ST. GEORGE —From rocket ships to missiles and hand grenades, this pottery artist is blowing up the art scene in Washington County.
Marjorie Ann Eno is the artist behind Sun Lotus Designs, where she creates pottery inspired by everything from 80s pop to desert hiking. When asked why she began creating pottery, the answer was simple – her mental health.
“The lotus in the name comes from pottery being a rebirth for me,” Eno said. “Lotuses can only grow out of really muddy, murky waters. I’ve been through a lot of trauma and struggled with depression, PTSD and anxiety. Pottery was the only thing that got me out of my head, growing out of all that murkiness.”
Eno recently broke her ankle in two spots while rollerskating, requiring her to wear a boot and walk with crutches. But that didn’t stop her from telling her story to St. George News.
In 2017, Eno said she found herself in a dark place, struggling with worsening depression. When a friend who loved ceramics invited her to take a class, she initially said no, remembering how much she hated pottery class in college.
“My therapist was like, ‘You’re going to go into the studio and you’re going to get some clay and you’re not going to have any expectations,’” she said. “You’re just going to try. And before I knew it, I was there every day.”
Pottery is what sustained her for the next year, she said, adding that it allowed her to get off her medications and build a support network of other artists.
“It was a really big life change,” she said. “It saved my life.”
That was six years ago. And she never imagined that what she used as therapy would turn into a full-scale business.
When Joy Stein from Joy Craft and Design came into the Tilted Kiln one day looking for art pieces for her gallery, she was drawn to Eno’s work. Feeling less than an expert, Eno was flattered to be commissioned for a few dozen pieces, which turned into a continued partnership.
She said she’s thankful to Stein for kickstarting her business and becoming a mentor that encouraged her creativity and taught her aspects of the business.
Next, she found a home for Sun Lotus Designs inside the Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op, where she was mentored by another strong female in business – Kat Puzey.
“They’ve been instrumental in helping me learn how to run a business,” Eno said. “And that’s how my business turned into a business, by other women lifting me up, which is awesome.”
She started a desert-inspired ceramics line when she found herself missing the California ocean and finding the dryness of the desert to be sad. Inspired by her uncle and determined to find something positive to focus on, she began hiking.
“I really enjoyed my time out in the desert, so when I started making the mugs, it was kind of like my love letters to the desert because I was having a hard time with her,” she said. “And now, I love it. I love desert hiking.”
Eno said she enjoys doing carving and sgraffito work, which is created by covering the item in underglaze, then carving through to show a pattern or design. After throwing the clay and letting it dry to a leather-hard stage, she trims up the piece and begins painting. She also enjoys unglaze transfers made with rice paper, which transfers much like a temporary tattoo.
Eno encouraged those who have never taken a pottery class to consider joining a workshop at The Tilted Kiln. See information on the Aug. 31 workshop at this link.
“Come in for two hours and just play,” she said. “It’s a fun date, and just like anything, it takes time to build your skills and find creative ways you can express yourself.”
For those who may be nervous to try a ceramics class for the first time, she said being a beginner is wonderful and allows room for opportunity and growth. Making mistakes is normal, and something that she still does after six years of throwing clay.
For more information on Sun Lotus Designs, visit their website or find them on Instagram.
Shop Sun Lotus Designs in St. George at MoFACo, The Tilted Kiln, the St. George Museum and Utah Tech. Eno’s work also can be found in Hurricane at Red Canyon Company and in Kanab at Brown Box Bakery.
“Touching clay and being in the clay is so grounding,” Eno said. “It gave me that opportunity to play and be silly and mess up and make mistakes and do all the things that I thought I couldn’t do. Art was that vessel that allowed me to open up, let loose, be free and reconnect. Art is everything.”
Photo Gallery
A ceramic item shaped like a grenade by Sun Lotus Designs is pictured, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
A cup inspired by the Southern Utah desert features the state of Utah, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Marjorie Ann Eno, St. George News
Desert-inspired pottery by Sun Lotus Designs are on display inside MoFACo in downtown St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Sun Lotus Designs owner Marjorie Ann Eno shows off her pottery at the Tilted Kiln in St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Pottery by Sun Lotus Designs is on display inside The Tilted Kiln in St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Pottery by Sun Lotus Designs are on display inside The Tilted Kiln in St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Marjorie Ann Eno finds love in the desert, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Marjorie Ann Eno, St. George News
Pottery art by Sun Lotus Designs are seen against the red mountains, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Marjorie Ann Eno, St. George News
A rocket shot glass set by Sun Lotus Designs is pictured, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Marjorie Ann Eno, St. George News
A tea set by Sun Lotus Designs sits near Snow Canyon State Park in Ivins, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Marjorie Ann Eno, St. George News
Pottery by Sun Lotus Designs feature tropical flowers inside MoFACo in downtown St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
A rocket shot glass set by Sun Lotus Designs is pictured, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Marjorie Ann Eno, St. George News
Desert-inspired pottery by Sun Lotus Designs are on display inside MoFACo in downtown St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Sun Lotus Designs owner Marjorie Ann Eno shows off her pottery at the Tilted Kiln in St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
A rocket shot glass set by Sun Lotus Designs is on display inside The Tilted Kiln in St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Pottery by Sun Lotus Designs are in the process of being completed at The Tilted Kiln in St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
The logo of Sun Lotus Designs is seen on the bottom of a ceramic cup in St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
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