THE CLAY ART STUDIO |
| "I make |
functional |
pottery |
that is |
food |
safe, |
dishwasher safe, |
and |
can |
be |
put |
| in |
the |
microwave. |
All |
pieces |
are |
made |
in |
my |
studio |
here |
on |
Nantucket. |
I |
also do special orders and sets of dishes. Enjoy looking at my work." |
| -Barbara Toole |
| I came |
to clay |
first |
and foremost |
out of |
a |
passion |
| for |
the |
medium. |
I |
have |
worked |
in |
many |
crafts; |
| cake |
decorating, |
painting, |
papermaking, |
fashion |
| design, |
floral |
arranging, |
and |
many |
varieties |
of |
| sculpture; |
but |
no |
one |
medium |
can |
compare |
to |
| clay. |
I |
am |
a |
functional |
potter, |
and |
much |
of |
my |
| work is |
in |
the |
form of |
bowls, |
plates, |
vases, |
cups, |
| and |
canisters. |
I |
constantly |
try |
new |
glazes, |
| applications, and |
ways |
to |
make |
my |
work |
unique. |
Working from my own studio has caused my |
| The |
transformation |
of |
my |
pieces |
from |
organic |
to |
| embracing the use of |
color has become my |
trademark. |
| I |
brush |
all |
of |
my |
glazes, |
take |
risks |
with |
combining |
| many |
colors, |
and |
add |
a |
variety |
of |
textures |
to |
many |
of |
| my |
pieces. |
Although |
I |
am |
inspired |
by |
artists |
such |
as |
| Modigliani, |
Morandi, |
deStaël |
and |
Hundertwasser, |
I |
am |
| often |
influenced |
by |
what |
I |
encounter |
in |
nature; |
on |
my |
| walks |
with |
my |
dog, |
while |
running, |
or |
even |
just |
around |
| town. |
The |
things I |
come |
across somehow |
come |
back |
| through |
my |
hands |
and |
into |
my |
work. |
I |
like |
to |
think |
| these |
influences |
lend |
my |
work |
a |
whimsical |
character, |
while still remaining quite user-friendly. |
| The |
process |
of |
creating |
each |
piece |
is |
as |
important |
to |
| me as the finished |
product. At any |
part of the |
process, |
from beginning to end, whether I am throwing bowls on |
| style to evolve, with the limits of an electric kiln pushing me beyond the ‘one dunk’ school of glazing and atmosphere kilns. |
| the wheel, |
rolling out |
clay for |
a slab |
construction, or |
applying glaze |
to bisque |
ware, |
I |
| am |
completely |
spellbound |
by |
the |
evolving |
piece |
in |
my |
hands. |
When |
I |
am |
in |
my |
| studio, my |
focus is |
on my |
work, and |
the world |
disappears. I |
embrace the |
clay, and |
I |
| am |
amazed |
at |
the |
shapes |
that |
appear. |
Each |
vessel, |
as |
a |
finished |
product, |
reflects |
| the process it went through |
to arrive at its |
end. To me, this |
process is more than |
just |
my work; it is a miracle. |