Lonely Clay by SDCO
Fine Art & Handbuilt Ceramics
About Lonely Clay
Lonely Clay is the ceramics practice of Soleil Design Co founder Sarah E. Stevens, established in 2016 at Artshack Brooklyn in New York City. While working as a studio technician and instructor in Brooklyn, Sarah developed a body of work that emerged from a quiet, reflective period in her life. The studio became a place to slow down and explore form, texture, light, and presence through handmade ceramics and functional sculpture.
Guided by curiosity, discovery, and play, each piece embraces the tactile nature of clay and the unexpected moments that arise through the making process.
"I'm drawn to the tactile and meditative experience of clay." — Sarah E. Stevens
Existing alongside her work as a brand identity and website designer, Lonely Clay serves as a slower, hands-on creative practice rooted in craftsmanship and intentional making. It is a space where experimentation, thoughtful problem solving, and poetic inquiry come together through ceramic art. The collection includes original fine art, handmade ceramics, and functional objects created in Massachusetts.
Today, Lonely Clay is shared through exhibitions, artisan markets, workshops, studio visits, and a curated selection of available work. More than a ceramics studio, it is an ongoing exploration of material, process, and presence, revealing the quiet joy and thoughtful curiosity found in making by hand.
The Lonely Clay Timeline
2016 - PRESENT
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![A display window with a wooden table holding various small potted plants, decorative vases, and pottery. Behind the table are shelves with more plants and decorative items. The sign says '@artshackBrooklyn'.]()
2016
BROOKLYN, NY
Sarah begins taking beginner wheel throwing classes at Artshack Brooklyn and experiments with hand building. -
![Sarah Stevens shaping clay on a pottery wheel with hands covered in clay, with two clay balls on the table.]()
2017
BROOKLYN, NY
Sarah continues wheel throwing and also begins learning about mold making and more complex hand-building techniques, while taking on teaching roles at the studio.
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![Street view of Artshock storefront with large front windows displaying art supplies and artwork, and a colorful door in the center.]()
2018
BROOKLYN, NY
Sarah begins teaching Intro to Wheel classes at Artshack and working as a studio assistant for weekend Open Studio sessions while quietly developing Lonely Clay. -
![Sarah Stevens standing next to a pottery piece on a table in a studio.]()
2019
BROOKLYN, NY
Studio support increases, offering design assistance, event production, and new responsibilities as a studio technician. Meanwhile, Lonely Clay was becoming a known practice and Sarah welcomed studio visits, professional photoshoots (Alex Contell), and mentions on social. -
![A small white dish filled with bright yellow turmeric powder, placed on a light surface. Around it are yellow fabric cloths tied with a knot, also in shades of yellow.]()
2020 - 2021
BROOKLYN, NY
COVID prevents Sarah from studio activities and clay work is put on hold, allowing for other creative expressions like figure drawing, natural dyeing, sewing, and photography to come forefront.
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![Sarah Stevens with a ponytail and tattoos wearing a black crop top and high-waisted pants, standing at a table filled with various pottery pieces and ceramics in a workshop.]()
2022
BROOKLYN, NY
Sarah moves to another Brooklyn neighborhood and becomes the studio technician and a hand-building instructor at Centerpoint Ceramics, with various markets and commissions. -
![Sarah Stevens mixing glazes with an N95 mask on.]()
2023
BROOKLYN, NY
Now a full-time studio technician, mixing glazes, reclaiming, supporting members and receiving clay deliveries for Centerpoint Ceramics, with occasional local markets and commissions. -
![Interior of a pottery studio with shelves of pottery supplies and finished pieces, and a wall with a large artistic sign that reads 'Pottery Mill Clay Studio 2016'.]()
2024
LOWELL, MA
Sarah moves to Massachusetts and begins working out of The Pottery Mill in Lowell. She teaches several hand-building workshops for adults and children while participating in seasonal markets with KSC and local farms.
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![A white, circular lamp with four curved sections is placed on a moss-covered concrete surface outdoors, surrounded by green plants and small patches of soil.]()
2025
LOWELL, MA
Sarah practices slow creation, limited runs and more sculptural work. With a focus on the senses and conceptual work that explores nature, time and our relationship with Earth.
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![A decorative ceramic tile with abstract and geometric designs, including a yellow star or sun shape, black dots, and green square and triangle accents, in a mix of black, yellow, and green colors.]()
PRESENT
LOWELL, MA
Sarah continues to create conceptual, functional, and sculptural work and enjoys taking on select commissions and markets while selling work to buyers across the U.S.A.
