I T I N E R A R Y | S H O R T H O P S
Paula West , Pottery Artist
In a small converted garage , roughly six miles south-west of Friday Harbor , you ’ ll often find Paula West covered in clay . A Connecticut native , she came to San Juan Island in 1990 ( by way of New Hampshire , California , Oregon , and Canada ).
paula west photo
IT WAS HERE THAT SHE met her husband , Joe Cooper . And it was here she set up her studio in 1993 . Initially , she only potted part-time . But after laying the groundwork for a full-time business ( by joining the Artist Studio Tour and making strong contacts among local residents ), she went full-time in 2005 . “ The local community has been incredibly supportive , both buying my work and cheering for me . I couldn ’ t have done it without them .” Today , you ’ ll find Paula ’ s plates in use at Friday Harbor House and Duck Soup . But for the full breadth of her work , peruse her website or visit her studio , which is open to the public .
When did you first start throwing pots ? In high school . We were lucky enough to have a great art teacher who was also a potter and had a studio . He taught ceramics classes and he even took us to his studio . That was my first introduction to the idea that you could make a living doing this . And I just fell in love with it .
But I didn ’ t start really learning about pottery until college , where I earned my Bachelor of Art from the University of New Hampshire .
Where does your inspiration come from ? I ’ m inspired by nature and the outdoors . Art is also a great source of inspiration for me . And I ’ m passionate about making things that can be used . I think that ’ s why I ’ m also drawn to Native American art . They made objects of beauty and used them .
I love that . I love making items that can be incorporated into your everyday life . I think that ’ s important , to live with things that inspire you . When a bowl can hold something , while also enhancing your surroundings , it can make your life better and help you feel more connected to people and things .
What does it mean when you say you work with rolled slaps of porcelain and stoneware clay ? Working with slabs means I roll them out in my slab roller , which is like a big pasta mak-
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