Rectangular appetizer plate*, 5.5"x12" - Handcrafted from rolled clay by artist Mary Jo Schmith from Front Ave. Pottery and Tile, in Saint Paul, MN.

"Working with clay enables me to craft works of art that function in the everyday; in our kitchen, on our table, held in our hands, used hundreds of times with family and friends. They are to be used in and to illuminate the endless cycles of life that surround and consume us every single day." - Mary Jo Schmith

A BFA graduate from the University of Minnesota, artist & potter, Mary Jo Schmith, was undoubtedly influenced by professors Warren MacKenzie & Mark Pharis and their commitment to functional pottery. Now with 20 years of clay production experience she works daily to produce inspired functional fine craft for your table, kitchen & home.

Mary Jo's decorative imagery expresses an ongoing fascination with the cycles of life that surround us everyday. References from nature...the animals, fish, the sun... illustrate some very basic elements of our lives, such as water, air, soil, animal and plant; images of nature that move with us through our lives; cycles that continue year after year regardless of our current destination. Clayworking is first and foremost a learned craft. Skill and technique, accumulated through practice, defines a pot's quality. Enhancing articles we use everyday with images important to our daily lives make it all the more fun! Like farming, clayworking is a lifestyle, almost never free from the process of clay's constant change. A love for the beauty of craft, the science of raw materials & the unpredictable forces of fire keep every pot a new challenge.

*Lead and Barium free, Mary Jo Schmith's Tapas Plate is food, oven, dishwasher & microwave safe