Description

“As a gardener, cook, mother, and potter, I think a lot about food. It makes me so happy to serve something I know to be nourishing. I think that is why making pots seems so special to me. I love setting a table full of different bowls and plates and trays containing wholesome foods.
When I am in my studio making pots, I consider how I intend the pots to be used – different pots for different foods. I work in series, and try to improve the form on each successive pot. The rhythm of my kick-wheel, and the pace of making slab work are just the right speed for me. When I glaze my pots I consider how foods will be presented in the pottery. I draw bold patterns on my simple pots. I try to bring something of an urban sensibility to traditional forms and techniques.
The environmental implications of my craft are important to me, so I make my firings carbon neutral by using waste wood from the local saw mill to fire my kiln. I appreciate the connection that tending the fire affords. Wood crackles quietly and I am directly involved with the kiln. I love that the fire, ash, and salt make their mark on my pots.” -Courtney Martin

Courtney’s pots are thrown and hand-built, and fired in her wood kiln in the mountains of North Carolina. Her pots are food friendly, and meant for daily use.