About Us

Jane

Jane grew up in Asheville, NC. Shortly after graduating from the University of North Carolina (Asheville), she moved to Florida. After many long years away from the mountains, Jane finally moved back to the Asheville area in 2019.

Jane has had a life-long love affair with mud. She is never happier then when in the garden or in the pottery studio. One of her life's dilemmas is figuring out which one to do on any given day. It is an on-going struggle.

While Jane is well skilled in functional pottery, her interest right now is more sculptural and architectural. In her mind, beauty for beauty's sake alone is enough reason (more than enough) to undertake a project.

Jennifer

Jennifer grew up in Atlanta, GA. A few years after graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, she moved to Florida to continue her career working in the computer field. After way more years than she cares to admit, Jennifer finally retired from computers in mid-2020, moved to the mountains, and is looking forward to spending her free time up to her elbows in clay.

Computers were a way to make a living. Pottery is her true love. Around the age of seven, Jennifer saw a neighbor throwing clay. She was absolutely fascinated, but had to wait a very long time to explore that fascination further. School, work, family were always first. Finally, in 2006, she signed up for a pottery class offered at a local college. Since then, pottery has been a strong avocation, with a goal of one day making it her full-time profession.

Jennifer enjoys making pottery that is strongly functional, yet not necessarily traditional in look or style. Still, in her philosophy, function must override form so new designs often get a workout in her own home before being deemed acceptable.

JJ Clay

Together, Jane and Jennifer bring complementary interests and skill sets to the JJ Clay studio. They each make their own pots, but often contribute to each other's projects through encouragement, a well-timed suggestion, or even a well-intended (though not always appreciated) bit of constructive criticism.