This month’s featured artist, Kristi Hill, turns textures and vision together to shape remarkable works of art that capture her refreshing curiosity and appreciation of the world. Whether curating her next pottery collection or doodling away in her sketchbook, Kristi embraces the creative process not just for the outcome but the imperfect moments along the way.
Kristi Hill | Pottery & Painting
How would you describe your work?
I make functional and decorative pottery that can be used in everyday life. Most of my pieces are wheel thrown, but I sometimes make slab or hand-built work as well. I incorporate carving, mark making, and texture in many of my pieces. I also enjoy making abstract pen and ink drawings and mixed media paintings.
What influences your art most?
So many things inspire and interest me! I love books, history, and spending time in museums. Street art, architecture, color and all sorts of texture and design that I see walking around city streets. The twisty curves and shapes of tree branches and plants. Being outside in nature. Exploring quirky, eclectic shops and vintage thrifting. Deep, heartfelt conversations with friends and family. It all culminates into who I am and what I love which, in turn, finds its way into my art.
How have you evolved, personally, as an artist?
I think just continually working over the years, learning, making mistakes, taking classes, exploring ideas, and staying curious has helped me to improve my skills as an artist and has helped me to understand the type of work that I love to make and that feels most like me.
What do you enjoy most about the pottery experience?
The whole process of creating a piece of pottery from start to finish never ceases to amaze me! I love so many aspects of pottery, but I think my favorite would be the leather hard stage. This is where the clay can be carved, marked, stamped and manipulated. This is where a handle would be added or where the shape could be altered in some way.
Making a piece of pottery from start to finish is a long process. It can’t be rushed. Sometimes I get impatient and want it to be finished now! I feel like I am moving so fast from one thing to another in other areas of my life and the slow progression of making each piece has really shown me that there is so much joy and beauty in the process, not just the finished piece. A great metaphor for life!
How do you carve out time to be creative?
It is not always easy! I have to schedule time on my calendar. If I don’t designate the time to create, it usually doesn’t happen. I have also taken a ceramics class once a week at Sawtooth for years. This is something I always look forward to. It is a time to learn and grow my skills as well as time to fellowship with other artists and to just be in a space filled with others making alongside me.
What are you working on that excites you right now?
I am really enjoying working on some new surface designs as well as playing around with glaze color combinations.
What is one piece of advice you’d like to share with fellow artists?
I would reiterate what I said before to just enjoy the process! Have fun, play, experiment with different materials and mediums and see what happens!
If you are interested in learning more about Kristi Hill or where to find her upcoming shows, you can follow her on Instagram @kristihillstudios as well as find her work at the Whimsical Women show this November at Bailey Park.
