Karena - pottery by Karen Clark Antrim

KAREN CLARK ANTRIM

I was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and educated at the University of Iowa. I hold a BA degree in Art and an MA in Art Education. Between 1970-1992 I was an art teacher in the Cedar Rapids Schools, with experience at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

My artwork during that time focused on both two and three dimensional art. I was drawn to both, though my primary emphasis was the making of whimsical porcelain sculpture and pottery, combining both hand-building and wheel-throwing methods.

My early watercolors reflected Iowa and its rural landscapes. Bitter chill and intense heat predominated, and yet they were my inspiration. I developed a respect and admiration for the land and the colors of Iowa, a theme that seems to have traveled with me throughout my life and my art. Later watercolors during this period were of an illustrational nature focusing primarily on the children’s book market. With an interest in travel and cultural diversity, the monotony of illustration was appropriately interrupted. The landscapes and seascapes of the Isle of Mykonos, the Costa del Sol, and the Yasawas in the Fiji Islands created the atmosphere for escape with few constraints.

In January of 1986, I made my debut into the art world, with an exhibition of my art entitled “Outcropping” This was my first one woman art show and was held at the Ambroz Art Center, the Hall Gallery, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In 1992 I moved to St. Louis, in pursuit of closer family ties and new career opportunities. I began marketing my artwork at the Componere Gallery, on Delmar, in the Loop section of St, Louis. As with most artists, evolution is inevitable. I began painting full color floral designs in the Art Nouveau style on selected pieces of uniquely designed furniture. I continued producing porcelain sculptures and pottery. These pieces were well received by the patrons.

In 1993 I began teaching Ceramics and Sculpture at Webster Groves High School where I am still teaching today. It was here, with a new home, a new life and the clay all around me that I began to focus more intently on my pottery making. As I reflect about the many directions my life and art has taken me, I can now say that the making of fine pottery is my only commitment. My admiration and respect for the good earth and its colors dominates my pottery.

I create decorative, hand built, burnished, pinch, reduction pottery using an outdoor firing process. My pinch pots show an emphasis on design and the perfection of form and detail. Each piece is designed and etched using a natural motif, is hand burnished twice, and then fired. The burnishing and firing steps are similar in technique to that of the Native American potters of San Ildefonso. The pottery created is smooth, shiny, and varies from deep red to black.

Along with pinching pottery, I have spent the last two years researching the effects of natural vegetation fired in reduction with hand burnished, wheel-thrown, mid-fire porcelain vessels. Again back to nature and is vast array of colors. My method for glazing rejects the chemically formulated glazes and encourages the use of more organic and natural materials, such as: pansies, strawberry leaves and daisies to name a few. The results are wonderfully varied with surprises in each kiln load. The colors range from light pink, pale yellow and orange, to smoky grey and have a very smooth surface.



		KAREN CLARK ANTRIM I was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and educated at the University of Iowa. I hold a BA degree in Art and an MA in Art Education. Between 1970-1992 I was an art teacher in the Cedar Rapids Schools, with experience at the elementary, middle and high school levels. My artwork during that time focused on both two and three dimensional art. I was drawn to both, though my primary emphasis was the making of whimsical porcelain sculpture and pottery, combining both hand-building and wheel-throwing methods. My early watercolors reflected Iowa and its rural landscapes. Bitter chill and intense heat predominated, and yet they were my inspiration. I developed a respect and admiration for the land and the colors of Iowa, a theme that seems to have traveled with me throughout my life and my art. Later watercolors during this period were of an illustrational nature focusing primarily on the children’s book market. With an interest in travel and cultural diversity, the monotony of illustration was appropriately interrupted. The landscapes and seascapes of the Isle of Mykonos, the Costa del Sol, and the Yasawas in the Fiji Islands created the atmosphere for escape with few constraints. In January of 1986, I made my debut into the art world, with an exhibition of my art entitled “Outcropping” This was my first one woman art show and was held at the Ambroz Art Center, the Hall Gallery, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 1992 I moved to St. Louis, in pursuit of closer family ties and new career opportunities. I began marketing my artwork at the Componere Gallery, on Delmar, in the Loop section of St, Louis. As with most artists, evolution is inevitable. I began painting full color floral designs in the Art Nouveau style on selected pieces of uniquely designed furniture. I continued producing porcelain sculptures and pottery. These pieces were well received by the patrons. In 1993 I began teaching Ceramics and Sculpture at Webster Groves High School where I am still teaching today. It was here, with a new home, a new life and the clay all around me that I began to focus more intently on my pottery making. As I reflect about the many directions my life and art has taken me, I can now say that the making of fine pottery is my only commitment. My admiration and respect for the good earth and its colors dominates my pottery. I create decorative, hand built, burnished, pinch, reduction pottery using an outdoor firing process. My pinch pots show an emphasis on design and the perfection of form and detail. Each piece is designed and etched using a natural motif, is hand burnished twice, and then fired. The burnishing and firing steps are similar in technique to that of the Native American potters of San Ildefonso. The pottery created is smooth, shiny, and varies from deep red to black. Along with pinching pottery, I have spent the last two years researching the effects of natural vegetation fired in reduction with hand burnished, wheel-thrown, mid-fire porcelain vessels. Again back to nature and is vast array of colors. My method for glazing rejects the chemically formulated glazes and encourages the use of more organic and natural materials, such as: pansies, strawberry leaves and daisies to name a few. The results are wonderfully varied with surprises in each kiln load. The colors range from light pink, pale yellow and orange, to smoky grey and have a very smooth surface. Karena Karen Clark Antrim 305 Wilson Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-984-8128 e-mail Karena www.karena.biz Home \| Artisans \| Membership \| News \| Contact \| Featured Craftsman \| Mission \| Links \| Members Only
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