Will Aley prides himself on creating beautiful pieces of art, but he wants each to have a purpose, too.

“A lot of the stuff I make has a function,” he said, taking a break from desk duty at Riverwalk Gallery in downtown Washington. “There’s a fine line between fine art and crafts, and I like to bridge the two.”

Aley joined Riverwalk about nine months ago after moving to the Original Washington by way of Seattle, Washington and Washington D.C.

“My husband, Thad, and I bought a beautiful 1900 home on North Market Street,” Aley said. “His family is from here; he inherited land from his grandfather in Pinetown and we’d like to start a tea farm there.”

The tea theme is evident in Aley’s work since one of his specialties is creating whimsical, yet useful, tea pots. In fact, one of his goals is to design the perfect tea pot.

“I also do a lot of utilitarian wear, things that have a purpose,” he added. “I even do dog bowls.”

Another passion is a series of clay masks, each fashioned after someone he has known.

Aley was born in Germany to a military family; he later served in the military himself and attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Thirty years ago, Aley set out to enroll in a quilting class but the spaces were filled, so he joined a pottery class on a whim. It sparked an interest that serves him well to this day.

Along with a membership in Riverwalk, Aley and his husband are building a pottery studio, The Kracked Pot, at their home. He has named it after one of his favorite folk tales from India.

Once the studio is up and running, Aley intends to turn his talents toward a series of crocks, a nod to his interest in fermenting vegetables.

Thus far, he’s been encouraged by the reception his work has received at Riverwalk; the icing on the cake was a first place award he won in a local art competition.

“But I really want to get that perfect teapot,” Aley said with a smile.

*For more information, contact Aley at 252-721-4401 or visit The Kracked Pot Facebook page.