By Ellen Spitaleri
Sometimes you have to try something new to find out that you have a knack for it. That is what happened to Teo Lee when he was living in Los Angeles in 2018 and his aunt suggested he take a beginning pottery class at a local community college. “I fell in love with the artform and it was something I was naturally good at,” he said.
Then he took an intermediate class and the professor told him that he should change majors to ceramics. But Lee was committed to being a computer science major, thinking this path led to more job prospects.
In 2022, Lee moved to Portland and got a job working with computers, so pottery just became a hobby. When he lost his job in 2025, Lee decided to open his own studio, and he made that dream come true last November, when he opened Earth & Fire Pottery Studio, 633 SE Clay St. He discovered that he can create his own work in the studio, while at the same time sharing his passion with other people.
Although there are other pottery studios in the area, the big difference is that Earth & Fire features the community aspect, Lee said. “People come here to hang out together,” he said, adding that membership plans are flexible and affordable, and he hopes to keep it that way.
“Creating community is so important and I understand that friendship with other people brings meaning to life,” Lee said, adding that it has been a joy to see community form in the studio.
He noted that part of the success of the business has been its central location and the fact that the building itself has been newly renovated with huge windows that bring in natural light.
Another thing that sets Earth & Fire apart from other studios is that fact that the site is open 24 hours a day, to accommodate members’ different schedules. All members get a keypad code so that they can come into the studio at any time.
It is one thing to be good at something creative, but teaching it is a whole different prospect. However, teaching has been a big part of Lee’s life for years. “I tutored middle school students when I was in high school, and after I graduated from college I subbed at a local high school,” he said.
“Over time, I have developed my teaching style; I take a laid-back approach,” Lee said. He added that he was a bit nervous when he offered his first Friday night workshop, but when that went well, he gained the confidence to continue developing his teaching style over time.
He noted that members range in age from high school students to seniors, and he also offers classes for parents and young children to take together.
“Sometimes the children do better than their parents,” Lee said, adding that hand-building with clay is most accessible to the very young. Projects that work well with children include creating a gnome and holiday ornaments.
Lee offers a variety of classes and is looking forward to a “monster” class in late September, just in time for Halloween. The creatures are inspired by a website called Big Girl Company, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes sure to delight children of all ages.
Although he notes that you can make almost anything while hand building with clay, he prefers to create pieces on the wheel. “When you throw on a wheel, you focus on what’s in front of you. You have a conversation with the clay,” he said. “You go into it with some idea of what you’re going to make, when you sit down at the wheel. It is also a very physical process, and you get immediate feedback.”
As for the future, the studio is almost at capacity for memberships and the next step is to get more people trained so that they can help with instruction.
Lee added that anyone interested in membership options should visit earthandfirepdx.com; potential members must have prior experience working with clay or have taken a class at the studio.
Teo Lee, owner of Earth & Fire Pottery Studio, shows off a grouping of “monsters,” made by members of the studio. He will offer a monster workshop in late September. Photo by Ellen Spitaleri.
