I’m Briggs Shore.
I grew up on a farm in Iowa. People who haven’t been there think Iowa is flat and boring, but I’m a huge fan of my home state. It’s beautiful, full of rolling hills, delicious food, and friendly people, and I miss the humid summers, green-gold color palette, and far away horizons.
I got an Interior Design degree from Iowa State in 2007. I learned to make pots in high school, but focused my creative drive on a number of other outlets through college. I participated in my first art show in 2015, and started taking my pottery more seriously. In 2016 I moved to Whidbey Island in Puget Sound and joined a thriving community of artists here. At the beginning of 2020 I opened my very own studio in Coupeville. The timing couldn’t have been worse, but for four years I lived my dream of having a studio and showroom in a beautiful little community.
Life changed a lot in 2024, and I pivoted to being a home care assistant for a few people in my neighborhood. I closed up my studio on Front street in August of 2024, and now work out of the Whidbey Clay Center in Freeland. I will never stop making pottery, but it’s not the biggest part of my life right now. The people of my community are, and I’m thankful to have the flexibility to shift things around and re-prioritize.
About my pottery
Aesthetically: My style is somewhere between Midcentury Modern, Scandinavian, and Art Deco. I make work that from far away might look machine made, but up close you can see the ridges where my fingers pulled up the walls, the slight wobble in the lines that I inlaid by hand, and the unique curve of the individually molded handle of your new favorite mug.
Technically: All my work is wheel thrown, and hand decorated. I’m using Laguna’s ^6 Frost Porcelain, which is a fussy clay body but gives me the bright white color, translucency, and smooth texture that I love. I use colored slip and underglaze to decorate my work, and glaze everything in a commercially available clear glaze. Glaze chemistry has never been my favorite part, so I’ve simplified it as much as possible. Everything is fired to ^6 (about 2200º) in an electric kiln.
Artist Statement
My work bridges the gap between the timeless beauty of handcrafted objects and the refined aesthetics of modern design. Drawing inspiration from Midcentury Modern, Scandinavian, and Art Deco styles, I create ceramic pieces that balance clean, minimalist forms with the tactile warmth of handmade details.
Every piece I make is wheel-thrown and hand-decorated using Laguna’s ^6 Frost Porcelain, a challenging yet rewarding clay that offers a bright white surface, smooth texture, and subtle translucency. I embellish my forms with colored slip and underglaze, finishing them with a commercial clear glaze that highlights the clay’s natural elegance. While I admire the chemistry of glazes, my focus remains on refining the form, process, and design.
At the heart of my practice is a belief that everyday objects should be thoughtfully designed and a pleasure to use. I aim to provide an alternative to mass-produced goods, offering pieces where subtle imperfections—the ridges left by my fingers, a slight wobble in a line, or the unique curve of a handle—reflect the human touch.
My approach is deeply process-driven, finding joy in the rhythm of throwing thin-walled porcelain vessels and in the precision required to craft cohesive dinnerware sets. Recent collections, such as my Art Deco-inspired work, merge my love for geometric opulence with my meticulous decorating techniques, including silkscreen patterns and slip inlay.
For me, simplicity is not about lack, but about clarity—a well-designed object reveals its own beauty through form and function. Porcelain, with its reputation for both delicacy and strength, is the perfect medium for exploring these ideas. Each piece is a meditation on craftsmanship, utility, and the enduring allure of thoughtful design.