Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Suzanne Crane: From Professor to Artisan


 

 

 Born into a family of birders and botanist, it was the most natural thing for Suzanne Crane to find her inspiration for her beautiful and elegant vessels in nature. As she writes, "Each of my botanical pieces begins with a walk in the mountains and woods of Central Virginia where I gather my wild plant specimens."

 

 

From these specimens, Crane incorporates the leaves, birds, berries and even the occasional frog into her works. 


 

 

 

 

As with many artists and musicians, she covered her need to earn a living by getting a Master's degree in English. With her degree in hand, she worked as an English professor at community colleges for 13 years. During this time, she was taking classes in pottery making. 


 

 

 

It was after the purchase of a 19th century house and barn that the opportunity came for her to have her own studio. It was this transitional three years, that lead to enough pottery sales for her to quit teaching and focus on her love of nature and the feel of the earth in clay.

 

Crane is a prolific potter and here are more examples of her graceful works: 







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