Help w/ pottery artist ID

Hello!

I just acquired these two pieces of pottery, the first has a signature the other does not. They appear to be made by the same person, but for the life of me I can not figure out who.
The first one is approximately 14" tall and the second 13".
I was wondering if anyone was able to recognize the signature on the bottom? Thank you all for any help!

 

The green piece is very interesting. I get a mcm Italian vibe. Can we see a pic of the bottom ? Just a guess,but I think the 1st piece is Japanese studio pottery,circa 1980s.

 

The bottom is hollow for about 3 inches and doesnt have any markings. I talked to the person I purchased them from and she said she purchased them from a friend who bought them in St Louis. Who knows with the chain of custody where they really were from.