Meet the Artist: Jess R.
Hey Travelers!
Welcome to Crescent Clay’s second blog post! This post is to introduce myself as one of the partners of Crescent Clay LLC along with Olivia Ferrer. I am 22 years old and am currently a ceramics student at Ohio State.
I have loved art for as long as I can remember. Since early childhood I have loved drawing and building and sculpting, and in sixth grade, I was fortunate enough to start taking classes with Julia Cardone. I took lessons with her until I got into high school, where I was able to join her classes officially. I truly would not be anywhere near where I am today, both with my art and just in my life, if it were not for the instruction and friendship of Julia. She is one of my favorite people in the world and I will forever be grateful for everything she taught me.
High school was also where I met Olivia. We were in some of the same classes and we began collaboration with Julia’s wedding cake plate, which was such a fun and special project. This piece of ours went on to be exhibited at NCECA in 2015. My work in high school ranged from the basics to what I would consider the beginnings of my style. I liked experimenting with surface, detail, and different types of clays.
My style and skill have grown a lot since studying in college. At this point in my practice, I love to work in porcelain and experiment with surfaces and forms. I tend to lean towards minimalism but I love finding little ways to add detail and intricacy. I am often occupied with the want to create a partnership between simplicity and intricacy. My work is primarily functional but I will sometimes challenge myself to work more in sculpture. The majority is wheel thrown but I will also often use slip-cast molding. I love to work in other three-dimensional media, like wood, metal, glass, etc., when given the chance as well.
Although I like that other media and also enjoy doing two-dimensional work, ceramics is my true passion. I think the reason for that comes from a few directions. I am pretty mathematically minded so I enjoy three-dimensional work and building. Ceramics gives me an opportunity to make things that are used in everyday life. Little habits and rituals throughout the day are very important to me; things like morning coffee, cooking, dessert, and more. The idea of being able to be a part of someone’s daily rituals and bring them a small joy with a handmade piece makes me really happy. Furthermore, it gives me the opportunity to tie in coffee, which is arguably my favorite thing in the world.
I love working in clay, and working with Olivia has been and will continue to be a fantastic experience. We work so well together and we have a passion for the work we are doing. I am excited for where Crescent Clay will go and can’t wait to see the creation it brings.
Thank you so much for reading my post and stay tuned for more to come!
~Jess