Today we’d like to introduce you to Muriel Hansen Wolfe.
Hi Muriel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in Wisconsin, I was deeply inspired by the natural environment, and that interest continues to inform my current art practice.
I’ve loved working with my hands for as long as I remember, and I was always asking for art supplies for Christmas and birthdays. I got more serious about art in high school and took as many classes as I could.
My passion for ceramics started at an early age as well, when I was about 3, my mom took me to a community studio for a family ceramics class. We made coiled bowls and pinched dishes, and I was obsessed. I’d always wanted to learn more about the medium but wouldn’t get the opportunity until my junior year of high school.
Ceramics quickly became my favorite class, and I made sure to take a ceramics class every semester since then. After high school, I moved to Kansas City to continue my studies and pursue my BFA.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any endeavor, there have been ups and downs.
After graduating, I took a year off and did not make any artwork. I was really struggling to determine my place in the ceramics community. I began making work again in 2020 and found an art practice and new ways of making that truly inspired me.
This reignited my passion. Working in my studio while also working a full-time job can be hard to balance and exhausting. However, I love the work I do, and that helps make the inevitable bumps along the way more bearable.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make hand-built, functional ceramic wares. I use basic hand-building techniques of slab forming, coiling, and pinching clay. These are some of the very first skills you will learn in a ceramic class.
I find that by utilizing these forming methods I am able to create objects that feel familiar and approachable, and I find satisfaction in my ability to create something complex and elegant using these basic techniques.
Because of the nature of these forming methods, the finished products feel more organic and hand-made, with each piece maintaining a strong sense of personality. After creating the vessels, I freehand carve the decorations on my pots and then hand paint the glaze.
All of my glazes are mixed from scratch in my studio, this allows me to create custom colors and finishes that precisely match my vision for the work. My pottery is inspired by my love of nature and the earthly joys found in natural environments.
I use simple, pleasing motifs and vibrant colors, many of which are abstracted from this natural imagery, to convey a sense of comfort and wanderlust. I believe we lead happier and more fulfilled lives when we seek to surround ourselves with objects, people, and experiences that we enjoy.
I hope for these feelings to be present in my work. I think of them as a ritualistic celebration of self–a reminder to slow down and enjoy the present, the people around us, and the world we live in.
Contact Info:
- Website: etsy.com/shop/honeyandluster
- Instagram: instagram.com/honeyandluster
- Facebook: facebook.com/honeyandluster
Image Credits
Muriel Hansen Wolfe
