Collection: Naomi Walsh - Potter and Ceramic Artist

Naomi, originally from Quebec, took her first pottery class in 2003 at a local community centre and “took to it like a fish to water” though admits she was interested in art from the time she could hold a pencil.  She now feels a bit obsessed with pottery, bringing home pieces from other artists whenever she can. 

Naomi loves that you can start with such a basic material—clay—and create something quite amazing, with little waste, another factor that appealed to her.  She makes both functional pieces as well as pieces that make her happy, all that are influenced by nature, animals, and bright colours.  She focuses on realism with a bit of whimsy to create pieces she hopes will evoke a memory or feeling with others.

Though sometimes working on the wheel, she often does slab, coil, and pinch work.  She starts with a design in mind, one that she often spends a while developing in her mind and enjoys carving into the clay making many pieces that are one of a kind.  She uses a low fire white earthenware and mixes her own glazes.  After carving, she will paint on the glaze rather than dip. 

A member of Art 1274 Hollis for more than 10 years, Naomi defines herself as a type A person who is fussy, but because she is a Gemini, can also be all over the place with her work.  She likes many different things and therefore rarely settles on just one idea, perhaps also relating to her love of languages that allows her to be able to order a beer in five different ones.