BIOGRAPHY
Nancy Green works with stoneware clay and primarily focuses on making utilitarian ware for the table, kitchen and for flower arrangements. Her work is primarily treadle wheel thrown and then modified with hand built components consisting of textured slabs. Surface treatments consist of natural ash or soda, or applied slips and glazes. Pieces are fired in either a soda or wood kiln.
It was 19 years ago that Nancy became aware of utilitarian pottery. Two years into buying pots, a potter said to her, “You know Nancy, you could make pots.” And she replied, “Okay, I will.” That was the beginning of an unexpected journey. The quest to see pots took her from New Mexico to New Jersey with stops in Minnesota and Wisconsin. From there Nancy went on to Japan, Italy, and Ireland all as part of her education in making pots and determining what a good pot is.
STATEMENT
Although I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, as a child I spent every possible moment in the country exploring the woods and playing in creeks. The earthy tones and minimalism of my functional pots reflect the nature that surrounded me as a child. I gravitate towards a pot that is casual, quiet, and appears to have grown right out of the spot it sits. My aesthetic falls into a minimalist category: less is more for me. I am drawn to and hope to create pots that have an organic and natural quality to them. These are the pots that pull me in. Their irregularities give these pots a personality not unlike our own physical presence. I juxtapose minimalism, simple clean lines, designs that are unadorned but have a strong presence with aspects that are loose, organic, and casual.
Several years ago I was asked by a potter, “How are your pots?” I replied that I have not made a single pot yet that I like. And her reply: “You never will.” At that moment I understood that I would always want to make a better pot with each one I threw. Hamada once said that it takes a lifetime and a half to become a good potter, I started my journey with only half a lifetime left.