Primitive Mud Pottery by Teresa Speakman
I fell in love with clay in the mid-’70s when I met a group of potters in the Hocking Hills and I was determined to follow the path! Along the way, I have offered my wares at many venues and events, and in December 2022 Mud Gallery was founded as home to my pottery with year-round access for people to find it, as well as to offer playshops for others to handcraft their own!
I named my studio Primitive Mud, in reverence to the ancient nature of clay, embedded and imbued with Mother Earth. My attraction to the handmade object, whether functional or not, springs from my love of nature, and in our industrial society, playing with clay is as close to Mother Earth as it gets.
Working with various aspects of pottery such as hand-building, wheel-throwing, experimenting with glaze materials, and firing methods keeps me in tune with the earth, water, wind, and fire.
In addition to making functional and decorative pottery, I love making pendants and beads to form wall hangings, bells, wind chimes, and jewelry. Choosing materials in my creations, such as waxed linen, hemp, cotton, stones, glass, bone, and wood allows me to explore the beauty of ages that are revealed in the patterns formed by nature, myself, and the hands of others from around the world. From my hands to yours, enjoy! ~Teresa
