Craig Cross - Alona Studio

I started drawing with my brother at a young age—often landscapes with old frontier buildings we found in magazines like Arizona Highways. As I got older, I dabbled with charcoal and watercolors, but my focus was always on two-dimensional work. An art class in 8th grade with a section on clay introduced me to the concept of building things as an art form. We did some slab and coil-built work, but the final project was open—I chose to sculpt a lion, and seeing it emerge from a lump of clay was incredible. Life came along, but I eventually found my way back to ceramics. In the years since, I’ve found I enjoy functional pieces that have a little artsy flair. Wheel work is incredibly meditative, but building and shaping things from slab appeals to my love for more architectural work.