About Kirsten
Welcome! I’m a native Mississippian currently residing in North Carolina. Growing up, I developed a love of the arts and a desire to create. I am a potter, painter, and photographer, with clay serving as my primary medium.
While studying at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), I earned a Master's in Accountancy with a Minor in Art. Although art and finance are not an obvious pairing, I have a genuine love for both disciplines and enjoy working where they intersect. I took my first ceramics class at Ole Miss, and I fell in love with clay. Throughout college, I spent countless hours in the ceramics studio learning how to throw pottery, fire kilns, and develop a distinctive artistic style.
Post-graduation, I relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, to start working in public accounting. I took a few years away from ceramics before joining a local studio as a studio artist. These days, I make art in my free time while working in the Not-For-Profit sector.
Artist Statement
My work focuses on functional ceramics that meld beauty and utility. I am captivated by objects that blend functionality and decoration to make one slow down and savor life’s simple pleasures.
Finding peace and joy in nature, I draw inspiration from the form, movement, design, and color I see outdoors. Nature's dichotomy—simultaneously organized and unpredictable—fascinates me. While a garden might appear wild and overgrown at a glance and lack order on a macular level, each individual plant reveals a structured and meticulous composition. In my work, I strive to capture the delicate balance between order and chaos, structure and spontaneity.
Influenced by the lines of Art Nouveau and the light and color of Impressionism, my work focuses on the interplay of light, color, and ornamental motifs.
I work primarily with white stoneware and porcelain to create surface design through techniques like water etching, spraying glaze, or atmospheric firing. The white clay enhances the interplay of color and depth created by carving. By utilizing the water etching technique, I create softer carved lines with brushwork.
While I work in both low-fire electric and high-fire atmospheric kilns, I am specifically drawn to atmospheric firings. Surrendering control and precision to the unpredictable nature of an atmospheric kiln reminds me that beauty often emerges unexpectedly from moments of chance.