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Kimberly Bentley
South Portland, Maine
Website
https://www.facebook.com/kimberlybentleyartist/
Email
kbentleypottery@yahoo.com
Artist Statement
As a child, I would escape and lose myself in a world of monster movies and epic novels that battled between good and evil. But as an adult I found out monsters really do exist, blurred by reality tv. They are out in the open and walk among us.
Studio Description
My studio is in my second story loft bedroom in my condominium.
What type of clay do you use?
Stoneware
What temperature do you fire to?
Cone 6-cone 10
What is your primary forming method?
Handbuilding with pinch pots or carving whole
What is your favorite surface treatment?
I love using pt firings to char the work.
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Creepy cute
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
That it overlooks the water
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
I can’t live without my banding wheel.
What are your top three studio wishes?
1. To streamline my studio
2. To be neater
3. To get more shelving
What’s on your current reading list?
Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
I use every scrap of clay and recycle what I can!
How do you recharge creatively?
I listen to music on a long drive to the ocean. When I get there I can sit forever listening to the waves!
Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency?
Work in a small amount of space.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
To be in the studio even if I do not feel like it. Even if it just means cleaning the studio, I am there spending time with my art.
What did you first piece look like?
It was a large garden sculpture of a mermaid/ship.
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
To be able to stay up all night on a salt firing
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
Ted Keller, he was my first ceramic teacher.
What is your studio playlist?
AC/DC, David Gray, Dave Matthews Band, and the Blues.
Why do you create art?
I love creating things with my hands! It is how I communicate with the world.
What is your best studio tip?
Don’t get behind on your cleaning!
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
I would make re-firing glazed pieces easier!
