New Lawrence Showcases Display

Adventures in Clay, Featuring Ceramic Artist, Esther Murphy

Throughout my 20+ years as a ceramic artist, I have always found the infinite possibilities in a lump of clay fun and challenging. My goal is to make functional forms that are well-crafted, comfortable to handle, and invite frequent use. I am successful if my pots are useful but also stand on their own as objects to be enjoyed for no other reason than they delight the eye. I hand-build and work on the wheel, adding texture and layered glazes before the final firing. I am attracted to traditional forms, altered to add my own touch - a doodle, an impression, or a brush stroke.

I work with porcelain and light-colored stoneware, fired in an electric kiln. When the opportunity arises, I join a community wood-firing, which produces work decorated by the flame and ash as both are drawn through the kiln. I am conscious of the conversation that takes place between my choice of clays, how I will form and decorate them, and how I plan to fire them. For me, porcelain is a canvas inviting colorful decoration that contrasts with the cool white background that only porcelain can produce. My glazed stoneware reflects an attraction to traditional forms that might frame a family meal. I often use impressions and layered glazes to decorate these pieces as I imagine how they might be used. I shape clays formulated for the wood-fire to attract the flow of the flame and invite it to leave its mark. Most often, those are rounded shapes with narrow openings. For me, these wood-fired pots form a connection to potters across the ages and the techniques that potters still practice, much as they did in ancient times.

An Opening Reception takes place on Saturday, January 10, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Abbey above the main lobby. SVWC is located at 300 Westminster-Canterbury Dr. Call 540-665-0156 for further information.

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