Ashley and Caleb Morford are a husband and wife team that make pottery collaboratively at their home studio in Buda, Texas. Having been fascinated with clay from a young age, Ashley studied art and art education at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas with a studio focus on Ceramics under Stan Irvin. Caleb apprenticed under Paul Smith, a well known Austin tattoo artist; they now co-own Red Stag Tattoo in south Austin. Morford Studios was established in 2020, where Ashley and Caleb create work and teach classes and private lessons. Ashley hand-builds with clay slabs, often using paper templates, she darts and alters her forms building volume from flat slabs. After the initial firing Caleb adorns the forms with responsive designs. The final firing method renders the work functional while emphasizing the clay qualities. Form, function, and fire are all elements that inform Ashley’s work. Caleb takes inspiration from stylized nature and esoteric imagery. The fire, ash, and soda kiss the pots and obscuring some of the detail resulting in work feel as though it’s from another time. You can find out more about their art and process at www.morfordart.com or on Instagram @calebmorfordtattos @claymateoftheyear.
