchaperow
