Ceramic Arts Daily

Composition of Eight, 16 in. (41 cm) in height (tallest), wheel-thrown stoneware, iron glaze, soda fired to cone 10. 

Composition of Fourteen, 16 in. (14 cm) in height (tallest), wheel-thrown stoneware and porcelain, wax resist glaze and soda glaze, fired to cone 10.

Finding art within functional pottery has become my passion. I begin a piece by considering the shape, rims, and space, with rhythmic patterns creating relationships between forms. When people see my work, I’d like them to see confident, considered, elegant forms with engaging relationships developed through arrangement in larger compositions. I know an exhibit of my work is complete when it creates a collective voice greater than the sum of its parts. The language of form allows a dialog to develop between individual pieces. It is this conversation that excites me.

Repetition unifies the forms and subtle variations highlight individual qualities. It is often through the smallest change that engagement occurs; the undulation of a rim, the fineness of edges, and the volume suggested by a change of profile.

My recent work has been soda glazed. Aided by the fire, the composition of the clay body determines glaze surface, color, and responsiveness. Shades of gray through white with saturated rich honey brown creates tonal and color harmonies. The addition of a graphic element through the use of striped surfaces creates visual tensions that render the groupings more contemporary in feel.

Instructor: Janet DeBoos, Head of Workshop

This was excerpted from Ceramics Monthly magazine’s “2009 Undergraduate Showcase” feature, which appeared in the September 2009 issue. To get great content like this delivered right to your door, subscribe today!