Available Work
One-of-a-kind hand-built ceramic sculptures.
The totem vase was created as a space for ritual and remembrance. A totem is an object that serves as an emblem of a family and often as a reminder of its ancestry.
~ Large ~
Material(s): White Stoneware, Various Glazes
Dimensions: 6.5in L × 6.5in W × 8in H
Weight: 2lbs
~ Small ~
Material(s): White Stoneware, Various Glazes
Dimensions: 5in L × 5in W × 7.5in H
Weight: 1.7lbs
Due to the artisanal nature of hand-built pieces, irregularities are to be expected. This item is final sale.
This vase was inspired by Magritte and the concept of infinity. High and low relief carvings, with inverse design of the female form and infinity spirals. Yellow interior.
Single Edition.
Material(s): White Stoneware, Various Glazes
Dimensions: 4.5in L × 8in W × 13in H
Weight: 4lbs
Due to the artisanal nature of hand-built pieces, irregularities are to be expected. This item is final sale.
A tall cylindrical vase with high and low relief elements and a hand-painted, metallic glaze inspired by the beaches of Queens, NY.
Single Edition.
Material(s): White Stoneware, Palladium Glaze
Dimensions: 5in L × 5in W × 8in H
Weight: 2lbs
Due to the artisanal nature of hand-built pieces, irregularities are to be expected. This item is final sale.
This dish is a Nerikomi-style design made from two different clay bodies. Nerikomi is a Japanese pottery term describing the artistic technique of combining clay bodies to create various designs. Spiraled together, we explore the concept of time and humanity.
Material(s): White Stoneware, Brown Stoneware
Dimensions: 2.5in L × 3in W × .75in H
Weight: .1lbs
Due to the artisanal nature of hand-built pieces, irregularities are to be expected. This item is final sale.
A conceptual object combining two everyday objects; a coin bank and a rocking chair. Inspired by Shaker design sensibility and furnishings.
Single Edition.
Material(s): White Speckled Stoneware, Various Glazes
Dimensions: 5in L × 2in W × 6in H
Weight: .7lbs
Due to the artisanal nature of hand-built pieces, irregularities are to be expected. This item is final sale.
Table lamp inspired by the sun temples of ancient civilizations. Included, a 6ft clear candelabra base cord with toggle on/off switch and an E12 chrome dipped bulb.
Single Edition.
Material(s): White Stoneware, Various Glazes
Dimensions: 6in L × 6in W × 5.5in H
Weight: 6lbs
Due to the artisanal nature of hand-built pieces, irregularities are to be expected. This item is final sale.
Table lamp inspired by the concept of infinity.
Included, a 6ft clear candelabra base cord with toggle on/off switch and an E12 chrome dipped bulb.
Single Edition.
Material(s): White Speckled Stoneware, Palladium Glaze
Dimensions: 7in L × 7in W × 6in H
Weight: 7lbs
Due to the artisanal nature of hand-built pieces, irregularities are to be expected. This item is final sale.
Commissioning a Piece
Submit an inquiry using the form below.
We’ll reply within a few days with a proposed timeline and quote.
Once approved & deposit received, we’ll begin creating your piece(s).
The Archives
Lonely Clay ceramic work and exhibitions from 2016 to the present day.
2026
2025
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The annual Pottery Mill Open House & Holiday Market. December 13th, 2025.
2024
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Community Clay exhibition at the Greenwald Gallery in Lowell, MA. Opening reception: August 16th, 2024.
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The annual Pottery Mill Open House & Holiday Market. December 12th, 2024.
2023
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Seasonal outdoor market at the beautiful Lilac Hedge Farm in Rutland, MA. May 11th, 2023.
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Outdoor market with local vendors, at the KSC Groton, MA location. June 16th, 2023.
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Outdoor market at the beautiful 359 farm in Littleton, MA. July 28th, 2023.
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The annual Pottery Mill Open House & Holiday Market. December 14th, 2023.
2022
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Pop-up market with Centerpoint Ceramic studio members. September 25th, 2022.
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A weekly outdoor table at the Ornithology Jazz Club in Brooklyn, NY. October 9, 16, 23 and 30th, 2022.
2019
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Studio members Mother’s Day sale at Artshack Brooklyn. May 11th, 2019.
2018
2017
