Mud Flats Pottery is the work of Sue Tuttle. Sue is an accomplished thrower, hand sculptor and an adventurous experimenter. Her influences are her attraction to Asian and African art, textured surfaces, geometric patterns, and subdued slips and glazes. And her inspiration comes from the natural world.
She has a great deal of control over material, design, and form. However, within the act of both the firing and decorative processes, there is always a certain randomness and uncertainty which prevails. It is the experience of these final elements of surprise, anxiety, disappointment, and delight that excites and sustains her in her ceramic pursuits. And, it is this combination of detailed control in the form process combined with the "controlled unpredictability" of the final decorative process, which is the significant balance to the strength of her work.
The subtle variation in the color of her pit-fired vessels is the result of many steps. The process begins with the selection of a clay body and surface preparation of each vessel. After surface preparation the vessel is bisque fired then placed in a pit that contains sawdust, wood shavings and organic material. A wide variety of colors and shades are available in this firing method. You do not however, have absolute control over what the colors and shades will be nor their exact location.
Sue Tuttle has a reputation for beautiful one-of-a-kind art. While she may repeat the forms, the difference in the pit-fired natural unglazed surface and decorative embellishments make each piece unique. Today she produces work for catalogs (such as Sundance Catalog Company), galleries, retail shops and individuals. All of her work is handmade and decorated, most of her work uses a combination of wheel thrown and hand sculpted techniques. Her goal is to always bring the best design and skill together for others to enjoy.