LYNN JUSTICE

Lynn Justice began learning pottery as soon as her life permitted the time.  She started learning ceramics after retiring from 40 years of service in state and local government, after her children were raised and gone from the nest and when she had time to take a few deep breaths.  Lynn and her husband live in rural Burke County, NC and have farmed and raised horses in addition to their public jobs.  Lynn's love of horses, animals and nature lends a strong directive to her pottery work.  On many of Lynn’s pieces she uses the technique known as sgrafitto (scratching/carving clay).  With sgrafitto, a color that varies from the color of clay is painted over all of the clay piece.  Carving is done into the clay, typically the background is carved away,  to exposing contrasting color of the clay.  Carefully done, the desired image is left in the applied color.  Carving the negative spaces is a bit like working in reverse from the typical method of painting or carving the desired image into the clay.  This work is done before the clay is fired the first time.  Then comes the bisque firing.  Then glazes are applied and the piece goes through the second glaze firing.  Lynn incorporates a sense of whimsy into much of her work and she enjoys wheel thrown, hand built clay work, and small sculptural work.  Lynn fires most of her work to cone 6 and she is careful to be sure that the functional pieces are food and dishwasher safe.  Lynn enjoys the paradox that pottery provides the soothing nature of the clay and the never-ending challenges of ceramic work.  She also enjoys the wonderful and talented artists and customers she is meeting on this particular journey.