Kathie Shelby

    Kathie is a clay artist who grew up in Western Washington. She has been a car hop, a special ed teacher and a computer programmer. In 1990, she had the opportunity to travel with her husband on extended overseas assignments in England, Japan, and China and the ever foreign Southern Cal. That initial two years stretched to fifteen. She became very interested in pottery while in Japan, and lived near Seto — a major Japanese pottery area. Kathie and her friends spent many hours in museums and shops, in awe of the work they saw.

    In 2005, she moved to a retirement community just outside Austin — Sun City, Texas. There were trees and hills (sort of) and Sun City had a huge pottery studio which gave me the opportunity to play with clay in a great workspace with lots of classes and mentors.

    In 2014, she and her husband uprooted their dog Charlie and came home to family and the clean air and breathable temperature of Washington. They fell in love with the small town of Toledo immediately.

    In the following year, they created a small clay studio in the corner of our large shop. (Wondering Dog Studio). Kathie shares the studio with her husband, friends (and at least one neighbor) and grandchildren. She loves creating with clay, whether it be functional dishes or playful fish and figures. She hand builds because it’s a slower process and every piece is different. Nothing is perfect, but that lends an organic feel to each piece. She loves the idea of somebody enjoying her art enough to invite it into their own home.