Mark Karner
Studio Potter

Mark Karner has been a professional potter since 1995. He grew up in Michigan and later moved to Durango, Colorado, where he studied pottery during college. After graduating in 1994, he moved to Tennessee for an apprenticeship opportunity and met his wife, Anne. The two relocated to Balsam, North Carolina, where they lived in a historic farmhouse while building their own home as well as a studio for Mark on the property. Fiery Gizzard Pottery opened in October 1999, just one mile up the road from Mud Dabbers Pottery. Over the course of 15 years running neighboring businesses, Brad and Mark developed a friendship. In fall of 2013, when Brad needed a production potter to keep pace with his growing business, the two potters decided to merge their talents.

Mark has been making functional, heirloom-quality stoneware pottery at Mud Dabbers since 2014. He has enriched the Mud Dabbers glaze palette with his rare copper reds, which he diligently pursued over the course of his career. Mark occasionally incorporates Japanese brush techniques into his glazing, often tracing a gently curving line across each piece to create the effect of a winding river or mountain peaks. He also collaborates with Brad on the series of Appalachian face jugs and mugs. Mark brings an invaluable aesthetic sense to our showroom and studio.

Outside the studio, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife and their two young children. He and his family especially love camping, hiking, and spending time in the mountains.