Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Sean Forest Roberts fell in love with making functional wares in high school. But he didn’t set out to become a professional potter. In fact, he did organic chemistry research while earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Carleton College in Minnesota.

Today, his wildly popular poured ceramic pieces are shipped worldwide and have earned their Eastsound studio on Orcas Island — — a cult-like following on Instagram. He and his business partner opened a Gallery in Eastsound in 2020, where they feature their work along with other local and regional artists.

Q&A with Sean Forest Roberts

Q: When did you start to take pottery more seriously?

Sean: After college I was looking for places to fire my work and to continue my glaze chemistry experimentation. I met a pottery professor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he told me to come to his class the next day. I did, and ended up doing a two-year independent study, where I began developing the processes we use today. 

Q: How did you end up on Orcas Island?

Sean: I was invited in 2014 by friends who were connected to Orcas Island Pottery, who needed help with their business. We traded my help during the day for access to their studio nights and weekends, where I continued developing my colored slip casting process for which we are now very well known.  

Q: How did you end up on Orcas Island?

Sean: I was invited in 2014 by friends who were connected to Orcas Island Pottery, who needed help with their business. We traded my help during the day for access to their studio nights and weekends, where I continued developing my colored slip casting process for which we are now very well known.  

Q: When did pottery become a full-time gig for you?

Sean: I went full-time with Forest Ceramic Co. in 2016. I’d been running Forest Ceramic Co. part time while working as a baker at Brown Bear Baking. I’d work four days a week in the bakery and three days a week in the studio. At the time, my stuff was sold exclusively on two shelves at Orcas Island Pottery. That first summer was bonkers with cups flying off the shelves and I couldn’t keep them in stock. So, I gave the bakery six months’ notice that I’d be going full time with the business. 

Q: Where is your studio located?

Sean: It’s actually the studio I originally came to work in. The friends that invited me to Orcas left about eight months after I arrived, and I took over their studio space. But they took everything with them, it was an empty garage. I crowdfunded to buy my first kiln and built out the space over the last eight years. 

Q: What is slip casting and how does it differ from traditional pottery?

Sean: Unlike traditional ceramic, slip casting works with plaster molds and liquid porcelain. I throw my original forms by hand then create a mold. In traditional slip casting, you would just pour white clay into the mold and then glaze like normal pottery. But my original process began when I decided to add color into the liquid clay, and the resulting marbling captivated me. 

It’s this unique process that I have worked to control over the last 12 years, developing through experimentation and testing. Often you see something you like that may have been unintentional, then work to replicate it intentionally. This is how I have come to the hundreds of designs we have offered over the years.  

Q: You have two different primary lines, your marbled collections and your carved collections. What’s the difference?

Sean: The marbled collections are where things began, and our tried-and-true staples. They’re all handmade, but they aren’t as time-intensive or physically demanding as our carved collections. The carved pieces are extraordinarily unique and complex. Many of the more ornate ones are done by my business partner Valeri Aleksandrov. Valeri is incredibly talented, we’ve worked together building the business over the last eight-plus years. 

Q: Do you ever make pieces on a commission basis?

Sean: Yes! We’ve done a few larger orders for businesses as corporate gifts over the years, for say 100 cups with their logo on them. We’ll work with them to pick one of our marbled or carved series. The Aurora series is quite popular, and we made custom Auroras for the Outlook Inn here on Orcas Island. Within our color wheelhouse, we can help the customer pick color combinations, and then we can add the business’s logo along with our own on the bottom. Hope to do more in the future! 

FUN FACT: When you book a fly-and-stay package at Outlook Inn, you get two Forest Ceramic Co. cups, custom made for the Inn!

Meet More Island Artists

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“One of the things that drives my art is the desire to protect beautiful places,” said . An accomplished San Juan Island artist and newly published author, Nancy’s work does so by showcasing simple pleasures — often found tucked among awe-inspiring sights. 

Nancy and her husband, fellow artist Lewis Spaulding, moved to San Juan Island in 1979. Though they met in the dusty desert at the University of Tucson, they grew up in small Vermont towns. While on their first San Juan Island bike trip, they’d discovered echoes of their childhood homes among the rolling farmlands. In fact, they purchased the exact plot of land where they stopped to rest during that first trip in the mid-70s. 

The farmland was beautiful, and we thought to ourselves, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to live in a place like this.’ A few years later on a whim, we asked the little real estate office if there was anything for sale and he drove us to that very field.

