Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

My work investigates feminism and LGBTQ+ experiences through the lens of human/animal relationships, interweaving the beauty of the natural world, the poetry of the human condition, and the gravity of the sociopolitical issues.

Just a short walk from her home, Mel Arsenault’s studio boasts high ceilings, plenty of worktable space, and room to dream of more storage and a dedicated painting space for her richly glazed flora and fauna vessels.

My work in clay is inspired by ecology, culture, and historical context.

The immediacy of paper, paint, and drawing materials allows me to quickly make moves and generates ideas, provides templates, and loosens me up to play while using clay.

I aim to introduce at least one new form in every set of work, keeping the process fresh and exploratory.

I aim to introduce at least one new form in every set of work, keeping the process fresh and exploratory.

A year out from the devastating Eaton Fire, one potter reflects on the resilience of her community and how the artists of Altadena have begun to repair, rebuild, and re-imagine their lives and practices.

I believe that staying engaged and developing new forms requires giving myself permission to enjoy the process.

I often process and preserve my experiences in my work. I aim to highlight small moments and memories, and capture a sense of place, emotional truth, and wonder.

I enjoy repeating familiar shapes with subtle changes and seeing how they will respond to the soda atmosphere.

Using the reference photos I take from home interviews, I use a combination of underglaze and glaze to lay the foundational composition.

When I feel a body of work is becoming repetitive or that I can no longer develop it beyond the previous series, I move on to something new to reawaken my curiosity.

I am always striving to push different aspects of my practice, from scale, technical prowess, and formal qualities of my work, to firing methodologies and business endeavors.

My sculptures are made of multiple parts that function like the “Subject-Verb-Object” structure. To me, assembling them is a form of storytelling where a subject acts upon an object.

Nowadays, because I spend more time in the studio with clay, I often rely on photos I’ve taken over time. That collection of photos continues to grow as I take in more information with every new experience.

Designing a prototype using 3D-modeling software enables me to really hone in on the form I would like, easily scaling the piece to accommodate for shrinkage.

As artists and makers, we create these objects because we want to engage, share, participate, and create a positive impact. Making facilitates human connection.

My aim is to reflect and reinforce formal decisions throughout my vessels as much as possible in order to create pots with a strong feeling of unity and purpose. The pursuit of beauty is never-ending, but you get closer every day.

Drawing from traditional Greek vessel forms, I fuse architecture, insectile, and weapon-inspired shapes with technological and armor-like motifs to create sculptures that are both aggressive and seductive.