Wright Pottery | Hearts and Hands in Clay: An interview with Ashley Wright on Family, Craft, and Life in her Home Studio | Easton, Maryland

When you step into the Wright's home studio in Easton, Maryland, you immediately sense the rhythm of a life grounded in clay. Shelves hold pieces under plastic, slowly drying. Nearby, bisque-fired pots (and pumpkins at this time of year!) wait for glaze, while kilns-- still warm-- stand ready to be unloaded. For Thomas and Ashley, pottery is not just a craft or just a business: it is the story of how they met, how they are building a creative life together, and how they’re raising their children surrounded by art, intention, and handmade beauty. With years of experience in ceramics, they’ve grown thier family endeavor, Wright Pottery into a thriving business. In this conversation, we talk about their beginnings in clay, the challenges and joys of running a business as partners and parents, and the inspiration that continues to guide their work.

Ashley and Thomas Wright inspect a selection of French Butter Keepers fresh out of the kiln.

How did you both get into ceramics? Is it something you were exposed to school, or was it something you came into after? 

Thomas graduated from Towson University in 2007 with a Fine Arts degree and in 2008/2009, he moved to Salisbury to start graduate school. While he was in school, he began teaching pottery classes at The Art Institute and Gallery (now known as Salisbury Art Space) in downtown Salisbury. I was taking classes at the local community college and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. There were very few art classes at the community college, so I signed up for a pottery class at the Art Institute, and Thomas was my instructor. I was immediately hooked on ceramics, and we became friends over the course of several months. I wasn't sure if I wanted to pursue it as a career but it became a serious hobby at that point for me.

Has pottery always been something you have shared?

Yes, we met through pottery so it has always been in our life in one way or another. While Thomas studied fine art and has worked professionally in ceramics for most of his career, I (Ashley) actually studied geography and environmental science in college but ended up working in ceramics after college.

How did you decide to take the leap from hobbyists to full-time business partners?

Thomas has worked professionally in ceramics since 2008 managing various production studios in the Annapolis area, and in 2015, I started managing a pottery studio that did pottery production and helped build it into a community arts studio during my time there. Combined, we had over 19 years of "practice" running other studios and had built a list of contacts. In 2021, The Annapolis Pottery approached us to partner with them as the production arm of the business, moving a large portion of their in-house pottery production to our studio. Without The Annapolis Pottery, it would have been very difficult to take the leap to start our own arts business full time. It has given us the space and time to create and sell our own work, and we enjoy working closely with them. 

How do you separate your roles as business partners and spouses, especially with a studio right behind your home?

We decided to start a business, start a family, and undertake a house renovation within the space of a few years. It is difficult. We are still learning how to separate our roles as business partners and spouses and generally balance it all. Over the past couple of years, we've had to become very deliberate in defining our work hours versus home hours. We have weekly meetings to keep ourselves on track and have to keep clearly defined roles in the business. 

What roles do each of you take on in the studio and in the business? Do those roles ever shift or overlap?

Thomas takes on most of the throwing, trimming, glaze mixing, kiln loading, and markets. I am responsible for most of the glazing and decorating, administrative tasks of our business, and social media (the small amount that we do). We equally contribute to cleaning, planning, and design of new forms and new glazes. They do sometimes shift and overlap depending on the needs of the business or our family. We also have part time help. Each month, a wonderful potter and friend, Danny, travels from PA and works in the studio for 2-3 days to exclusively help with production throwing for wholesale orders. A talented young artist, Sophia, has also worked in the studio on a part-time basis and helps with graphic design needs for the business. 

Do you each have your own creative voice, or is there a shared aesthetic that defines your work together? And how do you inspire or challenge one another creatively?

We have a very similar aesthetic that has developed over the years, and design most of our items together. Because our business is based on creating repeatable functional pottery and not one of a kind works, we both work on the design until we are happy with the finished pieces. Then, we release it to our customers and see how it performs. If either one of us feels that part of the process or design is not working, we adjust as needed.

What does your process look like from start to finish-- design to firing?

If one of us has an idea for a new item, form, or glaze, we typically bring the idea to the other. From here, we will begin testing, which can be a fun (and sometimes frustrating) endeavour. For new forms, Tom will throw a few shapes, and then we discuss any changes, and for new glazes, we mix up small tests from raw material, and then fire each glaze test on test tiles. With any new glaze, it must be tested to see how it also interacts with current glazes, so this can be a longer process. Once we have a prototype that we like, we start with a small, limited batch to test the functionality and if it can be reproduced on a larger scale. 

All of the pottery made in our studio, including our own designs, as well as Annapolis Pottery's items, start with raw clay. The majority of pottery in our studio is thrown on the potter's wheel in batches 24-100 pieces. For example, on a throwing day, we might make 100 mugs, 100 oil bottles, 50 french butter keepers, and so on. After the pieces are thrown on the wheel, they are trimmed  and attachments such as handles, knobs, or decorations are added. The pieces then dry for a few days and are put into the kiln for their first firing. After this, each piece is dipped and/or brushed with glaze and goes into the kiln for its second firing. After the finished pottery comes out of the kiln, we look it over for any defects and it is either sent to shops, or held in our studio for Etsy and markets. From start to finish, it can take 2-4 weeks for a single piece to be made.

Can you describe a typical day in your studio?

