In Her Element

Who: Deb LeAir
What: Hand-carved Ceramics
Where: Saint Paul, MN
Web: http://home.comcast.net/~dholt99/debleair/
Why: Deb is a born builder, whether it's building clay pots or her own house. Yes, a house. All by herself. In the woods. How cool is that?
She has also always felt a strong kinship with the earth, serving as a wilderness guide for a time, then entering college first to study geology, then to pursue an MFA in ceramics. Nature is her element and earthen materials are truly transformed in her hands.
Her vessels, vases, boxes and tiles and full-on installations incorporate deeply carved images from nature, stained in rich colors, then washed and wiped with black pigments to emphasis the flowing forms. She uses an unusual technique called terra sigillata instead of traditional glazes because it gives the pieces a soft, dry, matte finish and a distinctive crackle. Her aim is to "make these surfaces dance"...you can indeed practically hear a soft rustling of reeds and see a shimmer of leaves in the breeze.
Her name may be LeAir but I think Earth must be her true sign!