“Laguna’s BMix5, Laguna Frost porcelain, SiO2 Porcelains“
“Wheel.“
“MidRange 5-6.“
“My absolute favorite is unglazed landscape drawings with metallic salts highlighted with underglaze pencils.“
“Handbuilding- an old Tupperware icing smoother to smooth out my slabs.
Wheel- teardrop shaped wood rib.”
“Shows, galleries,a few festivals: Texas Art & Craft Fair in Ingram (for 5 years), Weihnachtsmarkt in New Braunfels (20 years), SugarLand art Festival (1 year), Indian River in Marble Falls, LaDiDa in Johnson City, Waco Art Center (January -March 2023, Pottery show at Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram every Feb-March, DeGallery in Bryan/College Station.I have participated in BCCC twice. I add more each year. “
“Shows, galleries,a few festivals: Texas Art & Craft Fair in Ingram (for 5 years), Weihnachtsmarkt in New Braunfels (20 years), SugarLand art Festival (1 year), Indian River in Marble Falls, LaDiDa in Johnson City, Waco Art Center (January -March 2023, Pottery show at Hill Country Arts Foumdation in Ingram every Feb-March, DeGallery in Bryan/College Station.I have participated in BCCC twice. I add more each year.“
“At the beginning it was to slow down (don’t be in a rush). I find that I say that all the time to new students.
Then it was to breathe.
Now I emphasize for the students to educate themselves on all the fabulous potters we have had in the past 70 years.“
“ I realized as I progressed that this art form was too important to die. So I opened Potters’ Place 22 years ago. We have grown to over 80 students. I have student that have been with me the full 22 years all the way down to 5 new people this month. I love coming up with ideas with the students & working through how to make the piece.
I also was glad when Tom Perry contacted me to help with this new organization, ClayHouston. This has become a great organization to promote and educate new & established clay artists.“
“As I mention in my artist statement, I was a financial advisor after college for 23 years. I had planned to take this as a brief career until I found a job in my chosen field, Geology. When I was 40 I mentioned to my husband that we needed more plates. Since I have collected all my life & we have an extensive ceramics collection, my husband replied to learn how to make them. I was enrolled in a class very soon after that statement which he rues the day he said it as it is all consuming. I got a wheel the next month & after working & tending to dinner & the kids, I went to the garage & practiced until the wee hours.”
Instagram: karencrucepottery
Born in Houston & raised with a strong sense of family – Mom was a teacher and Dad loved being a journalist and cartoonist. During adulthood I lived around the country but soon after my son was born, I moved back to Texas. After college, since jobs were in short supply in my geology field in Seattle, I took what I thought would be a short gig in the finance field. For 23 years I was a financial advisor with a national firm but when I took a night pottery class, I was hooked. Five years later at the age of 45, I retired from my “first” life and became a full time clay artist.
Now with over 28 years of working in ceramics, I have grown to realize the importance of each piece being well-crafted. This, as a functional potter, became my main focus. Along the way, I discovered that the inspiration for my finished work came from the earth – it’s processes, textures and color.
