Name: MMG Pottery

Type of business: A pottery business

Address : 721 Shackamaxon Dr., Westfield

Telephone: (908) 233-6540

Number of employees: 1

Founded: 1987

Top officer: Marvin Goldenberg owner

"I make hand made pottery – mugs, bowls, vases - on a potter's wheel. I also use the hand-built method of creating – organizers and skyscraper vases. The vases I make vary depending on my mood, and can be large or of intermediate size. These are items I sell at fairs and festivals around the state."

"My glazes. I have my own special formula to glaze my pieces. There is no lead involved in the glaze. The use of this glaze makes my mugs and bowls able to be placed in the dishwasher and in the microwave. To make a glaze, I just follow recipes, but I have to use balance. I have to weigh each ingredient, and I weigh them on a balance All my decorative pieces are totally functional and can be used to serve food. Every item I make is different. I try to shoot for two things: A unique looking piece and a glaze that is beautiful and different."

"To continue making pottery and to create new types of pottery - in shapes and designs - when possible, and to make everyone happy when they see the glazes."

"My business has gotten better over the years since I started making pottery. The more experience you have in making pottery the better you get in developing the pottery and improving the shapes over the years.

In the beginning they were cracking in the kiln, or I would drop a piece. But mostly it's the shape that has improved. Earlier if I were making a piece on the wheel, I would say ‘that doesn't looke so good.' Then I would take it off the wheel and start again. In the first year there were a lot of shapes I wasn't pleased with I would redo them or throw the clay away. But now, everything that I do is good. It's a mater of your hand improving and the eye-hand coordination coming together.

One of the biggest problems with pottery when I talk to people who are starting pottery is being able to center the clay on the wheel, because if you don't center it correctly then you can't make the piece because it becomes crooked. If you are making a bowl, it will be lopsided, all because the clay isn't centered. Making sure she you hold your hand over the clay and there is no movement on the part of the clay, then you know you've hit the right balance.

That is the hardest part. It takes a while to gain that experience.

"Getting involved in craft shows. After working with pottery for a while, I had all these pieces of pottery I had made and decided to try to sell them. So I started going to craft shows. I used to do a dozen a year. Now I do only half of that. I just did the Union YM/YWHA Festival in November. I will be doing another show in Hoboken Craft Show in the Municipal Building on Washington Street on Dec. 9. They invited me after I sent photos of my work. In Atlantic Highlands I won a first in show citation in 2005.

I also had people who order things from me. I had a gentleman who wanted mugs with whales on them. Then he wanted a bowl with a whale as part of the design. I shaped little pieces of clay into the outline of a whale and attached the whale to the bowl to the mug. A woman wanted to make a lamp out of one of my vases and had her husband drill a hole in the bottom to make it possible.

"I don't expect many changes. I believe everything will stay about the same. Perhaps more people will contact me and come by appointment. Some may have special orders after they have seen my work at a craft show.

"What I've learned is that some people have different ideas about pottery. Some like it, and some hate it. Those are the people that walk right by. Most of the people are not interested. I think from my experience that women are more interested than men, that's what I've learned. And the younger women are more interested than the older women. People who have done pottery in the past will talk about what they made. Some of those people who make pottery have bought pieces from me - that surprises me. It's a nice way to meet people by being at these shows because it's a nice conversation and then they are interested in buying a piece or two. When you talk to other people, they talk about other shows."

"My advice to a would-be potter, is to stay at it and keep doing it until you are satisfied with the result. I think it's a wonderful hobby and it can turn into a business if a person gets good at it."

"No. Because of taking up pottery as a hobby, my wife has salad bowls to use. We have lots of pottery pieces that we use especially - small and large salad bowls."