Caruso, Lisa

I move clay as it moves me - fluidly we exchange places as master and servant. Clay’s unseen potential is what draws me to it. Engaging in the processes that change it from formless dust and water to solid permanence is my passion. Clay is humble and bends to my will as it humbles me in kind. With Rodin and Michelangelo as inspirations, my figural work is done using clay-modeling techniques working from live models then employing the wheel and hand techniques to create environments for them. I imbue my figures with feelings and opinions, borrowing from life and place them in environments that suit their disposition. When more than one figure is presented those expressions become interactive, allowing a two way flow, that is the allure of working with the figure. Pottery forms express through proportions, balance and harmony which resonate with our visual perception. There is a grace to the ideal form which can be destroyed by color and glaze. I have developed methods which approximate surfaces seen in the Black on Black Pueblo traditions, polishing the leather hard clay to a mirror shine and using Paul Soldner’s American Raku methods to imbed the pieces with black color. These qualities allow the pot to stand up and shine on its own merits becoming its best self.

My studio is the basement of my house having concrete floors, cement block walls, a door to the ground level and windows. I have 2 electric wheels, one is a Soldner wheel I bought right out of college in 1982, still the best wheel ever, the other is a Skutt wheel for when I teach a couple of students. I also have a kick wheel I built from a Brent kit for when the power goes out or when I want to slow down. I have concrete utility sinks, a refrigerator, a large full wine rack, a couple of tables and I also store all of my clay work in large Rubbermaid boxes stacked in an area of the studio. My kilns are a new Skutt electric kiln right in the studio and Clamshell Raku kiln that gets wheeled out into the driveway on firing days.

What type of clay do you use?

I use mostly a stoneware clay I mix myself that is a rich warm color and I use white clay for horsehair and obvara firing.

I fire my stoneware to cone 6 and alternative firings from 1260 to 1840.

The wheel is my favorite tool after my hands but I also utilize all hand-building techniques especially modeling techniques for my figural work.

tools, hands, nature

Not really, I use credit cards, cut custom contours on them and modify some of my wooden tools by sanding the edges.

diverse

Me and clay in it

Music

More windows, more shelves, more space

In addition to music, I listen to mysteries on recorded books from my library and our book club is going to resume soon with the coming of fall.

I make my own clay and glazes and take a drive to pick up my materials at the Ceramic Shop.

I go outside to recharge in every way, sometimes to the gardens, often times for a bike ride.

Make your own clay and glazes, make lists on a chalk board, keep notes about what works and doesn't.

To produce a body of work that is more fine art than craft and sells for thousands not hundreds is my current goal.

My first piece on the wheel was just a rudimentary bowl, the exciting thing was combing my efforts with that of the wheel to create form.

To envision my completed forms in various glaze, stain and paint finishes.

Glaze finishing

Peter Voulkos for punching, tearing, slashing and basically just relating to clay by passing it through his hands pushing and pulling to find limits and exceed them.

Dave Matthews, Cold Play, Eric Clapton, Florence + the Machine, Of Monsters and Men, Chris Isaac, Joe Bonamassa

It's important, it's who I am, I can't not do it.

Voulkos and Soldner for being instrumental in changing the direction of clay work bringing it into the fine art realm. Michelangelo and Rodin for their genius in rendering expressiveness in the human form.

Work in your studio often, make mistakes, figure it out, keep it up.

Nothing really, but I would like it to have the stand-up-ability of stiffer clay while being completely malleable.