photo by @isaacmarleymorgan for drake's diary

Holding down the fort in a shifting oasis

As I reel in this tiny ceramics company around the corner of two and a half years, the past months have been a really soothing exhale. I feel as though I've been playing catch up with myself for so long - unable to fine tune and deal with the small frustrations of running a company, and unable to take a moment to explore what is truly possible in my small sphere of ceramics. My shelves are full of work. And work that i've made, that i'm proud of, and excited to watch slowly make its way out of my studio. It's not that business is particularly slow by any means, we just haven't been lazy, and are keeping the machine running. Pieces and designs that have been on my mind, and things I haven't had the opportunity to make in a while are finally taking form. Lamps, bowls, vases. New shapes. New opportunities are finding their way to my studio door as well, and i'm eagerly greeting them too. Last month a beautiful showcase of some custom lamp pendants came to life in my neighborhood Highland Park at Ggiata. My work in Japan finds a new small step from a small feature in Popeye Magazine again. And a few booked out workshops keeps me happy as some weeks im a lonely hermit in my studio tucked away in East LA. It's nice to see people. Im just a cup maker over here, but grateful for the new opportunities.

I have one particularly exciting announcement however, and scared shitless for the new challenges it holds -

I am starting a YouTube channel, and will be doing my best to focus on this platform moving forward!

Something about instagram has been particularly uninteresting for me lately. Perhaps it's the culture, or the pressures involved with constantly promoting work. What I know for certain is that where the app is leading itself and how its prompting artists to just be content creators, (for the ultimate gain of instagram itself) isn't where I want to invest me energy. Again, im just a cup maker, but if I can find an artistic expression in long form video content focusing around process, technique and studio day to day, ill find more peace than being a meme posting machine. Also I think people on YouTube just care more, and are nicer lol. More than ever before, content feels diluted, and people equate value to views and likes. Quite frankly I don't give a shit. I give a shit if my cup can hold water, and my work makes people happy. From my perspective, the least amount of effort invested in the social media machine means I can put maximal effort in creating quality product, and isn't that why we are all here? In all transparency, creating a longer format video, and cutting smaller clips into reels for the instagram machine is likely the way I'll take the next steps. Something about a new, slow, and organic growth again excites me. Anyways, im nervous and happy, I have tons of support around me, so please join me on my journey :)

Support my Youtube Journey

Ggiata Delicatessen Lamps!

5025 York Blvd, Highland Park, CA 90042

After almost a decade working in the restaurant industry and a hasty exit, I'm so happy to return to the business in a different way. All of last April I worked on five custom lamp pendants for Ggiata in Highland Park, my neighborhood, and as an artist it's the ultimate privilege to have work in my community for people to see daily. When you support local artists, you sell more sandwiches - its logic

Upcoming Workshop

Tumbler Workshop - August 17th 11am-1pm

Here's a 15% discount code for y'all - "savealittle" at checkout

Hope to see you there !

Learn More

Some new work -

New Merch! Finally shipping end of next week

design by Jeffrey of @goeasyco

After slight delays in production with my printer, we finally are receiving product mid next week, and hope to get packages out by end of week. Thank you for the patience! Some sizes are still available !

Check it Out

POPEYE MAGAZINE

AUGUST EDITION

Honored to be featured again in the August edition, thank you Japan!!!