About the Artists

Karina had the idea to try working with clay while watching her son play with playdoh when she was struggling with postpartum depression while living on a remote ranch in eastern Wyoming. Her Grammy had suggested finding a creative hobby that took longer than a day to create, to help break up the repetitive daily cycle of necessary, never quite finished things to do with two children under two. She will forever be grateful for the advice from her Grammy that changed her life for the better.

When she decided to give pottery a try, her always supportive husband, Lowell, welded together a potter's wheel out of scraps from the ranch boneyard. It was quickly nicknamed the "Wild West Washing Machine" after a trial run with playdoh. Click here to watch. 

While the homemade wheel was a great way to test out the idea, it was soon obvious that this hobby was worth more of an investment. Lowell purchased her a starter wheel and kiln after a selling one of the horses he started. Karina learned to throw with lots of trial and error and countless hours at the wheel during their kids' naptime and after bedtime.

Lowell continues to be her biggest encourager. He helps however he can with the process. He enjoys carving designs freehand on the pottery Karina throws. His creativity and attention to detail has made it possible to offer personalized custom orders.

While they no longer live on a ranch, they enjoy working with ranchers and farmers to craft pottery that honors the family brand or farm. They also work with local businesses to curate a selection of functional artwork that their customers will enjoy.

When they are not in the studio, they enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, and snowshoeing in the nearby Bighorn National Forest.

MesaWade Mudworks pottery is currently made from stoneware clay from Rocky Mountain Clay and glazed using food safe glazes (unless otherwise noted in the item description). Functional pottery is tested and safe to use in the dishwasher and microwave. All orders are packed securely to ensure a safe arrival. We ship to addresses within the USA.