Pottery is like magic to me, whether I am making pieces that people will use for their daily meals or creating things that will sit on their shelves. From the lump of clay being formed into the pot, to the mysterious time in the fire where the pot is transformed into the final product, the whole process is still amazing me.

People often ask me where my inspiration comes from. I have always felt a strong connection to the natural world. I love being outside, and my pottery wheel sits in front of a large window , through which I see the changing seasons, the stream, and the hillside beyond. The natural world fills me with wonder, and sometimes I try to capture that sense of wonder in my pots. At other times my inspiration is more internal, stemming from the connections and challenges of living in this world we all share.

Clay has fascinated me ever since the first time I took a pottery class. I am still consumed with finding out what clay can do and what I can do with it. It challenges and fulfills. I enjoy the shapes, the lines, the possibilities yet to be explored. Pottery is my connection to the world and the people whith whom I share it.

Rick Scheffert, creator of Spirit of clay Pottery, lives at the end of a dead-end road in a valley of Northeast Iowa. He studied pottery at Luther college, where he was trained in the Bauhaus tradition. While honoring this tradition and using many of it's forms, Rick's interest is in pushing the limits of tradition to create forms which are a mixture of new and old. When he is not creating artwork, Rick enjoys being outside, doing theatre, and gardening.