Annabel lee Allen       Pottery

Artist's Statement:     

 

      I have always been drawn to images more than words on a page. They invoke a feeling of a journey and exploration within my imagination. Vintage illustrations found in botanical- and aquatic- natural history books are my favorite.  I see reoccurring patterns in the organic world, like fractals in flowers, trees, and in ocean life. This is where I get my inspiration for my other-wordly creations. When I create my tailed-urchins I first 'throw' a bubble-shaped orb with the clay, and when I start to design the shape there is a  moment when a little sound occurs, like the first breath of a newborn creature, which makes me feel like my pottery is alive.  

 

          All of my pottery is hand-thrown and then sculpted for many hours.  The pieces take on a life of their own, becoming themselves through my hands, invoked by nature, listening, and discovery. 

 

          When I am throwing I feel like I am my true self. I feel at home. 

 

Biography: 

 

         When I was 14-years old I went to boarding school in Bath Maine.  It was in this giant mansion that historically had been a home for children suffering with Polio.  At night some of us would play hide and seek.  We discovered a laundry chute that ended in the basement near a sunken pool.  There was a stacks of antique wooden wheelchairs, and a dusty room for ceramics.  I was intrigued by the giant kilns in that room.  I decided to clean it and I ordered a bunch of clay, and began learning how to throw by following picture tutorials on the wall.  By the end of the year I was teaching the other kids.

 

          I later attended Bennington College in Vermont where I studied ceramics further.  My instructor was known for making giant pickle jars that were big enough to hold 3 men.  Eventually, I found my way to Southern Oregon University where I  spent five years studying under from Jim Romberg.  He taught me many things, including the art of raku.  I loved it so much that I asked for a key to the studio.  He initially said that wasn’t possible, but later with a twinkle in his eye said “If there is a will, there is a way.”  I went back after dark and found an open window, and that became my way in whenever I wanted to work through the night.

 

          After I graduated from SOU, I moved Chicago to train at Second City Improv. I also I was a potter at Lill Street Gallery for 5 years.  I was commissioned to make the dish wear for 'The Mark,' a high-end restaurant in the area. Six years later, I moved to Los Angeles where my pottery was shown in several galleries.  Finally, I returned to Ashland, Oregon where I now live with my husband and my two beautiful sons, along with a variety of eccentric pets.