Artist Statement

I was born with a drive to create, and clay is the material I am most passionate about.  Working with clay gives me a sense of comfort, joy and fulfillment.  The material provides a conduit with which I can pass that feeling along to the user.  My functional pottery pieces are accessible pieces of art, handmade luxuries that can be utilized to enhance every-day living.

Clay is such a tactile medium, and I revel in the process of creating with it.  I enjoy the intimacy of forming objects directly with my fingers.  I love how a slip loaded brush feels sliding over a wet pot, and I even like how clay smells.   I strive to capture this tactile, malleable characteristic in my forms and surfaces.  Soft forms are pressed and changed as they spin on the wheel, or dented a bit to add interest or balance.  Wet slip creates a lovely soft surface that can be a little unpredictable when thickly applied to a pot and allowed to flow.  These characteristics create a fun tension between me as the maker and the pot, and I strive to capture a nice balance between chaos and control.

I'm drawn to curves and spirals, soft shapes and a bit of texture.  Objects that look good, but also feel comfortable and interesting to hands and fingers.  Functionality is important to me, and I strive to make pots that serve their function well. 

Ceramic pieces possess a durability that can forge a connection able to withstand distance and time.  My pieces should be a conduit for joyful and warm connections between myself, my patrons and our families and friends.

Artist Biography

Jill was born and raised on the Kerkhoff family farm near West Lafayette, Indiana.  She came from a family of makers.  Woodworking, painting, sewing and crafting of almost any kind was common interest of many of Jill's relatives, including both of her grandmothers and her maternal great-grandparents, all of whom she enjoyed spending time with while growing up.  Her early interest in creating pictures and objects was encouraged, and after high school she attended Ball State University as a Fine Arts Major.  In the fall of 1997, Jill took her first throwing class.  By the end of the semester, she realized clay was the medium she truly connected with.

Jill graduated in 2000 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts, specializing in Ceramics.  Soon thereafter she migrated to the sunshine of Phoenix, Arizona.  She continued to develop as a potter at the ‘Desert Dragon Pottery Studio’ in North Phoenix, refining her throwing skills to develop the control needed to produce the easy shapes she was drawn to.  A style developed that conveyed comfort and movement, and she began participating in local craft fairs and charity auctions.

Jill currently lives in Avondale, Arizona where she shares studio/shop space with her husband and two pampered cats.  She maintains a strong relationship with Desert Dragon Pottery Studio where she makes regular use of their glaze studio and gas kiln. Jill’s regular patronage of customers from events, direct sales, and her virtual showroom, keep her busy throughout the year.