Resident Potter Lori Theriault is an artist who does many things.
She is probably one of the most versatile and eclectic artists I know. I am only going to mention her work related to clay but trust me there is even more. She is a production potter, a ceramic artist, a creative business owner and employer, a diverse marketing expert, a writer, and video maker. There is more but I will stop there.
The term “functional” is used a lot when it comes to pottery but Lori truly fits the phrase. If you visit her home you will be amazed in her kitchen. Why? Because it is a space where creativity and life happens. Lori is a real cook, and everything she uses to cook in her kitchen is handmade. You will find oil bottles, salt wells, spice jars, bowls of every size, plates, platters, charcutrieties, mugs, cups, tea bowls, I can go on. “My first attraction to taking pottery lessons was to make pieces for my kitchen and the foods I love to cook, and it has been so gratifying to expand that in how I work with chef’s and avid home cooks to design service wares for their creations.”
When she is cooking her attention to every detail in her food creations are celebrated in exquisitely made pottery. So when you use Lori’s pots you know she has thought them through with daily use in mind. I believe exquisite functional pots are art and add to every kitchen and dining experience.
Lori is also an artist. Some pots she makes solely for the visual and emotional value. For some time now, she has been throwing and carving pots she calls her Vincent Series, inspired by the textures and movements of Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ and other of his paintings. Her Doodle series tell stories, too, but she uses words, symbols and sometimes quotes. They are intended to challenge, encourage and uplift our spirit. These pieces tell a story and for me evoke feelings and memories of life and change. “Texture, whether visual or tactile, has always been a focus in my work. With the Vincent series, I am striving to evoke a sense of movement and energy.”
Lori also designs with a wax resist technique, with tree designs or in her more gestural ‘Dancing Brush’ and ‘Graffiti’ series. “I like to say I create families of pots, rather than sets” she says, “so when you see a set of these tree dishes, you know they all belong together, yet you can see differences, sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle, that give them each their own character.”
All the work I mentioned above Lori makes, exhibits and sells here at The Village Potters Clay Center. These kinds of pieces and more will be available at our MKO on Oct 1st from 11-4 pm.