Meet Karina Krisher | Potter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karina Krisher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karina, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I started working with clay when I was struggling with postpartum depression with 2, 2 and under. I knew I needed a mental break. My Grammy encouraged me to work on a project that couldn’t be undone in minutes. What we do as moms is so important. However, there are a lot of tasks that are repetitive in nature, so some days it felt like I never got anything fully finished, when there will always be more laundry and dishes. I had no idea that starting a simple hobby to help my mental health would eventually turn into a business that would help support our family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
MesaWade Mudworks is the name I came up with for my pottery business name while bumping along a two track on the way home from chopping ice on water tanks with my husband. The name combines our kids’ middle names. They inspire me every day to be a better mom, friend, and artist. I spent hours upon hours in the corner of the mudroom of our house trying to master throwing on the wheel. My husband supported me wholeheartedly. He is a hands on, helpful, caring Dad who I can count on to care for our kids while I work on the wheel. It wasn’t ever easy. When I started working with clay, we had two children, two and under. If the kids were both asleep, he’d wedge clay, keep me company, and help in any way he could. Now that they’re older, he enjoys carving designs freehand on my pottery. It is so much fun and so rewarding to work together on custom orders while our children watch or play.
Team work really does make the dream work, especially through the challenges that life brings. When we left ranching to start over in the town next to the mountains we love with an apprentice electrician job, we agreed that we could make it all work if I continued to do pottery. It’s been a challenge but I can say we’ve grown closer as a couple and we are so glad to be here.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Buffalo, WY is one of the best places you could ever dream up. It’s a small town but full of heart. There’s so many local stores to enjoy on Main Street. Mountain Meadow Wool Mill is a must see. The mountains are full of both adventure and relaxation. The fish hatcheries in Ten Sleep and Story are so fun to visit. Crazy Woman Canyon is a jaw dropping drive that is worth the time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Lowell built me a wheel out of scraps from the ranch boneyard after the kids were in bed, before I even had any clay to work with. My sister brought clay from a town near her when she came to visit. Roxanne, the art teacher in the closest town to us 40mi away kindly let me fire my first pieces in the school kiln. Hester at Prouty Pottery in Rapid City was so encouraging and sold me the first stoneware clay I worked with. Macey at Silver Sage Ceramics in Cheyenne, WY taught the only lesson I ever took in person. Tamara at Silver Sage has been so encouraging and easy to work with when ordering more supplies. JonthePotter’s enthusiastic and educational YouTube videos helped me learn some basic skills of pottery when I lived too far away from town to attend regular classes. When we lived on the ranch, the closest towns were 40mi away but Ranchers Feed and Lickety Stitch stocked my work and helped get my name out to the local communities. The local businesses here in Buffalo, WY: PureJoy, Wyoming in Color, the Sports Lure, Jim Gatchell Museum, and Best in Bloom have all been so encouraging and supportive of my work and have helped my business grow. Friends and family have brought clay and glaze with them when coming to visit us to save the shipping costs. Thank you to each of you and to countless others who placed the first orders on etsy, those who chose to do custom orders with me and supported me when I barely knew what I was doing. You’ve helped me grow as a person, not just as a small business.

Website: www.mesawademudworks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mesawade.mudworks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mesawade.mudworks/