The Artist

Crystal Lee Lane (formerly Crystal Lee Martinez) is a California-based ceramic artist working under the studio name Squibbykins Ceramics, where she creates sculptural dwellings known as Gnomey Homes—small architectural forms that feel discovered rather than constructed. 

Rooted in the ecosystems of coastal redwood forests and shaped by years spent camping among lakes, wood smoke, and understory landscapes, her work explores the boundary between observation and folklore, suggesting quiet habitation without depicting its inhabitants directly.

Her early creative life was grounded in outdoor environments through Girl Scout leadership and seasonal camp work, experiences that fostered a lasting sensitivity to landscape, shelter, and the presence of hidden spaces within natural systems. The studio name “Squibbykins,” originally a camp nickname earned in the early 2000s while advancing from Unit Counselor to Waterfront Director, eventually became her maker’s mark through the continued use of her “Squib” signature. Yes—she answers to Squib, Squibby, or Squibbykins.

Lane studied Communication at the University of California, Davis, and spent time in York, United Kingdom, where exposure to medieval architecture and layered historical landscapes shaped her interest in environments as carriers of memory and narrative. Professional experience in technical quoting, fabrication-adjacent workflows, high-end client services, and cattle ranch management in the American Southwest further contributed to a materially informed and systems-oriented approach to making that continues to influence her studio practice today.

She began formal ceramics coursework at De Anza College in 2017 and later continued her training at Cabrillo College, expanding into computer-aided design (CAD), digital fabrication, small-scale metalsmithing, cloisonné enameling, and collaborative mural production. Additional workshops at the Mendocino Art Center introduced alternative firing methods, group wood firing, and surface treatment techniques that now play a central role in the development of her sculptural surfaces.

Lane’s Gnomey Homes series emerged from this combination of technical fluency, environmental storytelling, and a long-standing fascination with hidden places. Each intentionally non-functional structure suggests shelter for unseen inhabitants and invites viewers to imagine the larger ecosystems these dwellings belong to—whether blending quietly into forest litter in Washington State or standing vividly as the home of “the flashiest frog on the block” somewhere in Texas until a gnome chooses to move in. Through alternative firing processes that engage earth, air, water, and fire, she allows the kiln to complete each piece unpredictably, treating chance not as error but as collaboration.

Her work is informed in part by the legacy of Josiah Wedgwood, whose transformation of ceramics into a system capable of supporting ambitious experimentation—from the technical achievement of the Portland Vase to the circulation of the abolitionist medallion Am I Not a Man and a Brother—demonstrated the cultural and ethical power of objects. This model continues to shape Lane’s understanding of ceramics as both material practice and social language, influencing her long-term interest in exhibition-building and curatorial environments alongside studio production.

Lane continues to develop her practice through participation in major ceramic conferences including the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA), and the British Ceramic Biennial. Her international ceramic exhibition debut took place in Stoke-on-Clay (2024) in Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, with work shown at both Stoke Minster and the Spode Museum. Her work is currently available through Glazed Art at Trentham Estate, Staffordshire.

Community studio practice remains central to her approach. She maintains ongoing involvement with Higher Fire in San Jose and previously participated in the Orchard Valley Ceramic Art Guild and the Cabrillo Ceramics and Fabrication Lab Clubs. Collaboration, shared learning, and the exchange of technical knowledge remain foundational values within her work.

Lane’s long-term goal is to serve as a bridge within and between artistic communities—supporting the exchange of knowledge, strengthening craft proficiency, and helping preserve technical traditions for future makers.

C.V.

Exhibitions

2024

Stoke-on-Clay (juried exhibition)

Stoke Minster & Spode Museum, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

2023

CCACA Invitational Exhibition

De Anza College / California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art

2023

CCACA “Plant Sale” Exhibition

Cabrillo College, Gavilan College, and Stroke & Disabled Learning Center collaboration

2018

I Left It Here: Sensations of Memory

CCACA Exhibition, De Anza College

2018

Student Exhibition (Pirate Ship Installation)

Euphrat Museum of Art, De Anza College

2018

Student Exhibition (Gnome Home Sculpture)

Cabrillo College

Representation

Glazed Art

Trentham Estate, Staffordshire, United Kingdom

Work exhibited and available for purchase through Stoke-on-Trent gallery programming

Professional Affiliations

Member, Higher Fire Ceramics Studio, San Jose, CA (2018–present)

Member, Orchard Valley Ceramic Art Guild, CA (2018–2022)

Participant, Cabrillo Ceramics Club (2022–2024)

Participant, Cabrillo Fabrication Lab Club (2022–2024)

Conferences & Professional Development

Participant, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), 2018–present

Participant, California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA), 2018–present

Participant, British Ceramic Biennial, 2023, 2025

Workshops, Mendocino Art Center

Alternative firing, group wood firing, and surface treatment techniques

Training in small-scale metal enameling with Dawn Nakanishi, 2023

Collaborative Projects

Public mural collaboration

Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA

Clay Carnival (Vice Chair)

Regional ceramics community event coordination and promotion

Media & Features

Portrait feature by David Suh

Featured artist documentation, Higher Fire Woodfire Program (Kiss by the Kiln)

Mendocino Art Center social media feature

MAC fundraising event documentation (Woodfire crew)

Technical Training

Lost-wax bronze casting

Alternative firing methods (pit firing, wood firing)

High-fire porcelain surface development

CAD and digital fabrication workflows

Laser cutting and 3D modeling

Small-scale metalsmithing

Cloisonné enameling

Professional certification in photographic lighting

GIA coursework in diamonds and gemstones

Studio Practice Focus

Hand-built sculptural ceramic environments (Gnomey Homes series)

Narrative architectural ceramics

Atmospheric surface development

Environmental storytelling through clay