There are times in our lives when it’s clear we need a change of pace. Often, these moments of clarity are no more than an inkling; but when followed, they can lead to the most unexpected places.
It was a moment like this that led to the inception of a pottery studio near Two Harbors. Bruce and Cynthia Lovold are the husband-and-wife-team behind Saddle Rock Pottery, where they make a wide variety of ceramic goods for the home. The Lovold’s journey into pottery started in 2006, not as a business venture but as a creative outlet they could fit into their busy lives. As a couple, they’d spent many years focused on work and raising a family. Although Bruce had once enjoyed hunting and fishing, Cynthia noticed that the daily demands of life didn’t leave him with much energy for these activities. Instead, she began to wonder if it was time for him to explore a new hobby—one he could do from home.
Bruce had mentioned enjoying pottery in high school and wanting to try it again, and so that Christmas Cynthia decided to buy him a wheel. But little did she know just where this surprise would lead.
Bruce got back into wheel throwing quickly. “Returning to it was like riding a bike,” Cynthia said. “We didn’t entirely know what we were doing so there was a lot of trial and error at first, but his throwing skills went from zero to 60 in no time flat.”
Seeing Bruce reconnect with this passion was just the thing Cynthia had been hoping for him. Soon, word about his new hobby got out. Family members began asking to have things made, and they started getting invited to local craft shows. The Lovolds were increasingly inspired by the new connections they were making in their community, and in 2012 they and several other creative neighbors started the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour, which happens every September around Two Harbors and Knife River. What began as a gift had blossomed into a part-time business.
While these developments were exciting, there was one catch—Cynthia had given the wheel to Bruce as something to do after a busy workday, but now preparing for the art tours was starting to feel like a second job.
“I wished that there was more that I could do to help,” she said.
And as it turned out, there was. Cynthia hadn’t done much pottery herself, but the more time she spent around it, the more her own curiosity took hold. She began to experiment with making slab plates, then mugs, finding her stride and her own sense of style. She joined an online clay school, and in 2019 she quit her job in the restaurant industry to focus more on their business.
Today, Saddle Rock Pottery is fully a joint endeavor featuring both Bruce’s and Cynthia’s work, and their unique styles shine. Bruce uses his wheel throwing skills to make beautiful mugs, lidded pots, syrup pitchers, and other pieces, often using dipping glazes in more subtle colors. Cynthia enjoys layering fun textures and bright colors with brush-on glazes, as well as using another eye-catching technique—underglaze transfers, which allow her to put images onto her work.
“Everyone is always fascinated by these,” Cynthia said. “The transfers are patterns or other art that’s printed on rice paper, and then you press them on the wet clay to transfer them to the clay before peeling them off. I like to tell people they work like a Cracker Jack tattoo.”
Some of the transfers she’s used include cardinals, mountains, and vintage-inspired floral patterns.
“I like to make things that make people feel like their everyday item is something a little special—something that makes them happy when they see it. That’s what makes it fun,” Cynthia said.
While becoming full-time potters was something the Lovolds would never have imagined, it turned out that the Christmas gift in 2006 was just the change that they needed.
“We feel very fortunate to get to do what we do; it’s such a blessing for us,” Cynthia said. “While it’s great when someone comes along and buys one of your pots, both of us feel like it’s something to share with the world. It’s like sharing a piece of ourselves.”
