Carrie Coleman Pottery

I currently work out of my home studio in the Philadelphia area and fire to cone 6 in an electric kiln. My work is primarily functional and meant to be used.

     

I believe that functional pottery is a way for art to be brought into the ordinary course of everyday life. Through the balance of a pleasing form, the gentle break of the glaze, and the imperfections left by heat and human touch, the user of handmade pots enters into a rich conversation with the potter. In a world where so much of what we come in contact with is disposable and synthetic, handmade pots allow us to pause amidst the rigors of everyday life to experience beauty that calls out from the past yet places us in the present.

 

I strive for subtlety and simple beauty in my work through fresh brushstrokes and natural colors which I believe can be accomplished using various firing methods. The greatest compliment to me as a potter is to hear that one of my pieces has found a home in a kitchen cupboard somewhere and frequently gets chosen for use.

 

I’ve been throwing pots since college where I fell in love with working with clay.   I have learned a great deal from  the phenomenal potter Jennifer Coffin whose encouragement spurred me on to put together my own studio. More recently, I interned with Bill Van Gilder.  The experience was invaluable, to say the least.  It was a joy to sit under his teaching and work alongside him in his studio. Through Jennie and Bill, I was introduced to the studio pottery tradition of Leach and Hamada, and the many great potters who came after them. The work and writings of these potters continue to teach and inspire me.