Renata Wadsworth

Renata Wadsworth

 

Work with clay develops its own rhythm. Wedge, weigh, center, pull and repeat. Often, I pause during this dance to alter, trim, add a handle or just contemplate a new form. Pots line up on the studio shelves full of hope and promise.

My training included influences from folk, Chinese and Japanese traditions. These potentially opposing methods of working have actually helped me strike a balance between technical precision and creative intuition. I use simple lines and gentle asymmetry to create elegant pots who invite a little fresh humor.

My pottery is made predominantly from porcelain...clay that encourages the intense carbon-trapping I look for in my shino surfaces. A light soda spray at about cone 8 further enhances these effects. The wood kiln is then brought to cone 10-11 and cooled slowly over 2-3 days.

During each stage of making, there is at least one moment of anticipation...as there are so many ways things could go wrong. My moments of truest happiness often occur when things go wonderfully right and I find myself holding a beautiful piece of pottery.