maker
RIDGWAY ARTIST DEIDRA KROIS IS A SELF-TAUGHT POTTER WITH A MESSAGE
MAKE ART. LIVE SIMPLY. DREAM BIG. Words by Lisa Blake | Photos courtesy of Deidra Krois
A
life bundled in joyous, sparkling creativity
themed pots and mugs on a potter’s wheel and
— a husband, three kids, two Labradors
builds them from slabs of chocolate, ochre and
and two cats in a handmade, earth-plaster,
The central Pennsylvania native studied
Juan Mountains — is what propels Deidra Krois
architecture at Penn State before transferring
to create art that speaks to its new owners.
to Colorado State University to study fine
Her functional and decorative ceramics
arts, where she took a ceramics 101 class and
are hand-thrown and stamped or etched with
graduated with a BFA in fiber art. A swift move to
heartfelt messages, poetry and impactful quotes by the Dalai Lama, Muir and Gandhi. The selftaught Ridgway potter says she looks to her three
children to learn how to be a better person every day and to walk through life with an open heart. “I am inspired by my mountain lifestyle, global adventures and the universal truths captured in poetic verse and profound quotes,” Krois says. From her simple home studio on a Colorado mesa at 8,800 feet surrounded by three acres of alpine forest, Krois hand-throws mountain-
32
porcelain clay.
strawbale home enveloped by the stunning San
