Lisa Smith Ceramics—in studio

in studio

I absolutely love working with clay. The familiar action of grabbing a chunk of moist earth settles my heart and brings me home.

The surface of each piece is decorated with layers of slips, underglazes, stains and oxides, all applied before firing. By painting the glaze on raw clay, I have the liberty to work and rework a piece, scratching into the clay or scratching off a design to begin anew.

I tend not to overly define the form so there’s a lot of space for the image to arise in the painting of a figure. If every detail were put down in the clay, then the glazing process would be more like filling in a coloring book versus painting an open canvas.

I build each piece by hand, pinch and coil, watching the form take shape inch by inch. The slight texture on the surface reveals this process of handbuilding.

I am constantly mixing colors or layering slips in new ways, so there are always surprises when it’s time to unload the kiln. How wonderful that after all my hours of work, the fire gets the final say.

My artwork is where I know how to smile at the unknown and delight in the gap between what I think I’m going to do and what actually happens. In that space is all the magic. It’s the crack where mystery seeps in and new ideas are born.

Studio is a world unto itself for me, where I can manifest joy and create a world of beauty and delight. I feel so blessed to do what I love.