Kristin Doner    Ceramic Artist

 Journey as Inspiration

For me the give and take of creating doesn’t end after the vessel has been fired. How I relate to a particular vessel continues to be influenced by what I find there; the colors, textures, proportions, and how the user interacts with the vessel. When allowed to run free, inspiration may challenge my own preconceived ideas of why I make things the way I do.

For instance, people often wonder what prompted me to bind the lid to the body of my vessels. Originally, my vessels were much rounder, and had an arching horse-hair handle over the piece. As the vessels took on the new amphora shape, the arching handle became a visual conflict with the strong form. Lowering the handle until it touched the lid resolved the visual problem, but presented a conceptual problem. Upon close examination, I realized that I never intended my vessels to be used. Therefore, expressly denying use was directly in line with my pure intention.

Inspiration Overview

Clay as Inspiration

Fire as Inspiration

Ancient History as Inspiration

Copyright 1998, all rights reserved.
Last revised June 5, 1999