Clayworks, Inc

Amy Sanders
Clayworks Instructor - Handbuilding

Artist Statement

I am fascinated with creating works in clay that balance visual elements of form, texture and pattern with utility.

Early in the construction process, clay is soft and pliable; I enjoy building pieces that reflect these properties even

after the clay has become hard from firing. Whether a piece is thrown on the wheel or handbuilt with thin slabs,

textures are impressed into the soft surface with handmade clay stamps. Surfaces and designs in textiles,

architecture and nature influence the motifs. While some pieces have added feet and gesture to create a playful

attitude and seem personified, others borrow directly from the quilting tradition of patchwork. Specific patterning

of the stamps creates interplay of positive and negative space that generates a surface worthy of deeper investigation.

Thinly stretched stamped surfaces turn into “fabrics” which are then pieced and pinched together appearing quilted,

as though they are filled with air.