Happy Toad Pottery
Tryon, NC
Jan Collier was born in Ohio where she developed her passion for nature and artistic expression. Her parents instilled that love throughout her childhood while visiting parks around the country. In 2016, Jan and her husband moved to Western North Carolina after falling in love with the area’s natural beauty and creative energy.
She quickly joined the thriving art community of Tryon and started her business “Happy Toad Pottery “ in 2021. Participating in craft fairs and selling her pottery in local stores in Tryon, Hendersonville and Chimney Rock, enables her to connect personally with pottery lovers across the area. Her unique style often incorporates natural elements such as leaves and flowers into her design, which allows the hand brushed glazes to pool into the texture, producing luminous surfaces.
“Art is not something you do, it’s an extension of who you are. Creativity in all it’s many forms, feeds the soul. My drive to create has been a mainstay throughout my life. It has taken on many expressions including poetry, photography, floral design, jewelry and pottery. Like one’s children, I love them all for there unique narrative. I draw inspiration from the natural world with it’s complexities of pattern, color and design.”