Laura Irmis, Ceramic Artist

My artwork flows and develops from a basic desire to reflect and react to my life and it’s circumstances. It is consistently fueled by questions I ask myself concerning the realities I am confronted with.

Currently, I am interested in playful glazing, textures, and other subtleties that happen when I work with clay. Keeping the forms simple, my work is about color, texture and space.

As a Mother of two, hand building allows me to unwind and express from my mind, body and soul giving an emotional connection within my work. I like to create deep graphic textures allowing a strong contrast to each edge and concede to shadow and light. Line is a by-product of making, dividing space between two textures; I highlight these lines with a simple clear glaze showcasing the purity of the white clay.

Process
Once my work is dried in the sun, the piece is fired to 1950° F. After firing, the piece is glazed with vibrant colors inside and out. I then spend additional time wiping off the glaze on the exterior raised surface so the white clay is revealed. Then each piece is completely covered with a clear coat to give a shiny appearance. Once again, the pieces are fired at 1950° F for the final firing.

Bio

Laura Irmis was born in West Virginia but since she was moved to Florida at the age of one, she considers herself a native of Florida. After years of working as a graphic designer, she continued her education at Eckerd College and received her Bachelors in Visual Arts. She spent almost a year as an artist-in-residence at a local gallery and coffee shop, The Craftsman House Gallery, where she learned the true value of functional art.

Laura, her husband and their two sons have a home in St. Petersburg Florida, close to the beaches. Her husband supports her love for the arts as she supports his love for music. She is an advocate for natural childbirth and teaches The Bradley Method, husband-coached childbirth, at several local locations.

Laura Irmis of Saltwater Ceramics exhibits her art in several fine galleries in Florida: The Florida Craftsman, Cakewalk Artists Co-op and St. Petersburg Clay Company.