I am just as interested in the way a leaf connects to its stem as I am the folds of a mountain range or bursts of color at sunrise. I view these things with a mindful eye for the present moment. My work bears the mark of this awareness, resulting in uniquely designed pottery that is just as inviting to ponder and touch as it is to use and share. While I pay equal attention to form, surface, and detail, my pottery is most celebrated for its carved patterns inspired by nature. These patterns accrue a rhythm all their own as they swirl and drape across surfaces, suggesting spider webs, ripples in a stream, or water patterns in sand.

Firing my stoneware forms in a soda kiln or a wood kiln yields an ever changing palette of natural variations of color. Cradling a cup or bowl in their hands, people feel inspired to bring a sense of awareness and ritual into their lives. Integrating the way I experience the world with the way I design my pottery is essential to my creativity. Whether rinsing garden tomatoes at the kitchen sink, pausing to study wildflowers along the trail or ripples in the water along the creek, I believe in taking time to notice the little details of life.

Often you can find me in my studio making pots, doing yoga, working in the garden, cooking or hiking in the beautiful outdoors of Western North Carolina.  I teach pottery workshops at my studio, private pottery lessons, and I also travel to teach.  I teach local and online yoga classes and offer private yoga classes. I completed my yoga training at the Asheville Yoga Center and am a RYT-200. To learn more about my pottery teaching and my yoga class offerings, email me @ joytannerpottery@gmail.com.