Terry Friday

I began making pottery in my senior year of college at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina. I moved soon after to Albuquerque, New Mexico where I worked for 2 years at a clay supply and pottery studio. There I learned to make clay and glazes, to fire and repair kilns, and began taking wheel throwing classes. That was in 1995 and I have been making handmade and wheel thrown pottery ever since. In Albuquerque I began carving my pots to create design and texture on the surface. I was influenced by the carved pottery of the Navajo. Since then my surface design has evolved to include floral and geometric patterns painted on the surface and enhance by the contrast of the carved surface. I built a salt and soda kiln at my home in 2006. During a salt and soda firing a sodium solution is sprayed into the kiln at a high temperature. The sodium solution becomes instantly vaporized and interacts with the silica found in the clay body and the slips that are applied to the pots. This creates a glazed surface on everything in the kiln. This method of firing allows me to leave the pots unglazed on the carved surface and produces rich and beautiful earth tones. As I continue to take workshops and classes my forms have also evolved. I strive to make beautiful functional pieces that I hope enrich the lives of the user and bring a bit of celebration to each occasion of their use.