Art of the hands. Story of the land.
Kristin’s process brings together the art of the hands, whilst honouring the story of the land from which each piece is made.
For Kristin, the process of slowly crafting her ceramics allows her to express deeper, more personal parts of herself as she uses her hands to play, sense, feel and shape. This is her way of shifting from the thinking mind into the wisdom of her body as it comes to life through physical form.
Embodying the art of the hands also nourishes Kristin’s desire for a handmade, heartfelt life.
Kristin shapes each piece as a reflection of the internal and external landscapes that were involved in its creation.
Her signature glaze is made with locally sourced wood ash. Kristin delights in knowing the ash is also embedded with its own memories: the life of the tree, the group of people who were warmed by the fire, and the conversations they had while it burned. In turn, another layer of story is embedded into each piece through its glaze.
Kristin makes in small batches, sometimes one piece at a time. This is in honour of her own cycles, energy, and in respect for the Earth’s resources. This increases the variables that impact her process: varied sources of wood ash, heat work in the kiln, and her state of being mean that there is a uniqueness to each piece. Kristin embraces both the unpredictability and magic of this way of making.
As a ceramic artist, Kristin honours the unique relationship she has with the land and its elements; as the practice is inherently reliant on earth to provide clay, water to bind and shape form, air to dry and consolidate, and fire to strengthen and finish.
As part of her practice, Kristin respectfully collects local, wild clay. Knowing where the clay comes from brings greater intimacy between herself, her work, and the land from which her pieces are created.
Kristin’s work is an alchemy of history, elements, conversations and emotions. Each piece brings these together into physical form – a mug, bowl or vase – ready to hold and be a part of future memories.
