In The Studio...

My garden, surrounded by pine trees, is a window onto nature. As I work, my eye is continually drawn to the activity outside. Birds enter in the area and create a constant motion between ground and air. Captivated by their forms and colors, I began creating teapot bird forms, and now, twenty-eight years later I still find the same fascination.

My current work is still guided by birds in the ever-changing exploration of nature and clay; that is the interplay of observation, fantasy, imagination and technical skills. I embrace a process of experimentation in representing the movement and individual character of each bird. The clay medium is obviously one limitation and the bird's characteristics form is another kind of challenge. So the work often involves as much “technical” problem-solving as freely creating the elegance of the bird form. My work is domestic but not functional. It emphasizes the environment of the bird as a metaphor for the home. The form links us to the past as well as the present. I am reminded of ancient burial vessels, and like the idea of my vessels being preserved.

~Annette Corcoran, September, 2011