It's me, the Little Clay Hen!
hi!
I'm Jodi, the Little Clay Hen, maker and mom extraordinaire, and I've been crafting and creating for many many years. My love of art started around the age of 3 when I was introduced to ceramics by my mother and my favorite teacher, Miss. Finny! I was raised Texan until my parents moved us to the beautiful State of New Mexico (which is in the U.S!) in 1996. I graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2003 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts studying bronze casting where I met the one true love of my life, my husband, partner, and the fire to my kiln, my love, Niles.
Studio Broadway
arts
Niles and I worked together between 2001 and 2013 managing his vibrant glass shop and artist studio warehouse space, Studio Broadway Arts. At the studio we hosted all kinds of art and music shows, made our own art, and we also taught. Niles taught glass art to teens and young adults often bringing in workshops, and I taught fine arts and ceramic lessons to children. We had our first child in 2006 with two more to follow (stair step style) in 2008 and 2010. We continued sharing our skills through teaching and the little ones were there with us the whole way... literally, on a baby back pack and in a play pen while we taught!
The mountains are calling us
home
In 2013, feeling the call of the wild we gathered up our art supplies and our little guys and moved out of the city and into the mountains. We have been living a simple but tough mountain lifestyle gardening and raising chickens and goats for the last 11 years and counting. We've also been homeschooling the kids this whole time and we are very proud of what wonderful people they are growing into! Together we run a tiny farm stand selling eggs, veggies, and plant starts. This occupies most of our spring and summers leaving fall and winter to our arts.
By Hand
making
My studio days are family days and are mixed endeavors of schooling, crafting, cooking, and gardening. I do most of the work in the ceramics myself but the guys always pitch in when needed and because they all get their share of the "bread" when the ornaments get "baked" and sold this little clay hen is never short on helpful hands ready to do the work! Each of the ornaments is made and painted by our hands and and I have an old Duncan kiln that I use to fire them in small batches. I make the ornaments in sets of about ten and I use the wood stove to dry them. Its pretty cozy work and since most of the ceramics are done during the cold winter, that fire is a welcome tool in the studio!
Other Things
from this happy hen
I make lots of other "things" when I'm in the studio and one day I hope to add more of them to the online store. But online, for now, I'm happy that I've come this far and I do hope you get a chance to see my larger works (and me) at the various shows we do! If you'd like to know of them, please subscribe to my mailer.