While mugs may seem somewhat humble and ordinary in the broader world of pottery, it s the item most likely to earn an ownerâs affection.
Jonathan Martin fell in love with working with clay as a high school student, but it was word of mug that built his business, Black Oak Art.
What started with a few handmade coffee mugs for a friendâs Waco coffeeshop, Common Grounds, has expanded to a pottery company that employs 26 and, thanks in part to major home decor customer Magnolia, ships mugs, plates, vases, pitchers and other ceramic ware across the country.
A desire for an easy class led Martin to take ceramics as an elective as a student at Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks, California. To his surprise, he found he enjoyed working with clay and spent spare moments returning to the schoolâs clay shop.