Recalled Nancy

Crazy enough to dream, they moved to an uninhabited plot in the San Juans with a small trailer, their two daughters, a dog, a cat, and a goldfish. The first order of business was to build a small studio; they’d already begun supporting themselves as artists and needed to keep up with their work. 

At the time, the couple specialized in fine art screen printing, specifically serigraphs. Though beautiful, it was, “not a very forgiving discipline. It was demanding because once you started to print a color, you had to keep going until you were finished,” Nancy explains.

Among the simple pleasures that she showcases in her work— cultivating a rose garden, taking long walks through the island forests, and building a geodesic house — Nancy and Lewis shared the beauty of life through their art.

Today, Nancy has taken on the more forgiving medium of pastel. Her works are produced slowly, deeply inspired by what she sees in her garden and while exploring the island.

“I love that it’s very malleable. It’s the purest form of pigment an artist can work with.. And it’s also opaque, so you can put lights over darks and just keep creating,” she says. 

In 2020, Nancy found her way into another artistic medium, the written word. Prior to the pandemic, she’d given Road Scholar presentations on the island and frequently been asked to recount her story of becoming an island artist.

“In the past, I often felt I didn’t express myself very well verbally. But now I’m leaning on both mediums, words and art. And I’ve found that I love working with words as much as color.”

Nancy’s memoir, HOME IN AN ISLAND GARDEN: in pursuit of an artful life, explores the struggles, triumphs, and simple joys of carving out a life on San Juan Island.

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Their work has been called ‘petable’ art. While the initial base of island wood tends to be rough and splintered, the finished products are buttery smooth. They can be found in kitchens, offices, and wardrobes. Made by San Juan Island artists, River and Luna Wylde, these colorful pieces are as intriguing as they are functional.

The pieces range from charcuterie boards to tables and earrings. They make coasters, which are always a crowd-pleaser, and stunning sushi trays. Their Pride charcuterie boards are rainbow masterpieces, and their keychains are elegant and distinctive.

River and Luna work from their home studio, a retrofitted garage nestled on the southern tip of San Juan Island. The space smells of woodchips. It’s flooded with warmth and soft music. It’s frequented by the shop assistant cat, Fynn.

Being island-resident artists was, “the realization of a dream,” says River. The Wylde wives had long planned to call San Juan Island home. Formerly teachers in Portland, Oregon, they’d often visited the island. In fact, they visited the very house they own today.

“Several years ago we toured the house when it was on the market and loved it. But we weren’t ready to move yet. We wanted to let our youngest graduate high school first,” recalls Luna.

Today, they’re proud to call San Juan Island — and the house they’ve long loved — home.

While Luna continues to teach, River has taken on the role of a full-time artist. She sources wood on-island, harvesting it on approved beaches and sourcing it from local mills. The wood is then cut to size and placed in a mold.

“We have different standard mold sizes, including 10-inches by 18-inches and 12-inches by 24-inches. But we also do a wide variety of custom pieces, the size of which is really only limited by the size of our studio,” explains River. 

River then closely guesstimates how much resin is needed to fill in the remaining space. Every crevice that isn’t filled with wood is filled with resin, creating a solid surface. Once the resin is mixed and poured, it takes 72 hours to cure, during which time no work can be done in the studio. Any grit cast into the air could be trapped in the resin, permanently altering the finished product.

The hardened pieces are then sanded, first by an industrial sander at a local artist co-op. And then hand-sanded in the studio until they are buttery smooth. “That’s when we bring out ‘The Magic,’ which is Odie’s Oil,” says Luna.

“It brings out the most beautiful grains. It’s natural and organic. It has no solvents. It’s food-safe. And, it bonds and seals to the wood in such a way that the finished product is completely waterproof,” says River. While the women don’t recommend submerging their pieces in water or running them through the dishwasher, they can easily be cleaned with soap and warm water.

What happens to the extra resin when River over-guesstimates?

River has begun turning any extra resin into bowls. It’s both an economically and ecologically-friendly move. “We pour the extra resin into disposable molds and then we turn and sand it down into bowls.”

Where does Luna’s artistic magic come into play? She’s the brilliant mastermind behind the earrings, necklaces, rings, and keychains. Together, these two certainly make magic and spread love. Their work is available online through their .

