About First Fruits

---

Mission Statement

First Fruits Ceramics creates well-crafted and beautiful ceramic work that supports life and abundance. We aspire to bring God’s rich gifts into your home.

Core Values

1. Ecological- We believe that God made the Earth and it is His. As such, we are tenants and are not in a position to use and abuse it at will. My ceramic work supports life, nutrition and nurturance while at the same time seeks to reduce waste, and appropriately utilizes natural resources.
2. Production- I take great pride in being a producer and adding value. From the food systems that I support to the ceramic work that I create, I place a huge emphasis on quality and excellence.
3. Local- A system that relies on gigantic industrial resources, cheap fuel and monstrous transportation is, ultimately, going to be neither financially nor ecologically sustainable. Therefore, we seek to support local economies where possible, and especially sensitively practice local ecology.
4. Aesthetic- God made us such that beauty is a basic human need. Our hearts are fuller and more vibrant when we have access to beautiful design.
5. Sacred- Our true belief is that God is real, He created all of nature including us and He inspires us daily. We believe that God calls us to restored relationship with nature and in turn nature can bring us into the presence of God.
6. ​Generosity- We can give because we have received.

Pottery is intended to be a beautiful synthesis of form and function. My work mimics primarily geological forms. It has a buoyancy of form that appeals to our sensibility for fullness. The intended use of my ceramic work is to hold plants- primarily edible plants. This allows for indoor, four season gardening and also for the increased selection of edibles that the limited ecosystem of Colorado and other places might not be available.

The pots that I make are very much inspired by Japanese aesthetics where specific natural phenomena inspire each piece. My pottery is specifically inspired by the work of rivers. The smoothness of the forms simulates river stones and I will often include elements informed by the flow of water. Additionally, the work isn't required to be "perfect" just as natural forms aren't "perfect". In fact, the charm and true beauty of each object lies in the fact that it is allowed to be- imperfections and all. This is the aesthetics of handmade pottery. Otherwise, why not buy factory made pottery?

But the meaning is even deeper than that. That very imperfection actually makes the piece better. It mimics us actually. Our imperfection is the very heart of humanness. It's not an excuse to be less than we are meant to be but our value doesn't lie in our merit. It is in our inherent value that God has placed on us as His sons and daughters.

In addition to these ideals, I use a lot of handprints (though not always) as a nod to primitive art. Handprints are the most common motif seen in our oldest artworks. Similarly, I nearly always use native clay in my artworks- clay that I have gone out and collected myself. I have always loved ancient things, especially as they address issues of self-sufficiency, naturalism and the necessities of life. These are our shared heritage and our sacred purpose: To flourish and make living things thrive.

These are the things that are important to me. The things that feed both our bodies and our souls. The things that address our need for actual nourishment and but also beauty which nourishes the soul. As a Colorado native, I am very aware of the limitations of our ecosystem. Winters often feel long and lifeless. My ceramic work allows for four-season indoor gardening and increase our available edibles we can sustain.

Some of my work comes pre-planted. Some comes empty allowing the patron to choose what they wish to grow.