Dusty Road Pottery



Dusty Road Pottery

About The Artist

Jennifer Hamilton • Dickerson, MD
Ceramics • CUSTOM COMMISSIONS

I am a ceramic artist from Maryland who makes pottery for everyday use. My challenge and delight is creating objects whose purpose is containment, from a material that offers endless possibilities for creative expression. My objective is to make each piece, not only function well and succeed in its usefulness, but also stand on its own as a visual object with tactile appeal.



Connect

Instagram
Artist website
Email

Q&A with the Artist

Tell us how your work is made.

My work Is primarily hand built from slabs of clay rolled out onto a table surface. I press and add a variety of textures from made and found objects, creating a surface that will be interesting and yet ultimately soft to touch. The slabs are then constructed into pottery forms to create useful objects that are also visually interesting. Each piece is finished with a glaze surface that will add color and strength to the surface.


What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

Getting to know any material well enough to understand both its possibilities and limitations is a worthy pursuit. Clay is no exception. I am drawn to its immediacy and flexibility. However the challenge is always in understanding what will ultimately occur during the firing process. Every mark and each step of the process is captured by the transformation that occurs. There are inevitably disappointments, but when it works, it can feel like magic.

What is something unique about you or your practice?

My work is primarily utilitarian pottery. Not only should it functions well, but on a personal level it needs to make a connection with its user. The surface tells a story of the things that touched the clay surface during the process. While I want each piece to have a visual appeal, of course, I think it is also important to have a tactile appeal as well. The user can touch the surface and feel the process by which it is made. From my hand to yours.