| Mattie throws, fires, and
paints his pots in a beautiful, barn like studio nestled in the warm
country hill region of Santa Cruz County known as Bonny Doon. To visit
the studio is akin to stepping into the looking glass. Here, everything
seems larger than life. One of the most impressive features is the
kiln. Being an enormous brick structure, with ample walk-in interior,
huge swinging door, and sliding platform on steel rollers, it is capable
of firing the ambitiously scaled works Mattie creates- many up to
8 feet tall. The kiln area is surrounded by shelves and platforms
filled with ceramic vessels of different shapes and sizes, all in
various stages of completion, and the dozens of paints and brushes
he needs for his craft. |
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Beyond the studio, Mattie
has unified his beautiful hand built home and property into an impressive
sculpture garden. Gigantic ceramic vessels embrace the landscape as
if growing out of the earth, and nurtured by the sun. An old fishing
vessel lays grounded behind a serpentine wall of rolling ocean waves
built of river rock, glass, ceramic objects, and musical instruments.
The rolling stone waves dance across the property to end at The Chinese
Keystone Arch, and an enormous neon Chop Suey sign keeps guard over
all. The gallery is a place where Art , Nature and Life become one.
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