About Spooner Creek
Spooner Creek is the artwork of Michael Macone expressed in clay. For more than forty years we have been creating ceramic artwork that combines meaningful messages, colorful designs, and handcrafted craftsmanship. What began as the creative work of one artist has grown into a family studio dedicated to producing decorative tiles and gifts that celebrate life’s most meaningful moments.
Michael grew up in a creative environment where art was always part of everyday life. His mother was an artist who encouraged his creative abilities from an early age. During high school he was introduced to working with clay, and that experience sparked a passion that would shape the direction of his life and career.
After attending the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee for a year, Michael opened a small pottery operation in Minneapolis in a one stall garage. In those early years he experimented with many creative ideas, first designing novelty pottery planters shaped like blue jeans that he called Klay Klothes. From there the work expanded into mirrors, vases, and other clay pieces that were exhibited and sold at art fairs across the country. Traveling from show to show with a young family, Michael’s work earned numerous awards and recognition.
Eventually, with four children at home, the constant travel of art fairs became less practical. We began looking for a way to continue creating and sharing the artwork while staying closer to home. That search led to the development of a unique engraving technique that allowed Michael to etch his designs directly into the clay rather than simply applying them to the surface.
By engraving the designs into the clay itself, each piece gained a dimensional quality that could be appreciated not only visually but also through texture and touch. This process made it possible to create a line of ceramic art tiles that maintained the character of handmade artwork while also allowing us to produce them consistently for shops and galleries.
This new line of engraved tiles quickly became popular and the company Spooner Creek was born. Today our Spooner Creek collection includes a distinctive assortment of ceramic tiles featuring colorful folk art imagery and meaningful messages about family, friendship, love, humor, and everyday life. Many of our designs have become favorite gifts and keepsakes that are displayed in homes across the country.
Our studio is now located in Northern Wisconsin, where Michael continues to create alongside his sons and daughters, and one lucky son-in-law. Together we remain committed to keeping the Spooner Creek line fresh, creative, and meaningful. Many of the stores that first carried our work decades ago are still customers today, a testament to the enduring appeal of these designs.
At Spooner Creek we believe art should celebrate life. Each tile we create is designed to bring a smile, spark a memory, or remind someone of the people and experiences that make life special.
Explore Spooner Creek Collections: