Paula Teplitz

I remember when I fell in love with clay (at about the age of 10).  Ever since then, I've taken every opportunity to work with this wonderful material.  It's a material that combines naturally with my other interests; biology, plants, animals and natural processes.  I began working with very high-fired pottery (cone 11) and progressed down to mid-range (cone 5).  I've learned and invented techniques that allow for graphic addition to forms, functional and sculptural.

In recent years, however, I can't help feeling guilty for using material that is mined from the earth in a manner that is undeniably hurtful.  Thus, I've been trying to turn my artistic drive into new channels that make use of materials snatched from the "waste stream" (found materials). This is a huge, frustrating and very enjoyable challenge.

I feel very lucky to have been able to pursue a career in art for many years and plan to keep it up!