B. Zook Ceramics: A Potterer Talks New Endeavors, Sustainability and Her Craziest Yard Sale Find
Words by Rachel Heaney. Photos courtesy of Bailey Zook.
Above: Bailey Zook of B. Zook Ceramics.
Bailey Zook is a Montana-based ceramicist with an engrained passion for sustainable living.
In November 2020, Bailey took her first ceramics class with a friend. She loved it and continued to hone her skills until, ultimately, the creative interest morphed into a career change. When shelf space opened at her home studio, B. Zook Ceramics was officially born.
Formerly an environmental sciences teacher and naturalist programs coordinator at her local Natural History Center, Bailey now enjoys throwing and creating full-time. She has a self-proclaimed disinterest in social media and instead looks for opportunities to connect with customers in person via holiday markets and art shows. B. Zook Ceramics can also be found at the Missoula People’s Market on Saturdays.
Bailey’s commitment to putting the environment first can be found in all aspects of her life; from her design ethos to how she puts together her home. She says her parents played a large role in her desire to tread lightly and consume consciously: “Their values kind of came from their parents but also their life experience . . . just caring about the earth and not wanting things to go to waste.” And it appears the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Bailey explains, “ . . . we just prefer not to buy new unless it is something we are going to have forever.”
In fact, her love of thrifting has brought her more than knick knacks and reusable building supplies. She casually mentions that she and her husband actually “found” their house at a yard sale. What?! “I just saw on Craigslist there was a tool sale. When we walked into the house there was some realty paperwork . . . [we] just kept thinking about it and dreaming about it.” Eventually, the home was theirs.
Built in 1915, the house needed a new roof, amongst other major repairs, right away. Bailey admits its was kind of falling apart; it came with leaky pipes, a non-operable bathroom and torn-up ceilings. Fortunately, her husband was able to replace all of the plumbing, rewire the electrical and they have been slowly renovating one room at a time.
Both Bailey’s home and B. Zook Ceramics exude the feeling of warmth and comfort that often accompanies objects hand-crafted with joy and a home that is filled with items from friends and loved ones. Each entity is purposeful but natural, detailed but put together with ease.
Keep on scrolling to read my interview with Bailey, check out her home and swoon over her ceramics.
Above: A soda fired mug, likely holding a warm cup of tea.
“Once a piece has been fired it is chemically changed and cannot become moldable clay again for quite a long time. This knowledge guides me to only fire pottery that I can imagine being used and loved by someone. In this way, the earth and my impact on it are my biggest influences when creating art.”
Above: Bailey’s ceramic planter holds thriving cactus babies; the side table was made by her husband’s grandfather and is also home to a small painting from a Big Sky, MT artist.
Tell me a bit about yourself; who you are, where you are located, growing up and how that may relate (or not relate!) to the work you do as an artist.
My name is Bailey Zook and I have lived in Missoula, MT for nearly 10 years. I grew up in a small town in North Central Florida on a wedge of property with conservation land as neighbors. My sisters and I would often explore the natural world around us as our main form of entertainment, learning from experience and from our parents. Our parents built their own home and have an uncanny ability to create much from little. Though both of my parents are extremely creative, the classic “artist” genes are easily traced on my mother’s side of the family.
Above: Bailey's chickens, Collette and Felina, happily patrolling the grounds.
As an artist, is it important for you to incorporate sustainability into your craft?
I have thought a lot about sustainability as it pertains to ceramics. While creating pottery is making new things that already exist in other forms, I find my handmade dishes to be those that I am most fond of. I appreciate the pieces that have been formed by others, took time and care, and are completely unique. In this way, I find handmade art to be sustainable as it is something I cherish and will hold on to until it passes its function. Many of my houseplants are home to chunks of cherished pottery that have broken. Even past their functional lives as mugs or plates, they continue to spark joy as plant soil decoration. One of the things I love most about pottery is that it comes from the earth and can ground us to its origin by wrapping our hands around a warm, handmade mug of tea.
