Sandra Byers

ARTIST STATEMENT

The gentle spiral of a tightly furled calla lily leaf The closely veined surface of a gladiolus corm The gills of a forest mushroom illuminated by a shaft of sunlight The many textured blooms of a coral garden The time etched ripples of a Yosemite rock face The sparkle of fresh dry snow

They all amaze, fascinate, and inspire me. Lines and shapes in nature flow gracefully while maintaining a feeling of tension. Forms and surfaces are unified. In porcelain, I am trying to catch the delicacy as well as the strength of nature’s details. Like the walls of a shell or the petals of a flower, translucent porcelain forms come to life in the sunlight. I am not trying to recreate nature but only capture a feeling, hoping to stimulate those who see my work to stop for a moment and observe the richness of the world around them.

My best pots have a soul. They are born; I do not "make" them.

Sunlight passing through a thinly veined petal gives me goosebumps. Colors on a spring hillside and a field of ripening corn breathe new life into me. I love the swirl of a tightly closed bud and the curve of a cresting wave.

My growing understanding of my materials opens me to the possibilities of developing forms and glazes. An inexpressible process takes place between my hands, my perception of the natural world, and my medium. I'm learning to let that happen.

The best pots sing. The song that's heard is a reflection of both the potter and the listener.