ClayHouston Member Portfolios
Presenting: Marissa Vitolo
Nature and my imagination play key roles in my art. First I see the pieces in my mind. I then go on a journey pursuing the way to create that work of art. The malleability and texture of clay make it my media of choice.
It can be altered, reformed, layered, pushed, and pulled. Because of the way that clay can withstand being abused and transformed, I like to experiment with my shapes, working on the wheel and handbuilding.
Mid-fire glazes on stoneware clay can become so rich and interesting. Considering this, I overlap colors and often fire a piece more than once. Adding glass to a piece truly adds depth and creates a look that is stunning. Through shaping and cutting, melting and adding I get art that excites me.
Biography
Marissa Vitolo is currently living and working in Katy, TX. She grew up in Katy and later returned to raise her family and continue her artistic pursuits. Growing up with in an artistic family greatly influenced Marissa’s choice to be an artist. Her mother was a graphic designer but now teaches art at the elementary level. Her father was a draftsman, creating technical drawings for oil companies. He now enjoys being retired and working at a golf course.
Marissa graduated from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos with a BFA in Studio Art and Art Education. In college, Marissa was exposed to all the disciplines of art. Excelling at all, Marissa chose to show what she learned to children. The first job she chose was an elementary position in Alief ISD. After two and a half years, she moved up into the secondary level, eventually arriving back in Katy.
During this time, Marissa grew more involved with clay and glass. Both mediums melt, flow, and change with heat. Both can be colored, layered, and experimented with until the final look is achieved. These aspects of clay and glass are what fascinates Marissa and what draws her toward them.
Balancing teaching, her three children, and the time spent on her art work is challenging. However, Marissa is driven and cannot stay away from what she loves. She labors happily in her garage studio making functional and decorative ceramics, as well as, wearable fused glass jewelry, fused glass platters, and fused glass tiles. Marissa’s work is earthy with splashes of color. She works in various sizes, preferring large scale pieces. She creates contrast through color, texture, or size. Marissa is exploring new ground by enlarging her work, changing and improving her surface decoration, and working on making her pieces look more refined.
Site info
© 2006-2010 ClayHouston.
Original template design by Andreas Viklund