LUCIA MCHARDY: Artist Statement
I am a graduate of Sheridan College School of Design, and have had a home pottery studio since 2004. I work in stoneware, Raku, and smoke fired clay, making hand built pottery, sculpture and stoneware landscape tablets. Because I don’t use a wheel, it’s a slow process, which I find meditative and satisfying. My main intent is to create a body of work that is vital and graceful. My functional pottery is made of stoneware, fired to maturity. I formulate all my own glazes; they are completely food safe. Some are my own adaptations of favorite formulas: you will never them see anywhere else! I use several different clay bodies: deep rust, speckled cream, white or deep chocolate. This way, I can pick the one which brings out the best qualities of the glaze. I have struggled with disability for years, following central nervous system damage in 1995 which left me unable to read or draw. While it only took a couple of years to regain my reading abilities, my drawing skills took much longer. Though these limitations reduce my output, they have made me a stronger artist. I continually strive to improve my forms and explore new directions.. |