Tara Wilson on putting down roots and sustaining a career

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with wood fire potter Tara Wilson. The fly ash patterns on her functional pottery often reference the worn surfaces of geologic formations while her altered forms display a sense of volume often found in the animal world. She says of the work, "The rich surfaces of the vessels represent the natural world. Nature also inspires form, in some cases quite literally, as river rocks become saucers. Other pieces speak of this passion more subtly. Bases reference the landscape, evoking a sense of space and awareness of the land. Parallels can be drawn between geological processes and the atmospheric firing process. Pots physically capture and record their firing process similar to the way sedimentary and metamorphic rocks speak of their history."

In the interview we talk about putting down roots, sustaining a career, and wood firing as a way to build community. To find out more about her work please visit her website www.tarawilsonpottery.com. You can find Tara on Instagram at @teadubpottery and on Facebook under Tara Wilson.

I visited Tara's studio this summer and marveled over this vase. It was fired in the kiln at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts where Tara did a residency this summer. The surface has no glaze or slip but is covered with black metallic crystals that surround the wad marks. Amazing and surprising surface for a wood kiln.