My online shop is closed right now, sorry! I am grateful to report a successful summer season at Islesford Pottery, which is now closed until next June. Thanks to all visitors and supporters!
Other places to find my work: Center for Maine Craft, (West Gardiner, ME) and charliecummingsgallery.com
I try new glazes and patterns each winter
Some I continue to use and some fall away.
I work in two particular ways:
The first and primarily, I use wax resist designs in patterns or abstractions to obtain vitality and depth between colors and surfaces. The glossier surface of the underglaze in contrast to the satin matt overglaze creates a sense of seeing through, looking into, a small but vital creation of mystery happens.
The second way I work is by painting lively sea creatures with colored slips, then using a clear glaze over the images. In these pieces, I am interested in expressing gesture and liveliness through the painting and drawing. I do not make a “line” of anything, but do work in series. It is important to me that the work evolves and grows and I love making new discoveries in glazes and forms.
I make useful pots for two principal reasons: because I love to make them and because I believe using handmade things can enrich the lives of the users. I choose colors and designs that are rooted in nature: ocean, beach stones, moss and sky. Inspiration for form comes from some of the traditions of English and Japanese pottery. Depth and richness in glazes are created by using specific shiny and satin surfaces together in contrast. For design, I explore both pattern and symbols, often sprung from nature, in collaboration with the form to increase a sense of mystery. It is my intent to add to that my fascination with the material and ideas about function, as well as to reveal and honor the process. I see my pots as a bridge between art and daily life.
Marian Baker makes pots in her studio in Yarmouth, Maine and has maintained a summer studio and gallery at Little Cranberry Island, Maine since 1989. She taught ceramics at Maine College of Art in Portland from 1985 to 2020. She has been featured in Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter Magazine, The Clay Times, Maine Home and Design, and is represented in many books and publications. Recent exhibitions include To Unravel the Bind, Maine College of Art Faculty Triennial, (2020), Strictly Functional Pottery National, 2019, KC Clay Guild 2019 Teabowl National, On the Rocks Drinking Vessel Exhibition, 2018, KC Clay Guild 2017 Teabowl National, The Inspired Hand IV Invitational, Ignite and Invite: Watershed Ceramics Invitational, New Hampshire Art Institute Ceramics Biennial, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Our Cups Runneth Over, Society of Arts and Crafts, Kansas City Tea Bowl National (award winner), and Kent State National Juried Cup Exhibition. Galleries include Islesford Pottery, Charlie Cummings Gallery, and Maine Crafts Portland.
An important aspect of my life with pottery included teaching for 34 years.
I taught ceramics at Maine College of Art in Portland from 1985 to 2020, mostly part-time. It was wonderful to meet so many interesting young people! Although I taught them many things– wheel throwing in particular, but many other aspects of ceramics–I learned a lot from them too! Thanks for all those years of keeping me on my toes! I hope to be involved in shorter kinds of teaching, maybe some workshops or short sessions. Time will tell.
Islesford Pottery
I live and work on Little Cranberry Island (also called Islesford), Maine during the months of June, July and August. Since 1989, I have been making and selling my pots and several other potters’ work from a little shop on the Islesford Dock. Islesford is located off Mt Desert Island. Take the ferry from Northeast Harbor (Beal and Bunker Mailboat) or Southwest Harbor (Cranberry Cove Ferry).
Islesford Pottery is now closed until next June! Thanks to all you visitors and supporters! A wonderful season in spite of unusually lousy weather during some of the summer.
