Hello, and welcome to Evoke Artisan Studio! Grab a seat, take a breath, and join me as I share the journey of how I switched my career from health worker to lead pottery designer and creator!
Rewind about 4 years, when my kids were still babies, and a friend invited me along to a “taster” pottery class. Eager for some “adult” time, I came along, and dove my hands into clay for a couple of hours, wrangling lumps of earth on a spinning wheel for the first time in my life. As my fingers pressed, formed, moulded these wobbly forms, I felt an innate connection to this art form. I cannot describe it, I just knew that I had a unique ability to feel the clay, to talk to it, and it to me. I was hooked. I needed clay in my life. It calmed me, inspired me and brought me…pure, unbridled joy.
I think back now to my teenage years - I studied ceramics at school at the age of 15 and 16… the two classes per week just weren’t enough, so my teacher kindly allowed me to work solo on my ceramic pieces during lunchtime, and I’d sit in the corner of the art classroom making or carving away until the bell rang out. I sadly placed this passion aside for more “academic” pursuits as I got older, but I have always fed this passion of mine to create. I have dappled in dance, photography, painting, baking, sewing, gift wrapping and card making, throughout my adult life. I’ve never been more than a fingertip away from my next creative adventure.
When the world opened up again, I set about learning this craft, and enrolled in weekly lessons. I had but a handful of hours each week where I wasn’t Mum to two kids, but I knew that I wanted them to be immersed in clay. And so I did just that. I jumped aboard a train of learning and exploring clay, that I have not disembarked, and the train has continued to gain speed as time has gone on. First the basics of making, then glazing. Second, my very own pottery wheel for home, so that I could play and make more easily. More courses, more learning, more asking questions, more inspiration-seeking from fellow artists. I have slowly been building the tools and equipment to complete as many processes in my own studio as I can. And finally, building a small business… finishing touches on my studio, my brand, my website. And here we are… Evoke Artisan Studio.
Turning this passion into a business was a natural progression, to infuse my everyday life with something I truly love. Evoke Artisan Studio emerged not just as a collection of ceramics, but as a vessel for joy - a desire for each piece to offer a bespoke handcrafted experience.
Evoke Artisan Studio isn’t just a name - it is an exploration of the emotions I wish to evoke in my pieces. Sometimes calm. Sometimes warmth. At times excitement. Please take a look around. See what you feel! I hope you enjoy seeing some beautiful shapes and forms, colours and finishes. I hope they evoke some pleasant emotions for you. And if you enjoy your time here, I would love for you to share your experience with others.
With warmth,
Virginia
Rewind about 4 years, when my kids were still babies, and a friend invited me along to a “taster” pottery class. Eager for some “adult” time, I came along, and dove my hands into clay for a couple of hours, wrangling lumps of earth on a spinning wheel for the first time in my life. As my fingers pressed, formed, moulded these wobbly forms, I felt an innate connection to this art form. I cannot describe it, I just knew that I had a unique ability to feel the clay, to talk to it, and it to me. I was hooked. I needed clay in my life. It calmed me, inspired me and brought me…pure, unbridled joy.
I think back now to my teenage years - I studied ceramics at school at the age of 15 and 16… the two classes per week just weren’t enough, so my teacher kindly allowed me to work solo on my ceramic pieces during lunchtime, and I’d sit in the corner of the art classroom making or carving away until the bell rang out. I sadly placed this passion aside for more “academic” pursuits as I got older, but I have always fed this passion of mine to create. I have dappled in dance, photography, painting, baking, sewing, gift wrapping and card making, throughout my adult life. I’ve never been more than a fingertip away from my next creative adventure.
When the world opened up again, I set about learning this craft, and enrolled in weekly lessons. I had but a handful of hours each week where I wasn’t Mum to two kids, but I knew that I wanted them to be immersed in clay. And so I did just that. I jumped aboard a train of learning and exploring clay, that I have not disembarked, and the train has continued to gain speed as time has gone on. First the basics of making, then glazing. Second, my very own pottery wheel for home, so that I could play and make more easily. More courses, more learning, more asking questions, more inspiration-seeking from fellow artists. I have slowly been building the tools and equipment to complete as many processes in my own studio as I can. And finally, building a small business… finishing touches on my studio, my brand, my website. And here we are… Evoke Artisan Studio.
Turning this passion into a business was a natural progression, to infuse my everyday life with something I truly love. Evoke Artisan Studio emerged not just as a collection of ceramics, but as a vessel for joy - a desire for each piece to offer a bespoke handcrafted experience.
Evoke Artisan Studio isn’t just a name - it is an exploration of the emotions I wish to evoke in my pieces. Sometimes calm. Sometimes warmth. At times excitement. Please take a look around. See what you feel! I hope you enjoy seeing some beautiful shapes and forms, colours and finishes. I hope they evoke some pleasant emotions for you. And if you enjoy your time here, I would love for you to share your experience with others.
With warmth,
Virginia