Inspiration: Artists at Work

I recently ran across a Pinterest board which sucked me in more than usual. By that I mean it made me simultaneously want to drop everything and run out into my studio to make cool stuff, and still sit and gaze lovingly at all the beautiful images.

The name of the board is "Pottery Studios," and features a number of different clay artists in their natural habitats. 

I like this board for several different reasons. First, it introduces me to other ceramic artists of whom I may not have heard, and allows me a glimpse into their worlds and their processes. Some are potters, some are sculptors, but all of them worship at the clay altar, just as I do. It makes me feel connected.

Second, I love to see the happiness and contentment on their faces as they're working away in their creative spaces. Again, it connects me to them because it's what I feel when I'm in the groove and making.

Third, I love to see, in the case of the potters, the rows and rows of greenware sitting on shelves, drying out and waiting to get into their first firing. I'm inspired by the pictures of soda or wood kilns, packed to the ceiling with glazed ware and waiting for the magic of the fire to transform them into works of art, into beautiful things for everyday use. 

It doesn't matter which country we come from or which techniques we use; we are all united by our passion for the clay and for making art. It inspires me to know these people are out there, pushing the boundaries of clay in order to leave something behind for others to use and admire.

It makes me happy to be one of them.