Meet doug & the story behind fifth season studio

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How It Started

I had held an affinity for clay and the wheel for a very long time before properly interacting with the medium. It wasn’t until the end of 2018 that I started taking my first pottery lessons in the evenings after work. At the time, I was teaching preschool in Manhattan and my time in the studio after work quickly became a staple in my life. Through the next year and a half I continued going into the pottery studio as much as I could, which eventually collided with March of 2020. The inspiration and drive to pivot and focus my professional career on my art full time came from my partner, Kristy, and without her I would not have had the confidence to have taken this meaningful leap of faith. Together, we decided to move from New York to California and begin new professional careers in tandem.

The Fifth Season

The notion behind the name Fifth Season Studio comes from my love and admiration of nature. We live by four inspiring, complicated and vital seasons in our temporal world. As humans, I feel that we spend an emotional season —a fifth season— honoring, digesting and fathoming that which the world unfolds for us each year. Our fifth season is an effort at touching something intangible— an echo of what constantly surrounds us. I like to think of my artwork is part of that echo. Aesthetics and textures that respect, pay homage and connect to nature while exploring the marriage between natural materials and man-made tools.

Crafted by Hand

Every piece I make is hand-thrown or hand-built, with no molds involved. I believe that the art of pottery is in the imperfections and the individuality of each creation. This hands-on approach ensures that every piece I make is one-of-a-kind, carrying with it the marks of the maker and the essence of the natural world.

The Nail in My Logo

I’ve always been drawn to old, patinated nails—they remind me of the passage of time and the craftsmanship that existed before modern tools. From my collection of nails, I chose one with a square end to be part of my logo and it has become a part of every piece I create. I use this nail and a palette knife to sign my name on each piece, making my mark in a way that’s unique every time.