Clay in Motion: The Rising Artistry of Caymus Andrew

Photo: Caymus Andrew

The first time Caymus Andrew touched clay, it wasn’t destiny he was chasing — it was a scheduling gap. As a high school freshman needing an art elective, he casually signed up for ceramics. His teacher, Mel Simpson — a master potter then in his 70s — gave a wheel demonstration on the first day. “I was mesmerized,” Caymus remembers. “I just knew I had to figure out how to do that.” He spent the next four years doing exactly that. By senior year, he’d developed a natural fluency with form and texture, the kind of effortless skill that makes onlookers assume years of disciplined study. People loved his work. Still, he was pragmatic. “I knew it was hard to make a living as an artist,” he admits. So, after graduation, he traded clay for textbooks, enrolling at the University of Arizona to study marketing. The plan was safe: a career in insurance or commercial real estate. But that plan never felt right.

After college, with his degree in hand, Caymus couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d left a part of himself behind. “I just kept thinking, what if I went for it?” he says. “Even after four years, I still believed in what I could make.” So he took a leap. A few months after graduation, he found a local studio, dusted off his skills, and got to work. To pay the bills, he took a job at Stanly Ranch, a luxury resort in Napa Valley. When he finally showed his pottery to the resort manager, her reaction changed everything. “She was amazed,” he recalls. “Next thing I knew, my pieces were displayed all over the property.” Today, guests wandering through Stanly Ranch are surrounded by his work — minimalist, modern, quietly elegant vessels that feel perfectly at home in Napa’s understated luxury. That early validation gave him momentum. “If Stanly Ranch wanted to decorate with my work,” he says, “I figured other people would too.” Now 24, Caymus works full-time as a potter — a rare feat for any artist, let alone one so young. He credits his marketing background for helping him navigate the business side. “Maybe it was a good thing I didn’t go to art school,” he says with a laugh. “It taught me how to position myself, how to find the right audience.” In a region known for fine taste and design, his minimalist aesthetic found its niche.

Photo: Caymus Andrew

What started with a few local commissions has since grown into a full-fledged business, with most of his clients discovering him on Instagram. Still, Caymus keeps a balance between commissioned work and creative freedom. “There’s this idea that doing commissions kills creativity,” he says. “I actually love it. Collaborating with people to create something that fits their space — it’s fulfilling.” He pauses, then smiles. “And when I’m just creating for myself, I start worrying — like, will anyone even want this?” His process varies depending on the client. Recently, a couple from Napa invited him to design large-scale pieces for their living room. “They had these two huge shelves flanking their TV — about 45 inches tall,” he recalls. “I usually don’t work that big, but I said yes.” He visited their home, studied the colors, the light, the energy. “Then I designed something that felt like it belonged there.” Throughout production, he sent progress photos, updates, even the occasional message like ‘This one exploded in the oven — starting over!’ His clients trusted him completely. “They give me room to improvise,” he says. “I’m lucky — I’ve never had a client dislike a piece.” That trust is part of what fuels him. Each collaboration becomes a conversation — between artist, collector, and space. “It’s about creating the best possible piece for that environment,” he explains.

Looking ahead, Caymus dreams bigger than just his own studio. “I want Caymus Andrew to grow into a brand — one that brings together other creatives, maybe even different mediums. I want it to stand for craftsmanship, for beauty, for care.” His aesthetic is constantly evolving. “What I made last year feels different from what I make now,” he says. “But that’s the exciting part — it’s always changing.”

In Napa, his pieces can be seen at Stanly Ranch, The Napa Valley Car Club, and Auberge du Soleil. For those who can’t make the trip, his website showcases his latest work — each piece sculpted with intention, glazed with quiet confidence, and born from that moment, years ago, when a teenager watched a ball of clay come to life and decided to chase that magic. Caymus isn’t just shaping pottery — he’s shaping a future where art, ambition, and authenticity all live in perfect balance.

www.caymusandrew.com

@caymusandrew