Hi there! I'm Arryn Vogan and I am the artist behind The Clay House Studio. I'm so glad you are here! Before we get too far, let's go back to the beginning. I grew up with a passion for the arts. I was always creating something, whether it was painting, drawing, sewing or sculpting. It was a natural decision to study art when I went to college. I graduated from Houghton College with a B.A. in Fine Arts. My concentration was ceramics, studying under professor Gary Baxter. (Ironically during my sophomore year and review, my painting prof told me to pick ceramics and my ceramics prof told me to go with painting...hard not to take that too personally, right?) Spoiler, ceramics won and it was this medium that opened the doors to a whole new world of creativity and exploration. It was at Houghton that I discovered the crystalline glaze technique and made it my independent study. It was also at Houghton where I met my husband Andrew.
We got married right out of college in 2009; we were children. We started out life together in Exeter, New Hampshire and have been in New England ever since. We lived in this adorable third-floor walk up (dated back to 1880) right in historic downtown for the first three years. It was in our first year that I bought my first kiln and wheel and opened up business in 2010. Now my studio is out of my home, kilns and all. Babies started coming in 2012 and here we are in 2019 with four boys ranging from 7 to 3.5 months old. Business has shifted to accommodate a houseful of boys and let that be my number one priority. I have never stopped producing work and creating - I don't know that I ever could!
I'm a studio potter throwing small batch functional wares. I love curating a lifestyle and home filled with handmade and unique finds - which I hope you see in my shop as well. I'm also totally addicted to dinnerware, so it works well that I'm a potter. Fine art doesn't have to just hang on a gallery wall. I believe it can be functional and used daily. Ceramics offers that, especially in your kitchen and around your dinner table.
My work features all white ceramics and my favorite: crystalline. I have been working with this technique since 2007. This distinct look in my work comes from the high concentration of zinc oxide and Ferro frit, two key elements which allow crystals to seed and mature. During the firing cycle, the kiln will hold at various intervals for prolonged periods of time with controlled cooling, giving the crystal patterns the time they need to develop and grow. What I love most about ceramics and crystalline glazing is how closely it relates to Creation. I can do a hundred firings and never get the same crystal formation twice: much like a snowflake in nature, each one is utterly unique.
If you know me well, then you know I love bright bold color and patterns, crafting, starting new projects at the most inopportune times, all flavors involving Oreo, being outside, flowers and I adore being pregnant! (I wish the baby stage lasted longer than it did. I am soaking it all up!) I hope you stick around and we can get a chance to know each other better. This blog is my space to share about my life and behind the scenes, not just the technicalities of my work and process. I also hope you find something here in the shop that grabs you. Drop me a line and follow along on Instagram because I want to get to know you too! @the_clay_house_studio