Tom Henderson shapes a vase on the pottery wheel July 1, 2025, inside his downtown Pendleton store, Pendleton Ceramics. Passersby can watch Henderson at work through the shop window before the store opens. (Yasser Marte/East Oregonian)

PENDLETON — At Pendleton Ceramics, owner Tom Henderson leaned over the wheel, shaping clay into vases and mugs as visitors peered through the window for a glimpse into the artist’s daily life — part store, part studio, all passion.

Sunlight poured through the storefront windows July 1 as he centered the clay, spun the wheel and shaped each piece — wetting, molding and refining until the clay took form.

“It’s relaxing — it really is,” Henderson said after finishing behind the pottery wheel. “If you’re worried about everything else, you’re not going to make art. It’s just going to collapse on you, get off-center, everything.”

Working with clay requires full attention, he said. It forces the artist to slow down, focus and be patient.

Henderson has shaped clay as well as the local art community for more than 35 years, turning his lifelong passion into a brick-and-mortar shop at the corner of Southeast Court Avenue and South Main Street in downtown Pendleton.

The shop opened in April, offering a curated selection of functional wares — including dishes, vases, mugs and lumineers — each handcrafted and glazed.

Customers also can purchase Henderson’s architectural tiles, designed to add character to walls, backsplashes, mantels, shower surrounds and other custom projects.

“The tile is kind of like a canvas for me to do artwork on,” he said. “I can sculpt in relief, or I take drawings from my sketchbooks — I’m constantly sketching when I’m not here — and translate those onto my pottery or tile murals.”

He presses the tiles, projects an image onto them and uses pigmented clay to paint the designs. He then fires and glazes each piece.

The space inside the store is designed for efficiency. Henderson said having dedicated workstations allows him to move seamlessly between tasks without wasting time.

“One of the wheels is set up specifically for making plates and bowls and it has a jigger arm attached,” he said. “I’ve got my forearm tool sitting right there, ready to use.”

The clay prep area, though mostly hidden from view, sits nearby. Henderson also has a small wheel designated solely for grinding the bottoms of bottles to remove any burrs — a step that helps reduce the risk of scratching.

Another workstation near the front is dedicated to making mugs and vases, so he doesn’t have to constantly assemble and disassemble equipment.

“It cuts down on transition time,” he said. “I can just move from one station to the next when I’m ready, and there’s a lot less downtime.”

He keeps his printmaking work upstairs, where he and his wife, Jenee Henderson, create designs on display throughout the shop.

In addition to creating and selling his own pottery, Henderson stocks tools and materials for fellow ceramic artists as a distributor for Georgies Ceramic & Clay Co. in Portland. His shop maintains a well-stocked supply of clay, glazes and other essentials, helping local artists avoid the long trip across the state for materials.

The store also promotes and sells the works of local artisans.

“I want to help people who are just experimenting with clay and trying to build their businesses,” Henderson said.

When community members express interest in learning ceramics, Henderson usually directs them to the Pendleton Center for the Arts or advises college students to take advantage of their recently restarted ceramics program at Blue Mountain Community College. He also noted that high schools and junior highs in the area offer ceramics classes.

“I help with the Nixyaawii after-school program by teaching classes for the kids,” Henderson said. “They even hold a fundraiser where they make Christmas ornaments, and I sell them. The proceeds go toward materials and the program.”

Henderson offers workshops on techniques that most potters don’t usually learn, such as raku, pit firing and alternative fuels.

Pendleton Ceramics is one of four businesses the city awarded a Path to Success forgivable loan.

Henderson said the program helped him understand how to set long-term goals, prioritize his business needs and market his products effectively. He plans to use the $20,000 award to grow and expand his shop.

Pendleton Ceramics is open Tuesday through Thursday, 2-6 p.m., at 148 S. Main St. in downtown Pendleton.

Customers can shop in-store or online. To stay updated on new collections, store hours and featured artists, follow Pendleton Ceramics on Facebook, Instagram and website.