After more than a decade of squeezing clay between her fingers, Heather Shepherd wonders how it all started. Now a pottery instructor at the Art Gallery of St. Albert and the owner of a ceramics business, she loves her daily routine.
“Getting messy is more fun than it sounds,” says Shepherd. “I love getting my hands on the material to feel the texture, and to focus on creating something.”
Shepherd describes her ceramics style as “folky and cozy”. She uses rich colours that are mellow in tone, and carves swirls or dots into the texture. You’d also find nature-inspired elements in Shepherd’s ceramics, as she believes that leaves and florals help us to calm
down from “the fuzziness of modern life.”
“I’m also obsessed with teapots and tea mugs recently,” shares the cozy-loving artist. “They’re not the easiest to design, and making those pieces is like figuring out puzzles. I really enjoy small challenges like these.”
Entering the holiday season, Shepherd has a few ideas for seasonal designs at her ceramics shop..
“I’m used to creating ceramics in small batches, because I want each piece to be made with my full heart. I still doodle designs every now and then. And it’s okay if I don’t have them all at once. There’s more time yet to come,” says Shepherd, sipping on a warm holiday drink.
Shop handmade ceramics home products at Heather Shepherd Ceramics. Also available at the Art Gallery of St. Albert, Tix on the Square and the Royal Bison fair.
This content was produced to support the Edmonton Made community. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Edify staff.
