FryerWorks Handmade Pottery

Before the fire. 🔥

This may not look terribly exciting just yet, but this is where some of the magic happens.

I'm beginning to prepare another kiln load as I get ready for the Fall Festival next weekend. These bowls — along with quite a few other pieces — are getting ready for their next trip through the kiln.

I've been waiting for a little break from this heat before firing again. A kiln gets very hot, so sometimes even pottery has to wait on Missouri weather!

Once the kiln is loaded and fired, there is always that bit of anticipation before opening it again. Glazes can transform in ways you don't completely see until the firing is finished, and opening a kiln full of newly finished work never really gets old.

Some of what comes out of this firing will be headed straight to Downtown Washington with me next weekend.

September 25–27 | Fall Festival of the Arts & Crafts

I'll take you along for the reveal.

— Cherri

Not finished yet… 🎨

If you walked into my studio today, this is some of what you'd find on the table.

These pieces are in the middle of the glazing process — which means what you're seeing now isn't necessarily what they'll look like when they're finished.

The large flowers, little dishes and other pieces still have another transformation ahead of them before they're ready to leave the studio.

That's part of the fun of working with ceramics. You make choices about color and glaze, do the work…and then eventually you have to hand it over to the kiln.

I'm finishing this group as I prepare another firing for the Fall Festival of the Arts & Crafts next weekend in Downtown Washington, Inc.

I'll show you how they turn out. Until then, which piece on this table are you most curious to see finished?

— Cherri

Before the color comes the details...

These little hearts are still very much a work in progress, but this is one of my favorite stages — when you can really see all of the texture that has been worked into the clay.

Each one is made individually, and no two patterns turn out quite the same. Once they're glazed and fired, all of those impressions will take on an entirely different personality.

That's one of the things I love most about pottery. What begins as a simple piece of clay slowly becomes something completely its own.

I'm busy getting pieces ready for the Festival of the Arts & Crafts in Downtown Washington, MO, September 25–27, and these are part of what's happening in the studio right now.

I'll show you what they look like when they're finished.

— Cherri

There’s something special about sharing what you create close to home.

I’m excited to share that FryerWorks Handmade Pottery will be at the Fall Festival of the Arts & Crafts in Downtown Washington, Inc., September 25–27.

For me, pottery has always been about creating something that is both beautiful and useful. Every FryerWorks piece begins by hand and is individually crafted, textured, glazed and fired — which means no two pieces are ever exactly alike.

I love creating pottery that doesn’t simply sit on a shelf. These are pieces meant to become part of everyday life — the platter you bring out when family gathers, the bowl you reach for again and again, the pitcher filled with flowers on the table, or the special piece that eventually carries a few memories of its own.

Artful. Functional. Timeless.

Over the next week, I’ll be sharing more of my work, a little about the process behind it, and some of the pieces I’m preparing for the festival. I hope you’ll follow along — and then come see everything in person.

The Fall Festival is such a wonderful opportunity to spend a fall weekend in our historic downtown, enjoy the work of artists and makers, listen to live music, grab something delicious to eat, and experience everything Washington has to offer.

🍁 September 25–27, 2026
📍 Downtown Washington, Missouri

I would love to see some familiar faces at my booth and have the opportunity to meet some new ones, too.

Save the date. Bring a friend. Come say hello — and discover a piece of FryerWorks pottery that speaks to you.

See you at the Fall Festival!

— Cherri Fryer
FryerWorks Handmade Pottery



Here is the link to the event if you would like more details on it:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1H151rVrPr/

As I unpack the car, cool off, and settle back into the rhythm of home, my heart is full of gratitude.

Thank you to the Webster Arts Fair organizers and volunteers for creating such a wonderful event and for the opportunity to be a part of it. Putting on an event of this size takes an incredible amount of work, and it does not go unnoticed.

Thank you to every person who stopped by Booth 304, whether you purchased a piece, shared a kind word, asked questions about the process, or simply took a moment to visit. One of my favorite parts of every show is meeting new people and reconnecting with familiar faces.

A special thank you to my granddaughter, who spent the entire weekend helping in the booth. I appreciate it and cherish it more than you know!

Art fairs are about so much more than pottery. They are about community, creativity, conversations, and the people who make it all worthwhile.

Thank you for making this year's Webster Arts Fair such a memorable and successful weekend.

With gratitude,

Cherri Fryer
FryerWorks Handmade Pottery

🌿 TODAY'S THE LAST DAY! 🌿

One last chance to stroll the Webster Groves Art Fair and discover something beautiful to take home.

After church, gather the family, grab some lunch, and spend the afternoon supporting artists from across the country. There's live music, incredible food, and hundreds of handmade treasures waiting to be discovered.

I'll be in Booth 304 with FryerWorks Handmade Pottery, including my newest platters, bowls, serving pieces, pottery hearts, and one-of-a-kind creations made to be used, loved, and passed down for generations.

🕛 Today Only
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

If you've been meaning to stop by, this is your last opportunity!

I'd love to visit with you and help you find the perfect piece for your table or your home.

See you at Booth 304!

Some of my favorite memories weren't made around a television or a phone.

They were made around a table.

For years, my mother, my daughter (Steph Nicole), and I spent countless hours together in the kitchen making meals, cleaning garden vegetables, baking pies, preparing holiday dinners, and simply enjoying being together. Looking back, I realize it wasn't really about the food at all. It was about the people gathered around it.

When my mother moved into assisted living, she asked everyone what they wanted. One of the things my daughter wanted most was a large pottery bowl that had been part of so many of those moments. Not because it was valuable pottery, but because it held memories. It is a bowl she still uses to this day with her kids and I to do those very things.

I think about that often when I'm creating platters, bowls, and serving pieces.

Who will gather around this dish?

What stories will be shared?

What traditions will be passed on?

Handmade pottery is meant to be used. It should be beautiful, but it should also become part of your family's story.

If you're visiting the Webster Groves Art Fair this weekend, I'd love for you to stop by and see what's new from the studio.

📍 Booth 304

June 5 • 6 PM–10 PM
June 6 • 11 AM–9 PM
June 7 • 12 PM–4 PM

Here's to good food, good conversations, and the memories made around the table.

— Cherri Fryer
FryerWorks Handmade Pottery

For years, one of my greatest joys has been sharing my love of pottery with my grandchildren.

Some of my favorite memories aren’t from the finish pieces themselves, but from the moment spent around the table together- rolling clay, pressing patterns, talking, laughing learning and creating.

These pottery hearts grew out of that tradition.

While this year‘s hearts were made in my studio, they still carry the spirit of something much bigger than pottery. They remind me that creativity is a gift for sharing, and that some of my sweetest traditions are passed on from one generation to the next.

Psalms 145:4 says,

“One generation shall commend your works to another.”

That verse is always resonated with me whether it’s faith, creativity, craftsmanship, or simply spending time together, the things we passed down, often become the things that matter most.

I’ll be bringing these hearts and many other new pieces to the Webster Grove’s art fair this weekend, and I would love for you to stop by and say hello.

❤️Pottery hearts
$8 dollars each or 3 for 20

📍Booth 304

June 5 • 6 PM - 10 PM
June 6 • 11 AM - 9 PM
June 7 • 12 PM - 4 PM

Thank you for supporting handmade our local artist and the traditions that connect generations.

We are busy packing up the final items we are taking to the Webster Groves Art Fair. We can’t wait to see you all this weekend!