Earthsongs Studio, established by Linda Vonderschmidt-LaStella and Nino Pasqual LaStella in 1993 is located in the heart of a small town, Metuchen, NJ. The couple's desire was to both create a working studio as well as an oasis of peace in the midst of the frenzy of life in CentralJersey, and so their 80 year-old house and garage were distinctively painted, gardens and a pond created to attract visitors even before they got to the studio.

Earthsongs is a fine art ceramic studio, producing custom ceramic installations, specializing in wall works: one-of-a-kind tiles, wall sculptures and permanent murals. It is open to the public for browsing, as well as a place where Linda, the ceramist of the pair, gives classes and workshops. A native Baltimorean, Linda is recipient of numerous grants and awards for her work both with the arts and with education. Earthsongs became Linda's full-time employment in 1997.

As with any husband-wife studio team, Nino assists in varieties of ways, from finance and budgeting to arranging and setting up exhibits, but with a science degree and full time science teaching at a science-tech magnet school in Montclair, NJ, Nino's most obvious and personally fulfilling contributions are the creations of the pond and the continual development of the gardens, though he has also been known to actually "get his hands in clay!"

So welcome, to our "virtual studio"! Feel free to browse, contact us with comments or questions. Do stop by Earthsongs should you be in Central Jersey. We are conveniently located just minutes off the NJ Turnpike exit 10, the Garden State Parkway, exit 130 and Rt. 287, exit 3 to Metuchen.

Receptions & Openings

While working hard to make Earthsongs financially sound through the production of one-of-a-kind tiles for residential installations, the artist considers it important to maintain Gallery connections as well.

Work was accepted for the 2004 and 2006 NJ Crafts Annual. The stoneware Wave 2 shown here was the piece selected for the most recent exhibit at the Morris Museum.

Several international exhibits presented work from Earthsongs: Connections, a show sponsored by Studio Montclair at the Ben Shahn Gallery in Patterson, NJ and Taboo at Gallery 321 in Montclair, NJ. Friends joined the artist at the Taboo Exhibit, and the juror, , here with Linda, gave a commentary at the reception.

Finally, Linda, as Visual Arts Chairperson of the Edison Arts Society, established the Gallery of the Edison Arts Society at the Sheraton Edison Hotel in Raritan Center and served as its founding Director for six years. She created a functional Gallery Board to assist with decision-making, and made the Director’s Gallery Talk an essential part of every Opening. (All sorts of local characters showed up at those gala events!)

Additionally, Earthsongs has begun to produce a limited line of jewelry: primarily pins and pendants in porcelain with glass beads. These will be showcased now and again on my blog. Check in regularly to see what is new and available!

Center of Creativity & Peace

In addition to its life as a fine art ceramic studio, Earthsongs was also originally established to be a Center of Creativity and Peace, whose energy would radiate and influence the area where it was located.

In that vein, community outreach through classes and workshops for adults and children, has been part of the studio rhythm from the beginning.

Many troops of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts have worked on “craftsman” and “pottery” badges at Earthsongs. The Kids in Clay Program, small classes of five students Spring and Fall, have given interested youth an opportunity to explore the medium much beyond what regular classroom settings can provide.

Evening summer classes, open primarily to adults, give anyone who wishes a chance to tap into their creative side.