  | About the Artist Janna was born and raised in Yarmouth, Maine. After taking a year off after high school to travel to Iceland and Guatemala, she studied bassoon performance at Syracuse University. Before graduating in 2009, she found herself spending most of her time in the ceramic studio where she studied wheel throwing under the direction of Errol Willett. For two summers she worked as a cook and resident artist at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME. She is currently studying art education with a concentration in ceramics at the University of Southern Maine. Artist Statement I am the youngest of four siblings. Most nights when we all lived in the same household, my family would sit down for dinner, discussing our day and enjoying each other’s company. Cooking and sharing a meal with loved ones is invaluable to me, and instilled a passion for food early on. It feels only natural for me to create vessels that are vital for these experiences. My work is heavily influenced by my childhood surroundings. I grew up in a rural setting in Maine by a river, spending much of my free time in the woods. I am interested in textures like the bark of trees, homegrown vegetables, and wind-swept snow. When I look at a mug, my immediate reaction is to pick it up, turn it upside down, examine how it fits in my hand, and how it might feel on my lips. I hope my viewer will have a similar reaction to my work. My work is meant to feel good in your hands as well as being visually pleasing. I choose glazes that accentuate the textures on the surface, created by tools that I have made in my studio. |
