Bella Lindell decided to give up owning a brick pottery shop. Lifestyle Ceramics – open now a month at 4610 N. High St., in retail near Bleu & amp; Fig. Ritzy’s and FrameMakers are the physical embodiment of Lindell’s ceramic business – which she has operated online and in the markets for the past four years.
In addition to offering handmade functional ceramic pieces from Lindell, the shop hosts group classes teaching the technique of making pinch pots, as well as throwing pottery.
“I felt like it was the right time to make the leap to a store,” Lindell said. “I just wanted to have a space where people could come in and have fun and be in a community and try to do something.”
Lindell, a 2018 graduate of Olentangy Orange High School, spent a semester at Columbus College of Art & amp; Design as a contemporary craft specialty before choosing from classes and making and selling your own pottery.
She also managed the studio at Buckeye Ceramics Supply to come up with plans for a shop of her own. Lifestyle Pottery marries Lindell’s dual passions of making things with her own hands and teaching others how to make her own pottery.
“I enrolled in a pottery class in my freshman year of high school and soon, I was fully hooked,” Lindell said. She packed her schedule with as many pottery and art classes as she could for the next three years.
“I feel like I was attracted to doing something three-dimensional, and something where I put my hands in dirt that came from the ground and made something out of it, using the other elements – fire, water and air,” Lindell. said.
“I could tell from her freshman year that she was bitten by the ceramic bug,” said Allison Echelberry, Lindell’s art teacher at OOHS. “She has a passion for pottery. She loved to throw on the wheel whenever she had extra time.
“It was great to see her grow in that passion, making her own pieces and opening a shop. It’s kind of a ‘proud art teacher’ moment,” Echelberry said.
Lindell described her pieces as a functional battery with a classic look, with lots of neutral and earthy colors.
“I’ve always been attracted to making functional rather than sculptural pieces,” she said. “The idea of having a table with cups and bowls around and using those pieces every day is really appealing.”
She said she is also making a number of new pieces, including large serving bowls, taking advantage of the new space to experiment. Additionally, Lifestyle offers classes – “lots of rendezvous nights, girls’ nights out, team building, family outings and such activities ”- and plans to expand those offerings as she adds a third and hopeful fourth wheel.
“I love to teach, to show people who have never done it before, the beauty of this craft. You could come into one of these classes even before never having seen a picture of a ceramic bowl and still enjoy your experience. And you’re going to leave with something you’re proud of, something you’ve created, something you can be excited about, ”she said.
Lindell said she was looking for spaces in a few different neighborhoods of Columbus, but was happy to find a place in Clintonville where she relocated last year.
“Before, about three years ago, I didn’t know Clintonville so well, and now I feel like I missed it,” Lindell said. “This is a great place, with plenty of parking for people from other parts of the city, but there are also so many people you meet who are just walking and stopping by.”
Lindell said she also plans to participate in the Beechwold Makers Market on July 16. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 100 W. Beechwold Blvd.
Lindell said participation in such events is still valuable, even though she now has a store. “I can promote the space at the markets, and vice versa,” she said.
