The potter next door
Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan
Jessica Kelly sells her pottery at the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market Saturday mornings.
Haley Ryan – Arts Reporter
February 1, 2012 6:00 AM ADT
Jessica Kelly likes making history. You might have even noticed some of her work last weekend at the Farmer’s Market.
No, you say? There were no grand paintings or controversial art pieces hidden among the mushrooms and fresh fish?
Perhaps not. But Kelly’s pots and mugs will survive the march of time better than any other art form.
“It lasts forever, you know, out of all civilizations,” Kelly said as she poured herself a mug of blueberry tea in a downtown café. “It seems very permanentand it’s very functional too.”
A few years ago, Kelly moved from the small village of Petitcodiac to Fredericton to attend St. Thomas University to study English Literature. she said she enjoyed STU, but after a year there she made the switch to the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, and never looked back.
Although you can explore a few different mediums at NBCCD, Kelly joked that she’s too scatterbrained to focus on more than one thing at a time, so during her program she immersed herself in pottery classes.
She’s proud that during her final year at college, she made enough money from her mugs, pots and vases to get by without a “regular” job. That changed this year, since she’s on her own and paying back student loans, but Kelly says she loves selling her work at the Farmer’s Market and is building up some regular clients.
The intricate designs in her pottery catch the eye immediately, which are almost tribal looking. The shapes of her pieces are beautiful, and no two mugs or cream pots are exactly the same. When you look closely, some are quite whimsical.
“I make little bubble jars that look like, well what I describe as little kids in fat snowsuits,” Kelly said, laughing. “It’s a very, very round jar and they have little arms … my playfulness definitely comes out in my pottery.”
Although it can take up to three days to completely finish a piece, from moulding it on the potter’s wheel her dad built for her, to firing it in a huge kiln, Kelly has some company.
She shares a studio space with three other potters she met in college, and says working with friends is great because there’s always someone to get feedback from, and you don’t need to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings.
On an average day in the studio, Kelly said she listens to music and chats away because she is so used to the routine of moulding and creating her pieces (also called “throwing,” if you use potter lingo), but sometimes she does enjoy being completely absorbed by her work and shuts everything out.
“You can read your mood from the mug you throw one day to the next. Just by the way you touch it … it’s just like your signature,” Kelly said.
In the long term, Kelly said she hopes to be able to support herself with her work and maybe one day see British Columbia; they’re known for supporting the arts and Kelly said “there are a lot of lovely potters there.”
For now, keep an eye out for Kelly’s booth at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, and just make sure your don’t throw anything. That’s her job.
