David first tried making pottery in 1972, when he registered for a pottery class in college. After only 8 weeks of the class with local potter and teacher Tracy Dotson, he had made up his mind to become a professional potter. "At this point," he says, "I was only one semester away from graduating from Trinity University in San Antonio, with a degree in Psychology, so I completed the degree but immediately turned to developing my pottery skills." In 1973, he attended an intensive 8-week class at Big Creek Pottery in Davenport, California, studying with Bruce McDougal.

At TWU in 1975. David enrolled in the University of North Texas in Denton in 1974, and took the art credits required to pursue a master’s degree in ceramics. He earned an M. A. degree in ceramics from Texas Woman’s University (which is co-ed in the graduate school) in 1976, with the guidance of John Brough Miller. 

Working at the Clay Suppliers warehouse in 1978.
After graduation, David set up his first pottery studio at the Clay Suppliers warehouse in Dallas. John Williams ran his clay business in half of the warehouse, and offered potters a supportive and inexpensive place to make pottery by renting them space in the other half of the building. "I spent seven great years there, sharing the space with several other potters including Brent Matzen, Michael Obranovich, Merle Rosenbaum, Randy Brodnax, and Bruce Mayo." 

By 1984, the Hendleys had expanded to a family of four, with their son, Hans, and a daughter, Lenora, born in November. They made the move from Dallas to Maydelle, and spent the next several years designing and building their new home. The house is truly a "handmade house". David made all the doors, cabinets, moldings, and trim. It sits in the woods behind the pottery shop. 

Once the new house was finished in 1990, Old Farmhouse Pottery was open for business. For those first years, David regularly traveled to art fairs to sell his pottery. Now, as the shop has become more well-known, most of the pottery made at Old Farmhouse Pottery is sold right at the shop.