Jean Bergstrom
I dabbled in ceramics in college and loved it. More than thirty years later I joined Mudpie Pottery Collective at the LCA to make an urn for my mother’s ashes. Even in her death, my mom was still giving me gifts; she reignited my passion for clay.
Three years later I am still a member at this fabulous collective exploring different techniques and the versatility of the medium. I have a rapturous relationship with nature and it has become an inspiration for my pottery. I combine the functionality of clay with the delight I find in drawing and painting. I am currently making “story bowls”, sgraffito (carving through layers of colored clay slip) images of scenes that I have witnessed in my walks through the Leverett fields and forests. Birds in their habitats adorn lidded mugs and my little dishes feature small animals curled up to hibernate or chubby birds.
Pure Joy is what motivates my work.
I feel gratitude for the gifts of the Earth; the feel of the clay in my hands, the subject of the carving (flora or fauna), and the recollection of a precious moment on a walk in nature.
