Warm, earthy, handmade terracotta
Made in the mountains of North Carolina
My Story
I have always loved clay, ever since elementary school. To this day I still don’t honestly know why. By the time I made it through my masters program, I had explored wood, metal, glass, watercolor, acrylic, fiber arts, creative writing, music, and many other mediums but none of them have as of yet given me the same level of excitement as clay. Throwing is my passion and making large scale terracotta pottery has allowed me to focus on that one area of clay that pulls me into the studio every morning.
The Pots
I experiment with a variety of clays, enjoying the richness of the different reds. Pots are fired to a hard but porous finish making them suitable for indoors or out. Treat these pots like you would any terracotta, allow them to soak in the rain and dirt and watch them age over time. Pots can be left out in freezing temperatures as long as they are not holding water.
My Process
First I look for inspiration. I spend a lot of time looking at artists I admire as well as old Mediterranean pottery. As I look I am waiting for my eye to see a silhouette that speaks to me. When I find something, I can feel it in my heart that I want to explore that shape and try to recreate the feeling of it. Once I have the shape and feeling in my mind, I get into the studio. I begin by preparing my clay for the day. This involves cutting and wedging several pieces of clay that I will throw individually and then stack on top of one another to create my pieces. You can see this part of the process more clearly in the video below. Once made, the pieces dry and are fired to their final rich color and durable finish.
Look into my studio
and see how I create my work.
It typically takes me 2-6 hours to complete one piece so I have sped up the video recording for convenience.
Have you considered pottery for your restaurant, hotel, or other business space?
In 2023 I began making pottery for Ralph Lauren and I am interested in seeing this client list grow! If you have a hotel, restaurant, offices, or other space needing an extra touch of comfort and art, consider pottery.
Images here are from the Polo Ralph Lauren store in Nasheville, TN.
