Meet the Artist- Slocan Valley Potter Noam Ash
Meet The Artist- Noam Ash Pottery
The Raven Roast Team is so excited to work with Slocan Valley potter Noam Ash for our Raven Roast + Local Pottery Giveaway.

Mug for Spring 2022 Raven Roast Giveaway
Roots in our Community
Noam was one of the first people I met when I moved to the Kootenays. My then fiancé and I were invited to a backwoods karaoke party. Very quickly the crowd dwindled and it became just me, Brendan (my now husband and Raven Roast co-founder), our host, and Noam with his young, very clever, very precocious daughter. When she wanted to sing a song from Frozen the karaoke program kept auto suggested Disney songs, so three grown men and myself sang (or attempted to anyway), Disney tunes late into the night, much to her obvious joy. It was such a warm and ridiculous welcome to the area, and one of my favorite memories from this upheaved and transitional time in my life.
It is very rare to see Noam without at least one of his two children in tow. His family commitment and connection is obvious. He runs his studio out of their cabin in the woods just outside of Winlaw BC. Noam grew up here, and his wife, an educator, has very deep roots in this community. Her family has been here for generations- their children are the sixth!

On the shelf, waiting to be glazed.
His Work and History
Noam’s work has a solidity to it. His mugs and bowls feel strong in your hand, without feeling heavy. This isn’t grandma’s china teacup to fall apart when you set it on the counter too hard. His pieces, like his family, feel like something permanent. Something that you can count on being around for awhile. While he plays with various shapes, lusters and textures, you can usually recognize Noam’s work by his distinctive handles, which have a fish scale like texture on the inside.
Noam enrolled at the Kootenay School of the Arts in 1999 and it was there that he found an interest in working with clay. He graduated in 2002 with a diploma in Art, Craft and Design majoring in Clay. He went on to apprentice with Pamela Nagely Stevenson and take up Independent Studies at Park West Ceramics in Chicago, IL. Eventually, he moved back to the Kootenays and built his own home and studio.

Noam forge at his home studio
What Fires Him Up.
Noam draws inspiration from the abundance, plasticity and durability of clay. Pots are typically wheel-thrown using swift, spontaneous gestures to add life and give the vessel distinctive markings. The firing process contributes further surface variation based on the unpredictable path and intensity of the flame within the kiln, so while some pots are alike, each has a unique story to tell.

Finished and glazed
Where Can You Buy His Work?
You can find Slocan Valley potter Noam Ash’s work locally at Camp Cafe in Silverton BC, Emery Herbals in Winlaw BC, and Touchstones Gifts in Nelson BC. If you’d like to see more of his work, he can be found online at @NoamAshPottery

A unique firing! This one is part of our personal collection.
Whether using it to drink our expertly blended herbal coffee alternatives, or filling it with another delicious beverage, we hope the lucky winner of the Raven Roast + Local Pottery Giveaway enjoys this beautiful piece of practical art for years to come!