Holiday Pottery Sale at Hands in Clay Studio with Aspire to Inspire Photography

December 4th, 2011  12-4p.m.

    *for more information please email me at courtneywilkens@mac.com

Artist Statement

Welcome to Hands in Clay Studio! 

Here is a little tidbit of background about how I came to love all things clay! I was born and raised in the Western Great Plains of Kansas.  Even though I no longer live in Kansas my heart is still strongly connected to my youth growing up as a 'farm kid.'  Throughout my childhood I had many horses and rode constantly.  Up until college, I spent hours riding all over my parents farmland.   To this day nature and horses influence me greatly.

I had a passion for the arts as a kid but didn't have the opportunity until college to have formal training in the arts as there was not an Art program in my High School.  My mom, being an artist herself, was the first who instilled in me a love for art.  She was my first art teacher! 

I have been working with clay for 16 years.  I enjoy dabbling in many different areas of building in clay from functional, decorative to sculptural.  Necklaces came about primarily as an outlet to my love of surface designs and color.  My necklaces are made from Porcelain slip and are made from hand and not moulds.  They are decorated by hand painting and carving with under glazes.

My sculptural work is a completely new realm for me. As my initial training was primarily focused on wheel-throwing and functional pottery this new work is inspired by themes that run parallel in my life.  These concepts center around ideas in nesting, voyeurism, family and lastly the horse as they are never far from my heart.

I hope you find as much enjoyment in my artwork as I do in making it!