Thursday, June 30, 2011

Blue Sky Pottery

Deb Babcock is the artist behind the clay creations of Blue Sky Pottery. She is also a Colorado Master Gardner.  The work I am most drawn to is her "aspen/birch forest" functional pottery. It is a beautiful collaboration between Deb's interests: the natural world and clay.

Deb is a studio potter who works in porcelain and stoneware creating one of a kind, functional pottery including whimsical teapots and tea cups, bowls, casseroles, plates, tumblers, platters, vases and tiles. She has studied under many renowned potters that have helped her with her own pottery voice. 

What about her connection between food and pottery?  
Deb says," Frankly, I'm not an avid cook and prefer pretty simple meals. I like to garden and am especially happy when I can pick lettuce, pea pods and the like out of my garden during the summer and fall and use them for dinners." 

For dessert, here is 
her favorite brownie recipe that she bakes up in her Pie Pan


1 c butter3.5 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 T cocoa
1.5 c flour (plus 2T if you live high altitude)
1/2 t baking powder
4 eggs
1 t salt
2 c sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c chocolate chips
1.5 c dried cherries

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Melt butter with unsweetened chocolate and set aside to cool. 
3.Sift cocoa, flour baking powder and salt in medium bowl. 
4.Beat eggs until creamy in large bowl, gradually adding in the sugar. 
5.Add vanilla to the cooled chocolate and stir into the egg mix. Stir in the dry ingredients.
6.Then add the cherries and stir until combined. 
7.Pour into a buttered baking pan (I use my pie pan, but any 9 x 13 pan or similar will work) Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and bake 30 - 35 minutes until the center no longer jiggles.

"These brownies are rich and delicious with the added surprise of dried cherries. Coming from Michigan where cherries are found in abundance, I order 10 pound boxes of them a couple times a year to be sent to Colorado and use them in salads, trail mix for our hikes, and in brownies."



All of Deb's glazes are food safe. They can withstand use in the microwave, oven and dishwasher, unless specified otherwise. However, as with any handmade pottery, it will retain its fresh, good looks longer with limited microwave use and hand washing. 


Deb's etsy shop is the best place to see her work unless of coarse you live in Steamboat, Colorado where you can visit her studio/gallery.  She is a founding member of the Steamboat Clay Artisans, a member of the etsymudteam, and accessible through facebook.


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