About Us

Watching Crimson paint for the first time at 2 years old is one of my best memories as a father. She used nearly every color on the Christmas ornament she was painting, producing a mud-colored paste, and had this wild look of unbridled joy! Her mom and I participated in some of the early art exploration mentioned below, but much of it Crimson did on her own. My wife/Crimson’s mom passed away a few years ago—when we were ready, we set out looking to reengage life. We found our way to clay, and it’s been a muddy and colorful ride ever since. Our studio name is a combination of our middle names—it is Hebrew in origin, meaning oak tree. Considered by many to be mighty and resilient, oak trees are known to withstand the most challenging conditions.

We hope you enjoy our work, and we appreciate your support.

Craig


 

Crimson Cross

I've always been encouraged to explore art, and since the age of 10 have studied glass blowing, wood turning, blacksmithing, watercolors, textiles, pottery and photography. I have had so much fun exploring, and I’ve found aspects and techniques I enjoy about all of these. I fell in love with pottery because it’s such a versatile, colorful medium, and the amount of experimentation possible—from types of clay to glaze combinations, shapes and building techniques—makes it exciting. Plus, the end results are functional and pretty and can be used in everyday life.

Craig Cross

I started drawing with my brother at a young age—often landscapes with old frontier buildings we found in magazines like Arizona Highways. As I got older, I dabbled with charcoal and watercolors, but my focus was always on two-dimensional work. An art class in 8th grade with a section on clay introduced me to the concept of building things as an art form. We did some slab and coil-built work, but the final project was open—I chose to sculpt a lion, and seeing it emerge from a lump of clay was incredible. Life came along, but I eventually found my way back to clay via private lessons Crimson and I took. In the years since I’ve found I enjoy functional pieces that have a little artsy flair. Wheel work is incredibly meditative, but building and shaping things from slab appeals to my love for sculptural work.