Pottery by Lori Theriault
Welcome to Crazy Green Studios and my world o'
pots.
UPDATE: Actually, lack of update. While I'm putting together
the new studio and finishing up my Residency, I'm woefully behind
on updating this site. Keep an eye on the blog to see what's
happening with the studio, and soon after the opening (Sept '08)
I'll have the site updated with pictures of new work and information
on classes and workshops. Thanks for checking in and stay tuned!
About
my pottery: I work primarily on the wheel, but some
work is also altered and/or includes handbuilt elements. As
a part of my Residency, I'm embracing the opportunity to work
with so many incredible artists who come to teach classes and
workshops, so my current work is reflective of many influences
while I take it all in and let it come out in various forms.
In my mini gallery above, you'll find samples of my work in
functional
stoneware and porcelain along with my doodlepot series and
alternate firings. More information about each is listed with
the photos. I'm also working on a gallery of things 'in
the works', which you can find by clicking again on the 'pottery
by Lori Theriault' link above.
Artist
Statement: I understand better what
I can see and touch, and I am drawn to art and functional ware
that makes me want to touch it. To hold
it and see how it feels, how it might feel when I use it, and
if it feels like it belongs in my hands. A big part of that
is the textures, both visual and tactile, that I can put into
and on the pots. This could be a surface texture on functional
ware that catches the glaze
just
so, or a firing effect on
unglazed clay in a wood kiln or buried in sawdust. I
make the pots that I want to touch, and watching how other
people are drawn to the pieces gives me more motivation and
inspiration. What draws them visually, what they want to touch,
how they hold
a pot.
It's nice to see people slow down and actually
get the feel of a piece and even begin a relationship with
it. When you stop to think about the piece you're using,
you may take more time to think about how it's used, and the
quality of what goes in it. And when you stop to realize the
care and attention that went into making it, you may stop to
pay
that
same attention
in other areas of your life. I know the feeling of enjoying
hand crafted work in my home every
day,
and it tickles me greatly to know my work may hold a similar
place in other homes. It makes me eager to get back in the
studio and get my hands dirty
again.
My history in clay: My informal studies
include digging clay from stream beds at a young age
to make 'art', most
of which was then hurled at friends on the other side of
the stream. After a thirty year interval that included
career diversions in cooking,
theatre,
corporate paper pushing and innkeeping, I found my way back
to the clay. I began more formal studies at Hinckley
Pottery studios
in Washington DC in 2001, benefiting greatly
from
the variety
of teachers and students there but most importantly from
my studies with Jill
Hinckley. Work at this studio consisted mainly of concentrating
on wheel techniques, cone 10 reduction and raku
firings. After about 4 1/2 years there, which included a
teaching apprenticeship
with Jill,
I
relocated
to western North Carolina to pursue more studies and experiences
in clay and in life. In September 2006 I joined the Resident
Artist program at Odyssey
Studios, where I have been
taking advantage of the opportunity to work with a variety
of potters in class and in studio - to further develop my
own work as a potter and teacher. When my Residency ends in September
2008, I will open my own working and teaching studio in West
Asheville, NC to continue my own curious explorations while
passing down some of my passion to my students.
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