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"Instilling dignity into a common object elevates the human spirit, and is the core of the art of a potter."
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Contact:  Contact Monica at 510-923-0906 or email her at
compuzilla13@yahoo.com.
Purchase:  Monica's work can be purchased by contacting her directly, or by visiting the Berkeley Potters Guild sales events and weekend gallery at
731 Jones St., Berkeley, CA.
I have been drawn towards clay and working three dimensionally ever since I was a child. To me, a vessel of any kind holds a power that is aesthetic, spiritual, and material. This synergy is what fires my continuing obsession with pottery. I am also a martial artist and I find that the art of movement blends into my ceramics. I always move towards the center, seeking a balance in form. I find that the dignity and strength of a vessel is tied to its use. My pieces want to be held, touched, and used. In this post industrial world of soulless mass production, I think people need art they can touch and weave into the fabric of their day-to-day lives. Instilling dignity into a common object elevates the human spirit, and is the core of the art of a potter.

I have been making my pieces out of my home studio for 10 years now, and I am ceaselessly amazed at how deeply the clay can move my inspiration. I work with porcelain and red stoneware, on the wheel and the slab roller. I mix my own glazes, seeking lush organic surfaces and the subtle colors of nature. I enjoy textured surfaces contrasting with smooth, glazed with unglazed, pattern with stillness. I’ve been influenced by Japanese pottery for its spare, but reverent reflections of nature, as well as the American Crafts Movement. My goal is to achieve an aesthetic that is emergent from the past, but also responsive to the present local market with its gourmet, slow food sensibilities. My work is currently in demand in local markets by special order.

Time continues to carve away non-essentials in my artwork, as it does in life. I am looking forward with openness to what the life-long learning process I am engaged in with this art form will reveal. I hope you enjoy my work in whatever capacity you experience it.