Artist Statement

In college, while experimenting with painting and graphic design, I signed up for a pottery class for fun. I was instantly in love with clay and changed my major to Ceramics. After receiving a Masters degree in Ceramics at the University of Louisville in Ky., I set up my first studio in the artsy, eclectic "Highlands" neighborhood and named my business Highland Pottery. I moved to Knoxville in 1990 and am still here, playing with mud and making pots! I am an exhibiting member of the Foothills Craft Guild, the Tn. Artists and Craftsmen Association, the Ky. Crafts Guild, the Knoxville Arts and Culture Alliance and Terra Madre.

The inspiration for my clay work includes nature, the ocean, historical pottery and the clay itself. Having a strong background in traditional forms and techniques, my pots are always functional, but they are often altered while wet on the wheel to give them playful, inviting personalities. In my slab work, the clay is folded, torn and highly textured. My glazes are thick and layered. All these things emphasize the inherent manipulative qualities of clay. I like to enhance my pieces with splashes of color. My goal is to show people what fun clay is - to touch, to work with, to look at and to use in everyday life.

I have used the same white stoneware clay for over 20 years. It is a very durable, functional clay that shows off my brightly colored glazes. My pottery is fired from Cone 6 to Cone 10 and all glazes are mixed in my studio- and are lead free. All of my pieces, except the ones with reed and grapevine handles, are oven-proof, microwave and dishwasher safe. Even my large sculptural vases and wall pouches hold water and are made to be used.

Locally, my pottery is exhibited and sold at the Art Market Gallery on Gay Street. Once a year I also put on a holiday show (The Whittington Creek Art Show) where I sell my work and also showcase the work of other artists. The dates for the upcoming 2010 show are October 22 and October 23. Other local shows that I often participate in are: The Foothills Fall Show (November), The Ladies of Charity Show (September), The Webb Art Show (March) and the Ky. Crafts Guild Spring Show in Berea, Ky. (May). If you would like to be put on my mailing list for these and other gallery shows that I exhibit my work in, please send your e-mail and/or street address to my e-mail at lkhighlandpottery@gmail.com or call me at (865) 216-8650.