About the Beasties

All Wee Beasties are hand-built of low fire clay–usually white but sometimes other colors, which can make “swirls” appear under the glaze. Likewise, the glaze is low fire and all hand painted in three coats, which can lead to some of the variation and imperfection in color you might see on some pieces. Usually the Wee Ones are bisque fired to cone 04 and then glazed, but every once in a while I cheat and glaze greenware. Wee Beasties are intended as a fun way to be functional as plant pottery, candy bowls, catch-alls, jewelry dishes, kitchen utility vessels, and more! Because each Beastie is hand-crafted, (no matter how hard I try) no two are exactly the same–the little imps! That said, I do offer a Build-A-Beastie option. Choose your own size, color, eyes, teeth, etc. or request a new version of an Out-of-Stock Wee Beastie!

Clay: a silty, very fine type of eroded earth used for making pottery. Clay comes in many colors ranging from whites, tans, reds, to even black!

Kiln: an “oven” lined with special brick that produces high heat up to 2300 degrees

Fire: the the process of adding heat to clay, usually by means of a “kiln” to chemically change the clay to solid stone. Once a piece of clay has been fired, it will no longer deteriorate in water.

Glaze: coating on clay containing silica that melts at high temperatures to form a thin layer of glass on the surface of the glazed clay item

Low Fire: refers to the maximum temperature at which the kiln is fired. Temperature varies depending on the outcomes desired. Wee Beasties are low fired to cones 04-05.

Fun fact: Clay that is dried but not fired is called greenware. Did you know that greenware can be placed in a bucket of water and it will disintegrate?

About the Artist

Ren Kurtz is an artist based in Wisconsin and South Dakota. As a curious person, Ren doesn’t specialize in just one media–she paints, draws, constructs, sculpts, designs, and more. She has been working with clay for 12 years. You can see Ren and some of her work on Magnolia Network’s new tv show Building Outside the Lines, streaming on Max Dec 26! Can you spot a few Wee Beasties as well? As a ceramicist she specializes in whimsical Wee Beasties vessels to lighten your home and heart.