Clayfellows are little clay creatures handmade with love. They range from the size of a cherry tomato to a small loaf of bread. They are infrequently for sale at clayfellows.com; updates are heralded with the arrival of the Clayfellows newsletter.
Clayfellows, the business, began in January 2019. I sculpt the fellows in a backyard studio and fire and glaze them at Higher Fire, San Jose. I can occasionally be found at San Jose First Fridays on First Street, peddling my tiny wares.
Since 2019, the fellows have changed and grown, incorporating interactivity (think Polly Pocket playsets) and multimedia elements.
To see every fellow since 2020, click here.
To see 2D fellow art and branding, click here.
To see a tasteful smattering of selected fellows, scroll down or watch the video below.
High-fired clay is not porous and is perfectly safe to leave in the forest, though most fellows around the world live on bookshelves and sometimes potted plants. I have not put many more little creatures in the forest… yet.
All of the larger fellows have reversible, removable faces that allow access to their hollow bodies. Ceramics have to be hollow to dry evenly and not crack or explode, which I find a compelling design constraint. Why not highlight that hollowness?
Some little beasts backpack around with passengers; some sport fetching earrings.
The smallest fellows are perfect pocket talismans.
Some kind words from customers on their Clayfellows:
“I am pleased to say they are doing an excellent job of making my home feel a little more loved and homely.” —E.M., Colorado
“An excellent little guy who arrived safely.” —M.P., New York
“Superb little fellow! Favorite guy!” —R.W., Washington
“I love this clayfellow as my own child, thank you.” —D.B., Maryland