Forster Art Complex Ross Gallery: April 17 - 21, 2023

Caitlin Nagy

Caitlin Nagy

Emilia Pennington

Pennington's artist statement on pedestal with yellow flower and glass shards

Warm Glazes
By Emilia Pennington

The thread throughout my show is inspired by the warming of Spring, the awakening of Earth, the budding of flowers, and the colors and textures of emerging life. Each piece, in its own way, both invites us into the warm sun and brings the outdoors inside. All of my glazes are earthy and complement the varying textures of the pieces. The intention of this show is to exude an organic feel, while being playful and natural. By allowing rough surfaces to contrast smooth and silky textures, I show the range of beauty that is found within nature. I incorporated these concepts with non-traditional design by embossing and carving both images and textured edges in several of my pieces. My bowl and plates portray my vision of unexpected blooming flowers on the bottom surfaces of each piece. In addition, my standing circular ring vases are whimsical, while showing off the flowers in a fresh way.
Through this experience of creating pottery, I was able to express myself in a more uninhibited way. I surprised myself with my vision of moving outside of the commercial "norm". I enjoyed playing with the creation of both rustic surfaces and curvier shapes than in my previous work. I also developed greater courage in moving past doing things the "right" way, to exploring all of the paths of expression I had never considered before. I have realized that the creativity that was easy to me in photography can transfer to this medium. I have gone from grasping the basics of throwing pottery to fully embracing the joy of working with clay.

Warm Glazes

Caitlin Nagy & Emilia Pennington