#howiAMACO Insta Feature - Q&A with Laurie Caffery

Laurie Caffery Harris

Instagram: @lauriecaffery.clay
Website: www.lauriecaffery.com

Camping trip, anyone? We're in! Laurie's adorable wares have had us dreaming of the outdoors since the first time we saw them. Her watercolor-style illustrations depict delicate, whimsical landscapes that include camping scenes, mountain vistas, and the occasional cosy cabin. Just looking at her work evokes a childlike charm that warms our hearts and makes us wish for cozy nights huddled around campfires with hot-chocolate in hand. In addition to working diligently on her own collection, Laurie is also a vital part of The Bright Angle team, a design collective and workshop intent on creating beautiful objects and sharing the joy of handmade wares. Their passion for simplicity and quality is apparent in all their endeavors, and with that in mind it's no wonder Laurie is helping head up the TBA initiative.

[Find The Bright Angle on Instagram @thebrightangle or on their website at https://linktr.ee/thebrightang...]

How did you come to be interested in working with clay?

I have always planned to be an artist, but as a child I was much more interested in drawing and painting. I took ceramics in high school and enjoyed it very much, but did not see it as a path I was interested in. Freshman year of college I took a beginner throwing class, and although I had worked on the wheel many times before a switch flipped and I was completely hooked. From then on I couldn’t imagine working with any medium other than clay.

What inspires your work?

My work is inspired by the concepts of finding home and belonging. I explore these themes through narrative and whimsical scenes on functional work to elicit the feeling of place. I grew up living in and exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, so my drawings often reference these areas that I am most comfortable in.

What’s your favorite thing about clay?

My absolute favorite thing about clay is that there is always more to learn. I am learning about new techniques, methods, and materials in ceramics all the time and it is so exciting. It keeps me engaged in the medium as I push my work forward.

Which AMACO products do you always find yourself going back to? How do these products speak to your work?

I always use the AMACO watercolor underglazes [Semi-Moist Underglazes]. Through my drawings I strive to achieve a light childlike quality through loose lines and washes, and the pallette works just like the watercolor palettes I loved so when I was growing up. There is a strong connection between the nostalgic playfulness of the paints and the nature of my work.

If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be and why?

I would be cookie dough, because most of the time I'm reliable and levelheaded (vanilla), but every once in a while you'll get a bite of something interesting (cookie dough!).

You find a genie lamp and are granted three wishes: what are they? (Play by the rules: no bringing people back from the dead, no making people fall in love, no killing people, no asking for more wishes)

1. Win the lottery! (Big enough that I can support my family and friends and donate a lot please!)
2. Make Hogwarts a reality.
3. Become a wizard.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Telekinesis