Evelyn Ward Pottery, Hurdle Mills NC

Functional earthenware pottery decorated with monoprint slip transfers.

My pots are simple in form with striking surface treatments and distinctive color palettes that allude to my early years as a printmaker. The beauty of irregularity, revealing textures, and expressive mark making is celebrated in my mugs, vases, plates, and bowls.

I try to make balanced pots that would be nice to have in the home for use or just be around. I really enjoy making pots and hope that they bring a little light to people’s lives.

I’m currently working with earthenware clay because I love the rich color of the clay body and wanted to have some areas of bare clay showing through on the surfaces of the pots. Most of my pieces are thrown and some are then altered resulting in simple, straightforward forms.

I’m currently using a printing technique called monoprinting to decorate the surfaces of the pieces by painting slip onto cut pieces of paper, allowing it to dry a little and then transfering it onto the pot, resulting in a design. Monoprinting is a form of printmaking that has lines or images that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking, which allows for multiple originals.

I love the imperfections this process leaves on the surface of the pot, and the clean lines I can get. I started out as a printmaker and have always gravitated to the qualities of hand-printed images and this process allows me to imbue some of those qualities into my work with clay. Since I’m using monoprinting, each piece is different from the last, enhancing the one-of-a-kind qualities of handmade work without losing the printed surface I love so much.

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