Come play with clay.

Pinch it. Roll it. Stamp it. Watch me carve into it. See mugs and vases from this week’s throwing session. Feel the difference between wet clay, leather hard and bisque clay. Learn about the transformation from a wet mound of mud into a glazed, finished bowl or vase.

I’m opening my studio to friends, neighbors, and the whole community for free from 11 am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday during the Washington County Open Studios Tour in Oregon.

I’ve been a working artist for over a decade now, but making functional clay work is new to me.

Here’s a little story about how I got started on this new path.

Four years ago, a wonderful gentleman and his wife came to my studio. As they looked around at all my mixed media work, the man spied several of my clay sculptures. When he asked why he had never seen them in the gallery shows, I told him I only did a few, not enough for a show and had stopped working in clay because I didn’t have kiln access. Right then and there, he offered me his kiln. For Free.

When I went to pick it up, he insisted I take his wheel, too. I tried to explain that I had failed at the wheel way back in art class, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Here’s what my studio looks like now. Full.

Notice the overflow of just thrown and handbuilt pieces with no place to go. Thanks to one man’s kindness and generosity, I am happily throwing, sculpting and hand building. That’s why I’m so excited to be hosting an open studio this weekend. I can’t wait to share the wealth.

So if you’ve always wondered what goes on in an artist’s studio, here’s your chance to find out. You can come, play with clay and see how my art works. And best of all, it’s free!