Artist Statement:
I am passionate about the importance of functional handmade objects in our daily lives, and their ability to make us slow down and arrive in the present moment; bringing with them the experience of beauty or unexpected pleasure. The amount of time and patience it takes to make a hand thrown mug is in direct opposition to the ever increasing pace of our world, technology and the infinite options for screen time. I believe the user can feel that calm and slowness every time the fingers slip in the handle and the lip touches the rim of the mug.
I am obsessed with the intersection of form and function and the beauty of utilitarian hand thrown pots.
Unhappy with the options out there for handmade ceremonial items that speak to my aesthetic, I am currently developing a line of contemporary Judaica. Holidays come with prescribed rituals and are designated times for family and community to come together. Handmade pots deserve a place at the table.
I have pots in the permanent collection (cupboard) of friends and family all over the world.
About Julie
I took my first ceramics class in 9th grade and immediately fell in love with clay and throwing on the wheel. I continued to dabble in clay here and there in college and also whenever I could take breaks from my all consuming career in television production. However, I just couldn’t get enough time in the studio to satisfy the yearning and the magical feeling I got when sitting at the potters wheel.
In 2005 I found myself in Seattle at Pottery Northwest and the ability to finally get serious about clay. I was fortunate enough to have many skilled instructors, including Robbie Lobell and Wally Bivins, who guided me and encouraged me to continue to hone my craft.
I currently live in Santa Monica, California with my husband and two daughters.