Established in 1976 by current director Raymond Markow following three years developing the decorative process, Santa Barbara Ceramic Design arose less auspiciously than the �Ohio� potteries - no financial backing and no machinery beyond that available to ancient potters: wheel, kiln, brushes and colorants.

The company produced intricate, colorful, hand-painted flora and fauna designs on traditional pottery forms, primarily vases and table lamps. Although artistically aligned with turn-of-the-century art potteries, the techniques used were unique and developed within the studio.

Vibrant glaze stains with wax emulsion were applied by brush over a graduated multicolor background, enhanced by elaborate sgrafitto detailing on petals and leaves. In the early 1980s, a white stoneware body was incorporated to further brighten the color palate and during later years, sgrafitto was replaced by detailing with a fine brush.

Early pieces were thrown. Mid-1980 saw a transition to casting, except for experimental or custom pieces. Artists were encouraged to be creative and on occasion given individual gallery exhibitions. Custom orders were welcomed and experimentation occurred regularly; the resulting pieces are the most rare and seldom appear for sale today. Limited production lines evolved, including the Collector Series that featured an elaborate ornamental border intended to complement the primary design. The Artist�s Collection was a numbered series of pieces by senior artists, usually combining flora and fauna homophonically, e.g. tiger + tiger lily. Decorators participated in periodic design competitions, voted on by peers and rewarded monetarily.

The company�s approach to bold colors in surface decoration influenced several contemporary potters and generated imitation in both pottery and glass during the craft renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s. Several employees made use of the studio�s designs and techniques after leaving. Authentic pieces bear the artist�s initials, date and �SBCD� marked in black stain and if thrown, the potter�s inscription.

At the height of the studio�s art-pottery period, Markow employed as many as three potters and twelve decorators at a given time. The ware was marketed through craft festivals and wholesale distribution to art and craft galleries nationwide. An estimated 100,000 art pottery pieces were made before a transition in the late 1980s to silk-screened household and garden items. One interesting foray was a 2005 series of coffee cups featuring black and white stills from 1930s-1950s and film noir movies in conjunction with Turner Classic Movies. The company has since expanded into many other media and �Ceramic� has been dropped from the new company name, Santa Barbara Design Studio.

Now 40 years since the company�s inception, the secondary market for Santa Barbara Ceramic Design's art pottery has seen thousands of pieces change hands. The work is often viewed as a bargain compared to its Rookwood and Weller Hudson counterparts.

For images and artist/potter marks see www.johnguthrie.com.

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