Discover More Island Artists

Printshop Northwest

Orcas Island Blacksmith

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In today’s screen-filled world, the opportunities to flex creative muscles with tangible objects can feel few and far between. But there’s a special magic when we let go of the digital mockup and allow our minds to wonder, ‘What if?’ To experiment with colors and stencils. To make something completely unique.

That’s exactly the kind of experience Andrew and Emily Youngren offer at At their boutique San Juans printing chain (they have locations in both Orcas Island’s Eastsound and San Juan Island’s Friday Harbor) they sell a host of pre-printed and design-your-own clothing.

“That’s the fun of it — giving people the opportunity to partake in some risk-taking and creativity. That’s when people just light up,” says Emily.

While the business is roughly 10 years old, Andrew has been screen printing since high school. Originally from Orcas Island, he worked farmers’ markets during those early days. Back then, he didn’t give much thought of it becoming a full-fledged business, let alone what shape it would take. Today, designs take the forefront. 

“We really wanted to be a place to have local art and represent local artists. So that’s what we focus on,” explains Andrew.

Being Part of the Printing Process

If you’re looking for a memorable souvenir, creating your own shirt (or hat, sweatshirt, etc.) at Printshop Northwest is arguably one of the best things to do on Orcas Island.

“People will come in and ask about doing something we’ve never done before. They might say, ‘Can we do the bigfoot in yellow on a green shirt?’ No one in the room knows what it’s going to look like. So we find out together. Every once in a while, it doesn’t work. But often, they’ve created a completely unique piece that’s fabulous,” said Emily.

Water-Based Textile Ink

While the origins of screen printing can be traced to China in AD 221, the modern-day approach is often a much faster and chemically-heavy process. “Most screen printers are focused on volume and use plastisol, which is a plastic-based ink,” said Andrew.

While plastisol has some advantages, primarily the bright colors it can produce, it’s not a very environmentally-friendly option — requiring harsh chemicals for cleanup and adding additional plastic into the environment. “We use a water-based textile ink. It’s more eco-friendly,” explained Andrew.

For the casual observer, the subtle colors produced by this environmentally-friendly ink offer a laidback vibe that’s in keeping with the island lifestyle. It also allows the print shop staff to heat-cure products under a flash dryer, making a freshly printed shirt wearable in a matter of minutes. 

Meet More Island Artists

Zackarya Leck, Orcas Island Artist-Blacksmith

The Magic of Salt

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On the western horseshoe of Orcas Island, where the cell service is spotty and the rolling farmland is studded with forest groves and rainwater ponds, Zackarya Leck turns iron to playdough in his 2,000-degree forge. A bespoke blacksmith, his weathered hands coax salvaged junkyard scraps into new forms — some functional, some sculptural, all stunning.

His work can be found as far east as Maine and as high as the Colorado Rockies. However, the bulk of his mastery is scattered throughout Orcas Island among large public art installations and private homes. Most prominent are Zackarya’s 70-foot kelp-inspired sculpture, installed at the Orcas Island Ferry Terminal, and his slide that is part of the Playground-on-the-Green at the heart of Eastsound.

Both installations speak to the primal nature of Zackarya’s work, a rich mixture of hard iron and thoughtful creativity. It’s a juxtaposition that he comes by naturally – blacksmithing and arts run deep in his roots. His father, Andrew Leck, is a self-taught blacksmith and his mother, Phyllis Leck, is a weaver and textile artist.

Returning Home & Fostering Future Artisans

Born on Orcas in 1979, Zackarya began learning about metal and fire at an early age, watching and eventually assisting his father in the shop. He is continuing this tradition by teaching his children, Zora, Sterling, and Colm. (He and his wife Caitlin are raising their three children just down the road from his studio, allowing the family to visit often).

Zackarya traveled widely as he studied blacksmithing. He attended Hereford College of Arts in the United Kingdom, the most prestigious blacksmithing college in the world. His formal schooling was followed by apprenticeships under master smiths in the UK and Israel. 

Returning to Orcas in 2001, he continued the apprentice tradition, passing down his experience to younger blacksmiths. Among Zackarya’s current apprentice team are Emmett Pearsons and Kiel Sloper. A budding blacksmith in his own right, Emmett’s eight-plus years of experience with Zackarya are accentuated by his deep passion for the science of blacksmithing. The newest member of the team, Kiel began lending a useful hand here and there, eventually earning a permanent position.

Forged in the Landscape

The team works from Zackarya’s studio, a space that has housed generation after generation of island smiths. It rests tucked at the foot of Turtleback Mountain, bordered by one of the island’s historic sawmills and flanked by grassy fields where horses graze.

