Thursday, April 23, 2015

Folkloric Pottery by Sue Tirrell















Stunning ceramics by Sue Tirrell an artist born and raised in Red Lodge, MT. Sue Tirrell received a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1997. She describes her work as "folkloric pottery and sculpture with a modern sensibility." 

The primary subject matter in her work are creatures from the animal kingdom including owls, bears, snakes, roosters, rabbits that adorn the scalloped-edged ceramics. The intricate black and white drawings of the creatures have bright colored background with floral patterns which creates a striking contrast, making the images pop. Every piece is handmade, one at a time, in her rural Montana Studio overlooking a field outside her window which is a constant source of her inspiration. "The windows in my workspace look out at ground level where chances are good that an animal - large or small, wild or domestic - will stop by for a curious visit. These creatures inspire and inform my work with their gentle, constant presence."

She has been a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT; California State University, Chico; and the Custer County Art & Heritage Center in Miles City, MT (also director of education from 1998 to 2005). Her work is included in the public collections of the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, MT; the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT; the Custer County Art & Heritage Center in Miles City, MT; the Montana Museum of Art & Culture in Missoula, MT; and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, KS.

She is teaching "Surface Design and Technique" class in the beautiful hills of North Carolina at Cullowhee Mountain Arts from July 5th through 10th. For more details and to register for the course go here.

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