Interview with Kirsten Bassion...

...of KirstenBassion.etsy.com

BH - Tell us a bit about yourself...

KB - I grew up in Marblehead MA just north of Boston and continued on to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where I was an art major and studied every medium I could get my hands on. From Skidmore I won a scholarship to SCUBA dive around the world for a year and spend more than a year and half diving in all corners of the world. I worked with film teams from National Geographic on documentaries from walrus in the Arctic to cave diving on the Florida panhandle. Four years later I made my way back to graduate school to do a MFA in ceramics at Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Crafts. My mentor and teacher Julia Galloway teaches there. I finished my MFA in 2004 and moved back to Boston...finally. I married a great guy I met at RIT and we now live in Marblehead with our daughter Adelaide who is 1.

BH - About being an artist...

KB - I started in ceramics at Skidmore and that was in the early 90s and have bounced around in ceramic studios from coast to coast. The hardest thing being a ceramic artist is finding a way to keep working. It requires so much space and big, hot, dirty equipment that I can't just set up a work space in my living room. I used to find a local college studio where ever I was and become involved in their program but when I came back to Marblehead my options were limited. Eventually I opened my own studio and school with a friend of mine, The North Shore Clay Studio (NSCS).We have a huge wonderful space in an old factory building called the Lydia Pinkham Building in Lynn. We teach classes and have space for independent clay artists as well. NSCS has provided me with a studio space and community of clay artist to work among. We have been open for three years and going strong.

BH -Please describe your creative process....

KB - I wheel throw my work in porcelain as well as make pieces by hand building in stoneware. I make all my glazes from scratch and create texture by carving stamps out of rubber and plaster. Sometimes I will even make custom slump molds for large oval pieces. Color is important in my work and is a strong part of what makes the work come alive. The colors come from my diving, travelling, and quilting experiences. I used to be a quilter and still use the idea of the separation of fabrics and patterns as I decorate my work. But first and foremost the work is functional. I want my users to enjoy these pieces in their daily routines and lives.

BH - About the business side....

KB - The most exciting show I have ever been invited to was at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. They asked me to be a part of the gallery shop that was connected to their biggest fund raiser of the year, Art in Bloom 2008. It was a thrill to walk into the museum and see my work. I don't expect anything like that to happen again. I created nearly 70 pieces for that show.

I am a part of the Marblehead Arts Association and show in a variety of shows and galleries around the country. You can see my work at the Society of Art and Crafts Boston on Newbury Street and Mimi Gallery in Ipswich, MA. Outside of MA I have work in a bunch of galleries including the Clay Studio in Philadelphia and AKAR in Iowa City. I am now honored to be connected to Boston Handmade.

I am new to ETSY and still need some help and pointers for sure! SO any suggestions would be most welcomed!