Archie Johnson & Ruth Cohen - MUD AND FIRE POTTERS

A subdued centuries-old beauty is the product of the transformation of clay by fire. Some pots will arouse curiosity. Some will charm with their fascinating and compelling earthy colors, textures and patterns. Others will draw you into a world that is at once organic and comforting.

Since mud first got under our fingernails in the early 70's at Pratt Institute in NYC, the infinite possibilities that clay offers has mesmerized us. Over the last 40 years, we have learned that finding a clay voice is a never ending process. Insights gleaned from ancient and current masters guide us in exploring traditional and contemporary design elements in this centuries old craft/art form. As clay is transformed while spinning through our fingers, we know that today's forms are subtly different from those made a year ago and the vision for tomorrow's will gradually unfold, yielding boundless creative freedom.

Functional, decorative and sculptural pottery made from stoneware and porcelain is wood-fired to 2400 degrees in our bourry box kiln, The Firefly and our noborigama kiln, Dante. Our work maintains a simplicity of form with roots in Asian, Western and Jamaican/African cultures. Most of our wheel-thrown and altered pieces are stylized with shell markings and stamps. Wood-firing with or without glaze and ash, produces eye-catching textured surface patterns with intrinsic natural hues.

As Jack Troy, renowned potter (and friend), states in his book Wood-Fired Stoneware and Porcelain, "Good pots elude their critics and analysts - even the potters who formed them - by being more than the sum of their quantifiable parts. Nowhere are these indefinable elements more evident than in pots taken from the cold ashes of a wood fire. Whether they challenge or reinforce the beholder's values, these pots have a strong presence born of their many days' trial in the fire."

Please join us to celebrate the products of our latest firings. Tour our facility and learn about the great tradition of pottery that is rooted in all cultures throughout time. On Monday we will demonstrate throwing a variety of forms including bottles, bowls and pitchers.

Our studio is located at 1002 Bow Bridge Road in Little Meadows, PA, just one mile east of State Route 858. A large stone bearing our insignia is on our side of the road. We can be contacted at (570)623-3335 and mudandfirepotter@aol.com. At your leisure, we hope you will peruse our website, www.mudandfirepotters.com and find us on facebook.