WOODFIRED

The wood-fired pottery at Rottenstone has a firm foot in both Japanese and American folk pottery traditions. My fascination with both the eastern Wabi-Sabi and western folk art styles has allow me to play and morph both aesthetics together. The groundhog and anagama wood kilns allow us to have two distinct surface treatments on the pots. The groundhog kiln gives a bright shiny glazed surface from the effects of the wood and salt. The anagama kiln allows for a sublet ash glazed surface and patterning. All the pottery is fully functional. Use it, live with it, and let it speak to you.

Our Wine Cups are the bomb. They are inspired by japanese yunomi tea cups. They make a great universal party cup.  You can use them for hot or cold beverages, Tea, Wine, Margaritas, or juice.  They are excellent for entertaining at a small intimate gathering or large parties and weddings. Distinct multi colored glaze patterns make every cup distinct and individual. Mix and match or put together a matching set. They make great gifts for friends and family.

Face Jugs are a Southern Appalachian pottery tradition dating back to the 1850’s. Started by African slave potters in Edgefield, South Carolina, it is believed that the original face jugs were a west African religious talisman to ward off evil spirits.  The tradition of making face jugs spread and the tradition morphed to the jugs being used to store moonshine and the scary visage was supposed to warn the drinker of the consequences of imbibing in the potent contents of the jug. 

The WWI gas mask face jugs are my addition to this evolving tradition. Soldiers in WWI were exposed to horrific conditions made worse by the use poison gas on the front lines. To defend against this threat, gas masks were employed. These masks created a frightening and dehumanizing caricature of the individual soldiers on all sides, a look that easily lends itself the the terrifying tradition of face jugs. The jugs are fully functional for storing and serving you favorite libation. They are sure to create plenty of conversation at your next gathering. 

FUNCTIONAL WARE

If bright colored functional stoneware pottery is what your looking for.  This line of colorfully glazed pottery is perfect for tableware, serving dishes or baking. Every thing is handmade and thoroughly tested in the kitchen to insure durability and functionality.

SCULPTURE

Explore the creative worlds of several of Taos top ceramic sculptors at Rottenstone Gallery. Clay is the perfect sculptural medium for realizing artistic inspiration. Rolled and cut slabs of clay, coiled and pinched, or thrown on a potters wheel , clay can be manipulated simply with the artists hands with a minimum of tools. Artists at Rottenstone gallery are exploring a variety of forms and ideas. Realistic animal and figurative sculpture, complex interlocking geometric forms and models of vehicles that disassemble into functional sets of dishes are a few examples of the creative sculpture available in the gallery

I can custom produce pots if you want to commission special forms to suit your personal needs. I would be happy to make you a dinnerware set, wedding presents, trophies or medals and garden pots. Contact the gallery to place a custom order.