“I make and use handmade functional pottery as an antidote to the modern tendency toward the use of things made by machine, things made without heart or beauty, for the mere goal of profit. What makes human beings unique? Not our ability to make things—insects can do this; nor our ability to reason—in the near future, machines will be able to do this. What makes human beings unique is our ability to recognize and cherish beauty. My goal is to make things for everyday use that allow users to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n, take a breath, and observe the natural beauty that surrounds them.”

Will Swanson uses stoneware and porcelain clays to create dinnerware, baking and serving dishes, vases, and other useful pots for the kitchen and table. His pots are individually wheel-thrown, and often are altered or assembled from wheel-thrown parts. In all his work, Swanson wants to make pots that attain a satisfying simplicity while allowing the character of the earth materials and the hand-making process to be evident. Swanson shares his studio with his wife Janel Jacobson and together they welcome potters and visitors to the annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour.