Description
53rd Annual Mark Twain Library Art Show
Artist’s Bio:
Peggy Thomas
THE POTTERY
I have been a clay artist for 35 years. A Cornell University graduate, I hold a BA in English and the Fine Arts. Under the five-year private instruction of a professional potter in Bucks County, Pa, I learned the art of clay. Upon moving to Ridgefield, CT in 1995, I established The Pottery. The rest is history.
My work appears in private collections, galleries, and shops. It has been juried into, and won awards in numerous shows in New York, Connecticut and Texas. Among others, these include; Greenwich Art Society, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in Texas, Rowayton Arts Center, Guilford Arts Center and Ridgefield Guild of Artists. I work out of my home studio in Ridgefield, CT under the watchful eye of my Havanese dog, Bear.
Always inspired by the infinite beauty of nature, I create the ‘Bark’ pieces to reflect the textures, rhythms and colors I see outdoors, especially in the crags and crannies of tree bark. I am delighted when observers are surprised to discover that my work is not made of wood!
Made of high–fire stoneware clay, each ‘Bark’ piece is wheel-thrown, altered, then painstakingly carved to both replicate and abstract nature’s textures. Each is tinted with stains and oxides on the outside; the interior is glazed, permitting the vessel to hold water.
Inspired by my lifetime of dog companionship, my ‘Old Dog’ series reflects my special fondness of dogs as they age. To me they are vulnerable and particularly endearing. Each one is a figment of my imagination. Using a stoneware slab technique, I try simply to capture the essence of the ‘old dog’: his love, his courage, his neediness.
“I continue to observe, to learn, to grow, to experiment, to be discouraged, to be elated, and to delight in the frequently unexpected joys and results of working in clay.”
