www.vickihartman.com/
Artist
S TAT E M E N T
Ordinary environments are my source of inspiration. Since I was a child, how people create homes has captured me - what we choose to save and what we choose to get rid of, what creates comfort and safety, what is sentimental, and what is a symbol of success. I make handmade objects because they create warmth in a home, and often remind us that imperfection is beautiful and authentic.
BIO
Vicki Hartman lives in Rochester, NY with her husband and two children. She has a BFA in ceramics from SUNY New Paltz and has also spent a semester abroad at the Nova Scotia College of Art and
Design. Vicki completed the apprenticeship at the Moravian Pottery and Tileworks and formerly ran a custom tile and mosaic business.
If you'd like to learn more about me, please stop by my blog: http://these2words.blogspot.com I've been making pottery since 1992. I am drawn to clay not only for its tactile, inviting qualities, but also because it is a part of all of our lives each day; we come together around it, we eat off of it and more. It is accessible and so simple.
I am inspired by images of daily home life as well as repeating patterns. I want to make pots that people love to use and have a serenity to them that might help us slow down our busy lives.
Havens of Simplicity
Artist Profile — Vicki Hartman
HomeWorkshop (HW): Have you always been an artistic person, and when did you realize you could make a living doing art?
Vicki Hartman (VH): I remember being around five and really identifying as an artist. I had a teacher say something to me about being able to draw well. This small mention had a big effect on me. I have kept a journal since then, full of drawings and ideas and I think time spent journaling has been a great exploration for creative ideas. Even recently, I went back to a sketchbook from college, about thirteen years ago, for an image idea that for some reason is relevant again. I still struggle with the idea of making a living from my art. Sometimes I get such a great response that I am determined to keep going, and other times I feel like I might not have the energy it takes to keep making and keep pushing. So it is a process for me. But this is my first year really giving it a try and I think I am doing quite well when I look at the big picture.
W: How and why did you come to create ceramic houses?
VH: I started making ceramic houses for my BFA show in 1999. I made them then as an exploration of suburbia and our monotonous, consumerist culture. A decade later, and a family and home of my own, I have a very different reason for making them.
The houses I make now are a celebration of what makes a family and how our home is our haven, a safe place full of the people and things we cherish that bring meaning to our lives. I also love thinking about the little things that everyone, no matter how different we are, appreciates; the same simple parts of life. I want the houses to feel simple like that, and accessible.
HW: When you need
