teresagriffin

Teresa Griffin, a Texas native born in Fort Worth, combines ancient techniques, styles and materials to produce unique pottery and glass pieces.

After throwing her first pot on a wheel, she was instantly hooked on this very messy, but addictive, medium. Soon after, she bought her own wheel and purchased a kiln, in order to throw and fire the pieces at her own studio. She continues to attend workshops, adding new forms, techniques, and methods of working with clay to her expertise.

Teresa uses a variety of methods to build her clay: coil method, the wheel and even hand stretching. Some pieces are glazed and some are not. On the unglazed pieces, the glossy finish is achieved by hours of burnishing by hand with a smooth river stone prior to pit firing. These methods were slowly developed through patience and diligence. It is only because of her patient family that she is able to continue with her self-admitted stubborn fascination for clay.

This extraordinary potter states that her pottery is constantly changing and evolving. Most of her work is functional, although a few of her pieces are purely decorative. Her functional pottery is designed to be used and enjoyed... light enough for comfort and yet sturdy enough to be practical. She has worked to develop forms and glazes that are pleasing both to the eye and the hand.

The pottery ware produced by Teresa is oven safe and can be used in the microwave and the dishwasher. Because each piece is made by hand, no two pieces are identical. She can create sets and repeat designs, but there are always variations due to the nature of the clay, the glazes, and the handcrafted process. Being of a creative nature, she is always experimenting with new ideas.

Teresa uses porcelain and stoneware clays that she makes her self and fires her functional pottery to cone 6 / 10 in an oxidation atmosphere. For her decorative pottery, she fires to cone 010 then off to a Smokey pit of fire, newspaper, straw, cedar chips and most any type of combustible that she can get her hands on.

Japanese, Celtic and Greek art have been major inspirations to Teresa’s art. She is drawn to the geometric patterns that are present in much of this type of art and uses it in designing her own pieces.

Teresa creates in her home studio in Weatherford, Texas, where she resides with her husband, Roger. In her “spare” time, Teresa teaches glass fusing and pottery at The Summit in Grand Prairie and all medias of glass & pottery at her home studio.

“As a full time artist I choose to put healing vibrations in my pottery and glass works. Or should I say, as a healer, I choose to use pottery & glass as medicine. Whenever anyone asks what inspires me, my answer is Inspiration Itself. That which inspires is the essence of complete peace and tranquility.” ~Teresa Griffin~

WORDS THAT I decided to LIVE BY 43 YEARS AGO IT WAS MORE OF A NEW YEARS RESOLUTION THAT JUST STUCK. I SHARE THIS AS THE YEAR COMES TO A END EVERY YEAR:

~WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE TELL THEM. SPEND A FEW MOMENTS OF EVERYDAY IN PRAYER OR MEDITATION. MAINTAIN RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. CHERISH PROTECT AND GIVE THANKS FOR MOTHER EARTH. EVERY NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP. DECIDE WHICH WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR DAY.~