Artist’s Bio

Long ago, in a small town, the night sky was filled with more stars, now drowned out by city lights.  Vacant lots of brown and gold dirt beckoned to be explored.  Green grass and shores of rushing water gave way to imagination.  These are the images of my youth in Rancho Cordova, California and are what inspire the organic nature of my pottery.

My family moved to this sleepy little fledgling suburb of Sacramento in 1961.  It is here that I grew up, went to school and learned my craft.  I am proud to say that I am still a resident of Rancho Cordova.

I was introduced to all art mediums in 1971 at Cordova High School. I took to ceramics like a duck to water.  I continued pursuing art at Sacramento City and American River colleges.

Life took its unpredictable paths and interrupted my pottery.  In 2004, I was able to finally realize my dream and built my studio.  It was half of the garage, but to me, it was a small piece of heaven.  In 2022 I was able to realize my desire to expand my studio space.  I now have a wonderful space in the back yard to create my art.  It’s a very nice “hang out” space. Come visit, we can share a beverage and good conversation on the deck.

My pieces are an extension of me and an expression of my soul.  It gives me so much pleasure and satisfaction to create something that starts from a hunk of clay to a brilliantly shiny piece of functional art and whimsical creatures.  My desire is to pass along my craft to the next generation and the new studio makes that possible. 

Thank you for your interest,

Judy “Jude” Gustafson