MEET THE FIRESTICK COMMUNITY OF POTTERS...
sharing a studio, gallery, ideas, and inspiration. From beginning students to master potters, our common bond is the joy of working with clay.
sharing a studio, gallery, ideas, and inspiration. From beginning students to master potters, our common bond is the joy of working with clay.
ROBIN NAHIN, studio owner and potter
Robin, an avid potter and entrepenuer at heart, always dreamed of how things would be if she had her own pottery studio. So, she purchased the pottery studio formerly owned by Larry Carnes in 2017 and has been building her dream ever since.
Robin finds joy creating free form pottery full of color and texture and then planting succulents in them. Her creations are displayed in the gallery and in the garden at Firestick. You can also see them out on the GALLERY page.
You'll find Robin tending to her pots and plants, members and guests, and the studio Thursday through Monday of every week. Come on by, she would love to meet you.
Robin, an avid potter and entrepenuer at heart, always dreamed of how things would be if she had her own pottery studio. So, she purchased the pottery studio formerly owned by Larry Carnes in 2017 and has been building her dream ever since.
Robin finds joy creating free form pottery full of color and texture and then planting succulents in them. Her creations are displayed in the gallery and in the garden at Firestick. You can also see them out on the GALLERY page.
You'll find Robin tending to her pots and plants, members and guests, and the studio Thursday through Monday of every week. Come on by, she would love to meet you.
Aaron Wiitablake, General Manager
Aaron has been actively involved in the ceramics field since 2017 studying at Ventura College. Aaron's practical experience started in 2020 with a role as the lab technician at Ventura College, ensuring smooth operations and assisting in various ceramic projects. Aaron started at Firestick in 2019 and transitioned to General Manager in 2023.
Aaron has been actively involved in the ceramics field since 2017 studying at Ventura College. Aaron's practical experience started in 2020 with a role as the lab technician at Ventura College, ensuring smooth operations and assisting in various ceramic projects. Aaron started at Firestick in 2019 and transitioned to General Manager in 2023.
ROSEMARY HOLLIDAY HALL, Artist, Teacher, and Co-manager
Rosemary is a transdisciplinary artist whose practice utilizes ceramics, sculpture, video installation, and performance to explore time, nature, and more-than-human agencies. She joined Firestick Pottery as a teacher and manager in 2021. Her teaching philosophy is based on open-ended play, exploration, and embodied approaches to materiality. For Rosemary, clay is a means to explore multiple ways of understanding and connecting with the world around us. Clay is everywhere, it’s the earth we walk on, the vessels we drink from, and the crust we eventually return to. It is a deeptime matter, that arises naturally through the slow decomposition of rock. And in this way, the history of objects made from clay is the continuous entanglement of nature and culture ~ as mountains become vessels. What she loves about clay, is how it asks us to relate to time, the environment, and our bodies. Creating through this material is a relationship to the earth and yourself, it is imprinting, grounding, centering, and always transforming.
Rosemary received her MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA from the University of California Davis. She has exhibited work in galleries and performance festivals in Chicago, London, and Washington DC.
Instagram : rosemaryhhall www.rosemaryhollidayhall.com
Rosemary is a transdisciplinary artist whose practice utilizes ceramics, sculpture, video installation, and performance to explore time, nature, and more-than-human agencies. She joined Firestick Pottery as a teacher and manager in 2021. Her teaching philosophy is based on open-ended play, exploration, and embodied approaches to materiality. For Rosemary, clay is a means to explore multiple ways of understanding and connecting with the world around us. Clay is everywhere, it’s the earth we walk on, the vessels we drink from, and the crust we eventually return to. It is a deeptime matter, that arises naturally through the slow decomposition of rock. And in this way, the history of objects made from clay is the continuous entanglement of nature and culture ~ as mountains become vessels. What she loves about clay, is how it asks us to relate to time, the environment, and our bodies. Creating through this material is a relationship to the earth and yourself, it is imprinting, grounding, centering, and always transforming.
