Artist Biography

Ridge Merrill was born in 1998 but his story began long before that — late 1600s in the Connecticut colony of the United States, to be more precise. There lived a humble family of potters. This occupation was passed on from father to son for seven generations taking them across colony and state lines over the next two centuries. Lead poisoning from the glazes they used back in those days brought the family profession to a halt in the late 1800s...until their descendant, Ridge Merrill came along.

Back to 1998. Ridge was a quiet and thoughtful boy born in Mesa, Arizona. His childhood consisted of red lollipops, singing with his siblings, and digging sand tunnels with cousins. During his senior year of high school Ridge spontaneously decided to take a pottery class. He quickly realized clay was a better medium than the sand he was accustomed to.

After a few bumps in the road of life, a college class led a battered Ridge back to pottery. His passions for mental health and creativity seemed to meet perfectly in the clay. As his ancestors cheered from the heavens, Ridge decided he would spend his life on the potter’s wheel. He started a business cleverly named “Oridgenal Pottery” in 2018.

Creating with clay brings light into Ridge’s life and helps him feel more connected with the world around him. His love for pottery and connection eventually led him to his wife, McKinley. She stumbled on his social media business page and one thing quickly led to another.

Ridge and McKinley currently live in Southern Utah, where he is exploring his personal pottery style and studying Fine Arts with an emphasis in Ceramics at Utah Tech University. And yes, Ridge still thanks his ancestors for helping him bring back the family trade.