Years in clay? About 5; About a year and a half then a two year break, and I've been back for another three and a half years.Why Clay? Because I feel like anything is possible. I can focus on 2D or 3D, I can make a cup to use or a tile to look at or a bench to sit on. Anything, it's just a matter of figuring out how. I also like that every day is something different to help keep the boredom away. Today I throw, tomorrow I glaze, the next day I'll recycle some clay and do some cleaning, the following day I'll take some photos and work on websites. It keeps things refreshing. I'd go nuts if I had a job that was sitting at a desk every day, how boring. Also, that there is ALWAYS something new to learn and figure out.
Where did you learn clay? I took some classes at the community college in Cheyenne, Wyoming but I feel like I am largely self taught. It seems like 90% of what I know I learned by reading, watching or doing on my own out of the classroom.
Favorite part of clay? Opening kilns and seeing my hard work pay off.
Least favorite part of clay? Wedging, glazing, and those days when nothing seems to be working out. Those days are the worst.
What do you do when you aren’t in the studio? I make beer (Peach Ginger Tea Cream Ale anyone?), see Phish, and relax with my wonderful husband, Kevin.
What has clay taught you? Patience. It's always a waiting game with ceramics. Waiting for pieces to dry, for the kiln to cool, for the recycling to slake down, for the weather to adjust.
Your goal as a potter, both for yourself and for your work? Myself: My own studio in a barn or garage next to my home I will someday buy. I want people to recognize my work, I want to be one of those names people have heard of and slowly hear of more and more. My work: I want people to integrate my work into their daily lives to give them a small piece of joy. Us potters know what it is like to admire a plate before you put food on it, to pick up the vase you've had forever and still adore it, to enjoy your morning coffee in a mug that just seems like it was made for your hands and lips. I want the warmth of my work to bring those feelings into lives that would not otherwise be touched by handmade pottery. It is a spectacular interaction and it is our duty as potters to bring that to others.
Favorite styles or techniques? I love work that you need to admire the surface up close to see the beauty in, to see those little marks and variances. Ash glazes, salt and soda firing, smoke and saggar firing, wood firing, anything that gives a warm and worn look.
Favorite potters and why? Sergei Isupov, his work is stunning and unique. His forms and imagery speak volumes of his talent. Also potters whose work display the warm, earthy, and humble styles I'm attracted to; Phil Rogers, Hamada, Leach, Shimaoka. If you wood or salt fire, use Japanese glazes, or paint designs with bamboo brushes chances are I'm a fan.
Favorite clay quote? "Pots serve their purpose through interaction"- Malcom Wright. Also, "Every artist was once an amateur"- Fortune Cookie
Websites:
Etsy
citybytheseaceramics.com
