Ali Sobel-Read

Ceramics has been an integral part of my life for over ten years. While my tools and methods of expression have changed over the years, my passion for the artform has remained constant.

Textures are the tools that make my pieces. I spend a great deal of time searching for just the right shapes and contours to press into the clay. I find my tools in both obscure and obvious places such as the kitchen or a yardsale. A rubber mat and piece of netting can work in tandem to create just the right effect on the clay's surface.

Texture is such an important aspect of my work because one can both see and feel its patterns. It invites the stranger to become acquainted with a piece. It is welcoming. It asks to be investigated and considered.

I am inspired by the environment around me. My work tends to mimic and to speak both to the sky scrapers that lunge toward the clouds and to the sand beneath my feet on the beach. I incorporate my world into my artwork and attempt to create something of beauty in the process.

Creating ceramics brings me great joy.