Q: Who are you?

     A: I’m Kimberly Swanner, a long-time artist of drawing, painting, and ceramic mediums. I work as an art instructor at a non-profit community art center, and use my free time to make work for fun to sell at markets and conventions. I’m 1/4th Japanese and speak it well enough to get around. I love video games, anime, shiba inus, coffee, and pastries. 

Q: Do you make everything by hand?

     A: Yes! From a ball of clay to hand-painting the glazes, everything is made in a studio by my human hands.

Q: What can you tell me about your ceramic wares?

     A: All of my ceramics are made from Cone 6 clay bodies – this means that they reach a temperature of around 2,235 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that, for works made for food and drink consumption, all work is microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and oven safe so long as you do not encourage thermal shock of the product. 

 Q: What is Thermal Shock?

     A: Thermal Shock can happen in any commercial or handmade ceramic or glass product. It occurs when you take something hot and place it in something cold, or vice versa. If the temperatures are too different, it can cause crazing, cracking, or even breakage in the ceramic or glass. When trying to heat up or cool down your product, make sure to do it slowly and with consideration for the piece. For example, handles on cups can pop off due to thermal shock.

Q: Some of your ceramic work has gold on it – is that safe for using with food?

     A: Safe for eating and drinking – yes. Microwave or dishwasher safe – no. Please hand-wash and hand-dry all ceramic works with gold on them.

Q: How long does a commission take?

     A: Roughly between 2-3 months per work, per person, but that also depends on a lot of factors like what is happening in my actual, rent-paying job, health conditions, mental conditions, and other things that might spring up unexpectedly. I try very hard to be clear about expectations when solidifying a commission, but patience is always appreciated. 

Q: My commission arrived broken in the mail, what do I do?

     A: While rare, these things do happen. This is why I insure your package! Please contact your local postal service representative to get repayment via the paid-for insurance. This should make it possible to start with another commission so that I can be compensated for the production of the replacement work. 

 

For questions about commission pricing, please contact me at:
kswanner@gmail.com