Opening Reception: June 13th, 5-7PM

“I am a painter and a potter. I no longer take a break from pottery to do a painting or vice versa. Clay is now my canvas. I work out of my studio/gallery 533 Fairfax Avenue in Davis, WV with a view overlooking the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.

I think many potters will tell you that clay chose them. I talk to other potters that were first painters. They say once they touched clay they were hooked. The technical aspect of clay is a wonderful challenge. The idea that I make my canvas (pottery) to paint on is exciting. I am making, refining, and participating in every aspect of my craft from constructing the form, decorating, glazing, and firing the work.

I use porcelain because unlike earthenware or stoneware it is a pure gleaming white. Porcelain clays are unforgiving to work with. It shrinks, it warps, and it cracks - - - but all of ceramics is a challenge whether it be the quirks of glaze, clays or temperature of the kiln. Because I am building up the colors for the image, the pots are fired in the kiln four or five times before they have their final glaze firing. That means sometimes they have been fired for a total of fifty hours!

My work is nature based. My canvas is primarily plates; they are food safe but are also wired so they can be hung on the wall for decoration. The thrown plates have landscape or animal images using underglazes under a clear glaze. The images are in-keeping with my watercolor paintings. The fun part is the challenge of designing the local landscape images in the round for the rims of the plates. The vases, jars and small dishes are decorated with plants found in my yard, woods, and local gardens along with the patterned stamps I make.

I started with watercolor as an undergraduate then went on to receive my masters in ceramics. I spent my professional life as an art teacher being an active advocate for Arts education for all WV students on all grade levels. Even though I am no longer in the public school system I continue to teach workshops in my studio. I am proud to be National Board-Certified Teacher”- Nanette Seligman, 2025.

Displaying: June 13th to July 31st in the Maxwell Gallery.