Rebecca Harvey
R Harvey Ceramics
Lopez Island, Washington

Email
rebeccaharveyceramics@gmail.com

Artist Statement
I dissolve objects, reconstitute them, cover them in layers, and rearrange. I have been altering raw bricks, sometimes by suspending them in water. I watch the particles detach, revealing a new sort of structure within.

Studio Description
Am currently renovating an old farm stand moved down the road to my property overlooking Fisherman's Bay on Lopez Island. The light floods in old metal windows, the sense of time and wear is palpable.

What type of clay do you use?
As many types as I can find

What temperature do you fire to?
All temps

What is your primary forming method?
Unmaking

What is your favorite surface treatment?
Love, love slip and underglaze.

Do you make any of your own tools?
Yes - mostly out of things I find lying around or repurposing other tools - cooking tools are a favorite!

What one word would you use to describe your work?
Experimental

What is your favorite thing about your studio?
The view of the water

What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
Water

What are your top three studio wishes?
More space, Gas Kiln, Clay pit outside my door.

What’s on your current reading list?
Glenn Adams - Craft, An American History.

How do you save money on materials and supplies?
I'll use anything I can find.

How do you recharge creatively?
Museums! Lately because of COVID I have been exploring museum collections online.

Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency?
Knowing when to stop and clean up - if you get it right the cleaning and tidying up can offer a great space to deep think about next steps.

What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
To use what comes my way, constantly rethinking what are the "musts" and the "shoulds." Always question how and why.

What did your first piece look like?
Big solid abstract shape fired in the Anagma kiln at Peter's Valley. I remember not liking it so much.

What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
The ability to melt glaze with my eyeballs.

Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
Alec Karros - my teacher in undergrad - super smart and honest and funny.

What is your studio playlist?
Podcasts - love 99% Invisible.

Why do you create art?
No choice - my brain and fingers must be busy - must be amused.

What is your best studio tip?
Stand back and look at your work with one eye shut - if you have to wonder if it is good or not - it isn't.

If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
Wow - none of it - the trickier the better!