Artist Profile: Something Southern Pottery

By Heike Hellman-Brown

When (former) Georgia State Trooper Fred Ellis approached retirement, his biggest concern was how to fill his days in the future. His wife, Laura, found a new pastime that developed into a passion. "I signed him up for a pottery class," she says. "Fred and I had always enjoyed visiting art and craft fairs, and Fred had often expressed that creating something with his own hands 'looked like fun.' While I was into stained glass, fused glass and drawing, Fred was interested in anything that could be shaped by hand wood turning, glass blowing, candle making, and clay work."

After his initial pottery class, Fred was hooked. "I truly fell in love with clay the first time it slipped through my fingers on the wheel," he says. Laura had taken pottery classes in school, and Fred's enthusiasm rekindled her interest. They bought a wheel and a used kiln, made the first pots in their home studio and continued their education by studying with renowned potters in the United States and overseas. "Eventually, we had so much inventory that we needed to find an outlet to sell," Laura says.

They launched Something Southern Pottery, which quickly evolved into a fulfilling second career for the Ellises. "There isn't a single piece of pottery that hasn't been touched by both of us," Laura says. Fred has a preference for wheel-thrown pieces, while she creates hand-thrown items and adds the decorative touches.

The pottery of this husband-and-wife collaborative is functional, yet visually appealing. "Laura and I love the design aspect," Fred explains. "We can do almost anything in clay, so our body of work is constantly evolving. By exploring new techniques, we incorporate fresh ideas and applications, while still offering our established dragonfly and cattail lines."

Over the years the Ellises have become a cornerstone of the north Georgia art scene. Fred teaches his craft at the Cherokee Arts Center, and he and his wife serve as president and secretary, respectively, of the Georgia Clay Council. They are also the founders of the North Georgia Art Ramble, a self-guided studio and gallery tour featuring artists in nine counties that will be in its third year this December.

Select gift shops and galleries carry Something Southern Pottery's handcrafted items, as well as the art centers in Jasper and Calhoun. Additionally, the Ellises sell at art and craft shows around the Southeast. "Our pottery not only speaks of fine workmanship. The feel, the touch, the sensation tell a story and connect us with the user," Fred explains. "There may be my thumbprint in a coffee cup that many years from now may cause someone to wonder about the person who created this then-antique piece of stoneware, pottery made in the Southern tradition of excellence."

SomethingSouthernPottery.com