I am a production potter and clay artist, who lives in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico. My workshop & studio is only a few steps from the house, a renovated garage/casita combination.
The sculptural work that I call shelters, alters, or nichos are made of terra cotta clay and fired only once. They are usually stained with an ink wash but sometimes the form is left on it’s own, showing off the fired rich red brown clay. In the beginning these shelters were inspired by ancient house altars from the Middle East and nichos here in New Mexico. This interest combined with my interest in architecture to create what you see in my shop today. Shelter makes me think of safety, protection from the elements, of a place to rest. I made these pieces to hold small things that you hold dear, that might otherwise be overlooked.
My functional work is made of cone 6 stoneware, a mid range clay that I fire in an electric kiln and glaze. I make all my own glazes and they are food safe. The pieces work in the microwave and can be washed in a dishwasher.
I have been a potter for 40 and along the way I have picked up other skills that I use in making what you see in my shop: I carve my own rubber stamps to press in the clay or to use to create a picture that becomes a notecard; I bind art books and journals; and more recently I am obsessed with making my own wheat paste paper or combining sum ink, pencil, and charcoal on paper.
Barb Miller Connected Whimsy miller.barbj [!at] gmail.com
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