Commissions!

Interested in a custom ceramic mug? Please read below carefully! 

Creating custom ceramics is a very involved process, but so worth it! Each mug starts out as a lump of clay on the potter's wheel, shaped, trimmed, dried, then fired in my home studio. It takes approximately 8-10 weeks to complete a single mug. The clay I use is a white stoneware locally produced in Florida, and fired to maturity at witness cone 6 or 2210 F. All of my work is dishwasher and microwave safe, unless there is any overglaze (like gold, silver, or mother of pearl) applied to your piece. 

Here is the lengthy process of creating a mug: 

  1. Once you have approved the sketch I provided, I begin in my studio on the potter's wheel.
  2. Your mug starts out as a ball of clay on the wheel, where it is shaped, and trimmed.
  3. It is left to dry for about 4-6 hours, depending on the humidity in the studio. 
  4. Handles are made by pulling, and then attached once both the handle and the body are at an appropriate dryness. 
  5. The mugs are then covered, and left to dry slowly to prevent any cracks in the handle and base.
  6. The features are sculpted and attached to the mug. 
  7. The sculpted mugs are now left to dry again completely until it is bone dry.
  8. Once bone dry, it is fired for the first time in the kiln at cone 04. This is called a bisque fire. The firing takes around 10-12 hours. Once it has reached temperature, it has to cool for at least 12 to 18 hours before it can be handled. 
  9. Once the bisqueware is cool enough to handle, the bottoms are sanded and sponged to get rid of any dust. 
  10. Ceramic glazes are then applied to the mug to match the sketch that was provided to you.  This is what makes your mug look like your pet! 
  11. It is then fired for the second time to cone 6 or 2210 F to fully vitrify the clay. This firing takes around 8 hours, and once it has reached temperature, it has to cool again for 12 to 18 hours. 
  12. I will send you photos of the completed mug once it is out of the kiln. 

What can go wrong during the making process?

Sometimes mishaps can happen, where glazes misbehave in the kiln, rendering the piece not food safe. If this happens, I will always remake your piece (at no cost to you, obviously!) 

Please note that there may be slight differences in colors of the final mug compared to the sketch. All the pigments used in glazing (or painting) your mug are hand-mixed with an approximation of how it’s going to look once fully fired.

It is also important to note that because your piece is made by a human and not a machine, there may be *very small and minute* imperfections that may be present. But I will never send you a mug that has severe flaws. If this is something that you are not comfortable with, then I would suggest looking into other artists! 

How do I commission a mug with you? 

I can only do a handful of mugs every other month. Please check my shop and see if there are any in stock! 

I'm not from the USA/Canada- can I still order a mug? 

Yes! Please send me an email at orangeboyceramics@gmail.com or send me a DM on instagram (@orangeboy.ceramics) if you'd like to order!