Stoneware Pottery and Wooden Objects
Unique & functional pottery you can use and enjoy daily
Unique & functional pottery you can use and enjoy daily
This is the story of my pottery and backyard studio, located near the historic downtown area of McKinney, Texas. Less than an hour north of Dallas, our quaint downtown is home to intimate restaurants, shops, and a thriving arts community. I feel honored to be among its painters, potters, sculptors, and other professionals.
Much of my work combines clay with discarded tree branches that I discover during my solo walks in the woods. The clay in my primarily functional pieces is newly formed, but the branches, with their unique shapes and textures, echo their once vibrant life. I find the creative process of joining these two natural elements to be deeply fulfilling and spiritual. I discover new aspects of myself as I work … what I value, what inspires me, what I wish to add to the world.
I invite you to hold my pieces, to study the beauty of their natural imperfections, which give them their unique personality and character. You needn’t attempt to figure out why you’re drawn to them. Simply embrace the connection they invite to your heart, mind, and soul. Quiet yourself; attune your heart to listen. Do you hear their eloquent sharing of truth and emotion, as I do?
One Tree Planted is a 501 (c)(3) (onetreeplanted.org) nonprofit dedicated to global reforestation. They plant trees to store nature and biodiversity. They also raise awareness about the importance of trees and offer businesses like mine a simple sustainability solution. Watch for a new page on this website soon, that provides more information about One Tree Planted and sustainability.
In December of 2019 my wife Valerie and I decided to create a studio space in our backyard for my pottery making. Valerie has an existing studio there where she has become a wonderful watercolor artist. We decided that if I had a studio there also, we could work on joint potter/ painting projects, and I would be able to have my own space to work on pottery. Wood Street Studios was born!
Shinrin yoku is a Japanese term known as forest bathing. It involves taking time to contemplate, and the practice of walking slowly through the woods. Walking in the woods is a special activity for me. It is a way to tune into my spirit and allow trees to hug me!
Kintsugi, (pronounced keen tau gee) the Japanese art of repairing broken vessels by sealing the cracks with lacquer and carefully dusting them with gold powder - the Japanese believe the golden cracks make the pieces even more precious and valuable.