Artist Statement
The real joy in ceramics, for me, is in the process of making it. I’m prone to stressing, and working with clay eases my stress. Although centering is a difficult part of throwing, the act of throwing centers me. Working in the ceramics room is my favorite time of day because I can forget about the rest of my life and focus on clay. I like hyper-focusing on one task, and then I love the moment when all of those small tasks come together in one piece of pottery. Sometimes it all comes together and it isn’t what I imagined, but I like it better. Other times, I just don’t like what I created. However, I still value those pieces because I enjoyed the process and I learned what I should do differently next time.
For my process, I prefer to start with a vessel, like a mug or a plate, and then project a deeper meaning onto that shape. For my concentration, I am making sets of cups and saucers that are self-portraits. They are reflective of me because the way that I glaze and add texture to them mirrors the way my positive and negative emotions interact. In order to develop that idea, I first had to decide that I wanted to make cups and saucers. Plates are my favorite shape to make, and I prefer to throw with smaller chunks of clay. After I chose those vessels, I was able to work on different brainstorms.
I prefer to make functional pottery, and I’m inspired by pottery that I see that is useful and beautiful. I appreciate small joys, and using homemade pottery is one way to slow down and enjoy life. Also, it is easier for me to imagine where a piece would belong if I can imagine it being used, which gives some structure to my brainstorm. I do sometimes like to make art that is only to express an idea. These types of projects require more initial thinking, because there are truly no guidelines. I have made less functional pieces that ended up being very rewarding, and others that I felt fell flat. However, all pieces feel rewarding while I’m making them, which is the reason that I have continued to work in the ceramics room.
The real joy in ceramics, for me, is in the process of making it. I’m prone to stressing, and working with clay eases my stress. Although centering is a difficult part of throwing, the act of throwing centers me. Working in the ceramics room is my favorite time of day because I can forget about the rest of my life and focus on clay. I like hyper-focusing on one task, and then I love the moment when all of those small tasks come together in one piece of pottery. Sometimes it all comes together and it isn’t what I imagined, but I like it better. Other times, I just don’t like what I created. However, I still value those pieces because I enjoyed the process and I learned what I should do differently next time.
For my process, I prefer to start with a vessel, like a mug or a plate, and then project a deeper meaning onto that shape. For my concentration, I am making sets of cups and saucers that are self-portraits. They are reflective of me because the way that I glaze and add texture to them mirrors the way my positive and negative emotions interact. In order to develop that idea, I first had to decide that I wanted to make cups and saucers. Plates are my favorite shape to make, and I prefer to throw with smaller chunks of clay. After I chose those vessels, I was able to work on different brainstorms.
I prefer to make functional pottery, and I’m inspired by pottery that I see that is useful and beautiful. I appreciate small joys, and using homemade pottery is one way to slow down and enjoy life. Also, it is easier for me to imagine where a piece would belong if I can imagine it being used, which gives some structure to my brainstorm. I do sometimes like to make art that is only to express an idea. These types of projects require more initial thinking, because there are truly no guidelines. I have made less functional pieces that ended up being very rewarding, and others that I felt fell flat. However, all pieces feel rewarding while I’m making them, which is the reason that I have continued to work in the ceramics room.