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LIBBY DeLYRIA


What clay body do you use?

    "Mid range cone 6 stoneware and porcelain (primarily B Mix, B Mix with grog, and Armadillo porcelain)"

     

    Primary forming method?

    "Primarily handbuilding with some throwing “thrown” in."


    Primary firing temperature?

    "Oxidation, Cone 6"


    Favorite surface treatment?

    "trompe l'oeil surfaces representing various forms found in nature"


    Favorite Tools?

    "Surform scraper. "


    Describe your studio environment.

    "My studio is in the third bay of our attached garage.  It has been walled off from the other two bays to attempt to keep the clay dust in control. There are windows along two sides and two doors across from each other through which scents from my garden infiltrate the studio in the spring and fall.  There is a sink, kiln, wheel, slab roller, an extruder, tables, and of course shelves so it’s pretty crowded. It’s definitely a one person space. Over the years I’ve taken over the other two bays of the garage for storage and my clay mixer, a Peter Pugger."



    How/Where do you market your artwork?

    "I sell my work exclusively through galleries."


    How/Where do you sell your artwork?

    " I sell at The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft,  Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, Tamarack Gallery in Omena Michigan and L’Attitude Gallery in Boston."



    What sparks your creativity? What drives you to work with clay?
    "I was originally a landscape painter and the landscape has continued to influence my work."


    Did you come to pottery from a different career? Tell us about your journey to a     ceramics career.
    "My original degree was in painting. I discovered clay when the person in charge of the Masters of Art Ed. degree at U of H suggested I take a clay class to supplement my degree since it was the only art form I didn’t have experience with. I took a class with Bill Dennard at Glassell and fell in love the first time I sat at a wheel. I did all my electives in Ceramics after that and taught Ceramics at the high school level for 13 years before going off on my own."



    How have you have taken your experience as a well-established maker in the field and passed that knowledge along to students?

    "I taught at Glassell for 2 years and Alief Hasting High School for 13 years.  I have also taught workshops for teachers all over the state of Texas."




    What’s the best advice you’ve been given by a fellow maker, mentor, or teacher?

    "Just keep working – don’t wait for “inspiration” to strike. Inspiration comes most often during the process of creating."



    Website URL and other social media platforms:
    www. edelyria.com
    Bio:

      DeLyria holds a MEd in Art Education from the University of Houston with an emphasis in Ceramics, and a BA in Painting from the University of New Orleans.  Last summer (2017) Martha Stewart featured DeLyria’s artwork in Stewart’s blog after viewing DeLyria’s artwork on exhibit at the famous Pewabic Pottery in Detroit. DeLyria was named a Niche Award Finalist for 2015, had a solo exhibits with 18 Hands Gallery in Houston in 2015, and a solo exhibit with Tamarack Craftsman Gallery in Omena, Michigan in 2013.  Her work was exhibited at the NCECA 2013 Biennial Exhibit. She taught at The Glassell School of Art in 2015 and 2016, and served as Artist in Residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft from 8/2010 to 3/2011.  DeLyria functioned as a U.S. State Department Cultural Envoy to Russia, exposing educational practitioners to American teaching methodology throughout Russia.  She received the Robert Rauschenberg “The Power of Art” Award, was invited to participate in the Teacher Institute of Contemporary Art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and was chosen by the Texas Commission of the Arts as the “State Featured Teacher” of 2006. 

      Artist Statement:

      The line where water meets land is a compelling place of constant change and power, yet still capable of infinite calm. The sound of water, the feel of wind, and the sight of driftwood and stone all come together at this one place, this one line.

      In my artwork, I combine the textures and forms of wood, water and stone to convey the essence of that line. I use life-like surfaces to give the feeling of nature but use them in unexpected ways to give them emphasis. Taken out of context, these textures of wood, water and stone compel the viewer to look at them in a deeper sense.

      Often my work is mistaken for real driftwood and stone at first glance. On closer look the viewer notices driftwood morphing, that stones carry my palm print, and that the driftwood ends in a smooth white surface highlighting its craggy edges suggesting the ragged shoreline itself.

      My work is of nature, but not an imitation of nature. I want the viewer to see the artists hand in the work to reinforce the balance between one's self and nature. 

      clayhouston

      Address:
      PO Box 667401
      Houston, TX 77266

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