About Double R Clay Works

---

I recall having a strong creative desire as far back as kindergarten. I vividly remember the day Miss Blue asked our class to finger paint a tree. Walking around, she began assessing our work, taking in an endless sea of solid green circles supported by solid brown posts. When Miss Blue came to my easel, she found something different—a black and brown trunk fanning out at the base, separating right and left to support three overlapping oval shapes of various sizes. The ovals were outlined in black. I had used the tips of my fingers with green paint to make countless fingerprints (my attempt at leaves) to fill the spheres with color.

Hoisting me up into her arms to look out the window, Miss Blue complimented my effort and asked me to take a good look outside. “Robert, how many branches do you see on these trees? How many different colors do you see on the leaves?” Although I do not recall my response, her encouragement and her challenge to refine my tree renderings stuck with me. Improvements were made as soon as she placed me back on the ground. I will be forever grateful to Miss Blue for setting fire to the creative kindling in my heart.

My strong interest in art classes continued through college, ultimately leading me to the world of pottery.

I attended Knox College. “Knox? Never heard of it.” (Yeah, I get that all the time). Founded in 1837, Knox is best known for being one of the seven locations for the Lincoln-Douglas Presidential debates (August 21 – October 15, 1858) leading up to the 1860 election. Knox has always offered a low student-teacher ratio (10:1), and I enjoyed the benefits of many classes having fewer than ten students. My two pottery classes were among these, with class sizes of nine and six, respectively. Consistent with most traditional liberal arts colleges at that time, grade standards were both high and rigid. Pottery Professor Henry Joe held up his end quite well—think of Mr. Miyagi in the movie The Karate Kid. Professor Joe was incredibly demanding, sparing in commentary, and generous with illustration. If Henry said, “Not bad,” it was considered high praise.

Of the nine students in my first pottery course, two dropped in the first three weeks. Within the next two weeks, the class lost two more. Of the remaining five, three were pottery majors within the Art Department, leaving just me and one other non-art major. Having withdrawn from only one course during my college experience (freshman calculus), dropping an art class was not on my radar. I redoubled my efforts, spending countless hours at the wheel. At that time, manual kick-wheels were all we used, and bats did not exist (which allow easy removal of finished work from the wheel). Frequently, I found myself departing the pottery studio at “Zero Dark Thirty.” Aided by significant encouragement from the three pottery majors, my work slowly improved. Once I completed the requisite pieces, I was granted the freedom to create anything. Lidded jars immediately became my singular focus.

As the final weeks of my last pottery class unwound, my work continued to progress, notably in the relative ease of throwing taller, symmetrical pieces. Professor Joe hand-selected a few dozen pieces completed by the class to include in his “Best-of-Class” display, shown gallery-style for the student population and local community. I was honored to have several of my lidded jars included among the many beautiful works created by the three majors. I was hooked. Although graduation, grad school, and marriage were about to commence, I was certain I would find ways to continue what I had found to be my perfect niche of creative artistic expression: pottery!

Wonderfully, our futures remain unpredictable and unknown. Despite my intoxication with clay, almost 40 years would pass before I was able to return to the wheel. In 2022, my beautiful and supportive wife suggested it was time for me to re-light my passion. Then again, as her timing coincided with my retirement, maybe she just wanted me out of the house! Regardless, I am forever grateful for her push to re-ignite my love for the craft.

I would be remiss not to thank my truly wonderful family: my brother, Steve; sister, Gina; and my amazing mom, Rose. Many friends and relatives gave such incredible encouragement, including a big shout-out to the BHS Class of '80! A special thanks to my strongest early supporters from that great class: Greg, Mark, Phil, Dick, Lynn, Anne, and Patrick (my West Texas buddy). A heartfelt thanks also goes to my lifetime art buddy, Mike Powers, for his endless artistic inspiration and encouragement (RIP, dear friend).

Finally, thanks to the CAC (Creative Arts Center of Dallas) and the DCC (Dallas Clay Collective, my current primary studio). The DCC is operated by the wonderful Lynn Armstrong, whom I consider my pottery "Lynnsei"! Shout out to the talented instructors who helped me "get back on my skis." A sincere thanks for your patience and skilled instruction, Lynn, along with Tabatha, Daniel, Annie, David, and Nathan. Thanks and gratitude also to the wonderful Blue Goat Studio (Mary and Sharon are the best!), whom I had the pleasure of working with in 2024. These creative and talented ladies provided endless, generous encouragement from day one. The collective contribution to my sustained efforts has been nothing short of astronomical. Please know that your support continues to provide the ongoing fuel to drive my creative passion*. God willing, the best is yet to come.

*To create one-of-a-kind “Sculptures of Clay, Designed to Make you Smile.*

My goal is to spark the imagination, offering “Works-of-Clay” to add a touch of beauty to your home or office. I strive to design intriguing pieces that draw your attention again and again.