CREATIVE BEGINNINGS. The Deals grew up in Vancouver, Washington with a love of art and the outdoors and continue to work to work as a couple to this day.

As a young girl, Boni enjoyed drawing scenes and people. Dave liked crafts, making moccasins and dolls, among other things.

ARTISTIC PATH. During his time at Clark College, Dave discovered his passion for pottery, drawn to the tactile and physical nature of the process. He began creating and selling ceramic pieces at student craft festivals, using a portion of the proceeds to invest in equipment such as a kick wheel and kiln.

Boni Deal earned her BS Fine Arts (Graphic Design) with honors from Portland State University in June, 1993.

INSPIRATION AND PROCESS. The Deals find inspiration in the natural world that surrounds them. “My inspiration comes from creation,” states Dave Deal, while Boni Deal adds, “We do what we see,” emphasizing that their beautiful and tranquil environment “fuels the soul.”

The Deals collaborate on each piece, with Dave forming clay on a kick wheel. They work together on the designs, with Boni drawing in the clay surface and making imprints with leaves. Dave does most of the glazing and staining before firing the pots.

Since 1977, the Deals have lived in a rustic house with no electricity, serving as caretakers of a 160-acre tree farm in the hills north of Camas, Washington.