Anne’s Artist Statement

Anne Swinton is a ceramic artist who creates with a sense of adventure. From the first step of shaping clay slabs to the last step of firing her pieces there are unknowns. The resulting work is not only unique but impossible to duplicate.

Anne started her ceramics journey attending classes intermittently making wheel-thrown vessels. After an extended break she got back to clay work, finding her creative groove and developing her ceramic voice. A turning point occurred about 5 years ago when Anne looked at a stone birdbath in her garden and thought, “I’d like to make that out of clay.” Accomplishing this goal resulted in a change in direction and the discovery of a love for hand-building.

With the inspiration of the birdbath, Anne developed her nature collection – vases with wavy sides and lines, geode-like jewelry dishes, and her sculptural “Rocks.” These ceramic rocks have an undulating smooth bowl with a stone-like surround.

The first step in Anne’s process is to make a unique center bowl by slumping a flat slab of clay into a basin – leaving the natural undulations. Once this slab has firmed up, she flips it up-side-down and carefully forms the outside of the “rock.” A result of this approach is that most of the sculpting is done up-side-down. It is not until the clay is strong enough that she is able to flip it back over and get a true picture of the final shape – a fun surprise each time. When the form is finalized, Anne considers the exterior texture – sometimes, carefully smoothing it like a worn beach stone – other times impressing it with all manner of found natural items including rocks, coral, or (her favorite) the wood from a cholla cactus.

Anne’s building method allows her to create similar silhouettes, but with a randomness that keeps each piece distinctive. The atmospheric firing techniques Anne prefers add a final dimension to their uniqueness.

Anne uses the textures, shapes, and curves found in nature to create something new – something that could exist naturally but doesn’t. “I want my work to take the viewer’s thoughts to the outside – whether they are imagining a grand valley, a small pool of water, or an undiscovered sea creature. I want people to touch and hold my work and am especially pleased when people reach for a piece with their fingertips, then quickly switch to caressing it with their hands.”

To learn more about Anne and her artwork, please visit anneswintonpottery.com.