Artist's Statement.

In my work I have found a balance between meaningful work and creative play.  The production pottery line provides a consistent way of working that generates pieces that are in demand and leave me with a sense of accomplishment on any given day.  I work hard to create well executed works that demonstrate good craftsmenship and a unique sense of design while providing an income that not only pays all of the expenses of a large studio facility, but also the compensation for a number of assistants.  Within those parameters, I also find ways to be creative and introduce new ideas.  New ideas could include the introduction of a new glaze, the development of a new form, the evolution of a long-standing concept or bringing in a whole new and radically different thing than anything that I have done before. This "play" is at heart of what it is the be an artist, and is the most rewarding part of the process.

Susan DeMay produces functional and decorative stoneware pottery and other artistic forms, such as wall works, sculptural vases, and tile projects. She maintains a studio, Creek Ferry Pottery, in Smithville, Tennessee with the help of her spouse and a number of assistants. Her work includes a production line of tabletop wares as well as a series of art pieces. All clay work uses colorful glazes with a variety of surfaces, put together to create rich, expressive palettes and distinctive designs. Each series has evolved from many years of working with electric kilns fired to cone six.

Susan DeMay has taught classes and led workshops in many Middle Tennessee art programs, including Vanderbilt University (where she has taught ceramics for more than 20 years), the Appalachian Center for Crafts, Fisk University, Middle Tennessee State University, Sarratt Studio Program, and Watkins Art Institute. Her work has been featured in periodicals, and a number of her articles have been published in national and international publications.

"My work takes two directions, which share the quality of "handmade-ness". The functional production pieces incorporate familiar shapes and forms, but the glazes show distinctive color, fluidity and design. The art pieces also show these features, as well as more unusual organic forms, most of which are slab-built. Their designs incorporate more free-form shapes, and the surface compositions show personal narratives and motifs inspired by quilts and paintings I admire. Both approaches exhibit my concern for balancing my technical knowledge and abilities with purely aestethic choices."