From start to finish, each piece of Bent Mountain Pottery is carefully hand-crafted to last a lifetime.
The Studio
My studio has had an interesting journey. Due to car accident injuries, I was forced to stop throwing for over 30 years. In December of 2017, I decided it was time to jump back in and I haven’t looked back, since. Our home is small so my only option was to set up a make-shift cubicle/studio in my kitchen. It was ridiculous! I shared the space with an exercise bike and all the regular kitchen items. I set wet clay pots to dry on every possible flat surface available. Clay was taking over our lives and there was barely room to cook and eat.
After about 6 months of this nonsense, my talented husband, Randy, transformed a storage room behind our garage into a wonderfully creative space! It was small, but it was wonderful! The only pottery equipment I had saved was my 40-year-old Robert Brent potters wheel. It was top-of-the-line, back in 1979, and I bought it used in 1980. Prior to this I used a non-electric kick wheel.
Little by little, I added tools, shelving, 2 kilns, a wedging table, pugmill, bats, scales, clay, and lots of raw glaze chemicals. Every need seemed to lead to another. Randy built walls, added a window and installed French doors. We put in a thermostatically controlled heater because clay must not freeze. I had an ongoing list of things for him to do, and he graciously complied. He was as excited about my projects as I was. We worked side-by-side for 40 years teaching wilderness survival courses (www.etisurvival.com) and now it was my turn to focus on my goals.
Techniques
My life has been driven by creativity. Pottery, sewing, cooking, baking, quilting, gardening, drawing and writing are just a few of my obsessions. Clay provides infinite possibilities for imaginative expression. Some forms need to be simple so that the glazes can be the focus, but others demand decorative embellishment. I absolutely love carving designs for stamping, as well as free-hand inscribing. Various oxides or colorants can add magnificent accents.
Currently, I am firing my work in an electric kiln and I’ve been very pleased with the results. I do have a gas, reduction kiln and I will eventually use it, as well.
Inspiration
I have always been drawn to Early American Folk Art. My roots are from Virginia and I have a proud southern heritage. My Great-Great-Great Grandfather David Ferguson purchased land in the early 1800’s on a mountain in Roanoke, Virginia called Bent Mountain. Bent Mountain has been the heart and soul of our family. It has witnessed our joy and pain. Births, deaths, marriages, traditional music, successful farms, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and close-knit family love. Over 200 years later, there are many, many of my relatives still residing on that beloved land.
My art is heavily influenced by the beautiful and practical pottery of those years gone by. The reason the styles are classic is because they worked. Simple, effective forms met the needs of a more primitive life. I love finding old pieces that are also decorative. No matter how difficult life can be, the human spirit will always need beauty to lift us.
It is important to me to produce work with a purpose. I make vessels that make sense. I will share recipes and ideas on this website to inspire people to make delicious food in gorgeous pots. Most of my pieces can be used in multiple ways. Pottery bowls can be used to mix, bake or serve. The baking dishes can bake pies, cobblers, rolls, cornbread and so much more. They can also add beauty to any table as a serving dish for salads, cookies, and desserts..