While the work can sometimes be repetitive, every day really is different! Most days involve unloading and reloading kilns, throwing and trimming pottery, and glazing. We set aside time each day for cleaning (a clean studio is very important in ceramics and for health as a potter!) and administrative tasks. It is always surprising how much time is taken up by tasks that aren't directly making pottery -- supply ordering, customer emails and invoicing, bookkeeping and more. The most important thing for us is to always be working ahead. For example, our halloween and fall season starts in May/June and Christmas starts as soon as we get done with fall pottery orders. 

How do you balance studio work with the demands of family life?

While owning our own business has come with challenges, it has allowed me to have much more freedom with our children and balancing the demands of family life. While my kids have always attended preschool/daycare, I have the ability to do early pickups or special days together, and I never have to worry about using up all of my paid time off when they're sick ( because there is no such thing as PTO when you're self employed haha). I love being the one to take care of them when they're not feeling well versus having to rely on a babysitter or asking grandparents to step in. The flexibility of working for myself means that I can structure my day around our family's needs. If someone has an appointment or there's a school event, I can adjust my schedule accordingly. Flexibility for my family is one of the most valuable aspects of this business for me personally. 

Have your children shown interest in clay or the studio? How do you involve them, if at all?

Yes, both kids love being in the studio and playing with clay. We don't involve them in work yet but they enjoy making clay projects or painting pottery for fun. Our 5 year old daughter really enjoys helping out at local farmer's markets and interacting with customers. 

I know your children are still young, but do you think your children understand what it means to live a creative life or run a creative business?

Yes, at 2 and 5, I don't think they understand quite yet. Our own parents had and still have more traditional careers working for large organizations. Stepping out on our own and working in a creative business has been quite different from what we grew up seeing. There are pros and cons to both approaches -- traditional work offers more stability and benefits, while creative entrepreneurship comes with more freedom but considerable uncertainty and risk. We want them to understand that there are many ways to build a career and contribute to the world, and whatever path (or paths) they choose is valid. We also hope to teach them that they can live a creative life regardless of their occupation, and hopefully in addition to their occupation. Right now, we try to have as much fun as possible with them and nurture their natural creativity and curiosity. 

Do you hope your children will carry on the tradition of working with their hands—or do you simply want them to grow up around beauty and intention?

We hope that they will enjoy working with their hands, but do not have a desire or expectation for them to make pottery or work with their hands as a career. What we really want for them is to grow up valuing art, creativity, and craftsmanship, among other things of course. We hope that they will have the confidence to try something new and create whatever they want to create. 

What do you hope your children remember most about growing up around clay and handmade work?

I hope they remember the excitement of unloading a project out of the kiln, doing clay projects with their preschool class or friends, and enjoy using the pieces that we've created as a family over the years. For example, when our daughter was born, I went a little nuts with putting her hand and footprints on pottery, so we have a lot of it now! However, for most holidays, we have special pieces or decorations made by us and decorated by and with our young children. It's really special. My favorite mugs are the ones my kids paint in the studio on a whim. 

Do you consider yourself more of an artist, a craftsperson, or something else entirely? 

This is a great question and something we debate ourselves. On a day to day basis, we feel like craftspeople. Many of the skills we use take many years to hone-- the technical knowledge of materials, the precision required to make repetitive forms, and the problem-solving when things don't go as planned. There is a focus on functionality and quality that feels very much rooted in craft traditions. But then there are moments where we are designing a new item or making decisions that feel more artistic-- choosing colors, changing a form so it is more aesthetically pleasing, or trying out a new carving pattern. Creating pottery that is meaningful, functional and beautiful is most important to us, regardless of what we're called. 

What do you hope people feel or notice when they use your pottery?

We hope they can feel the handmade quality of the pottery. In a world where you can order mass-produced items and have them delivered the same day, I think there's a deep hunger for things that feel authentic and personal. At least this is how I feel. When I use a handmade item or buy art for my home (locally or on Etsy), the difference I feel is remarkable -- though I can't quite explain why it feels so much better. Maybe it's the way that each piece is slightly unique or the fact that so much thought and care went into making that specific item. 

You produce thousands of pieces a year—how do you maintain creativity and intention at that scale? Do you feel that the functional nature of pottery ever limits or expands your creativity?

This is a really good question and one we are still working out. The production side of making pottery comes with a whole other set of skills -- ordering supplies in bulk quantity, managing hundreds of pieces at a time that are all in different phases of production, keeping track of large wholesale and custom orders, kiln schedules, and deadlines. While we enjoy aspects of this, we have to be very intentional about carving out time for creativity. Most months, we make sure to dedicate time to new designs, glazes and ideas for Wright Pottery. The one great thing about ceramics, is that there is a never ending amount to learn and try-- clays, glazes, techniques and firing methods. The possibilities are endless! 

How does Maryland’s coastal landscape influence your pottery? What elements of coastal beauty-- textures, colors, light-- do you try to capture in your work?

We both grew up close to the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The colors of the coast-- soft blues, greens, sandy beiges, and weathered grays-- constantly inspire our glaze palette. We're drawn to the textures, flora, and fauna of the Eastern Shore as well and use this as inspiration in our work. You'll find motifs of boats, marsh grasses, fish, crabs and other creatures in our studio. Our pottery somewhat ties into my background in geography and environmental science as well. 

How do you sell your pottery?  Where can people go to view your work? 

You can find our pottery in person at The Annapolis Pottery, The Market at Dover Station, and at local markets. Our pottery can also be purchased online. For a link to our Etsy shop and upcoming markets, visit www.WrightPottery.com