Member Highlight : Katie Taylor
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.
Nick Joerling
Deborah Schwartzkopf
Silvie Granatelli
HT: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
KT: Fairytales, storybooks, and fantasy
HT: Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
KT: Grover
HT: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
KT: Southern Italy
HT: If you could pick one person to have dinner with (dead or alive) who would it be?
KT: Donatello
