Dorrie Sanders-Duarte

I began my pottery career in 2000 at a small production studio in Massachusetts. We made everything from slabs of clay; fired, painted and glazed the pieces in house. After 9 years, I moved across the country and began taking residencies and internships with other potters and organizations. One more move across the country, a marriage, and a baby later, I’ve started my own studio.

Myakka Clayworks creates hand crafted ceramic pieces that are decorative and functional. I strive to add a bit of uniqueness, charm, and overall oh-shoot-I-want-that! qualities to my pieces.

The process for each piece made involves either rolling out slabs with earthenware clay or throwing directly on the wheel; sometimes, a combination of the two. Most of my inspiration comes from my daily life and I like to depict this on my functional pieces of pottery. You’ll find city-scapes, rain clouds, vegetables, bird houses, etc, with a very high contrast, graphic feel. I try to add humor, lightness and whimsy to my illustrations. My work is intentionally rough around the edges. By using black underglaze, I am highlighting the marks that occur during the making process which make each piece unique.