Helen Hixon is the proprietor of Mountain Pottery. Locals may have noticed that the shop and studio moved from upper North Circle to the newly refurbished building next to Forest Lumber and Idyllwild Laundry Service in May of last year. Hixon seems happy in her new surroundings: “I loved the old space with its forest setting and rustic/industrial vibe, and I love the new space for its proximity to town, the fabulous art garden and art store next door. Lots of windows, a more professional setting. And I love the synergy between Mountain Pottery and The Art Department.”

Mountain Pottery has a small shop/gallery in front and a large classroom/studio in back. The shop includes works by local potters including “members” of the studio. Lots of windows bring in ample natural light. “The shop has pottery from local potters, all handcrafted, food safe, a variety of beautiful pieces, something for everyone. We also can do custom pieces. I’ve done favors for parties; for a 90th birthday party, weddings, baby showers and other special occasions.”

The Crier visited Hixon recently to talk about Mountain Pottery and her own story, and to watch her work the clay.

TC: How did you find Idyllwild?

HH: My parents had a cabin up here in the ’80s. My dad was on the board of ISOMATA, and my parents were involved in the beginnings of the jazz festival. They enjoyed supporting the arts.

I didn’t really start coming up here until as an adult … actually Jeff and I got married up here at ISOMATA in 1989. We lived in LA full time, but we would come as often as we could to give the kids a mountain forest experience in their childhood. When we sold our LA home in 2016 to move up here full time, our kids said, “That’s great, because all our best memories are in Idyllwild.” It was just meant to be. My husband was able to keep working as COO of an international music search and licensing company.

Incidentally, the science classroom at IAA is named after her father, Jack Schoustra, something Helen and her husband found out by accident while attending an event on the campus. “He died in 1997, long before the building was built and long before I became a potter and business owner. I think he would be pleased.”

TC: What is the back story of the old shop, up at at the “Top of the Town?”

HH: It was opened in 2017 by two local potters. I became a member in 2018 and bought it later that year. I had to reinvent myself. My background was in science; I was a genetic counselor at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Then I was a science and STEM teacher at a middle school in Beverly Hills. I became a member at Mountain Pottery, and eight months later, when the founders were going to close, I bought it. Mountain Pottery has grown every year since, despite the Cranston Fire, the floods, the pandemic.

TC: The business has survived all that?

HH: Grown and thrived. I couldn’t have done it alone. I had business and handyman support from my husband Jeff, who is also a wonderful musician and always willing to perform at special events at Mountain Pottery. To be an entrepreneur was new for me. Todd Cain has been enormously helpful. He handles much of the glaze and recycled clay preparations. He also teaches some of the classes and runs the shop so I have some days off. His ceramic garlic graters are our top sellers … and mentorship from Dr. T [master potter Dr. Arthur Tobias] and others along the way.

TC: Mentorship?

HH: Dr. T gave me four lessons on the potter’s wheel and then told me that was what I needed to know, and now what I needed to do was just practice. He started a free pottery demonstration; it is currently on the second Sunday of each month at 1 o’clock. For a while he also organized a free art lecture for the community, that we hope to reintroduce at some point in the future. He’s always been available; if I have some questions about the kiln, or glazing, or anything pottery-related he’s there. All my life I’ve been a learner and an educator, and here I am, teaching ceramics classes — that’s the common thread.

TC: A word about the classes?

HH: We have classes available by family or social pod. Any day when we’re open, either 11 or 2, depending upon instructor availability. The classes we offer include pottery wheel, clay hand-building and sgraffito.

TC: Sgraffito is a beautiful technique and looks like a lot of fun.

HH: Interesting story: Marty Enniss, one of our members, decided that she wanted to do sgraffito on plates. Although I’d never considered doing it myself as I am not very skilled at drawing, I showed her how to do it. She has made some beautiful plates that are on sale at the shop. The teacher in me started to think, “Even though I can’t draw well I can teach how to scratch a design through colored underglaze to create a beautiful dish.” It’s become a very popular class for, in particular, groups — I had one group of 16 women for a retreat — and also for multi-generational groups. I’ve had a number of grandparents with grandchildren who have enjoyed it. I am always amazed at the beautiful pieces that customers make. It’s a fun class.

TC: How does membership work?

HH: The membership is available to anyone interested in exploring and learning clay techniques. For one monthly fee they can use the facilities, the clay, the tools, the glazes, anytime we’re open. We’ll fire about a dozen pieces per month for each member. Members also can sell their pieces in the shop. We typically try to do either a special workshop or a little social gathering every month. We’re really kind of a family, the Mountain Pottery family. And we welcome new members anytime.

TC: You provide classes for home schooling also?

HH: My other classes are home-school classes. We have a large home-school community in Idyllwild and students can sign up for enrichment ceramics classes, and the cool thing is I can teach classes in science, not just the science of ceramics. So, my science credential is still in use.

TC: Science classes?

HH: It varies depending on student interest and available materials. We’ve done a unit on microbes, one on anatomy and physiology, origami and engineering, botany and plant propagation … In the ceramic classes we’ve made dishes that we’ve glazed by blowing bubbles in the glaze. They loved that one. They used their pieces for the snacks at our year-end celebration for Mission Vista, one of the home-school options up here. We did a session on miniatures. That [work] is now on exhibit in the mini-gallery here on our fence post. Currently we’re making garden totems, and upcoming will be planters.

HH: Another aspect of MP that I’m pleased by is our community involvement. I am on the board of the Art Alliance [of Idyllwild, AAI]. At the AAI “Call of the Wyld” event [June17, Town Hall] we’ll have a booth for Chili Bowls for Charity. We sell ceramic bowls of chili, you get to keep the bowls, and the proceeds go to fund the smARTS 8th grade tile project. We also donate pieces for various community events. I just had a woman pick up a piece for an event off the Hill …

Hixon’s first experiences with clay were disappointing; in a college class she was unable to “center” the clay. “Centering is hard. Some people pick it up naturally. It’s just like any other skill or talent.” The large class size didn’t help. The teacher gave up and offered her a half-finished mug to add handles. Now, she teaches the process that is the beginning of wheel technique. “When you get it right, it’s like falling in love, it’s that good.”

She invokes the soothing and meditative quality of work at the wheel “You can’t do it if you’re angry or in a hurry. It’s centering the clay, but in a sense the clay is centering us.”

Mountain Pottery is at 54240 Pine Crest. It is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Monday. Contact is (951) 659-7117 and mountainpotteryidy.com.