Sunday 30 October 2016

Bells and Tailsmans: Mt. Washington Pottery....

Beth Katz, Mt Washington Pottery Bellls and Talismans

Beth Katz is the creative force behind Mt. Washington Pottery, a beautiful collection of functional and decorative ceramics.

Beth makes all the work by hand and on the potter's wheel in her Los Angeles, California studio. Her work has an elegant simplicity, which marries the wabi-sabi aesthetic of traditional Japanese ceramics and the modernism of Scandinavian design. These elements are clearly visible in the fluidity of her forms and in the literal mark she leaves of her own hand: the remnant of her fingerprints at the bottom of each piece.




About Beth Katz:

I grew up in the 1970's hippie enclave of Topanga Canyon in Southern California, where I learned the art of pottery. Not realizing ceramics could be more than a hobby I continued my studies in art thinking they could lead to a career as a painter or textile designer, like many of my relatives, or I would follow in the steps of my father and become a clothing designer. 

Bluebells..each bluebell is hand formed and hand carved of porcelain and glazed in subtle shades of blues and turquoise. The colors of the bells and beads varydepending on the atmosphere of the kiln and each firing is slightly different - in stock currently the blue on the right


After many years and two long careers, one as a makeup artist in the advertising world and the other as a Creative Director at a top women's magazine, I decided to go to graduate school to study Spiritual Psychology, the best decision I ever made. Studying Psychology led me to the realization that it was time to make my lifelong hobby of creating pottery my primary focus. 



Talisman 156. Mt. Washington Pottery’s good luck talisman is inspired by the Indian “Nimbu Mirchi”. In the tradition of the Evil Eye Warder our talisman’s intention is to keep homes and businesses safe from all evil spirits and promote happiness and prosperity within your home and/or business.

The entire breadth of my experience continues to inspire me and influence my work each and every day. My taste and style are a reflection of the freedom of my childhood, the Southern California landscape, and the world of fashion and advertising. All the choices I have made in my life have led to this singular point in time, a time that serendipitously coincides with the resurgence of a new American Craft Movement, which I am blessed to be a part of. 

 To see more of Beth's beautiful work visit her website here

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