Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Watson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Soquel and started my ceramic journey just down the road at Cabrillo College in 2008 under the tutelage of Kathryn McBride, Sam Clarkson and Silvia Rios, but my passion for craftsmanship began much earlier in life building skate ramps, treehouses, and taking as many shop and art classes as possible through grade school. Fast forward to the present, I have been creating functional pottery for the people of Santa Cruz and beyond for over 15 years, selling primarily at farmers markets and events around town. The work is versatile, functional, and decorative, inspired by the many peers close to me as well as tea practice and old folk pottery of Korea and Japan.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Haha. Absolutely not. If it was a smooth road I would’ve quit a long time ago. But, it has been fun and the challenges are fully embraced. This is the way of clay. I still sit down to this day and flop a few pots before i get into the flow. Just like anything else, you have to warm up to the creative process again and again, every single time.
I also barely made enough money for food/gas/materials the first 5-7 years of my practice. Hell, who am I kidding? I still barely make enough… But I have an unwavering faith and drive that cannot be tampered with. The “show must go on”kinda mentality.
Lastly, I moved studio spaces a number of times for the first decade of my career. From cabrillo college to the mountain art center in Ben Lomend. To working in my good buddy Jasper Marinos backyard studio, then various other backyard studios and then to the magical Floasis, a collective clay space that my friend Travis Adams was running at the time (now officially Santa Cruz Clay on the westside of town) The dream studio starting coming to fruition in 2021 at my family home in Soquel, where i slowly and patiently built out my kiln shed and set up a gas kiln in the next couple years here to create my first ever fully independent studio. Im forever grateful for this journey as it makes me deeply grateful to have the set-up i do now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
So, i am a ceramic artist, a potter through and through. The beautiful thing about ceramics is that it wonderfully merges craft and creativity. Id say craft is where my heart is, but i also very much enjoy the decorative/creative side of what i do.
Im obsessed with function, so my work revolves entirely around functional objects, bowls, mugs, bottles, teapots, teacups, platters, plates, blates(yes, blates, like a bowl/plate) you name it. Japanese style teaware like chawan (tea bowl) yunomi style cups and side handle teapots for various style teas. Vases, planters, and dishes of all shapes and sizes, I love it all.
Not sure what im most proud of, maybe just where i am now. I never saw myself here, with a family of my own, my little girl Kaiya and my lovely lady Alexandria who shares the same passion for clay. Yeah, thats it.
Id say what sets my work aside from others is the variety of works i create. Lots of different styles, textures, and clay bodies. And i owe that to all the amazing teachers and peers i came up working with. I was really lucky to have three formidible years at Cabrillo College where i was completely set free and open to explore. I never pigeon holed myself into one style or really anything close to cohesiveness. Every single demonstrating artist that came through cabrillo to share their tricks, i gave it a shot, even if i didnt like their style id still try it. (And usually end up loving it) So to this day, 16 years later, ive never gotten bored because i have a huge array of tricks and tools to pull from, endless opportunity for exploration.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Drive and passion.
My mom told me only recently that when i was young she would watch me skate off from the house through the window. Back then i would just go skate around town by myself, i didnt need anyone with me, just me and my board… She would wonder what i was to become, but she wasn’t worried because she could sense my passion for life was strong.
There are so many layers to my story that i could attribute to my sucess, from my family and friends, teachers and peers, to coaches, to employers. But i believe that passion is the underlying theme.
Pricing:
- Mugs from 45$ to 65$
- Bowls from 25$ up (size/decoration)
- Teacups and little saké cups 20$ or two for 30$
- Decorative vases and bottles from 120$ – 450$
- Teapots from 75$ to 225$
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Littlecreekpottery.com
- Instagram: @tombhala @littlecreek_pottery
