Autumn at
ArtWalk Patti Carmen pottery featured at Boone
gallery
As the autumn leaves continue to create beautiful scenes
for everyone in the High Country to savor, memories of fun and
family tiptoe into our minds.
This fall, ArtWalk invites all to celebrate the bounty of warmth
and good times by stopping by to view Patti Carmen’s pottery,
whose work encompasses the rich texture and colors of fall in
functional pieces.
After graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree
in housing and interiors, Carmen remained a resident of Boone.
Her family has called the town home for the last 20 years.
Carmen started working in clay 10 years ago when she took a community
pottery class at Doe Ridge Pottery, led by fellow ArtWalk potter
Bob Meier. She was drawn to the medium because of a desire to
produce her own kitchenware. The forgiving nature of clay always
amazes her, and its ability to be transformed so greatly provides
such huge opportunities for uniqueness and individuality. Being
the daughter of an architect and a product of interior design
studies, she finds enjoyment in focusing on aesthetically functional
wares. The satisfaction of production and functionality of pottery
is a primary focus when she now teaches the same community pottery
class that was the impetus for her career.
The inspiration for many of the lines and forms in her work comes
from the outdoors. She believes that nature is one of the best
teachers of art. Constantly focusing on how the organic world
is formed, she strives to create lines of attachment that are
always perfect and functional. Her glazes are also inspired by
nature. The deep blues, rich browns and hints of copper all contribute
to her overall design.
Making pottery poses many design conundrums for Carmen: purpose,
function, and beauty are just a few of her concerns when working
her clay. The challenge of solving these challenges may take time
as she goes through the trials and errors to arrive at the most
desirable piece. A production piece must be made, fired, observed
and used before she can recognize what it needs to be a functionally
aesthetic piece. Most importantly, the pieces that she makes are
intended for artful living, holding, and use.
Patti Carmen’s work is located on ArtWalk’s lower level.
With three and a half floors and more than 300 local, regional
and national artists, ArtWalk is located at 611 W. King St. (across
from Mast General Store) Boone, N.C. 28607. Though ArtWalk is
open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday
from 12 to 5 p.m, customers may shop all the time at the gallery’s
new online store. ArtWalk continually welcomes new artists of
all media and ages to inquire about individual gallery booths
for rent. For more information, call (828) 264-9998, email artwalkboone@yahoo.com
or visit www.artwalkboone.com.
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