About the Artist

Mary Ann (Trumbull) Geis was introduced to clay in the early 70's while attending Plymouth State University in the White Mountains of her native New Hampshire. She gravitated toward the ceramic studio, where she created her first works while serving as student lab assistant. Her passion for art form in clay was undeniable. Soon after graduation, while teaching art at the high school level, she rented space for a studio in a rehabilitated taxi building in historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There, she and other talented artists/potters created functional and sculptural works as they shaped their styles and designs. In those days she was working in stoneware and red clay, porcelain was not yet in the mix.

Wheel-thrown porcelain, with her beautiful floral, pine, evergreen, and dragonfly paintings, began after a stay in New Mexico and her marriage to Frank Geis. Mary Ann's paintings are made from a colorant/stain mixed with liquefied clay and applied to the dried piece. After low firing to harden the pots, they are then covered with a clear glaze before high firing in a gas kiln to 2,232 degrees. Each piece is now sealed behind a durable finish, giving her pottery its elegant, shiny finish. She melds function and beauty in her designs to create everyday usable pieces, which can give a lifetime of pleasure.

Today, Mary Ann is a state-juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, and lives and works at her home and studio in New Hampton, New Hampshire. She and Frank have twin sons who are professionals in the music industry, and a young yellow lab named Kaya. Presently she exhibits, with Frank's help, at high-quality, juried art and craft shows throughout New England, Northern Vermont, Maryland and New York, as well as selected art and craft shops.

Magpots Studio
phone 1-603-744-3843
e-mail us at maryann@magpotstudio.com