Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie Brown.
Hi Marie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
At this point I’ve been working on pottery for over half my life, that is a lot of thought devoted to just one pursuit and yet there is always something more to explore. Circumstance have dictated I try new techniques fairly often, I got hooked on clay in high school and after graduating from UW-Stout with my BFA in Studio Art (concentration in ceramics), I floundered a bit and ended up in a cubicle, 5 years later when the golden shackles broke I couldn’t wait to get my hands back into clay. I had no idea how or where to start, luckily a potter my friend knew graciously letting me use a part of his studio for a couple months, he fired cone 10 electric which meant so did I. From there I rented a space at “Fire on the Greenway” a group studio that shared a building and a gas kiln with a handmade tile shop. I gladly switched to cone 10 gas firing which had been my favorite at UW-Stout. As chance would have it I started work at that handmade tile company North Prairie Tile where I became the glaze department lead and gained valuable experience formulating and testing glazes. I still made my own work at the group studio and later Jake (my now husband) built me a studio in the basement of our house in Saint Paul. It was amazing to have my own studio, firing my own work at home also meant an exploration into cone 6 electric firing. I did my best with what I had and started working more on making the surface more dynamic, playing around with slips, carving, and trying other methods of making marks and glaze decorating.
Luckily I also got to participate in a few wood firings around that same time which kept me thinking in terms of atmospheric firing and we met some really inspiring people which lead us to consider moving north once our little house had became too little. We then sold our house, bought raw land in Pine County, packed our 6mo old daughter and 3 cats into a travel trailer and started building our current home and my new home studio…off grid. We both value sustainability and it would still be some time before our solar system could handle an electric kiln so we decided to build a wood kiln. We heat the house and studio with a high efficiency wood boiler that we feed pallets, framing scraps and dead fall, so it seemed like a logical choice but things take time, so I ended up soda firing with a potter friend who is practically a country neighbor (8 miles away). No electric kiln at home meant I not only switched from cone 6 electric to once firing a cone 10 in a gas soda kiln. For about 6 years I glazed then transported greenware to to the soda kiln to fire and back again until we finally finished the long awaited wood kiln. During that time I refined my glaze palate to suit atmospheric firing techniques and through research and trials and errors, I grew fairly familiar with the single firing process which had become essential. When the wood kiln was finished I naturally switched to firing at home again, finally! After three very successful firings in the new kiln I was looking forward to a productive year in the studio.
Then I broke both major bones in my left wrist while remodeling the studio, they had to put a metal plate and some screws in to hold the bones together, so no throwing on the wheel for awhile. I then focused on what else I could do and the idea of making mobiles out of small hand built pieces evolved. I found a new appreciation for the unglazed surface and now that I am making pots on the wheel again I’ve started working on some new ideas that incorporate more unglazed surfaces and slip work. With each shift in my circumstances my work has grown, I’m excited to see where life takes me next, I just hope I can skip the broken bones the next time I need a reminder that there is no growth without discomfort.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
See previous story/artist bio. Breaking both bones in my left wrist March of 2023 just as I was getting ready for the summer art fair season was definitely a struggle but honestly there hasn’t been a year in the past 10 where something major hasn’t happened related to family, medical issues or construction.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Here’s my Artist Statement,
I make pottery for that subtle shared experience created when someone connects with my work. I make every piece with that in mind, through attention to detail, nature inspired design, dynamic surfaces, form and weight, I strive to create a special piece that combines elements of nature into something that can link us back to the earth and each other.
Natures elements and connections have become a theme running through much of my creative life. Through wood-firing I aim to connect my work to place, history, community and the natural world. I also endeavor for my work to not only depict nature but to embrace it. Through the process of creating I try to remain conscious of all of the elements I’m working with, the clay as substance, the water to form it, my energy to create it, the sun to power my wheel, the wood to fuel my kiln, the community of potters helping out, the air to feed the fire and the fire to change and unify it all.
My connection to the natural world also leads me to wood-firing, it allows me to choose my fuel source, in striving to decrease my negative environmental impact as much as possible I use waste wood whenever I can. To that same point, our home and studio are also entirely off-grid with a battery based solar system for both power and heat, though in the coldest months we run a high efficiency wood boiler. This choice has also lead me to endure the many challenges of single firing in which I skip the first firing entirely and apply glaze to the raw clay before firing it to completion. The opportunities for failure in this process are numerous and often frustrating which brings me to one last essential element; perseverance. I’ve had to dig deep for it through many set backs and even broken bones, though it might not be as evident, for any potter it is as necessary as clay and continues to shape my work year after year.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
When I was in High School I had a Morgan horse and senior year I showed at the national level. If I hadn’t become a potter I would have gone into art metals or car repair. During college I worked at both a flower shop and mechanic shop later getting ASE certified in brakes, steering and suspension. I currently have 8 sheep and make fiber art on the rare occasion I have some spare time. I also have 8 chickens and 4 black cats. The older I get the more I embrace my inner nerd and currently play D & D. Most days I work alone and as an audio book addict I’ve listened to at least 876 books.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thepotterskeep.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepotterskeep/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepotterskeep/
