Hi, I’m Kirsten Serrano

I'm the potter and farmer behind Mud Puppy Studio, a five-acre labor of love in central Indiana that I share with my loyal sidekick, Frida—my 14-year-old Boston Terrier and the original “Mud Puppy.” Together, we farm, create, and grow older on this patch of land we call home. Whether we’re in the fields or in the studio, we’re happiest with our hands and paws in the dirt. We have a sort of cosmic connection. The only being I have ever known that has the same connection to our farm as I do is Frida.

My functional stoneware pottery is rooted in a folk art sensibility—honest, expressive, grounded in tradition, and full of heart. I believe that beauty lives in everyday moments, and that stringing those small moments together creates a life full of meaning. That’s the spirit I shape into every piece: work that transforms daily rituals into joyful, tactile experiences.

I work primarily with dark brown stoneware, a clay that echoes the fertile Indiana soil we farm. I hand-build each piece using coil and slab techniques, and also use slipcasting for certain forms—balancing the organic spontaneity of hand-building with the rhythmic precision of molds. This blend of methods allows me to explore both the playful irregularities and the structured repetition that define my work.

Layered slips and underglazes bring the surfaces to life, carved with wild plants, farm animals, and creatures full of energy and character. My designs celebrate the riotous exuberance of life, inviting you to hold a piece of that wonder in your hands.

Mud Puppy Studio is an invitation to slow down, savor beauty, and rediscover the extraordinary in the everyday. I hope you feel the joy and earthiness of this life in every piece you hold.