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Beth Harden | Episode 1134
Beth Harden is a functional potter working out of her home studio in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Beth’s artistic journey is driven by curiosity, caffeine, and the determination to explore the endless possibilities of working with clay. Beth’s process involves blending art with functionality while embracing a process centered in experimentation and exploration. Beth’s creations not only serve as practical vessels for daily use but also as interactive art pieces that encourage individuals to immerse themselves in the unique textures and shapes, inviting exploration and connection with each use.
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When you show up in the studio to work do you ever feel unmotivated?
Definitely. I would say I am not someone that creates a schedule for myself. I do fly by the seat of my pants most days. So it is challenging some days when you get in there to get motivated to do the task. I have a hard time getting motivated to do handles especially.
Do you add your handles after you have done the carving or before your carving is done?
Before. The day after throwing I will trim my pieces and in that same moment I will apply a handle. And then they go into the damp box unitl I can carve them.
How do you make your handles?
I pull them. And then I guess I sculpt them with the pieces. So they are all hand-pulled and then sculpted to get sculpting where it attaches to the mug itself.
You said sometimes you feel a little unmotivated. What helps you get the job done when you are not feeling it?
I have a hard time wasting product. Which is one reason quilting was something I was never able to take on with my whole heart because there is just a lot of leftover scrap and stuff that is wasted so my motivating is that if I don’t get myself in gear I am going to end of throwing yesterday’s work out. And having to start fresh.
Has your creativity matured or changed over time?
I would say it definitely has. Finding a style of work was always very daunting at the beginning and I think now that I have kind of meshed a couple of my ideas into one. I dabbled in stained glass which is kind of why you get the pixilated carving in my work, because before ceramics there was stained glass in my life. So I would say yes it definitely has matured as I have gone on.
How does it influence your making to have nothing but daylight for a month or so? What does that do for you?
There’s 24 usable hours everyday in the summer. (Laughter)
It definitely adds an energy to my production that I feel all winter long is slacking, but in the summer and in the spring when we can finally be outside. It’s nice to be able to work outside on pieces and for longer periods during the day I can work out on my deck in the evening for example. Where normally in the winter I would be done by six o’clock.
Book
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Contact
Instagram: @bethhardenceramics