OWNER

INSTRUCTOR

Sarah German received a Studio Art degree in ceramics, sculpture, and printmaking from the University of Northern Iowa. Along with maintaining a studio practice, Sarah has spent fifteen years in arts administration and education. She recently moved to a full-time studio practice, and now spends her time working in her home studio in SE Austin, volunteering as the Coordinator for Greater Austin Clay Artists, and sharing her love of clay by teaching community classes. Sarah creates work for exhibitions, galleries, and festivals, has been featured in multiple publications including Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, and 500 Teapots: Volume 2, and has held residencies at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and Penland School of Craft. Though ceramics can be considered a fragile material, Sarah's work is influenced by elements that when structured in a specific manner, provide strength, such as fibers in a weaving or metal beams in a truss bridge. This can be seen in the delicate, yet strong woven pieces that she creates by rolling coils of clay and weaving them in time-tested patterns proven to provide support. She mixes white clay with mason stains to create many shades of colorful clay. This colored clay becomes the accent in her pieces; a colored coil base to a wheel-thrown mug, a woven top to a flower vase, or a truss structure that supports a suspended cup form. The work is often finished in a glossy or matte clear glaze and fired to cone six in an electric kiln. Sarah teaches Beginner and Intermediate 6 Week Wheel classes at Mud Studio.

INSTRUCTOR

Hillary Cumberworth is a sculptor working in Austin.  She received her BA with a focus in sculpture from Southwestern University.  This native Austinite left home to live here, there and visit everywhere in between after college.  While in NYC she interned under artists Nene Humphrey, Elise Siegel and Nancy Bowen.  When life brought her to Houston she taught middle school art and was the foundry assistant at the Glassell School of Art.  She then found herself in Dubai and gained even more appreciation for the world. Life has now come full circle and she is now back in her hometown! Hillary’s work focuses on simple lines and negative space.  Every hand built piece embodies those moments in life, big or small, that shape who we are and guide us to the paths we choose to take.  These Vessels can stand strong alone or can be combined to show how one person's life experience can amplify the beauty of those around them. Hillary 6 Week Handbuilding classes as well as one off Handbuilding workshops.

INSTRUCTOR

Nick Fletcher is a ceramic artist from Nashville, Tennessee. He received his Bachelor degree in Fine Arts from the Appalachian Center for Craft at Tennessee Tech University. Nick moved to San Marcos, TX at the beginning of 2020 to pursue a career in clay. His studio is located at the Eye of the Dog Art Center where he leads wood-firings and teaches classes. Nick teaches 6 Week Wheel classes and One Time Wheel classes at Mud Studio.

INSTRUCTOR

Rob Sheldon is a San Marcos potter and current resident at Eye of the Dog Art Center.  He earned his BFA from Alfred University in ceramics. Working in clay for over 20 years, he currently finds his work divided by three different modes; wheel throwing, hand building and slip casting.  Going on ten years of teaching ceramics, he continues to love sharing the possibilities of this medium to curious minds.  Rob teaches Beginner and Intermediate 6 Week Wheel classes at Mud Studio.

INSTRUCTOR

Shannon Hogarty is a ceramic artist based in Austin, Texas, specializing in atmospheric firings and intricate surface decoration. As an educator, she teaches classes and workshops across Austin and Central Texas. She explores texture, fire, and form through porcelain, pushing each piece toward something both forgotten and familiar. Shannon teaches 6 Week Wheel Classes at Mud Studio.

INSTRUCTOR

Frank Zhu has been working with clay in Austin, Texas for over 14 years, cultivating a deep connection to the material and its possibilities. As both a ceramic artist and educator, Frank balances his personal studio practice with a passion for teaching. His work explores the intersection of functionality and sculptural expression, using wheel-thrown forms as a foundation for alterations, textures, and creating surfaces for painterly expressions. His pieces challenge traditional notions of vessel-making, inviting viewers to engage with ceramics as both functional object and vehicle for metaphors. Frank teaches 6 Week Wheel Classes and One Time Wheel Classes at Mud Studio.

INSTRUCTOR

Sarah Marraffino is a ceramic artist living in Austin. Originally from Florida, she received her BFA in ceramics from UF in 2011 and spent the last ten years making pots and teaching art at both the elementary and high school level. Primarily working in porcelain, Sarah makes functional vessels with rich, illustrative surfaces inspired by the world around her. Krakens, grackles, plants, cats, nothing is off limits when It comes to surface design!  As a newbie to Austin, Sarah is excited to immerse herself in the creative community! Sarah teaches One Time Whee Classes at Mud Studio.

STUDIO MANAGER