Shared Inspirations

Artist's Statement

I have lived most of my life in Connecticut. I love to travel but Connecticut is home. I knew from the beginning that I wanted my Connecticut Stories entry for SAQA Connecticut's Local Color show to capture a portion of my own Connecticut story.

I am an artist working in clay who draws inspiration from the natural world around me. Falling drops of rain and the river they fall into translate into bold brushwork decorating the surface of a plate. Shadows made by a rhododendron branch were traced onto a large vessel then painted with a blue-black glaze. A rock found while planting my vegetable garden became the mold for a clay vase. And not a day goes by in which I do not observe the activities of a variety of birds.

Working in two different media both challenges and broadens my artistic sensibilities. While my ideas are medium specific my inspirations, interests and life experiences are the constant shared by the resulting two bodies of work. For me, the attraction has always been the very direct, hands-on working methods required by these two materials.

Alice Chittenden