Steve Boyd

I am a retired art teacher and have focused my attention on clay and wood after teaching. Ceramics allows a large variety of methods to fire the pots and I have found that wood firing is what I enjoy the most. The process and the way the fire influences and determines the final appearance of the pots is exciting.

Erin Carpenter
Erin Patrice Carpenter.com

Objects reflect ourselves. My work captures the paradoxical delicacy and strength of porcelain. I draw my inspiration from historical reticulated porcelain, reinterpreted with art nouveau inspired patterns, and filtered through a contemporary lens. The play of positive and negative space draws the viewer deep into the piece; when viewed from certain angles, the carving overlaps and creates additional depth and pattern. The physical tension at each intersection, together with imperfect symmetry, contradict the enchanting elegance and perceived fragility of each overall form. The conversation between strength and delicacy, tension and depth, imperfection and beauty all resonate with my own humanity. I grew up in the farmlands of Illinois, spending my free time exploring the fields, timber and creeks, accumulating scars in old barns, playing softball and swimming, fawning over spring kittens, and making crafts at home. After graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelors in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Studies, I turned my focus to a new love—taekwondo. I currently co-instruct the APR Taekwondo program with my husband. I especially love training with and coaching the competition team and look forward to the national championships every summer. Missing the creative process and reward of working with my hands, I went looking for a new artistic outlet and took a wheel-throwing workshop in the winter of 2012. Clay became an addiction, and I quit my day-job to be a full-time potter in 2015. The process to make each piece starts on my potter’s wheel. Each vessel is thrown, trimmed and sometimes altered—all by hand. Handles are pulled by hand, attached, reinforced and smoothed. I often experiment with different surface decoration techniques; carving, slip trailing, slip inlay, sponging and more. I draw my inspiration from art deco/nouveau motifs, architecture, and natural patterns. Pierced vases and bowls also begin on the potter’s wheel. After being thrown and trimmed I roughly draw in the design with a soft pencil. The design is cut with a knife, and outside edges are smoothed with a wet sponge. The porcelain is tricky—too soft and it mushes up, too dry and it cracks. The finer the design, the more cuts and the more time it takes. Although I work in series, every piece is completely unique, made by me in my studio in Ames, IA. Each piece is dried slowly and bisque-fired. After a dip in either a clear or celadon liquid glaze, the work is fired for a second time. Gold luster is added after the glaze firing and those pieces are fired a third time. 

Linda Folden
Linda Folden.com

I was born in Macau and raised in Hong Kong and have lived in the United States for many years. Drawing inspiration from my life experiences all of my pieces represent a piece of who I've been, who I am, and most importantly who I am becoming. From functional pieces with hand carved motifs to figures with emotions that many people have experienced; each piece reflects my thoughts, feelings, reflections and emotions. Using pinch pot, coil, slab built, carving and cutting techniques, I hand create each piece while employing various glazes, stains, oxides to enhance each timeless work of art.

Erin Hill

My degree is in art education from the University of Northern Iowa. I have taught art for fifteen years. I took up learning more about ceramics nearly four years ago by taking a few classes. I am now working as a full time artist and mom, creating and developing my skills with ceramics. I focus on the beautiful forms of thrown bowls and hand built plates and trays

Greg Lamont
Lamont Pottery.com​

Greg Lamont Greg has been making pottery in Ames for over 20 years. His pottery reflects Korean and Japanese folk pottery traditions and their influence on western pottery making. Believing that a substantial part of the beauty of handmade pottery lies in its use, Greg creates vessels intended to take an active part in one’s daily life, through the preparation and serving of food and drink and in decorating one's surroundings. Greg's pottery is wheel-thrown stoneware and is fired to vitrification. Vessels intended for food or drink are food safe, dishwasher safe and safe for use in conventional and microwave ovens. 

Emily MacFarland
Emily MacFarland Ceramics.com

I am a potter living in Des Moines, Iowa. I make elegant functional porcelain pottery that is hand painted and hand carved with bright lively designs.  I am a mother to three teen aged children. I studied ceramics at the Art Institute of Kansas City, The University of Wisconsin - River Falls, and Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids. I currently work at the Des Moines Art Center in the ceramics department as an open studio instructor.

Marion Nehmer
Marion Nehmer Pottery.com

Pottery is a three dimensional art form and my surfaces are three dimensional as well. Using beautiful white porcelain clay, I carve and apply reliefs to the surface of my work and take the rhythm of the pattern all the way to the foot. Leaves and petals break and pool for variation in depth of color. My newest work continues to explore the fluid dance of forms, patterns, and colors of functional clay vessels. I studied ceramics in college completing my degree before starting a family. After a break of many years, I returned to clay in 2000. I was pleased to be selected one of the first Emerging Artists of the Des Moines Arts Festival in 2003. I currently work in a studio located at Mainframe Studios in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ruben Ruiz

My fascination with nature is a major influence in my work. My aim is to create pieces that inspire a smile. My work is made with porcelain or stoneware clay. I wheel throw most of my pieces and then either alter them, add texture, or create sculptural details.
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Dennis Schmoker
Instagram: Sticks and Stones and Fire

Currently I am a part time potter and clay sculptor. This means I work a full time job in home building and the rest of my time is spent working in clay. I have spent my whole life working in art in one form or another as a desire but not always as a job. Whatever medium that has been, I have tried to start at the basic elements or materials. This is the reason I came up with “Sticks and Stones and Fire” for my business name. To me that is the origin for any tangible object that mankind has invented or created. Everything can really be broken down into these basic elements. In my current work this translates into making and using clay bodies that include local clays and materials. Also mixing my own glazes to include local wood ash and minerals for interesting glazes. This is then fired in a kiln that I built using gas with wood reduction for color development, The pieces I make are utilitarian in nature and include mugs, cups, bowls, flasks, and bottles. In addition I do some sculpting and tile making. I find a deep connection with the things I make because of the process that I use, and find great satisfaction when I am able to share them with others.

Dan Sorensen

Dan graduated from Luther College with an Art education major in 1968 with an emphasis in Ceramics under Dean Schwarz. Following Graduation he spent the summer of '68 at Pond Farm Pottery studying under Marguerite Wildenhain. In the fall of '68 Dan began teaching Art K-12 in the Swea City schools It was there he met his wife and they raised their family in a house with a stone foundation and Stone Cellar Pottery was born. Dan taught for 35 years retiring in 2003 and now devotes his time making pottery. Dan's work is wheel thrown, decorative, functional and follows the Bauhaus tradition of form follows function.