Samantha Decker-Hoppen has been a ceramic artist for more than 15 years and founded Turtle Rock Studio in 2002, originally in New Mexico. She has created several popular series, including The Dance of Life, Petroglyphs and Elemental Mothers. She brings to her clay work drawing and painting talents developed throughout her childhood, as well as inspiration from her experiences living and traveling throughout the United States and abroad. Turtle Rock Studio moved to Cutler Bay, Florida, in the fall of 2008.

"My life as an artist reflects my human experience. The act of creation is an outward manifestation of my inner journey. I aim to discover and express.

"My primary medium is clay. As I shape the clay, the clay shapes me through the elements that bind us. As earth, clay grounds perceptions into what is real and possible. As water, clay reveals openness and susceptibility. As air, clay reinforces the necessity of patience and attention. As fire, clay exposes truth.

"I have been fermenting years of travel and living among various cultures. I find their symbols, myths, and archetypes bubbling up in my designs. I create both sculptural and functional pieces of pottery to complement our daily rituals. The name of my workspace, 'Turtle Rock Studio,' invokes the turtle’s slow pace of simple pleasures and acknowledges the power of our shared home, Earth."