Dorothy Valcarcel Craig

Visual Art – Nashville

I create handcrafted, functional, household ceramic wares that reflect the simplicity, wonders, and imperfections of life. Each piece is designed to highlight humble, comforting food while encouraging and celebrating the inner culinary artist in all! As a child of ten, I \"made\" my first piece of pottery in Queens, N.Y. at a ceramics shop that offered classes for kids and that featured bisque fired pottery pieces and a few glazes. I worked off tuition costs by helping the shop owner set up for classes. I graduated to helping kiln watch in middle school for a local ceramics teacher--who later taught me to slip cast. Then, after throwing my first pot in a high school art class, I began the \"clay love\" journey! Although not formally trained in art, my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education took me once again to the wheel where I experimented with clay and other media. I studied with Lewis Snyder of Studio S for ten years before opening my studio, Summer Triangle Pottery, with my co-owner and husband. My wheel thrown and hand built pottery is organic. As a self-taught baker--many of my pieces are functional and aid in bread proofing, mixing, battering, entertaining, and general nourishing of the body and soul. Some of my pieces are pressed with herbs, woodcuts, vintage linen, burlap, and natural objects. Other pieces reflect changing seasons, folklore, Southern history... or what I conjure up while fiddling.