dahliaday

Dahlia Day Pottery

Amy Machen Baker: Proprietess, Artist and Teacher

For centuries, artists have been inspired by elements of the natural world. Some were drawn to the changing light of the sun while others were inspired by the magestic geography of our changing planet. I am drawn to the textures found in nature, and how they reveal the history of their subjects. I know that water and wind have scoured the surface of canyons, beacuse of the smooth texture. I know that soft white sands of the coast have been pulvarized by the raging ocean because of its texture. The texture of round river stones reveals a long history of rushing rapids. As a ceramic artist, I am drawn to a textural discovery and how various textures can reveal my own history to the world.

For a very long time, I used the art form of dancing as my means for personal expression. I was able to reveal so much of who I was through simple movement. My contentment depended on my ability to express myself in some form. After my dancing days ended, I struggled to find the medium that would enable me to express the ideas, concerns and images that bounced through my head. During my undergraduate studies, I was blessed to stumble upon the incredible qualities of clay, and its powerful hold on me as an artist. Working with clay was a very kinetic experience that connected me to my dance history, and I was instantaneously addicted. Through this very kenetic working process, emerged a textural documentation of my daily life. A simple, tactile journal of me.

I create both functional and decorative works, using both wheel thrown and handbuilt techniques. My desire is to leave a bit of myself and my everyday experiences in every work that I create. As humans, we are all on a strange but awesome journey. Every breath we take leaves a mark on the world. We are so fundamentally connected, but also isolated by our busy schedules, e-mail inbox and television dependence.

My work becomes a snapshot into my daily life: struggles, triumphs and the daily epiphanies that slap me in the face. As a busy mother of a 2 year old, a high school art teacher, a wife and an artist, I struggle to find a balance between home, school and studio. I strive to bring these joys and challenges into my work.

I feel the most connected to artworks that retain a glimpse of the artist who created it. Not just a style or a technique, but a vision of the artist at the moment he or she created it. I want the eventual owners of my work to feel this connection as well. When they use the mug or bowl, and feel the texture that resides on its surface, they will be making my history part of their own.