Artist Spotlight: The Clay Plant - Austin & Courtney Cook

About Austin & Courtney

Courtney: "I first got started in ceramics in middle school, and it quickly became something I really loved. When I went to college, I ended up pursuing graphic design instead, but my love for ceramics always stuck around. Toward the end of college, I met Austin, and we realized we both shared a love for pottery. That shared interest eventually became something we were able to pursue together."​

Austin: "I started ceramics in high school, where I had an incredibly supportive art teacher. I continued taking ceramics classes in college and I was challenged a lot in those classes because I was often asked to make things that made me “feel” something or had some deeper meaning, and honestly, I just wanted to make a really good cereal bowl. Functionality has always been my priority."

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Q: What inspires your work or keeps you excited in the studio? 

A: Courtney: "I would say experimenting and trying new things. We’ve definitely gotten into ruts before where we made a lot of the same thing in the same glaze. So, I normally try to have a new glaze test in pretty much every glaze kiln, just to keep myself excited about new things and new ideas."​

Austin: "I think I go through seasons of inspiration. There’s something really rewarding about creating functional pottery that becomes part of someone else’s everyday life. Making something useful for another person is a big part of what keeps me going."

Q: What is your go-to, get-in-the-zone method of choice? I.e., do you listen to music or a podcast, or turn on Netflix or Bravo in the background?
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A: Courtney: "For me, I normally like to start my morning with some music, and then in the afternoon, I’ll usually put on an old TV show that I’ve already watched a handful of times in the background, whether that’s Breaking Bad, Gilmore Girls, or Stranger Things."​

Austin: "I love learning while I work, so I almost always have a podcast playing in the studio. The range of topics is pretty wide. Conspiracies, aliens, health and fitness, random deep dives, I love it all."

Q: What is your favorite AMACO product and why?​

A: Courtney: "Probably the PC line of glazes. I feel like that’s really where we started our brand, and we wouldn’t be The Clay Plant without Potter’s Choice glazes. We’ve come up with so many different glaze combinations that have made us go viral or become kind of known for the pottery we create. So, I think those have to be my favorite!"​

Austin: "Probably our AMACO Ware Carts! We have three in our studio, and honestly, we wish we had more. We absolutely need more. I also really love AMACO Dark Chocolate Clay. It’s incredibly smooth, and the throwability is great. It’s just a fun clay to work with."

Q: Where can people find your work?

A: You can follow us on all of our social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Our handle is @theclayplant. You can also visit our website at theclayplant.com. We do regular online restocks, but our studio also opens up occasionally throughout the year.