In the era of AI, Fort Collins ceramic artist Raya Duryea finds that more people are gravitating toward things that are handmade.
“We are in a cool place in time where craftsmanship is very valued,” she says.
Pottery holds a unique place in the lineup of artistic mediums, as it is both visual and functional. Here, three local potters share their journeys from hobbyists to full-time artists and why they find lumps of clay so inspiring.
The handbuilder
Diane Budy began taking pottery classes in the mid-90s, when she was in her 20s and living in Los Angeles. Then life got in the way, and her hobby stalled for a while. But she picked it back up in 2017, and it grew into something bigger after she moved to Fort Collins three years ago.
“I was leaving my corporate job and knew it was the perfect time to make the transition to full-time artist,” she says.
Today, Budy splits her time between her home studio and the Northern Colorado Potters’ Guild & Studio. Her ceramics are primarily created using the handbuilding technique of molding slabs of clay by hand rather than on a pottery wheel.
“I love the pace of handbuilding,” she says. “It’s slower and completely manual. To me, it’s far more satisfying working with the clay in this state than in the softer, wetter form you wind up with in wheel throwing.”
Handbuilding also creates a different look, she adds.
“On the wheel, you can leave throwing lines, and in handbuilding, you can have more irregularity in the form itself,” Budy says. “You can do this intentionally with your hands, or you can let some of this happen naturally during the drying and firing processes.”
The technique reminds her of her other artistic works, including pieces made from fabric or paper.
“It’s all about creating a pattern, cutting the clay and building a structure,” she says.
Budy’s art draws much of its inspiration from the bold, graphic designs often found in screen and block printing techniques. She prefers making vases and trays, which she says offer “endless possibilities for form and design.” Her bestselling motifs are birds and ferns.
“When I started using my bird motif, I wanted it to convey peace,” she says. “But then I added raindrops behind it, and it came to symbolize resilience, which is so important to put out in the world.”
Budy is currently experimenting with soda firing, where sodium oxide is thrown into the kiln and vaporizes, creating random reactions with the clay and glaze on each piece so that no two are alike. She says the effect gives her clean, graphic designs some “added mystery.”
Budy sells her pottery at Trimble Court Artisans in downtown Fort Collins and through her website, dianebudy.com. Her work can also be found on Instagram @dianebudyceramics.
The scientist
Loveland native Gus Waneka took a pottery class with his father when he was in high school. It was a bonding moment for them, and Waneka has been hooked on pottery ever since.
“My dad has been a hobby potter forever, and I always loved using his pottery growing up,” says Waneka, who also shares his love of pottery with his wife. “My wife and I eventually started taking classes at the Fort Collins City Park Pottery Studio. That’s where we really honed our craft.”
At the same time, Waneka obtained a doctorate in biology from Colorado State University in 2024. When he graduated, the call to create was stronger than science, so he opted for a pottery wheel instead of a microscope.
Waneka’s studio takes up most of his garage and a portion of his backyard. He has both electric and gas kilns. He uses his electric kiln mainly for bisque firing, the first firing after the clay has dried. He then applies glaze and does the final firing in his gas kiln.
“The atmosphere and flame paths inside the kiln, along with the placement of each pot, all affect the result,” he says.
Firing is usually a 14-hour process, and Waneka checks his pottery every 15 minutes throughout the process. While his electric kiln is easier to run, he prefers his gas kiln, which creates a finished product he says is “just a little more wild.” He finds inspiration in the blending of utility and art: His goal is to create pieces that not only “look good but feel good in the hand.”
For Waneka, a good mug is one that feels natural as soon as you pick it up, from the handle shape and rim to the overall weight and balance of the piece. He often adds an indentation to cups to give the thumb a comfortable place to settle. On mugs, he adds a small amount of clay to the top of the handle to create a thumb rest and help counterbalance the weight.
In addition to drinkware, Waneka creates olive oil bottles, vases, lamps, coffee pour-overs and more. Above all, he enjoys the functionality of his work.
