[ music ] >> PEOPLE DON'T SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SEEING UNLESS YOU GO AHEAD AND CARRY IT THROUGH AND THAT'S WHAT YOUR JOB IS AS AN ARTIST IS TO BRING THAT, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO SEE IT.

WE MET IN ART SCHOOL, CCAD, STARTED OUT IN PAINTING AND DRAWINGS, I FOUND CLAY AND ACTUALLY IT'S BEEN THIS GRADUAL SORT OF GETTING TO WHERE WE ARE, IT WAS JUST I GUESS A NATURAL EVOLUTION, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS SAID BEING A GOAL IS MAKING OUR LIVING AS ARTISANS.

>> I WENT TO LEARN TO PAINT AND DRAW, I MET SANDY AND KIND OF HUNG OUT WITH HER IN THE CLAY STUDIO.

I WAS JUST SITTING THERE TALKING, SHE WAS WORKING.

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT HOME DOING HOMEWORK OR SOMETHING.

WHEN WE DECIDED TO DO THIS AS A BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS HARD.

IT WAS A STRUGGLE.

YOU JUST MAKE LITTLE TWEAKS CONSTANTLY TO SEE WHAT IS GOING TO SELL, WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP US ALIVE.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE DOING FUNCTIONAL CERAMICS WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, BUT IT'S GOOD LIVING.

>> SO MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY DON'T SEE HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH YOUR SPOUSE, AND WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM WORKING TOGETHER.

I THINK WE'VE BOTH GREW UP WITH THAT REALLY DEEPLY INGRAINED BLUE-COLLAR KIND OF VALUES OF WORK.

I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT WORKING.

I DO LOVE PHYSICAL LABOR.

THAT'S PART OF THAT WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF THE 3-D VISCERAL LIVING AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR US WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF SWEAT.

WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF GETTING IN THE DIRT AND, YOU KNOW, THE EXHAUSTING HARD WORK.

>> RAKU IS A TRADITIONAL FIRING FROM JAPAN WHICH ACTUALLY CAME FROM KOREA.

THEY USUALLY TAKE THE POT OUT, RED HOT, AND LET IT COOL NATURALLY OR QUENCH IT.

THEY BROUGHT RAKU BACK FROM JAPAN AND WERE PLAYING WITH IT AND THEY WERE CARRYING A POT, THEY WERE CARRYING POTS DOWN TO A CREEK, AND SOMEBODY DROPPED ONE OF THEM AND THEY SAID, OH, JUST LEAVE IT AND THEY KEPT GOING.

WHEN THEY CAME BACK TO IT HAD SMOLDERED IN THE LEAVES AND DRY STUFF AND GOT SOME LUSTERS AND SOME TOO THINGS, SO THAT'S WHERE THE POST-FIRE REDUCTION CAME IN.

IT'S PRETTY KNEW TO CERAMICS.

WITH THE RAKU IT'S THE TEMPERATURE OF THE DAY, THE HUMIDITY, THE LENGTH OF TIME IT'S IN THE KILN, HOW HOT THE KILN FIRED TO AND HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET FROM THE KILN TO THE CAN.

JUST EVERY LITTLE THING CAN CHANGE AND IT'S JUST SO UNPREDICTABLE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF COOL THAT WAY.

[ music ] >> YOU HAVE TO LET THINGS GO.

YOU CAN'T BE -- YOU CAN'T BE PERFECT.

IT MIGHT BE, BUT YOU CAN'T EXPECT IT TO BE, AND YOU CAN NEVER RECREATE THE SAME THING TWICE.

AND THIS IS JUST WHAT FITS INTO OUR SPACE AND WHAT WE HAVE.

>> THE WAY WE CHOSE TO LIVE IS THE REASON THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE DO, SO IT'S SO COMPLETELY ENTWINED.

IT'S A WAY OF LIVING.

YOU DO WHAT IT TAKES -- IT JUST KIND OF FITS TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT BIG CONSUMERS, WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO BUY A PIECE OF ART PROBABLY THAN WE ARE TO GO OUT AND BUY THE LATEST AND NEWEST STUFF, SO WE REALLY CONSIDER THAT KIND OF THING.

THERE, AGAIN, THE IDEA OF POTTERY GOING INTO YOUR LIFE, IT'S MEANT TO LAST YOU YOUR LIFE, IT'S NOT A THROW AWAY THING.

WE MAKE THE CLAY AND ALL THE GLAZES.

IT'S FROM AS SCRATCH AS YOU CAN GET IT.

>> OUR TECHNIQUE IS SLIP TRAIL, WHICH IS OUR CLAY DISSOLVED TO A LIQUID, PUT INTO A BOTTLE WITH A NEEDLE TIP AND THEN DRAWN ON TO THE SURFACE OF THE CLAY.

SO THAT GIVES IT SOME TEXTURE AND ALSO HOLDS THE GLAZE WHERE YOU PUT T IT'S TECHNICAL FOR US FOR CERTAIN REASONS, BUT ALSO GIVES THE USER SOMETHING TO JUST HOLD ON TO, TO CARESS, TO FEEL, AND IT'S USUALLY SOMETHING EITHER PRETTY OR FUNNY.

I THINK THAT SETS IT APART A LITTLE BIT.

AND WHEN WE PUT HANDLES ON MUGS, WE TRY TO MAKE IT A COMFORTABLE HANDLE.

SINCE THEY ARE ALL HANDMADE THEY ARE ALL GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.

PEOPLE COME INTO A BOOTH AND JUST PICK UP MUG AFTER MUG AND GO, OH, THIS IS THE ONE, IT FEELS JUST RIGHT.

MAYBE IT MIGHT INSPIRE THEM, MAYBE IT WILL JUST BE SOMETHING THAT COMFORTS THEM, SOMETHING, YEAH, JUST FUN.

IT'S JUST SUCH A JOY TO BE ABLE TO PICK SOMETHING UP AND HOLD IT AND USE IT AND APPRECIATE IT.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE -- PEOPLE WILL COME INTO A BOOTH AND SAY, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BUY THIS, BUT MY MOTHER IS A POTTER AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE HAVE CUPBOARDS FULL OF EVERYBODY ELSE'S POTS AND IT'S JUST SO NICE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT POT EVERY MORNING TO DRINK COFFEE OUT OF.

EVERYONE FEELS DIFFERENT AND IT GIVES YOU A DIFFERENT FEELING, DIFFERENT JOY.

>> I FEEL LIKE THE HAND OF THE PERSON THAT MADE IT MAKES IT AN INDIVIDUAL PIECE, A PIECE OF THEM KIND OF GOES WITH IT OR A BIT OF THEIR ENERGY, THEIR SPIRIT.

ART FOR LIFE IS HOW WE THINK ABOUT IT.