Pigs to pottery
Tyler Sandstrom works over his wheel in his rural Fort Dodge workshop, while throwing clay for one of his pottery creations. A full time artist, Sandstrom supports his family with his clay creations.
Always an artistic farm kid, Tyler Sandstrom had considered being an electrician after high school, until taking pottery in art class during the second semester of his senior year.
“I almost missed out on it,” said Sandstrom who owns From Miry Clay Pottery, located just south of Fort Dodge.
In 2000, Sandstrom began his apprenticeship with Colin King, of Lake City, and it was that apprenticeship that eventually led to him opening his own studio in a converted hog building on his family’s farm.
“I thought it would be fun to try it (pottery) out,” Sandstrom said. “I liked it so much I kept apprenticing with him.
“After a few years I thought I’d make my own studio and I would do this has a hobby, but it just became a full-time job.”
This bread Crock comes with a recipe for carbonated bread at From Miry Clay Pottery.
Sandstrom is overwhelmed with the thought that his hobby of making pottery became a full-time job as quickly as it did.
From Miry Clay Pottery is open by appointment by calling (515) 408-5429 or visiting his Web site at www.frommiryclaypottery.com. His wares are also sold at select locations in Fort Dodge, Dayton, Marshalltown and Clermont.
Sandstrom said he would eventually like to open his own studio with a gallery someday, but for now will hold occasional open houses.
Sandstrom makes a variety of wares including pie plates, mixing bowls, coaster sets, chip and dip trays, child name plates, lamps, place settings. One of his most popular items are crocks.
“My bread crocks come with a recipe for making carbonated bread, but can be used to make all sorts of things,” he said.
This chip and dip set has found a number of different uses among customers.
It’s the versatility of Sandstrom’s pieces that make his work amazing. For example, he said the tray of the chip and dip set is what he and his wife use to make their deep-dish pizza and casseroles. He has customers that use his soup crocks for making small loaves of bread as well.
All of his stoneware is microwave safe, oven safe and dishwasher safe. About the only place they can’t be used is on the stovetop.
Each piece is made on the pottery wheel and is unique, “just like a set of fingerprints,” he said.
Sandstrom has 11 different glaze colors with multiple glaze combinations available for his stoneware and said most custom orders can be completed within six weeks.
In addition to his stoneware products, Sandstrom also has available “alternative fired vessels.” These pieces are made with three techniques, pit, barrel and alternative Raku. According to Sandstrom, each piece is hand-thrown and burnished until smooth. No glaze is usually involved.
One of Sandstrom’s large, decorative clay tiles
The alternative fired vessels are meant for indoor and decorative purposes only. The vessels, he said, are porous and will not hold water and are not meant to be used for food or drinking liquid as are his stoneware products.
Sandstrom also offers botanical work, will do commissioned pieces, as well as many crocheted items made by his wife, Laura.
Sandstrom lives near Gowrie with his wife and their daughter Aubrey.
Contact Kriss Nelson by e-mail at jknelson@frontiernet.net.
- This bread Crock comes with a recipe for carbonated bread at From Miry Clay Pottery.
- This chip and dip set has found a number of different uses among customers.
- One of Sandstrom’s large, decorative clay tiles
- A vase which serves as an example of his alternative raku creations.
A vase which serves as an example of his alternative raku creations.
Pigs to pottery
Tyler Sandstrom works over his wheel in his rural Fort Dodge workshop, while throwing clay for one of his pottery creations. A full time artist, Sandstrom supports his family with his clay creations.
Always an artistic farm kid, Tyler Sandstrom had considered being an electrician after high school, until taking pottery in art class during the second semester of his senior year.
“I almost missed out on it,” said Sandstrom who owns From Miry Clay Pottery, located just south of Fort Dodge.
In 2000, Sandstrom began his apprenticeship with Colin King, of Lake City, and it was that apprenticeship that eventually led to him opening his own studio in a converted hog building on his family’s farm.
“I thought it would be fun to try it (pottery) out,” Sandstrom said. “I liked it so much I kept apprenticing with him.
“After a few years I thought I’d make my own studio and I would do this has a hobby, but it just became a full-time job.”
This bread Crock comes with a recipe for carbonated bread at From Miry Clay Pottery.
Sandstrom is overwhelmed with the thought that his hobby of making pottery became a full-time job as quickly as it did.
From Miry Clay Pottery is open by appointment by calling (515) 408-5429 or visiting his Web site at www.frommiryclaypottery.com. His wares are also sold at select locations in Fort Dodge, Dayton, Marshalltown and Clermont.
Sandstrom said he would eventually like to open his own studio with a gallery someday, but for now will hold occasional open houses.
Sandstrom makes a variety of wares including pie plates, mixing bowls, coaster sets, chip and dip trays, child name plates, lamps, place settings. One of his most popular items are crocks.
“My bread crocks come with a recipe for making carbonated bread, but can be used to make all sorts of things,” he said.
This chip and dip set has found a number of different uses among customers.
It’s the versatility of Sandstrom’s pieces that make his work amazing. For example, he said the tray of the chip and dip set is what he and his wife use to make their deep-dish pizza and casseroles. He has customers that use his soup crocks for making small loaves of bread as well.
All of his stoneware is microwave safe, oven safe and dishwasher safe. About the only place they can’t be used is on the stovetop.
Each piece is made on the pottery wheel and is unique, “just like a set of fingerprints,” he said.
Sandstrom has 11 different glaze colors with multiple glaze combinations available for his stoneware and said most custom orders can be completed within six weeks.
In addition to his stoneware products, Sandstrom also has available “alternative fired vessels.” These pieces are made with three techniques, pit, barrel and alternative Raku. According to Sandstrom, each piece is hand-thrown and burnished until smooth. No glaze is usually involved.
One of Sandstrom’s large, decorative clay tiles
The alternative fired vessels are meant for indoor and decorative purposes only. The vessels, he said, are porous and will not hold water and are not meant to be used for food or drinking liquid as are his stoneware products.
Sandstrom also offers botanical work, will do commissioned pieces, as well as many crocheted items made by his wife, Laura.
Sandstrom lives near Gowrie with his wife and their daughter Aubrey.
Contact Kriss Nelson by e-mail at jknelson@frontiernet.net.
- This bread Crock comes with a recipe for carbonated bread at From Miry Clay Pottery.
- This chip and dip set has found a number of different uses among customers.
- One of Sandstrom’s large, decorative clay tiles
- A vase which serves as an example of his alternative raku creations.
A vase which serves as an example of his alternative raku creations.
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