Morel Mushroom Mug

James Sprague found his way to ceramics through an engineer's curiosity. Trained in mechanical engineering and aerospace design, he began experimenting with pottery as a way to combine 3D modeling and hands-on making. That experiment soon became a creative practice all its own. Inspired by nature's intricate textures, from mushroom gills to octopus skin, James designs each piece digitally before translating it into porcelain through slip casting. Working from his Milwaukee basement studio, he embraces the technical challenges of ceramic production, bringing an engineer's precision and a maker's sense of discovery to work that explores the unexpected possibilities of clay.