About Julie
I have been working with clay since 1998. I have been a full time potter since my retirement as a registered nurse in April, 2010. I believe that I was first attracted to clay because it is diametrically opposed to the cleanliness and sterility of nursing, which was so much a part of my life. With clay, I was in the open air. Dealing with mother earth, water and fire became my release.
My first studio, located in Waveland, MS., was lost to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. When rebuilding my home and studio in Kiln, MS., a potter friend loaned me a slab roller to create the fireplace tiles to be used in our house. Little did I know that this would open a whole new path of clay study .
I studied throwing with Regan Carney of Bay St. Louis MS. in 1998 and 1999. From 1999 to 2004 I was mentored in the art of raku firing by Joe Bernard of Lacombe, LA. I have studied sculpture at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Ms., under Charlie
Mabry, Darryl O’Donnell, and Marissa (Mur) Hakes. The on-line “Teachin’ Art” courses have been invaluable for learning porcelain skills and the acrylic wash technique of glazing. Of course, I am also self-taught, as many of we creatives are! I find no small irony in the fact that my studio is now located on Firetower Road in Kiln, Mississippi.
My first studio, located in Waveland, MS., was lost to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. When rebuilding my home and studio in Kiln, MS., a potter friend loaned me a slab roller to create the fireplace tiles to be used in our house. Little did I know that this would open a whole new path of clay study .
I studied throwing with Regan Carney of Bay St. Louis MS. in 1998 and 1999. From 1999 to 2004 I was mentored in the art of raku firing by Joe Bernard of Lacombe, LA. I have studied sculpture at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Ms., under Charlie
Mabry, Darryl O’Donnell, and Marissa (Mur) Hakes. The on-line “Teachin’ Art” courses have been invaluable for learning porcelain skills and the acrylic wash technique of glazing. Of course, I am also self-taught, as many of we creatives are! I find no small irony in the fact that my studio is now located on Firetower Road in Kiln, Mississippi.
Galleries
My work may be seen at Gallery 220 on Main Street in Bay St. Louis, which is open seven days a week.
More thoughts on pottery...
It is with certainty that I can say that my creative evolution took on a life of its' own after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The trauma to our Gulf Coast caused my creative juices to flow. I was releasing my deep sadness, frustration, and anger through my hands. After my retirement in 2010 it was just the opposite: the lack of stress and freedom to do as I pleased kicked my creative juices into another realm! There was another change in what I was doing creatively after a health challenge in 2016. Hindsight educated me on how I work, and how my art is a part of myself.
I spend as much time in nature as is possible. Mother Nature surely influences my art. My studio is in my backyard in the country. I have graduated to having heat and air conditioning when needed, but my preference is working with the doors and windows open. I also have two studio dogs who enjoy being there with me.
Pottery itself is a combination of physics (the throwing of the vessel), chemistry (the mixing of the various chemicals to form the glazes for the vessel), and art (the final product). My goal is to bring these three elements together with beauty and a bit of my own energy. My hope is that others can appreciate the pottery that has given me so much pleasure to create.
I spend as much time in nature as is possible. Mother Nature surely influences my art. My studio is in my backyard in the country. I have graduated to having heat and air conditioning when needed, but my preference is working with the doors and windows open. I also have two studio dogs who enjoy being there with me.
Pottery itself is a combination of physics (the throwing of the vessel), chemistry (the mixing of the various chemicals to form the glazes for the vessel), and art (the final product). My goal is to bring these three elements together with beauty and a bit of my own energy. My hope is that others can appreciate the pottery that has given me so much pleasure to create.