Don Bebout

When my older son left a pottery wheel in my garage before departing for UCLA in the fall of 1985, the die was cast; soon I was taking evening classes at local Austin pottery studios.  But even as I became more and more involved in pottery, it still remained secondary to my career as a research geologist at the University of Texas.  However, my interest in design and production of pottery increased through encouragement from friends and acquaintances and by rapidly increasing sales.  Finally, in 1994, I retired from the University and became a full-time potter.

Art Festivals and Galleries

From 1995-2002 I entered 10 to 12 arts and crafts festivals per year, mostly in Texas but also occasionally in Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.  However, in late 2002, I stopped doing the festivals and am now selling my pottery only at art galleries and stores, mostly in Texas but also in Pennsylvania and California.

About the Lizard

The whimsical lizard on this pottery is the Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) that lives under eaves throughout the United States Gulf Coast area.

Although the Green Anole is not a true chameleon, it has often been called one because of its ability to change color from medium brown to bright green.  The red throat fan, larger on the males, is probably displayed during courtship and in defense of territory.

The Green Anole eats only insects and spiders and is not a threat to birds.  The lizards on the pottery do not frighten the birds, which actually perch on the lizards.