English 
Slovenian Recognised craftswoman
These days, I have been awarded the honorary title of Recognised Handmade Handicraftswoman on the basis of an application I submitted to the Chamber of Crafts and Enterprise. The Commission for this title, appointed by the Chamber of Crafts and Enterprise of Slovenia, gave an opinion that I have mastered the knowledge, skills and abilities for the craft of ceramic design, on the basis of the Act on the Preservation and Development of Handicrafts.
I thus fulfil the criteria of being a holder of a unit registration in the field of handicrafts and I am registered in the Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage and I have:
- obtained the Art&Craft Slovenia certificate for my products
- at least three awards and prizes in the field of handicraft
- obtained a certificate of national vocational qualification in the handicraft sector
-evidence of training from training providers
-successful completion of training courses related to handicraft
- a track record of competence to transfer knowledge independently
The beginnings of clay moulding
I started making clay while attending the Secondary School of Design and Photography. I chose to learn how to turn clay on a pottery spindle as my compulsory practical work. The late Ivan Kremžar, a potter from Komenda, taught me the first techniques. After my schooling, I encountered ceramics in a slightly different way, as a ceramic painter. Working in the production of ceramic products, I also got to know the whole process of shaping clay to the final product. In 1995, exactly thirty years ago, I embarked on my own entrepreneurial journey, which I am still pursuing today. The products that come out of my hands have changed a lot over the years. From my early beginnings, when I used just plain red clay and glazed it with a transparent glaze, my products are now much more varied and, above all, of a higher quality. The knowledge I have acquired over the years has contributed something. Above all, the arrival of different materials, both the selection of quality clays in different colours and the large selection of glazes, has influenced my designs. And so the quality of my products has risen. Most of all in the last few years, when most of my products are made from clay that can be fired at high temperatures, for which I have a new kiln in my workshop. But the shaping of the clay has always been done by hand. It is a traditional clay moulding process that I received from a potter and during my years working in the Komenda Pottery.
Pottery art clay design by Polona Zajc
Pottery art clay design by Polona Zajc is a brand I started building a few years ago when I decided to start presenting and selling my products online. This meant I had to learn completely different skills. Until then, I had been making products in the workshop and physically selling them on various occasions. And that was the whole process. When I moved online, I first learned how to use a computer. I learnt how to populate web pages with product descriptions, product optimisation and photos that I take myself in a portable studio. So I manage the whole sales process myself. Recently, I have also learnt how to advertise online, as my aim is to maximise the number of hits on the website and thus make good sales. You can see the Pottery Art range of products on these pages. The products are varied, as I use a wide range of different materials and techniques in my work. I have developed all of this in the 30 years that I have been creating independently, in my workshop. Therefore, being awarded the honourable title of a recognised craftswoman is a great success for me and a recognition of my work.
