About the Pottery: My Philosophy

"Potter" and "designer" and "artist" all encompass what I do. In the simplest terms, I build objects from clay. Over time, my perspective has grown to include not just functional objects, but ones whose usefulness is the same as river rocks and blue jay feathers: their use is their form, texture, color and interesting existence. They are interesting to touch, hold, and look at. The converse is also true. A handmade functional object can be as much about art as it is about function.

My work grows out of my life experiences and aesthetics. Many of my objects represent craftsmanship that evolved through conceptualizing and execution. This could be said even for the deceptively simple pieces, which I have often arrived at after years of trial and error. My perspective has taken years to hone, and continues to evolve. Designs and decoration often draw from shapes, textures and colors that I encounter while hiking and kayaking. You will see freehand interpretations of leaves, branches and vines in my pottery. I apply these themes to functional, ritualistic, and decorative pieces, which brand my own artistic perspective on this medium.

In a world of increasingly machine-made goods, handmade  objects are warm and interesting. They provide a connection between a human maker and human users. MimiStadlerPottery.com and The Gallery Downstairs together are a cottage industry using current technological sales techniques. Contemporary cottage industries have to use high-tech means of selling even though the creative methods used in making the objects might be age-old or use time-tested tools. It's an interesting paradox.