Liz Lovell

The natural world is rooted in my upbringing.  My parents shared their love of New England; summers were spent near and far exploring national parks and forests, bodies of water, and historical settlements.   My mother taught me needlework, knitting and gardening, and her artistic spirit led me to photography, floral arranging, and botanicals.  Throughout my career as a middle school English teacher, I used the arts to deepen student experiences with literature, poetry and composition.  It brings me joy to share these artistic interests with my family, friends and church community

Upon retirement a few years ago, it was a natural step to explore pottery which I had been admiring and collecting for years.  At a local studio in Rockport, I immersed myself in throwing and hand-building and was surprised to discover my affinity with the medium. Flowers are a particular love of mine - my grandparents having been florists - and I have spent years looking deeply into their structure and coloring.  It was therefore natural to complement my pieces with floral touches. As I have developed my style, I have found that the tactile experience of shaping and carving clay and realizing unexpected glaze combinations to be a continual source of wonder and excitement.

The writing of this bio has been an enlightening retrospective.  Looking through my photos of years past, I found countless images of flowers, water, and nature.  It’s clear that my eye has always been attuned to these gifts of our earth. The creation of pottery that reflects the hues, textures, and beauty of our world is a confluence of all that I love. Collaboration with my longtime friend George Marinakis has expanded my opportunities to imagine new botanical clay forms, and the combination of my work with George’s artful driftwood creations is a natural extension of our individual interests and friendship.