When I was a child, my mother would often invite me to join her as she ventured to art and craft shows. I remember always looking forward to those outings as I found myself drawn to the booths with potters demonstrating on a manual kick wheel. I would become so completely mesmerized by watching the spinning of the wheel that my mother would have to drag me away from the booths. She would say, “come on Laura!…it’s time to go”…in a stern voice very similar to the one I use with my own children. And I would follow her, rather reluctantly. Back then, one potter explained to me that the cement kick wheel he was spinning with his foot weighed over 200 pounds. Being very young and not knowing that electric pottery wheels even existed, I thought, “I guess I need to start lifting weights to become that strong”. Needless to say, I was inspired.

Years later while earning my BBA at Cleveland State University, I decided to take a pottery class as an art elective. However, the prerequisite for the pottery class was to take a 3-D drawing class. The professor for the drawing class was from NYC and thought all of his students needed to spend what seemed like 12 hours a day working on our drawings. Well, I found working 60 hours a week to pay for my tuition and studying for my business classes allowed no time to work on my drawing. Inevitably, I decided to drop the drawing class and I forgot about learning pottery for years.

I graduated in 1991 with a BBA concentrating in Marketing and Finance and received a full academic scholarship for my MBA. I then began my career by working as a research associate for two analysts at a Cleveland based securites firm, McDonald and Company Securities, Inc. I worked as an associate for about a year while taking taking classes towards my masters degree. However, the experience working in a fast paced office atmosphere left me quite disheartened with my career choice and future path.

Fortunately, at that time I had the opportunity to co-own and manage a restaurant. My work schedule then allowed my to begin taking pottery classes as a continuing education student at a community college. As expected, I soon became “hooked” and wanted nothing more than to throw pots for the rest of my life. I continued learning about clay and glaze chemistry as a student at Ohio State University and by attending weekend pottery workshops as often as possible.

I now live in Summit, New Jersey with my four children. I throw pots and teach pottery to adults and children in my basement studio and garage. As often as possible, I sell my pieces at art and craft shows. I love it.

A customer once asked me how long it took to make the decorative bowl she just purchased. I replied with a smile, “fifteen years and five minutes”. I love my customers. They buy the pots I make so I can make more.

- Laura Hanley