
Team Member Name


Bobby Hughes
My work with clay began in the 1980s after meeting John Givvins, pottery professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. John taught and mentored me as I worked as his unofficial assistant. While learning from John, I was also assisting his students; this offered me the opportunity to develop how I taught clay work to others.
One technique that especially interested me was John’s experimentation with masking tape to create a decorative resist on his pots. I had grown up doing automotive bodywork and painting, so was well versed in tape resist as a means of painting pinstripes on vehicles. I had an "ah-ha" moment and started using striping tape to generate complex designs on bisque pottery. My efforts were extremely successful. Before long, I was making quality pots, became John’s partner in local craft shows, and we made the tape resist pots a staple. My designs are influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Native American and Japanese designs.
Around 1991, I built my studio including a 55-cubic-foot downdraft kiln. I was able to experiment with many glazes and techniques, primarily cone 9/10 stoneware and porcelain and including raku and crystalline. I began making pottery professionally and participated in many juried shows on the east coast. My pots were also sold in shops in Seagrove, Burlington, and Carrboro and several galleries.
After a twenty-year hiatus, so I would not have to travel while my daughters were growing up, I am once again doing work I am passionate about, working with clay and creating glazes.