The MudCrew (a work in progress!)
The MudWorks Administrative Team! (L-R: Deanna, JoAnn, Ryan)
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JoAnn Stratakos
I like to think that I came into pottery by what I call the “back door”. I wasn’t so much interested in the clay as I was in creating something that would take me out of myself and, at the same time, into myself. I had just lost my grandmother (whom I adored) and my father (with whom I still had “issues”). I was working a high stress job and raising two teenage kids. I needed a new creative outlet. I made my first “bucket list” at forty, after those two deaths. I was determined not to leave a stone unturned or an avenue unexplored in all the things I wanted to do with my life. Pottery was the second item on the list. After the clay seeped into my pores, the rest of the list vanished. I was totally unprepared for my first clay class. I was overdressed, my nails were too long, and I had no idea what to expect. I have never looked back. You know the saying, when the student is ready the teacher will appear. My teacher appeared in the form of a crusty, old gentleman who really did not want a beginner student, but I convinced him otherwise. I spent five nights a week in his studio and every weekend for about a year and a half, immersing myself in clay, absorbing all his knowledge. Slowly I became a ceramicist without any formal education in the field, just hours and hours of work that felt like play. I left my high-pressured executive job a mere two years later, and started teaching pottery so I could learn even more. I have been throwing, teaching, sharing my love of clay and hopefully influencing some folks along the way. My studio is now located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania where I live and work a half day everyday. Twelve hours is a half day, right? Fortunately, it doesn’t feel like work and there I found the key to happiness…going to work everyday and not being able to tell the difference between work and play! MudWorks Pottery has grown in leaps and bounds over the past five years. It is now a full production studio and I manage a staff of 15, creating whimsical and functional pottery to retail and wholesale customers all across the country. Every piece is still thrown on the wheel, hand dipped in our own lead free glazes and hand painted. We also have a gift shop open to the public year round! |
Ryan
Ryan is a part of the administrative team at MudWorks, and he is the head of the shipping department. He graduated from Keystone College with a BS in Art Education. He has been part of the MudCrew for several years. He throws almost all of our pottery and has a hand in all aspects of production, also notably including mixing glazes, making molds and stencils. His future plans include one day owning his own studio and creating his own ceramic work. |
Deanna
Deanna is a part of the administrative team at MudWorks. She is a graduate of Northampton Community College, focused in the Arts. She has been working at MudWorks for ten years with a few months off to start a family! She used to mainly work in mug assembly, but her role at MudWorks has expanded greatly. When she's not utilizing her skills as a master carver, she may be found managing ecommerce activity, organizing orders, working with files and labels, and helping to manage the stages of production. |
Jenine
Jenine works primarily in the painting department! Having been a part of the team since 2017, she loves to think up design ideas. Jenine always does her best to help the paint section run smoothly and maintain the paint supply for production. Outside of the workplace, Jenine enjoys painting in watercolor, frequently drawing inspiration from flowers (much like those seen stamped on many a MudWorks mug). |
Marie
Marie has been at MudWorks for quite some time, but has more recently found herself specializing in the paint section! Tasked with many different color patterns, shapes, and wording to remember, our painters still manage to get the job done with ease. In her spare time, Marie enjoys creating her own artwork with mediums like polymer clays and resin. |
Rebecca
Rebecca is a high school student in the Class of 2022! She has been very helpful to the entire MudCrew as she dabbles in all sections. As depicted, she can frequently be found pushing out parts, but her skill set widens with each day, and she is continuing to become an extremely versatile member of the team. |