Kathy Long
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Kathy discovered her connection to clay soon after relocating from Albany, New York, to San Diego, where the former UCSD Crafts Center served as both her inspiration and her introduction to ceramics. She studied with Ron Carlson, Lana Wilson, Kathy Gruzdas, and Eric Christian, and later experimented with reduction glazes, surface design, and salt firing at Grossmont College under Les Lawrence.
Drawing on her undergraduate studies in animal biology, as well as daily interactions with her backyard flock of chickens and a pond of fish, her work often suggests a quiet dialogue between nature and form. She continues to investigate new techniques and materials, influenced by both ancient artifacts and the work of contemporary potters, whose practices integrate utility with expressive form. In her backyard studio, Kathy fires a 12-cubic-foot West Coast kiln in reduction to cone 10, embracing the inherent unpredictability of each firing. Her studio practice combines altered wheel-throwing and hand-building across a range of clays, with particular attention to the tactile and expressive possibilities of the leatherhard stage. |
