Welcome to the world of Chris Schafale and Light One Candle Pottery.
I am a native of New Hampshire, transplanted to North Carolina in 1984 to attend graduate school in clinical psychology. I have lived in the Triangle area ever since, primarily in Chapel Hill and the Raleigh area. My current location, Fuquay-Varina, is a small town south of Raleigh, once a mineral springs resort. In recent years, it has been absorbed into the Triangle sprawl, but it still retains much of its small-town charm.
I began throwing pots in 1995 and immediately fell in love with clay. Working out of a community arts center, I learned the basic skills and began selling my work in 1997. By the end of 1997, I had left clinical psychology behind in favor of less demanding work that would allow me to spend more time making pots. In 1998, I established a studio in my home, with a wheel and electric kiln.
I am constantly working to refine my skills and to develop my own style as a potter, so my work is always evolving. A constant, however, has been my commitment to making affordable, functional work that can enrich people's lives as they use it everyday. In line with that goal is the commitment to use no toxic materials and to test glazes rigorously to assure that they will hold up under regular use.
The name of my business, Light One Candle, relates to the notion that
each of us can begin to change our lives and our world by our small,
often seemingly insignificant actions. Each small step I take toward
becoming a craftsperson, each soup bowl I donate to raise money for
hunger relief, each dollar I raise for nonprofit organizations I believe in,
contributes to the development I hope to see in myself and in the
world we live in. No flame is too small. If each of us lights a candle,
we can brighten the world.
For more information, contact me at candle@intrex.net
Family Photos
