About our staff
Tim Goodman
Sydney born, Tim Goodman made his first pot at university in 1988 and learned his craft as a journeyman production potter in the studio potteries of NSW and QLD.
Always curious for new horizons, Tim moved to Ireland in 1996 setting up his first studio in County Cork where he specialised in large-scale garden ware and smoke fired porcelain.
Irish winters being what they are, Tim travelled extensively through the colder months visiting and working in potteries and studios in Estonia, Vietnam and Hawaii.
In 2004 he moved to Brugge, Belgium where he perfected his work with cast porcelain, and honed his specialty in lighting.
2019 saw Tim bringing his family back to his beloved Northern beaches and opening his own studio bringing together 33 years of ceramics experience, exploration and teaching.
David Chapman
David hails from a distinguished lineage of English potters with his family's pottery legacy began with his mother in the early 1960s.
With over 30 years dedicated to his craft, David relocated to Australia in the 1980s and has contributed to various potteries in New South Wales and South Australia.
Alongside creating and selling his domestic and garden pots, he has discovered fulfillment in imparting his extensive pottery knowledge and skills through teaching.
Lia Alzamora Valdez
Being born into a family of artists and an interior architect by profession, it's no surprise that Lia has an aesthetic and sense of style beyond her years.
A native of Peru, Lia's work is inspired by nature and the human body where she embraces the imperfect proportions and shapes in both her functional ware and sculptural work.
From her years spent in the Peruvian Amazon, Lia remains deeply connected to the women of the native communities as well as to the principle of "anyi", a Quechua word meaning reciprocity, equality and justice. Lia is passionate about the therapeutic value of creativity with clay and sharing her hand-building techniques with those in need of some soul nourishing.
Jo Vaughan
Originally a Graphic Designer, Jo ventured into her first pottery course in 2017, where she discovered a profound affection for the hands-on, creative processes of wheel throwing and hand-building. In 2020, Jo transitioned into full-time pottery teaching to enthusiastically share her passion for the rewarding challenges of crafting beautiful and functional ceramics.
Over the years, Jo has guided numerous students, spanning from beginners to intermediate levels, facilitating their exploration of the joy derived from hands-on creativity. Witnessing her students break free from overthinking and embrace the tangible aspects of their craft brings her immense satisfaction.
In 2024, Jo is set to elevate her skills with a journey to Japan, where she plans to delve into traditional raku firing techniques. Following this immersive experience, she will return to Australia to continue her ceramics studies and share her enriched knowledge through teaching.
Allison Mueller
Trained as an Interior Designer, Allison worked as a Freelance Photographic Stylist, Contributor, and Editor for Design magazines. She later transitioned to advertising and then as Creative Director at Domayne Furniture, where she oversaw a team of Stylists and Photographers.
Nature and design are intricately connected in Allison’s pieces. She focuses on form, using colour and texture as the link, and applies interesting glazes to her simple wheel-thrown shapes. She is particularly fond of the gritty, earthy texture of raku clay. Her glazes, whether matte, glossy, rough, or smooth, always possess visual or textural interest.
Despite being a perfectionist, Allison embraces an anti-perfectionist approach in her ceramic process. Her pieces are not designed to be functional; they simply exist as they are.
Sara Nagamori
Meet our resident nerd. Sara is obsessed with all things pottery and science and if not throwing, casting or hand building, she can usually be found in the glaze lab tweaking the chemistry of one of the studio glazes or concocting something new for the next firing.
Also our pugmill whisperer, Sara keeps our studio humming along, wrangling the endless number of buckets recycling clay and labelling everything (and we mean everything).
If you're keen to talk glaze chemistry or clay, Sara's your girl.