Artist Statement

My artistic philosophy is simple: do what you enjoy and create things that have purpose as well as evoke feeling. I try to be responsible with my work, while finding beauty and meaning in the everyday world around me.

I have loved working with clay for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite things about clay is its extraordinary responsiveness to the slightest touch. I was fortunate to have an amazing high school art teacher who took the time to teach me how to really center a ball of clay on the pottery’s wheel. I went on to study art in college, with a focus on ceramics and design. I enjoy sharing my love of clay with others and have had the opportunity to teach pottery classes for students of all ages, from preschoolers to college students. My career is as a graphic designer, but I try to spend as much spare time as possible in my backyard pottery studio.

I love to create something useful from a ball of clay, so the majority of my pieces are functional in form, such as mugs, bowls, platters, etc. I love to use these pottery pieces daily for my morning coffee, serving dinner, eating ice cream, and entertaining friends. Occasionally, I make pieces that are just meant to be an object of contemplation or simply a thing of beauty.

I enjoy the entire process of clay-making, from molding wet clay, to throwing it on the wheel, to trimming finished pieces, to glazing bisque ware. It feels like Christmas morning every time I open a fired kiln to see the results of melted elements and minerals. I have a particular interest in glazes, and I am always experimenting with different combinations of colors and effects.

Outside of my creative endeavors, I also love yoga, gardening, skiing, hiking, and biking among other things. I really enjoy almost any activity that lets me get into the great outdoors!     -   Melissa B.

Melissa Beckwith Pottery

Pottery Studio

I have a backyard studio at my home in Louisville, Colorado. I work as graphic designer by day and try to get a few hours of studio-time in each week.

upcoming events

I sell my pottery at few art shows each year. I have the dates of any upcoming shows listed here. You can also contact me directly about sales.

about the artist

I love to CREATE and feel lucky to be in a creative profession. My mediums include graphic design, pottery, lino cut print-making and painting.