The space itself is a veritable maze of metal pieces, old machinery, and glowing fires. Hammers of varying sizes are scattered across the floor and on top of workbenches. An antique lathe salvaged from a World War II warship sits across from giant saws. Rusty buckets of water are positioned in corners for quickly cooling hot metal. 

It’s messy work, filled with smoke and steam and glassy scale, a flaky filament that forms on the metal when it’s placed in the forge. Zackarya and his team use wire brushes to remove the scale, effectively cleaning the metal.

And the men here are completely at ease. They move in a steady rhythm, following Zackarya’s lead in a series of quick words, subtle hand movements, and head nods. 

Transcending the Term Blacksmith

For many, the term blacksmith brings to mind a man giant forging weapons and shaping horseshoes. And there’s some truth behind the stereotype — it takes a good deal of strength to reshape iron. Plus, the earliest evidence of smithing was indeed a weapon, an iron-shaped dagger dating back to 1350 B.C. was found in Egypt, though it was likely produced by a Hittite tradesman.

As people’s understanding and experience grew, so too did blacksmithing. It’s an evolution we’re still seeing today.

“I want to create work that endures and inspires. I aim to apply techniques from various craft traditions without being limited by notions of what that trade makes. The work is driven by curiosity and play, as much as anything.”

Zackarya’s thought-provoking work incorporates materials that would otherwise be cast aside. It has mystical elements. His pieces spark a sense of imagination, drawing the eye to minute details, while asking the mind to contemplate complex ideas — such as balancing, wind, and realms hardly seen. 

While the bulk of his work is commissioned, Zackarya does offer several different pieces for sale, including planchas (squat, three-legged steel griddle designed for cooking over an open fire) and mammoth mobiles. The work is inspired by nature, with common motifs of ginkgo leaves, madrona trees, and marine creatures.

Learn more about Zackarya’s work and story by visiting his . To experience Zackarya’s work and witness the magic of his studio, schedule an appointment or visit during the on August 11-13th. He is represented by Must Gallery 520-991-9291.

Discover More Island Artists

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With seawater and sunshine, Brady Ryan produces roughly 20,000 pounds of salt a year on San Juan Island.

“There’s a manufacturing component to every business and there is to ours. But there’s also this magical side. Seeing the crystals first appear when nothing was there just a few hours earlier, it’s incredible,” explains Brady Ryan, founder of .

On a small salt farm just outside of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Sea Salt produces 20,000 pounds of salt a year. And not just any salt. These are specialty salts made with Mother Nature’s love.

Brady’s first foray into seawater evaporation began on a stovetop in his parent’s home. It has evolved a lot since then. In 2012 he moved back to his San Juan Island roots. This outgoing, fast-talking gent was born and bred in the same sliver of the Olympic Rainshadow he farms today. Heck, he’s even raising his family in his childhood home.

But instead of boiling seawater and wasting electricity, he’s producing salt using Mother Nature’s most efficient heat source — the sun.

Most salt manufacturers evaporate on a stovetop, which takes about two pounds of propane to make a pound of salt. We let the sunshine do all the work.

Brady Ryan

There are no fans, no heaters, and no propane. Outside of Brady’s 50-year-old truck named Fred used to transport the seawater, this salt is produced with next to no environmental impact.

But Brady does give the sun a bit of an assist. He and his team have built 14 evaporation houses. The 1,200-square-foot structures help raise the indoor temperature to anywhere from 115 to 118 degrees. The houses are outfitted with 3-inch-deep ponds.

Brady and his team collect seawater from a private beach three miles from the farm. They filter it through an industrial filter. “And then it’s really a stone age process,” said Brady. 

During the peak of summer it takes roughly one month for the ponds to evaporate. Because the process is so weather dependent, the harvesting season runs from May to late September. On average, the farm is primed to produce roughly 20,000 pounds of salt a year — until the team builds more evaporation houses that is. They plan to build seven more evaporation houses for 2023.

What happens to all that salt? Once the water has evaporated, the team collects and sifts the bounty. Because the seawater has been allowed to completely evaporate, San Juan Island Sea Salt has trace minerals that are naturally occurring in the ocean. In short, the raw salt has a briny flavor that tastes like the sea. This prized flavor profile is particularly unique in their finishing salt. 

