Muddy Creek is a fully equipped pottery studio, with 10 pottery wheels, a slab roller, spacious work tables, an electric kiln and a pug mill. Visitors to the studio are struck by the positive, supportive culture of the studio and the peaceful, woodland setting. The solar powered studio is uniquely green featuring all-wood construction, a composting toilet and water piped in from the pond.
The Artist
Heather Stearns is the founder and owner of Muddy Creek Pottery in North Wolcott, Vermont. She has been working in clay since 1991 and teaching since 1993 in numerous capacities. She learned to make pots at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. in Ceramics and Education. Further study in ceramics at Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Truro Center for the Arts, and the Moravian Tile Works have all influenced her work and teaching.
Heather’s own production work features wheel-thrown functional stoneware pieces. Her work is known for its earthy elegance. Many pieces feature strong carving or wax resist design work. Her hope is that both of these techniques will allow the nature of the clay and the handmade process to show through in the finished piece. Muddy Creek Pottery has been exhibited regularly in 10 galleries across New England, and has been featured in several catalogs.
Teaching has always been an important part of Muddy Creek Pottery. Heather is a trained public and Waldorf School teacher. She has taught clay classes for ages 3 to 100 (Even one class with 3 year olds and 100 year olds together). She has worked with children, teens, adults, library programs, art teachers, adults with disabilities, people who are blind, at-risk teens, girls empowerment groups, teen mothers, elders, summer camp groups, girl scouts, birthday parties and school programs. She taught Pottery I and Pottery II for Sterling College from 2009-2023.