Clay, Collaboration, and the Pacific Northwest
The 3rd Wheel Potters, Preston Tolbert, Rob Wallace, and Eli Akins, spent a transformative residency at Mirai, exploring the intersection of function, form, and sculptural expression. Their time here was more than making pots; it was an immersive journey into collaboration, experimentation, and the dialogue between nature and craft.
The trio thrives on a shared approach, treating each step of pottery as a conversation. “We learn as much from each other as we do from the clay,” they said, reflecting how collaboration challenges and expands individual perspectives. By combining different skills, techniques, and ideas, they blur the line between solo artistry and collective creation, allowing each piece to become a layered reflection of three minds at work.
“We learn as much from each other as we do from the clay.”
Before touching the clay, the artists explored Mount Rainier and the surrounding wilderness. Rivers, snowmelt, jagged peaks, exposed stones, and hidden pockets of plant life offered a rich sensory experience, directly informing their creative vision.
The textures, colors, and natural forms they encountered became reference points for surface treatments, glazes, and structural choices. “Being here, surrounded by the mountain, made us think differently about color, texture, and form. You can almost feel the landscape in each pot,” they reflected, capturing how the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest permeated every vessel.
“Being here, surrounded by the mountain, made us think differently about color, texture, and form. You can almost feel the landscape in each pot.”
Traditionally focused on precision and structure, the trio embraced a freer, more spontaneous approach during their residency. Letting the clay guide them, they incorporated unexpected elements and responded in real time to the materials at hand. This openness allowed new forms of creative expression to emerge, making each vessel a unique exploration of process and intuition.
One hallmark of their work here is the use of wild clay—a medium that includes natural elements like stones and minerals. These inclusions lend each piece an organic character, echoing the textures and imperfections of the natural world. “The clay tells its own story. Our job is to listen and shape, not force,” they shared.
“The clay tells its own story. Our job is to listen and shape, not force,”
Challenges from unfamiliar materials to the demands of deep collaboration, became opportunities for growth. The residency pushed the artists to experiment without expectation, finding inspiration in the untamed Pacific Northwest landscape.
The Mirai greenhouse was transformed into a vibrant ceramics studio, alive with sunlight, shifting shadows, and the movement of hands at work. Workstations were arranged to encourage fluid movement, with one pot often passing through multiple hands, Eli shaping the initial form, Preston adding texture, and Rob finishing with glaze or subtle contour adjustments. This shared process encouraged dialogue and evolution, letting ideas unfold organically rather than following a rigid plan.
Even the greenhouse environment influenced their approach. Natural light warmed certain surfaces, while humidity and temperature shifts affected texture and drying times. The artists embraced these nuances, letting the space itself guide the creative process.
Watching the greenhouse evolve from a bonsai workspace into a living ceramics studio was as inspiring as observing the pots themselves, a tangible reflection of energy and experimentation.
Each piece from the 3rd Wheel Potters’ residency is shaped by more than form and function, it is made in the process itself. The rugged peaks of Mount Rainier, the shifting light of the Mirai greenhouse, and the conversations, discoveries, and shared experiments between Preston, Rob, and Eli are embedded in every curve and texture. These vessels are living traces of observation, collaboration, and creative exploration. Every glaze, every contour, and every imperfection tells a story of place, process, and connection, inviting the viewer to hold a piece of that experience in their hands.
Explore the 3rd Wheel ceramic collection Available only on Mirai Goods.