“A good mug allows people to slow down and appreciate a beautiful piece of art,” he says. “It elevates people’s lives.”
Waneka’s pottery is available at
Trimble Court Artisans, and he posts other locations where his pottery will be available on his website, wanekapottery.com.
He also posts his work on Instagram @waneka.pottery.
The minimalist
Raya Duryea attended college in Portland and took pottery as an elective in 2018. At graduation, her parents offered her and her three older sisters a stipend to help them buy a new car or pay off student loans. Duryea asked for a pottery wheel.
“I fell in love with the process of turning a ball of mud into something you can use every day,” she says.
After college, Duryea pursued pottery in earnest and supplemented her income by working at Bindle Coffee in Fort Collins. The owners were very supportive, she says, and placed her mugs for sale. She began getting more requests and started her business, Sandstone Ceramics, in 2021.
At the beginning of this year, she left the coffee shop to create pottery full time, working out of her home studio in Fort Collins. She leans toward a minimalist style in both the shape and form of her pottery, using the natural world as inspiration.
“I tend to steer away from bright, loud colors and like to focus on a softer, muted, neutral palette similar to hues one might find in stones, leaves, trees and moss,” she says. “Nature shows itself through the shapes that I focus on as well. I tend to avoid sharp angles and lines and enjoy soft curves and pieces with fluidity and movement.”
While she began with a focus on coffee mugs, Duryea has started to branch out into bowls, vases and larger pieces. She hopes to one day offer a greater range of curated home goods.
“My goal is to make pieces that are approachable and will look good in anyone’s home,” she says. “These everyday pieces add a lot of value to your life. They ground you in the moment.”
Duryea sells mugs at Bindle Coffee and Lima Coffee Roasters and sets up at local markets across the Front Range. She also maintains an online shop at sandstoneceramics.com, and her work can be found on Instagram @sandstone_ceramics.
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Where to Take a Pottery Class
Sue Collentine, owner of Smokestack Pottery, a studio she opened in 2012 in Fort Collins, currently has 178 students and four teachers, with a 100-person waitlist. She opened a second space last year to offer more classes.
“Since the pandemic, we have really seen a large number of people who want to get into the craft,” she says.
Check out these pottery studios in Northern Colorado, or reach out to a local artist for private lessons.
The Artisan Shop & Studio, Loveland
A variety of classes are offered, including pottery, fiber, mixed media and glass arts. Their three-day pottery immersion series costs $90. theartisanshopandstudio.com
Beautiful Mud Pottery, Fort Collins
This studio offers 10-week classes (currently full, join their waitlist) and workshops. Workshops are titled First Throw (for beginners), Throw Things (a little more advanced) and Clay Art (to learn the handbuilding technique). They also offer open studio hours. beautifulmudpottery.com
City of Fort Collins Pottery Studio at City Park
Private and group classes are offered for all ages. fortcollins.gov/venues/pottery-studio
The Clay Center of Northern Colorado, Greeley
Individual and group classes are available. Seven-week/14-session classes cost $300 and include 25 pounds of clay. There is a waitlist for 2026 classes. claycenternc.com
Dr. T Pottery, Fort Collins
This home-based studio offers private pottery classes as well as eight-week courses. drtpottery.com
Flingin Pots, Fort Collins
A home-based studio offering a variety of open and private classes, ranging from couples’ date nights and three-day pottery camps to classes on how to make a dinnerware set. Guests can rent pottery wheels as well. flinginpots.com
Potter’s Touch, Loveland
The studio’s five-week wheel classes start this month. They also offer pottery painting. potterstouchpainting.com
Smokestack Pottery, Fort Collins
Lessons are three hours each for seven weeks, with a different form demonstrated each week. The cost ranges from $245 to $250, depending on the clay, and access to the studio wheels, slab roller, tools and glaze are an additional cost. Classes of all levels are available. smokestackpottery.com
Northern Colorado Pottery Supply, Fort Collins
The shop offers pottery supplies, studio space and firing services. northerncoloradopotterysupply.com
