Michelle Breaux

Artist Statement

I first started working with clay in 2021 as a creative outlet to help me deal with burnout from my work as a community college math teacher. After taking classes in both throwing and hand building, I fell in love with hand building. My first hand building assignment was to look for everyday objects around the house and see what patterns and textures they left in the clay. I was surprised that some of the most interesting objects left the most uninteresting marks in the clay. And some of the most unexpected objects made beautiful markings in the clay. This sparked my interest in making interesting textures and patterns in clay which led me to learn to carve my own stamps to use in my clay creations.

In July 2024, I took my first Nerikomi class where I learned the intricate process of creating colored porcelain and putting different colors together using a variety of techniques to make brightly colored patterned blocks. I have always been drawn to bright colors and finding ways to bring joy to others through color. Growing up close to the coast in suburban San Diego, I spent many evenings watching the sun set over the canyon behind my parents’ house and enjoying the brightly colored flowers in their garden. Through Nerikomi, I am able to channel my love of bright colors along with creating intricate patterns in clay.

I am still new to ceramics and continue to learn and explore different forms. While I do enjoy learning to make some of pottery’s traditional forms, I am drawn to shapes that are a bit different such as hearts and other unique shapes.