Carol Donath

As an artist, my wish is for a person to be able to pick up my piece of pottery and feel the shape, the smoothness or roughness, the contour and size, and have it feel good in their hands. My background is a rural one and I enjoy transforming a piece of clay into something that brings the earth and its elements together into the design in some way, whether the resulting piece is functional or purely aesthetic. I grew up on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin, amidst farms and flower gardens, surrounded by nature. The influence of this background is evident in many of my pieces. Both my medium and my designs come from the earth and bloom into usable pieces of art. This how I came to name my studio Earth in Bloom.

Although my art minor set me on the path to my current work, through explorations in design, sculpture, and printmaking, my introduction to clay began with hand building classes in Miami, Florida. which I attended while raising three young children. After moving to Oak Ridge, TN in 1993, I undertook a serious interest in making pottery and became actively involved in the Appalachian Craft Center and the Oak Ridge Art Center, studying under Bill Capshaw and so many other inspiring teachers and workshop facilitators.

I have studied a wide range of ceramic techniques, exploring different types of firing and surface decoration. While focusing primarily on functional, wheel-thrown stoneware, I also enjoy more primitive, lower fired pottery such as raku and pit firing. I continue to enjoy the freedom to experiment with clay and the challenge of making new pots and designs while exploring styles that suit the multiple facets of my experience.