Hand-Built Sculpture: Creating Women Figures in Clay

Beginners to the clay experience are welcome.

I took my first pottery class from a local recreation center in 2008, shortly after my husband and I moved to Roanoke, Virginia.  Starting out on the potter’s wheel, I immediately fell in love with clay. It did not take long before I became fully immersed in making pots and learning everything I could about the process. Attending workshops and presentations became favorite pastimes. For 8 years I was a regular at the North Carolina Clay Conference, and I was a participant in other pottery workshops, including the Women’s Symposium in Clay at Hollins College. I have been a member of the Blue Ridge Potters Guild since 2009 and served as secretary, show chair and president for several years each. During my time exploring clay, I found myself drawn to the clay artists who were hand-building and sculpting. I began to see making pottery in a whole different light. While pursuing this aspect of clay, I became an instructor for hand building classes at the Brambleton Center in Roanoke County and Earthworks in Vinton. I have presented workshops for the Blue Ridge Potters Guild and Roanoke County/ City art teachers. These experiences have allowed me to combine my two passions, teaching and clay. The process of teaching others to build unique pieces ceramic art has made me a better potter.