Lee Daniels: Functional Pottery
Lee Daniels Pottery is located eight miles south of Brinnon,
Washington; just off scenic Highway 101 on the Olympic Peninsula. At
this time we have no showroom, but our eyes are always open for
opportunities.
Our home and
studio are on a hilly two acres with the Olympic Mountains as a
backyard and the beautiful Hood Canal in front. Hood Canal is a
misnomer – it’s actually a fjord, a finger of water carved by
glaciers and open only on one end. My husband Kevin and I enjoy
paddling the canal in our kayaks or canoe – just about every
paddle includes bald eagle, blue heron, loon and harbor seal
sightings. Orca, osprey, kingfisher and otter sightings are rarer,
but happen often enough to keep us always on the lookout.
Our Philosophy
There is pleasure
to be found in using simple, straightforward objects made by hand -
objects that are both useful and satisfying to the human spirit. I
believe that in order to balance the weight of increasing
technology, there is a growing urgency for us to continue to make
and use objects that express our whole being – body, mind, and
spirit - in a warm, fallible, human sort of way. While mass-produced
items are quite often attractive and well designed, their
assembly-line perfection can leave us hungry in our search for
something to satisfy the spirit.
Every handmade
item, from the young child’s beginning efforts to the well-honed
craftsmanship of the seasoned professional carries a piece of the
maker’s heart and soul. Just as we are nourished by the food we
eat and by the love of family and friends; we are also nourished by
those things we choose to surround ourselves with. Thoughtful,
handmade pottery offers a world of affordable visual and tactile
pleasure that is meant to be enjoyed everyday, now and for years to
come.