It’s time for another member highlight! Our membership program is the backbone of our studio. Without our members, there is no Hand / Thrown. This month we’re highlighting Katie Taylor who creates whimsical functional wares.

HAND / THROWN: Tell us a little about you!

KATIE TAYLOR: Food has always been my first love. My favorite childhood memories are of sharing food with my Dad, an avid cook. I love cooking, baking, eating, tasting, savoring, sharing, and exploring food. I love the whole experience of food from the garden to the kitchen to the dinning room. I’m fascinated by how your environment affects your experience: the shape of the bowl, the lighting in the room, and who surrounds you. In part, gastronomy is what drew me to ceramics--to craft vessels for eating and drinking. Last year, I returned to ceramics after an 8-year hiatus, and it felt like coming home--comforting and familiar. The year was spent remembering why I liked ceramics in the beginning. This year I'm looking to explore new forms with a focus on play and designing environments that evoke joy.

HT: Tell us a little bit about the style of work you enjoy making most!

KT: My favorite work is whimsical functional ware. My best pieces feel like they were pulled out of an illustrated storybook.

HT: What originally drew you to working with clay?

KT: From a young age, I felt drawn to create things, but I couldn't see myself as an artist because I couldn't paint or draw. My freshman year of college, I found ceramics and everything just clicked.

HT: Where did you study ceramics?

KT: Guilford College in Greensboro, NC

HT: What techniques do you use to create your work? (Hand building, wheel throwing, slip casting, firing, etc.)

KT: Most of my work is wheel thrown. Recently, I've been experimenting with altering thrown pieces, and I really like the result.

HT: What is your favorite tool, why?

KT: Mudtools Polymer Ribs, specifically my yellow shape #3. I like how they feel in my my hands and the curves they form inside bowls. Also, having bright colored tools evokes a greater sense of play--a necessary ingredient to my artistic process.

HT: What type of clay do you work with and why?

KT: White stoneware. I enjoy bright colors, and the white stoneware provides a great canvas to showcase them.

HT: Who are some artists you admire, why?

KT: Nick Joerling, Deborah Schwartzkopf and Silvie Granatelli. They all create dynamic functional forms that have character. To my eye, many of their pieces look like toys eagerly waiting to play.