Bob Biek

Pottery for me means simple functional forms thrown on the wheel and glazed in warm, earthy colors. It also means the unglazed, reddish-brown colors of terra cotta garden pottery, especially in the English Cottage Garden style with its graceful curves and subtle ornamentation. And recently it means that I love making fruit baskets woven of clay, something that resulted from a regular challenge among Mendocino Coast potters wherein we encourage each other to try new techniques to make things we might not otherwise make. My bowls, plates, plant pots, and baskets are meant for everyday use and are dishwasher and microwave safe.

I took my first pottery class in 1998 at Peterson’s Art Studio in Salt Lake City and immediately fell in love with wheel thrown pottery. For two years, much of my free time was spent at the studio, but as for many potters, work eventually got in the way. Finally, a decade later I got myself a wheel and found a good friend with a kiln and glazes and tremendous knowledge and patience to help me begin again.

Now in Fort Bragg, we converted an old garage into studio space and opened MudHut Ceramics in 2024. I make nearly all my own glazes and use a large Olympic oval electric kiln. We primarily do mid-fire ceramics (cone 5-6), but lately I’ve also been doing low-fire (cone 02) terra cotta pots.  Over the course of a year, our solar panels provide all the electricity needed to fire the kiln (and run the house).

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