Kathleen Hooper-Milositz
I have been creating with clay since my introduction to it as an art student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. It was there I learned the basics of pottery and was inspired to follow the clay path.
In my own studio I began working with glazed white stoneware, then moved on to smoke-fired earthenware, and finally to porcelain. Of late, I have been exploring the low-fire techniques of horsehair, saggar, and unglazed raku.
The work is primarily thrown, functional ware with a bit of handbuilding. The high-fired porcelain is decorated with underglaze drawing and painting, using underglaze pencils and washes of color from ceramic stains. The smoothness and light color of the porcelain clay provide a perfect background for my decoration.
The natural world has always been the creative inspiration for my images. Current influences include: Wildflowers,gardening, nature travel, and especially bird, butterfly, and insect observation.
