My journey with clay began over 30 years ago. I was inspired on a trip to Ireland and completely fascinated by a porcelain factory I visited. Returning home, I signed up classes and was hooked!

For many years I created custom dinnerware and serving pieces very whimsical in design.
After taking a break to raise my family, I got back at it in 2020. With the gift of time during quarantine, Maria Cronin Design was reborn.

Using a flower-like pattern, I began to layer the delicate porcelain pieces into small accent dishes I call petal dishes. Glazing them in various colors, I finished each dish with an additional firing of 22k gold along the edges. From the petal dish, I’ve developed several unique gift items as well as a collection of dinnerware. You could say that I’m a small batch ceramicist. Each piece is created, dried out for 3-4 days, then bisque fired. Next I apply 3 coats of glaze, fire again and then the final firing of 22k gold edging, along with my signature “ M “ in gold. Each piece takes about 10-12 days to create - a process which makes your purchase a truly one-of-a-kind work of art.

The best thing about working with clay is that I can continue to keep experimenting with shapes, forms and glazes. I love having the freedom to try to create beautiful things to share.