The pursuit of fulfillment requires us to take risks, to follow our passions (even if we’re not sure where they’ll lead), and to refuse to settle for anything less. Few people personify that journey like LA-based potter Daniel Dooreck, aka Danny D. His path to forging Danny D’s Mudshop and the fine yet approachable ceramics he creates serve as an optimistic reminder to let down our shoulders and seek out whatever makes us smile.
A New York native, Danny studied kinesiology in French Canada, only to realize upon graduation that a job in medicine wasn’t for him. Soon after, he was working in the restaurant industry, first as a line cook, then as a sommelier and beverage manager.
At age 24, Dooreck started taking pottery classes in his spare time—but it was only in 2021, during a bout with COVID-19, that Danny decided to sell a run of thirty ceramic pieces on Instagram. To his surprise, he sold $3000 worth of pottery in half a day.
Not long after, Danny quit his job, and Danny D’s Mudshop was formed.
Crafting pieces that emphasize the hands of the maker, Danny channels his love for LA thrift culture and the Western-themed artwork that accompanies it into his pottery. From playful depictions of cowboys and cactuses to the bold linework and bright colors of American traditional tattoo art, Danny’s work has a fun, approachable style that acts as a welcome invitation to anyone looking to attain a one-of-a-kind work of art.
We’re excited to celebrate Danny’s work through a limited collaboration capsule of character-rich pieces. Here, his bold and timeless art style finds a fresh context in some of our most loved silhouettes—like our classic Ojai Jacket, our summer-ready Short Sleeve Davis Shirt, and our lightweight Cotton Hemp Tee. Danny has also crafted a limited run of ceramics specifically for this collaboration, each of which is totally unique.
We were lucky enough to speak with him about his work, his journey, and his plans for the future.
From kinesiology to working in restaurants to creating pottery, it seems like you’ve always been drawn to working with your hands. Would you say that’s accurate? If so, what is it about being “hands-on” that you find attractive?
I’ve certainly led a pretty random career path. I think each piece of this puzzle has added together and led to this small slice of success I’m seeing now. At the end of the day, I’m still in the hospitality business (aren’t we all?). I suppose I know how to take care of my body when I’m out of the studio from my degree, but that’s a stretch. When I was younger, my life was academic. It slowly became less and less so until I really started diving into my wine journey, where I was technically working with my hands and people up front, but the front and back ends of my days were full of reading encyclopedias and flashcards. Sounds corny, but it was the path at the time.
Currently, my ceramics company is just another road in that path, but my craft is full-on “hands-on” and entirely rewarding. Being a primarily online business is actually slightly detrimental to my work because each piece has such a tangible feel. When a client picks up a cup, they can feel each carving I did. Each piece is unique and completely hand-done, and I’m proud of the work we are putting out now.
Your artwork embraces the approachable yet distinctive style of American traditional flash and classic Western themes. What about these styles attracts you, and have you always had an affinity for them?
I think living within California has led to a huge influence on these things. I love vintage, and I love random thrift stores along my camping journeys and these places are flooded with images in these themes. I admit I never grew up in the desert, and I lived a pretty suburban lifestyle growing up. But who cares, I connect with these pieces and surround myself in this lifestyle now. In terms of the pottery side of things, tattoo designs—thick lines, larger characters, bright colors—lend themselves best to my medium. You can translate a lot to clay, I’ve learned, but tiny details can be lost pretty easily, so tattoo art works best.
From the perspective of most of us, your move from what you’ve referred to as “soulless” work to following your heart into more creative endeavors seems like a dream. How has that transition affected you, and do you have any tips for anyone out there looking to do something similar?
Truthfully, I’m still gathering my thoughts on this idea. What I was doing before wasn’t exactly “soulless”, but rather just not for me. I think there’s a lot of integrity and respect that goes into the restaurant industry. 5 years ago, I owned my own space, and that certainly was full of character and soul, but moving to LA, I lost that drive and ambition. Perhaps it was the intensity of the city and huge entry barriers.
Now, I’m in control. I call the shots, and my entire personality and energy are dropped into my ceramics. I said it already, but even though I’m a cup maker, I’m still in the hospitality business. For people trying to get into this business or something similar—start step by step. Have a cushion to fall back on for sure, and don’t compromise on anything. At the end of the day, whatever happens with social media, money, etc, everything falls back on the art and product. It’s all that matters, then the story behind it follows and hopefully pushes everything upward.
Your grassroots success story (working out of your garage in Echo Park and building a brand and business from scratch) must have come along with a lot of hard-learned lessons. What would you say are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned over the years?
I f****ng miss that garage dearly. There was something so special about working out of a sh*thole for years and being so important to a small spot in the neighborhood that I’ll miss. My next investment will be into a brick-and-mortar spot—hopefully, something with a coffee component where everyone uses my cups and then my production facility behind.
I made a lot of mistakes with my company. Nothing catastrophic, but I could’ve done a much better job in the beginning. I could have grown faster and smarter, saved a ton of money and time (I never valued my time in the beginning, I worked too much), and been more efficient with things. I just took the long, tortuous route instead of actually investing time to find the best methods. I suppose my crutch is just putting hours into a problem rather than sitting down and finding the best method to execute. The main lessons I learned were to find the best accountant and bookkeeper, expedite your shipping, create the most efficient workflow from the beginning, and build healthy business relationships—you never know where the next project will come from, like this!
Your first big sale came from sharing some of your pieces on Instagram, and today, your IG account is positively booming. How important a role has social media played in the development of your business?
I have a love-hate relationship with social media. It generated a lot of sales, collaborations, and opportunities. But as a cup maker, why the f*ck do I need to entertain the world with little videos? 95% of new “internet” clients don’t buy, and the other 4% are sexbots, and that 1% who do buy, I go all in on. I specifically work hard and improve my craft for those people. I feel like every artist in 2024 is experiencing hardship in this way. Never in history has so much content been consumed and consumer attention span so low. It’s a rough time, and platforms like Instagram are devalued in my perspective as it does not contribute to and reward high-quality artistic work, only quick consumable viral content.
That’s why I believe in things always falling back on the work. I believe in my product, its authenticity, and its uniqueness. I believe in strong relationships with brands that value my product. No one can make my ceramics or can reproduce it on the secondary market because it comes from the deepest part of me; from long nights, dry hands, and a sore neck. If social media disappears tomorrow (and I secretly hope so), I’ll sell my work on the street and live a little bit more in peace because, in a world of boring ceramics, I believe mine stand out a little bit.
What’s next for Danny D’s Mudshop?
A lot! Get in the best shape of my life, and feel great everyday. Be a great partner and a father one day. Drive cool trucks that consume a ton of gasoline. Produce the best work and feel proud shipping each piece to a new client. Create a sustainable business where it’s a little less stressful and just fun. Work less. Employ 2-3 people and support their goals. Get together 200 grand and open my dream workshop, retail space, and coffee shop in my neighborhood, and be a part of a community bigger than Danny D’s Mud Shop. Maybe get more Taylor Stitch clothes dirty in my studio. For now, I’m a cup maker, and I’m proud of this collaboration!
It’s been a true pleasure getting to know Danny during this process, and the pieces we created together speak for themselves.
As a reminder, this collaboration capsule is extremely limited. So if anything speaks to you, snag it before it’s gone.
Thanks again, Danny. Let us know when your coffee shop/ceramic studio opens up. We’ll be first in line.
For more of Danny D, check out his work on Instagram @dannydsmudshop, and on his website.
