Decorative and fully functional, the carved porcelain wares of local master potter Karen Newgard give visual form to some of her most cherished memories. Though most of her work today displays images inspired by nature (birds on boughs or in nests, bees flying over grass — on neat honeypots — redwings perched atop cattails, a flight of dragonflies, exuberant flowers, ascending vines) her earlier creations more often reflected childhood memories of interior scenes, whimsically depicting rooms of rustic furnishings or bucolic still lifes.
“My narratives began with depictions of my grandparent’s house and slowly went outside the home, putting the rooms aside for nature,” states Newgard. “Birds were added as I ‘zoomed in’ and began to closely study the botanical scenes I was exploring. The birds have become the personalities in my stories. The scenes I started drawing documented places from my memories and the floral landscapes I now depict carry on those stories of family and tradition through the characteristics, traits, and gestures of my bird diaries.”
Many of Newgard’s pots are decorated using the technique of sgraffito, giving a silhouette effect. Newgard brushes a layer of black clay onto a newly formed pot, then carves through to the underlying white porcelain, creating dark-on-light images which deepen in contrast when fired. She carefully controls the textures. “With my carving marks, I can create a sense of rhythm; making a leaf look like it’s blowing in the wind or a bird fluttering in the trees,” Newgard explains. Colorful interior glazes are added, and the pots are fired in a salt kiln, rendering them highly durable for lasting use and enjoyment.
Karen Newgard will be conducting a workshop, “Carving on Pots: It’s Not All Black & White,” at Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, June 24-July 6. Contact her at info@KarenNewgardPottery.com
An excellent selection of Newgard’s work is on display at Susan
Marie Designs gallery in downtown Asheville.
Susan Marie Designs
19 Biltmore Avenue, Suite 102, Asheville
(828) 277-1272
Monday-Saturday 10 – 5:30pm • Sunday 11 – 4pm
