Wendy Goldsmith

My Featured Work:

My Story

“A lot of my work is based on nature kind of interpreted by my imagination and that’s all around me all the time. I just love the making.”

My name is Wendy Goldsmith and I am a ceramic artist.

I have been a creator and made art all my life. Ever since I was a child, I was creative, doing art projects, and making a mess in my parent’s house. As I grew up, I kept my interest in art alive and went to art school where I majored in printmaking, but also took ceramics classes. It was a few years later that I went back to clay, but still use printmaking techniques in my process.

My love for ceramics gave me the opportunity to do something unique that was my own. I have been making ceramics for 30 years and it is one of those things that the more you know, the less you know. Working in clay involves many art forms such as designing, painting, and sculpting. There is always more to learn, different materials to explore, and unexpected things to happen. It is unpredictable, but that makes it fun and exciting.

There are many people that inspired and helped me in my artistic journey. I have taken many workshops over the years at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Castle Hill Art Center. I met wonderful instructors that were open to everyone’s individual style and skill level, so I always returned home having learned more, with the desire to try new things. 

My work is based on my imagination’s interpretation of nature. My pieces show birds, flowers, fish, with the use of different patterns and colors. My sister and I love bird watching. I am really inspired by their shapes and personalities, especially the ones that have a big attitude. I like to try capturing that. The shape of the pieces I am making dictates what appears on the surface. I do plan things out, but I certainly let new ideas emerge. I have a short span of attention so if I see something that inspires me and I get distracted, I allow for that to take my art on a spontaneous path. 

Most of the obstacles I face are related to technical aspects. Dealing with firing, drying, and glazing can be challenging. I have a sign in my studio that says “I am a potter, this means I live in a perverse fantasy world with unrealistic expectations.” Right now, one of my biggest obstacles is getting things overglazed because of a supply chain problem, so a part of my work is dealing with these unanticipated problems.

Making art is really about not giving up! If I am having a tough time thinking of something, or things are not going well, my go-to is to clean up the studio: just clearing the decks and starting again. Although clay is inherently messy, I have to keep my space hygienic for health and safety, so I have to remind myself to clean and organize the studio and tools. It is a constant process! It took a while to get my space how I wanted. Many of the tools I use were found in kitchens and thrift stores. For example, I use floor mats from cars to create unique textures on some of my ceramic surfaces. Interesting textures are found just about anywhere.

My experiences over the years shaped the work I do today. I use the knowledge from my printmaking major because I do a lot of printing on clay, and carving of flexible material that I press on the surface of the pieces. Also, I just retired from teaching middle school art and having a sense of humor made me appreciate that age group and their creativity. Those kids inspired me every day.

I want my art to be a part of everyday life. The ceramic should be something you can hold in your hands, you can pour from, you can drink from, and be a beautiful way to serve your favorite foods. I hope to bring a smile to people, whether it be a little surprise when they open the butter dish or an extra decoration at the bottom of the cups spotted beneath the soap while washing dishes. 

I want people to know how much work goes into a piece of art that you see on sale. It starts with an idea, a drawing, and then I employ many different processes depending on the piece. Sometimes I create transfers, sometimes I paint directly with underglazes. All of my work is hand-built, food-safe, and microwavable. The clay pieces are fired twice before they are finished. 

I hope people appreciate the whole process and enjoy bringing a handmade item into their homes!

Wendy Goldsmith