Whitney Smith

Loving the pottery collection at Whitney Smith. All the pieces are so delicate and have the most lovely colors....you can see more here

"I fell in love with throwing clay on the wheel when I took a class at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz in 1994. I had a fantastic teacher, Dan Martinez, who skillfully taught me all the basics, and allowed me to take many independent study classes to hone my talent. I went on to the University of California to study for a degree in anthropology, but I continued to work in my garage studio while assisting another Santa Cruz artist, Sandi Dihl, at her clay studio.

While I seriously considered going on to graduate studies for anthropology, I felt a deep passion for clay that I wanted to turn into a full-time living. After relocating to the Bay Area I worked as a floral designer in San Francisco and as an assistant for Bob Pool Pottery while continuing to develop my own ceramic business on the side. With the help and support of family, friends, and clients, I was able to make the leap to full-time ceramic artist in early 2000.My design sense is primarily informed by my obsession with flowers and other organic forms found in nature. It is also very important to me that my ceramic pieces are functional for everyday use, while being absolutely beautiful, refined, and unique. I have been strongly influenced by Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement of the 19th and early 20th Century. I like the look and feel of old things and antiques, and my glaze choices have a certain look that reminds people of an different era"

how cute is this a little cupcake stand!!!