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OUR WORK TOGETHER
 As potter and woodworker working side by side, it was obvious to us that ceramic and
wood should be a great marriage of materials for the kind of functional art that we
like to do. We came up with the idea to make decorative, but useful ceramic jars in
many shapes and colors that have lids of wood rather than clay.
Barbara wheel throws the stoneware forms first, usually in a porcelain type clay.
Her glazes are chosen not only to enhance the shapes, but to be a ground for the
wooden tops. Next, Gary designs and turns the custom fitted lids, from a variety of
hard burl woods, that we think are compatible with our palette of stoneware glazes.
We also collect special decorative stone shapes or beads, as finials to the lids, to
tie all of the color elements together. We consult each other on every detail of each
jar, because seldom are elements ever repeated the same way.
The hope is that with such attention to all the different materials, each collaborative
piece will become more than just the sum of its parts.
BARBARA HOFFMANN - POTTER
 My 35 years of work in pottery is mostly in high, gas-fired,
reduction stoneware, though at times I have also worked in wood-fire,
salt-glaze, porcelain, earthenware, and Raku.
Combining form with function,
as well as my values as an artist, has driven my desire to make useful objects
that might enhance the user's everyday life in some way. As with most artists,
I am inspired by nature, natural earth pigments, texture and design elements
common to ancient cultures world wide. I am honored to work in a medium that
dates back to Neolithic cultures when women made the cooking pots, the storage
jars, and the richly decorated ritual vessels, strong expressions of artistic
humanity.
I hope I will always be experimenting with the many variables of clay,
glaze chemistry and firing, thereby continuing my long self-education,
and interest in ceramics.
GARY LAWRENCE - WOOD TURNER
 Gary Lawrence, a native Californian, chose Sonoma Co. as his home in 1982.
Since 1972, his self-taught woodworking has included carpentry, cabinetry
and small carved objects, such as jewelry and sculpture in wood, bone and ivory.
Using natural forms for inspiration, Gary brings to each box his ideas of form
with function, a sense of style, and his deep appreciation of the inherent beauty of wood.
The wood lathe enables Gary to build boxes in the round that have an intimacy of
shapes fitting easily into hands. These hand-held forms invite a closer view of
the woods' own landscapes and colors.
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