Written by Jules Weissman | Photos by Francine Gealer

Update: Duo Luo now has a shop on the East End of Downtown Ojai.

It’s sunny in the garden of Nicholas Ali and Fanny Penny.

I watched this garden grow from a patch of dirt in Meiners Oaks, paths meticulously carved over many years by Nico wetting and sweeping the clay soil.

Every other inch is filled with edibles and flowers. Their daughter Sadie, 7, can tell you what each plant is and why they’re growing it. She keeps a list of all the words her little sister has learned in her nearly two years on the planet, a little handwritten Gita-to-English dictionary. Every trip to Fanny and Nico’s home ceramics studio is an inspiring lesson into the art of living.

Fanny and Nico have been exploring ceramics side-by-side, each with an entirely different process and work product.

Fanny creates striking pieces of graphic art — colorful chains, geometric jewelry, and Memphis-inspired wall hangings. Everything is hand-built with precision and fired with Otto Heino’s electric kiln passed down from Beatrice Wood’s studio.

Nico prefers the surprises of a gas kiln and he works on a wheel to create pots, cups, and other useful vessels in an earthy palette. You can find these at Beacon Coffee or Shop Summer Camp.

Having collaborated in the past for Found 203 Studio (owners Pam and Rob moved and are missed), they’ve decided to keep it going. In February they are launching their new line, DUO LUTO (mud pair). You can already buy their pots at Shop Summer Camp and its sister store, Plant Based.

UPDATES 01.28.2021  |  A clarification: Fanny’s kiln specifically belonged to Otto Heino, a longtime friend of Beatrice Wood.  |  Link added to Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Upper Ojai.