Marti Boykin-Wallace

Artist’s statement:  “My passion for art, like many, began at a young age. Growing up on a farm in Boykin, SC was an experience that allowed me to spend a great deal of time outdoors and provided me with a lifelong inspiration to stay connected to the natural world. In our present hurried world, I try to be intentional about making the time to pause and see the beauty that surrounds us in its simplest forms. I find it fascinating to observe how man and nature coexist, and seek inspiration from objects created by both. Southern gardens and native plants provide endless inspiration. These images translate into my pottery through the shape of the form and its relationship to the surface decoration.My journey began in Charleston during the early eighties as a student in a beginning potter’s wheel class. My next opportunity to work in clay did not happen again for ten years. As a graduate student studying art education, the ceramic studio at the University of South Carolina felt like home. Little time passed before a studio was created at home. Through a full career of teaching art and ceramics to all ages, I am now settling into the role of a full-time studio potter.”