The different salt grades aren’t the only thing you’ll find on the menu. The farm’s Salt Kitchen produces 30 different flavored salts and seasoning blends. The flavor profiles run the gamut of sour to fiery and everything in between. Dill Pickle. Popcorn. Spicy Thai. There’s something for everyone — including those who want an all-island experience. Their Madrona Smoked Salt is classic, smoked for two days over Madrona wood collected from trees that are cut down on the island. 

Their website carries a full selection of what’s in stock. You can also find select salts at retail locations throughout the San Juans and novelty shops in Seattle, like DeLaurenti Food & Wine. 

Friday Harbor Seafood Blend Barbecued Salmon

Grilled seafood makes for a fast meal, perfect for a celebratory dinner or casual evening on the beach. San Juan Island Salt’s Seafood Blend takes the classic seafood king to the next level with a pop of fresh herbs and zesty zing of citrus. Pair this with your favorite grilled veggies and a glass of pinot for a meal you won’t soon forget!

• 2 lb. salmon filet
• ½ Cup mayonnaise 
• 2 large lemons (including 1 grilled lemon)
• 4 TBS Friday Harbor Seafood Blend

Preheat BBQ with one side at medium heat and one side at low heat

Slice one lemon into ¼” rounds and place directly on the grill. Cook each side so that they get a bit charred. Set aside.

Slice the remaining lemon in half. Place the filet on heavy-duty aluminum foil and squeeze the juice from half the lemon directly on the fish. Then sprinkle with a tablespoon or more of the Seafood Blend

Smear the mayonnaise to cover the filet completely and sprinkle another couple of tablespoons of Seafood Blend on top. Place charred lemon slices along the filet. Barbecue the fish with the tail end over the low heat and with the lid closed. The timing will depend on your grill. I left our filet cooking for about 10 minutes. 

Check the thick end of the salmon for doneness. The meat will turn from dark pink to light pink and will become flaky. Garnish with lemon wedges from the remaining half lemon.

Discover More Island Artists

Lisa Lamoreaux, San Juan Island Fine Artist

Rahman Anderson from Studio 45 Glass on Lopez Island

Paula West, Pottery Artist

Orcas Island Jewelry Artist, Jessie Morrow

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Lisa Lamoreaux didn’t plan to become an artist. But in many ways, she just always was.

Her passion for mixing and matching designs began as just a little girl. Obsessed with buying greeting cards, Lisa Lamoreaux spent hours rearranging them on the wall of her bedroom. Tired of the pinholes, her mother turned the entire wall into cork, giving Lisa the freedom to easily create new designs as her collection grew and her vision expanded. 

A mixed-media fine artist, many of her pieces begin with a layer of found paper. Lisa then adds a layer of acrylic modeling paste, maneuvering the plastic-like material while it’s still pliable. Speaking to the creative process, Lamoreaux doesn’t know what any single piece will be until she’s well into the design process.

Once dried, the canvas receives layers and layers of acrylic paint. Subjects are then painted in water-mixable oil. Lisa’s final step is a glaze that gives her work an eye-catching shine. D

The process is time-intensive, requiring long dry times and an extensive amount of exploring.

Using Found Paper

Over time, Lamoreaux’s passion for finding greeting cards morphed into a hunt for old paper.

In her early days as a professional artist, she’d scour hidden places, like flea markets and rummage sales. She’d find old books, scores of music, and handmade paper — each uniquely beautiful and full of character. In order for her pieces to be sold professionally, the paper she uses must be under the public domain. As Lamoreaux’s work developed a following, passionate patrons undertook the hunt for her. She’s received handmade papers from all over the world — including an Italian one that’s so beautiful it’s somehow never made its way onto a canvas. 

“I have four rolls of it that I’ve been coveting. I just can’t bring myself to use it,” said Lisa.

Making a Home on San Juan Island

Born and raised in Bellingham, Lamoreaux spent the first 20 years as a young adult in the greater Seattle area. Moving to the San Juans wasn’t part of the plan, but it also didn’t surprise her that the islands called to her.

“It’s always been a lifelong dream to live somewhere on an island with a western exposure,” Lamoreaux explained.

In 2017, she came to San Juan Island to housesit and she never left. Lamoreaux was captivated by the western-facing view of Andrews Bay and Haro Strait. She still is. It’s the view she sees daily from her island home and studio. 

San Juan Island Artists’ Studio Tour, June 4 – 5, 2022. Lisa is also happy to welcome visitors by appointment.  

Discover More Fun Things to Do on San Juan Island

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