About
Stephanie was introduced to clay in 2006 while completing her BFA at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Since Alfred, she has practiced in various community studios in Denver and San Francisco, and as of July 2020 began working in her personal studio.
Handcrafted on the potter's wheel, her work encompasses simple, elegant vessels focused on form and function, as well as artistic pieces created with various printmaking and carving techniques to create intricate, layered surfaces. Stephanie has sold work in retail stores, galleries, craft fairs, and her online store. She currently lives and works in Livingston, Montana.
Bio
Stephanie was born in Colorado, and at a young age, her mom moved her and her siblings to Texas, where she grew up. For college, she attended the arts program at New York State College of Ceramics and the business program at Alfred University, Alfred, NY. Afterward, she lived in Colorado and California before settling in Montana.
Throughout her life, Stephanie has worked to support her art career. With experience in business operations and accounting, working at IDEO, Starz, and Winter Park Ski Resort. Guided by the design process, and creative problem-solving she brought strategy, empathy, and pragmatism to her roles. For many years, she pursued clay and various artistic mediums alongside her finance career.
Today, Stephanie is a full-time artist based in her home studio in Livingston, MT.
Artist Statement
My work is either unexpectedly colorful and ornate or elegantly simple and bare, yet both styles are unified by form and function. The rim, handle, foot, and body of a pot hold specific considerations as points of contact to the user.
One body of work allows me to prioritize the user experience, emotional response, and singular use case of a pot. My surfaces can evoke joy, whimsy, and playfulness, or they can provide a quiet uniformity that harmonizes with existing spaces. For instance, a bubble mug brings joy to a person's morning coffee. I focus less on the environment this may occur within and more on the engagement with the pot itself.
The other body of work emphasizes context and use. I envision how different people might use a set of black bowls, how they fit in the dishwasher, stack in a cupboard, and pair with other dishes. I can develop ideas and problem-solve across both styles by delineating ornamentation and form.
My surface designs draw inspiration from floral and geometric patterns across various eras, along with the significant emotional role color can play. Neutrals, neons, dark and bright can transform the experience of a pot. I enjoy the process of creating layers of colors, shapes, and carvings allowing myself a sense of wandering and discovery throughout the process. The interplay of repetition and variation of colors, shapes, and carvings creates the overall pattern, and I enjoy the uncertainty of the end design.
Deeply process-oriented, my work is rooted in design and craftsmanship that emphasizes the roles of the surface and form. My forms feel successful when they are simply and elegantly functional.
