David Archibald, a founding member of the Cape Ann Artisans, has been making stoneware and porcelain on Cape Ann since 1973. His work is prized for its classic shapes and rich glazes in a range of shades, from deep reds and purples through intense blues to pale celadon tones.

David first learned to throw pots when, in his senior year at Harvard in 1954, he stopped in at a storefront workshop on Mass Ave. “I didn’t know what pottery was, but it looked more interesting than studying,” he says. Later he worked for the renowned potter Harry Holl in Dennis on Cape Cod. Even as an army draftee stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, David found a workshop where he could practice his craft. He cites as influences Bill Wyman, for whom he threw pots one summer, and Bernard Leach’s A Potter’s Book, with its images of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean pottery.

In Gloucester, first on Washington Street in Bay View, and now at Plum Cove Pottery on Woodbury Street, David has continued to experiment with different glazes and shapes for his elegant bowls, vases, tableware, and lamps. In recent years he has extended his artistry to the beautiful gardens that surround his house and studio, creating a perfect backdrop for his work in clay.