meet the clayers
These talented artists have clayed it forward by donating pieces to the cause.
Zoë Williams
Originally from London, Zoë moved to Los Angeles with her husband and family in 2009. She holds a BA in Fine Art Printmaking and an MFA in European Fine Art. She studied her MFA in Barcelona, where she went on to live and work for almost eight years.
Having taken some time out to raise her family in a new country, a friend persuaded her to attend a pottery class at the local community studio. This proved to be the spark Zoë needed to reignite her creativity and passion for making.
Zoë works from a small home studio and still attends the local community studio where it all started.
Patrick Johnston
Patrick Johnston knew at the age of six, that ceramics would be his life. One day in kindergarten, we made clay handprints. After the teacher cut a circle in the clay around my hand, I asked if I could have the corner scraps. I stepped out on to the playground and I was overwhelmed with joy and possibilities. I remember seeing the clay squish in between my fingers, and for the first time in my life, I felt alive.
Since Johnston's epiphany, he has earned a degree in ceramic design from the Rhode Island School of Design, and has been written about in numerous publications such as the LA Times Magazine. Currently Johnston is the Artist in Residence at the Temple of Mediclaytion, Venice California.
Vince Palacios
Vince Palacios has been working in the field of ceramic art since 1988. Palacios received his Masters of Ceramic Art from Alfred University and his BFA in ceramics at California State University at Long Beach. He now serves as Professor of the Ceramics Department at El Camino College in Torrance California. He came to El Camino College in 2011 after teaching for six years at Western Illinois University and ten years before that at California State University, Long Beach. He has shown his work nationally and internationally and is included in a number of important private collections as well as prominent museum collections. Palacios continues to exhibit his work and has developed a unique approach to the use of raw glass and ceramic materials as a means of crafting intricate narratives addressing geological process, pyroclastic interaction, and heat/chemical reactions.
SAJ Ceramic
Sarah A. Jones is a ceramic artist and arts educator from Portsmouth, NH. Sarah graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2011 with a B.A. in studio arts, and in 2012 with a Master's degree in arts education. Sarah has been selling her work since 2008 and most enjoys selling in a face-to-face environment, however sells a select number of pieces online. Sarah is currently a full time high school art teacher in seacoast NH teaching mainly ceramics and sculpture. Sarah hopes to open her studio to the public in the future but is enjoying working with and learning alongside her students for now.
Handmade by Peir
Born and raised on the East coast, Peir studied Psychology at University of Connecticut, lived in Boston then made her way to California in 1996. Worked as a wrangler on a dude ranch and pursued a career in Advertising. She met her husband while training for Adventure Racing and their adventure began.
After the birth of her first child 16 years ago, Peir discovered the City of Manhattan Beach ceramic program and fell in love with pottery. As she says… “I Love to Play with Clay!” As Peir raised her children, she taught for the Manhattan Beach school district’s Young at Art program. Peir now works from her home studio as well as her local city studio. It is there where she draws passion and inspiration for her work.
Darya Simpson
Darya is the founder of Umay, a floral and ceramic atelier based in Los Angeles. She creates and delivers bespoke arrangements and ceramics, all seasonally sourced and locally made.
In Turkic and Mongolian mythology, Umay is the Earth-mother, the oldest deity of fertility, the protector of women and children. One can feel her love and presence all around, as she watches over and supports communities. Darya works to preserve her spirit and materialize it in her work with the utmost care and sensitivity.
Taking further cues from fine art, fashion, design and architecture, she hones her grounded, timeless style to create an emotional experience. She offers carefully crafted ceramic vases to organically pair with any chosen bouquet. These simple, light and functional pieces are made in-house and in collaboration with artists and designers.
Ren•Vois
RenVois is the ceramic design studio of Tina Huang, located in California. Together with her husband Eric, Ren•Vois aims to bring a lifestyle brand of distinctive ceramic designs with sophisticated spontaneity.
Tina is a native Californian and moved to New York after graduating from FIDM with a degree in Fashion Design. She spent 10 years in New York as a fashion designer for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Club Monaco. Through all her design experience, she was able to hone in on her own design sensibilities, one that juxtaposes raw with refined.
Tina and Eric are inspired by their travels and love of all things handmade. They live in Los Angeles with their corgi, Ken.
Edva’s Pottery
Edva has been drawing, painting, sewing and sculpting since she was a little girl. Inspired by her mother - a Potter herself, she fell in love with clay and its ability to tell a story. She thoughtfully sculpts and hand-builds each pottery piece in her studio - no two pieces are alike.
Her upbringing and roots are heavily present in her work, and she loves incorporating bold colors and unique clay textures. Each piece she makes, is filled with positive energy, which she hopes will transcend from maker to buyer.
Cutro Pottery
Chris’s work embodies the integration of his life experiences as a ceramic artist, a technician who fires gas kilns and an aerospace engineer flying satellites. This manifests itself in his work in three ways; the material connection between the raw clay (stoneware) and the glazes, the tactile feel of the piece in the hand, and the critical relationship work that is designed to be both functional and enduring.
Lisa Dickson
Lisa moved to Southern California 16 years ago, and enjoys every day she gets to be outdoors. Originally from Texas, she received her degree in graphics and has continued to draw and paint, whenever, wherever, on anything she can.
In 2011, she discovered a thriving ceramic studio in her community and decided to join. As a Mom of 2 young children, she was so happy to find a lovely group of creative people like herself, who desired connection through creativity. Her interest is focused on hand-built forms with ornate surface design - where her eye for graphics comes in. Lisa enjoys working on stoneware, but her favorite is porcelain.
Since working with clay now for almost 10 years she has learned that precision is not so important. She loves the beauty of how you can see her “hand” in everything she creates. Her designs are whimsical and fun, drawn from nature. Her aim overall is to have fun and enjoy the process while creating something beautiful and sometimes, useful!
Persian Potter
I have the pleasure of attending different ceramic studios wherever I travel. And one special place is Clay in the Woods, Nashville Tennessee. Set in an idyllic rural area with open doors to views of peaceful bush land, lovingly manicured by the owner - @thepersianpotter.
It’s such a welcoming space. And I happened to be there while I was trying to throw some very large light shades for my daughters kitchen renovation. She had given me specific instructions on color, style, size and it was proving quite difficult for me. Not only the sheer size. But perfecting the exact shape was clearly frustrating my skill level.
The Persian Potter watched me time and again battle with the 10lb clay masses. At some point I even tried hand coiling… Well they turned out to be cute bird baths I donated to a fellow potter!
Not wanting to let my daughter down I kept on, until one day The Persian Potter sat down at the wheel next to me and slammed down a huge slab of recycled house clay. He quietly proceeded to school me on how to throw the shade.
Granted it wasn’t as easy for him either given there were so many parameters. But he certainly made it look easy.
We then together set to measuring and perfecting just the right shape. Finally it looked beautiful! A perfectly commissioned piece. Woohoo. Now we just need two more identical ones! Ahhhh the life of a potter.
Well he did replicate that masterpiece twice more. The Clay in the Woods recycled house clay turned out to be the perfect color once fired and after carrying them onto a plane in Nashville I was able to safely deliver them to Brooklyn, New York.
They now hang proudly over a beautiful marble slab in my daughters new kitchen. I’m forever grateful for The Persian Potters generosity and beautiful studio - Clay in the Woods.