Rosemary received her MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA from the University of California Davis. She has exhibited work in galleries and performance festivals in Chicago, London, and Washington DC.
Instagram : rosemaryhhall www.rosemaryhollidayhall.com
ESTEBAN SANCHEZ, Kiln Manager, Teacher, Social Media Marketing
Esteban has 7 years experience as a potter and teaches wheel throwing classes, keeps the kilns running smooth, and manages facility maintenance and operations. He has been part of the Firestick team for 3 years and studied pottery at Ventura College with Jenchi Wu. He enjoys creating functional stoneware pieces but also stepping away from that occasionally with adding fun carvings and surface texture or whimsical sculpted faces to hand built compound forms. His focus is on keeping the kilns running efficiently twice a week and mastering the fine nuanced variable skills needed for the firing the cone 10 downdraft gas kiln and achieving a consistent glaze reduction.
Esteban has 7 years experience as a potter and teaches wheel throwing classes, keeps the kilns running smooth, and manages facility maintenance and operations. He has been part of the Firestick team for 3 years and studied pottery at Ventura College with Jenchi Wu. He enjoys creating functional stoneware pieces but also stepping away from that occasionally with adding fun carvings and surface texture or whimsical sculpted faces to hand built compound forms. His focus is on keeping the kilns running efficiently twice a week and mastering the fine nuanced variable skills needed for the firing the cone 10 downdraft gas kiln and achieving a consistent glaze reduction.
Riley Harris, Manager, Teacher, All around good guy
Originally a self-taught ceramist from the East coast, Riley joined Firestick in 2022. Rising rapidly from Apprentice to Manager, Riley has become a backbone for the studio, teaching classes and throwing custom orders.
Originally a self-taught ceramist from the East coast, Riley joined Firestick in 2022. Rising rapidly from Apprentice to Manager, Riley has become a backbone for the studio, teaching classes and throwing custom orders.
Taylor Riggs, Teacher, Potter
Taylor started working in ceramics at Nordhoff in 2013 and a year later apprenticed under Larry Carnes. Further honing her craft at Ventura College, she has passionately embraced ceramics as a medium for artistic expression. In 2019 Taylor began working at Firestick Pottery. Taylor leads the teen throwing classes, maintains our glazes and is an integral part of the team.
Taylor started working in ceramics at Nordhoff in 2013 and a year later apprenticed under Larry Carnes. Further honing her craft at Ventura College, she has passionately embraced ceramics as a medium for artistic expression. In 2019 Taylor began working at Firestick Pottery. Taylor leads the teen throwing classes, maintains our glazes and is an integral part of the team.
Mattia Braccini, Kids Class Teacher, Potter, Hand Builder
Coming from Santa Cruz, Mattia Braccini discovered ceramics in 2014 which became a passion while attending classes at Ventura College in 2022. Specializing in hand building techniques, Mattia has honed his skillset, allowing him to create unique, delicate, and innovative pieces that captivate and inspire. Mattia is also passionate about imparting his love for pottery to the next generation. As our Kids Class Teacher, he introduces young minds to the wonders of ceramics, teaching them not only the techniques but also the patience and mindfulness that comes with the craft thus making him a favorite among both students and parents alike.
Join Mattia's class and embark on a journey of exploration, creativity, and self-expression through the timeless art of pottery.
Coming from Santa Cruz, Mattia Braccini discovered ceramics in 2014 which became a passion while attending classes at Ventura College in 2022. Specializing in hand building techniques, Mattia has honed his skillset, allowing him to create unique, delicate, and innovative pieces that captivate and inspire. Mattia is also passionate about imparting his love for pottery to the next generation. As our Kids Class Teacher, he introduces young minds to the wonders of ceramics, teaching them not only the techniques but also the patience and mindfulness that comes with the craft thus making him a favorite among both students and parents alike.
Join Mattia's class and embark on a journey of exploration, creativity, and self-expression through the timeless art of pottery.