Meet Madonna Mayfield Pollitzer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madonna Mayfield Pollitzer.

Madonna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always loved using my hands. Whether I am painting or collaging or playing the piano badly! Creativity has been a constant in my life and has sustained me through many times, good and bad. So, a little back story. My husband is Argentine and we lived and raised our children for several years in Argentina. When his niece, Jimena, began her business Jit Platos there by silk-screening her original illustrations onto antique dishware, we decided to make them here too. We had already been bringing her plates back to use as gifts, but when more people began to want them, we knew it was time to set up a small plate studio in my home. A very generous friend gave me a kiln on permanent loan, and the adventure of running JIt Platos.usa was born! The drawings are beautiful and are transferred onto the plates and then kiln baked. They are all dishwasher and food safe. I had never used a kiln before, but through many long-distance calls with Jimena, I found my way. I love being in business with my niece, not only because it’s a great excuse to stay in touch with family but also because we have a similar temperament and enjoy working together. Since starting to make the plates here, we are in 3 brick and mortar stores, Garage Door Studios in Avondale, Sis and Moons in Alpharetta and The Paris Market in Savannah. We also have shown them at The Corner Coffee Cup in Tucker and Decatur. People really respond to the plates. It’s such a refreshing way to take something old and beautiful and make it current, upcycling the past into something new.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I love making the plates, I love hunting for beautiful old dishes and deciding which drawings look best on which plates. Lately, I discovered antique butter pat dishes which make beautiful little trinket dishes. The biggest challenge for me lies outside this creative part. Running a small business is a lot of work! I have had to learn a lot- from pricing, finding locations, starting my Etsy shop, inventory control, taxes, trying to figure out what sells best… keeping on top of all of it, and still finding time to paint and collage (my other side gig). All while raising three wonderful young people and having a dog! Figuring all this out during a pandemic has been a struggle. But mostly, these challenges have been welcoming stepping stones into finding out new things about myself. It can be challenging the physical distance between my partner/niece and myself. I think it would be easier if she was here and we were working everyday together, planning out the next steps and working on our creative vision as a team. The Pandemic was really hard on us that way, but now that things are returning to some sort of normal, hopefully we will be able to travel more. In the meantime, WhattsAPP is a Godsend and we keep in touch that way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The plates are part of a series of beautiful illustrations from couples, friends, pets, and women with flowers in their hair. All the pieces are a simple line drawings which looks amazing on the dishes. The company is called JIT Platos because Jit is a play on sound in Spanish and is pronounced as HIT. And we hope that’s what these plates are…a HIT! Many people hang the plates on the wall as art, but they can also be used as part of your everyday dishware! One customer loved a plate she got because it was the same china pattern her mom had for their family dinners. She bought the plate so she could hide it in her mom’s dishes and surprise her with the lovely girl that looked like her on it! We love hearing stories like this from customers. This close contact with the customers really makes running a small business rewarding.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I am still learning a lot about running this business. I think for me, the hardest part of the pandemic was really time management. How to do I take care of my family with teenagers homeschooling etc., and still have time to do this? I kind of started this off like a hobby, but am very glad to be pushing myself and figuring how to run a small business and use Instagram, Etsy, etc.! The Pandemic forced all of us into uncomfortable places, but getting a chance to try on new hats in life is really a blessing. I love being in business with my niece, and I love that we are making something beautiful to add to the world.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @jitplatos.usa
• Facebook: JitPlatos
• Other: jitplatos.etsy.com