Couple brings colorful pottery to Chelsea

Talavera pottery takes many shapes, from vases and mugs to statues shaped like frogs, fish and donkeys, but the vibrant paints and floral patterns make the art form iconic.

Michael and Michelle Drews, who moved to Chelsea about a year ago, discovered Talavera pottery at a small shop in North Carolina. They loved the colorful pottery, as did Michelle’s mom, and the Drews started bringing pieces back with them on trips to visit family in Alabama.

Michelle Drews’ mom now has a “Talavera zoo,” she said.

“She’s got just about every animal there is,” Michelle Drews said.

Authentic Talavera pottery is made with natural clays and sands and thrown by hand, then glazed and painted with a range of colors. Only a few pottery workshops in Spain and Mexico make the authentic Talavera style, though many others create pottery in a similar artistic style.

After their move to Chelsea, the Drews couldn’t find Talavera sellers locally, so they decided to bring it to the area themselves. They started Drews Talavera in April with an inaugural visit to the Mt Laurel Spring Festival.

Michael and Michelle Drews met while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, both in aviation, and they have been together for seven years. They are both full time students at the University of Montevallo, studying computer informatics, and their first child, a boy, is due in June.

Michael’s parents have owned businesses before, but this is the couple’s first time running a business. So far, the response to their pottery has been unexpectedly big.

“It exploded,” he said.

The Drews get their pottery pieces from a couple distributors and a man who creates them by hand in Mexico, whose style emphasizes “happiness colors,” Michael Drews said. They choose pieces based on what grabs their eye and what they think people might enjoy.

That includes everything from small mugs and water jugs to animal statues and large vases. Prices range from $10 to above $60, depending on the size of the piece and the level of detail. 

Some of the biggest sellers so far, Michelle Drews said, have been elephants, frogs and turtles.

“Everybody likes the animals,” Michael Drews said.

The hardest part of their young business, so far, is safely transporting the fragile pottery. Michael Drews said he has built custom shelves to make it easier to travel with the pieces.

Michael Drews said Talavera pieces are a great addition to a home because they “bring happiness.”

“Spice it up. They’re so colorful and so lively,” Michelle Drews said.

The Drews do most of their selling through Facebook right now, but Michael Drews said they are planning to get a storefront in Chelsea or Columbiana in the near future to expand their selection and have a permanent home for bird baths and other large pieces.

To view or buy a Talaverapottery piece, visit facebook.com/drewstalavera.