I am the sole proprietor of The Village Potter, a Main Street pottery shop. I make all of the pots in the workshop attached to the pottery shop, and I fire most of my work in a large wood – fired kiln in my backyard. I have been married to my best friend for almost 20 years, and we have 2 children, Ellowyn is almost 15 and Danny is 7. I love to cook using local farm-fresh foods that are in season, and I am usually a pretty private person.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My wife of almost 20 years, Jen, is a microbiologist working for the DOD. Ellowyn is a freshman at LHS and loves acting in plays, Danny has a lifelong obsession with Transformers, and we have an 11 year old miniature poodle named Flower who loves to say hi to people.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I have been a potter for over 20 years, and I have always loved creating art. As a child, I loved making dinosaurs out of clay and that has carried over into my adult life. I love sitting with the clay and making pots. The process itself is my favorite thing to do, and it really has a calming effect on me, like meditating. I also really love firing the wood – fire kiln. I like the way it seems to take on a life of its own, pulsing with heat like a heartbeat. When the pots come out of the kiln, the wood ash leaves beautiful drips and glazes on the pots.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
My family and I moved to New Market 10 years ago.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Howard Wilson, the owner of the New Market Plains Winery.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Do what you love and let yourself get lost in it.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Travel – I’d love to sip wines and see art from around the world.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I love the way we all know each other. It is fun to watch the families grow and I love, love my yearly tradition of hosting christmas ornament making in my shop. It really brings families together and creates a festive feeling in our community. It has become a yearly tradition for many families of New Market.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Right here, continuing to do what I love.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am fully ambidextrous.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
The rainforest in Puerto Rico was amazing.
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
I love the Christmas season. As a family, we bring out the Christmas lego village and build a new building onto it. We go to Gaver farm and hunt our tree, and we spend countless hours decorating the house and the shop for the season.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
New Market as a community, and my wife.
Q: What person, event or experience has made the greatest impact or inspiration in your life?
My late grandmother, Lelia, was instrumental in forming my earliest art experiences. She worked in an art supply store, and she had such an honest, straightforward way of taking life by the horns.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would meet Ben Jensen for lunch at Prospect Pantry or Avery’s Grill. He is a good friend I went to graduate school with. He shares my love of wood-firing and is just a super cool person.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
historic preservation, community, and family
