Laughin' Gnome

Since I was around 4 years old, and just a wee gnome navigating the gardens of life (just kidding, I am a human man… but certainly still navigating the gardens of life), pottery has been a love of mine. Though we lost touch with each other and had what can only be described as an on-off relationship, I began my throwing career when I attended a small school in Grass Valley, CA.

As I've grown older, I’ve realized this interaction of clay and humans brought me into a closer harmony with Mother Earth and how we are inherently woven to clay throughout our lives. I believe our souls are tied to clay, which is why I do what I do today with passion, a loving attention to detail and joy. Our naked clay evokes this relationship and inspires both us and our clients to interact with the Earth at a primal level, bringing us all more in tune with what the world around us has to offer.

The rich red clay we use is from the Ohio River Valley where it is mined from extensive clayfields left in the wake of retreating glaciers 12,000 years ago. So it’s a bit more of a higher quality than what you likely used in your grade 3 art class, and definitely no Play-Dough. Ancient cultures used this clay to make cooking pots, storage jars, water jugs and figurines. Iron oxide gives the clay its uniform red color, and provides a fine texture suitable for both thrown and sculpted pieces.

Darby Huffman and Fancie Loveall live in Port Townsend, WA.  Laughin' Gnome joined Mossy Creek in 2021.