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"Making art is a very powerful way to communicate both within ourselves and to others. Each piece is a reflection of that moment in time. Ceramics -- making pots -- is what I do and it is accessible to people."
-- Pam
Click thumbnails to view the gallery.
Contact:  Contact Pam at 510-524-8759, or by email at pazzim456@aol.com.
Purchase:  Pam'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 took my first ceramics class over 35 years ago and have been hooked ever since. I've always had clay as part of my life. The number of pots I've made over the years is staggering. I sometimes joke and say that you'd think I'd get it right by now. But that is exactly the point. Art -- ceramics -- making pots -- is a process and one that has served me well and given me a constant and focus in this otherwise very unpredictable and trying time we all share.

Early on however, I discovered I didn't do well emotionally with being only a studio potter and I've taught over the years. I find the isolation of the studio a good balance with the demands of being a classroom teacher in Oakland public schools.

I started out in painting and quickly moved to sculpture and then realized I loved the rhythm of the ceramics studio and weaving studio. The nature of the process is that it is totally ongoing; you never finish. Much thought and energy goes into each piece, but that is all in the way of preparation for the next piece or series of pieces.

I have not worked on my loom for a number of years, but constantly am looking for ways to combine clay and fiber in my work. Part of what I also love about making pots is the sheer number of pieces I make and how each one is totally different from all the rest. Each piece is a reflection of that moment in time. You can hold it, you can use it, and in time it can be replaced. Not only by you, but this allows me the opportunity to make another. To me that is important.

At this point in my potter-teacher life, I daily see what making art can do for students to increase their self-esteem. It gives them tools to access their inner-most selves. Making art is a very powerful way to communicate both within ourselves and to others.

I can be contacted for dish set orders or one-of-a-kind pieces. I especially like to make pieces that still have clay showing -- a part of the overall design and feel of the piece.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read this statement, and if you have purchased a piece by me, I am honored.