As Seen On : Jenny Graf
Last December, knowing that I always need a little something to get me through the New England winter, I texted Jenny Graf I would love to take a ceramics class with you. Do you have any space for me? On January 4th of this year, with the frenzy of the holiday season behind me, and the bigness of starting another small business year ahead of me, I walked into Purple Sage Pottery for my first of 10 classes with Jenny and 5 other students. I had taken ceramics classes years before, and always struggled with centering my pots on the wheel, creating things that kind of looked like bowls, stopping before I ruined them, and also stopping before they actually became something.
Jenny teaches ceramics like it is yoga, she talks about "quieting the clay" rather than muscling it, reminds us to breathe when we forget. I was suddenly able to do so much more with gentle hands and a present mind than I had ever been able to do with biceps and force. Something that had always been a frustration became relaxing, meditative, healing.
I am so very grateful for Jenny’s teaching, to my lovely classmates, to the treasure of Purple Sage Pottery and to December Me for knowing just what January + February Me needed this year.
Jenny and I have been working on a jewelry/ceramics collaboration that will be debuting at Artsvile Amesbury this week! We are sharing an artist shanty during the first week of the first-annual Artsville Amesbury that runs through the end of July. We will be there Thursday 6/23 + Friday 6/24 from 12pm-6pm and Saturday 6/25 and Sunday 6/26 from 10am-4pm, and would love for you to swing by and see us, what we do, and what we’ve done together.
Thanks so much, my friends!
xx
Amy
Jenny in the ceramics studio wearing the Fela Hoops and the Mala Studs
Jenny, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in New Hampshire and have had a life-long love of New England. The state of Maine is a particular favorite, as I have spent my entire life spending summers there, in the mountains, and on the coast, and attended college there. I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world, and love exploring it’s many wonders! My partner John and I love to travel, and do so whenever we can. In addition to my love of creating hand built and wheel thrown pottery, I love cooking and interior design.
I’d love to hear a bit more about your history with ceramics and teaching. (Who mentored you? Where did you study? When did you know you wanted to be a potter? Is potter a term that you like? :) How has your work evolved over the years?)
Ceramics have been a part of my life since my childhood. My grandfather was a music teacher and potter. Though I never had the opportunity to study under him, his pieces filled both my childhood home and my home now. I feel his energy whenever I am creating. I first started my own path with ceramics at Purple Sage Pottery. My first teacher, Beth Bell, had a long affiliation with Purple Sage, and was a mentor to me. Her encouragement led me to gradually move from being a student, to being a full time potter, (a term I do like! It has such a rich history!:). I was thrilled when Purple Sage owner, Iris Minc, asked me to join the teaching staff at the studio. I have been teaching what we call Beginner and Beyond classes there since 2017, and this past year, also began teaching at 2 Rivers Ceramics Studio in Newbury. I can’t point to an exact time when I knew I wanted to be a full-time Potter. It really was an evolution. I feel very fortunate that I was able to allow my love of the medium to grow at its own pace. I began with a clear preference for hand building. I was less attracted to the wheel, and loved the variety of forms that could be created, and surface treatments that could be explored, through hand building. I believe that foundation was critical, as it led me to a deep understanding of the properties of clay-it’s possibilities and parameters. When I ultimately turned my attention to the wheel, I felt my affinity for, and love of clay, expand. I love combining hand building and wheel throwing techniques in my work. The possibilities are endless!
Where and how do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in the natural beauty that surrounds us here in New England. What I describe as the more narrative pieces that I do, are created using printing mats, into which I carve images of natural subjects- shore birds, flora and fauna- and press into slab built pieces. I am also deeply inspired by the rich history of pottery making. I love exploring new techniques and forms. I am thrilled that the medium I love offers the opportunity for life long learning. I can never know all there is to know, and that is wonderful!
How important is building a community or connections when it comes to being an artist and running your own business?
Oh my goodness SO IMPORTANT! I absolutely love, and am deeply reliant upon, the support I receive from the clay communities of which I am a part. It has become clear to me that making a living as an artist is very difficult and often multi faceted. Getting to know, and work with other makers and business owners in our area, has also been critical. This too feels like a life long endeavor. There is so much to learn and share.
Can you tell us a bit about how you and Amy came to know each other?
I first met Amy a few years ago at the 3S Form + Function craft fair in Portsmouth, NH. This past winter, Amy reached out to me expressing an interest in taking a pottery class that I teach at Purple Sage Pottery. I have been absolutely thrilled to have her, and really look forward to Wednesday mornings with Amy! She always arrives to class with wonderful ideas and a keen desire to explore new paths of creative expression through clay. It is so exciting to know that with Amy, the future will hold an abundance of creative collaboration!
How have you and Amy supported each other as friends, artists, and business-owners?
As a fellow artist, Amy has been an incredible resource to me. She is so generous with her expertise. I am grateful for her guidance, as she shares so much of her own experiences as a maker creating and growing a small business.
What pieces of Amy’s can you be seen wearing?
I am most often seen wearing my Fela Hoops- they were my first Amy pair, and I love them! I love wearing my Mala Studs as an everyday staple- usually with jeans and a t-shirt. I also often use just one of them in the third hole on my right ear. And for special occasions, I wear the large Farah Hoops!
Is jewelry the first thing you think about or the last thing you adorn with when it comes to outfitting for the day?
I usually have what I want to wear in mind. I like thinking about how my jewelry will complement and complete the look I am seeking.
You and Amy are doing a ceramic/jewelry collaboration set to release this summer. What was this process like for you?
Oh my goodness, I am so excited about this! From the time I was first exposed to Amy’s jewelry, I have loved her aesthetic. She creates pieces that are so distinctive. They are elegant in their simplicity and modernity, and I always feel pulled together, stylish and confident when I wear Amy’s jewelry. When Amy approached me about a collaboration, I was thrilled! Finding ways to incorporate beautiful ceramic adornments with the sterling silver and other metals Amy works with, is so exciting! No question there are challenges; maintaining the lightness and elegance of Amy’s designs, while incorporating this new material is first and foremost. We are both so excited to explore the endless surface treatment possibilities. This is my first collaboration of this type, and I am so thrilled by the possibilities!
Amy and Jenny at Artsville Amesbury June 23-26
Where can we find your work in person, Jenny?
I am participating in Artsville Amesbury from June 23-26. Amy and I are sharing a shanty and are unveiling some of our collaborative pieces! We are neighbors with jeweler Theresa Gannett, potter Ali Greenberg, and artist Ann Johnson and photographer Diane Mondalto I also participate in three other shows annually- two held at Purple Sage Pottery, every spring and fall, and one at 2 Rivers Ceramics in early December. Some of my pieces are carried throughout the year at Valerie’s Gallery in Newburyport. I also welcome people approaching me directly and visiting my home studio.
Thank you so much for reading our latest installment of As Seen On. You can check out more of Jenny’s beautiful work HERE. And please be sure to come visit Jenny and I to check out our new collection at Artsville Amesbury from June 23-26.
And ASO readers, please enjoy 20% off of Jenny’s favorite AVE styles, the Fela Hoops, the Mala Studs and the Farah Hoops. Discount is automatically taken at checkout.
If you or someone you know wears AVE jewelry and is interested in being featured in our “Ode to the Wearers", please reach out to us. We’d love to learn more about you and what you wear.