Gertrude Graham Smith

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Bakersville, North Carolina

Q&A

Tell us how your work is made.

I’m looking to make extraordinary pots for ordinary use, enjoyed every day. I love working on the pottery wheel. So, I have found a way to maximize my throwing time, and that has a huge influence on the nature of my work, its voice, it's uniqueness. I make pots on the wheel that celebrate the responsiveness of porcelain clay to spontaneous, yet thoughtful, manipulation of soft form and surface, and to the flames of my soda kiln that create vibrant colors leaving luscious marks on anticipated edges. Firing in a soda kiln gives the flames a "say" in decorating the work, and makes each piece unique.

What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

The direct connection between maker and material is the stuff of magic. Add to that the connection between maker, object, with use and/or enjoyment of that object, and life is enhanced. Engaging daily in the primordial, mysterious act of creation with earth, water, fire, air, the essential raw materials of which we and the pots are made, links us with all earthly life. All my work is made with love, sent forth with blessings. I’m intending a reality where compassion arises in the heart when hand embraces handle.

What is something unique about you or your practice?

When I serendipitously found myself living in Findhorn, an intentional spiritual community in Scotland, I took to heart our philosophy, "Work is love in action." There, my pottery practice served the spiritual and secular life of my community; this forms the foundation for my work and my life.