As for the creation process, I have found value in reclaiming clay that has dried out or been trimmed off. I try to waste as little water and clay as possible and honor the earth in that way.
Above: Dress up your fridge with a B. Zook Ceramics egg carton.
What is your personal design ethos, as you move through the creation of an object and also as you put together your own home?
This is a really good question and one that I can’t quite put my finger on. Perhaps the best way to describe it is to think about whether or not I enjoy interacting with an object. As I’m throwing a mug on the wheel, I consider how the shape will feel in my hand. I prefer thin rims, lighter pieces, and patterns that feel grounding. So, these are some of the qualities I try to incorporate into my ceramics. As for my home, I enjoy a lightness there, as well. I appreciate natural light, handmade objects, bits of [the] outdoors . . . and objects attached to fond memories.
Above: An heirloom corner shelf from Bailey’s grandmother displays wedding gifts, art, nature treasures, and second hand finds.
Can you walk me through your design process from the conception of an idea to the finished product and where it ends up?
Typically I’ll walk into the studio and think “today I will make mugs/butter dishes/bowls”, and then I work on those shapes. The design process is a bit fluid depending on the day and what I’m working on.
Above: Hand-etched peaks decorate the "Mountain Mug".
Your biggest design influences? Nature, a particular person or designer?
My biggest influence is probably the thought line “is this worth turning from clay to ceramics”? Once a piece has been fired it is chemically changed and cannot become moldable clay again for quite a long time. This knowledge guides me to only fire pottery that I can imagine being used and loved by someone. In this way, the earth and my impact on it are my biggest influences when creating art.
Above: A Valley House dala accompanies an orchid gifted from a friend, bartered art from a Missoula painter and some driftwood from a river trip.
How does sustainable living play a role in your day to day life? Can you share a little about your personal and home habits or the actual design of your home where sustainability played a role in your decision-making process?
My home is full of things that have been passed down, picked up second-hand and handmade. Most of the time, I try to be conscious of how my decisions for little things, like buying recycled toilet paper or bulk foods, are honoring the earth. In these moments, I feel privileged that this can be a primary concern in my life and that I live in a likeminded community that largely strives to do the same. Some of the time, living a sustainable life can be really difficult, draining and overwhelming. I think it’s really important to recognize that we are in a unique moment in history where there are so many things vying for our attention and we need to remember to have grace for ourselves and for those around us when we need a little break from the weight of the world.
Above: Limes sit pretty in a B. Zook Ceramics bowl.
What does sustainable living mean to you?
My definition of sustainable living means considering the larger impact of decisions and doing my best to decrease the negatives. It means putting loose groceries in my car and bagging them when I get home if I forgot to bring my own bags, composting even when I know it’s a small amount in a grand problem, choosing sustainable transportation even when I’m tired, bringing jars to the grocery store and buying from the bulk bins to reduce packaging waste, taking shorter showers than I’d like, choosing not to expend water on my yard and sorting out how to make it look and feel appealing. In general, it means living a life I feel is honoring to the earth and her resources.
Above: A colorful wool rug passed down from Bailey’s grandmother. Bailey notes: “She was an excellent watercolor and oils fine artist . . . our home is full of her paintings.”
What are some smaller, everyday decisions that can make a big impact?
Some smaller, everyday decisions we can make to have a big impact are to write to or call our representatives in office and tell them that sustainability is important to us and to please look toward renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. We can make lots of little changes in our own lives such as moving to reusable bags, clean commuting, composting, etc., but as a world we really need big changes on huge scales. While all the little things we do in our own lives are important and integral to our values, we can also do little things to enact big change in the world by writing to representatives, companies and our local governments in support of sustainable practices.
Note: For online order requests, refer to Bailey’s Etsy account.
Follow B. Zook Ceramics on Instagram via @bzook_ceramics.
