The Inspiration

Animals have always been a part of my life.

I grew up with a White German Shepherd named Prince. We lived in North Carolina and he was with me all around our farm. We had horses, cats and all other kinds of farm animals. I grew up roaming the farm with that dog. As an only child, the dog was my brother… keeping me company anywhere I went. One time our family was out picking blackberries in the back pasture. Prince went ahead of me in the brush and began chasing something. I thought it was a rabbit or some little creature but he started aggressively pursuing something and was very agitated. I backed out of the bush and heard him yelp. As we called him back he came out of the bush back to us with two fang marks on his nose. That’s when I knew he had been protecting me.

By the time we got back down to the house he had a huge lump on his nose. In another hour or so his entire nose swelled to the size of his head. My dad, a vet by training, treated him immediately with drugs to stop the swelling. He had a rough night but I held his head the whole time and he just peacefully rested. He recovered fully but had a new intense hatred of snakes. Instead of shying away anytime he saw one he would go after them picking them up by the tail and snapping them like a whip in the air until he was sure they would be no further threat. He was an awesome dog.
 
 
Later my parents got a Dalmatian that they named King. He was my second brother. Although I was in college at the time, I still spent a few summers with him. He was one of those dogs that would talk to you. He would sit there at meal times and complain about our lack of sharing of food with him. I taught him how to catch a Frisbee and he was unrelenting once he got started with it. He could even entertain himself by tossing
toys of his into the air and then trying to catch them. He was another
great dog.

Today I have a son… Tucker is a two year old Pembroke Corgi. We got him because he’s a big dog in a small package. Although he has short legs he loves to play with the big dogs. And his herding instincts kick-in anytime another dog runs by… he must give chase.

Earl joined our family in May 2006. He is a beautiful tri-color corgi who is delighting in jumping on Tucker's head at every opportunity. Who needs exercise when there's a little brother to pick on you all day? His specialty is trying to encourage his brother to play with him by barking directly in his face.
 
   
The Skills

I ended up taking pottery classes while I was working at Rochester Institute of Technology. As an employee you could “audit” classes for half-price which basically meant you could attend the class and not get graded or get academic credit. So, a friend of mine was taking the class and talked me into going. I went along and got into throwing on kick wheels because that was most of the types of wheels they had. I did your normal line of bowls, plates, casserole dishes, and other assorted pieces.

When we moved to Georgia I got out of pottery because I had so many other things to do. Commuting to a job takes up so much time in Atlanta that there isn’t time for much else. I got into work, exercising, and driving endless hours to jobs that I really didn’t enjoy.

Then a friend of mine, Elise, talked to me about a pottery course she was taking at a local arts school. She talked me into going with her. At first I tried to throw on an electric wheel and got incredibly frustrated. I went back to an old-fashioned kick wheel. After a while I got back into the rhythm of making bowls, dishes, etc. But I started getting bored.
I didn’t know what to make next. I wasn’t interested in making mugs and bowls any more. I needed that inspiration…
 
   
The Path to 4 Paws Potery

That’s about when we got Tucker as a puppy. And the rest is history. I decided that this was how I could give back to the animals I love. I started making dishes for Tucker. Soon he had more bowls than a dog could ever possibly use. So,
I started giving away pieces to all my friends that had dogs. As I continued making dog bowls I realized that everyone who had a dog had a special connection to them. They wanted to give something to their dogs because of everything their dogs gave to them.

I started experimenting with different glazes, different designs, and different stamps. Friends began asking for pieces with their dog’s name on them. They began asking for certain colors or styles. I really enjoyed using my pottery to
make fun and functional objects. I enjoyed being creative and doing something that made people smile. I enjoyed watching dogs drink out of my water bowls or eat out of my food bowls. And I especially enjoyed seeing Tucker come running when we opened his treat jar. The clink of the lid makes him come running every time.

So, whether it’s a really cute bowl, a personalized treat jar, or just something to hold their brushes… it helps us to
give back to the animals that do so much for us. Our pets expect so little from us…and yet they give so much to us every day.
 
   
Special Thanks

A special thanks goes to my husband Brian for supporting me in this endeavor. He helped build my pottery studio at home and encouraged me to start this business. He has been wonderful and without him I probably would not have started down this path.