Pottery for a lifetime.

This website has been a work in progress for longer than I care to publicly admit, so I am thankful for the 12 inches of snow on the ground that has given me (and Maggie) some uninterrupted time to work on this thing. Like most things in life, I'm sure it will continue to be a work in progress. But I'm excited to be in a place to start sharing this page with all of you. 

In this first post, I want to share a few thoughts I have about the local pottery or local craftsman movement. Local food receives so much press, but I think our local crafts people sometimes get passed over in all the local mania. Picture this: you are sitting down to a beautiful, nutritious, locally sourced meal, on a night out or prepared at home. Now stop for a moment and think: how is this food getting to you? I mean literally. On what item is it being served? Do you know anything about the plate or serving tray on which this food has been arranged?  

This trend of serving local-on-local is catching on in some places, but it hasn't quite received the same level of attention as the source of artisanal foods and drinks. There are definitely some barriers here; for one, the sheer volume of dishes that would be needed to supply a restaurant on a busy Friday or Saturday evening would be a large order for any potter and an expensive one for any restaurant compared with what you pay for standard, industry made plates. Potters are everywhere, and while a full set for 12 may be out of reach at any one time, picking up a plate here and there, plus a few good bowls and suddenly you are well on the way. Matching is so overrated and your collection will remind you of when you got each pot! So if you want to be ahead of the next wave of the local movement, visit your local potter (or other craftsman!) and start a collection of locally-made and well-made goods that will serve you for a lifetime.  

At times, my professional life feels philosophically misaligned with my minimalist principles. In a world that is saturated with unnecessary or unwanted goods... how could I possibly make something worth adding to the mass of stuff? Or encourage you to buy yet another item that you don't exactly need. Yet I continue to make things because I believe in the value of of my product. I want to make high quality pottery that will serve you for a lifetime and beyond. By making durable, beautiful pieces I hope people who take my pottery home will be able to consume better and consume less.