Everyday objects become things of beauty in the hands of these independent ceramic artists and small-business owners from across the West.
Samantha Heligman / Settle Ceramics
An avid home cook, Heligman started expanding her Austin, Texas-based ceramics line by creating pieces that were missing in her own kitchen. “I needed dishware, so I started making plates,” she says. “I needed mugs, so I made mugs. It really just evolved organically that way.” But in Heligman’s view, her pottery isn’t just about utility. It’s about crafting future heirlooms. “In most archaeological digs, the first thing they find where they know humans have been, other than working tools, is ceramic shards,” she says. “So it’s this idea that I’m making something that is basically going to end up being a piece of history.” As someone whose happiest memories involve watching her mother and grandmother cook together, Heligman strives to make untrendy kitchen goods that will be happily accepted from generation to generation. To that end, she leans toward simple styles and earth-toned glazes. “I want to make something that isn’t going to be just thrown away or given to a thrift shop in a couple of years,” she says. “I want it to be timeless.” settleceramics.com
Heather Morton / Black Phoebe Ceramics
Morton’s appreciation for ceramics goes all the way back to her childhood days. “My middle school art teacher let me use the pottery wheel,” she says, “and I was pretty much obsessed with it immediately.” After graduating from art school, Morton apprenticed for a ceramicist in San Diego before starting her own studio in 2014. Now based in Las Cruces, New Mexico, she works mostly with stoneware and spends much of her time experimenting with original glaze formulas. “I mix up all my own glazes,” she says. “I have a glaze lab in my studio, and I do thousands of tests.” In addition to mugs, bowls, and vases, Morton’s diverse offerings include tumblers, match strikers, incense dishes, bells, and planters. She also crafts custom chandeliers and pendants for hospitality and residential projects. Peruse Morton’s pieces on Instagram (@blackphoebeceramics), or view them in person at Cielo Handcrafted in Santa Fe. cielohandcrafted.com
Elizabeth Eisenstein / ZZIEE Ceramics
When Eisenstein first started working with clay, she gravitated to what she calls “out-there items” — a whimsical, eight-handled mug reminiscent of an octopus, for instance. But as her craft progressed, she transitioned primarily into functional work. “I get a pretty profound sense of satisfaction from making something that people use and something that elevates their everyday life,” she says. Working from her home studio in Joshua Tree, California, Eisenstein creates bowls, mugs, planters, vases, and incense holders inspired by her desert surroundings. “I love nature, and I really love the desert landscapes specifically, so that is a huge influence on my work,” she says. “I look for glazes that are reminiscent of certain elements, either the color of a flower or the color of the sky at a certain time of day.” Though Eisenstein spends most of her days making the practical pieces for which she is most popular, she hasn’t totally abandoned her eccentric beginnings, occasionally turning out items such as her quirky, orb-bedecked “blob” vase. “Vases allow me a little more creative freedom,” she says. “That is where I can explore a little bit more.” zzieeceramics.com
Photography: (All images) courtesy the artists
From our May/June 2021 issue