Rachael Knight-Reigns & Erik Mallory
In the early years of his life, Erik was diagnosed with Spinocerabellar Ataxia (ATLD1). In 2017, he met and hired me, Rachael as his personal caregiver. My lust for life quickly wore its way into Erik’s heart, and with my encouragement and guidance we attended a ceramics class together at American River College. Though Erik loves art, this was his first ceramics class and neither of us had a clue how it would go beyond him trying something new and having fun together.
Through trial (and much error) of various techniques for Erik, they found one that not only worked well for both of us, but also created beautiful, unique functional works of art. That class went from an opportunity to expose Erik to new experiences, to releasing the artist inside. Not only did we find the ceramic artist in Erik, but through promotions for our work we found the actor in him too. Examples can be seen on our YouTube channel.
As for me, it was in the third grade when I first melted crayons on a hot pad that the art bug bit me. In fourth grade we melted candles into water. This melting of one thing to create something new, was the first time I was really introduced to 3D art that I loved. I knew that it mattered to me, but I didn’t know why at the time. At twenty-one I took my first “real” art class, intro to sculpture. The first project was working with sheet metal. Oh man did I love that!
I always knew that I loved art and was an artist, but I was never a doodler, never drawing and only later painting abstracts. Not until I started taking art classes at American River College, did I really start thinking of woodwork, glass work, paper, metal, found object, jewelry, ceramics etc. as art. I thought of them as “crafts” or “hobbies”, which we are taught means “not real art”. It wasn’t until I heard the term “maker” that I understood what kind of artist I am and that making things, not just painting or sculpting is art. Functional art, is art.
My goal as an artist is very simple, to keep creating the things that show up in my brain. Our goals for our business is to keep making things with clay and in the process be able to create spaces and jobs where people not usually associated with being part of the art world can participate. We want to expand the places where people of different physical and mental abilities have an opportunity to ‘make’ for themselves or assist in the making. We want anyone working with us to feel like they have a purpose that means something, not just to us, but to them.