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My name is Terri Kennedy, I live and work from my studio which is my home in Denham Springs, Louisiana.
I have worked in clay full-time for approximately eighteen years, but my love for clay and sculpting goes back to when I was a child. I would use leftover piecrust clippings and form the pieces into flowers and animals.
Though experimentation and classes from all over the nation, I've turned my love of of molding things with clay into a life long and loving endeavor, to make pottery for everyday life.
Statement:
Sculpture. These pieces are thrown in separate sections and then, appliquéd, carved and assembled.
I like to incorporate all of Louisiana's culture into my pieces by carving the crumbling brickwork. Which is reminiscent of the ol’ French architecture of New Orleans. Also, by hand building the numerous flowers native to Louisiana. I incorporate the French impressionistic style by layering a multitude of glazes.
The other area of work that I am exploring is Saggar fired vessels. Saggar is an ancient Chinese term which comes from the term "safe guard". A saggar is a container made from fire clay in which to put a pot to protect it from the harsh environment of the woodfire kiln.
I do it wrong by turning it around. I want the harsh environment next to my piece. I want it to scar and mark the piece with the smoke and flame. So I place organic and household things, so when they are burned off they will color the piece without the helpof any glazes. I have used everything from sawdust to toothpaste to get some wonderfully diverse colors.
My latest series of work incorporates the idea of "Less is more" ...except... I turned it around and made it into the "More is More" idea. The viewer of the pieces must see the focal point and beyond and always be challenged to see all the things incorporated into these vessels. With appliqués, carvings and textures it becomes a visual and textural puzzle for the observer.
With all of these processes I try to merge form with function while encompassing the beauty I see in the Southern Louisiana Culture.