Sandra Harrington

Artist's Statement:

Much of my views about art are deeply rooted in my childhood.  My parents were artists, who valued creativity, originality, independence, and the exploration of the natural environment.  We served from my mother’s earthenware bowls and were surrounded by handmade pots, sculptures, and unusual objects.  We played with the inventive mechanisms and sculptures given to my father by his peers and students.  I remember relaxed and open-ended discussions over the years of what the abstract paintings on our walls might be representing. Art was part of every day living.

I have been learning to make pots off and on since about 1987, but most intensively for the past 9 years.  Early formal studies began in a North Carolina arts and crafts center and progressed with university coursework.  After moving to the Big Island of Hawaii, I learned through a quasi-apprenticeship with an accomplished potter transplanted from Oregon and then spent countless hours of individual exploration in my own studio.  More recently, induction into wood firing communities has brought new possibilities to mind.

I like for my work to be part of every day living.  I am inspired by line, by found objects, by nature, and by creative problems originating in my imagination.  I have a deep respect for pure and traditional forms, rooted in my early training, and I am exploring my personal expression or aesthetic by experimenting with volume, shape, surface, and design potential.