Judy has been working with clay for over 30 years. She had dabbled in painting, macrame (remember those owls in the 70's?) and various other creative areas prior to finding in clay whatever that "thing" is that clicks with artists and feeds their drive. Essentially, once she got her hands into clay, there was no stopping her. She comes from a family that has been producing artists generation after generation. Her father, Harold Danhausen, was an accomplished woodworker who had an entire wood working shop in his garage at the home where she was raised. He was also a highly skilled photographer with his own darkroom.

Judy's ceramics career began at Oakland Community College where she studied under Charlie Blosser. At first she was like any other student in that she worked on her skills using OCC's facilities for all of her needs. However, it was not long before she purchased her first electric wheel. Her excitement the day it arrived was obvious as she immediately plugged it into an outlet in the kitchen and proceeded to cover the walls in mud (this is true, I was there). It is unclear to this day if any pottery was actually created during this first ceremonial sitting, but fond memories remain.
She grew over the years to assemble her own pottery studio which gave her the ability to complete every stage of the process in her own home. She named her business Earth, Hand and Wheel and her constant presence at arts and crafts shows throughout the state of Michigan (and a few beyond the border) created a demand for her pieces that has continuously kept her hard at work.
Like most artists, she has always been critical of what she creates. She continues to introduce new items into her catalog in an effort to keep things fresh while maintaining her core styles and glazes. This allows returning customers to continue building their collections in their favorite glaze finishes. In addition to her glazes, her signature bow handles on many of her pieces have become one of her sought after design elements.

In recent years, Judy has somehow found time to branch out into purses and bags. Working primarily with wools, she knits colorful and exciting designs that have proven to be quite popular. Each year she does a few shows with these bags, so check her schedule to find out where she'll be next!

Judy lives in Brighton, Michigan and is married with four grown children and two grandchildren. She has an infectious personality (as many of her customers know) and like many artists isn't easily forgotten once you've met her. Some of her favorite conversation topics include not only her work, but also shopping for the best deal (on just about anything) and her hair ("This IS my natural hair color").
Her husband Don (who has recently been creating metal sculptures) has been supportive throughout the years by slowly surrendering the majority of the garage, helping work the shows and assisting with countless other aspects of what has become a life's work. Their children have also been known to pitch in and help out when necessary, but she typically has to pay them to get their full cooperation.

Look for Judy at the shows this year, or order from her directly at any time.

Judy is also on MySpace at www.myspace.com/earthhandandwheel

Site Design and "About Judy"
by Judy's son Eric.
(who got paid)