Kicking Bird Pottery opens store at mall

If you’re looking for a unique Christmas gift, you might want check out Kicking Bird Pottery which will have a store at Three Star Mall through the end of the year. Dunlap residents Greg “Kicking Bird” Warren and his wife, Sylvia, make all the clay figures and candles themselves.

“We’ve been at the Cookeville mall the last two years and had a really good response,” said Sylvia. “We decided to change things up a little bit this year and come here. So far it’s been good. We’ve had several people come up who have seen our work in Gatlinburg and say hi to us. We sell to several shops there.”

If you’re wondering how Greg got the nickname “Kicking Bird,” it’s actually pretty simple. He’s an Indian and was given the name at birth.

The pottery business has been in the family for 35 years and it’s a year-round job. The kiosk at Three Star Mall is packed with all kinds of neat bowls, figures and ornaments that are all made by the Warrens.

“We stock up for Christmas because that’s our busy time of year,” said Sylvia.

The clay creations are made by heating up the clay just enough to get it to liquid form. Then it is poured into molds where it is baked at temperatures of 130 to 160 degrees. After that comes the glaze and the piece is then ready to sell.

For more information on this unique craft, call (423) 949-3868 or stop by the mall.