Welcome

Artist: Mary W. DeCaprio

Brick Pond Handworks is one of the Massachusetts potteries that continue the tradition of the original Dedham Pottery. Mary W. DeCaprio, a classically trained artist with degrees from Boston University (MFA) and the Kansas City Art Institute (BFA), founded Brick Pond Handworks in 1988. She has taken Dedham Pottery in a new direction by making Christmas ornaments that reflect her own creativity and interests. Nature, history, personal experience and pure imagination provide the inspiration for each design. Mary's special interests in fine art, wildlife, gardening, and antiques provide additional sources of inspiration.

Each Brick Pond Handworks creation is made entirely by hand. Slight variations in design and color add character and reflect their unique handcrafted origin. Low-fired earthenware clay is first rolled into a slab from which each design is hand cut. Once cured, each piece is wiped by hand to smooth any rough edges and then hand-painted ensuring special attention to detail. The artist signs each piece guaranteeing its authenticity. The pottery is then bisque fired and glazed. Each ornament is hand finished and decorated with a satin ribbon and gift tag.

Majolica Impressions

In 1999, Brick Pond Handworks began experimenting with an old European glaze technique known as majolica. Majolica typically refers to Italian or Spanish earthenware covered with an opaque glaze of tin oxide and usually highly decorated. Brick Pond Handworks seeking to apply these glazes in a time honored tradition, combined them with earthenware impressions cast from European woodcuts dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. This combination resulted in the creation of a line of art wear Pins we call Impressions.

Each pin is made entirely by hand. Slight variations in design and color add character.. Low-fired earthenware clay is first rolled into a slab from which each piece is hand pressed into a mold. Once cured, each piece is finished by hand, bisque fired and glazed similar to majolica. Each piece is then presented on a gift card.

Brick Pond Handworks is located in the small town of Pepperell, in the scenic Nashoba Valley, in central Massachusetts. According to local history, Brick Pond Handworks is located on what was once farmland adjacent to a brook where clay was mined and transformed into bricks.