Laurie Bloom

Ceramic Art

Laurie Bloom Ceramic Arts

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Clay:  What it's like

This is what I think clay is like:  When you pick up a piece of pottery, you can feel its heft, edge,  texture, form, temperature and everything else you can get from holding something that came from the earth. 

It can be like an animal or creature you feel something for, or like something that makes you want to back away.  

It may remind you of something, or make you think of something you never really noticed before. 

You might go away and later remember it, or you could forget about it completely.  Maybe you'll start reminiscing about a thing you've made yourself, or begin to imagine something you want to make now.     

How it happens

I thought about clay for a long time before I finally started working with it.   Years have passed and it's still what brings everything together for me.  I often go to sleep visualizing a piece in process and when I get into the studio it's like everything fades out and what's left is the clay and my hands.  There will always be more to come out from the clay - this piece, and that piece and the next piece.

I may plan a piece from one slab or construct it from large and small scraps from other pieces.  Being handbuilt and not made using molds or a press, each piece stands on its own literally and figuratively.

Clay dries your hands out and my cat is quite a help:  Running clay-chapped hands over his fur is a happy relief.  I wanted to honor him:  Once he stepped in wet clay leaving a faint paw print and I meant to make a bowl of it for him but the piece broke in the kiln.  Fortunately he is willing to eat out of pretty much anything so it didn't slow him down any.

What I make 

My work is creative, functional and not always completely serious. 

I may plan a piece from one slab or construct it from large and small scraps from other pieces.  Being handbuilt and not made using molds or a press, each piece stands on its own literally and figuratively.

The type of clay I use is stoneware, usually brown and sometimes white. 

I create trays, trivets, bowls, flower sconces, wall pieces, all hand built from clay slab.

                                                                

And like many artists I'm also into making photographs, and also gelatin prints, some of which are posted on this site.

View samples of my work

Click on the "Photo Gallery" link at the top of the page to view my work.

See my work in person

Give me feedback

Please sign my on-line guest book  and share your impressions.  Check back  as I periodically update the site.    Thanks and enjoy the work.