functional art

Weekend travels inspire new collection

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My husband and I are now empty nesters. The weekends are when we have the freedom to jump in the car and head out. As an artist working in clay, these trips have inspired the form and surface decoration of my one of a kind pieces of pottery. This work will be included in my first show of the season: Potters Place Spring Show and Sale over the weekend of May 3rd through 5th.

Below are pictures of my pottery next to the source of inspiration.

  • Lisa WB Walker Middlebury Collection
  • upholstered chair at The Swift House, VT
  • Lisa WB Walker Ithaca Collection
  • Butterfield Pottery , American Crafts, Ithaca, NY
  • Lisa WB Walker Greenwich Collection
  • Denby Mug in Greenwich, CT
  • Lisa WB Walker two-piece stained glass inspired lantern
  • Frank Lloyd Wright designed stained glass at PEM, Salem, MA
  • Lisa WB Walker Frida Kahlo dishes
  • Ceramics, Frida Diego exhibit, Boston MFA

If you are interested in purchasing pottery from me and are unable to visit me at the Potters Place show and sale over the weekend of May 3rd – 5th, please email me to discuss additional options for purchase.

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Spring baskets for flowers

New work

Making clay baskets can be complex forms to create. They are born on the potter’s wheel, the place where I do my best thinking, as small shapes that begin as bowls and then transform into objects of whimsey. The rim of the pot becomes a place to alter: roll it, split it, cut it, pinch it … each action creates a different result.

Wheel thrown vessels that will become the foundation for baskets.

Once the wheel thrown pieces are trimmed or finished, hand pulled handles are added to each piece. The shape of the basket determines where the handle is placed in order to create a functional form.

Handles are added to the bowls to create baskets.

When the clay is still malleable, I take the opportunity to add decoration to the surface. Handmade, found and manufactured stamps are added to make each piece unique.

Adding color to stamped baskets.

Once bone dry, underglaze colors are added to “pop” the pieces. These one of a kind baskets are now ready to head into the kiln where they will be fired to cone 06 and then be ready to hold glaze.

I decided on a satiny white liner and an opal glaze to emphasize the underglaze colors. One characteristic of the opal glaze is its movement; it can drag or pull the color down the pot that is vertical. I use this knowledge to create the effect I am looking for. The baskets head back into a kiln and are fired to cone 6.

These baskets were featured in a Westwood Artists exhibit in the Westwood Library during the month of March. A few of them were purchased and will be received as gifts soon.

The baskets are now completed pieces of pottery. They are ready to make their way out into the world as useful and beautiful handmade objects.