Linda Crossan
Crows Three Studio
Franklin, Tennessee
Website
www.crowsthreestudio.com
Email
lcrossan@comcast.net
Artist Statement
I am most interested in surface, texture and shape. Shapes dictate surface and surface dictates texture. The development of my work has been influenced by the natural world and years spent painting, drawing, and creating art in other mediums.
Studio Description
My studio is above my garage. It's a spacious place to work with lots of natural light. I have 3 large worktables and my wheel is facing a window. Above the sink is a mosaic I designed and a chalk paint wall for testing ideas is adjacent.
What type of clay do you use?
Stoneware clays, light and dark
What temperature do you fire to?
Cone 6
What is your primary forming method?
I work on the wheel and hand build equally.
What is your favorite surface treatment?
I love working with colored slips that I mix myself, and combining them with matte glazes.
Do you make any of your own tools?
I create textured surfaces in my work with many found objects. I am most intrigued with using an everyday object to create a texture that doesn't reveal what was used.
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Intentional
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
My 9' x 5' work table that is an old science table from Vol State College.
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
The natural light from the windows on two walls.
What are your top three studio wishes?
A kiln, a kiln, a kiln.
What’s on your current reading list?
The Complete Guide to Mid-Range Glazes by John Britt.
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
I recycle my clay scraps and look for new tools among the things I have for doing other forms of art.
How do you recharge creatively?
Being able to realize an idea that I have in my head in the actual work I create is very exciting to me and inspires me to push myself to learn more.
Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency?
I covered my largest work table with a canvas drop cloth that has a plastic backing. Dark clay on one side of the table and light clays on the other.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
I am finishing a series of 15 hand-built pieces based on drawings I created in Mark Twain's CT library. Next series will use clay pastels figuratively.
What did your first piece look like?
It was a hand-built bottle I made in High School. I still have it!
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
To instantly fire pieces with a wave of my hand and have them all be beautiful!!
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
Audra Ladd. My clay teacher during this time of great learning and growing in my work.
What is your studio playlist?
NPR
Why do you create art?
I am driven to express my thoughts visually because that is how I learn. To create art that speaks to someone in ways I can't predict is everything.
What is your best studio tip?
Show up every day.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
Drying inconsistencies
