Wheel-thrown, hand-decorated utilitarian pottery made with love from our family to yours!
Gaean Allusions Studio is now an official partnership of three: Karen, Godfrey and Freya Betts.
Founded in in 1989, as Gaean Allusions, we began creating functional pottery pieces from a geodesic dome Godfrey built on family land near Chehalis. Washington. using a wheel and kiln that had belonged Grandma Marie Betts.
Godfrey, who throws the clay, studied at the University of Puget Sound with a major in computer science and a minor in ceramic arts. Karen, who studied illustration at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, uses a technique called sgraffito by applying layers of color and then scratching off parts of the layer to create contrasting textures. The business began as a means for the family to work together and travel to events.
Freya, who was born into the business, finds that her family’s strength results in different ways of thinking and unique ideas. Freya has drawn from the accumulated knowledge and experience of her parents and refined it with her own style and creativity. She has the skill to accomplish both of the tasks her parents do separately – throwing clay as well as carving and glazing it. Sometimes pieces are a collaboration of all three family members efforts.
The durable pottery is fired to 2230 degrees in our studio. All of the food safe and utilitarian pottery is microwave and dishwasher safe. Pottery is designed for both beauty and functionality.
