The East Fork Journal The Journal

Color Theory: Bittersweet & Nocturne

Time traveling with Nicole Lissenden. East Fork’s Creative Director shares the inspirations behind this season’s bold color explorations and reflects on East Fork’s 15th Anniversary.

4 people standing at a worksite with shovels

Introducing Helpmate

Our new Community Partner working to eliminate abuse and fear by supporting survivors of intimate partner violence

A black and white photo of Alex Matisse kneeling in front of large ceramic pieces in a wood kiln

Why Is It Called East Fork?

Alex Matisse, East Fork’s founder, on how the company got its name and why it represents a “little private victory” for him.

A lineup of ceramic palettes with square glaze swatches all over them.

Color Stories

A look back at the evolution of East Fork’s core colors and how they came to be.

A person wearing a black sweatshirt is holding a ceramic terracotta mug with 2 hands.

How We Make The Mug

Want to know everything there is to know about how we make The Mug? It’s your lucky day. Get the behind-the-scenes on how we make our iconic ceramic mug.

In a sink are various ceramic dishes, mugs, and silverware with sudsy water

Caring For Your Pots

A care guide for your pots, yourself, each other.

Marvels in Glass: R+D Lab of Milan

In appreciation of glassware, timeless and special, and the people who design it and create it with their breath and hands.
In Praise of Marcella Hazan

We love Italian food so much, it defies words. So instead, we thought we’d tell you about our Italian cooking hero, Marcella Hazan.
Woodworking with Andy McFate

The East Fork collection has a new serving board we’d like to tell you about, along with our friend and conspirator in wood, Andy McFate.
Samin & Connie Go Deep

Our Connie Matisse caught up with Samin Nosrat on a video chat. They spoke wistfully about gathering with friends over meals, food justice, a new glaze coming out in early 2021, Samin sang a song about pinto beans and much more more. Watch the video here.
The Pottery Peep Show

Pottery Peep Show is a glimpse into the cabinets and closets of serious East Fork collectors, dishing the dishes with our own Annie Schambach. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (though if you cry it’s probably cuz of other stuff cuz nothing cryworthy really happens here), you’ll want a time machine to go back and get what they’ve got.
Clay Buddies: Donna Casellas-Banks

Donna Casellas-Banks’s title here at East Fork is sales associate but it should be professional listener.
At Your Service

A conversation on Southern Hospitality with cocktail historian and Atlanta-based bartender, Tiffanie Barriere.
Cravings, Aversions, and a Crispy Eggplant Salad

A reflection on cravings, pregnancy, and motherhood from Whitney Otawka and a crispy, herbal salad recipe to follow.
Rituals Rooted in Ease

For Alex Elle, self-care is so much more than a buzzword—it’s a necessary tool for growing and maintaining self-love.
A Note on Soapstone's Departure

The July 2020 announcement that Soapstone would leave East Fork's core glaze collection later in the year, in preparation of refreshing and expanding the year-round, core colorway.
Our Values

In 2017, with the help of a facilitator, we invited our staff to co-create a list of company values. In conversation with each other, with customers, with vendors, with our greater community, we ask ourselves five questions: Am I speaking sincerely and inviting others to do the same? Am I aware of an uneven power dynamics that might be present in this conversation or decision-making process? Am I ready to hold myself and others accountable for our actions and inactions? Am I in the proper mindset to engage compassionately with conversation or decision at hand? Am I ready to be flexible and adaptive in order to reach our goal?
Coloring Pages

Emilja made coloring pages! Click for a happy, calming distraction. Then share your artwork with us @eastforkpottery
Motherhood in Quarantine

East Fork's CEO Connie Matisse was thinking of her pregnant friends, her friends raising kids alone, her mom friends who work in restaurants and bars and of her own mom, who was far away when she wrote this essay.
Thoughts on Lean Manufacturing from our Process Technician, Jeff Linton

About a year and a half ago, Alex told me about Bob Chapman’s book, Everybody Matters, I read it and I got excited. It talked about lean as a method for giving people autonomy over their work processes and the deep trust between workers and management that was made possible through lean.
Weaving with Deanna Lynch

Virginia Knight talks with Deanna about production work, their crafty grandmothers and why hemp fabric is going to be the next big thing.
Textiles with a Purpose — MINNA

MINNA is a tight-knit team of seven artists, creators, and thinkers based in Hudson, NY. They are a queer woman-owned and majority queer or woman operated business, working with master artisans in Central and South America to create multipurpose products for the home.
Getting to Know Holland Bowl Mill

We chatted with Kory Gier, VP of Holland Bowl Mill, on her journey of expanding a 4th generation, 94-year-old mill from making wood shoes to contemporary bowls in Holland, Michigan.
Sing-a-long

We made some playlists for you.
Urgency & Rest

"If the bowl is dirty, wash it." There's calm in the call to action to tend the gardens we've sowed.
Let's All Slow Down

Take a moment and enjoy an East Fork crossword with us. If you're quick, you may even win a prize.