Heather Knight of Element Clay Studio
Wall Tile Collection - $2,990.00 [ Link ]
Knight's passion for pottery began at age 14. The first piece she fired up in a kiln was coil pot. "It was love at first pot!" she exclaims. She's come a long way since then, working as an artist full time. (Let's be honest: It takes many more hours than a usual full-time week to run your own creative business.)
This is a set of Element Clay Studio's micro tiles, some of her most popular pieces. Hung on a wall, placed on a table or set up in a grid, these textured pieces pack a unique design punch.
Knight's inspiration boards are
some of the best I've ever seen. "My inspiration comes from a
combination interior design, fashion, nature, architecture, art history
and my imagination," she says.
by Heather Knight
"If I get stuck I do many
things — go looking for inspiration at antique stores, at the nursery,
at the hardware store," she says. "I go on a hike or pick through my
inspiration bowls. I have bowls all over the studio filled with objects I
pick up: shells, pods, leaves.
Here is one of Knight's inspiration bowls. She made the actual bowl, of course!
by Heather Knight
Here is one of Knight's inspiration bowls. She made the actual bowl, of course!
Other objects that inspire her, like milkweed, are tucked around her studio too.
by Heather Knight
Barnacle Wall Tile - $350.00 [ Link ]
"My
building process is pretty low tech and labor intensive," Knight
explains. "I make everything by hand, either with a slab, pinch pot or
thrown form, and then apply textures while the work is wet, forming each
individual piece with my fingers and the addition of small tools. There
is no other way to make the more intricate items, which to me makes
each one precious."
by Heather Knight
Micro Tile Installation (Set of 3) - $270.00 [ Link ]
Knight's
tiles are unique and intricate. "I was looking for a way to experiment
with texture in a simple way, and tiles complemented this idea
perfectly," she says. "I wanted to make as many different textures as
possible, and I am still working on that project 4 1/2 years later!"
by Heather Knight
Urchin Bowl - $72.00 [ Link ]
Knight
glazes only the inside of her bowls. "The porcelain is so beautiful on
its own; the whole premise of this body of work for me was to call
attention to the surface with texture and little else. I believe less is
more," she says.
by Heather Knight
Scallop Bowls - Nesting Set of 3 - $150.00 [ Link ]
These
scallop bowls can hide their interior color when placed upside down, or
show it off when they are placed right-side up. The glaze tends to pool
at the very bottom of the bowl, enhancing depth.
by Heather Knight
Chestnut Bowl - $65.00 [ Link ]
This
one can stand up on its own, showing off its interior glaze. It can
also be placed flat with its spiny back in the air, or face up, with its
glazed interior on display from above.
by Heather Knight
Now, on to where the magic
happens. A neat, modern and efficient workspace is important to Knight's
work. "My work space is light, airy and very organized. I have moved my
workspace a lot and am a big fan of efficiency, so I pretty much have
my work flow down to a science," she says.
"There is nothing unnecessary in my work room. I have my desk area with a big inspiration board and office stuff, a photography area, and the rest is for making clay work. The 'clean' room is where my assistant works; we have a packing and shipping area and her desk space, as well as space for inventory and my showroom."
by Heather Knight
"There is nothing unnecessary in my work room. I have my desk area with a big inspiration board and office stuff, a photography area, and the rest is for making clay work. The 'clean' room is where my assistant works; we have a packing and shipping area and her desk space, as well as space for inventory and my showroom."
Knight's studio is located in
Asheville, North Carolina. It's "a small town that is full of creative
people," she says. "It's kind of utopian, really. We live in a bubble
here. The surroundings are beautiful — in 10 minutes you can be out in
the mountains hiking to a waterfall. The downtown area is all Art Deco
and amazing, the people are friendly and tolerant, the weather is
perfect, and there are very strong community values. We support local
here; there's even a campaign, 'Local is the new black,' supporting
independent small business in our town."
by Heather Knight
"I love having a showroom," she
says. "My soon-to-be husband and I are both really into design and have
started a small vintage furniture and accessories business. So I am
able to combine my interests and show my retail customers what my work
looks like in a home setting. It is also a lot of fun to rearrange and
get inspired!"
This part of the showroom shows off her tiles against the bright yellow wall, and more of her pieces on the cocktail table.
by Heather Knight
This part of the showroom shows off her tiles against the bright yellow wall, and more of her pieces on the cocktail table.
"When I moved my studio into the Asheville's River Arts District
I became a part of something larger than myself. I was always in a
standalone studio before and I was lonely; now I see hundreds of people
every day who are doing the same thing, and we are all working toward
growing our audience. If I need help with something, to collaborate or
maybe just need to whine over a beer after a really long day, I only
need to walk a few feet before all of that can be taken care of! There
are artists in this neighborhood that are experts in every medium."
by Heather Knight
"Neighbors pop in to have a
beer, men plop down on the sofa while their wives shop...it's so
comfortable people ask me if I live here all the time," she says.
Her advice for others considering creating a showroom: "I think it is extremely important to present yourself well in the professional world. You will never find my studio and showroom messy. I can't tell you how many members of the public have commented that I have the cleanest studio in the district. I take pride in that, I want people to take me seriously, and the polish is part of that. One thing I learned from The Nate Berkus Show was that you are selling a lifestyle, and mine is reflected in the showroom."
by Heather Knight
Her advice for others considering creating a showroom: "I think it is extremely important to present yourself well in the professional world. You will never find my studio and showroom messy. I can't tell you how many members of the public have commented that I have the cleanest studio in the district. I take pride in that, I want people to take me seriously, and the polish is part of that. One thing I learned from The Nate Berkus Show was that you are selling a lifestyle, and mine is reflected in the showroom."
Element Clay Studio Photos [ Link ]
Knight
is a great example of how one's surroundings can inspire creativity,
from her studio to the greater arts district to the beautiful region
around Asheville.
"I want to be moving forward, and for me, that means doing some different things – vintage furniture, interiors and installations are all on my radar. My career so far has just evolved and grown naturally, so I plan on just letting things go in that direction. My main collaborator right now is my soon-to-be husband, but I am hoping to combine talents with some local artists in the coming year to accomplish some larger projects."
It will be fun to see where her career takes her next.