Sean (He/him)
Sean is so excited to see this studio and community grow! He has been passionate about ceramics since middle and high school. After high school, he studied at the ceramics department at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
After years of using this art form for his own mental health, he decided to open this studio to share my passion with the world!
He moved to Seattle in 2013 and in the midst of all that chaos and stress of a new big city, he always had pottery to turn to. Without it, his mental health would've flown out the window.
He loves pottery, of course, and his love of this art form can be described in this one question - As a functional vessel, how does your creation impact your life long after its formation?
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As a teacher, he loves the balance between technique and art. He emphasizes focusing on the fundamentals in order to unlock the tools required to make your artistic visions a reality. You've got to master the rules in order to break them.
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David (He/him)
David was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, where he got a BFA in ceramics from a small university in the city. All told, he’s been working with clay for about 20 years. Outside of clay, David used to work as an architect. Designing buildings is cool, but it did not take long for him to learn that office work is truly not for him. He made the move back to ceramics, and hasn’t looked back since. Thanks to his master's degree in architecture, he brings a keen eye for design with a careful consideration of form and proportion to his ceramic work. In spite of all of his formal design training, his classes are very casual and have a strong laissez-faire atmosphere. He’s more than happy to help each student find their own personal voice and style of working in pottery.
Jane (She/her)
Lifelong Learner and Teacher
Jane started wheel throwing in high school and then pursued her ceramics career in college.
She earned a BFA from the University of Washington in 1982.
She teaches hand building basics; adapting her whimsical and sculptural style to all skill levels with accessible and creative projects.
In her wheel throwing classes I stress ergonomics; injury prevention ensures lifelong enjoyment. Once the basics are mastered, a beginning potter can develop the individual style that sets their work apart from others.
She enjoys teaching intermediate and advanced wheel throwing and has spent many years experimenting with the limits of clay and form and exploring historic pottery forms in a modern context.
**Photo credit Judy Nakamura
Amanda (She/her)
Amanda Salov was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in the rural pottery town of Cambridge, Wisconsin. It was there as a child that she learned she wanted a life in clay. She received a BFA focusing in ceramics and an MFA focusing in ceramics, sculpture, and fibers.
Amanda has taught and worked at a number of universities and art centers around the country and shown her sculptures and installations nationally and abroad. She enjoys teaching, mentoring, and managing people. In her work, you can see that she has a true knack for color, design, and elegance. Amanda lives with her semi-feral cattle dog and dear partner directly on the Puget Sound where she draws inspiration for her work and living a steady and impactful life.
Joey (She/her)
Joey joined The Clay Corner with minimal ceramic experience. However, she studied Fine Arts and Earth and Space science in undergrad. Additionally, she recently finished her masters in teaching. She has been coaching a range of sports for just over 10 years. She believes this coaching experience greatly impacts her as an educator. She has a habit of relating what we are learning about clay to the greater world, sports, and things individuals and her have in common. She values getting one-on-one time with all of her students and having learned to teach with larger class sizes she finds connecting with everyone in a small class a breeze. While Joey has less time with clay than most other instructors, she still uses her educational background to uplift and encourage students. And, she won't hesitate to "phone a friend" when she is not 100% confident about more advanced techniques, it also means the memory of how hard ceramics can be at the beginning hasn't been forgotten! She looks forward to getting to know you better in your next class.
Alex (They/ Them)
Alex was introduced to wheel throwing in 2021, when they took a pottery class on a whim. Their self-image did not include artistic talent, but they discovered a real knack and a deep love of the art form. Credit goes to an excellent teacher at Austin Pottery in Austin, Texas for this fortuitous
start of a lifelong obsession. Alex is deeply committed to paying this forward by helping other beginning wheel throwers, particularly the hesitant or unsure, discover this in themselves. They will guide your journey as
you gain control and agency over your creations and make this exciting art form your own. Alex loves to meld marbled clay colors with functional pottery and is particularly excited to layer patterns over patterns using glaze textures and resist.
Alex is friendly, outgoing, and energetic.
Caitlin (She/her)
Caitlin spent the first part of her life in the rural plains of both Minnesota and Kansas, where she earned her Masters of Interior Architecture and Product Design. She currently works as an architectural designer but takes any chance she gets to step away from the computer and work with her hands, either in the woodshop, in the garden, or at The Clay Corner. While not formally trained in ceramics, Caitlin has spent the last seven years experimenting with ways to merge her interest in space and function with the ceramic medium. Taking a class with her means you’ll be pushed to consider the use and intent of your piece, and how those things can inform the final result. She especially enjoys working with those new to clay and true beginners.