Flower, iris, roma, fish and garden theme pottery mugs and wine goblets! Artist/Potter Tony and his wife Debbie, own and operated their own pottery since 1989. Tony is responsible for design, throwing, and decorating the pottery. He started his pottery skills in 1978 at Indiana University and fine tuned them in 1980 at Bloomington Pottery. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Indiana University in 1982 and a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of North Texas in 1986. Debbie handles the business and marketing operation. In addition, she helps with some steps of pottery production and design. She received two Bachelor of Business degrees from Texas A&M in 1985.
Tony throws most of the pots on a potter's wheel. Others are slab constructed and altered. When the pots become leather-hard (halfway between wet and dry) handles are added and each piece is signed. Upon becoming completely dry, the pottery is loaded into a gas kiln. These pots are then fired to a temperature of 1830 degrees Fahrenheit. Upon unloading the kiln, they are glazed and some are decorated with colored clays (slips) and oxides. They are then fired a second time to a temperature of 2336 degrees Fahrenheit. These extreme temperatures ensure the durability of the pottery.
The shapes of Tony's vessels are functional but can simply be decorative. He covers a wide range of colors and pattern through brushwork and sponged on design.
