Ceramicist & Lifelong Learner
Joshua
As the son of an artist, Joshua’s enthusiasm for ceramics has been a lifelong study. A working potter since 1999, he has spent decades honing his voice, style, and methods to produce pieces that can be lived in and loved no matter what life throws at you.
Creative Director & Product Tester
Wendy
Wendy is the creative force guiding The Goods. Drawing inspiration from life in the Pacific Northwest and the joy of quiet living, Wendy weaves West Coast style into all that The Goods is.
Chief Goodness Officer (CGO)
Poppy
Poppy, our miniature schnauzer, brings an undeniable beam of positivity to The Goods. We couldn’t not give our studio pup a shout-out!
Charm, strength, and honesty are at the heart of our products.
The Studio
Our studio is designed for clay to flow from the wheel to the kiln. Pottery is labor intense, and efficiencies can bring joy to the work of making. We spent three years setting up the studio, building and buying equipment, developing our forms and glazes. But most importantly we adapted our process from two fires to one single fire. No more loading and unloading the kiln two times for each run of pots. A nice steady flow of work from the wheel to the kiln.
Materials & Process
- Clay & Glazes
- Firing Schedule
For thousands of years, access to materials for potters was limited to their immediate location. They lived where they dug materials from the earth and the quality of the wares was often limited. Today we have the luxury of selecting options from anywhere in the world. Our feldspar comes from India, our Whiting from Washington state. Our Boron from Mexico. We choose the ingredients that give us the most durable, long lasting, beautiful glazes possible.
A typical flow of work begins Monday with throwing the vessels and then turning a foot rim the next day. On trimming day, mugs are given a handle and our makers mark is stamped. When the pots are bone dry, we apply glaze first to the outside. When dry the inside and the lip are glazed, and the dishwasher cutout is removed with a rasp. Friday the pots are loaded into the kiln and fired. Sunday the kiln is cool and unloaded.
a note from Joshua
When you use the mug I made, you know me: the choices I made in the shape of the form and the style of the handle, the dishwasher cut-outs, and the color of the glaze. When you wash the mug and place it back on the shelf for tomorrow, I know you hope no one else will use it, because there is something special about that mug.
