Mary Ellen Salmon
Mary Ellen has been making pots off and on for the last 30 years. The years with toddlers and puppies in the house were mostly off.
Mary Ellen is essentially self-taught. Her formal education in the craft has included some college in Texas, longer workshops at the Salem Craftsmen Guild in NJ, Tuscarora Pottery School in NV, and John C. Campbell Folk School in NC. She has attended some memorable workshops with Paul Soldner, and Rudy Autio.
She has taught both children and adults to throw at Amarillo Art Center, worked for the City of Tallahassee in their parks and recreation program, and taught privately in her own studio. Teaching and sharing the fun and joy of clay is a great source for creativity – especially with the children who enjoy the process and not necessarily the end product.
The inspiration for Mary Ellen’s current work came from the geometry of designs in nature along with the pottery of Lucy Lewis. Mary Ellen hopes that the texture of her pots makes people not only want to pick them up, but use them as well. Though the process of making each indentation individually looks compulsive, it is really quite meditative. The overall effect actually becomes almost organic.
